by Rebecca Sneed
Hannibal-LaGrange University will hold its 2016 commencement ceremony at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 7, in the Mabee Sports Complex. More than 200 graduate candidates are scheduled to receive degrees.
This year’s graduating class of seniors was the first class to enter HLGU when Dr. Anthony Allen’s presidency began in 2012, making him a fitting speaker for the ceremony.
A North Carolina native, Allen was raised in a Christian home. He played football for four years at Duke University where he was a defensive tackle and graduated with a degree in history and religion. He earned both the Master of Divinity with language degree and the Master of Theology ethics degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., where he also worked from 1993 to 2007, beginning as director of admissions and advancing to vice-president for institutional development.
Allen began at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2007 as the senior vice president for administration and the chief operational officer. He became the senior vice president for institutional advancement in 2007, and in 2012 took on his previous job title as senior VP for administration and COO. In 2011, Allen earned an Ed.D from North Carolina State University.
Dr. Allen and his wife, Stacy, have five children: Bethany, Evan, Leighton, Annaliese, and Brinley.