The University of Mississippi has named its political science department after Ray Mabus, one of the state’s former governors and a former secretary of the U.S. Navy.
Mississippi’s Institutions of Higher Learning’s board of trustees approved the naming of the Ray Mabus Department of Political Science in its monthly meeting on Thursday. Ole Miss officials touted Mabus for making significant contributions to establish an endowment to support the political science department’s teaching, research, and student opportunities.
A native of Ackerman and an Ole Miss graduate, Mabus’ career spanned decades of public service. In 1987, he was elected as Mississippi’s youngest governor in 150 years, serving in the role from 1988-92. He had previously served as the state auditor, representing the Democratic Party in all offices.
Following his time in the Governor’s Mansion, President Bill Clinton appointed Mabus as the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia in 1994. President Barack Obama appointed him as the 75th U.S. secretary of the Navy, a position he held from 2009 to 2017 – the longest tenure in that role since World War I.
“One of the tremendous hallmarks of our alumni is how they take their Ole Miss education and build lives of service and purpose,” Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. “Alumnus, former Mississippi governor and former secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, is one of our highest examples of a lifetime of achievement. We are grateful to him and the many alumni and friends who generously contributed to this deeply meaningful naming of our Department of Political Science.”
As secretary of the Navy, Mabus oversaw an annual budget of approximately $200 billion and led nearly a million active-duty and civilian personnel. During his tenure, combat roles were expanded to include women and the military branch advanced alternative energy as a warfighting strategy. He also oversaw the construction of more than double the number of ships built in the eight years before his time at the helm and helped develop the Gulf Coast Restoration Plan after the BP oil spill.
It was during Mabus’ stint with the federal government that Navy SEALs carried out the mission that killed Osama bin Laden. Among his many honors, Mabus was named one of America’s top 50 CEOs by Glassdoor – the only government leader to receive the distinction.
“This naming is deeply touching,” said Mabus, who graduated summa cum laude from Ole Miss with majors in political science and English in 1969. “This has moved me in ways very few other things have. To have my name associated with the school that gave me my start – the school that I love and remain closely connected to – means the world to me.”
Along with the education he received at Ole Miss, Mabus earned a master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University as a Woodrow Wilson fellow. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1976 and served as a Navy officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock.
At the state level, Mabus worked as legal counsel and legislative assistant to former Gov. William Winter and helped draft the landmark Education Reform Act of 1982, a measure that established mandatory public school attendance, raised teacher salaries, and introduced performance-based accreditation.
In 1990, Fortune magazine named Mabus one of the nation’s top 10 education governors, and he received the Social Responsibility Award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
He is CEO of the Mabus Group, a strategic advisory firm focused on national security, defense technology, and innovation. He also serves as vice chair of InStride, a public benefit education company, sits on the boards of two public and two private companies, and serves on multiple nonprofit boards.
“Very few Mississippians have achieved Secretary Mabus’ level of success in both state and national politics,” said former state Rep. Cecil Brown, who chaired the House Education Committee during his tenure in the Mississippi Legislature. “I admire his commitment to making this state and nation better places for all of us in every position he has held.”
Mabus continues to operate as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Explorers Club, and the Screen Actors Guild. Among many adventures, he has thrown out the first pitch at all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. The former Mississippi governor is hopeful his achievements will encourage Ole Miss students to pursue their passions.
“Do something to make a difference. Give back to this unique nation of ours. Help people who may never know you or realize what you did,” Mabus told those studying in the political science department. “Public service isn’t the easiest or most lucrative path, but I can’t think of anything more fulfilling.”
