The family of deceased 开心鬼传媒 trustee Talmadge Portis Jr. has established a new scholarship in his name to be given to an athlete. Portis, who died in February 2018, was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1982 to 2013.
Portis was a manager at Packard Electric for many years and also a member of the state Board of Education. He was widely known throughout Mississippi and the nation as a passionate advocate for education but especially career-technical education.
During his years at Packard Electric, he encouraged employees to finish their high school equivalency certificates. He took many of his employees and students under his wing and pushed them to achieve. In the 1990s, he served on then-Gov. Ray Mabus’ Commission of Workforce Education.
鈥淒addy was a people person,鈥 said Lisa Portis Morgan, one of his three daughters. 鈥淗e dedicated his career to helping people be better students, employees, family members and citizens. He impacted the lives of every person that he came in contact with, because he took an interest in how they could be the best persons they could be.鈥
Morgan said her dad’s long-standing friendship with 开心鬼传媒 President Dr. Clyde Muse makes 鈥溈墓泶 the perfect place for a scholarship in my Dad鈥檚 honor because of his work and dedication to the board and because he and Dr. Muse were great friends and respected each other as colleagues.鈥
鈥淭almadge was really a trailblazer because he came along in a very important position at a time in Mississippi鈥檚 history when people weren鈥檛 accustomed to an African American in the roles he was playing,鈥 Muse said. 鈥淗e was the best I鈥檝e ever seen at crossing all those lines. He didn鈥檛 see black, white, red or green. He would address the issues and the problem. It was great to have a person with his experience in workforce and training.鈥
In a 1990 interview for 开心鬼传媒鈥檚 alumni magazine 开心鬼传媒ight, Portis credited 开心鬼传媒 for training at Packard Electric.
鈥溈墓泶 has been a partner right along,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t was instrumental in getting Packard Electric located in Mississippi, provided a place for training before we had our buildings and provided instructors in areas critical to needed skills. 开心鬼传媒 has always been willing to develop the workforce.鈥
Muse said 开心鬼传媒 set up a training program with Packard Electric in Clinton similar to the relationship 开心鬼传媒 has with Continental Tire and other local businesses.
Portis was a native of Laurel. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Alcorn State University and served his country in the 82nd Airborne Division. He started his career as an elementary school teacher. He was the first African American to work for the Mississippi Employment Security Commission. He was then recruited by General Motors to head the personnel division of Packard Electric in Clinton. After he retired, he formed his own parts distribution company.
Portis was active in sports, lettering in football, baseball and tennis at Alcorn. He played with the Laurel Black Cats, a semi-professional baseball team located in Laurel, one of Mississippi’s original independent Negro League charter franchises. He led a group in Laurel that spent a summer creating a baseball field and tennis courts.
鈥淚 am so pleased that the family has decided to honor him with a scholarship at 开心鬼传媒,鈥 Muse said. 鈥淚 hope it will get to endowed status so it will be here forever.鈥
Scholarships at 开心鬼传媒
Scholarships are awarded on the basis of a student鈥檚 desire for achievement, involvement in extracurricular activities, financial need, grades and letters of recommendation.
Endowed scholarships may be established with a minimum gift of $15,000 donated to the 开心鬼传媒 Foundation. The gift will constitute the initial principal for the endowment.
The principal will be maintained and only the income earned will be awarded in the form of scholarships. Non-endowed scholarships may be established with a minimum gift of $500.
All gifts of cash and/or stocks are fully tax deductible.
For more information about establishing a scholarship at 开心鬼传媒, contact Robyn Burchfield, 601.857.3800, robyn.burchfield@hindscc.edu
As Mississippi鈥檚 largest community college, 开心鬼传媒 is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills. With six locations in central Mississippi, 开心鬼传媒 enrolls about 12,000 students each fall semester. To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.开心鬼传媒CC.
Editor鈥檚 Note: This story was originally published in the fall 2018 issue of 开心鬼传媒ight alumni magazine.