Johnny Moore shares his vision for Rust College’s next 100 years

Johnny M. Moore envisions a future where Rust College becomes the heart of Holly Springs. 

It’s one of several ambitions Moore has as president of the historically Black college, which is celebrating its 160th anniversary this month. The celebration also included Moore’s inauguration Friday as Rust’s 13th president. 

But realizing Moore’s vision will require revitalizing the small, private liberal arts college, which has experienced declining enrollment, rising tuition and leadership turnover in recent years. 

A decade ago, Rust enrolled more than 1,000 students. By the 2024-25 academic year, enrollment had fallen to 467 students. Tuition has increased from $9,900 in 2022-23 to more than $13,000 in 2023-24. And just 12% of students who entered Rust in 2018 graduated within six years.

Addressing those challenges will require adapting Rust’s academic programs and providing students with more support to earn a degree, Moore said. 

One of Moore’s priorities is to expand career and workforce opportunities for Rust students, including those who may not need the traditional four-year college degree. 

One example of that effort is a partnership that was launched in 2025 with the Mississippi Center for Innovation and Technology and Cisco Systems to offer a workforce certificate program to prepare students and local residents for cybersecurity jobs. The initiative aims to provide students with more flexible paths to employment while strengthening the college’s academic offerings, Moore said. 

“It’s not enough just to get people here,” he said. “It’s not enough to just retain them and graduate. We have to make sure we get them a job.”

Addressing barriers to a degree

Supporting students through graduation is also another priority for Moore. As a first-generation college student from rural Arkansas, he said he understands the barriers students face when pursuing higher education. 

Black students make up 92% of the college’s enrollment. More than half of students come from outside Mississippi. Many also rely on the federal Pell grant to afford college, Moore said. 

The college offers a one-stop shop on campus where students can receive assistance with class registration, financial aid and other concerns. Other campus resources include a food pantry, career clothing closet, emergency financial assistance, scholarships and work-study opportunities. 

Aubree Dillon, a junior mass communications major, said Moore often walks the campus and talks with students about work opportunities, student life and dormitories. His presence has made a difference in her college experience. 

“A lot of people may not think that it’s a big deal for your college president to make an effort to ask you questions or try to get to know you personally,” Dillon said. “But, that’s the great thing about being at a small school. Your leadership and president care, and that matters.” 

Moore and the college’s leadership are also working with students, faculty, alumni and other stakeholders to develop a strategic plan, which he expects to release next fall. 

The plan comes after several leadership transitions. Ivy Taylor, the institution’s first woman president, served from 2020 to 2023. Two interim presidents led the college before Moore was named in July 2025. 

Moore previously served as chancellor of Arkansas State University-Newport and president of Philander Smith University, a historically Black university in Arkansas. He also led Pierpont Community and Technical College in West Virginia. 

His experience attending and eventually leading an HBCU has shaped his approach to leading Rust. 

“I know the power of these institutions,” said Moore, who is also a Philander Smith alumnus. “So, it’s only fitting that I finish my career at an HBCU.” 

For alumni, the new leadership comes at a significant moment in the college’s history. 

Focusing on a legacy

The college was founded in 1866, just after the Civil War, and counts civil rights activist and journalist Ida B. Wells among its former students. It is one of Mississippi’s oldest private colleges and oldest historically Black one. 

“Our founders understood that freedom was not complete without education,” Moore said. “So we inherited this legacy to build upon it, so other generations can appreciate their worthiness of legacy.” 

Moore is working to preserve that legacy by addressing the college’s challenges. 

He has regularly met with alumni chapter presidents since taking office to seek their input on enrollment, recruitment and ways to strengthen the college’s visibility, said MeShonya Wren-Coleman, president of the Rust College International Alumni Association. Some of that feedback has led to raising the college’s social media profile  and staffing changes, she said.

Wren-Coleman said she appreciates Moore’s willingness to listen to alumni and address longstanding institutional concerns. 

“He’s not putting a Band-Aid on things that need to be fixed,” Wren-Coleman said. Instead, she said, Moore is solving problems.

She also emphasized the importance of Moore’s alumni engagement and how it lends to the financial support and restoration of the future of the HBCU. 

“Our commitment to Rust College alums isn’t limited to financial contributions,” Wren-Coleman said. “We set the example for our students and future generations when we raise money for scholarships, recruit students because we show the transformative  power of education, community and leadership for the school.” 

Moore’s ambitions also extend beyond Rust’s campus to Holly Springs, a city of 6,400 residents about 35 miles southeast of Memphis. His vision for the college town includes more partnerships with local high schools, economic development and projects with local businesses. 

For Moore, strengthening Rust also means strengthening the surrounding community. 

“When Rust grows, our community grows with us,” Moore said. “That is what has sustained this institution for 160 years, and it is what will sustain it for generations to come.”