Posted on Thursday, May 07, 2026
LaGrange College will award honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters to local retired and business and civic leaders, Bobby Carmichael Jr. and Chris Joseph during commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 9.
For decades, both men have helped shape the future of LaGrange through their leadership in business, public service and community organizations, while also dedicating significant time and service to the college.
Carmichael’s leadership played an instrumental role in the growth of both LaGrange College and the broader community.
A graduate of Auburn University with a degree in accounting, he also completed graduate studies at Louisiana State University’s School of Banking.
His professional career included service as President of Commercial Bank and Trust for 22 years, seven years as a Certified Public Accountant and time as a Captain in the United States Army. He later served as executive director of both the Development Authority of LaGrange and the Downtown LaGrange Development Authority, before retiring in 2018.
At LaGrange College, Carmichael first joined the Board of Trustees in 1994 and served multiple terms as a trustee, vice chair and chair. He also played a key role on the college’s three most recent presidential search committees and served as a member of Leadership Council. In 2022, he received the Honorary Alumni Award.
His record of civic leadership includes serving as chair of organizations such as the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, First United Methodist Church Council, United Way of West Georgia, LaGrange Development Authority, Downtown LaGrange Development Authority, LaGrange Rotary Club, West Georgia Technical College Foundation and Georgia Bankers Association. He also served on the board of the Private Colleges and Universities Authority of Georgia.
Joseph is a retired business owner and former city leader. A graduate of Auburn University with a degree in business administration and accounting, he built a 51-year career as a Certified Public Accountant.
He began his career at Lybrand, Ross, Brother & Montgomery now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, before co-founding Gay & Joseph, CPA. in LaGrange. He led the firm until he retired from the industry in 2021.
Joseph also dedicated years of service to local government, serving 10 years as city councilman and four years as mayor of LaGrange. His civic leadership extended across numerous organizations, including terms as president of the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce, LaGrange Kiwanis Club and Highland Country Club. During the 1996 Summer Olympics, he founded LaGrange Sports Authority’s “I Train in LaGrange.”
His additional service included leadership and board roles with the LaGrange City Board of Education (now Troup County Board of Education), Community Bank & Trust, Leadership Georgia, the Georgia Municipal Association and the Governor’s Commission on Georgia Growth.
At LaGrange College, Joseph served on the President’s Council and spent eight years on the Leadership Council. He also remains active in his faith community as finance council chair and Eucharistic minister at St Peter's Catholic Church.
Category: College, Philanthropy, Events, Community
Keywords: Commencement, Business
