Dr. Daniel J. Ennis has officially been inaugurated as the ninth president of Delta State University.
Ennis was coronated during an investiture ceremony held Saturday at the Bologna Performing Arts Center which emphasized the contributions of past DSU presidents, celebrated the centennial of the creation of Delta State Teachers College by the Mississippi legislature, and focused on the role of the university as a beacon of education in an underserved part of the state.
The keynote address during Ennis’ inauguration was delivered by Dr. Michael Benson, the president of Coastal Carolina University. Ennis served at Coastal Carolina University for 24 years, most recently as vice president for academic affairs, before coming to Cleveland last March.
Benson opined that Ennis is exceptionally suited for his role as Delta State’s president and expressed optimism for the future of the university with Ennis at the helm. He reminded everyone that the Marshall Plan that helped the world recover from World War II was first presented at a Delta Council meeting on the DSU campus.
“You have greatness in your institutional DNA,” Benson said. “You have a leader equipped to draw on that greatness as you enter your second century. I’m so proud of my friend, Dan. Listen to what he says. Believe in the bold and daring vision he has for this place. Follow his lead. Support him in his efforts, in the good times and the bad, because I promise you there will be plenty of both. I will tell you; the greatest days of Delta State lie ahead.”
Ennis has been brought to Delta State with confidence from both school and state officials that he is the man capable of shoring up a financial crisis that has been brewing at the university due to budget and enrollment issues.
“I owe thanks to so many. It’s humbling to contemplate all the effort that has gone into making this day possible. I am profoundly moved by this responsibility and will do everything I can to pay back that trust,” Ennis said. “The future of this university requires that we all – students, administration, faculty, staff, alumni, community — accept custodianship, accept our role and responsibility in maintaining, protecting, and improving this place so it can exist for another century.”
