The first president of Southwestern Michigan College, Dr. Nathan Ivey, will address graduates during the college’s 44th commencement ceremony on May 7.

Dr. Ivey served as the college’s first president from 1965 to 1968.

The college was founded in 1964 and opened to students in fall 1966.

In addition to SMC, Ivey was president of four community colleges from 1963 to 1984 and charter president of two of these colleges.

Ivey retired in 1992 as director of facilities management and planning at Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD).

Since that time he has been a community college consultant; an English professor at Universidad Technologica de Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico; interim vice president for business at Eastfield College (DCCCD); and for the last four years he has been the community college liaison for the University of Texas at Dallas.

Dr. Ivey has a bachelor of science degree in economics and English from Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas; a master of business administration degree from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; and a doctorate in education degree from Michigan State University.

He and his wife, Dorothy, reside in Dallas, Texas. The couple have three children, Judith, Sara, and James; and four grandchildren.

SMC’s commencement ceremony will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 7, in the gymnasium of the Charles O. Zollar Building on the Dowagiac campus.