Jackson Free Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A former Mississippi governor, a journalist, and a lawyer who helped strike down a Mississippi law that protected religious objections to same-sex marriage will receive honorary degrees from Millsaps College.

The Methodist-affiliated Jackson college will award the honors to former Gov. Ray Mabus, lawyer Roberta Kaplan and journalist Joanne Edgar at its May 6 commencement.

Mabus became the youngest governor in the United States at age 39 when he defeated Tupelo businessman Jack Reed in the 1987 gubernatorial election by 53% to 47%. He served as governor from 1988 to 1992. During his time in office Mabus passed legislation called Better Education for Success Tomorrow, gave Mississippi teachers the largest pay raise in the nation and was named as one of Fortune Magazine’s ten best "education governors."

President Bill Clinton appointed Mabus to be the United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996 and President Barack Obama appointed him as Secretary of the Department of the Navy in 2009. He served until 2017.

Edgar, a 1965 Millsaps graduate, was a founding editor of Ms. magazine, where she worked from 1971-1989. As a Millsaps student, she took part in interracial meetings with students at Tougaloo College.

Kaplan successfully argued for adoption by same-sex couples in Mississippi and led the fight to overturn the state's religious liberty law, arguing it was discriminatory.