Mary Crowell
Annual awards were presented at the 168th Commencement Exercises of Rhodes College on May 13. Rhodes graduates Jon “Jay” Lanham Hedges and Mary Katherine Crowell, along with Deborah L. Craddock, principal and vice president of trading at Southeastern Asset Management, received the 2017 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards. The awards are presented annually to two graduating seniors (one male and one female) and one non-student who have given selflessly to others and the college.
Mr.
Hedges, a political economy major from Little Rock, Ark., served as the 2016-2017 president of Rhodes Student Government, and he involved himself in the Micah Community that works to foster racial reconciliation and explore spirituality. Hedges has been described by his peers as thoughtful, caring, and kind. He served as a member of the Commission on Campus Culture as a second-year student, and as an intern, he has been helping to restore Clayborn Temple, a Memphis landmark that holds particular significance to the Memphis Sanitation Strike during the civil rights movement. Mr. Hedges also served as a student trustee.
Ms. Crowell, a biology/anthropology/sociology major from Soddy Daisy, too served as student trustee, listening to her peers in order to accurately convey their concerns to the board of trustees. As president of the Rhodes chapter of Chi Omega Fraternity, Crowell is described by her peers as a loving and empathetic leader, serving as a role model for each member. She has been a research Intern at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and at Little Bird Innovation, which brings together business strategy, social sciences, and design to help organizations deliver meaningful change. Ms. Crowell also sits on the board of the Taraloka Foundation, which works to aid Himalayan girls in their education.
Ms. Craddock, a 1980 Rhodes economics alumna, has held leadership roles in several Memphis organizations including the Brooks Museum of Art, MIFA, and Ballet Memphis. She is principal and vice president of trading at Southeastern Asset Management and has always managed to devote time to her alma mater, serving on the Alumni Executive Board, the Presidents Council, and the Margaret Hyde Council. Ms. Craddock is the past president of the Charles E. Diehl Society, and she and her husband, Bob, are members of the Benefactor’s Circle. Most recently, she served on the search committee for the 20th president of Rhodes College, and she has agreed to serve as the vice-chair of the board of trustees.
Founded in 1848, Rhodes is a private, coeducational college of liberal arts and sciences located in Memphis. It aspires to graduate students with a lifelong passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities and the world.