What does Jackson State University’s Gwendolyn Spencer Prater, Ph.D., have in common with Otis Williams of Motown’s original Temptations? Perhaps the word, “legendary” immediately comes to mind.
Prater is dean of the JSU College of Public Service, and her “legendary” career has spanned more than 38 years in higher education, mostly as an administrator. Thirty of those years have been at JSU.
The “legendary” Temptation’s music has spanned decades as well, transcending globally, and garnering an international fan base. Like the Temptations, Prater’s love for education has taken her across the United States and beyond national boarders, educating students from diverse backgrounds.
On April 25, the two legends will meet at the Jackson State University College of Public Service “Celebrating the Giving Heart II” Scholarship Gala at the Hilton Jackson Hotel Ballroom at 7 p.m.
Popular R&B hits of the Temptations include “My Girl,” “Ain’t too Proud to Beg” and “I Can’t Get Next to You.” The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
The gala will salute Prater for her many years of “dedicated” service to the higher education. It will also raise funds for an endowed scholarship in her name.
Prater will step down from her post as dean in June, but it is highly possible that she might still be around. “It’s definitely a retirement from administration,” said Prater. “But, in terms of the next steps, I have not finalized what I will do yet, but I do know that I plan to continue to work in the best interest of children. “That’s my passion working with children and families.”
Having served as a social work instructor, assistant professor, associate and professor, she said, “I am very pleased that funds raised will be for students.” She reflected fondly on having students all over the state and country who are doing well. Some are even in higher education administration themselves. One of whom she mentioned is Elizabeth Pringle-Hornsby, assistant dean for student affairs for the School of Social Work at University of Southern California. “Dr. Prater has meant a lot to me,” said Pringle-Hornsby. “I can go on and on about her loving ways in embracing her students.”
Prater began her career as a social worker and started teaching at Jackson State in 1978. She is also the founding dean of the JSU School of Social Work, which launched in 1995. In 2003, she became the founding dean of the College of Public Service, which encompasses the School of Social Work, the School of Health Sciences and the School of Policy and Planning.
“I have truly enjoyed my tenure as founding dean,” Prater said. “At Jackson State University in the College of Public Service, we have been successful in building, expanding, and getting new professional academic programs nationally accredited at the master’s and doctoral levels.”
Educationally, she holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Southern California – Los Angeles with a concentration in Social and Behaviorial Science Theory and Social Work Practice, and a minor in Social Welfare Policy in 1977. She has a Master of Social Work from The Ohio State University, Columbus in 1971; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Tougaloo College in 1969.
Prater said that it was the experience that she received at home in Vicksburg from her hard-working parents and her encounters with the Civil Rights Movement while at Tougaloo that influenced her to go into social work and public service.
She distinctly recalls her sociology professor, Ernest Borinsky, taking them on a Civil Rights tour of the Mississippi Delta. “Seeing the poverty there; the people and the hope on their faces for a better life were deciding factors that made social work the career for me,” she said.
Since then, Prater’s decision and her career travels have taken her far beyond the plight of the people of the Mississippi Delta to the people of Africa, where she has studied and served. She is most proud of the opportunities the JSU School of Social Work had to take groups of teachers to Africa.
Second-year doctoral social work student Michelle Perkins said she thinks the world of Prater. The Alcorn State University graduate said, “Dr. Prater has been very instumental to me since I began the program here. She is sensitive to the needs of students and makes herself available to them. This is highly uncommon for someone at her level.”
Prater’s faculty and staff agree that she will be missed as head of the College of Public Service. However, Jean E. Brooks, Bachelor of Social Work program director and assistant professor, who has worked worked with Prater since 1979, said Prater has prepared the division to be able to continue what she has started. “She leads by example and knows what needs to be done,” Brooks said. “She has done a whole lot for the university.”
Speaking of a whole lot, Prater has secured more than $11.8 million in external grants and contracts during her tenure at JSU.
Eunetta Hart, Prater’s assistant for more than 13 years, admires her strength and her fairness. “She is the epitome of a true professional. I admire her ability of knowing when to change hats, and how you resolve conflicts and issues,” Hart said.
Prater said, “I am truly looking forward to the event. I’m sure the performance by the legendary Temptations will be exceptionally great!”
Tickets for the gala cost $125 per person and $1,250 for a reserved table of 10. Supporters may also make a tax-deductible donation to the scholarship fund.
For complete details and an order form, visit http://www.jsums. edu/cpsweb/gala.pdf, and for more information, call the Jackson State University College of Public Service at 601-979-8836.
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