Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani Headlines MC Scholarship Dinner

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani displayed enormous leadership skills as New York City’s mayor amid the chaotic moments after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America.

Known as “America’s Mayor”, Giuliani will deliver the keynote speech at Mississippi College’s annual scholarship dinner on March 29, 2016.

His spring visit to the Clinton campus is timely as the USA and other nations cope with the rising threats of global terrorism.  Acclaimed as one of the most effective chief executives in modern American history for his leadership and bravery during 9-11, Giuliani was named TIME magazine’s Person of the Year, was given an honorary knighthood by the Queen of England and was awarded the Ronald Reagan Presidential Freedom Award.

During his address to hundreds of guests at the MC scholarship banquet, Giuliani will tackle the 2016 race for the White House as well as discuss the key ingredients of effective leadership.  Earlier in the day, Mayor Giuliani will have an opportunity to meet with selected students and will also be available to speak with local media outlets.    

Giuliani becomes the latest in the lineup of prominent American leaders headlining the MC scholarship banquets. Other speakers in recent years included former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, retired physician Dr. Ben Carson, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Carson, Bush and Huckabee are among the Republican presidential contenders this year. The signature program at the Baptist-affiliated university has generated more than $2 million into student scholarships since 2008.

MC administrators, faculty and students are delighted to welcome “America’s Mayor” and former presidential candidate to the Clinton campus.

“Mayor Giuliani has the insights and the experience to speak authoritatively to America’s current concerns with domestic and foreign terrorism,” says Ron Howard, vice president for academic affairs.

Giuliani’s popularity “soared in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks because of his determined leadership of the stricken city,” noted Howard, a political science and history professor.

Business professor Billy Morehead also gives kudos to the New York University Law School graduate who helped drive New York City’s recovery and consoled grieving families.

“Mayor Giuliani and his team were remarkable in leading New York City to work with multiple government agencies with an amazing amount of cooperation, accountability and dignity through perhaps the most difficult event to ever hit our country,” Morehead said.

As a U.S. Attorney, Giuliani spearheaded successful efforts against organized crime, white-collar criminals, drug dealers and corrupt elected officials. Few U.S. Attorneys in history can match his record of 4,152 convictions with only 25 reversals.

A native of New York, MC political science professor Glenn Antizzo believes Giuliani is an excellent choice as the Christian university’s scholarship banquet speaker.

“I can honestly say he helped revive my identification with, and love of, New York,” says Antizzo, a Cornell University graduate. “Rudolph Giuliani was responsible for the revival of all that makes New York the greatest city in the world.”

At the time of the attacks, Antizzo worked as a professor at Nicholls State in Louisiana with a sister living in Brooklyn, New York. He vividly recalls speaking to her husband via phone as the New Yorker watched the World Trade Center burn from the roof of his apartment building near Prospect Park.

Often interviewed on America’s leading news programs during this presidential election year, Giuliani is a Partner at Bracewell & Giuliani, a major international law firm.

Attracting a proven national leader like Giuliani to Mississippi College will certainly cause a nice uptick in scholarship dollars, says Student Government Association President Mary McRae.

The well-attended event at America’s second oldest Baptist college remains a success since former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole served as the first speaker eight years ago. “I am so thankful for the continued support and donations from alumni, friends and family,” McRae said. “I look forward to hearing Mr. Giuliani speak at the scholarship banquet.”

Tickets to the spring scholarship dinner at Anderson Hall cost $200 each. The event begins 6 p.m. that Tuesday evening. For more information, contact the MC Office of Advancement’s Amy Rowan at 601-925-3257 or Rowan@mc.edu