Dr. Doris O. Ginn: Honored and Loved
JANS – On December 12, 2025, Marquis Who’s Who announced it is honoring Doris O. Ginn, Ph.D., for Stellar Services as Linguist in Public School Education, Higher Education, and in Professional Societies. Since 1899, Marquis Who’s Who has been publishing biographical volumes highlighting noteworthy accomplishments of prominent individuals in significant fields, including education, politics, business, medicine, law, art, religion, and entertainment.
Dr. Ginn is well known as a distinguished scholar in Linguistics, English Language Studies, Research, and Public Relations. She is well loved by Jackson State University (JSU).
In 2023, Dr. Ginn was inducted into the JSU Faculty Hall of Fame. In 2024, she was inducted into the JSU National Alumni Association Hall of Fame.
When Dr. Ginn retired in 2024, she completed her 55th consecutive year of service to JSU. She was the longest serving faculty member in JSU’s history.
Dr. Ginn’s preparation for her remarkable career began in Tylertown, Mississippi. She is the daughter of the late Dewitt Delast and Nell Ginn.
Following receipt of her Bachelor of Science in Language Arts from JSU, Dr. Ginn taught in the Jackson Public School System. She introduced innovative Linguistics curricula and engaged students in extracurricular drama and speaking competitions.
Dr. Ginn continued her studies, receiving a Master’s of Arts in Linguistics Pedagogy from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. She earned the Ph.D. in Linguistics from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
When she returned to Jackson, among the services Dr. Ginn provided to JSU are establishing a Master of Arts in Linguistics program (first in the State of Mississippi), Coordinator of Linguistics, Supervisor of Student Teachers, Interim Associate Dean for the College of Liberal Arts, Coordinator of Graduate Studies for the Department of English and Modern Foreign Languages, and Graduate Thesis Chair. She also worked closely with JSU alumni, including serving as associate editor of the national newsletter and 1st Vice President of the Jackson-Hinds Alumni Association.
Dr. Ginn shared her passion for teaching and learning far beyond the JSU campus. She was a Visiting Professor in Linguistics at Butler University in Indiana, engaged in external research at Air Force bases in Texas and New Mexico, and served as a delegate during a Linguistics Educators dialects study trip to China.
Among the other awards Dr. Ginn has received are the John C. Gerber 20th Century Leadership Award given by the National Conference on College Composition and Communication (Four C’s) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and a Citation from the Mississippi Legislature House Bill #31, for her continuous years of service to JSU.
She is a member of Christ Temple Church of Christ Holiness. She has served as Trustee Chair, Sunday School Teacher, choir member, special occasions speaker, coordinator of Special programs, and Chair of Capital Funds drives.
