By Hillary C. Wright, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville University will be holding two commencement ceremonies, one for graduate and one for undergraduates, May 8 and 9, respectively.
The graduate commencement will be Friday, May 8, at 7 p.m. in Ransdell Chapel. The speaker for the graduate commencement will be Dr. Michael Edward Arrington, executive director of the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities.
The undergraduate commencement will be Saturday, May 9, at 9 a.m. at Finley Stadium. The speaker for undergraduate commencement will be Jesse T. Correll, founder and chairman of the board for First Southern Bancorp Inc.
Degrees will be given 311 graduates following completion of the requirements for graduation. Correll will be speaking to 212 undergraduates; Arrington will be speaking to 99 graduate students.
Commencement rehearsal will be Friday, May 8, at 4 p.m. in the Powell Gymnasium. The annual graduate picnic will be held Friday, May 8, at 5 p.m. on the Montgomery Library Lawn. The graduate walk will be Friday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. on the Montgomery Library Lawn; the undergraduate walk will be Saturday, May 9, at 8:30 a.m.
Valedictorian of the May 2009 graduating class is Amanda Michelle Filipp of Versailles, who has a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Co-salutatorians are Mallory Lauren Farquhar of Columbus, Ohio, and Paige Nichole Hall of Greensburg, Ky., who both have a 3.976 grade point average.
Correll, who attended Asbury College, also serves as chairman and chief executive officer of UTG, a $400 million life insurance company. He serves as a board member for Crown Financial Ministries (since 2004), Friends of the Good Samaritans (since 2005), Generous Giving (since 2006) and the National Christian Foundation (since 2006).
Correll and his fellow First Southern executives established The River Foundation, a private foundation that gives to Christ-centered organizations, both locally and throughout the world. Correll serves as president and director for the foundation which also serves as a vehicle for encouraging First Southern team members to give and serve through mission work.
He is married to Angela Crouch Correll. The couple has three children, Adrienne Correll Martin of Louisville, Preston Correll of Stanford, Ky., and Leigh Correll of Louisville. He also has two grandchildren, Gus and Frances.
He enjoys traveling with his wife, hunting and playing croquette and Rook.
Arrington is a 1969, 1970 and 1982 graduate of the University of Arkansas, where he received a bachelor of arts in history and natural science, a master of arts in United States history and a Ph.D. in history. He has held several positions in education including professor of history, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Carson-Newman College, as well as professor of history, vice president for academic affairs, dean of arts and sciences, associate vice president for academic affairs, assistant dean for arts and sciences, director of summer sessions and director of academic skills development at Ouachita Baptist University.
He belongs to numerous professional organizations including the Appalachian College Association where he served as chair of chief academic officers and on the executive council. He was also on the board of directors and chief academic officer chair of the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Schools.
He belongs to several academic honor societies including: Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society, Delta Kappa Gamma Education Honor Society, Sigma Beta Delta Business Honor Society, Alpha Chi National Honor Society and Mortar Board National Honor Society.
He has extensive international travel including visits to China, Russia, Hong Kong, England, Austria, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Tunisia, Morocco, Scotland, Thailand, Korea and the Czech Republic.
He is married to Pamela Norwood Arrington, associate professor of education at Carson-Newman College. They have a daughter, Ashley Ellington, chief development officer at Darlington School in Rome, Ga., and a grandchild, Murray Chastain Ellington.
He enjoys golf, biking, sports, reading, travel and collecting old coins and door knobs.
For information about commencement, contact the Office of Student Records at (270) 789-5233.
Campbellsville University is a private, comprehensive institution located in South Central Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and has an enrollment of 2,601 students who represent 93 Kentucky counties, 27 states and 31 foreign nations. Listed in U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 “America’s Best Colleges,” CU is ranked 22nd in “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the South for the second consecutive year. CU has been ranked 16 consecutive years with U.S. News & World Report. The university has also been named to America’s Best Christian Colleges®. Campbellsville University is located 82 miles southwest of Lexington, Ky., and 80 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky. Dr. Michael V. Carter is in his tenth year as president.