A. Mike Espy JD ’78 was the commencement speaker at Jackson State University in Mississippi. Mr. Espy is a Democratic politician. From 1987 to 1993, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi. From 1993 to 1994 he was selected to be the Secretary of Agriculture by president Bill Clinton. He was both the first African American and first person from the Deep South in that position. Read more.