July 11, 2024
By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
An Alabama State University alumna who has earned two degrees from the University
has been named the grand marshal of the second annual Port City Classic (Classic)
Parade that takes place on Nov. 2, at 10 a.m. in downtown Mobile, Alabama. The game
between ASU and Alcorn State University will kick off at 4 p.m. later that day at
Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game is managed by the Mobile Sports Authority, which describes
it as the ultimate "party with a purpose," combining entertainment, education, and
the celebration of African American culture and heritage.
Alumna Sherry Dillihay-McDade (ASU 1985) is the parade's grand marshal. She earned both a
bachelor's and a master's degree in education from ASU; attending the University on
a track and field scholarship. Acclaimed as an outstanding athlete, she was the first
female in NCAA history to be awarded a baseball scholarship in what had once been
an all-male collegiate program.
Dillihay-McDade is well known within the Mobile community. She serves on the Mobile
County Board of School Commissioners, having recently been elected to represent its
District 4 seat, which includes downtown Mobile, Toulminville, Maysville, Midtown
and Dauphin Island Parkway.
The 1976 graduate of Toulminville High School was a veteran educator in the Mobile
County Public School System. Before her retirement, she taught physical education
at Mobile's Booker T. Washington Middle School and coached basketball, girls track
and volleyball. Earlier, she was also a teacher and a coach at LeFlore High School
where she served as athletic director.
Mardis Gras began in the United States in Mobile in the early 19th century and Dillihay-McDade is no stranger to the event. She is highly involved in its celebration in the Port
City, serving as the president of the Mobile Big Monday Mardi Gras Association.
An active Christain, Dillihay-McDade attends Saint Matthews Catholic Church and has two children, Adam and Evyn McDade.