MSU plans Nov. 3 memorial for beloved alumnus Dr. Richard E. Holmes

Contact: Sid Salter

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Memorial services for Dr. Richard E. Holmes, Mississippi State University’s first Black student, will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. in the Cleveland Gallery at The Mill at MSU. Dr. Holmes died on October 16, 2026, at age 82. He leaves a legacy as a physician, veteran, mentor, devoted alumnus and trailblazer whose courage helped shape a university and whose service touched countless lives.

Speakers will include MSU President Mark E. Keenum, Rev. Guy Thompson, senior pastor of Second Baptist Church in Starkville, and MSU vice presidents Rasheeda Forbes and Sid Salter. Holmes’ fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, will deliver a tribute. MSU’s Black Voices gospel choir will also perform.

Holmes lived a remarkable life defined by courage, determination, service, and enduring love for Mississippi State University. A trailblazer whose quiet resolve helped change the university’s history, he devoted his life to opening doors for others and caring for those around him.

Born in Chicago in 1944 and raised in Starkville, Holmes developed a love for Mississippi State early on. In 1957, at age 13, he watched the university’s homecoming parade pass through downtown Starkville and vowed to become a Bulldog. Despite the racial barriers that made his dream seem distant, his determination never wavered.

On July 19, 1965, Holmes made history as the first African American student to enroll at Mississippi State. Just three years after the violence surrounding James Meredith’s enrollment at the University of Mississippi, Holmes entered MSU without incident and with a personal goal: to pursue an education at the university he had loved since childhood.

Though his enrollment held tremendous historical significance, Holmes never sought recognition as a pioneer. He wanted the opportunity to learn, succeed, and belong. With dignity, perseverance, and quiet determination, he helped pave the way for generations of students who followed.

Holmes earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Mississippi State in 1969 and a master’s degree in microbiology in 1973. He served in the U.S. Army as an infantry paratrooper and military police investigator during the Vietnam era, and as a medical triage officer during Operation Desert Storm. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Michigan State University in 1977.

For more than two decades, Holmes practiced emergency and trauma medicine in Birmingham, Alabama, caring for patients and their families during some of their most difficult moments. His career embodied the compassion, resilience and dedication that guided his life.

In 2003, Holmes returned to Starkville as a staff physician at Mississippi State’s John C. Longest Student Health Center. His return brought full circle a relationship with the university that began with a childhood dream, enabling him to serve a new generation of Bulldogs.

Mississippi State honored Holmes throughout his life. In 1991, the university established the Richard E. Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, now the Holmes Center for Student Success, to recognize his historic role. He was named National Alumnus of the Year in 2006 and received an honorary Doctor of Science degree in recognition of his achievements and service.

Together with his wife, Judie, Holmes established a scholarship endowment to help students pursue their own educational opportunities, reflecting his belief in education’s power to transform lives.

Throughout his life, Holmes remained deeply connected to the Bulldog family, proudly declaring, “I will always be a loyal Bulldog.”

On Aug. 21, 2026, MSU dedicated the Dr. Richard E. Holmes Plaza and a commemorative monument honoring the life and extraordinary contributions of its first African American student.

Located between the Colvard Student Union and the historic YMCA Building, the plaza serves as a permanent tribute to Dr. Holmes’ courage, perseverance, and lifelong devotion to his alma mater.

The bronze plaque features his likeness and commemorates his historic 1965 enrollment, his distinguished medical career, and his decades of service to the university and beyond.

Formerly known as YMCA Plaza, the space was dedicated in the presence of university leaders, students, and members of Dr. Holmes’ family. More than a landmark, it serves as a place for reflection, connection, and belonging, ensuring that his remarkable story remains part of Mississippi State’s history for generations.