The grandson of the founder of the town of Sumrall, Mississippi, Dr. Raymond Thomas (Tommy) King, became the ninth president of William Carey University in February 2007.
Dr. King, the first graduate of Carey to be named president, came to the position with 30 years of experience in public education from elementary to university levels. At Carey he served as dean of the school of psychology and counseling, vice president for graduate and off-campus programs, professor of psychology, and executive vice president.
In addition to a bachelor of arts degree from William Carey College, King holds four graduate degrees, including a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. King has served the Southern Baptist denomination on the local, state, and national levels. In local churches he has served on the staff, on significant committees, and as a Bible teacher and a deacon.
Dr. King is a former member of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and served eight years as a member of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. Dr. King has a strong record of leadership in civic affairs including serving on the Laurel Planning Commission, the American Cancer Society boards in Jones and Marion counties and the Laurel-Jones County Library board. He currently serves on the Salvation Army Advisory Board and the Board of Directors for the Area Development Partnership. Among his honors, Dr. King was named Columbia’s “Outstanding Citizen” in 1989. He currently serves on the Salvation Army Advisory Board. He has served on the local, state and international levels of the Lions Club and is an International Foundation Melvin Jones Fellow for Outstanding Humanitarian work. He was inducted into the Lions of Mississippi Hall of Fame in 2002. In recognition of his service to the Lion’s Club he has received numerous awards including the Ambassador of Goodwill award, the highest honor the association bestows upon its members. Dr. King was a recipient of the prestigious Hub Award in 2010.
Dr. King has served on the state and national levels in the field of education. He served as president of the Mississippi Association of Colleges and Universities in 2011-2012 and is currently a member of the Council of presidents of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). He was recognized for his service to WCU by being named Alumnus of the Year and is a member of the Alumni Hall of Fame. Under his leadership, Carey has constructed a new campus in Biloxi, a medical complex of three state of the art buildings, Sarah Ellen Gillespie Museum of Art, Joe and Virginia Tatum Theatre, a wing to the School of Nursing, a maintenance facility, a new tennis complex and a field house for tennis and soccer. The College of Osteopathic Medicine was established, enrollment has increased significantly, new academic degree programs were started, a campus beautification program was undertaken, and an exchange program with two Chinese universities was finalized. Community service has become a required component for students at Carey. Over the past five years William Carey University has experienced a 46% increase in enrollment. King and his wife, Sandra, have one son and two grandsons.
