MACON/ATLANTA — Mercer University will confer an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to state Sen. John F. Kennedy and an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree to Zelma Redding, founder and president of the Otis Redding Foundation, during this year’s commencement ceremonies.
Kennedy will receive his honorary degree during the Medical School ceremony on Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m., in Hawkins Arena inside the University Center.
Kennedy has served in the Georgia State Senate since 2015. His district includes Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, along with portions of Bibb and Houston counties. In addition to his duties as current senate president pro tempore, Kennedy serves as the chair of the Senate Committee on Administrative Affairs, secretary of the Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions, secretary of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities and secretary of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He is a member of the Appropriations, Ethics, and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees. He is also an ex officio member of the Senate committees on Finance, Health and Human Services, and Rules.
Kennedy earned a degree in economics from Mercer in 1987 and completed his law degree at Mercer School of Law in 1990. He is a partner at the Macon-based law firm of James-Bates-Brannan-Groover LLP and currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the Central Georgia Council and Boy Scouts of America. He previously served as president of the Macon Bar Association and is a member of the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Georgia.
Zelma Redding will receive her honorary degree during the Macon ceremony at Five Star Stadium on Monday, May 12, at 8 a.m.
After Otis Redding’s passing in 1967, as a young mother raising three small children, Zelma Redding earned her high school equivalency degree, enrolled in business classes and mastered the music business while keeping her husband’s legacy in the forefront. She eventually opened multiple successful businesses.
Founded in 2007, the Otis Redding Foundation continues the couple’s shared dedication to philanthropy and empowering the lives of young people by championing education and creating learning opportunities in music and the arts. Zelma Redding is also head of the Estate of Otis Redding and continues to manage the legacy, including his music catalog and his name, image and likeness.
In March 2025, Zelma Redding and her family opened the Otis Redding Center for the Arts in Macon, which achieved a longtime dream held by she and her husband, who is known as the “King of Soul.” A 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, the Center serves as a hub for the community and the Foundation’s programs and includes the Zelma Redding Amphitheater. Serving young people ages 5-18, the curricula cover the creative and business sides of music and entertainment, including content creation, performing, entertainment law, engineering, graphic design and touring. Programs for toddlers and senior citizens will be announced later this year.
Mercer will confer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees to more than 2,600 students participating in four commencements during May in Macon and Atlanta. The total number of students meeting the requirements for graduation exceeds 3,000.
Commencement speakers include Kennedy for the School of Medicine; managing partner with Strickland Debrow LLP Vernon M. Strickland, J.D. ’06, for Mercer Law School; Board of Trustees Chairman Thomas P. (Tom) Bishop, B.A. ’82, J.D. ’85, in Atlanta and Macon; and graduating senior Shannon Dougherty in Macon.
The Atlanta and Macon ceremonies are ticketed events. Livestream coverage of all ceremonies will be available at mercer.edu/commencement.
