'You're family': Bahamian prime minister’s visit highlights McPhee’s strong ties to homeland

Throughout his two decades-plus leading Middle Tennessee State University, President Sidney A. McPhee has maintained strong ties to his birthplace of the Bahamas.

Not only has he enjoyed return visits to family and friends, but he's also forged professional and personal relationships that have aided the MTSU campus in student recruiting, academic partnerships and athletic competition.

Fruits of those efforts take center stage again today on the Blue Raider campus as McPhee and university officials welcome The Honorable Philip Edward Davis, prime minister and minister of finance for the Bahamas.

Prime Minister Davis is addressing graduating students Saturday morning during the first of three spring commencement ceremonies inside Murphy Center.

See photos: MTSU students' drone mission mission to find missing hiker

MTSU Raiders Choice Awards: Courtney Whitson, Francisco Rocha win top honors

Prime minister visits campus Friday

Davis, who will receive an honorary doctorate degree along with former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, visited and toured the MTSU campus Friday. He also met with Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron, Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland and Smyrna Mayor Mary Esther Reed, all of whom are MTSU alumni.

Reed presented Davis a ceremonial key to her town in northern Rutherford County, specially made in part from locally grown walnut trees. “This is yours to use any time you want to visit,” Reed said.

McFarland followed suit with a larger key to the city.

“It’s three times bigger, because we’re about three times larger in population,” McFarland quipped to Reed and Davis during the gathering inside McPhee’s office. “If you give someone the key to your home, that means they are family. Dr. McPhee is family here, so that means you’re family to us as well.”

Following suit, Ketron presented the prime minister with a basket containing several unique Tennessee products and items. “There’s some Gentleman Jack in there, so you can take a sip and figure out which key you want to use," Ketron joked.

McPhee said he appreciated the support of the three mayors and the welcome they offered to the prime minister.

“These three leaders coming to campus to welcome you is indicative of the support they each give to our university and the tradition of warm Tennessee hospitality,” McPhee told Davis.

Bahama Bowl buddies

The meeting was the first time McFarland and the prime minister had met. However, Davis was quick to point out that he met with Reed and Ketron when they accompanied McPhee and the MTSU football team to his country last December for the Blue Raiders' victory over Toledo in the Bahamas Bowl.

“As prime minister, I try to remain impartial,” Davis said, referring to his friendship with McPhee, “but I was very happy to see Middle Tennessee win that day.”

Davis became the fifth prime minister of the island commonwealth in September 2021 and also serves as the country’s minister of finance. He has been a member of the Bahamian Parliament representing Cat Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador since May 2002.

The Bahamas’ formal head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by Sir Cornelius A. Smith as governor-general. Davis, as prime minister, is the head of government, as well as a member of the House of Assembly who commands a majority of its votes.

McPhee and MTSU administrators used the visibility of the Bahamas Bowl visit to brag that the Bahamas is its third-largest provider of international students, with 50 Bahamian students attending at the time.

One of those students is graduating senior Winton Cooper, who is finishing his term as president of MTSU’s Student Government Association, the first international student to serve in that position.

University Provost Mark Byrnes and Robert Summers, vice provost for international affairs, hosted receptions for about 70 students interested in studying abroad during the Bahamas Bowl visit.

McPhee has also come to his homeland’s aid in times of trouble.

When Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas in 2019, McPhee revived the Raider Relief humanitarian campaign.

With airplane transport assistance provided by Board of Trustee member and alumnus Darrell Freeman, McPhee oversaw the transport of more than 6,000 pounds of emergency supplies, medicines and necessities to help families of MTSU students in the aftermath of the storm.

“The hurricane isn’t the lead headline anymore back home, but the needs are just as dire and grave for the people we are trying to help as it was on Day One,” McPhee said at the time.

MTSU spring 2022 graduations: Here's what you need to know

Sports: MTSU's Reed Blankenship signs with Philadelphia Eagles, DQ Thomas signs with New York Jets

Today’s commencement celebration is divided into three ceremonies to accommodate the 2,474 future MTSU alumni set to receive their degrees, a figure that includes 2,041 undergraduates and 433 graduate students, according to the university Registrar’s Office.

MTSU Board of Trustees Vice Chair Christine Karbowiak, the retired vice chair, chief administrative officer, chief risk officer and executive vice president for Bridgestone Americas, serves as guest speaker for afternoon commencement event.

MTSU Department of Marketing professor Tim Graeff, recipient of the university’s 2021 Career Achievement Award and director of the MTSU Office of Consumer Research, is scheduled to address graduates at the evening ceremony.

Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com. Keep up with restaurant news by joining Good Eats in the 'Boro (and beyond) on Facebook and follow Murfreesboro Eats on TikTok.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Bahamian prime minister visits Middle Tennessee State University