Original Temptations singer to perform at JSU College of Public Service gala - April 25

April 3, 2009

owilliams.jpg(JACKSON, Miss.) – Otis Williams of Motown’s legendary Temptations will perform with his group the Temptin’ Temptations at the Jackson State University College of Public Service “Celebrating the Giving Heart II” Scholarship Gala April 25 at the Hilton Jackson Hotel in Jackson.
            The event will honor the legacy of the college’s founding dean, Gwendolyn Spencer Prater, and raise money for an endowed scholarship in her name. Prater will step down from her post in June.
            “My first love, my passion during my entire academic career, is the students,” Prater said.  “I am very pleased that funds raised will be for students.”
            Prater began her career as a social worker and started teaching at Jackson State in 1978. She is the founding dean of the JSU’s School of Social Work, which launched in 1995. In 2003, she became the founding dean of the College of Public Service, which encompasses the School of Social Work, the School of Health Sciences and the School of Policy and Planning. 
            Williams, 67, is the only surviving member of the original Temptations, which created a slew of R&B hits including “My Girl, “Ain’t to Proud to Beg” and “I Can’t Get Next to You.” The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. 
            Tickets for the gala cost $125 per person and $1,250 for a reserved table of 10. Supporters may also make a tax-deductible donation to the scholarship fund. For complete details and an order form, visit http://www.jsums.edu/cpsweb/gala.pdf.
            For more information, call the Jackson State University College of Public Service at 601-979-8836.