Centenary College Class of 2019 to graduate May 4 at the Gold Dome
SHREVEPORT, LA — Members of the Centenary College Class of 2019 will receive their diplomas at the College’s annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 4, at the Gold Dome. Writer John T. Edge will deliver the commencement address to students graduating in Centenary’s 194th year and will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Edge has built a career examining and celebrating the relationship between food and culture in the American South. He has written or edited more than a dozen books, including the critically acclaimed 2017 volume The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South, named a book of the year by NPR, Publisher’s Weekly, and others. He also created the show TrueSouth for the SEC Network/ESPN along with executive producer Wright Thompson and hosted the first season of four episodes that premiered in September 2018. The fourth episode in the inaugural season aired in October 2018 and featured Shreveport-Bossier, highlighting local arts and culture alongside two beloved local eateries, Herby-K’s and Lucky Palace Chinese Restaurant.
Musician and Centenary alumna AJ Haynes ’10, who appeared in the Shreveport-Bossier City episode of TrueSouth, will perform a song she wrote for her upcoming album during the commencement ceremony.
Edward J. Crawford III will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during the ceremony. A passionate advocate for the benefits of a liberal arts education, Crawford has given nearly 30 years of service to Centenary College as a member and past chairman of the Board of Trustees. He was a co-founder of Centenary’s Center for Family-Owned Business, providing seed capital to launch the Center, and has also taught Latin and Greek at the College as an adjunct professor.
In addition to his service to Centenary, Crawford is a member and vice-chair of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana system, a longtime board member of the Community Foundation of North Louisiana, and a longtime board member and former chair of the Board of Trustees of Southfield School in Shreveport. He is a lifetime supporter of numerous causes and non-profits in the Shreveport-Bossier City community, including First United Methodist Church, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Volunteers of America of North Louisiana, Junior Achievement, the Fuller Center of Northwest Louisiana, Shreveport Green, the Querbes Park Foundation, and many more.
The 10:30 a.m. commencement ceremony is free and open to the public. The Gold Dome opens at 9:30 a.m. for first-come, first-served seating. A live stream of the ceremony will also be available at centenary.edu/graduation.