Maurice D. Gipson has been appointed the fifteenth president and chief executive officer of Philander Smith University in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has led the historically Black university on an interim basis since August 2024.
According to the most recent federal information, Philander Smith University enrolls about 850 undergraduate students, 79 percent of whom are Black. The HBCU has a small graduate population of roughly 20 students.
Prior to his interim appointment, Dr. Gipson was the vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity, and equity at the University of Missouri. He has extensive experience in higher education, previously serving in key diversity, community engagement, and academic roles with Arkansas State University, the University of Texas, Langston University in Oklahoma, Wiley University in Texas, and Huston-Tilloston University in Texas. Earlier in his career, Dr. Gipson served a four-year term on Philander Smith’s board of trustees.
As an academic, Dr. Gipson focuses on African American history and Black nationalism. He is currently working on a book chronicling the Black Freedom Struggle in Arkansas.
“I am deeply honored to lead this historic institution at such a critical time,” said Dr. Gipson. “Philander Smith University has long been a place where transformation takes root — for students, for families, and for communities. As someone who has served as a trustee, a faculty member, and now as president, I am committed to ensuring that our momentum continues and that our mission is amplified.”
Dr. Gipson holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree in history from Missouri State University, a Juris Doctorate from the Southern University Law Center in Louisiana, and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Mississippi.
