Longtime academician Dr. Ivory V. Nelson, a three-time university president and one-time community college chancellor, has assumed the role of interim provost at Jackson State University.
Known for many groundbreaking firsts, Nelson was the first black president of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, from 1992 to 1999, and later president emeritus. During the early 1980s, he served as acting president of Prairie View A&M University for nine months.
The native of Shreveport, Louisiana, had retired to his Houston home in December 2011. He returned to the college scene at the behest of his protégé, new JSU President William B. Bynum Jr.
“He’s the only one who could get me out of retirement to do this,” said Nelson, speaking admirably of Bynum. “I’m here to help with the current transition and assist in the search for a permanent provost. I will support the president in this academic endeavor wherever I can use my expertise and knowledge.”