Lincoln University of Missouri Celebrates the Investiture of 21st President Dr. John B. Moseley
President John Moseley addresses the crowd following the investiture ceremony.
Faculty, students and friends of the university celebrated the next chapter of Lincoln University of Missouri leadership with the investiture of Dr. John B. Moseley as the university’s 21st president on September 9, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. at Mitchell Auditorium in the Richardson Fine Arts Center.
Following an extensive, nationwide search, the Lincoln University Board of Curators selected Moseley as president on January 28, 2022. Since May 2021, Moseley had been leading the university as interim president. He has nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, including 13 years at HBCUs. Born and raised in Warren Country, North Carolina, Moseley gained a Bachelor of Science in exercise and sports science as well as a Master of Arts in education from East Carolina University. In spring 2021, he completed his doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Missouri.
Moseley has led key initiatives to improve the university’s first-year enrollment through new, data-driven admissions strategies and the restructuring of scholarship programs. He has also implemented initiatives to improve student outcomes, such as Lincoln’s new Academic Success Center. Moseley has led fundraising efforts for the Lincoln University Health & Security Sciences Institute, which will expand the university’s School of Nursing and complement the Lincoln University Law Enforcement Training Academy and criminal justice program.
Lincoln University Director of Academic Initiatives Dr. Darius E. Watson presided over the investiture ceremony. The Lincoln University band and choir performed, and recent graduate SaBria Hendricks sang the national anthem. During the celebration, the audience heard greetings from Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Student Government Association President Falon Ensley and Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr. Justin Griffin, Lincoln University director of advancement and executive director of the Blue Tiger Athletic Club, delivered remarks on behalf of 62nd & 65th Regiments Legacy Foundation Board President Hardy K. Dorsey Sr., who was unable to attend the ceremony.
Special guest and mentor to President Moseley, Ingrid Wicker McCree, Ed.D., the founder and CEO of WM Leadership & Legacy Coaching LLC, delivered the keynote address, drawing upon her more than 25 years as a higher education leader in diverse roles. Wicker McCree made history in 2008 when she became the first female to hold the permanent title of director of athletics at North Carolina Central University.
In his address to the audience, Moseley spoke of starting the day before sunrise at Lincoln’s Soldiers’ Memorial, where he contemplated both the mission of the University’s founding fathers and future.
"We must celebrate and honor our past, while we work to build a better future," Moseley said. "When I look at our future, I see us taking care of our faculty and staff so they will take care of our students. I think of the new Health and Security Sciences Institute that will be at the corner of Lafayette and Dunklin streets, which will give us the chance to expand our nursing program, which is among the absolute best the state has to offer."
Moseley spoke of expanding Lincoln’s programs to best serve current and future students, noting that non-traditional student recruitment and the development of more online programs are a focus for the University, particularly noting the decline in the number of high school graduates projected for upcoming years.
"We will recruit students from all over the globe to give them access to an education at Lincoln," Moseley told the crowd. "The world tells us we've got all these differences, but we know we've got a lot more in common than folks want to talk about.
"The responsibility we have to ensure the soldiers' dreams don't just simply survive, but thrive, is one that must be shared by everyone that cares about Lincoln. We can make our university recognized and celebrated for its diversity and inclusion."