Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will honor Alumni Hall of Fame, Sam Owen Award and Spirit of Gulf Coast honorees at the annual Homecoming celebration on October 28 at the Perkinston Campus.

Along with the football game against Hinds Community College at 3:30 p.m. at A.L. May Memorial Stadium, Homecoming festivities will include the annual Clem Dellenger Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, October 27, at Hickory Hill Country Club in Gautier, and a full day of activities on Saturday, October 28 on the Perkinston Campus.

For more information on Homecoming Activities, visit mgccc.edu/homecoming.

The following individuals are being honored during Homecoming:

Alumni Hall of Fame

The Alumni Hall of Fame award was established in 1970 to honor MGCCC alumni who have exhibited exceptional merit and achievement resulting in fame and recognition for themselves and the college.

David Delk
Harrison County Campus
David Delk is the president of ABC Rental in Gulfport, a business that has been around for more than half a century. Attending the Harrison County Campus, he was involved in the Jefferson Davis Players and participated in several plays. His love of the performing arts has continued throughout his life, and he is a frequent actor, director, and singer with local theater and music groups.

Susan Small Russell, R.N.
Jackson County Campus
Susan Small Russell attended the Jackson County Campus from 1979 – 1983. Starting out as an accounting major, Russell soon found her way into the nursing program at the college and never looked back. Russell is now the chief nursing officer for Singing River Health System.

Dr. Clifton Donnie Taylor
Perkinston Campus
Dr. Clifton Donnie Taylor attended the Perkinston Campus from 1960 – 1962.  Starting out as a drafting major, he discovered choir practice one night, met his future wife, and found a passion for music that he did not know he had. After completing college, he returned to MGCCC to direct the choirs at the Harrison County Campus. After holding several different positions at the administrative level, he ultimately became the campus vice president.

Sam Owen Award
The Sam Owen Award was established and given in memory of the late Sam Owen, a 1927 Perkinston graduate. It is given each year to a person who actively supports the college through dedication and service.

Leonard L. Bentz, Sr.
Sam Owen Award
A Perkinston Campus alumnus, Leonard L. Bentz, Sr. attended Perkinston College in 1961-1963. He commuted via bus from his hometown of Pass Christian to the campus each day. In 2015, he was appointed to the MGCCC Board of Trustees, and has used that platform to advocate for the college and encourage his family members and others to attend.

Spirit of Gulf Coast Award
The Spirit of Gulf Coast Award is bestowed on those individuals who have made significant personal and/or financial contributions in support of Bulldogs athletics and the institution.

Jeremy Forehand
Spirit of Gulf Coast Award
Jeremy Forehand has served on the college’s sideline crew for football and basketball for many years, cheering on his alma mater as he works the games. He is now the Operations Director at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, and along with his wife, Janet, attended the college’s Jackson County Campus in the mid-1990s.