Jacksonville – MacMurray College held a special convocation Monday, January 16th, in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event was held at 12:30 p.m. in Annie Merner Chapel on the College campus.

     The convocation was well attended by the public, students, faculty and staff of the College. Several prospective students on campus for an “open house” were also invited to attend.

     Dr. Pam Hammond-McDavid was the keynote speaker for the program. Dr. McDavid is chairperson of the HECM (Higher Education Conference Ministries) of the United Methodist Church. She has also managed the centralized Career Services and Placement department at the University of Illinois at Springfield and Illinois State University.

     The theme for the convocation was based on Dr. King’s message, “Recovering Lost Values.” College Chaplain Rev. Randy Myers conducted the service for the convocation and talked about the King Center and how college age students can get involved in “service that makes a difference.”

     There was also a progression of readings from the sermons and speeches of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., tracing his legacy from 1954 through to 1968.

     Dr. McDavid earned her Ph.D. from SIU/Carbondale. She has been an instructor on Human Development Counseling and is a current member of the General Commission on Religion & Race for the United Methodist Church.

     Located in Jacksonville, Ill., MacMurray College is a private, four-year, liberal arts, coeducational college, founded in 1846, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Its friendly, informal environment stresses academic excellence, personal attention, career experience, and well-rounded development of each individual.