MSU President Mark E. Keenum, second from left, along with MSU Student Association President Keegan Figueroa; Vice President for Access, Opportunity and Success Ra’Sheda Forbes; and I’terrious Hunter, an MSU Promise Scholar and fraternity brother of Holmes. (Photo by Grace Cockrell / MSU)
- Holmes Plaza on the MSU campus now recognizes the contributions and life of Dr. Richard E. Holmes.
To recognize the contributions and life of Mississippi State University’s first black student, the ribbon was cut on a monument erected in the plaza on the Starkville campus that now bears his name.
Dr. Richard E. Holmes became the first black student to attend MSU back in the 1960s. He went on to provide healthcare in two states.
In recognition of those milestones, the former YMCA Plaza on the university campus was officially renamed the Holmes Plaza on August 21. A monument also now stands on the site in his honor.
“Holmes Plaza and the monument we are dedicating today ensures that Dr. Holmes’ story is always remembered on our campus. And what an incredible story it is,” MSU President Mark Keenum said. “He was a true pioneer and courageous trailblazer when he became Mississippi State’s first African American student on July 19, 1965.”
Holmes was a member of MSU’s Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. After graduating from the university, he went on to become a physician who provided health care in Mississippi and Alabama. He also worked in the MSU Longest Health Center for 30 years, according to the school.
Holmes Plaza now serves as “a place where everyone can find opportunity and belonging,” Keenum said.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, I’terrious Hunter, a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, said he was honored to participate in the recognition of a fraternity brother. Hunter is also a MSU Promise Scholar.
Other participants of the event included Vice President of Access, Opportunity and Success Ra’Sheda Forbes and MSU Student Association President Keegan Figueroa.
