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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Receives Halbrook Award
Nov. 2, 1999
OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Athletic Department received the Halbrook Award for graduating the highest percentage of its female student-athletes of all public universities in the state of Mississippi during the five-year period ending in 1999. Ole Miss graduated 84 percent of its female student-athletes during the five-year period.
"We are extremely proud to be the recipient of the Halbrook Award for excellence in academics," said Ole Miss Athletic Director John Shafer. "Our women's teams have achieved tremendous success, not only in their fields of competition, but also in the classroom. We applaud the student-athletes, coaches and support staff for this achievement."
The eight public institutions which vie for the yearly award are Alcorn State, Delta State, Jackson State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State and Southern Mississippi. It is the second time that Ole Miss has received the honor for highest graduation rate for its female student-athletes, as it also won the award in 1995. Ole Miss has also received the award for highest graduation rate for its male student-athletes six times from 1989-94.
"This award not only is a testament to the academic ability of our female student-athletes but also the quality of our commitment in providing them with every opportunity to excel both in the classroom and in sports competitions," said Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat. "In fact, Ole Miss was praised for its commitment to Title IX and gender equity by the National Collegiate Athletic Association during its recent certification of our athletics programs."
The Halbrook Award for Academic Achievement Among Athletes was established in 1984 as a result of House Concurrent Resolution No. 88. The awards program is made possible through endowments from former Representative David M. Halbrook and his brothers, John C. and James G. Halbrook?all from Belzoni, Miss.?and J.A. Halbrook of Beaumont, Texas. David Halbrook, a 1948 Ole Miss graduate, served in the Mississippi House of Representatives for 26 years until his retirement in 1996.
Administered cooperatively by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, and the Mississippi Association of Junior Colleges, the purpose of the Halbrook Award is to recognize colleges and universities that maintain and achieve high academic standards for student-athletes. Each year, awards are presented in three divisions?public university (male and female), community and junior college (overall) and independent college (overall).
Certificates are also awarded to individual student-athletes who graduated the previous year and who excelled in academics, leadership and service. Calvin Thigpen and Stephanie Vaglica received those honors for Ole Miss in 1999. Thigpen, a standout on the Rebel track and field squad, and Vaglica, a three-year starter for the Rebel softball team, both graduated last May.