Lyon College will celebrate its fall 2025 commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, in Sloan Auditorium of the Brown Fine Arts Building on the Lyon College campus, 2300 Highland Rd. A livestream of the ceremony will be available at https://youtube.com/live/FbILntKDZ3Q?feature=share.
During the ceremony, Lyon College will award its first-ever master’s degrees — the Master of Arts in Teaching — marking a significant milestone in the college’s academic history.
The ceremony will begin with a processional by the Lyon College Pipe Band, led by Pipe Major James Bell, followed by the Class of 2026, staff, faculty, emeriti faculty, and administrators and the official party.
Dr. Terrell Tebbetts, Martha Heasley Cox Chair in American Literature, will open the ceremony. The presenting of colors will be led by Jerry Bowling, Lyon College ROTC military science instructor, followed by the national anthem performed by Vera Richardson, ’29. The invocation and benediction will be offered by Student Government Association President Zoe Papazoglou, ’26.
Dr. Melissa P. Taverner, president of Lyon College, will offer welcome and comments. Reflections from the senior class will be given by William Litton, ’26, senior class president. Litton, of Quitman and North Little Rock, is a political science major with a pre-law focus and a minor in history. A student-athlete on academic and football scholarships, he has served on the Honor Council, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Student Government Association, and has been a residence assistant and treasurer of the D&D Club. He interned this summer with the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office and has earned recognition as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Award and as a recipient of the SCAC Elite 19 award.
The commencement address, titled “What the World Needs Now,” will be delivered by Dr. James W. Carr, president and chairman of Highland Home Holdings. Dr. Carr retired in 2019 after 25 years as executive vice president and professor of business at Harding University. In 2005, he was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to the National Security Education Board. He currently chairs the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board and previously served on the Arkansas Forestry Commission. A two-time recipient of the Martin Luther King Commission’s gold medallion for promoting racial harmony, Dr. Carr has served on numerous corporate and civic boards, including World Christian Broadcasting, the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, Comsafe, the Quapaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America and First Community Bank. A native of Tallahassee, Florida, Dr. Carr holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Florida State University.
The alumni engagement charge will be delivered by Rachel Golden, ’06, alumni council president. Musical selections will be provided by the Lyon College Chamber Choir, directed by Dr. Bethany Neese, with Dr. Skye Hart, ’06, on piano.
An honorary degree will be presented by Victor Werley, ’03, chair of the Board of Trustees. The honoree, Henry L. Nichols, is a longtime Arkansas business leader and devoted supporter of Lyon College. Over his career, Nichols led several successful enterprises, including Central and Southern Companies, Central Records Services, Central/Terminal Distribution Centers and Central Cold Storage, and served as chairman of the board for Farmers and Merchants Bank of Des Arc. He served on the Lyon College Board of Trustees from 1989 to 1997 and played a key role on the steering committee for Fulfilling the Promise: The Campaign for Lyon College, which raised more than $90 million. Alongside his wife, Carolyn, Nichols helped establish a lasting legacy of philanthropy benefiting initiatives such as the Fulbright and Clinton professorships, Young House and the Nichols Travel Program.
The presentation of the Class of 2026 will be made by Dr. Anthony K. Grafton, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, followed by the conferral of degrees by Werley and the presentation of degrees by Dr. Taverner, Dr. Grafton and Dr. Tebbetts. The ceremony will conclude with the singing of the alma mater and a recessional by the Lyon College Pipe Band. The college mace will be borne by Dr. Fonzie Geary, faculty assembly president and professor of theatre.
Lyon College will also celebrate the fall 2025 baccalaureate at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, in Sloan Auditorium of the Brown Fine Arts Building. The service will recognize the newest graduating Scots during an evening of tradition, community and celebration. A livestream of the baccalaureate will be available at https://youtube.com/live/WkL7W6Q1y_A?feature=share.