A former Bogue Chitto principal’s long involvement with the Beta Club has been recognized nationally and statewide.

Stan Long was named National Beta Club Board Member Emeritus at the 2024 National Beta Club Convention in Savannah, Georgia, last year and then earlier this year, the Mississippi Beta Club board council voted to approve that senior scholarships will now be named the Stanton L. Long Scholarships.

Long, who is under hospice care for colon cancer, was able to attend the national ceremony with family and received a standing ovation.

“For over three decades, Mr. Stan Long has been the steady heart of Mississippi Beta, embodying the very ideals that National Beta holds highest: character, service and leadership. His unwavering commitment to the development of young leaders has left an indelible mark across generations,” said Bobby Hart, the chief executive officer of the National Beta Club.

 As the school principal, Long started chauffeuring Bogue Chitto students to Beta Club conventions in the early ’80s. In 1999, he was elected to the state council. Then in 2003, he joined the national board, serving on whichever committees needed him before accepting the responsibility of chairman in 2010.

Mississippi Beta Club board member Alan Atkison called Long, a “lifelong leader, learner and servant” when he recommended the former national chairman for the honor of board emeritus.

“He served Beta at his local school as a club sponsor and drove the bus to conventions. He then served Betas across the state as a council member and over two decades as the Mississippi State Council Chairman. Stan is beloved by students and peers alike. He exemplifies the pillars of Beta on a daily basis,” he said.

Hart said as a retired board member and board emeritus, Long’s legacy “is not only measured in the years he served, but in the countless lives he shaped — modeling humility, excellence, and a lifelong dedication to making a difference. Stan Long is, and always will be, a living testament to what it truly means to lead by example.”

Atkison said Long exemplifies the qualities of a true servant leader, consistently putting the needs of others before his own.

“He is known for being dependable, always following through on his commitments with integrity and dedication,” Atkison said. “Stan’s friendly nature makes him approachable and easy to work with, while his unwavering sense of fairness ensures that everyone he encounters is treated with respect and equity.”

It wasn’t just the students Long helped mentor through his involvement with Beta.

“He pretty much took me under his wing when I joined the National Board and gave me insights on the history and importance of the National Board,” said Mark Conley, a former chairman of the Texas council. “He was truly a mentor to me that I will always be grateful for his patience and guidance with me. His dedication to making decisions that placed the students first was always his goal.”

The men and their wives became great friends.

“Stan was a man that would listen first and think, and then respond with an answer. He thought things out before making a decision. He was very respected by everyone on the board and anyone that met him,” Conley said. “I’ve attended the Mississippi state conventions and seen the respect from the people there. Stan is an amazing man who I admire greatly.”

Dr. Keith Leger, chairman of the Louisiana council, has known Long since 2013 when Leger joined the national board of directors.

“Stan is the epitome of a Southern gentleman who genuinely loves his family and friends and cares deeply about the Beta Club students and sponsors he represented,” Leger said. “It was not unusual to observe Stan engaging in spontaneous, friendly conversations with Beta Club and hotel staff, parents, students and others during state and national conventions.”

Donna Wear, chairwoman of the Kentucky state council, agreed with Leger.

“Stan Long has always been a Southern gentleman,” she said. “When Stan spoke, his words were soft spoken, but impactful and highly respected by the board.”

Although it was Long who served on the board, his wife Rita usually accompanied him to conventions to help shower praise on the students.

“At the national conventions, all of the board members want our students to do well; but when the state of Mississippi was called to receive a plaque … any plaque, Stan and Rita would cheer the loudest,” Wear said. “He was the best cheerleader Mississippi Betas could have. He and Rita are a Mississippi team and we all love them so.”

Gwen Young, chairwoman of the Florida state council, has known Long for 17 years.

“He was one of the first to welcome me to the Beta board of directors and I have loved him ever since,” she said. “Stan always makes me smile and gives the best hugs ever. He is the epitome of a Southern gentleman and our Beta motto ‘Let us lead by serving others’ fits him perfectly. Stan’s being in this world makes it a better place.”

Dr. Rita Carter, chairwoman of the Georgia state council said she first met long at a Beta business meeting that stretched past midnight. She realized outside that she was not parked in the well-lit parking lot.

“Stan was the first person to ask if he could help,” she said. “When I explained my predicament, he smiled and said he would take me around the very dark and deserted park in search of my car and then let me follow him through the city to our hotel if I would stop at the Krispy Kreme Donut shop with him since donuts were ‘buy two dozen get one dozen free.’ I wholeheartedly agreed, took a dozen at his insistence, and we became great friends.”

Long received his master’s in education from Mississippi State University in 1974 and has been a longtime Bulldog fan. That led to more than one friendly rivalry with Beta representatives from other states.

Mitchell Parham, chairman of the Tennessee state council, recalls a text from Long.

“Last year, a few minutes after the final out of the College World Series and Tennessee had won the national championship, I received a text from Mr. Stan that said, ‘Fun on Rocky Top,’” Parham said. 

“I don’t think Mr. Stan was excited that Tennessee won the CWS, but he knew I was excited. That’s Mr. Stan.”