Nancy Grace awarded honorary doctorate at Jacksonville State

Nancy Grace, the TV legal commentator and former prosecutor, was awarded an honorary doctorate by Jacksonville State University during its spring commencement ceremony on Saturday.

Grace, the keynote speaker at JSU’s commencement, recalled her fiance’s murder, a tragic event that decades ago inspired her to go to law school and represent victims of crime.

“Everyone before me and behind me will meet with that day when you get the call to stand up and be counted to stand for something, to go to the plate and don’t just swing, you hit a home run,” she said. “That call will come. My only question today is will you answer the call?”

JSU announced an endowed scholarship named for Grace to support the education of the children of first responders who lost their lives or were disabled in the line of duty.

Grace, a legal analyst and former prosecutor, did not attend JSU. She earned her bachelor’s and law degrees at Mercer University in Georgia.

She was recently named one of the most impactful and powerful women in entertainment by “Variety” and “The Hollywood Reporter.” For 11 years, she led a top-rated crime show for CNN’s Headline News and now hosts “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace for Fox Nation and SIRIUS XM.

Prior to her TV career, Grace prosecuted felony cases for the Atlanta Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. During her time as a special prosecutor, she met Joseph Scott Morgan, a forensic investigator who is now a JSU associate professor and Distinguished Scholar of Applied Forensics.

“She truly cares about victims of crime,” Morgan said in a news release. “I have seen her sit for hours at conventions listening to people’s stories. She has tried to help thousands of people.”

To contribute to the Nancy Grace scholarship fund, contact University Development at 256-782-5605.