Ben Z. Grant, justice of the Sixth Court of Criminal Appeals, will address graduates and guests at the 53rd annual Panola College Commencement. Graduation exercises are scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday, May 18, at the Arthur M. Johnson Gymnasium on the Carthage campus.

Grant, a graduate of Panola College, was appointed to serve as the appeals justice in 1985 by then Governor Mark White. He was elected to that position in 1986, 1990 and 1996. Prior to his appointment, Grant served fours years as judge of the 71^st Judicial District Court in Marshall.

From 1971 to 1981, Grant served in the Texas Legislature as a member of the House of Representatives. For six of those 10 years, he served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

After graduating with honors from Panola College, he went on to graduate from Northwest State University in Natchitoches, LA. Later , he earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas School of Law.

Grant has experience in a variety of occupations ranging from shining shoes and working at a brick plant, to serving as an adjunct faculty member at East Texas Baptist University. He taught school for four years and was publisher and editor of a weekly newspaper. During law school, Grant worked for the General Land Office and Veterans Land Board, taught night school at Austin High School and worked as an aide for Representative C.L. Ray.

Grant has served as president of the Northeast Texas Bar Association and also on the State Bar Judicial Section Executive Committee. He also served six years as president of the Texas Judicial Council. He is authorized to practice law in all Texas courts and various federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States.

Grant has spoken at numerous judicial and legal conferences, and has conducted legal conferences. He has had legal articles published in the Texas Bar Journal and Trial Lawyers Forum.

Common Cause of Texas recognized him for his uncommon talents and years of courageous public service. Grant was named one of the 100 outstanding leaders of Harrison County for the 20^th Century. He is listed on the Wall of Distinction of Harrison County and received the Sallie McGee Lentz Award for Historical Publications.

Grant served as president of the Marshall Lions Club and District Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America. In addition to authoring the children’s book, The Last Dragon, he has written four plays: Kingfish, co-authored with Larry L. King, which played off Broadway in New York, Washington, D.C., Austin, New Orleans and other cities in Louisiana and Texas; From Hardscrabble, a two-act play set in rural East Texas; Evangeline’s Song; and Sage of the Sabine—the Strife and Times of Isaac Van Zandt.

Grant is currently serving as vice-president of the Harrison County Historical Museum Board and is on the executive board for the Texas State Historical Association. He writes a weekly column for the Marshall News Messenger.

He has two children, Zane Austin, 21, and Brea Colleen, 19.