Loss of Dr. Rod Paige felt across state
JANS – Former Jackson State University interim president, Dr. Roderick “Rod” Paige, succumbed December 9, 2025. He was 92.
“We are deeply grateful for his dedicated service to Jackson State University and his steadfast support of the Jackson State University National Alumni Association,” stated Patrease Edwards, President, JSUNAA.
Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) also sent condolences to the family as well as Jackson Mayor John Horhn who stated, “Dr. Paige’s legacy is woven into the fabric of our institution and continues to inspire generations of alumni, students, and educators. We join the family, friends, and colleagues in mourning the loss of a pioneering educator and public servant whose career began here in Mississippi and transformed lives across the nation.
“His leadership, integrity, and belief in the power of learning left a lasting mark on every institution he touched, from the Houston Independent School District to the Department of Education, to his return home to Jackson State University.”
Jimmy Gates, president of the Jackson Association of Black Journalists, added, “Dr. Paige was a good man. I interviewed him when he was named JSU interim president. He was so down to earth for a man who had accomplished so much in life professionally. My sincere prayers are with his family. “
The Monticello, MS native and Navy veteran served as head football coach at JSU from 1964-1968 and was inducted into the JSU Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
A son of educators, Dr. Paige had worked in numerous administrative roles, including in Mississippi and Texas, where he was superintendent of the Houston Independent School District in 1994.
His historic appointment as the first African American U.S. Secretary of Education by President George W. Bush in 2001 marked a defining moment in the pursuit of equity and excellence in American education.
