Frances Lucas (born 1956) is the president of Frances Lucas Consulting. Previously, she served as president of
Millsaps College
Millsaps College is a private liberal arts college in Jackson, Mississippi. It was founded in 1890 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
History
The college was founded in 1889–90 by a Confederate veteran, Major Reuben Webster M ...
, becoming the first female head of the college in 2000.
After her time at Millsaps, she became the Vice President and Campus Executive Officer and a Professor of Practice for the Human Capital Development Program at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast in
Long Beach, Mississippi
Long Beach is a city located in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 15,829.
Geography
According to the United States Census Burea ...
.
Personal life
Lucas is the daughter of
Aubrey K. Lucas
Dr. Aubrey K. Lucas is an American academician, and the former President and current President Emeritus of the University of Southern Mississippi. Lucas received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Southern Mi ...
, who himself is the former president of
Delta State University
Delta State University (DSU) is a public university in Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 11,199 as of the 2020 United States Census.
Cleveland has a large commercia ...
and later
The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
and is now president emeritus of
The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
.
Lucas grew up in Mississippi where she received her
Bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...
from
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...
in 1978, her
Master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
and her
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
in
higher education
Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...
from the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
Lucas began her career at Mississippi State working in
student affairs
Student affairs, student support, or student services is the department or division of services and support for student success at institutions of higher education to enhance student growth and development. People who work in this field are know ...
before moving on at age 29 to become the youngest Vice-President for Student Affairs and the first female Vice-President at
Baldwin-Wallace College
Baldwin Wallace University (BW) is a private university in Berea, Ohio. It was founded in 1845 as Baldwin Institute by Methodist businessman John Baldwin. The school merged with nearby German Wallace College in 1913 to become Baldwin-Wallace Co ...
. Later, she served as Senior Vice-President for Campus Life at
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
before being announced in February 2000 as the 10th president and first female president of Millsaps College.
Millsaps College
After 22 years of leading Millsaps College, George Harmon announced his resignation in the Spring of 1999. His last day as president of Millsaps College was June 30, 2000.The Magnolia Gazette: Southern ties launch a new era for Millsaps After an eight month national search for a successor to Harmon, Frances Lucas was announced in February 2000 as the new president, making her the first female to hold the post at Millsaps.
Lucas submitted her resignation on April 23, 2009 stating her last day would be "June 30, 2010, which will mark the conclusion of my tenth year."
University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast
On April 30, 2010, Lucas was named Vice President and Campus Executive Officer for The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast operations. Her first official day on the job was July 6, 2010.Vice President, Campus Executive Officer Begins First Week at Southern Miss Gulf Coast
Awards
* 2003 - Mississippi's Business Woman of the Year,
Mississippi Business Journal
''The Mississippi Business Journal'' is a statewide weekly business newspaper, located in Jackson, Mississippi.
Each issue contains news coverage relating to the Mississippi business world along with regular opinion and freelance columns. Issues ...
* 2004 - Outstanding Mississippi Woman of the Year, Mississippi State University Women's Commission
References
# Jones, Denise. "Millsaps chief makes return visit to city." ''The Bolivar Commercial.'' 21 September 2001.
# Kalich, Tim. "Millsaps and Scooter a good fit." ''