"Ferguson advocated for improved access for underrepresented students, worked with those he didn't always agree with to advance the University and was a strong supporter of Michigan State University Athletics," said MSU President Guskiewicz during his report to the board. "He was a civil rights leader, a successful business person and community leader and a strong proponent for the Lansing area. His legacy will be strong and everlasting on our Spartan community."

After graduating from MSU with a degree in elementary education in 1965, Ferguson — a Democrat and U.S. Marine Corps veteran — was elected to the Lansing City Council in 1967 as its first Black member. He would go on to serve three terms. Ferguson also worked on the political campaigns of famed Democratic politicians Robert F. Kennedy, George McGovern and Jesse Jackson. 

Outside of politics and public service, Ferguson worked for decades as a Lansing real estate developer and co-founded the Lansing-based Capitol National Bank in 1982. The next year, Ferguson was appointed by former President Bill Clinton to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), a role he remained in until 2001. 

Ferguson was first elected to MSU’s board in 1986, before being reelected three times. In 2020, Ferguson announced he would not seek reelection. He was chosen by fellow board members to serve as board chair five times, serving in that role from 1992 to 2015. 

Current Trustee Brianna Scott said that’s a testament to the respect Ferguson had among colleagues and his ability to bridge divides.

"Back at that time, we didn’t just have the lone wolf Republican on the board," Scott said. "And so that just showed the amount of respect that the people on the board had for him, the way that he conducted himself, the way that he treated everyone."

"There was not a person that I met, as far as administration is concerned, that ever had anything ill to say towards Joel, and I just am very grateful for the time that I got to spend with him."

Trustee Renee Knake Jefferson said Ferguson was the first board member to call her upon her appointment to the board in 2019, and assured her that she "did belong" on the board and would add "value" to it. 

That was important to Jefferson, who given her political inexperience at the time "was experiencing a lot of imposter syndrome stepping up into that role" she said. (Whereas most board members are elected in statewide partisan races, Jefferson was appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to fill an unexpected vacancy). 

In that conversation, Ferguson also made Jefferson feel comfortable by telling her that he knew her husband. Jefferson’s husband, Wallace Jefferson — an MSU alum who was the first Black chief justice of the supreme court of Texas — had met Ferguson when he received an honorary doctorate degree from MSU at a commencement ceremony in 2009. 

"But again, it wasn't just an official handshake at a graduation for Joel Ferguson," Jefferson said. "He made (Wallace Jefferson) feel like family, and so when I joined the board, I felt like I belonged because of the experience I could bring to the board, but I also felt immediately like I was part of the family because (Ferguson) knew my family."

Trustee Dianne Byrum, who served with Ferguson for the longest out of other current trustees, described him as an "icon" for the "greater Lansing community and state of Michigan." She also remembered a phrase Ferguson would frequently say during his time on MSU’s board: "Our best days are ahead of us."

"I believe it's still true to this day and that he would say our best days are ahead of us," Byrum said. “I think with our new president, Kevin Guskiewicz, and the leadership of this board, the outstanding faculty and staff and our bright students, there’s just boundless opportunities that the best days are ahead for Michigan State."

Trustee Kelly Tebay echoed other trustees’ appreciation for Ferguson, noting that though she didn’t always agree with him, he always "treated (her) opinions with respect" and "respected the perspective that (she) brought to the table."

Trustee Rema Vassar lauded Ferguson as "kind, funny" and an "exemplar" for MSU leadership, adding through a chuckle that he "was always a sharp dresser."

"He served his family, he served his friends, he served his state and he served Spartans, and he will be missed," Vassar said. 

Board Chair Dan Kelly said that when he joined the board in 2016, "nobody could have been a more gracious and just a good to friend to (him) and (his) wife" than Ferguson. 

"So, I’ll miss him," Kelly said. "He was a good guy in every capacity."