Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Maj. Gen. Janson D. “Durr” Boyles, Adjutant General of Mississippi’s National Guard, gave Mississippi State spring graduates practical leadership advice during three commencement ceremonies Thursday and Friday [May 2 and 3].

Boyles recalled how the world was undergoing change during the post-Vietnam War era when he completed his own MSU bachelor’s degree and was commissioned into military service 37 years ago. He said the world will continue to transform rapidly. “My challenge is to go out and be part of the change and make a difference,” he said.

“Don’t worry about the level of influence that you attain, or the size of your wealth, or, as a general officer, the number of ribbons on your chest,” Boyles said. “I would suggest that you, rather, measure your success by the number of men and women who will succeed as a result of your contribution to their success.”

The Jackson native was named Adjutant General of Mississippi in 2016. In addition to his 1982 MSU biological engineering degree, he received a 2005 Master’s of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He served as the Executive Officer of the 168th Engineer Group during Hurricane Katrina recovery and rebuilding efforts and was in Afghanistan with the 168th Engineer Brigade in 2009. In 2015-16, Boyles served in Kosovo as Chief of Staff of KFOR Forces, a NATO Division deployed as part of Operation Joint Guardian. The major general has a civilian occupation as president of Boyles Moak and Stone, Inc., a regional independent insurance agency. He has served multiple terms on the MSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors, including a term as national president in 1997. He also is a member of the College of Business’ Risk Management and Insurance Advisory Board and was inducted into MSU’s Risk Management and Insurance Hall of Fame in 2007.

Boyles advised graduates, “Be comfortable being uncomfortable,” and he praised those who sacrifice comfort to serve in the military. Boyles said he has kept a picture of a young private who has been deployed to the Middle East with the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, which “reminds me of why I do this job.” More than 50 students from MSU and other universities have served with this recent National Guard mission.

He told students to be aggressive and take risks. “Always run through first base,” he said, also advising grads to be a “quiet” and “humble” example for those around them.

Boyles urged those receiving diplomas to “invest in the fabric around them,” such as communities, churches, professions and families.

MSU President Mark E. Keenum congratulated graduates and said one reason a Mississippi State degree has wonderful value is because MSU grads are well known for their outstanding work ethic.

“I promise you this, Bulldogs—armed with your degree, living your life with integrity, making the most of your God-given skills, doing the very best at anything you ever set out to achieve by working hard, setting a great example for others, and being kind and considerate to all people—there’s nothing you can’t achieve that you set your mind to. There’s nothing this world can bring your way that you won’t be prepared for,” Keenum said.

Additional commencement highlights included George H. Bishop and Kenneth D. Johnson being presented with honorary Doctor of Public Service degrees in recognition of their lifetime achievements and longtime major support of university programs.

Bishop, honored during the Friday morning ceremony, is a Smith County native and 1958 MSU petroleum geology graduate who in 1981 founded GeoSouthern Energy in The Woodlands, Texas. The company grew to become one of the largest, privately held producers of oil and gas in the country, and its utilization of revolutionary technologies significantly contributed to an exploration and production renaissance that helped point the U.S. toward energy independence.

Johnson, a Leake County native and Ridgeland resident honored during the Friday afternoon ceremony, is a veteran with more than three decades of service during which he earned commendations such as a Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight and the Legion of Merit. After retiring from the U.S. Air Force at the rank of colonel, Johnson returned to Mississippi State for an intensive forestry program, and he has maintained a strong relationship with MSU’s College of Forest Resources. Through the creation of the Colonel K.D. Johnson Forest near his hometown of Lena, he became one of the first contributors to MSU’s Bulldog Forest, a field-based learning resource for forestry students that also generates income from timber harvesting for the CFR. Johnson continues to serve as a mentor for student veterans and active-duty service members.

More than 2,700 MSU graduates are among the university’s newest alumni. The university now has more than 145,000 living graduates.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.