How Millsaps Shaped the First Female Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana
Millsaps College alumna Right Rev. Shannon Rogers Duckworth (’97) made history in 2022 as the first woman consecrated as the 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. The Mississippi native reveals how her time as a Millsaps Major deeply forged her path toward ministry, community healing and service.
For Bishop Duckworth, choosing Millsaps was “surprisingly easy” after visiting campus. “I knew immediately I’d found my home,” she recalled.
That sense of belonging led her to turn down an athletic opportunity at a major SEC school. “I’d been offered a walk-on spot to play basketball at Auburn, but I wanted a smaller environment with an emphasis on collaborative learning,” she explained. Family also played a heavy role, noting her father was ill at the time, making it vital to stay close to home. Reflecting on her choice, she said, “I never regretted the decision.”
Duckworth on Bid Day in 1993 (with Trace Noble Howard ’97)
An honors graduate who double-majored in English and history, Duckworth thrived across campus. She joined Phi Beta Kappa, served as president of Kappa Delta and played intramural basketball.
When it comes to professors that impacted her throughout her college, she names Dr. Sallis, Dr. Freeman, Dr. Page, Dr. Mars, Dr. MacMaster, Dr. McElvaine, Dr. T.W. Lewis, Dr. Davis and Dr. Miller. “I learned to write with clarity and conviction, thanks to professors like Dr. Miller, who refused to let me settle for anything less than my best,” she added.
Her involvement went far beyond social clubs. Duckworth joined a student-faculty group formed to address a serious racial incident on campus. This experience laid the foundation for her future pastoral leadership. “That group gave me a lasting appreciation for collaboration and the Gospel imperative to strive for healing and wholeness in this sometimes-broken world,” she shared.
Her introduction to Louisiana’s unique culture began during a college weekend. “A sorority sister was from Lafayette, and a group of us piled into cars one weekend to visit her family,” she remembered. “It was my first taste of crawfish and a drive-thru daiquiri bar!”
Duckworth serving as President of the Panhellenic Board in 1995.
Duckworth has this simple but poignant piece of advice for current Millsaps students. Go to class. “The small classroom setting, the collegiality, the faculty’s genuine investment in you…None of it can be overstated. But if you don’t show up, you’ll miss the real beauty of education,” she explained.
From lighthearted road trips to profound campus dialogues, Bishop Duckworth’s journey illustrates how the Millsaps experience empowers alumni to lead with purpose, empathy, and courage. “I left Millsaps not just with a degree, but with a way of engaging with the world… curious, collaborative and unwilling to settle for the surface answer.”
Duckworth receiving her Doctorate, Honoris Causa, from General Theological Seminary