Mississippi State’s graduation rate was 87 percent for women athletes and 72 for men. Both awards were accepted by President Mark Keenum. The Halbrook Award was won by Gulf Coast Community College in the junior college division for its 97 percent graduation rate. Rust College was awarded the Halbrook Award for private four-year colleges that have a 96 percent graduation rate. Blue Mountain College was awarded the best overall graduation rate, with a 20% increase in graduation rates. Rick Cleveland, Mississippi Today’s sports columnist, was the guest speaker at Tuesday’s Halbrook Awards Luncheon. It took place at the Natchez Convention Center at the 83rd Annual Mississippi Association Colleges and Universities Conference. These are his remarks. We are grateful. It’s an honor to be in historic Natchez for the tricentennial celebrations. It’s a great honor to celebrate the Mississippi tradition of the John C. and Ernestine McCall Halbrook Award For Academic Achievement. As we all know, Mississippi’s junior college and college sport are an integral part of Mississippi society. Marino Casem, my good friend and coach at Alcorn State, coined a phrase to capture the passion for college sports here in Mississippi. Casem, who is the acknowledged Godfather and founder of the SWAC, said that college football in the East is a cultural exercise. It is a tourist attraction on the West Coast. It is known as cannibalism in the Midwest. In the South, however, it is cannibalism. This is, of course to get an education. David M. Halbrook, Belzoni, was a big believer in education. He was elected to the state Legislature in 1968 and served 28 years. For most of that time, he was the chairman of the House Education Committee. He was a strong advocate for education and introduced my hero Governor. William Winter introduced the landmark education reform bill. David M. Halbrook was also an avid sportsman. As a freshman at Ole Miss, he played football under the legendary Coach John Vaught. He then suffered a devastating knee injury that ended his career. David M. Halbrook was able to make good use of his education, even though he couldn’t continue playing football. Rep. Halbrook noticed that, while Mississippi’s student athletes received a lot of praise for their athletic achievements, there was very little recognition for their academic achievements. The Halbrook brothers and his parents created the Halbrook Award. The Halbrook Award recognizes colleges and universities that have high academic standards and encourage high graduation rates. Mississippi’s academic excellence is a well-known fact. Dr. Mark Keenum will be pleased to know that two of the most outstanding baseball players in Mississippi were from Mississippi State. You all know about David “Boo”, Mississippi’s greatest baseball player. He pitched for Mississippi State, before moving on to the Major Leagues and returning to Delta State, where he was a beloved coach in college baseball. Over 50 years ago, I was privileged to be able to write his biography. His intelligence and pure goodness have remained a constant amazement to me. Nearly 80 years ago, Coach was Shaw High School’s class valedictorian. He was also a great player in basketball, football and tennis. His penmanship was like art and he was a straight A student. It is still there at 94. He was also a stellar student at Mississippi State, where he played both basketball and baseball. We sold more than 700 books together when we signed our first book signing at Delta State. It was quite demoralizing. His signature was written in a beautiful script, much like calligraphy. My signature looked more like chicken scratch. He was also 30 years older than me. Boo Ferriss is not the only one who has contributed to Mississippi State’s pitching star’s scholastic success. Willie Mitchell was born December 1, 1889 in Pleasant Grove, Miss. Willie was smart and a good student that he graduated high school at the age of 15. At 19 he graduated from then-Mississippi A & M. But not before he pitched perhaps the greatest college baseball game ever. Willie Mitchell pitched the perfect game in the second game of a doubleheader at LSU in 1909. He retired all 27 LSU batters. He did not reach first base. He also struck out 26 of 27 batters that he faced. One LSU player hit fair balls, and it was a ground ball to first base. All of us know that professional scouts wanted to sign Willie. It’s always intrigued me to know if they signed the LSU player who was a true professional. I don’t know if I would have, but I do believe so. We know that Willie Mitchell pitched a pitch that, once it reached the plate, kind of fell out of sight of the batter. Newspaper accounts from that time have confirmed this. It was similar to what a fastball with split fingers does today. It didn’t have a name back then so they called it the Willie Ball. After the victory against LSU, Willie Mitchell used the pitch to pitch in Big Leagues that summer. It was used to strike out Babe Ruth, the first time that the Babe had ever played in an American League game. It was used for a lifetime Major League earned runs average of 2.80. Academically, Willie should have been All-World. He graduated at the age of 19. There were many great athletes and outstanding students. Robert Khayat was a brilliant former chancellor of Ole Miss. He played both baseball and football, and starred in both. A contemporary of mine from Southern Miss, Dr. Doug Rouse was a stellar football player and student who went on to become an orthopedic surgeon. He now serves as the state College Board. Clarence Weatherspoon was a 13-year NBA veteran and earned his master’s degree in business administration at USM while still playing varsity basketball. Frank Dowsing was the first African American player in football at Mississippi State. He was also the valedictorian for the Tupelo High school class that he integrated. Later, he became a President’s List scholar at State. Then there is my favorite from this short list. Many people don’t know the following. After serving his country in World War II as a sergeant with the U.S. Army, Medgar Evers was an academic straight-A student at Alcorn State. Medgar Evers fought valiantly at the Battle of Normandy. He returned to Alcorn State and majored as a business administrator. He also captained the football team and competed in track & field. We all know his achievements in civil rights. We all know his courage. Medgar Evers was a talented athlete, but he was also a man of intellect and conviction. He was a student-athlete, and the Halbrook Award honors him. Many of the greatest athletes in the world have been born here. For starters Jerry Rice from Mississippi Valley State is pro football’s most prolific scorer and pass receiver. Walter Payton from Jackson State is pro football’s second-leading rusher. Brett Favre, from Southern Miss, is the second-most successful passer in pro football. Ray Guy, Southern Miss’s greatest punter, is the best in American football history. Archie Manning, Drew is the patriarch of American football’s first family. It is important to remember, however, that athletic excellence often comes with academic excellence. Too often, academic excellence is overlooked in recognition of athletic excellence. The Halbrook Award is there to encourage the former and ensure that the tail doesn’t wag the dog at least once a year. We are grateful.