Dr. Robert M. Dixon

We're talking with the Interim President of Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi Dr. Robert M. Dixon about the college and upcoming Founders Week Celebration on The Bev Johnson Show on WDIA Radio.

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Bill in Good Time Station ten seventyw d I A listen on the free
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(01:38):
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Just say show bell Joe, Let'sgo bell just then we You'll make your
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(02:04):
the belt to Fish show show likeLet's go. We are rocking and rolling
on this Monday, November six,twenty twenty three. Enjoyed this fabulous day
to day as we go to theother side of the Bev Johnson Show.
Thank you all for being here.I am so happy a big smile on

(02:25):
my face because one of the placesI love I love y'all know I talk
about the other school I do.I love that too, thee I love.
But I love this because this gaveme a footing in life. Yes,
it did. It gave me afooting in life. Gave me the

(02:45):
opportunity to travel. Oh, justmake good friends. I'm talking about Rust
College in Holly Springs, Mississippi.I had to say it. I can
see it mere like Annie r AnnieRufe said Holly Springs, Mississippi. I
want to welcome my guest. Heis doctor Robert M. Dixon, who

(03:07):
is the Interim President of RUSS College. Last year he was appointed. He
was Dixon currently the interim Vice Presidentfor Academic Affairs and now he is serving
as the Interiom president of RUSS College. Let me say good afternoon, welcome
in to wdi A M. TheBEV Johnson Show. Doctor Dixon, how

(03:31):
are you. I'm good, andthank you for the welcome. You are
so welcome. One of the placesI love. People. I think I
don't love it, but I loveRust College because doctor Dixon. It gave
me a footing. And I'll tellyou this, doctor Dixon, because you
may not know. When I graduatedfrom high schools thinking, I was thinking,

(03:53):
doctor Dixon, I was going tobe on Broadway. I was going
to New York. I had afull ride scholarship to the American Academy of
Dramatic Arts in New York City.Well, one of the things about the
Academy Dramatic Academy, they didn't havedormitories, so you had to find your

(04:14):
own living quarters. And my daddytold me, doctor Dixon, you think
I'm sending you to New York andI gotta find you somewhere to live.
We don't have any folks there.Nah, you said you better find you
school with a dormitory. So youknow that crushed my dreams of becoming an
actress on Broadway. And I'm thinking, like and my mother said, I

(04:38):
know you where you can go RussCollege. My mother is a graduate,
was a graduate of Russ College,right, And doctor Dixon's gonna laugh.
And I told her because I wasin up north in Michigan, and I
told her, I said, Mom, I'm not going to Mississippi. You
know what they do to black folksin Mississippi. He think, girl,

(04:59):
you know no. But but cameto and okay, okay, applied.
Russ College didn't even apply. Mymother said we're going down there, went
to Russ College and mister Rayford.I think mister Rayford was he was over
the admissions and doctor Dixon. Hetold my mother, he says, we're
gonna take care of her. Ihadn't applied. We're gonna take care of

(05:24):
her. We did, We didall the paperwork there, gonna take care
of her. I want you toknow doctor Dixon. Rust College took care
of me. I made the bestfriends, you know, falling love with
folks from Mississippi, and but RussCollege took care of me. And I

(05:44):
said that to say. Russ Collegeis an awesome place. It took care
of me. And when we thinkabout HBCUs, I tell him Russ College
took care of me. Mister Rayfordmade that promise to my mother. They
took care of me. I wasable to be in the acapella the world
of famous a cappella choir. Iwas there, but they took care of
me right well. That tradition stillexists. We think that we offer an

(06:11):
opportunity to students who attend that mostschools cannot match the kind of attention that
we provide. The professors who takea strong interest in their students were willing
to work with them outside the classroomin special projects and events. We think
we're unique in that regard. Andof course it's a tradition at our school,

(06:34):
one that started in the beginning thatwe would extend opportunities to our students.
Yes, so let me and Ijust wanted to say that, so
because in case you don't know,you know, Mary knows me. We
go back we were school to getit. But yeah, yeah, RUSS.
I graduated from RUSS in nineteen seventyfive. And also let me get

(07:00):
to you, doctor, but Ijust want you to know about me how
RUSS has taken care of me whenI was a student. But not only
that, I was employed at RustCollege when the mass communications opened up.
They hired me to teach radio andalso I helped them to develop WRUC.
Okay, so RUSS is my Itaught radio down at Rush College and just

(07:27):
beautiful and some of those students,Doctor Dixon were able to come to Memphis
and was employed by WDA. Wow. So I love RUSS College. But
our listeners who may not know whoRobert M. Dixon is, tell us
a little bit about yourself. Okay, Well, I'm originally from Atlanta,

(07:49):
Georgia. I grew up in Atlanta, attended school there. I was an
athlete in high school, a letterin for sports. I thought I was
going to go away to college,but I ended up accepting a scholarship to
Morehouse College. I went to Morehouseman I am at Morehouse. I lettered

(08:15):
in football, was the only sportI played. I was a physics major
at Morehouse, physics and mathematics.I intended to major in English and go
to law school, but I tookadvantage of scholarship money that was available if
you did science in those days,and ended up finishing in physics and mathematics.

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And I was accepted a Woodrow WilsonFellowship to attend Rutgers University in New
Brunswick, New Jersey, although Iwas admitted to a school in New York,
but I thought New York might bejust too much financially and in terms
of living. But I did endup in New York many years later to

(09:01):
help out at MegaR Evers College inBrooklyn. Many years later, I left
Rutgers after obtaining a master's degree.I got an offer from Hampton Institute to
teach. Met the president from Hamptonat that time, Jerome Holland, and
he persuaded me to come to Hampton. I went there for a year,

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and then I took a position teachingphysics at Morgan State in Baltimore. And
again that transition was because I metthe president, Martin Jenkins at that time,
and I stayed at Morgan for alittle over twelve years teaching physics.

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I take pride in the fact thatmany of my students that I taught at
Morgan went on to obtain degrees inphysics, mathematics, and engineering. I
left there in order to start agraduate program in physics at Atlanta University.
Of course today it's Clark Atlanta University. And from there I went to work

(10:16):
for an engineering firm for a shortperiod of time, pursuing some research studies.
I ended up after a stint inDallas, Texas, I ended up
back at Morehouse as chair of thephysics department, and I stayed there for
eighteen years. And again my focuswas on producing students who would go on

(10:39):
for a graduate study in the STEMfields, and I think I was fairly
successful there. We certainly brought ina number of grants from both the federal
government federal agencies and from many privatefoundations. I ended up taking the position

(11:03):
of provosts at Gramlin State back earlyin this century because a friend of mine
with whom I had worked at MorganState became the president and he persuaded me
to come out and help him,And so I was at Grambling for almost
six years, and subsequent to thatI went back to Hampton for a period,

(11:28):
and then I retired, and inretirement I started taking on short term
assignments in administration, and that tookme to Maine and took me to Pennsylvania
finally North Carolina, and I wasat home in Atlanta when I got a
call asking me if I would helpout at Rust, with the understanding that

(11:50):
I would be coming in order tohelp with accreditation and also helping them find
a permanent vice president for academic affairs. And so I thought I would be
back in Atlanta by July of thisyear, but instead I ended up being
interim president by July. Actually tookplace in May, and that was not

(12:16):
a part of the plan, butit seems that it was someone else's plan.
And so here I am. Weare attempting to do a number of
things, but they all are inline with the kind of experiences that you
had that is we're about opportunity andwe're about taking care of our students.

(12:37):
I love that you have had alife traveling. Oh yeah, I have.
You have had a lot life,Doctor Dixon. Because I didn't provide
some of the particulars because I don'twant to take all of your time.
Oh no, you you are well. I'm glad you shared that with us.
When we talk about Russ College,and someone's listening and I know this

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week is very special, we're goingto talk about that, celebrating one hundred
and fifty seven years its Founder's Weekcelebration. But someone's listening, Doctor Dickson,
a parent or a grandparent or auntieand listening and asked the question,
why should I send my child toRuss College? If that question because what

(13:31):
is Russ College going to do forthem? Is that a hard question?
No, it's not a hard question. I can answer it by describing my
experience. Okay, when I graduatedfrom Morehouse College, the professors I had
my senior year were very concerned aboutwhat would happen to me subsequently. Not

(13:54):
only that, President Benjamin Mays atthat time was concerned about where was I
going to go to graduate school?And why that particular university. I had
a daughter. My youngest daughter insistedthat she didn't want to go to an
HBCU, so she went to OberlinCollege in Ohio, with long history of

(14:18):
being supportive of African Americans, certainlytook in some students of color back in
the nineteenth century when some of theschools would not admit us. Many prominent
ministers from the nineteenth century attended OberlinCollege when she graduated, and she had

(14:41):
a few black professors. She hadBelle Hooks, who's well known as a
professor, and some other folks,but no one took an interest in what
she was going to do. Subsequently, no one advised her about graduate school.
No one asked her what she wasgoing to do. So that piece

(15:03):
was missing. That piece is notmissing at HBCU's people are concerned. Those
that work at HBCUs are concerned aboutthe next steps in the student's lives.
And I think that's an important piece. Certainly. I know that in my

(15:24):
own case, having someone concerned aboutme, and I know that President Mays.
After I left there and went toRutgers, I was told by the
chair of the physics department there thathe was continuously receiving letters from doctor May's
about how I was doing and whatwas going on. That doesn't happen at

(15:46):
many of the majority institutions. Peopledon't take that kind of interest. They
don't have that kind of or levelof commitment. But that kind of commitment,
that kind of interest characterizes our schools. You are you are so absolutely
correct, because I think when yousaid that, doctor Dixon, I think

(16:08):
about at rust and how I gotto graduate school Jackson State University. Chuck
Holmes was director of Development and misterHolmes said Jackson State has started a new
graduate program mass communications. He said, they're giving way money. He said,

(16:32):
I want you to apply. Iapplied to Jackson State University for a
graduate assistant ship because of Chuck Holmesat Russ College because because of that,
and got accepted to Jackson State andit was a graduate assistant and worked in
the mass communications department. You areso and they checked that's how I got

(16:53):
to Jackson State, And you areso right. I think, HBCUs and
we say this all the time.They take care of the students. It's
a family, that's right. It'sa family, that's right. It's a
family. I know, coming upthis week. It is the one hundred
and fifty seventh Founders Week celebration.Tell our listeners a little bit about that.

(17:18):
Well, one of the one ofthe traditions at our school and at
many of the HBCUs is that wedo celebrate our beginnings. They were challenging
beginnings and we don't forget that.And so this year we'll have a number
of activities where we look back andcelebrate from where we have come. One

(17:41):
of the things we'll do on Tuesdaytomorrow, we'll have a special luncheon.
It's called the Legacy Luncheon. We'regoing to recognize families that have produced three
or more graduates of the college andwe want to acknowledge them. We want
to thank them and tell them howimportant they are to the college and to

(18:03):
what the college has been able toachieve. On Thursday, we're going to
do another special event for the womenwho have served as miss rust over the
years. Wow, I like that. Yeah, We'll have a special tea
and small luncheon for them at thePresident's home. I think On Friday,

(18:29):
we're going to recognize members of thelast football team. People can't believe russ
had a football team. Yes,yes, yeah, back back in the
sixties. I think the last teamplayed in the fall of sixty four.
Wow. Yeah. And you knowthat's an important sport at many of the

(18:52):
schools. Yeah, but it becametoo expensive for RUST. But we still
have alumni who remember those years andwe want to recognize those members. And
then on Friday evening, Friday evening, we'll have the well I need to

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see. Yeah, the alumni banquetwill take place on Friday, on Friday
evening, and then on Saturday wehave the annual parade. Yeah, and
there will be a a big eventfollowing that. There will be a basketball

(19:47):
game that evening. We'll have Battleof the Bands during the day, wow.
Yes. And Sunday, November twelfth, we'll have the closing event,
which is a convocation, and thespeaker for that event will be Congressman James
Clybrann. Wow. Yeah, that'sgonna be fabulous. Oh yes, yes,

(20:11):
we're looking for a very special messageto come from James Slybrn. I
think that's gonna be great. Yeah. He's he's he's he's he's good.
Yeah. He has had a longand distinguished history in the Congress, and
I think the current President of theUnited States. Joe Biden knows or owes

(20:32):
his success to the support that CongressmanLibrin provided certainly reversed his campaign, which
was not off to a great startright until James Librin got involved. Oh
that's good. That's gonna be history. The students, they're going to enjoy
that. Oh, yes, they'regonna enjoy that. If you've just tuned

(20:55):
in this afternoon, I am speakingwith the interim President of Rust College in
Holly Springs, Mississippi, doctor RobertM. Dixon. If you have a
question or two four doctor Dixon,and about Russ College, we invite you
to call now nine zero one fivethree five nine three four two five three

(21:17):
five nine three four two eight hundredfive zero three nine three four two or
eight three three, five three fivenine three four two. You're listening to
the Bev Johnson Show on double Dia. You're listening to the Bev Johnson Show

(21:42):
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(22:03):
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right here the heart and sould theMemphis AM ten seventy wd IA, the
ten seventy wd IA. Hi,this is Shirley Brown. And I was
just remembering when I was a younggirl growing up in Arkansas, wes smith
Is, Arkansas, when I wouldhear on the radio back then, those

(22:47):
blues songs that were powerful over theradio. And I remember that when I
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(23:08):
exists, and I never thought thatI would have my music being played on
this wonderful radio station, AM tenseventy WDA. I come to congratulate you
on your seventy fifth radio anniversary.Thank you, Memphis and WDA listeners from
all over the world. We couldn'thave done it without you. Celebrating seventy

(23:30):
five years on your radio, stillserving up goodwill and good times. Where
the heart and soul of Memphis Amten seventy WDIA. You're listening to the

(24:04):
Bev Johnson Show. Here's Bev Johnson, and I'm talking with the interim President
of Russ College in Holly Springs,Mississippi, doctor Robert M. Dixon.
Doctor Dixon, We're going to ourphone lines to talk to some of our
listeners. Hi, Kevin, Hey, beb how you doing. I'm doing
well today, Kevin, and yourself? All right, Doctor Dixon, how

(24:26):
are you doing. I'm good,sir, how are you well? I
heard you talking about Russ College.And I'm a proud member of the graduate
Chapter of Omega sot Fire at RustCollege CIOL chapter. And also I have
a nephew who's attending Russ College.He's on the presidential scholarship. This is
his first year at RUSS and Iremember he was looking for school and I

(24:51):
told him that, you know,I highly recommended Russ College. And he's
very pleased with it. He's inthe matter of fact, he's in the
catching. Uh that's what he wantsto get into. M So uh,
I'm I'm very proud of that.Uh. And even though i'm uh uh
went to Southern University alumness of SouthernUniversity and Ben rouge out. Not only

(25:11):
do I give my money to UHSouthern, but I also give my money
to Russ College as well. AndI did this prior to him even uh
going to school. And I justwanted to let you know, appreciate the
uh great work that the school isdoing. And I would be down there
this week, uh starting Thursday,for the activities that are going on at
Russ College. Well, that's that'sgreat. We we're certainly grateful for the

(25:33):
kind of support that you're providing.And I hope that I get a chance
to meet you when you're on campus. Okay, I'm looking forward to me
And I just wanted and and Iuh And the baseball coach is a good
friend of mine, Coach Bates souh and I'm a big baseball fan,
so uh I love going seeing theuh Russ College baseball team. They did
did pretty good last year in thebaseball season. So, uh, when

(25:56):
I was coming out of high school, my high school guidance council Delors Brack,
I remember, I remember applying atRuss College because several of us from
UH in the Memphis area. Uh. Once we graduated, we went to
RUSS and some went to other schools. But I just wanted to let you
know, I appreciate what you allare doing then, and I would continue

(26:18):
to give my financial support to theschool, and we're very grateful for that.
I'm sorry didn't play You didn't playbaseball for RUSS, but yeah,
well no, no, I didn't, but but I'm a baseball fan,
so I just I just like cometo see him so well, it might
have might have provided a path foryou on into the major league possibility,

(26:41):
you know, but but I havemy nephews there. He's uh he's a
matter of fact, he's playing basketballas well. So oh I was great.
Yeah, yeah, so I wouldbe there, you know, in
there and supporting him the family aswell. So we're we're very proud of
him. Uh. And I'm reallyproud because when he applied it RUSS and
and I was just telling him,I said, man, you can't go

(27:02):
wrong. Again he's applied another school. But I believe right now and I
believe in my heart that that's agood fit where he's at right now.
That's right. Yeah, We're gonnatake care of him, please do because
when I come down and from achapter meetings, I'm always checking on him,
making sure he's okay, okay,We're very good. Good. Thank
you, thank you Kevin, andthank you Fred. I have to say

(27:26):
that my friend brother bye bye.You know, you know doctor Dixon,
and as we as as as.The slogan for Russ College is by the
fruits. You shall know them,you shall know them, and you will
you do? Yes, you do, you do? W d I A
hi moleyne hey mo you to that. I'm doing well in you Moley.

(27:55):
I'm still trying to reach the sceneof the struggle, doctor Dixon. It
is a privilege. Jerome brad Hollandbev is a was a former ambassador to
Sweden and uh he came into Hamptonand brought about some very important changes along

(28:18):
with UH really fantastic compared to foreignlanguage specialist by the name of Albert Barrion,
who served as the dean of acollege I spent I spent six years
in higher education administration and teaching beforeI went insane and went to law school.

(28:41):
And I worked for doctor Barrion ina New York State education apartment.
Absolutely absolutely fabulous man. And whenI was in law school full time,
I was the assistant director of theuniversity's Upward Bound program part time. So

(29:03):
it's in the blood. I wasborn and raised in a little town on
the banks of the rayat And Riverby the name of New Runswick, New
Jersey, Okay. And and Rutgers. I grew up in the shadow of
Rutgers. Rutgers is very good tome. I love Rutgers dearly. I

(29:29):
was a nerd who had a smidgeonof athletic talent that took me out of
town. Records recruited me very nicely. They were very good to me.
And I'm hoping and it sounds likeyou had a really fantastic experience at Retgords
and and and and in New Jerseybetween Horseman Bond as as the president of

(29:56):
UH and correct me if I getthis wrong house and then Ben May's the
Great Benjamin May's well, our hardestman. Bond was president of Lincoln University,
oh that's right, Lincoln. Youknow he's Julian Bond's father, right
right, right. Prior to beingMay's, there was a president who had

(30:22):
about a seven or eight year tenure. And my question to you is where
did your school colors originate? Myschool colors, I'm not certain about that.
I know they're maroon and white,correct, correct? And now you
know, you know that's probably somethingthat got discussed in freshman orientation. And

(30:45):
uh, you know it was along time ago for me. Well,
a long time ago for me too. But the president before being May's,
well, it was a Samuel SamuelArcher was president. That's right. Samuel
Arkier was a president. He's theone who instituted the colors of maroon and

(31:07):
white. I see. And SamuelSamuel Archier was a graduate of Colgate University,
right right right, And I amMoley's Colgate class of nineteen sixty nine.
And with that, so you bothcontinue to thrive, you to molee
right, all right? He knowshistory, doctor Dixon. Oh yeah,

(31:30):
you know a lot of people don'trealize that Jerome Holland, who was an
All American football player at Cornell University, became you know, the president of
Hampton Institute and brought about a lotof changes at Hampton. Hampton was an
institution that was totally the independent ofthe community in which it existed. It

(31:56):
raised all of its crops, itraised all of the food, had its
own food service, had its ownservice station, carpentry, plumbing, everything
was done on the campus. Itwas a completely self contained and independent community.
And that was the model that BookerT. Washington took to Alabama to

(32:17):
create Tuskegee. But one of thethings that Jerome Holland did was he started
moving away from the technology emphasis toa liberal arts emphasis. And of course,
in those years that created quite abit of tension because many of the

(32:37):
older faculty members there thought that hey, you need to learn how to do
something with your hands, and therewas an emphasis now to do more of
the liberal arts there. So itwas a real tension between young and old.
But Jerome Holland brought that about atHampton, put Hampton on a very
different track. And today, ofcourse Hampton had as a number of PhD

(33:00):
programs, many of them were institutedunder recently retired William Harvey. Wow,
that's good history to know. Thankyou for that. Unforgetful, Beth.
I'm telling you, this is agreat show, Doctor Dixon. It's an
honor talking to you. Man.I just want to ask a couple of

(33:21):
questions about your experience. And Iknow you were at r at er President,
but you know, they just amazedme how intelligence you are because you
said, syday mathematics. Who inspiredyou when you was a kid to get
in a seat? Well, whenI was when I was in high school,

(33:42):
my ambition was to go to lawschool. It was not to do
physics or mathematics. But when Igot to college, it was the emphasis
was on getting to the moon,and so the federal government made available money
scholarship money if you studied science andmathematics. So that's what put me on
the track to do that. Andof course when I left Hampton to go

(34:07):
teach at Morgan State, I metthe chair of the physics department at the
University of Maryland who persuaded me tocome over and finish my doctoral studies at
the University of Maryland, which Idid. Do you know they're talking about
now doing with this quantum cytic isit? Well, quantum physics is a

(34:30):
fairly old field. It started itsdevelopment goes back to the nineteenth century,
but it came into fruition in theearly part of the twentieth century. Albert
Einstein contributed to it, along witha number of other people. Einstein probably

(34:50):
gets a lot more credit than someof the other people and is probably better
known. And although he developed thefoundation for what we ca special relativity,
in general relativity, he received theNobel Prize for his work on something called
the photo electric effect, which involvessome very fundamental ideas dealing with quantum physics.

(35:16):
All right, questions, unforgetful doctorDixon, assassinating man. You're a
very intelligent man. I hope youhave a photo day around they could bring
you to the next level. Thankyou, thank you, unforgetful. I'm
surprised without forgetful. W d Ia high caller. Hello, call are

(35:40):
you there? I guess not.Let me ask this, doctor Dixon.
As we as we were talking aboutRuss College, and before you all get
out of here, Uh, someone'slistening and understand, maybe get students to
come to Rust College. You're havingsomething called a preview day. What is
that? Well, that's a daywhen we invite prospective students. That is

(36:05):
prospective matriculence on campus to learn aboutthe college, hopefully to apply if they
haven't applied, if they have applied, to meet with major professors. To
you, it's a matter of closingthe deal. It's a day in which
we seek to do that. Andthose who are interested or invited to come

(36:30):
and learn about the college. Ifthey have applied, they can come and
spend time with professors, they cansee the campus, they can get a
feel for the kind of atmosphere whichexists at RUST And I think it's a
good idea for parents to also comebecause they need to know where they're leaving

(36:51):
their children, where they're leaving theirsons and daughters. I know, I've
been very impressed with the with whatI've seen that we do in order to
recruit students. How nice we treattheir fathers, their mothers, their aunts
and uncles when they visit the school. That didn't happen in my case,

(37:16):
But of course, in my case, I knew where I wanted to go
and there was no need to recruitme to recruit me, but we do
put a big effort into recruitment andPreview Day is about interacting with the community
in a positive way that will letpeople know that their sons, their daughters,

(37:38):
their nieces and nephews will be welltreated at Russ College. And one
of the things about Russ Doctor Dixon, you have students who come all over
from the United States. That's right, that's right. Yeah, a lot
of people may think that we're justa Mississippi school, but we reach all
over the mid South, we reachall over the South, we reach all

(38:00):
over the nation and actually the world. One of the things when I was
a student at Russ College cross thestreet was Mississippi Industrial College, y'all,
which was owned by the CMEME Church. We just got through talking about them,
and they owned Mississippi Industrial but itclosed down and everything, and now

(38:22):
doctor Dixon, RUSS bought that landover there. That's right. Let's talk
about how the incorporation with m Iand Russ College. Well, we currently
interact with the alumni. I know, I've met with the leader of them
I alumni, because they're very muchinterested in preserving certain things on their old

(38:45):
campus. Yeah, and so we'vebeen working with them in that regard.
We also invited them to participate withus in this football lunche and this legacy
luncheon of former football players because amI was a major rival of Russ's college,
and so we expect a few oftheir former players to be with us

(39:07):
on that Friday luncheon. We don'texpect them to try to play, right.
Many of them may not be ableto get down in a three point
stand, that's right, that's right. If they do, they may not
be able to get up right.So it's all about the fellowship. It's
about the fellowship, that's true,and it's about remembering and you know,

(39:29):
and I am so proud that RUSSdecided to embrace am I alumni, you
know, so they have a placeto come and have the reunions. That
is so wonderful. Right, ifyou're there, or if people listening are
around on that day and want toattend, I'm sure we can accommodate them.
And I'm sure they'll hear some storiesthat are probably unbelievable, probably because

(39:52):
some of them will be exaggerated.But yeah, I love that. Yeah,
you know, we tend to dothat. One touchdown becomes three,
Yes it does, right, Yes, it does. Yeah, that's good.
I love that. Also, DoctorDixon and want the students are coming.
I know RUST has a online program. That's right. Tell me a

(40:15):
little bit about that. Well.We started the online program earlier this year,
and we're offering online degrees in businessadministration and also in teacher education.
The teacher education online degree is ageneralist degree, and we're working hard with

(40:37):
the with our community to let peopleknow the about these programs that are available.
We initially thought that they would beattractive to many students who may have
dropped out or stopped out for whateverreason, may be fairly far from the
college and want to get back totheir degrees, and we thought that the

(41:01):
online program would be very attractive tothem. I like it, and so
I think that certainly this opportunity maymake it may make certain people aware of
the program who were not aware,and we look for this program to grow
in the future. Oh. Ilove it. I love it. One

(41:22):
of the things that was dear tomy heart that I mentioned earlier. I
was a part of the world famousa cappella choir. It's still thriving,
isn't it. It is thriving.We recently brought back a former director,
doctor Carl Twiner, is now directingthe a cappella choir, and since he's

(41:43):
been there, the size has increasedfivefo Wow, he's recruiting, bringing in
new students for the spring term.Okay, and they will be performing at
several events during found Okay, soyou'll get a chance to hear them,

(42:05):
certainly at the convocation on Sunday,they'll be performing. Oh that sounds fabulous.
I love that. I love that, And I know the last time
I was there, doctor Dixon,I said, rust has grown. You're
doing a lot of the campus improvementplanning. Yeah, we are. We

(42:28):
you know, we recently went througha visit from the Southern Association for Colleges
and Schools for reaffirmation of accreditation,and we made a few changes on our
campus to make it more functional andto beautify it, and a number of
our alumni have praised us for that. Praise is probably not the right word,

(42:52):
Okay. They have applauded the changesthat we that we've made, and
I think that those who visit usthis week will see some of those changes.
I have to come and see itbecause I know. But but RUSS
has always been a beautiful college campusalways. Oh. Yes, yeah,

(43:12):
it's very attractive to be on ahill, yes the way we are,
Yes, yes, yes, itis Mouse College sits on a hill.
Oh yeah, okay, yeah,yeah. Well I've been buy more house
a lot because I had a niecegraduated from Spelman, but I didn't notice
it was on a hill. Yeah, it actually is a hill. Wow.

(43:36):
Wow. They referred to it asa red hill because there's so much
in Georgia. Yeah. I lovethat. I want to ask you,
doctor Dixon, you want the jobpermanently or you just helping them out as
president? Well that's a difficult question. Yes, sir, I didn't.

(43:58):
I didn't come to take this job. But I am determined to give the
college the very best that I canand to provide for it of the all
that I can in terms of ensuringits future, in terms of building the
academic programs, in terms of strengtheningthe acolect athletic program, and of course

(44:22):
in terms of increasing the enrollment andcontributing to the endowment. We want to
do all of it, certainly,we want to do all of it while
I'm at the college. I amdetermined that my tenure will be a good
tenure and people won't be able tosay that, well, the college just

(44:45):
languaged or the college didn't make progress. We will make progress. We will
move forward, our programs will growand will grow stronger. And of course
we're counting on our alumni. Andthat's one of the things that's been encouraged
to me since I've been there,is how supportive the alumni are. Whenever

(45:05):
I'm in the community, people justwant to embrace me. And I've never
been treated that way. You know, I say, Oh, what's wrong
that they want to embrace me?Yeah, but it's very encouraging and it's
very motivating too, and it meansthat when people provide you with that kind
of support, you have to moveforward. I noticed that I know that

(45:30):
my mentor once Benjamin Mays was mymentor. He made a comment often that
the people had driven him on,and I tend to now understand what that
means, because when people look atme and encourage me and tell me I'm
doing a great job, it drivesme on. I love it. I

(45:51):
love your spirit, Doctor Dixon bothwell as an alumni of RUSS. I'm
going to do better. I gotto do better. I'm gonna do better.
We had a do bean because RUSSCollege, like I said, my
foundation right got me where I amtoday, right, And we're proud of
you. We're proud of what youknow, the alumni. We have some
outstanding alumni around the country. Yeswe do. Yeah, we just around

(46:15):
the world. Yes we do.So. Last words, doctor Dixon again,
celebrating this Founder's Week one hundred andfifty seven years. Wow, RUSS
College. Last words you want tosay about that? Well, we invite
all of our alumni to come backand spend time with us, and friends

(46:35):
who are in the area would liketo come and visit with us. We
welcome you. We hope you'll comeby and spend time with us. And
if you're in the area, cometo the convocation program on Sunday to hear
one of America's most distinguished congress personsin the person of James Libry. Yeah.

(46:59):
That's going to be great, Congressman. Yeah, thank you so much,
doctor Dixon for coming here and talkingwith us. I love your spirit
already. I can see it.I can see Russ. I can see
it's going on. It's gonna goon. Yes, it's gonna get big
and better. Yes, And whatso, I like. Holly Springs is a

(47:19):
wonderful I love Holly Springs. It'sa wonderful little town. It is it
is? You know, I justI have great memories. Dr Dixon of
Holly Springs and Russ College, thankyou so much for coming and sharing with
us. And I'll make sure I'lltell our listeners all this week. I'll
remind them of Founders Week celebration atRuss College this week. Well, thank

(47:44):
you, and we look forward tocoming back to visit again. I want
you to come back, okay,and when you come back, we're gonna
talk about some other programs going onat Rust College. That's right. Thank
you, so looking forward look forwardto having you back. Doctor Robert M.
Dixon, who is the interim presidentof Russ College and Holly Springs,
Mississippi. Thank you, callers,Thank you listeners for joining us this day

(48:07):
on the BEV Johnson Show. Wedo, we really do appreciate you.
So until tomorrow, please be safe, keep a cool head, y'all,
don't let anyone steal your joy.Until tomorrow. I'm Bev Johnson and y'all
Keith the Faith. The views andopinions discussed on The BEB Johnson Show are

(48:32):
that of the hosts and callers andnot those of the staff and sponsors of
wd IA.