Morehouse Magazine Winter 2008/Spring 2009 by Morehouse College

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Named “the hottest men's college” in the nation in Kaplan/Newsweek magazine's August 2007 listing of “25 Hottest Schools” Named one of the best schools in the Southeast by The Princeton Review in its listing of 2008 Best Colleges: Region by Region Recognized by The Wall Street Journal as one of the top feeder schools for the 15 most prominent graduate and professional schools in the country in September 2003 One of only two Historically Black Colleges or Universities to produce three Rhodes Scholars

www.morehouse.edu

Redefine THE WORLD.

CARRYING THE TORCH: A GUIDE TO GIVING 2007-08 & 2006-07

Define YOURSELF.

MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE WINTER 2008/SPRING 2009

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CARRYING THE TORCH: A GUIDE TO GIVING

MOREHOUSE MILITARY MEN • FIRST LADY CHERYL FRANKLIN • COMMENCEMENT ‘09

and Lorna Douglass Lindsay

Profession The Luella Klein Associate Professor and Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Fulltime faculty member, Emory University, OB/GYN

Education Bachelor of Science, Morehouse College, 1975; Medical Degree, Yale Medical School, 1979; Master of Public Health, Emory University, 1991

Passions Married to Lorna Douglass for 28 years; Sons, Jonathon, 24, a 2006 Morehouse graduate, and Kenneth, 20, a senior at Emory University

Mark of Distinction Largest donor to the Morehouse Annual Fund in 2006. For 22 years Michael Lindsay ‘75 has given to the Annual Fund to help a man of Morehouse realize his dream of becoming a Morehouse Man.

Why does he give? “I went to Morehouse on a scholarship— otherwise, I would not have been able to get a Morehouse education. I am repaying the anonymous people who funded my education.”

http://giving.morehouse.edu • (404) 215-2658

MorehouseMemories

Michael Lindsay ’75

features

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RAISING THE BAR Abraham Davis ’61 taught and mentored 17 judges, 16 doctoral recipients, two ambassadors and one United States Congressman. Many of his protégés were able to pass the bar with flying colors because, as a professor of political science, Davis raised the bar of excellence.

PHENOMENON: THE OBAMA EFFECT What do you call an African American politician who galvanized black political activism, raised voter participation to dizzying heights, shattered fund-raising records, and inspired a nation with a few well-chosen words? Phenomenal. Morehouse professors and students talk about how President Obama changed the world.

THE DOCTOR MAKES A HOUSE CALL As the new First Lady of the College, Dr. Cheryl G. Franklin shares her medical expertise in talks and lectures as she encourages more minority participation in the health professions, including establishing a scholarship for Morehouse students.

INSIDE THE HOUSE

FOUNDER’S DAY 2009: WEATHERING THE STORM Morehouse celebrates 142 years of weathering storms by continuing its weeklong observance of its founding with undampened enthusiasm.

HOMECOMING

IN THE NEWS

ON THE FIELD AND COURT

THE VALUE OF A MOREHOUSE EDUCATION The current economic storm is blowing many Morehouse students off course as they face unprecedented financial pressures. But when you consider the College’s storied legacy and close-knit brotherhood, the value of the Morehouse experience is priceless.

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ON THE SHELF

BROTHER TO BROTHER

ALUMNI NEWS

COMMENCEMENT 2009: LIFT THEM UP Two speakers, two valedictorians and two salutatorians added up to a very memorable Commencement 2009. The one thing all the speakers wanted the 440 graduates to do: reach back and lift up.

CLASS REUNION

CLASS NOTES

THE ROAD TAKEN

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MOREHOUSE MILITARY MEN Think Morehouse Man and you undoubtedly think business suits and ties—not the immaculate uniforms of the U.S. military. The Morehouse military man does, however, wear something in common with his civic counterparts: a commitment to leadership and service.

contents

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2006-2008 OFFICERS

Phillip H. McCall Jr. ’69 President goldiemccall@aol.com Lonnie C. Johnson ’58 Vice President-at-Large lcjohns58@verizon.net Collie Burnett Jr. ’72 Executive Director cburnett@aibtv.com Guy B. Richardson ’79 Secretary gbrichardson@woh.rr.com Marvin C Mangham ’69 Financial Secretary mcmangham@bellsouth.net James D. Henry ’61 General Counsel jamesdhenry@msn.com Calvin H. Harris ’92 Treasurer calvin_harris@hotmail.com Jeffrey L. Riddle ’90 Parliamentarian Office: 404-541-2325 jlriddle@riddleschwartz.com Harold O. Braithwaite ’77 Faculty Representative hbraithw@morehouse.edu Henry M. Goodgame, Jr. ’84 Director, Alumni Affairs hgoodgame@morehouse.edu BOARD MEMBERS REGION I-IX VICE PRESIDENTS – 2008-2010 Kevin R. McGee ’93 Vice President, Region I kevinmcgee@hop-hospitality.com Kenneth J. Thompson ’82 Vice President, Region II Kennyt76@aol.com James M. Boykin II ’81 Vice President, Region III jMBoykinII@aol.com Mark W. Hill ’67 Vice President, Region IV hillm@peercpc.com Charles H. Neal ’64 Vice President, Region V charlesneal101@AOL.com George W. Thompson ’66 Vice President, Region VI Jags597@aol.com Kevin V. Riles ’95 Vice President, Region VII kevin@remaxupscale.com Donald E. Long ’64 Vice President, Region VIII dlong@sdccd.edu Nashon Hornsby ’93 Vice President, Region IX nashon.hornsby@doh.state.nj.us

p r e s i d e n t ’s m e s s a g e Honoring Leadership and Service

e are fortunate that, since its inception, Morehouse has had as part of its core community men and women who model ethical leadership and the kind of service that changes the lives of its recipients, as well as its givers. Leadership and service are traditions upon which the College is built, and we continue to honor the individuals who typify those ideals. In 1989—under the administration of Dr. Leroy Keith ’61, our eighth president—the “A Candle in the Dark” Gala was organized to enhance the Founder’s Day celebration and raise funds for the College’s endowed scholarship funds. This Valentine’s Day, approximately 1,400 members of the Morehouse community of supporters attended the celebration, making the 21st year of this fund-raising event both a memorable part of the 142nd Founder’s Day Celebration and a successful part of our campaign to support students through endowed scholarships. Each year, we proudly assemble for an evening of camaraderie as we recognize African American men for their contributions to their respective professional fields. In honor of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, the College’s longest-serving president, honorees who are alumni of the College receive the “Bennie” award for service, achievement and trailblazing. The “Candle” is awarded to non-alumni for professional excellence in a variety of professional fields. Individually and collectively, our “Bennie” and “Candle” award winners are a testament to the heights to which Morehouse College students can—and are expected to—rise.

”We remain singularly focused on what has been the College’s long-term

This issue of Morehouse Magazine is timely in that it sheds light on achievements under a variety of circumstances. Though Morehouse—as are many other colleges and universities—is steeling for what may be more difficult economic times to come, we are in no way deterred from producing the next generation of high achievers. We remain singularly focused on what has been the College’s long-term mission: developing young men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service. It is my hope as you read the features herein, you will be inspired and strengthened for the road to success.

mission: developing young men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service.”

Sincerely,

Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75

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Taking some of the work out of networking

Experience Alumni! OFFERS MOREHOUSE MEN A NEW NETWORKING TOOL FOR JOB HUNTING For more information contact: Kellye Blackburn Eccles Career Planning and Placement Non Business Majors Morehouse College 404-215-2703 kblackbu@morehouse.edu Pat Bowers Career Planning and Placement Business Majors Morehouse College 404-681-2800 x2644 pbowers@morehouse.edu

The Morehouse Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Career Planning and Placement Office is excited to unveil its latest service, designed with Morehouse College alumni in mind: Experience Alumni! EXPERIENCE REQUIRED eRecruiting is the system currently used to coordinate all job postings and interview schedules for students. Now, Experience Alumni! offers a similar service designed specifically with more experienced candidates in mind. Experience Alumni! gives Morehouse alumni a safe, secure place to look for employment opportunities by providing job postings from companies looking to recruit experienced Morehouse Men. Job opportunities from sites such as CareerBuilder, DICE and HotJobs are also posted. BROTHER TO BROTHER If you know of positions within your own company that you want other alumni to know about, you can post them directly into the system yourself. It is a great system for recruiting other Morehouse Men!

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Defining Value

Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 President

Dear Friends:

n this current economic climate, students and parents are making hard decisions about college choice. Even the few parents who have planned to pay for a college education are still considering affordability and value when choosing a college. At the same time, colleges and universities across the country are grappling with rising operational costs as students’ need for financial support increases. Over time, Morehouse has defined its value in the higher education marketplace. In this issue, we talk about how Morehouse is an exceptional investment in “The Value of a Morehouse Education” (see cover story on page 42). What we found is that even as many liberal arts colleges are facing dwindling enrollments , they encounter stiffer competition from public institutions. Yet, the College’s enrollment increased by 10 percent during the first semester of last year, and we expect to maintain our ideal enrollment of 2,800 students in the upcoming academic year. Morehouse has to make the case for the value of the liberal arts experience to students and their parents in a climate that forces them to think more about gaining the hard skills necessary to get a job rather than the soft skills associated with becoming a better thinker. Our focus on academic excellence, leadership development, community service, and the tradition of brotherhood, along with exposure to a broad spectrum of national and international leaders (see coverage on Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke’s visit on page 6), continue to make Morehouse the college of choice for many young men and give parents a reason to make the financial stretch to send their sons here, even in this economy. It is this unique mission of educating mostly African American men that also keeps faculty engaged. Morehouse is a lifetime career for many, like Abraham L. Davis ’61, who steered more than 600 of his students into law and pre-law related careers over the past 41 years. Davis left Morehouse this past year to pursue a lifelong passion in global relations as a consultant with the State Department. Every accepted student has made the choice to attend Morehouse – often in the midst of competitive offers from other prestigious institutions. Morehouse parent Jacky Akbari of Nashville, Tenn., whose son Alex is a senior this year, puts it best: “Life is a series of choices, and now we absolutely have to use our resources better than ever; and the best resource we have is Morehouse College.”

John Williams Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Phillip Howard ’87 Vice President for Institutional Advancement

STAFF Executive Editor Editor Writer In the News Editor Contributing Writers

Toni O’Neal Mosley Vickie G. Hampton Add Seymour Jr. Elise Durham Mae Gentry Kai Jackson Issa Richard Jones Eric Stirgus Chandra Thomas Class Notes Julie Pinkney Tongue Contributing Photographers Philip McCollum Wilford Harewood James Robinson Graphic Design Glennon Design Group Administrative Assistant Minnie Jackson Web Hana Chelikowsky Kara Walker

Morehouse Magazine is published by Morehouse College, Office of Communications, Division of Institutional Advancement. Opinions expressed in Morehouse Magazine are those of the authors, not necessarily of the College. Letters and Comments: Letters must be one typed page in length and signed. Please include complete contact information. Send to: Morehouse Magazine Editor, Morehouse College, Office of Communications, 830 Westview Dr., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30314. E-mail: morehousemageditor@morehouse.edu Fax: 404-215-2729 Change of Address and Class Notes: www.morehousealumniandfriends.com

Keep Reading,

Toni O’Neal Mosley Executive Editor Please Note: As the College took precautionary measures to reduce spending, we combined the Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer issues of Morehouse Magazine to reduce annual printing and postage costs.

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Morehouse College is the nation’s largest liberal arts college for men. The College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Atlanta University Center consortium of five schools. Morehouse does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, handicap, or national or ethnic origin in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its educational policies and programs, or in its staff, as specified by federal laws and regulations.

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insidethehouse Morehouse and Georgia Perimeter Enter Transfer Admission Guarantee Pact

new pact will give students from Georgia’s thirdlargest public higher education institution an opportunity to become men of Morehouse. Morehouse President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 and Georgia Perimeter College President Anthony Tricoli signed a Transfer Admission Guarantee agreement in January that will allow GPC students who follow and complete a specific course of study and met certain criteria to transfer into Morehouse for their junior and senior years. “[This] partnership… is groundbreaking and offers a tremendous opportunity to students looking for a commonsense, cost-effective approach to quality higher education,” Franklin said. “Dr. Tricoli and I believe that, by entering into this agreement, we are serving both institutions well and, more importantly, meeting the educational needs of Georgia’s future leaders.” GPC, which has transfer agreements with 30 institutions, has 23,000 students (including the most African American students of any Georgia institution) and is one of the fastest growing two-year institutions in the nation. To transfer to Morehouse, GPC students must complete their associate’s degree with a 2.5 grade point average and at least

Georgia Perimeter College President Anthony Tricoli and President Franklin enter admission agreement.

60 transferable credits, 30 of which must be earned at GPC. Sterling Hudson, dean of Admissions and Records at Morehouse, said the College gets nearly 100 transfer students each year, with 35 to 40 coming from two-year institutions. “That number should be boosted with this articulation,” he said. “It’s going to provide greater access for Morehouse to local males, mostly Atlanta males. That’s been a tough market for us.” Tricoli said he is excited about being in partnership with Morehouse. “In this year of historical firsts, it is appropriate that our two powerhouse institutions do what none other in the nation has done to clear the pathway to success for African American students who are transferring from an outstanding two-year college to Morehouse,” he said. ■

Emory’s Delores Aldridge Gives Benjamin E. Mays Lecture FOR AMERICA TO thrive, each citizen has to believe in the main tenant of cultural democracy: shared power and voice by all participants, said Delores Dolores Aldridge Aldridge, a sociology and African American studies professor at Emory University. “And if cultural democracy is to fulfill its promise, it must ever challenge our values of America, which makes the land of the free and the home of the brave elusive for a lot of our brothers and sisters,” she continued during the 18th Annual MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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Benjamin E. Mays Lecture on Jan. 27. Former President Leroy Keith ’61 established the Benjamin E. Mays Lecture series in 1990 as a way to honor the memory and legacy of Mays, the College’s revered sixth president who served for 27 years and shepherded the College into international prominence. Aldridge, a 1963 Clark College graduate, was the first African American faculty member at Emory. In 1971, she established Emory’s African American studies department, the first of its kind in the South. She also has been a consultant for more than 90 foreign governments, and has been the author and or editor of at least 160 writings. Her latest book is The Invisible 2 0 0 9

Pioneers: Black Women Sociologists and she is working with the Georgia State Legislature and Georgia Coalition on Black Women to develop an encyclopedic volume, The Social and Economic Contributions of Georgia Women. Aldridge, who as a student at Clark came to the Morehouse campus to listen to Mays lecture, said she was moved by his inspirational messages and believes he stepped up during the civil rights movement when other college presidents stepped back. “Dr. Mays worked diligently to challenge a racist America,” she said.“But he also knew that as African Americans, we must be well prepared in heart and mind.” ■

insidethehouse Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin Is Inaugural Speaker for Vivian Malone Jones Lecture ATLANTA MAYOR SHIRLEY FRANKLIN delivered the first annual Vivian Malone Jones Lecture on Civil Rights during the Jan. 22nd Crown Forum. “Vivian Malone Jones didn’t give up and didn’t give out,” Franklin said. “She acted with courage and she executed resolve…But she took the road less-traveled as a young woman, not much Atlanta Mayor younger than you…The question is how strong Shirley Franklin will your shoulders be that others stand on?” Jones and classmate James Hood made history in 1963 by defying Gov. George Wallace, who stood in front of the University of Alabama doors to keep them from becoming the school’s first black students. Hood transferred after two months (he got his doctorate from Alabama in 1997), but Jones went on to become the school’s first African American graduate. She worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and eventually moved to Atlanta to become head of civil rights and urban affairs for the Environmental Protection Agency. She retired in 1996 and died of a stroke in 2005. Franklin was chosen to give the lecture because of her political accomplishments and nearly four decades of work with the city of Atlanta. President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 added, however, that Mayor Franklin also should be recognized for brokering the $32-million deal that brought to campus the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, which includes 10,000 hand-written lectures, sermons and other papers that belonged to King, a 1948 graduate. “Without Mayor Franklin’s courage and vision, it wouldn’t have occurred,” he said. “We should honor her for that.” The mayor was honored with an oil portrait that will hang inside the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. ■

NEWS BRIEFS HBCU Week Highlights Importance of Black Colleges WHEN PRESIDENT ROBERT M. FRANKLIN JR. ’75 addressed sessions at the 2008 National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week Conference in Washington, D.C., this September, he shared his vision of producing Renaissance men with a social conscience and suggested that all HBCUs consider the same. The conference was sponsored by the White House Initiative on HBCUs, whose goals are to advocate for and strengthen the fund-raising capacity of HBCUs. Conference participants shared information on research and funding trends, educational opportunities, equipment, grant and contracting opportunities, faculty development and internships. With the theme, “HBCUs: Established to Meet a Need, Evolving With the Times,” the conference celebrated September 7-13 as National HBCU Week. Highlights included speeches by then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Morehouse Police Chief Vernon Worthy, founder and immediate past president of the HBCU-Law Enforcement Executives Association (LEEA), served as a panelist on “Securing the Campus – Meeting the Challenges for Students and Community.” David Morrow ’80, director of the Morehouse College Glee Club, was a regional conductor of a national choir representing 105 HBCUs during the world premiere concert of 105 Voices of History at the Kennedy Center. Submitted by Denise Moore, director of the Office of Government Relations

Morehouse Named One of the Nation’s Best HBCUs Morehouse has again been recognized by a national publication as one of the country’s top historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The U.S. News and World Report named Morehouse the nation’s No. 3 HBCU. Rounding up the top three were Howard University and Spelman College. The magazine based its rankings on six factors: peer assessment, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving rate. It is the second year the magazine has ranked the nation’s HBCUs.

Morehouse Raises $18,000 for Breast Cancer Research

Nearly 400 people participated in the 9th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk.

THE 400 WALKERS who took part in the Ninth Annual Morehouse College Breast Cancer Walk raised $18,000 in the effort to fight the disease. The Oct. 4 event pushed the grand total that the College has raised for the American Cancer Society to $145,600, according to Sandra Walker. She, along, along with 11-year breast cancer survivor Mary Peaks, has organized the popular walk around the Atlanta University Center. Walker is the executive assistant to the vice president of business and finance while Peaks works in the Counseling Research Center. “Your support has assisted in enhancing awareness and advancing research for this life-threatening disease that strikes women and men,” Walker said. ■ W I N T E R

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peopleatthehouse Morehouse Hosts Rare Public Appearance by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke by Add Seymour Jr.

hen the world witnessed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke tell a Morehouse College audience the economy was slowly improving, the nation’s fiscal health was hardly the only newsworthy item. What turned heads was the fact that Bernanke was at Morehouse on April 15,2009 as part of the College’s Executive Lecture series. Rarely do Federal Reserve board members make public appearances. But Bernanke has been looking to explain how the Fed works and to detail the steps he is taking to fix the nation’s fiscal problems. So in the midst of a global economic nosedive, he chose Morehouse as the place to speak. “To me, it was indeed a coup,” said Denise Moore, director of Government Relations. “He could have gone to his own alma mater Harvard or even Yale.” Bernanke spoke in the filled Bank of America Auditorium as national print media and cable television outlets such as Fox Business News, CNBC, CNN and MSNBC followed every moment. He then took an array of probing questions from Morehouse senior business and economic students, Tristan Allen, Anthony Roberts, Ricardo Rabathaly and Zantoine Truluck. “I think it’s important for people to understand [what’s happening with the economy] so they can understand why policies are what they are,” Benanke said. Moore pointed to relationship building as the main reasons why Bernanke, a former economics professor at Princeton and Stanford, came to Morehouse. Bernanke met Moore, President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 and Philip Howard ‘87, vice president for Institutional Advancement, at a Congressional Black Caucus banquet in 2008. Later, Franklin was on a panel with Bernanke’s wife, Anne. “It’s apparent to me that Dr. Bernanke‘s team had decided they wanted to do some type of outreach and have him involved in education,” Moore said. According to Franklin, Morehouse was the natural choice to host such an event. “This really highlights Morehouse’s role as a national convener of thought leaders and change agents who inform and shape Morehouse students to become responsible civic leaders,” he said. ■

Morehouse students are exposed to many of the nation’s top movers and shakers. In April 2009, students had the opportunity to question Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke, who rarely does public appearances.

Ben Bernanke enjoys a tour of the King Chapel, with President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ‘75 and Lawrence E. Carter, dean of the chapel. MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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peopleatthehouse Renowned Historian Clayborne Carson Leads College’s King Collection

layborne Carson, publisher of six of the planned 14 volumes of The Papers of Martin Luther King Jr. and the nation’s pre-eminent King scholar, has been named distinguished scholar and executive director and the 10,000-piece Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection. “I’ve always felt that connection, ever since the first time I came to this campus,” Carson said. “It is part of what made Martin Luther King Jr. and, of course, I think every African American grows up with the mystique of Morehouse, Benjamin E. Mays and the Morehouse Man. So this is a very special place.” Carson has been in the history department at Stanford University since 1971, serving as the director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute along with directing the King Papers Project It was as a teenager who sneaked off to Washington, D.C., for the 1963 March on Washington that he first became influenced by the civil rights movement. Seeing dedicated young civil rights workers like

John Lewis and Stokely Carmichael decked out in overalls and work boots inspired him. He joined the civil rights and anti-war movements when he went to college at Clayborne Carson UCLA. He later became a journalist,writing mainly about the black power movement.His first book,In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakenings of the 1960s, became the definitive history of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.Carson’s other writings include Malcolm X: The FBI Files and African American Lives: The Struggle for Freedom,in which he was a co-author. He’s also been a senior adviser for the award-winning, public television series on the civil rights movement,“Eyes on the Prize,” and the editor of the companion reader for the series. He earned his doctorate at Stanford and remained to teach in the history department. Carson takes over the collection of King’s personal writings, sermons, speech-

es and other works at an exciting time for the project. For the first time, researchers and even the casual scholar now have digital access to the collection, as well as King’s works at Stanford and Boston University. “I have had chills run up my spine each time I look at some of the materials in that collection,” said President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75. “The collection is going to be an extraordinary field of research for scholars and field of discovery and learning for Morehouse students and, for the public at large as they come to view, exhibit and study the papers.” Carson said heading the collection is part of his calling. “To me the responsibility is about the legacy—how do you convey a legacy of someone who helps change the world as we know it?” he said. “King did his work in about a dozen years. It has taken me nearly 23 years to get halfway through his public life… So I know the immensity of it. “All I can do is say this is my mission,” Carson said. “This is what I was put on Earth to do.” ■

Skip Mason Elected 33rd National President of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. HERMAN “SKIP” MASON JR., the College’s archivist, was elected general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He was inaugurated as the 33rd national president of the nation’s oldest African American Greek-lettered organization during the fraternity’s convention in Kansas City, Mo., in July 2008. Worldwide, more than 200,000 men have been initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha, including icons such as Martin Luther King Jr. ’48,

Thurgood Marshall and Adam Clayton Powell. “Twenty-six years as a member of the fraternity and having known 10 of the past 12 national presidents, watching them grow up in the fraternity, it’s an honor being in the circle,” said Mason, who will serve a four-year term.“But more importantly, I understand the tremendous responsibility in helping to refocus the fraternity’s goals and objectives on those critical issues affecting African American men, specifically getting young boys interested in

education. That way we don’t have to just intervene.We will prevent.” Morehouse hosted Mason’s inauguration the weekend of Jan. 23-25 in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. The ceremony was the fraternity’s first-ever public inauguration. Honorary co-chairs of the event included President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75, former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. ■

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Mason holds the symbolic keys to the fraternity’s corporate offices.

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peopleatthehouse Concerned Alumnus Helped Pave Joseph Dixon’s Path to Morehouse amuel J. Eaves ’62 saw something in Joseph Dixon ’86 during the early 1980s that Dixon couldn’t even see in himself: his potential to become a Morehouse Man. “I had no concept of college,” said Dixon, who became the College’s vice president for Information Technology in May 2008. “I never really thought about it.” But Eaves, Dixon’s high school guidance counselor at the time, did. “He came from a difficult situation in a difJoseph Dixon ’86 ficult part of town,” said the now retired Eaves. “But he still felt that education was important to him. That’s what drew my attention to him. I knew he had the potential.” Eaves’ instincts were correct. Dixon majored in both math and computer science at Morehouse, graduating in 1986, and one year later, earned a master’s in computer science from Georgia Tech, where he also continued to pursue doctoral-level study. It also brought him into the midst of one of the most scrutinized areas of any organization today: information technology. “What I found is that the department had a mixed reputation. The biggest service issue is to arrive at agreeable service

levels and customer expectations. If we can’t provide a level of service that provides real value for the customer, we’re dropping the ball.” Dixon grew up in a rough part of Jacksonville, Fla. Neither computers nor college were on his mind until he ran into Eaves. Once Eaves heard that Dixon’s grandmother—who only had an eighthgrade education—wanted her grandson to go to college, he made it a personal quest to get Dixon there, thinking Morehouse would be the perfect place for him. But it wasn’t easy. “I remember he had a deadline to get his papers in to Morehouse, but he kept procrastinating,” Eaves said. “I took him to the dean (of the high school) and told him that if Dixon didn’t have his papers the next day, he needed to paddle him. I wasn’t going to let him lose that opportunity (to go to Morehouse).” Dixon ended up becoming a stellar math student who fell in love with computer science. He has worked at AT&T/Bell Laboratories, the University of Oregon System and was the first director of school technology for the Fulton County School System. ■ —AS

Yang Introduces Chinese Language to College HENRIETTA SHU-FEN YANG remembers the talk about the People’s Republic of China becoming a future player on the political and economic world stage. “I had been hearing that the 21st century would be China’s century,” said Yang. “Well, there’s no doubt that China has gotten stronger and stronger in politics and the economy.” As assistant professor of Chinese and the new director of Chinese Studies, Yang hopes to get Morehouse students out front on the global surge of interest in Chinese business, trade and culture. With the ever-increasing potential that students could someday be working or doing business in China – the world’s most populated country with 1.3 billion people – Yang is teaching Mandarin Chinese, which is spoken by nearly three-fourths of the people in China. That makes it the world’s most-spoken, indigenous language. “Because of business and the economy, there is lots of interaction – plus the world has gotten smaller and smaller (because of the Internet),” she said. “The Chinese market has drawn people there. And in order to do business in China, you have to speak their language and understand their culture.” MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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Henrietta Yang introduces the College to a taste of China.

Yang, a native of Taiwan, who came to the United States to study linguistics at California State University-Fullerton. She studied journalism in Taipei, but developed a love for teaching Chinese language and culture. She has teaching stints at the University of Texas-Austin and most recently at the Defense Language Institute’s Department of Chinese in Monterey, Calif. ■ —AS

Campus Visits

peopleatthehouse SEVERAL TIMES EACH YEAR, the Morehouse College Corporate Alliance Program and the Leadership Center invite senior-level executives from the world of business to participate in the Presidential Chat and Executive Lecture Series to share their experiences and expertise with a select group of business students and other members of the campus community. The session includes a short presentation by the visiting professional and an opportunity for informal interaction between the executives and students.

Robert A. Malone, chairman and president of BP America, Inc., Oct. 14, 2008 Roy E. Barnes, Barnes Law Group, Oct. 21, 2008

John F. Brock, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, Sept. 23, 2008

Carla Harris, managing director of Global Capital Markets for Morgan Stanley, Jan. 28, 2009 Floyd Green (left), head of Emerging Markets for AETNA, Feb. 24, 2009 Gwendolyn Sykes, CFO for Yale University, Feb. 5, 2009

Sheila A. Penrose, chair of Board of Directors for Jones Lang LaSalle, Oct. 9, 2008 Harsha Agadi (front, center), president and CEO of Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicken, Sept. 5, 2008

Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines, Sept. 24, 2008

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The weekend may have started out cold and rainy, but the skies gave way to sun and fun during a festive Homecoming 2008 weekend. Miss Maroon and White, Joi Jackson and her attendants Isata Yansaneh and April Curry, were coronated in a colorful student production. Hip-hop superstar Young Jeezy and neo-soul stalwart Dwele each performed before hundreds and Atlantans lined the streets around campus for the annual Saturday morning Homecoming parade. Thousands of tailgatersâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;and the scent of their barbecue and other goodiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;filled the Spelman parking lot and areas throughout the Morehouse campus. And a huge crowd packed B.T. Harvey Stadium as the Fighting Maroon Tigers grabbed a thrilling, come-from-behind victory over the Albany State Golden Rams. Here is a pictorial look at the weekend that was Homecoming 2008.

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insidethehouse MOREHOUSE

in the

NEWS ■ May 22, 2008, Los Angeles Times Morehouse College faces its own bias – against gays Michael Brewer ’08 was strolling purposefully around the storied Morehouse College campus on a hot spring day, clutching a small stack of fliers that read: “No more hate” and “No more discrimination. No more.” This is the lead of an article in the Los Angeles Times written by a reporter who attended several campus forums associated with a week of gay rights events. ■ May 31, 2008, San Gabriel Valley Tribune Priorities pay off for businessman: Founder of paint, coatings

firm balanced work and family Vice Board Chair Robert C. Davidson Jr. ’67, recently retired founder of CEO of Surface Protection Industries Inc, grew a business that has become one of the top African American-owned manufacturing firms in California. But the Pasadena resident is more proud that he has managed to keep his family a top priority in his life. This story was covered by several papers in the southern California area after Davidson received the Father of the Year Award, presented by the National Father’s Day Council and the American Diabetes Association, at the Beverly Hills Hotel. ■ June 4, 2008, “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” Obama Clenches the Nomination When Barack Obama clenched the Democratic presidential nomination, media outlets across the nation wanted to know how black men felt about the historic moment. Greg Hall, chair of the

■ May 12, 2008, Associated Press, CNN, “The CBS Early Show,” “The View,” “NBC Nightly News,” “ABC World News Tonight”

Valedictorian is Different Kind of Morehouse Man From his first day at Morehouse, Joshua Packwood ’08 was a standout. His popularity got him elected dorm president as a freshman; his intellect made him a Rhodes scholar finalist and valedictorian of the class. But it was his skin that made him an anomaly. Packwood is the first Caucasian to graduate as valedictorian of Morehouse. The story made national and international news, running in hundreds of papers across the country, as well as on several network news programs. MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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■ July 28, 2008, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Mr. Sensitive & Ms. Feisty: How Harpo and Sofia of ‘The Color Purple’ keep it real onstage and in life Stuart James Flemister ’89 was featured with Felicia P. Fields as the stars of the hit stage play, “A Color Purple.” Flemister, an Atlanta native, returned home when the national tour of the musical played at the Fox Theatre. political science department, was interviewed by Ron Mott of NBC News, as were a group of Morehouse students. The story also was covered by “ABC World News Tonight” and CNN. ■ June 5, 2008, Philadelphia Sun, CNN, The Washington Sun, CNN, NABJ choose college winner for CNN’s Black in America Contest Travers Johnson ’08 was the grand-prize winner of CNN’s Campus iReporter contest, which featured first-hand accounts of the black experience through video, photo, audio and text submissions to promote CNN’s “Black in America” multiplatform programming initiative. Johnson beat more than 11,500 students from eight HBCUs. The contest was co-sponsored by the National Association of Black Journalists. ■ June 8, 2008, The Network Journal Roundtable on the Economy: A difficult agenda ahead for the next president

Greg Price, professor and chair of the economics department, was featured in a roundtable discussion on the nation’s failing economy. When asked about his outlook for the second half of 2008, Price replied: “Given rising housing inventories and gasoline prices, I suspect that the second half of 2008 will also be anemic. This could change if gas prices halt their rise and/or generous residential mortgage refinancing for defaultees emerge.” ■ June 12, 2008, Memphis Business Journal Following the Call: Elliot leads technology initiatives for City of Memphis, but his passion for theology grows Charles Elliott ’91 was profiled after a move back to his hometown brought him one step closer to his life’s calling. Elliott supervises the handling of all things technology for the city of Memphis. But in 2002, he became an ordained minister and, in

insidethehouse 2006, took on the role of temporary pastor at Golden United Methodist Church. He became the permanent pastor of the church in 2007. ■ June 17, 2008, The Plain Dealer Radio personality encourages students to go the extra mile Basheer Jones ’06 went back to Cleveland to help inner-city kids overcome some of their struggles. Now he hosts a talk show for WERE AM/1490 from 6 to 9 a.m. “If you want what average people don’t have, you have to do what average people won’t do,” he said. Along with his radio show, Jones talks to students from the greaterCleveland area about overcoming struggles, regardless of where they come from. ■ July 1, 2008, Florida Trend The Mitre Touch Jimmie Davis Jr. ’90 was profiled in the Aerospace and Technology section for his recent honor as Black Engineer of the Year in the community service industry category. The award is sponsored in part by Lockheed Martin. Davis, who leads an Air Force Electronic Systems Center-led project, was cited for creating educational opportunities for minorities, anti-drug work and mentoring students in his field. ■ August 14, 2008, Atlanta Journal Constitution Morehouse fully embraces works by Purvis Young The Miami-based Rubell Family Collection has given Morehouse 109 of Purvis Young’s paintings. Worth an estimated $1 million, the gift will be hung in its entirety on the second floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. It is the largest single gift of art Morehouse has received, and its display will be, it is said,

the largest permanent installation of Young’s work in the world. The story was also covered by the Associated Press, ArtInfo, Miami News Times, Miami Art Guide, The Network Journal, Miami Herald, Art Circuits and several television stations across the Southeast. ■ August 28, 2008, “CBS Early Show” Lonnie King and Charles Black celebrate Obama’s nomination “CBS Early Show” interviewed Lonnie King ’69 and Charles Black 45 years after the historic march on Washington. As Barack Obama prepared to accept the Democratic nomination, King and Black remembered the significance of the historic moment. WSB-TV also interviewed King for a similar story. ■ September 11, 2008, Atlanta Journal Constitution United Way looks to kick off new campaign Demetrius Jordan ’93 began his workday where he believed he could do the most good. For most of his life, Jordan has been saying,

“We’re with you,” a mantra he adopted while growing up in Atlanta’s Ben Hill community. It’s a sentiment that Jordan says is part of the organizational culture of United Way of Gwinnett. In September 2008, Jordan, who heads the Gwinnett office of the United Way, was charged with raising $4.7 million toward the $82million campaign launched by the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. ■ September 19, 2008, CNN The Relevancy of HBCUs CNN’s T.J. Holmes did a story about the relevancy of HBCU; It ran during HBCU Week on Capitol Hill. He interviewed alumnus Terrance Dixon ’87, assistant dean of Admissions and SGA president Chad Mance for the story. ■ December 7, 2008, Atlanta Journal Constitution Morehouse wants men with class Morehouse President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 is talking about a Renaissance. He said a Renaissance man is one who is “well-read, well-traveled, well-

spoken, well-dressed and wellbalanced.” The story ran on the front page of the AJC. ■ January 13, 2009, Atlanta Journal Constitution King papers go public today with online access The Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection is now accessible for scholarly access. The story was covered by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, CNN Headline News, ABC World News Now, Associated Press, CNN, “Fox and Friends” and all of the local television stations. ■ Jan. 20-21, 2009, CNN, WAGA-TV, WSB-TV, WGCL-TV, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly King Holiday/Presidential Inauguration Morehouse was front and center during the historic inauguration of the 44th president of the United States and television stations and newspapers from across the country witnessed the College’s participation.

■ November 4, 2008, ABC News, BBC, HBO, Associated Press

Election Night History The world paused to celebrate the election of Barack Obama as the nation’s first African American president of the United States and Morehouse was center stage in its efforts and elation. The eyes of the nation and the world watched as the No. 1-rated ABC News Network and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) made Morehouse a live location during their five hours of election coverage. Just after Obama’s victory, President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 was broadcast around the world on BBC as he reflected on the remarkable moment.

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onthefieldandcourt Track and Field, Golf and Tennis Squads Win Conference Titles By Add Seymour Jr.

Spring 2009 turned out to be a banner season for Morehouse Maroon Tigers spring sports teams as the golf, tennis and track and field teams each won their respective Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament titles. Several Maroon Tigers from each squad were named to AllTournament teams and each head coach was named the conference’s best. TRACK AND FIELD THE FLYING MAROON TIGERS did what they have done for each of the past four years—win the SIAC Track and Field championship. In the championship meet’s 21 events held at Edwin Moses Track at B.T. Harvey Stadium from April 16-18, Morehouse continued its SIAC dominance by finishing first with 209 points. Albany State was a distant second with 153, while Benedict College had 145. Top individual performers included Dreyfus Clemons, who won the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs and was second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase; Abraham Kiprotich, who won the 5,000-meter run and finished third in both the 10,000-meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase; Barry Batson, the SIAC’s Field Athlete of the Year, who finished first in the long jump and triple jump, and Matt Tuffuor, who won the javelin and was second in the decathlon. Clemons was named first team All-SIAC in three events, while Batson, Tuffuor and Turner Coggins were also named to the first team. Khiry Lee, Steven Patterson and Norvell Van were chosen for the second team. The Maroon Tigers also were honored for having the highest team grade point average among SIAC track and field teams. Also, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named sprinter Damian Prince the South region’s Track Athlete of the Year and Batson as the region’s Field Athlete of the Year. ■ Drefus Clemans leads the pack during the SIAC Track and Field Championship.

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TENNIS

GOLF

The Maroon Tigers Tennis Squad celebrates after winning the SIAC Tennis Tournament championship.

BEFORE THE 2009 MAROON TIGERS tennis season started, head coach Terry Alexander was hoping his team would finish the season just as the 2007 squad had done – with a SIAC championship. That is exactly what happened as the Maroon Tigers netters defeated the regular season’s top team, Fort Valley State University, to win their second SIAC championship in three seasons. “Definitely, it’s exciting for two reasons,” said Alexander, who was named the tournament’s most outstanding coach. “Historically, we’re still always a contender or the team to beat. So that’s one thing to be able to uphold that. But then this is one of the first years the team didn’t win just because we had superior players. I feel like my actual coaching – being able to strategize with the lineup, being able to strategize on the court – played just as big a part as the players’ ability did. Those things make this one feel much more special.” Josh Harris and Tory Martin were named to the AllTournament singles squad, while Martin and Ben Seagle were named to the All-Tournament doubles team. Maroon Tiger tennis players also won several regular-season honors. Harris and Martin were named first team All-SIAC while Michael Steward has a third-team pick. Steward also was named SIAC Freshman of the Year. Martin and Seagle were named to the All-SIAC doubles team. ■

PHILIP ALLEN PICKED UP where he left off in 2008 as he helped lead Morehouse to the 2009 SIAC Golf Tournament championship. Morehouse finished 28 strokes ahead of Benedict College to win the College’s second-ever conference tournament golf title and first in 29 years: the Tigers last won in 1980. “It came around. When we first started off in September, it wasn’t good,” said first-year head coach Bill Lewis, who was named Coach of the Year. “It definitely came together. We definitely played better golf.” Allen finished five shots ahead of his nearest competitor and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row. He also earned a spot on the SIAC AllTournament squad. “He’s the captain of the team and he’s probably the best player, so he’s leading by example,” said Lewis. Two other Maroon Tigers finished in the tournament’s top ten players: Olajuwon Ajanaku (third) and Thaddaeus Hill (10th). Ajanaku joined Allen on the All-Conference team. Allen, Ajanaku, Hill and Bryan McElderry were named to the regular season All-SIAC team. McElderry was named Freshman of the Year while Hill, a business administration major with a 3.59 grade point average, was chosen for the AllAcademic team. ■

The Morehouse Golf Team win the College’s first SIAC Golf Tournament title since 1980.

To see athletic schedules, go to www. morehouse.edu/athletics

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developmentnews D E V E L O P M E N T

B R I E F S

BEAN BEATLE GRANT Biology professor Lawrence S. Blumer and Emory University biology professor Christopher W. Beck have been awarded a $500,000 grant by the National Science Foundation. The two are developing a handbook, website and workshops that will give biology-based instructors nationwide more expertise in using bean beetles in inquiry-based laboratory courses and to increase the involvement of under-represented minorities in inquiry-based research. Inquiry-based research promotes a more investigative way for students to ask questions and find answers to their questions. The grant will be funded from March 2009 through February 2013. MOREHOUSE RECEIVES CCRAA GRANT Morehouse College was awarded $961,197 from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Cost Reduction and Access Act grant for fiscal year 2008-09. The projects approved for funding under the CCRAA grant include: • SACS Quality Enhancement Plan Implementation (curriculum-related projects), activity director Ron Sheehy • Instructional Facilities Maintenance Projects in Sale Hall, Hope Hall and McBay Hall, activity director Curtis Davis • Support for Library Acquisitions, activity director, Woodruff Library staff • Procurement of Instructional Materials and Lab Equipment, activity directors Wallace Sharif, biology; Jeff Etheridge and Robert Tanner, music MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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Tom Joyner Campaign Raises More Than $460,000 in Scholarship Funds for Morehouse Students FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS lunched with a purpose every Friday in November 2008 when Morehouse was the Tom Joyner Foundation’s School of the Month. The campus was asked to brown bag it and donate the day’s lunch money to the Foundation. “The size of the contribution did not matter,” said Toni O’Neal Mosley, director of Public Relations. “We just wanted to get 100 percent participation from all faculty, staff and students.” The effort was one of several in November as the Foundation sought to raise scholarship funds for Morehouse students. The campaign goal was $220,000 – nearly $50,000 more than the campaign raised in 2004 for Morehouse. The total raised was $460,930.77—more than double the goal. Announced during Joyner’s nationally syndicated radio show, “The Tom Joyner Morning Show,” Morehouse students were awarded need-based scholarships worth $1,500 and $2,500, including the Denny’s Single Parent Scholar, the Budweiser First Generation Scholar and the Coca-Cola First Generation International Student Scholar. Also awarded was the Tuesday Tom Joyner Scholar and the Thursday Hercules Scholar. Alumni were involved as each chapter of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association was challenged to raise $5,000. Additionally, the Reunion Class Challenge asked alumni classes to designate a portion of their class gift for the Annual Fund for the Foundation. Tom Joyner started the Foundation in 1998. Since then, the Foundation has raised $55 million for HBCUs. “We help students with continuing education at black colleges,” Joyner said in an August 2008 interview with Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine. “That’s our charter. That’s what we do.” ■

developmentnews Delta’s Million-Dollar Gift Endows Joseph E. Lowery Business Scholarship THE DELTA AIR LINES FOUNDATION is honoring civil rights legend Joseph Lowery’s life work while helping community service-minded business students by committing $1 million over the next 10 years to begin the Joseph E. Lowery Business Scholarship at Morehouse. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a full-time student with a 3.8 or better grade point average who is studying business with a concentration in accounting, management, finance, or computer science. He also must exhibit a consistent record of community service. Richard Anderson, CEO for Atlanta-based Delta, said it was appropriate to fund the scholarship at Morehouse because it is the alma mater of Lowery’s friend and comrade, Martin Luther King Jr. ’48. President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 added: “The Morehouse College community could not be more pleased by this gift from Delta Air Lines, a dynamic corporate citizen and our long-term friend. The Joseph Echols Lowery Business Scholarship is a fitting tribute to Dr. Lowery and, indirectly, to Dr. King, both of whom played integral roles in the civic progress of our country. This scholarship affords academic and employment opportunities for a deserving student, which is the most important part of our mission.” Delta also has created travel accounts at Spelman College

Delta CEO Richard Anderson (left) presents $1-million check to President Robert Franklin ’75 and vice president Phillip Howard ’87 in honor of Joseph Lowery (2nd from left).

and Clark Atlanta University that will provide support for, among other things, recruiting needs and exchange programs. “Delta has demonstrated its commitment to the leaders of tomorrow and the Atlanta University Center with the creation of both the scholarship and travel accounts,” said Lowery. “I am honored to have been selected as the namesake representing the -AS spirit of these substantial gifts.” ■

Rubell Family Donates $1-Million Purvis Young Art Collection EIGHT YEARS AGO, PURVIS YOUNG had five days to get his rent money together or he and all of his belongings would be out on the streets. Art collectors Don and Mera Rubell, who had relocated from New York to Miami, could not let that happen, especially since Young’s belongings included an extensive collection of his original paintings. “(His paintings) told the story of his life; he told the story of his neighborhood,” said Mera Rubell. “The story he was telling couldn’t be sent to a dump.” The Rubells’ saw the impact and value of Young’s 15 years of work, staved off his eviction, bought his paintings and funded the storage and reconditioning of his work. And they provided Young a financial stream that will keep a roof over his head for the rest of his life. Now Young’s expressionist, urban art is featured in more than 50 museums worldwide. He is also featured in the 44-

Don and Mera Rubell donated $1-million Young collection to College. Young’s art is in the background.

year-old Rubell Family Collection, one of the world’s leading collections of contemporary art. On Aug. 28, 2008, the Rubells donated to Morehouse 109 pieces of Purvis’ original paintings — valued at more than $1 million. It is the largest, single collection of art donated to Morehouse and became the

world’s largest set of Young’s work outside of Miami. The collection hangs in the African American Hall of Fame. Northern Trust sponsored the installation of the work. The collection is overseen by the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences with artist and instructor Charles Nelson heading up a group that will decide how it will be integrated into educational programming. “Not only is Mr. Young a masterful artist, but his work reflects a part of our culture that should be preserved for future generations,” said President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75. “We are extremely pleased and excited to have this modern American collection at Morehouse College and to be able to share this visual art, not only with members of this campus community and the Atlanta University Center community, but with the community at large.” ■ -AS

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developmentnews THE MOREHOUSE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Hopps’ Widow Keeps Alive Her Husband’s Spirit of Giving

JUNE GARY HOPPS believes that contributing financially to Morehouse College is the gift that keeps on giving. She hopes to inspire fellow widows of Morehouse Men to donate to the school in their husbands’ names. Hopps, an alumna of Spelman College and former chair of its board of trustees, established the Dr. John Hopps Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund in May 2004, following the death of her husband of 41 years. John Hopps, a 1958 Phi Beta Kappa graduate and namesake of Morehouse’s $7-million “Tech Tower,” was well known for his pioneering efforts in the field of science. The former Morehouse provost also enjoyed an illusLeft: June Hopps, the widow of John H. Hopps Jr. ’58, touches her husband’s picture during the dedication of the John H. Hopps Jr. Technology Tower. Bottom: June Hopps receives Leadership Circle Award from President Franklin ’75 and Willie “Flash” Davis ’56.

trious career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense. In addition to the memorial scholarship, June Hopps was instrumental in helping to establish the Dr. John H. Hopps Jr. Defense Research Scholars Program, whose goal is to increase the number of Morehouse students pursuing graduate degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. “She’s very much involved with the Hopps Scholars and has played a vital role in securing ongoing financial support from the Department of Defense,” said Kathleen L. Johnson, special assistant to the president of Morehouse and associate vice president for Leadership Giving. Rahmelle Thompson, executive director of the Hopps Scholars program, praises June Hopps for her energetic, enthusiastic involvement in the program. “She has always been a strong supporter,” Thompson said. “She’s gone on trips with me to make sure that the students are well-received. She’s supportive of them gaining research opportunities. We have 65 young men who are benefitting from the [program].” Hopps, who is a former University of Georgia Parham Professor and former dean of the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, believes that giving to Morehouse will honor her late husband’s legacy, and she encourages others to do the same. “The many who have enjoyed success in life, like my husband certainly did, should give to the institution that has helped so many men reach the highest heights of success,” she said. “I’m doing exactly what my husband wanted me to do.” ■ -Chandra R. Thomas and Mae Gentry

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developmentnews THE MOREHOUSE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Michael Ross ’81 Inducted into Leadership Society MICHAEL ROSS ‘81 is a big believer in karma and he feels that giving to his alma mater is an extension of that philosophy. “Giving back to Morehouse means contributing to a long legacy of social responsibility,” he said. “I believe what you give always comes back to you.” Ross, who is chief executive officer of the Atlanta-based construction management firm MHR International, was recently inducted into the Henry Lyman Morehouse Society, whose members support Morehouse at a level from $100,000 to $249,999 either through one-time gifts or cumulative giving. He has given $100,000 to the College, including $80,000 toward the Michael H. Ross Scholarship for Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility. The scholarship will support a student who aspires to become an entrepreneur and is actively involved in the community. “I come from a family where giving back to the community was always emphasized,” he said.“Giving back to Morehouse is a way to fulfill my family’s legacy.” Ross grew up as part of the Atlanta University Center. His parents, Hubert Ross and Edythe Lively Ross, both taught at Atlanta University: he a noted anthropologist, she an author and a professor of social work. Both had a strong appreciation for African American history and culture, international relations, education and social service. After graduating from Morehouse, Michael Ross earned a law degree from the University of Virginia before turning to entrepreneurship. In 1992, he launched MHR International, which has

Michael Ross ’81 receives Leadership Circle Award from President Franklin ’75.

managed the construction of many of Atlanta’s signature projects, including the 1996 Centennial Olympics, the Fulton County Capital Improvement Program and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Development Program. “Michael’s spirit of giving is contagious,” said Kathleen L. Johnson, special assistant to the president and associate vice president for Leadership Giving. “He was inspired by his parents, and he then becomes an inspiration to others, and that really is what a legacy is about. “He sets the bar high, and he’s

challenging his fellow alums to step up, to embrace the College and play an active role in ensuring its future.” Ross personifies President Robert M. Franklin’s vision of Morehouse Men as “Renaissance men with a social conscience and global perspective.” “At Morehouse, it was always emphasized to us the importance of achievement and social responsibility at the same time, without sacrificing one for the other,” he said. “We all have an obligation to Morehouse and the African American community at large.” ■ -Chandra R. Thomas and Mae Gentry

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ontheshelf Ethical Leadership: The Quest for Character, Civility and Community BY WALTER E. FLUKER PUBLISHED BY FORTRESS PRESS WALTER E. FLUKER, executive director of the Leadership Center at Morehouse College, is looking to spark a deep public discussion on ethical leadership in his new book, Ethical Leadership: The Quest for Character, Civility and Community (Fortress Press, 2009). “Our nation is involved in two costly wars; struggling with a financial crisis precipitated by unscrupulous practices on Wall Street and Main Street; we’re recovering from a presidential campaign that degenerated into character assassination based on religion, race and an unresolved cultural war,” he said. “And now we’re hearing from a confused and bewildered citizenry asking the question, ‘Which way is north?’ What we try to do in this book is address this question, based upon traditions.” Fluker uses the moral traditions of the African American community as a model of where ethical leadership should start. “What we try to do is ground it within the cultural narrative of African Americans,” he said. “If you want to understand how you get a Barack Obama, or a John F. Kennedy or a Fannie Lou Hamer…you must examine the traditions and cultural narrative that shape a certain sense of character, civility and community.” Fluker wants readers to come away with two main lessons: accepting a new model of ethical decision-making that focuses on discernment, decision and deliberation and an understanding that leaders have to not only have a deep knowledge of their external worlds, but also of their internal environments. ■

Race and Remembrance BY ARTHUR L. JOHNSON ’48 PUBLISHED BY WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS

MOST COVERAGE of the civil rights movement focuses on efforts in the South, but the successes of that historic era were also secured by the enormous effort and personal sacrifice of others who fought racial discrimination and poverty in other parts of the country, as well. Arthur L. Johnson ’48 was one of those soldiers on the frontlines of the fight. Race and Remembrance tells his remarkable life story, in his own words, as a Detroit civil rights and community leader, educator and administrator whose career spans much of the last century. A Georgia native, Johnson graduated from Morehouse College in 1948 and later Atlanta University then moved north in 1950 to become executive secretary of the Detroit branch of the NAACP. Under his guidance, the Detroit chapter became one of the most active and vital in the United States. Johnson says he had never planned to write a book, until about three years ago when a complete stranger approached him on the street and urged him to share all of his “great work.” Johnson mulled it over then decided that a memoir could remain as a legacy for future generations. “I want them to know that nothing is impossible,” he says. “This last presidential election is testimony to that.” Along with his dedicated work with political organizations, including serving as deputy director of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, Johnson also maintained a steadfast commitment to education and for nearly a quarter of a century served as the vice president of university relations and professor of educational sociology at Wayne State University. Johnson also gives readers a look into his personal life, including his relationship with his grandmother, his encounters with Morehouse classmate Martin Luther King Jr. ’48 and the loss of his sons. ■

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Editor’s Note: This column is open to Morehouse alumni, faculty and staff who have recently published books. Please contact Add Seymour Jr. at aseymour@morehouse.edu to submit your work.

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ontheshelf F O O T N O T E S Baad Bitches and Sassy Supermamas: Black Power Action Films By Stephane Dunn Published by University of Illinois Press Stephane Dunn remembers being a child during the colorful decade of the 1970s when blaxploitation films with stars such as Richard Rountree and Pam Grier appearing in films like “Shaft” and “Foxy Brown” were all the rage. “These were always the people in the cultural sphere of things,” said Dunn, a visiting professor in the English department specializing in African American cultural studies, film and literature. “But prior to the last four or five years, there has been a lack of intensive dialogue that highlighted the gender dynamics and also highlighted the females in these films.” Dunn hopes to spur quite a bit of discussion with her first book, Baad Bitches and Sassy Supermamas: Black Power Action Films, published by University of Illinois Press (2008). In chapters such as “Race, Gender and Sexual Power in Cleopatra Jones” and “Black Power and the New Baad Cinema,” Dunn explores the evolution of the role of black females in blaxploitation films. In her straight, in-your-face style, Dunn talks about how black women were initially portrayed as hyper-sexual, yet docile, obedient and submissive as in “Shaft” and “Superfly, ” but evolving into lead characters who were strong, tough and empowered women in films like “Foxy Brown,” “Coffy” and “Cleopatra Jones.” She also tackles the hip-hop community’s embrace, to some degree, of the icons of that era. “I thought there was a lot more to say and talk about, what is really the role of women and what are problems with the gender dynamics of film,” Dunn said. “It was my own great, big critical shout-out to films that still had that nostalgic history.” Dunn is an Elkert, Ind., native and graduate of the University of Evansville and Notre Dame, where she earned two master’s degrees and her doctorate. She is an avid writer who is also a playwright. Dunn plans two more books in the near future, including one on former baseball player Curt Flood. She then plans to focus on plays she has been working on. “I’m already off to the next project,” Dunn said. “I’m always writing in my head.”

d Howard Thurman’s Great Hope By Kai Jackson Issa Published by Lee & Low Books Kai Jackson Issa, the managing director of the Howard Thurman Papers, hopes her book, Howard Thurman’s Great Hope (Lee & Low, 2008), will introduce the world-renowned author, theologian and educator to youngsters who may know little about Thurman and his influence on such leaders as Martin Luther King Jr. ’48 and President Barack Obama. “Children know about people like Dr. King,” she said, “but they also need to know about people in black history who shaped and molded these people. Thurman was instrumental in helping shape King’s non-violent protest thinking.” Thurman, who died in 1981, was cited by Ebony magazine as one of the 50 most important figures in African American history. His soaring oratory and teachings on nonviolence and civil rights helped shaped the philosophy behind the civil rights movement.

The Promise of Justice Edited by Mac A. Stewart ’63 Published by the Ohio State University Press On many accords, the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas case in 1954 was a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the 20th century. It overturned the high court’s earlier Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that declared separate public schools for black and white students as inherently unequal. But, more importantly, it paved the way for integration in public schools and sparked the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The Promise of Justice, edited by Morehouse alumnus Mac A. Stewart ‘63, features 14 essays that assess both the importance and the legacy of the Brown decision. In examining the case from a variety of angles, the essayists uniformly agree to its importance, but share their unique interpretations of its meaning and impact. “I feel it is one of the most important rulings in the country that has affected the lives of African Americans and other underrepresented minorities in this country,” writes Stewart, an administrator at Ohio State University. The diverse mix of contributors to this volume include legal specialists, sociologists, educators, political scientists, a child plaintiff in a related case and a federal district judge responsible for deciding in favor of integration, and then overseeing its enforcement in a major northern city. Promise also provides a history of the legal milestones of integration in this country, judgments about the progress that has been made and the need for additional actions to assure racial equality under the law. Stewart says he was inspired to work on the book while compiling 10 of the essays for a special Brown anniversary issue of The Negro Educational Review, where he previously served as editor-in-chief. The four other pieces were written specifically for the book.

d Fighting for a Life By David Hadden Published By Clearlake Publishing It’s a modern-day David and Goliath story. Fighting for a Life by David Hadden chronicles Hadden’s true story as a young down-and-out African American man who took on a corporate railroad giant and triumphed. His fight started after he was fired from his job as a train conductor for UTDC. Convinced that his termination was racially-motivated, he refused to accept the injustice without a fight and filed a discrimination lawsuit against his former bosses—albeit with little money and no lawyer to represent him. Undeterred by the challenge, Hadden wrote his own legal motions longhand on school paper, all while studying case law at the local community college. Drawing inspiration from the Bible and Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches, he ultimately prevailed—winning $400,000 in the four-year court battle. “I underwent a spiritual conversion that led me to take this path,” says Hadden, who attended Morehouse from 1999 to 2001 until he pursued his career as a professional boxer full time. In this inspirational memoir, the courtroom and the boxing ring (he eventually won a middle-weight division Golden Glove championship) serve as a metaphorical representation of his life, which he navigates with a strength and conviction driven by his faith in God. Hadden is now a licensed minister and founder of a non-profit organization that helps financially disadvantaged adults get back on their feet.

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RAISING THE BAR By Kai Jackson Issa

n preparing black men for law school and careers in the legal field, few names in the nation stand above that of Morehouse political science professor, author and constitutional scholar Abraham L. Davis ’61. Many educators claim to measure their success by the yardstick of their students’ accomplishments. For Abraham Davis, the metric is genuine. He has steered more than 600 of his students into law and law-related careers over the past 41 years, with many entering some of the most prestigious law schools in the country. Twenty-six of his students are Harvard Law School graduates. Among his many successful students are two current college presidents, including current Morehouse President Robert Michael Franklin Jr. ’75, as well as 17 judges, 16

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Ph.D. recipients, two U.S. ambassadors one U.S. Congressman. The secret behind such prolific results: raising the bar. “In all my years teaching at Morehouse, I refused to lower standards. I never compromised,” he says. “My philosophy is to reach students where they are, and if you always keep your standards high, there is a greater possibility that students, even average or below average students, will rise to those standards. “My distinctive contributions to Morehouse are the number of students who are success stories and in teaching a cadre of lawyers who are in very strategic positions throughout the U.S.” One former student is Greg Griffin ’80, chief legal counsel of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. “Dr. Davis inspired me to dream 2 0 0 9

more, learn more, do more and become more,” he says. Davis himself was an early pupil of high expectations. Both his parents had college degrees and instilled in their nine children the value of education. All of his siblings completed college, and from the Davis clan sprang two doctorate holders, a lawyer and even a heart surgeon. Tuskegee (Ala.) Institute, his hometown pride, was an early source of inspiration. “We took a lot of pride in Tuskegee Institute. It gave youngsters a lot of faith that they’d be able to attend college someday. Parents would go out of their way to take their children to programs and performances at the chapel.” His older brother, Lowell, graduated from Tuskegee and became one of the nation’s earliest African American openheart surgeons. Ironically, however,

inperson Lowell insisted that his little brother attend Morehouse College. It was 1959 and the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision had recently declared segregated educational institutions unconstitutional. The state of Alabama was still refusing blacks entry to white state institutions, instead granting them tuition waivers to attend colleges outside of the state. Alabama’s stubborn prejudices afforded Davis the opportunity of a lifetime—on the state’s dime. “What I received at Morehouse was a great sense of self-confidence and a high level of motivation,” says Davis. No one inspired him more at Morehouse than the eminent social scientist Robert Hughes Brisbane, who founded the College’s political science department. “During Dr. Brisbane’s time, political science was a one-person department,” Davis recalled. After graduating, Davis decided to continue his study of political science at

tional presence to me as a student,” Davis remembered. “I was always impressed by his integrity, his speeches and the high moral standards he set for us.” The two had a casual conversation and Davis thought that was the end of it. “I never thought I’d end up teaching at the same place I attended,” says Davis. A few weeks later, days before he was planning to accept a teaching position at Michigan State University, he received a 6 a.m. phone call from Mays inviting him to join the Morehouse faculty. The rest, as they say, is history—or, in Davis’ case, the substance of legend. For four decades, Davis helped to increase the size and prominence of the political science department, serving twice as department chair. He also authored numerous books, including The Supreme Court, Race and Civil Rights, which is used in undergraduate classrooms throughout the country. Davis’ two signature classes, Race and Law and Constitutional Law (known

“In all my years teaching at Morehouse, I refused to lower standards. I never compromised. My philosophy is to reach students where they are, and if you always keep your standards high, there is a greater possibility that students, even average or below average students, will rise to those standards.” the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a master’s degree, and then on to Ohio State University, where he received his Ph.D. By 1967, Davis was an up-and-coming political science scholar when a chance meeting with then-Morehouse President Benjamin Mays steered him back to his alma mater. Davis was in Atlanta interviewing for a teaching position when he decided to pay a visit to his old college president. “He [Mays] was an inspira-

as “Con Law”), were among the most popular and widely enrolled of any at Morehouse, drawing students from the Atlanta University Center and other Atlanta campuses. Davis’ masterful teaching of the legal brief in his constitutional law course is legendary. He exposed his students to a broad range of constitutional cases, from freedom of the press, to religion, to voting rights—igniting in many of them an appreciation for the transformative

power of law. “I put an emphasis on how to brief cases thoroughly, and to pick out core principles in a case, because I knew that’s what our students would need in order to succeed in law school,” Davis says. It is no surprise, then, that many of his former students are among the finest legal minds in the nation. Like Michael Tyler ‘77, a Harvard Law School graduate and the first African American partner at Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, one of Atlanta’s oldest and largest law firms. “When we arrived at law school, we found out that we were actually better prepared than most of our classmates because we had been subjected to the rigors of Dr. Davis’ concise, yet comprehensive, constitutional law course.” After 41 years of service at the College, Davis resigned in 2008 to pursue his lifelong passion for global relations. Now a consultant with the State Department, Davis frequently travels internationally—most recently to Sri Lanka and Maldes—serving as a U.S. judicial system expert to many international groups. His work at the state department is a culmination of the particular genius he brought to educating individuals about the law. Perhaps no one appreciates the Davis influence more than Ronald Sullivan ’89 a graduate of Harvard Law School who currently serves as clinical professor of law and director of the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard. “At the time I applied to Harvard Law, no one for whom Dr. Davis had written a recommendation had been declined admission,” recalls Sullivan. “I was elated when he agreed to write a recommendation for me. “Dr. Davis was far and away one of the best teachers I had at Morehouse,” he continues. “He had a lasting and profound influence not only on my academic development, but my character development. ” “I owe a lot to Doc.” ■

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PHENOM MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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feature He galvanized political activism, raised voter participation, shattered fund-raising records, and inspired a nation and a world with a few well-chosen words.

he frosty December day worried Democratic strategists nationwide. A runoff election was being held in the Georgia U.S. Senate race between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin. A Martin win would give senate Democrats the numbers they needed to nearly guarantee their agenda – led by President Barack Obama. The problem: African Americans historically turn out in low numbers during runoff elections, especially in less than perfect weather. But Barack Obama is why Morgan Bryant, a Morehouse sophomore from Decatur, Ga., withstood the cold that morning to vote for Martin. “There is a trickle down,” said the 20-year-old marketing major as he shivered. “If you voted for Obama, you should vote for Jim Martin. It’s like second nature.” Would Bryant be out in the cold had there not been a President Obama? “Honestly, no. I don’t think so,” he said. Though Martin lost the runoff to Chambliss, Bryant’s story is indicative of many others during a historic presidential election campaign that saw Obama become the nation’s first African American president. Obama’s accomplishment ushered in an unprecedented surge in African American political activism. It also became a source of inspiration for minorities, a segment of the American political system that has long either been ignored or exploited. Political experts nationwide said Obama’s candidacy did everything from giving voice to people who felt excluded by the nation’s political system to forcing others to question their political loyalties. It even began a cottage industry for anyone on a street corner who wanted to sell anything with Obama’s face or family on it—from ubiquitous T-shirts to Rubik’s Cubes. The entire phenomenon has been called a lot of things, but most notably it has been dubbed “The Obama Effect.”

MEN N The

bama Effect

By Add Seymour Jr.

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affect not only social change and the outcome of an election, but also the mood of a people. So in that sense his effect has been to inspire and ignite new social motion towards the goal of greater and enhanced democracy.”

One late October afternoon in 2008,

President Franklin joins students at a viewing party on election night.

The numbers give a similar account. In Georgia, for example, 834,000 African Americans voted in the 2004 November presidential election, compared to nearly 1.2 million in 2008. That’s 350,000 more than previously. In early voting for the 2008 presidential election alone – the weeks before Nov. 4 when absentee ballots can be cast in Georgia – nearly 721,000 African Americans cast ballots. The state also hit an all-time high with 1.7 million black registered voters. Further south in Florida, 1.2 million African Americans cast ballots in the 2004 presidential election. That number increased by more than 200,000 in 2008. Other states had similar increases. The cause: Obama’s candidacy. Not only were more African Americans voting, many became more politically active before the election. “Obama shows people that they can be involved in their government and the direction of this country,” said Georgia State Rep. Rashad Taylor, who attended Morehouse and, before running for office, was political director for the Georgia Democratic Party. “They realize the power is within their hands. What [Obama] has shown people is MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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that when you get involved in the political process you can make a difference in the world and in your own individual lives.” Morehouse students boarded buses and vans to stump for Obama in not only Atlanta, but also in South Carolina and—just days before Election Day—in Ohio. On campus, 70 students manned phones at Douglass Hall as part of the Election Protection Coalition, a national effort to monitor voting polls and ensure that voters across the country were being treated fairly. “You had students stepping up and assuming leadership positions – and (Obama) won,” said junior Mark Anthony Green after Obama’s win in South Carolina. More than 150 students had made the last of their three trips across South Carolina to campaign for him. “His charisma has bled beyond the borders of politics and seeped into the areas of social and political activism,” said author and lecturer Michael Eric Dyson in November just before participating in a panel discussion at Morehouse.“People are now renewed in their desire and determination to see justice done and to believe that their particular form and action — and particular behavior — can 2 0 0 9

legendary network television anchor Tom Brokaw sat on a bench outside of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, reflecting on his days as a young journalist in Atlanta in the 1960s. “You know, I thought we’d be further along, 40 years after Dr. King,” said Brokaw, who was in town to interview five Morehouse students for a story on their reactions to Obama’s candidacy. “I now stand back and realize that we have made a lot of progress. Forty years in the long reach of history is not a long time.” He pointed to the men of Morehouse he talked to as examples of what Obama’s run meant to the country. “The fact that he got the nomination is an indication for those people in America, 45 and younger, that they have a whole different attitude about race and race relations than people 45 and older who still remember the bad old days and are still struggling with the demons,” he said. “The younger people who’ve come along after civil rights acts are going to integrated schools, working in integrated work places, watching television where they see black middle class and professional families and have a different attitude, and I think Obama is a symbol of that.” But there are many young people, particularly minorities, whose daily concerns have little to do with what’s happening within the Washington beltway. Danny Bellinger ’92 heads the College’s Project Identity program, which helps spur collegiate interest in minority middle school students, especially those in high-risk communities. He wonders how the Obama Effect affects those communities still hanging on the margins. “How will all of this impact the state of black boys in this country, many of whom are fatherless [5.6 million of them], are growing up poor [40 percent live in poverty], or watch as black men languish in jail [840,000 black males are incarcerated in this coun-

feature try]?” Bellinger asked. “Obama’s nomination should motivate black boys to be more confident about their chances of becoming developers, doctors, senators, writers—even presidents of large corporations. Or even president of the United States,” he said. “But notice I said should. The fact is, black boys—at least many of the ones I encounter—still see their role models living in the “bling” lifestyle, sometimes as drug dealers and gang bangers, rather than politicians.”

On the night that Obama won the presidency, the cheers and smiles of Morehouse students gathered at Douglass Hall to watch Election Night returns beamed across the world. Besides the lens of ABC News, a reporter and cameraman from the British Broadcasting Corporation also were on loca-

tion to show the world the euphoria. The fact that the BBC even cared about an election that wasn’t British proved how important Obama’s impact is worldwide. That’s why former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young believes Obama signifies a renewed emphasis on America’s place in solving global problems. “That says that we’ve got to think of our leadership role—and it always has going back to W.E.B. DuBois, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Morehouse style of leadership—as never being just domestic,” he said. “I would say that Martin Luther King Jr. was not just a black leader. He led America. He led the world and he didn’t have to tell black folks anything about racism. He had to help white people in the world understand the effects. So he was really a change agent for white

America. So in that sense, Obama is being called upon to be a change agent to heal the world. If the world is going to survive, he is going to have to heal the planet.” No matter what its present meaning, the Obama Effect, said Martin Luther King III ’79 during a speech to students in April 2008, has to become tangible action and not just an avowed affection for the new president. “I’m excited about what I see in relationship to young leadership,” King said. “I’ve never seen the kind of enthusiasm that exists today in America. Somehow we must galvanize this energy beyond the election, but into 2009 and beyond to ensure that, ultimately, we will eradicate poverty, racism and militarism. That would be a part of the dream and vision that our father had for freedom, justice and equality for all humankind.” ■

Where Do We Go From Here? Alumni Meet on Eve of Obama’s Inauguration to Discuss New Political Era

THE EYES OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ’48 sternly gazed from a front wall in a ballroom in the Historic Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., towards the sea of Morehouse Men in the room. On the opposite side of the wall was the face of the soon-to-be inaugurated president, Barack Obama. The space between the two was a symbolic gap that Morehouse Men expect to bridge by connecting the legacies of the two leaders in the new era of political leadership. Alumni and friends gathered the day before Obama’s inauguration on Jan.19 – King’s birthday – for the panel discussion, “King to Obama – The Dream Realized: Where Do We Go from Here?” A panel of prominent Morehouse men, including Africare President Julius Coles ’64, CNN contributor and political consultant Jamal Simmons ’93, the Rev. Otis Moss Jr. ’56, the Rev. Calvin O. Butts III ’72 , along with Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection executive director Clayborne Carson and a current student, Terrence Woodbury, spoke about where Morehouse Men will make their mark in the new political era. “He will need us to hold him accountable,” Simmons said of Obama. “It is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease and if we don’t squeak from time to time, we may not get all the grease that we want to have. “I’m also clear that, in this environment, I am much more interested in what Barack Obama does for black people than I am in what Barack Obama says about black people,” he said. “I want to see the policies that he institutes and what the impact of those politics will be

President Robert M. Franklin ’75 leads the discussion on the roles of Morehouse Men in being positive tension in their communities. Panelists include (left to right) Clayborne Carson, Julius Coles ’64, Lamell McMorris ’95 and The Rev. Otis Moss Jr. ’56.

on our community more than I need to hear his voice.” “That seems to have always been the role of the Morehouse Man,” Butts added. “…The Morehouse Man was born on a spiritual level to rebel until we see the dream realized.” Woodbury, a senior, said he believes the Morehouse Man has to be the community’s tension to make things happen. “If we know something is wrong, we will acknowledge it,” he said of Morehouse Men. “I think we must remain that annoying mosquito that continues to bite society and to remind it that…we have not completely fulfilled the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” -AS W I N T E R

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regular day for Cheryl Goffney Franklin is anything but uneventful. One minute, the long-time OB-GYN physician and surgeon may be seeing patients at Grady Memorial Hospital. Later she can be found sharing knowledge with students at the Morehouse School of Medicine. Add a lot of time serving as Morehouse’s first lady and the day becomes very full for the other Dr. Franklin. The evening means personal time as she slips back into her role as the mother of two and the devoted wife of hard-working,Morehouse President Robert M.Franklin Jr.‘75. “Just coordinating all those pieces can sometimes be difficult,” she said, with a laugh. “You have to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed. But I love it!” The past two years have been a whirlwind since her husband became the College’s 10th president. But being First Lady is a role that Franklin – or Dr. Cheryl as some affectionately call her – wants to put her unique stamp on. “I take this role as first lady very seriously,” she said while relaxing after work one afternoon in the president’s family residence,

the doctor By Add Seymour Jr.

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Davidson House. “I want to learn from it, but I also want to contribute to it. I do want— more than just build my own legacy—to develop the president’s legacy. So whatever I can do to assist in that goal, I will.” A native of Houston, Texas, Franklin grew up the youngest of four children to parents who are both graduates of Texas Southern University. Education was heavily stressed in the household, and all four children went off to various colleges and univer-

feature

Pictured with Dr. Franklin are this year’s Ladies’ Luncheon honorees Jan Meadows, with photo of her husband Dr. Warner Meadows, and Joy San Brown, with photo of her husband Dr. Calvin A. Brown.

Southern University. Education was heavily stressed in the household, and all four children went off to various colleges and universities. In fact, there is another doctor in the family and two attorneys. Franklin attended Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and Columbia University, where she earned a master’s in public health. She is now enjoying her 20th year of practicing medicine, focusing mainly these days on gynecology. She sees patients two days a week at Grady and also works in the Morehouse School of Medicine, though she wants to do more research, teaching and work in public health. That love for medicine has become a major thrust for her: enhancing the College’s already firm reputation for developing leaders

tions of students. But the rebuilding of that [after Blocker’s 2004 death] is a difficult process. So one of the legacies that I’m working on now is to help to develop scholarship money for the students headed to health professions.” Franklin established the Dr. Cheryl G. Franklin Health Professions Scholarship Fund in 2008 to help support students interested in health-related professional careers. Six students were the scholarship’s inaugural recipients. She has hosted the successful Ladies Luncheon the past two years during the College’s Founder’s Day observance. Fifty individuals, along with nine businesses, were recognized during the 2009 luncheon for contributing to the fund, which has raised

Cheryl Franklin is joined by President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 at the luncheon, which took place during the Founder’s Day observance.

campus can leave on a daily basis is an important issue for Franklin. Her goal is to strengthen their role in contributing to the Morehouse experience. “One of the things I’m doing this year… is helping create a way that women who were married to physicians who are now deceased create legacies for their husbands. Two of those women [Joy San Brown and Jan Meadows] helped coordinate the luncheon we had this year.They also will participate in the scholarship effort by doing named,restricted scholarships in their husbands’names. That’s actually a piece

makes a ’house call Cheryl Goffney Franklin Examines Her Role as the College’s Leading Lady in the health professions. “There have been several students and alumni who have lamented to me that Morehouse has a strong, rich legacy of preparing men for careers in medicine, and other health careers, industry, public health, etc,” she said. “The person who spearheaded that effort for so long, the late Thomas J. Blocker ’74, was a very charismatic person who made a lot of that happen for genera-

nearly $30,000 so far. “But there’s more to it than just doing scholarship,” she said. “There’s also programmatic efforts that must be made. I feel very strongly that Morehouse alumni need to be very intimately involved with helping rejuvenate and mentor and do the things that need to be done to rebuild that legacy in health professions.” The potential legacy that women on

that I want—that widows whose husbands dearly loved Morehouse will really have a way of leaving that kind of legacy.I want people to have a means to put a historical significance behind the people who’ve been here before.” At the other end of the spectrum are the wide-eyed young men who are at the beginning of their Morehouse careers. It’s the moment during the Parents’Parting Ceremony when the gates of the College are ceremoniously

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feature shut,separating parents—some of them weeping—from sons who are taking their first steps into adulthood. Franklin said watching mothers in particular leave their sons in the College’s care has made her more aware of the matronly role she has to assume. “I have mother after mother coming up to me and saying,‘I’m so glad you’re here. I feel so much better now,’” she said. “For these women, and many single mothers, leaving the apple of their eye—that young man—is the be all and end all. And they are leaving them here in our care. I actually see it in their eyes, so I feel a responsibility. I want to do more things with stu-

dents here at Davidson House; I want to make sure the students are included in everything we do.” A few minutes of relaxation are now nearly over and a busy, new day beckons. There will be patients to see, a course to teach, Davidson House events to plan and two teenagers to raise. She also continues to formulate a bevy of ideas to enhance the Morehouse experience. “I don’t have a clear, big vision of what I want my own legacy to be—except that if that legacy is to enhance my husband’s legacy and Morehouse College, then that will be my own legacy,” she said. ■

Cheryl Franklin works closely with Shirley Manor, executive services manager, in running Davidson House, the presidential residence.

DONORS TO THE CHERYL GOFFNEY FRANKLIN HEALTH PROFESSIONS SCHOLARSHIP Mrs. Billye Aaron Mr. & Mrs. Randy Adams Mr. & Mrs. John Aldridge ‘51 Mrs. Henrietta Antoinin Mr. & Mrs. Karl Bell Dr. & Mrs. John T. Blasingame ‘82 Rev. Dr. Juel Borders-Benson Dr. & Mrs. Eric Brown Mrs. Joy San Brown Dr. Anne Bullock Dr. Jettie M. Burnett Dr. & Mrs. Darrell J. Carmen Ms. Dana Chambliss Esq. Ms. Marianne Clarke Dr. & Mrs. Samuel D. Cook ’48 Dr. Jong Davis Mrs. Sharon Davis Dr. & Mrs. James Densler Mrs. Marymal Dryden Dr. & Mrs. Bernee Dunson ‘87 Mrs. Brooke Jackson Edmond Ms. Mary McKinney Edmonds Dr. Marsha Edwards Dr. & Mrs. Walter Falconer ‘82 Mr. & Mrs. Rufus Fears Dr. Cheryl G. Franklin Mr. & Mrs. Winston Gandy Dr. Shawn Garrison Mrs. Yvonne King Gloster Mrs. Gladys R. Goffney, Esq. Ms. Fawn Gordon Mrs. Paula Gordon

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Mrs. Kelly Greene Dr. & Mrs. Emerson Harrison ‘82 Dr. Kyra Harvey Mrs. D’Anna Hawthorne Ms. Patsy Jo Hilliard Dr. Carol Rowland Hogue Mr. & Mrs. C.O. Hollis Mrs. Amelia Irons Mrs. Sonja Jackson Ms. Carrie Johnson Mrs. Melody Johnson Dr. Sylvia Johnson Ms. Thalia Johnson Dr. Bess Jones Mrs. Yolanda Jones Dr. & Mrs. Lewin R. Manly Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Kent Matlock Mrs. Leshelle May Mr. John Ross McDougall Mrs. Louise McKinney Mrs. Jan Meadows Mrs. Catherine Mitchell Mrs. Marjorie Mitchell Mrs. Cynthia Moreland Mrs. Valerie Munnings Mrs. Jill Pemberton Dr. Booker Poe Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice Mrs. Avis Ridley-Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Herman Russell Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Michael Russell Mrs. Laura Turner Seydell Dr. Naim Shaheed 2 0 0 9

Dr. Harvey Smith ‘43 Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Snipes Ms. Lynn Stewart Mrs. Ginger Sullivan Dr. T. K. Taylor Dr. Edwin A. Thompson ‘49 Mr. Larry Thompson Dr. & Mrs. Frederick D. Todd II Mr. Quintin Tookes Mr. Rick & Dr. Imani Vannoy Mrs. Mary Ward Mr. & Mrs. Carl Ware Dr. Carl Washington Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Williams Dr. & Mrs. Bryant Williams Drs. Keith & Sylvia Wright Dr. Kneeland Youngblood Atlanta Neurological & Spine Institute Ankle and Foot Specialists GYN Care Home Medical Impact United Methodist Church Jack-n-Jill Atlanta Chapter Jackmont Hospitality Macy’s Inc. Matlock & Associates, Inc. Meharry National Alumni Association Onsite Rehab Physical Therapy Orthopedic & Clinical Solutions PCCC, LLC Sullivan Family Foundation Tookes & Associates, Inc. Turner Foundation

orehouse is unparalleled in its tradition of building strong black men for leadership positions throughout the world. But there have been some Morehouse Men who have taken their commitment to lead to an even higher plateau. Trading in jeans and sneakers for dress blues and/or fatigues, they become military Maroon Tigers who many times serve on the nation’s front lines, domestic or abroad. Many were prepared on campus during their undergraduate years as part of the Army or Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, in which they become commissioned officers the same time they receive their bachelor’s degrees. The Army ROTC program has a reputation for excellence and is represented by the Panther Battalion consisting of Morehouse, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University students. In 2007, the Naval ROTC program celebrated its 20th year of being commissioned on the Morehouse campus. “These are the men and women who are going to lead,” said U.S. Navy Capt. R. Wayne Radloff, who is in charge of the NROTC program for Atlanta, which includes Morehouse. The military recognized it needed more African American leaders in its ranks to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The AUC, Radloff said, was a logical place to look.

us By Eric Stirg “We knew we were going to have to improve our diversity with our officers and knew we had to reach out to the HBCUs,” he said. “Morehouse has a great reputation for character.” The ROTC programs represent only the beginning of storied Morehouse military careers. There are many Morehouse Men who have gone on to long, illustrious military careers that have them holding some of the highest ranks, receiving some of the most distinguished medals and honorably serving the United States in noble ways. Here are just a few of those distinguished Morehouse Military Men and their stories. Continued on next page W I N T E R

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feature Personnel Privileges Ronald Kenyatte Booker ’96 came this close to living out his boyhood dream. Raised in Bay St. Louis, Miss., a small Gulf Coast city, Booker excelled at football and planned to accept a scholarship at Grambling State University in neighboring Louisiana, where he would play under one of the most successful coaches in American history: Eddie Robinson. 6 Booker ’9 But Booker wanted to study biology, and that presented a dream-deferring problem. “Robinson was truthful,” Booker recalled. The legendary coach told him: “If you want to study biology, Grambling is not the place for you.” So Booker realigned his sights and spotted Morehouse. He had relatives in Atlanta and the city was home to the acclaimed Morehouse School of Medicine. Today, Booker is a major in the U.S. Air Force, where he serves as Aide de Camp to Gen. William Fraser III, the Air Force’s vice chief of staff. Booker is the right-hand man to Fraser, who assists the chief of staff with organizing, training and equipping nearly 700,000 active-duty guard, reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. In the Air Force, Booker said he’s learned many lessons he was first taught at Morehouse. One is service before self. “When people see you are a Morehouse Man, they expect you to do greater things,” he said. “That’s what the military wants. They expect you to lead.” Booker used a ROTC scholarship to pay his way through Morehouse, where he earned his psychology pre-med degree. After graduation, he wanted to pursue a career in Special Forces. Again, his plans changed when his commanders pushed him toward specializing in personnel. However, he soon discovered the advantages of working in personnel. He went on assignments to Afghanistan, Belgium, Bosnia, Kyrgyzstan, Italy and Turkey. He also assisted counterterrorism units in search of al-Qaeda and Taliban forces, investigated domestic disputes, performed evaluations and helped organized special deployments. “I didn’t realize how rewarding it was until I returned from Afghanistan,” he said. “On my flight home, the airline put me in first class. Once we landed, the flight attendant announced that we have a special passenger on board who just returned from his deployment in Afghanistan… Everyone on the plane began to clap. Some said ‘USA.’ Many said ‘Thank you for everything you do.’ It was very moving to me.” ■

Ronald

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Of God and Government They way Glynn Harden ’96 explains it, he serves God and fights for Uncle Sam. His two devotions are not incongruent. “Although war is a military reality born of political necessity,our troops are not lovers of war,” he said. “I am no warmonger —I am no Hector [the Greek warrior]. I am a peacemak6 ’9 n e er,cousin to Achilles,willing to go to d r Ha war out of love of God,family, country and friend—to ultimately secure the greater peace.” As a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, Harden serves as the Strike Group Officer for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, responsible for overseeing the technical support onboard MidAtlantic cruisers, destroyers and frigates. He professes his faith as an evangelist at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Va. Harden navigates life, and these two distinct worlds—he said in one sermon—by opening his Bible to Psalms 90 and 91. “No matter what is going on around me,” Harden said, his voice rising in the familiar hoarse and husky tone of a Baptist preacher as he recites Psalms 91:7.“A thousand may fall at your side…It shall not come upon me.” He gets much of his strength and comfort from the Bible and from the lessons he learned at Morehouse, where he earned a degree in general science. God never takes you to a place that has not been prepared for you. A rising tide raises all ships. You keep the doors open for the people behind you. Harden’s road to Morehouse began in Detroit, where he was born and raised. His teenage years came during the mid 1980s, when the city was an urban desert of dreams for many African Americans, with its endless stretches of boarded-up homes. Harden did not want to stay there. He was accepted into the Navy’s Broadened Opportunity for Office Selection and Training Program. The year-long program in San Diego was geared toward people like Harden – smart and talented with the potential to become a Naval officer, but lacking the required educational background. A fan of “A Different World,” the hit television sitcom about life at a fictional historically black college, Harden watched an episode during his training. He saw many similarities between Morehouse and the show’s college and decided to come to Atlanta. “It was great to be at a place where black manhood was affirmed and incubated,” said Harden, who earned his degree in 1996. After graduation, Harden served as the fire control and gunnery officer on the USS Saipan. He’s completed deployments to the Mediterranean and the Adriatic seas. ■

Glynn

feature The Great Communicator Otha Thornton ’89 grew up in Elberton, Ga., a small town 110 miles east of Atlanta that is known as the “Granite Capital of the World.” About twice a month, Thornton is among a group of highly-selected people who spends the day working in a city and a building that are a little more recognizable than Elberton. 9 ’8 The White House, n o t n Thor Washington, D.C. There, Thornton, 41, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, serves as the director of human resources and the presidential communications officer for the White House Communications Agency Director of Human Resources. “This is a long way from Elberton,” said Thornton, who graduated from Morehouse in 1989 with a degree in urban studies. He is responsible for the planning, preparation and execution of communications for the president. Thornton organized the communications for an event where Bush visited wounded servicemen and women. The agency is responsible for making sure that the president has instantaneous communications anywhere and anytime around the globe, which is no small feat. The agency is also known as “the voice of the president.” A quiet, soft-spoken man, Thornton is modest about his duties and the people he has met on the job. He met former President George W. Bush twice, U.S. Sen. John McCain and the famed Italian opera singer, Andrea Bocelli. He commanded a counterdrug unit that chased druglords—some drug dealers offered a bounty on him—and human traffickers. In September, he received the Knowlton Award for his work in military intelligence. Thornton was recommended by a senior commander for his current position. In a three-hour interview, he was asked details about his life and morals, as well as technical questions. He credits Morehouse with helping him get selected for his current position, saying his alma mater nurtured his desire to serve other. Thorton began his military career as an infantry officer in Hawaii and has since traveled to 20 countries. Two of his brothers, Charles, from the class of 1999, and Eric, from the class of 1995, also graduated from Morehouse. Both are in the military. “Between all of us, we’ve probably covered every corner of the earth,” he said. ■

Otha

Getting the Job Done U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Milton Troy III ’95 sat down with his eight-year-old son shortly after learning he was being deployed to Iraq. “I’m going away to help people,” said Troy, hoping to remove any fear his son may have about the assignment. “Are you going to find some buried treasure?” Milton Troy IV asked his father. 5 ’9 I I “If I find some, I’ll bring it Troy I home to you,” Troy replied. Troy was sensitive to what his son could be thinking about his current mission. His own father, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, had similar conversations with him before embarking on assignments. Troy left Dec. 1 for his training for Iraq, a critical battleground in the war on terror. His specialty is logistics: making sure people get what they need. His job will largely be to make sure his crew has the equipment it needs to complete its mission. “If I don’t do my job, then they won’t do their job,” he said. According to Troy, most Americans do not understand the threat of terrorists. “When people think of war, they think World War II, with a start and an end,” he said.“This isn’t like that. It’s not your average war. How do you identify the enemy? It might be a woman with a bomb strapped to her. It might be a plane striking the World Trade Center. This is totally different.” He credits Morehouse with teaching the importance of serving others. Even today, Troy says he relies on the support system of the Morehouse Military Alumni affinity group, which he also credits with helping scores of young people graduate from college. “Master Chief [Jeff] Hutchinson [who is now retired] is worthy of the utmost respect, and many of the [Navy ROTC] alumni and Atlanta metropolitan high schools will be forever in his debt,” Troy said. Born in Mullins, S.C., Troy grew up understanding the military life. He earned a ROTC scholarship with the Navy, but he wasn’t sure he wanted a military career. His perspective changed, thanks to the mentorship of his second boss, Michael Rutten. Rutten told Troy he could make the military a career and steered him to programs that helped Troy earn his master’s degree in business from the University of Georgia. Troy, who served as a logistics adviser to the Kuwaiti Navy, also has a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College. “He really turned it around for me,” Troy said of Rutten. “I’m glad I stayed.” Troy said he is excited about his latest mission. Nervous? “A little,” he admitted. Troy said some friends have stared sadly at him when he told them he was headed to Iraq.“I’m coming right back,” he assures them. After all, he has some buried treasure to bring back to his son. ■

Milton

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founder’s day observance

Founder’s Day 2009: 142 Years of Weathering Storms

f there was any doubt that the economic climate would affect the celebration of the College’s 142nd Founder’s Day Observance, it was, well, unfounded. As President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 said during the 122nd “A Candle in the Dark” celebration on Feb. 14, Morehouse has long been accustomed to producing “Ivy League results with HBCU resources.” The Gala, the College’s most anticipated fund-raiser, drew more than 1,400 supporters to witness eight luminaries receive Candle and Bennie awards for their extraordinary achievements. “Since 1989, this Gala has honored the achievements of 145 outstanding leaders and has raised more than $7.5 million for the Morehouse College Scholarship Fund,” President Franklin said to applause. “Morehouse’s commitment to making sure that our young men can – and do—complete their education and become change

The Rev. C.T. Vivian speaks during the Founder’s Day convocation.

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agents who alter the course of history is critical to sustaining the level of leadership that Morehouse has always provided to the nation and to the world.” Morehouse pride was on full display at each event during the four-day celebration. The observance kicked off on Feb. 12 with noted civil rights strategist, the Rev. C.T. Vivian, delivering a convocation speech that credited Morehouse and graduates like Martin Luther King Jr. ’48 with giving the nation its moral and spiritual base. The following night, at the Founder’s Day concert featuring R&B artist Fantasia and electric violinist Ken Ford, nearly 2,000 people swayed and rocked to old-school and newschool tunes. On Saturday morning, during one of the many highlights of the weekend, was the Reflections of Excellence forum, which allowed the Bennie and Candle Award recipients an opportunity to talk about their careers and lives. Continued on page 39

Clifton E. Strain ’85, F. Euclid Walker ’94 and Rod Hardemon ’98 with director of Alumni Relations Henry M. Goodgame ’84

Below: C.D. Moody ’78, Louis W. Sullivan ’54, Willie “Flash” Davis ’56 and Robert C. Davidson Jr. ’67 (far right) join Congresswoman Maxine Waters and her grandson Cameron Titus, a senior, and President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75.

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honorees BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Richard C. Caesar ’40

BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Jerome Farris ’51

BENNIE LEADERSHIP C. David Moody ’78

BENNIE SERVICE Arthur L. Johnson ’48

Richard C. Caesar isn’t the kind of man to make a big fuss about his accomplishments--even though they are monumental. He is among the first group of African Americans to fly combat aircrafts in the U.S. Air Force. He saved a fellow pilot from imminent danger. Caesar is one of the Tuskegee Airmen, the elite group of African American fighter pilots that overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II. Their heroics paved the way for full integration of the U.S. military. An engineering officer and pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron, Caesar ascended through the ranks to become lieutenant colonel, serving his country with distinction until retirement in 1978. In 1943,Caesar helped to rescue Commander Roscoe Brown Jr.from a potentially disastrous plane crash.Caesar modestly says he was just doing his job. The Tuskegee Airmen’s acts of patriotism and valor were finally recognized in March 2007 when George W. Bush awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. More recently, at the invitation of the 44th president, surviving airmen attended the inauguration of President Barack Obama. After graduating from Morehouse, Caesar earned a doctor of dental science from Meharry College in 1951. While practicing dentistry in southern California, he served as president of the San Francisco Dental Society, the Northern California Medical, and Dental and Pharmaceutical Association, and as chairman of the Pacific Area Section of the Academy of Dentistry International. Caesar was among the first Morehouse alumni to contribute $100,000 to the College as a class reunion gift.

Jerome Farris’ passion has always been the courtroom. He earned a bachelor’s degree with department honors in mathematics at Morehouse in 1951 and a master’s in social work from Atlanta University. He also attended the University of Washington Law School, where he was one of only three black students. Undeterred, Davis made law review and was elected president of the student body, all while working as a juvenile probation officer for the state of Washington. Graduating in 1958, Farris was hired by the Seattle law firm of Weyer, Roderick, Schroeter and Stern, becoming part of a new generation of black lawyers who integrated white law firms. He became a partner a year later. In 1969, Washington Gov. Dan Evans appointed him to one of the 12 seats on the newly created Washington State Court of Appeals, where he was unanimously elected as its first presiding chief judge. He made history in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, making him the first African American judge to hold the position. He credits Carter for “changing the face of the judiciary.” In his 30-year tenure on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Farris has authored several hundred decisions, covering the gamut of legal issues from bankruptcy law to employment practices, juvenile sentencing to gay marriage. Farris has taken his vast experience as a judge to the classroom, serving as a faculty member for the National College of State Judiciary at the University of Nevada and a lecturer at the Salzburg Seminar in Austria in 1991. Morehouse awarded him an honorary degree in 1978, and he continues to serve the college as a trustee.

C. David Moody, one of Atlanta’s premiere commercial builders for more than 20 years, erects structures that are making an indelible impression on local and national landscapes, from AtlantaHartsfield Jackson International Airport to Disney World. His commitment to community is not only the foundation of his business, but is what Moody credits for his phenomenal success. He founded the C.D. Moody Construction Company on the principle that construction is more than a brick-and-mortar business— that it is, in fact, a people business. Moody, a gifted leader who regularly mentors other entrepreneurs, established the C.D. Moody Construction Co., Inc. Foundation in 1989 and has since awarded 80 scholarships to deserving students. The company also has adopted two schools, and the staff mentors local student groups. A 1978 graduate of Morehouse with a degree in psychology, Moody also earned a bachelor’s in architecture from Howard University in 1981. His career began as an architect in the nuclear power department at Bechtel Power Corp., Ann Harbor, Mich., office for two-and-a-half years before returning to Atlanta, where he worked as a project manager for several small companies. He got his footing in construction as a joint venture general contractor working in the City of Atlanta minority business program. Over the years, he has built a construction empire with a consistent 12 percent annual revenue growth rate. The Morehouse experience, now shared by his son and other family members, came full circle for Moody when his company was hired to construct the Leadership Center facility.

Arthur L. Johnson’s fire for action was first sparked as a child growing up in Americus, Ga., by a grandmother whose own activism imbued him with the strength of character to question the validity of segregation. It was further stoked as a student at Morehouse, where he organized alongside classmate Martin Luther King Jr., a 1948 graduate of Morehouse. Johnson’s pursuit of justice led him to take a job as executive secretary of the Detroit branch of the NAACP in 1950. Under his 14-year guidance, the Detroit chapter became one of the most active and vital in the country. He founded the Shop Detroit campaign to encourage the support of local businesses and was named deputy director of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. While he dedicated his life to political organizations, education also was a steadfast cause. He served as vice president of university relations and professor of educational sociology at Wayne State University for nearly a quarter of a century before retiring in 1995. Observers curious about the scars and scrapes of being on the frontlines of social change can walk a mile in Johnson’s shoes through his revealing memoir, Race and Remembrance. The impact of Johnson’s life as an activist is rivaled only by his role as an arts advocate. Perhaps his second greatest passion, art is a vital force in activism and change and must be given light through recognition, Johnson believes. To that end, he is founder of both the Detroit Festival of the Arts and Arts Achievement Awards at Wayne State University, and serves on the boards of ArtServe Michigan and Arts League of Michigan.

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(Continued on page 36)

“What kept me going was going to Morehouse College,” said Richard Caesar ’40, a noted dentist and an Tuskegee Airman. “I got everything that’s made me what I am today at Morehouse and I want to thank you for that.” A common thread among the honorees – Caesar; builder C.D. Moody ’78; retired educator Arthur Lee Johnson ’48; U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Jerome Farris ’51; Dr. Ernie Bates; retired pastor Samuel Berry McKinney ’49; and Olympic hero Tommie Smith – was the importance of commitment and giving. (Congressman Charlie Rangel was unable to attend because of his involvement in negotiations on President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus plan.) “What I’ve been able to do is possible because of what others have given to me,” Johnson said. “I am determined not only to be good, but to do good…” The celebration concluded with the Worship Service sermon by the Rev. Dr. D. Darrell Griffin ’87, senior pastor of the Oakdale Covenant Church in Chicago. ■

President Franklin (fourth from left) and actress Lorraine Toussaint, mistress of ceremony for the “A Candle in the Dark” Gala, with the 2009 Bennie and Candle award recipients.

The Rev. Dr. D. Darrell Griffin ’87 delivers the Founder’s Day worship service sermon.

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Electric violinist Ken Ford and Grammy-nominated singer Fantasia perform during the Founder’s Day Concert. Below: The “A Candle in the Dark” Gala, the College’s most anticipated Fund-raising event, has raised more than $7.5 million for the Morehouse College

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honorees CANDLE IN MEDICINE Ernest Bates

CANDLE IN RELIGION The Rev. Samuel Berry McKinney ’49

Ernest Bates likes to tell the story of being pulled over by a California Highway Patrol officer while barreling down the highway at 100 mph. It was 1972 and Bates, then sporting a big Afro, was putting his new Rolls Royce to the test. “The officer’s first words were, ‘Is this your car?’ and I responded ‘Yes,’” Bates recalls. “The officer rolled his eyes and said, ‘I suppose the next thing you’re going to tell me is that you’re a brain surgeon, too.’ Lucky for me,” says Bates, “I could answer, ‘Yes officer, I am.’” The cool brain surgeon in the Rolls dodged a traffic ticket that day. The story illustrates both the lucky breaks Bates has enjoyed, as well as the barriers he’s faced to become one of the first African American neurosurgeons in the country. Although Bates attended Johns Hopkins University as an undergraduate, in 1958, the medical school was still segregated so he instead attended the University of Rochester Medical School on scholarship. Bates went on to become a highly successful board certified neurosurgeon. He wrote chapters in the Textbook on Brain Tumors and Black-Related Diseases and is currently working on developing the operating room for the 21st century in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, San Francisco. Although no longer a neurosurgeon, he is far from retired. He is founder and CEO of American Shared Hospital Services, a publicly traded medical imaging company based in San Francisco. His latest avocation, proprietor of Black Coyote wines in the Napa Valley, places Bates among another elite and exclusive club: he is one of only a handful of African American vintners.

The Rev. Dr. Samuel Berry McKinney preached his first sermon at the historic Mount Zion Baptist Church in Seattle, Wash., in February 1958 and his last one exactly 40 years later in February 1998 when he retired—the dates bookending an extraordinary legacy of service, leadership and ministry. During his leadership at Mount Zion, the church membership grew exponentially, from 800 to approximately 2,800. Among its many expansions, Mt. Zion constructed a 64-unit retirement home, an additional educational unit, and established the Mt. Zion Pre-School and Kindergarten, which has been accredited for 25 years. The Mt. Zion Federal Credit Union, established in McKinney’s inaugural year as pastor, has since been expanded and renamed The Northwest Baptist Federal Credit Union and has assets in excess of $5 million. The church sponsored a Cocaine Outreach and Recovery Program, created the Mt. Zion Mental Health Task Force, and sponsored a weekly meal ministry for the homeless, sick and shut-in. Members also sponsored donations of more than $20,000 per year in academic scholarships and grants to college and graduate students. The Seattle Times listed McKinney among its Metro List of 150 Most Outstanding Citizens. The top floor of a new 13-story Martin Luther King, Jr. County office building has been named in his honor. He earned the Spiritual Enlightenment Award at the 14th Annual Trumpet Awards in 2006 and the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington NAACP.

CANDLE IN GOVERNMENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Charles Bernard “Charlie” Rangel

Congressman Charles B. Rangel, known as the “dean” of the New York congressional delegation, is serving his 19th term as the representative of the Upper Manhattan area of New York City (15th Congressional District) in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has devoted his entire career to public service. In 2007, he made history when he became chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, becoming the first African American to lead this powerful committee of Congress. Rangel earned degrees from New York University and St. John’s University School of Law. From the beginning of his career, he quickly gained a reputation for defending black civil rights activists. He served on the New York State Assembly and quickly emerged as one of the leading black legislators in the state. In 1970, he made headlines by defeating Adam Clayton Powell Jr., the legendary preacher at Abyssinian Baptist Church and long-serving congressman, to become representative of the 15th congressional district. He has been reelected to each succeeding Congress. Rangel has authored legislation to revitalize urban neighborhoods, such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. He also serves as chairman of the Congressional Narcotics Abuse and Control Caucus, working to solve the nation’s continuing drug abuse crisis. Rangel is a founding member and former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and also was chairman of the New York State Council of Black Elected Democrats. In 2008, Morehouse inducted him into the Board of Renaissance Leaders. His portrait hangs in the Hall of Fame in King Chapel. W I N T E R

CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Tommie Smith

In 1968 ,when it came time for Tommie Smith, along with fellow U.S. Olympic Track team member John Carlos, to stand in front of the world to accept a gold medal for a world-record win in the 200-meters (Carlos won the bronze), the two didn’t let Olympic protocol stop them from standing up against racial and human oppression. Smith raised his black-gloved right fist to represent black power in America. Carlos did the same with his left fist, representing unity in black America. Smith also wore a black scarf for black pride and black socks without shoes to represent black poverty in America. During that historic 19th Olympiad held in Mexico City, Smith broke the world and Olympic records with a time of 19.83 seconds to become the 200-meter Olympic champion. However, the silent gesture got them kicked out of the games. Their story is captured in the 1999 HBO documentary,“Fists of Freedom.” Smith also won recognition for his extraordinary athletic ability. He has been featured in periodicals such as Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek and Ebony. He is a 1978 inductee into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame; a 1996 inductee into the California Black Sports Hall of Fame, the 1999 Bay Area Hall of Fame and the 1999 San Jose State University Hall of Fame. Among his other honors are the 1999 Sportsman of the Millennium Award; the 2000-01 Commendation, Recognition and Proclamation Awards from the County of Los Angeles and the State of Texas; and the 2004 dedication of the Tommie Smith Gymnasium in Saint-Ouen, France.

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V a l u e o f a Morehouse E THE

EDUCATION

By Add Seymour Jr.

midday stroll across campus during the spring of 2007 completely crystallized for Carlton Willis, now a senior, why Morehouse has been the right place for him. It was in the midst of his walk that he came across a man who was relaxing under the bright, Atlanta sky. Turns out he was a vice president for the PepsiCo Corporation. “I saw him sitting on a bench on campus and walked right up to him and started talking,” recalls Willis.“He told me that he likes Dunkin Donuts, so I took him there. We had the opportunity to talk one-on-one and

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eat donuts. He asked me to shoot him a resumé. That’s how I got an internship.” Willis is quick to point out that his chance meeting wasn’t just a lucky break. Not only did Morehouse give him access to influential movers and shakers, he said, but the College educated, trained and taught him how to the make the most of whatever opportunity comes along—even a chance meeting with a top executive hungry for donuts. It is one of many examples of what allows Morehouse to continue to provide a special educational value, even as the nation is going through the most severe 2 0 0

economic downturn since the Great Depression. The global economic meltdown, triggered by the collapse of the U.S. housing market, buckled Wall Street as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, at one point, sputtered to 6,000—less than half of the 13,000 average one year ago. A standstill in the credit markets followed as financial institutions became extra cautious in making new loans and tightened the qualifying criteria for credit applicants. The effect of Wall Street’s woes on Main Street has been a ballooning unemployment rate that hovers around 8 percent, the highest it has been in 25 years. An estimated 4 mil-

feature DESPITE THE TOUGH FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MANY FAMILIES ARE FACING, FEW STUDENTS HAVE GIVEN UP ON ATTENDING

COLLEGE. ONLY 4 PERCENT SAID

THAT THE RECESSION HAD PROMPTED THEM TO MORE SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WORKING INSTEAD OF ATTENDING COLLEGE; 78% SAID THEY HAD NEVER CONSIDERED THAT OPTION.

–Based on findings from a student survey conducted by the College Board and Art and Science Group

“From the moment you step onto campus as a freshman, you are indoctrinated into a fraternity of brotherhood. You immediately feel the support system that’s 2,800-men strong.” –Alex Akbari senior psychology major

lion jobs have been lost since December 2007, according to MarketWatch.com. American families are now in a serious belt-tightening mode as they keep a closer watch on expenditures of every type, including the escalating cost of sending their children to college. With ominous economic conditions forecasted to persist for a while yet, it is no surprise that financially insecure parents are asking the big “A” question: affordability. The euphoria of receiving an acceptance letter is often tempered by the subsequent award letter and the question, “How can we afford a college education for our son?”

Tuition, room and board, fees, books and supplies and other expenses will be $39,497 at Morehouse for the 2009-2010 academic year. But Financial Aid Director James Stotts says his office is diligently working to assist students and parents in identifying all possible financial resources, such as scholarships, grants and loans, for making Morehouse affordable. “The College makes a number of awards to students in recognition of their accomplishment either in pursuit of academic excellence or demonstrated skills and talent,” he says. “In addition, numerous corporations, employers, professional organizations and foundations make scholarships available to Morehouse students.” Morehouse offers an array of financial aid programs and invests some of the College’s institutional resources to assist students. Approximately 75 percent of students received some form of scholarship – academic, talent or athletic – support during the 2008-2009 school year. Some of those scholarships come from the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, the Bill Gates Millennium Scholarship program, United Negro College Fund, along with other Morehouse endowed and restricted scholarships. The College also hired a scholarship coordinator to counsel and assist students and parents with finding additional funds through a wide variety of internal and external sources. Besides adhering to all deadlines, Stotts

offers one important bit of advice: “Students/parents should develop a financial plan for College to make sure that they are able to cover the appropriate costs associated with their educational expenses,” he says. He suggests a six-step plan: 1. Apply for financial aid 2. Understand the cost-of-attendance budget 3. Develop your budget 4. Review and secure all funding sources 5. Do calculations 6. Determine if additional resources are needed “The financial plan will help students understand the direct cost and the actual cost of attendance, allowing them to determine what is needed from one year to the next,” Stotts says.

Investing in Black Male Development Colleges and universities, private and public, large and small, are in a fierce and competitive search for talented African American male students. The rough economy has parents and students seeking new ways to afford a college education. But it also has institutions digging deeper and being more creative in attracting black males. That makes the job of Terrance Dixon ’87, associate dean for Recruitment, a little tougher. W I N T E R

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feature “And it’s tough because I think more now than ever people are shopping for education like they are shopping for anything else,” he says. But Dixon urges parents who are worried about actual costs to calculate the value of intangibles, like the College’s legacy of producing leaders and its unique focus on black male development. “We spend a lot of time telling parents about what makes Morehouse the value that it is,” he says.“We think we do something different for an African American man than they’d get from any other campus.” What’s already well known is Morehouse’s stellar academic reputation: from 2002 to 2004, Black Enterprise magazine ranked the College the best in educating African American students; the College has produced three Rhodes Scholars, scores of local and national politicians, several college presidents, a surgeon general and history’s pre-eminent civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. ’48. Classes have a 15:1 student-to-professor ratio; 100 percent of tenure-tracked and tenured faculty hold Ph.Ds in their academic area, and students are getting placed into some of the top graduate school programs in the country.

sic in the Morehouse experience: the process of building strong, knowledgeable black men who are full of spirit and self-worth and ready to contribute something to their communities, both locally and abroad. Says Will O. Cobbs Jr. ’95, president of Chicago-based, federal government statistical consulting firm Ahiman Consulting and Research, Inc.: “Morehouse made me redefine what it is to be a black man— and it’s belonging to a group that shows what the epitome of what a black man can be.” “I don’t think that is cultivated in other institutions…It may be, but not to the degree of Morehouse.” The experience comes together in an environment completely unlike any other higher education institution in the world as the student population at Morehouse is almost totally comprised of males of African and African American descent. “So the gender piece is removed and that’s important for a lot of brothers,” says psychology professor Bryant T. Marks ’94. “Morehouse provides a space where black men can bond and be vulnerable, to an extent, and be accepted.” Artist and theologian Carey Wynn ’70 points to the vague, indescribable, yet very

HALF OF STUDENTS IN A RECENT SURVEY SAID THEIR FAMILIES HAD SAVED

MONEY FOR

COLLEGE, BUT ONLY HALF OF THOSE HAD SAVED MORE THAN $20,000. TEN PERCENT SAID THEY HAD SAVED BETWEEN $40,000 AND $70,000, AND 5 PERCENT SAID THEY HAD SAVED MORE THAN $100,000. -The College Board and Art and Science Group

In 2003, The Wall Street Journal named Morehouse one of the top 50 most successful schools across the nation when it comes to sending students to well-known, wellrespected graduate and professional schools. But Dixon speaks not just about the high-level education that the College provides, but of something different and intrinMOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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real concept dubbed the Morehouse Mystique. It is, in simple terms, what makes Morehouse so different, he says. “The Morehouse Mystique is translated in various mantras, manners, virtues and visions that call to mind the salient characteristics of manhood that are critical to the reformation of the African 2 0 0

American community, particularly the African American male,” Wynn says. “Through [the weekly, mandatory gathering for students] Crown Forum, classroom experiences and general extracurricular activities, each student every day is provided with an opportunity – in fact, it is demanded of him – that he serves to see himself as a purposeful student who is able to challenge the stereotypes that have dogged the African American community, and the African American male, since the dawn of African slavery,” he says.

The Value of Brotherhood From the first day of New Student Orientation, men of Morehouse are taught not only how to become scholars, but how to develop into moral and ethical leaders – and to hold their own Morehouse brothers to those same high standards, day in and day out. “From the moment you step onto campus as a freshman, you are indoctrinated into a fraternity of brotherhood,” says senior psychology major Alex Akbari. “You immediately feel the support system that’s 2,800-men strong. I know that I’m going to become a doctor and Morehouse is going to help me get there.” That brotherhood becomes a unique bond that lasts a lifetime. For example, Marks said he was once alone in a new city, his car adorned with a Morehouse license plate. After leaving and then returning to his car, he saw a note on the windshield: a fellow Morehouse Man – someone Marks had never met – saw the plate and left a number for the fellow Maroon Tiger to call. When Terry Mills, dean of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences,went to Beijing,China,in 2008,Marketus Presswood ‘98 and Shaan Price ‘98 were his interpreters and tour guides.

Presswood is the founder of the BSA Minority Study Abroad Program, which gives minority college students opportunities to study in countries around the world. Price is the program’s student adviser. Presswood believed that students at his alma mater needed to be a part of his program. “A college is only as strong as the graduates it produces, as well as the different forms of capital those graduates produce for the college,” Presswood says. “It was a logical step for us to reach out to Morehouse students in conjunction with Dean Mills, who shares a similar vision of preparing students for a competitive global economy.As a Morehouse alum and study abroad advocate who has spent 10 years living abroad, I obviously would like to see the majority of Morehouse students have some kind of overseas experience.” Adds Mills of what has now become a one-week Asian/Middle East cultural immersion program:“We came up with this idea of doing this winter break tour. It’s not only an example of what Morehouse offers students, but more importantly, how students respond to what Morehouse has to offer.” Marks is now director of the Morehouse Male Initiative,a program that,through research,surveys and focus groups,will scientifically measure for the first time the impact of the Morehouse experience. He says that for all of the tangible evidence of the strength of the Morehouse experience, there remains an “Xfactor”that makes it different. “There is something we will never be able to totally identify, that makes this such a unique place,” he says. “There is something special about this place – that’s the mystique piece.” The spirit of helping students and fellow Morehouse brothers was never more on display than during the beginning of the spring 2009 semester. More than 200 students who had just started the semester were on the verge of having to pack their bags and head home because they couldn’t come up with the needed 60 percent of their total bill to pay for school, even though the school extended

IN A SURVEY OF NEARLY

40,000 HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS

AND THEIR PARENTS, ABOUT 61 PERCENT OF THE SENIORS AND 64 PERCENT OF SENIORS’ PARENTS SAID CONCERNS ABOUT THE ECONOMY “SOMEWHAT” OR “GREATLY” AFFECTED THE COLLEGES TO WHICH STUDENTS APPLIED. -The 2009 College Decision Impact Survey, Maguire Associates

the deadline by three weeks. President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 stepped in and wrote a letter asking alumni, fraternities and other organizations to dig into their pockets to help keep those students in school. “To be sure, these are extraordinary times that call for extraordinary sacrifice,” Franklin wrote in his Feb. 4 e-mail. “…Now, I’m calling on you to help keep these students on track to becoming Morehouse Men.” The response: within a few days, 200 gifts totaling more than $88,000 were given, keeping 188 students in class. “These acts of generosity demonstrate the commitment to our great College

that has always been a part of the Morehouse value system,” Franklin said. For Cobbs, who gave one of those gifts, it is only a small price to pay to be part of a strong Morehouse family. That, Cobbs says, is the value that is gained over a lifetime. “It is like the motivation to continue a relationship that has been an important source for me,” he says. “I struggled through Morehouse financially. But those struggles made me stronger. I wanted current students to have the opportunity to overcome those adversities and to become stronger because I know what a value Morehouse has been to me.” ■ –Chandra Thomas also reported for this article.

Top 5 REASONS WHY Morehouse IS STILL A Good Value 1 Reputation NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A TOP FEEDER SCHOOL TO THE NATION’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS

2 Selectivity COLLEGE OF CHOICE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN 3 Academic Excellence ONE OF TWO HBCU TO PRODUCE THREE RHODES SCHOLARS

4 Focus on Leadership Development ONE OF ONLY A FEW LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES THAT OFFERS A LEADERSHIP STUDIES MINOR

5 Emphasis on Community Service NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THE STUDENT BODY PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS

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Commencement 2009

Lift Them UP

By Add Seymour Jr.

Speakers urge graduates to use their education to empower those caught in ‘the teeth of despair’

ammy Harris could barely keep from smiling and tearing up. She was about to become the mother of a Morehouse graduate as her son, Joshua, one of approximately 440 graduating seniors, would soon become a Morehouse Man during Commencement 2009. “To have a son finish college and me being a single parent of four, I’m excited and overwhelmed,” she said as family members smiled around her. “He just did it up!” Harris was one of an estimated 10,000

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family and friends who filled the Century Campus on May 17 for the ceremony that capped off the three-day Commencement/ Reunion 2009 celebration. Hundreds of alumni, many in Morehouse hats and maroon blazers, returned to campus, especially those from classes with graduating years ending in four or nine. They were honored throughout the reunion weekend. “This is absolutely wonderful,” said 97-year-old Rynalder D. Rambeau, who was celebrating his 75th year as a

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Morehouse graduate. The 1934 graduate lit the Candle of the Mystique during the Rite of Passage ceremony on May 15 in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. Alumni seated on both sides of the class of 2009 shared the light from that candle with the graduating seniors, illuminating the Chapel as they all held their candles high in a moving gesture of passing the torch. Sunny skies greeted thousands on campus on Saturday, May 16. Alumni class meetings were held throughout the

morning followed by the festive reunion picnic at B.T. Harvey Stadium. Alumni then marched from the Century Campus crypt of the College’s sixth president, Benjamin E. Mays, to King Chapel. There, Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ and pastor of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ, challenged the seniors to reach back and help those who are less prosperous, especially those in Africa. “These are the best of times because young people like you are graduating and embarking on a journey of service and accomplishment,” he said. Blake then said these are also the worst of times as he went through a list of statistics showing how black people lag behind others in health, wealth and education, and not just in the United States, but wherever the African Diaspora deposited them. “But this is not the time to obsess over these things,” he said. “It’s time for us to take charge of our destinies…I propose that God has blessed African Americans in the United States not just for ourselves, but so we can reach back to our 750 million brothers and sisters in Africa.” President Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 presented Blake with a Presidential Award of Distinction for his community and faithbased work. Saturday’s sunny skies had darkened by Sunday morning as Commencement day started out overcast and chilly. Nevertheless, the smiles on the faces of the thousands of people who filled the Century Campus brightened the morning. The class of 2009 received commencement reflections from Emmy-award winning actress Cicely Tyson and Harvard professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr. In the voice of one of her most stirring characters, “Miss Jane Pittman,” Tyson challenged the class of 2009 to remain steadfast leaders as they leave Morehouse and head into a difficult world. “I would say, you are the one – each one of you,” she said.“But I would ask you to

Commencement brings out an average of 10,000 relatives and friends each year.·

Hank Aaron, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cicely Tyson all receive honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees during Commencement.

remember that life ain’t going to be no crystal stair…But all the time, you’ll be climbing, reaching landings, turning corners and sometimes going in the dark where there ain’t no light. So I’m going to ask you not to turn back.” Gates urged the audience to be ardent supporters of the nation’s affirmative action programs and to also help preserve African American history. “My entire professional career has been an attempt to get black people our history back,” he said.“Too much of our history has been lost or

buried, hidden or stolen, and I decided that when I was an undergraduate, just like you guys, that I wanted to dedicate my life to returning that history to where it belongs – into the hearts and minds of our people.” Tyson, Gates and legendary baseball player Hank Aaron each received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. This year, for the first time, Morehouse had two valedictorians and two salutatorians – Harris and Anthony Roberts were valedictorians while

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Commencement 2009

Henry M. Goodgame ’84 (second from right) leads alumni in singing “Dear Old Morehouse” during the Reunion Welcome Luncheon.

Michael Blevins and Bolaji James were the salutatorians. Blevins, a double major in theatre and economics from Richmond,Va.,is a member of Phi Beta Kappa along with Roberts,Harris and James.He is moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting and screenwriting career. James, an economics major, claims Lagos States, Nigeria, and New York City as his hometowns. He will be working for the Colgate-Palmolive Company. The valedictory addresses by Harris, a political science major from Thomasville, Ga., and Roberts, an economics major from Richmond, Va., were both met with standing ovations. “What we have acquired here at Morehouse gives us the opportunity to lift someone from the teeth of despair to the voice of hope and transfer dark and desolate valleys into sun-lit paths of inner peace,” Harris said. Bishop Charles E. Blake delivers the baccalaureate sermon.

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“Thus we have no choice but to succeed because at the very moment of commitment, the entire universe conspires for our choices.” Roberts said:“Our work is finished here and the mandate is clear: we must go forth beyond this place and find our new mark and our new purpose.Class of 2009,now is our time to leave our mark on the world.” Franklin reminded the graduates of their two-word mantra,“no excuses,” that they chanted in King Chapel days after the inauguration of the nation’s first African American president, Barack Obama. “Now it is up to you. The world is watching you, gentlemen,” he said.“No excuses for intellectual underachievement; no excuses for unethical behavior.You have no excuses for not practicing the art of non-violence that Dr. King taught us. “And we will accept no excuses... Up you, mighty men! You can accomplish

For more on Commencement 2009, go to www.morehouse.edu/events/2009/commencement/index.html

brothertobrother

THE VALIDATION OF A DREAM “King’s dream pleads for sweeping reform in all of American society, not merely the election of a black president.” By Trevor Delmore II ’07

n Inauguration Day, when President Barack Obama placed his hand on Lincoln’s Bible, I couldn’t help but recall the words I overheard in a popular rap song— as hackneyed as they might seem: “Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk/Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run.” As President Obama solemnly pledged to preserve, protect and defend the United States Constitution, the entire world took notice. More than a million people gathered on the Mall in Washington. Some were in awe, others in disbelief. Some a little bit of both. In Pasadena, Calif., a live audience watching the ceremony via satellite sat in hushed silence. In Memphis, Tenn., a local church assembled to witness history, their eyes fixed on a large overhead monitor. In Kenya, the native land of Obama’s father, children danced in the streets. People on the streets of Times Square paused in the middle of their daily activities. Others on the streets of Harlem waved U.S. flags as a sure sign of their patriotism. A friend of mine watched the entire event in streaming video on his cell phone from his desk at work. Another huddled near an office water cooler with a hundred co-workers. And in Facebook, nine of 10 statuses commented on the event. Amid all the excitement, one CNN analyst accurately observed, “This isn’t just a transition—this is a transformation.” The entire world tuned in not simply because of Barack Obama, but also because of what his presidency symbolizes. Not too long ago, America was a place where Jim Crow was en vogue,

and the very humanity of black people was called into question. I never doubted, not for one second, that America would elect a black president in my lifetime. Growing up in East Elmhurst, N.Y., I received a pre-school education at a small private school named the Learning Tree. Most of my teachers there were black. They taught me a slanted version of American history that emphasized its black heritage. I knew about Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman way before I knew about Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin. What’s more, David Dinkins—the first black mayor of New York City—was in power when I was a toddler. For me, his example was the rule, not the exception. Also, I was fortunate enough to have parents who told me I could be anything I wanted to be. And I held on firmly to their words. The election of President Obama does not mark the realization of King’s dream. The scope of King’s dream is much larger. King’s dream pleads for sweeping reform in all of American society, not merely the election of a black president. Still, Obama’s election undoubtedly draws us one step closer. His election validates King’s dream—“a dream deeply rooted in the American dream”—and signals to every little boy and girl in America that absolutely nothing is beyond their reach. All things are possible. ■ —Trevor Delmore II graduated cum laude from Morehouse with a bachelor's degree in English in 2007. He currently resides in Stamford, Conn. W I N T E R

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alumninews national alumni association president’s message Brothers,

O “It is obvious that people in the know are very much aware of our reputation for producing the ‘best and the brightest.’ “

n the night of the presidential election, ABC News made its way to Morehouse to gauge the reactions of students as the election returns came in from across the country. This was no accident or merely ‘filler’ for a nightly news story. The decision to come to Morehouse was rooted in our years of developing young men to accept the challenge of providing ethical and moral leadership throughout the nation and the world. It is obvious that people in the know are very much aware of our reputation for producing the ‘best and the brightest.’ Your Alumni Association has accepted Dr. Franklin’s vision of creating “Renaissance Men” both as a challenge and an opportunity. In order to provide our students with the development opportunities to assist in solving global challenges, we all must now step up and be counted! At the fall meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Alumni Association, we established a very clear objective for the next three years. We will increase our active alumni participation by 30 percent. Additionally, we will become more relevant as an Association to our members by providing job assistance and business to business connections for our alumni searching for alumni owned businesses in there geographical areas. Our next major fundraising effort will be in the spring. Each local chapter will be asked to conduct a first ever Association sponsored Prostate Cancer & Scholarship Walk. We continue to seek corporate partnership; the most recent being with Google. Please take advantage of our Bank of America Credit Card Program and Liberty Mutual Insurance products designed specifically for our alumni. A special recognition is due to our 2008 Alumnus of the Year, Brother Brad Minnefield ’00 from Chicago and 2008 Chapter of the Year, Washington, D.C. Also, a special recognition is due to the 2009 Alumnus of the Year, Brother James D. Henry ’61 from Washington, D.C., the 2009 Chapter of the Year, Atlanta Metro Chapter and the 2009 Region of the Year, Region 8. Please join me in congratulating these men and the Chapters for there contributions to the College and the Association. I would like to recognize Dr. Joseph Draper ’57 for his many years of service to the Association as Executive Director upon his retirement. We are all indebted to him as a living example of a “ Morehouse Man.” I would like to welcome Collie Burnett ’72 to the team as Executive Director. Collie will be responsible for enhancing the Association by among other things, upgrading the operational and fiscal management of the Alumni Office along with Ms. Vernell Morton, operations manager. Please contact us at the National Office and provide your recommendations and feedback to enhance the Association. Thank you all for your continued support of the College and Association. Regards,

Phillip H. McCall Jr. ’69 NOTE: MCNAA is an independent 501c3 organization. MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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alumninews Jeh Charles Johnson ’79 Named General Counsel for the Department of Defense

Jeh Charles Johnson ’79

JEH CHARLES JOHNSON ‘79 has been tapped to become the next general counsel for the Department of Defense. He is a partner in the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, based in New York City. Johnson’s career has been a mixture of successful private law practice (as an experienced trial lawyer) and distinguished public service (as a federal prosecutor and presidential appointee). At age 47, he was elected a fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. His career as a trial lawyer began in 1989-91 as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted public corruption cases. He served three years as a federal prosecutor. In 1998, Johnson left Paul, Weiss for 27 months when President Bill Clinton appointed him general counsel of the Department of the Air Force, following nomination and confirmation by the United States Senate. While in that position, he was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. In 2007-08, Johnson served as a foreign policy adviser to President Barack Obama’s campaign and is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. ■

Drexel Ball ‘72 Named Executive Vice President at Claflin DREXEL B. BALL ’72 has been appointed executive vice president Claflin University in Charleston, S.C. Before joining Claflin, Ball served for the past 19 years as an administrator in higher education at historically black colleges and universities, including executive assistant to the president at Delaware State University. In his new position, Ball will assist university President Henry N. Tisdale in the daily operations of the university. He replaces Drexel Ball ’72 Dr. George Bradley, who left the university to become president of Augusta’s Paine College. Ball, a Charleston, S.C., native, landed his first position in higher education at North Carolina A&T State University, where he served as assistant director of public relations from 1982 to 1989. He then became director of public relations at Delaware State University, a position he held from 1989 to 1993, when he was promoted to executive assistant to the president. In January 2006, he became director of public relations at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, where he was credited with enhancing the public relations operations and bringing increased visibility to the institution. After graduating from Morehouse in 1972, Ball earned a master’s degree in adult education from North Carolina A&T in 1986. He did further studies at the University of Delaware. Ball has held leadership positions in several community organizations, including chair of the United Way Campaign for two years and president of Psi Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Fraternity Inc. for six years. He was twice the recipient of the chapter’s Man of the Year Award. ■

Collie Burnett ’72 is Alumni Association New Executive Director COLLIE BURNETT ’72 was appointed executive director of the Morehouse College Alumni Association, succeeding Joe Draper ’57. Burnett, president and CEO of Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters (AIB), also has worked for WSB-TV, the Metro Atlanta Regional Transportation Agency, Atlanta Regional Commission, Georgia Cable Television and Media One. “Collie, a life member of the Association and past vice president, brings many years of leadership experience to the position,” said MCAA president, Philip McCall ’69. Burnett’s appointment became effective July 1, 2008. ■ W I N T E R

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alumninews Recruiting Effort Gets Boost with Morehouse Alumni Recruitment Team WHEN JAY SHEATS ’93 got the request to help his alma mater, he did not hesitate. The College is in the midst of fierce competition with other colleges and universities to recruit a stellar pool of African American young men each year for its 800 freshman spots. That’s where Sheats and other alumni come in. Terrance Dixon ’87, associate dean of Admissions and Recruitment, and Henry Goodgame ’84, director of Alumni Relations, have formed the Morehouse Alumni Recruitment Team (MART). The group will serve as an extra front in the recruitment battle for prospective students in 15 cities. MART will follow up with students who have been the focus of the College’s recruiters. “We want to make sure we are arming our Admissions and Recruitment staff with people in these cities,” Goodgame said. “We did a similar program in 2004 and we thought with the challenge of finding Renaissance Men, we needed to do a refresher.”

Terrence Dixon ’87, associate dean of Admissions and Recruitment, leads a MART session.

Dixon said the MART members, who represent a wide range of class years going back to the mid-1960s, will help in the interviewing process, the follow-up process, on-the-ground recruiting and with measuring the quality and character of prospective men of Morehouse. “We’re doing something a little bit different,” Dixon told MART members. “You guys will serve as a support organization to the recruitment team by attending local job fairs, presenting for your local recruitment information sessions and interviewing during the admissions process.” Fifteen alumni came to campus a day early during Homecoming weekend in October to attend a three-hour training session with Dixon and Goodgame.

They were given an overview of the College’s recruiting efforts, trained in character assessment and interviewing techniques and shown the kinds of things they should focus on when trying to help the College to “seal the deal” with prospective. That’s what attracted Sheats. “There’s an urgent need for us to give back,” he said. “People have laid foundations for me particularly and many of us before, so there’s no excuse for me not to do the same to help others out.” Said Dixon: “I need you to interview them and I need you to talk to them. The market is just that competitive. But this is about fit.” ■ -AS

Duke Bradley III ’98 to Open ‘Mays Prep’ in New Orleans OVER THE PAST YEAR and a half, Duke Bradley III ’98 has been engaged in the education reform movement in New Orleans, La. Earlier this year, he submitted an application to the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Schools to open a Type-5 transformation charter school. After defending his 200-page charter to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, Bradley received word that the school has been approved and will open in fall 2009. The school will be officially known as Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School—Mays Prep for short—named in honor of Morehouse’s legendary sixth president. Bradley relocated to New Orleans from Atlanta to participate in the highly selective New Leaders for New Schools Principal training program and is currently completing the New Schools for New Orleans School Founder Fellowship. A native of Columbus, Ga., he received a bachelor’s degree in English from Morehouse in 1998. While at Morehouse, he served as president of the Benjamin E. Mays Teacher Scholars MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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Program, which positioned him for acceptance in the Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) at Phillips Academy in Andover, Md. Bradley went on to complete graduate studies as a fellow at Brown University. He is also a 2003 graduate of John Marshall Law School and will soon complete requirements toward his doctorate in educational administration. Over the past 10 years, he has taught on the secondary and post-secondary levels, worked for educational non-profits, presented research at national and international conferences, and served as an intern for US. Congressman John Lewis, where he conducted research on educational policy. Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School will be an openenrollment public charter school (Pre-K thru 8th grade) that serves the children of New Orleans. The school’s mission is to prepare every student for success in high school, college and beyond. ■

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classnotes 19 7 0 s Jerry Braswell ’74 was recently awarded the North Carolina Governor’s “Old North State Award” for community service. He was honored for streamlining courtroom and jail activities to reduce overcrowding, which saved the state approximately $800,000 in one year. His courtroom is ranked No. 1 in the state of North Carolina in the disposition of criminal cases. C. Victor Lander ’75 was recently appointed administrative judge, or chief judge, for the Municipal Courts of the City of Dallas, Texas. In this role, he is the judiciary department director for the City of Dallas and responsible for the operations of the 10 Municipal Courts, in a city of 1,300,000 residents, as well as a budget for the courts in excess of $3 million. Asa Yancy Jr. ’75 was recently named one of the top doctors in Denver, Colo., by 5280 Magazine for the eighth consecutive year. He specializes in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. Shelton “Spike” Lee ’79 was recently honored by Chrysler with the 6th Annual Behind the Lens Award. The Chrysler Foundation will donate $25,000 in Lee’s name to Morehouse. The donation will benefit the Morehouse College Journalism and Sports Program that was created to expand the field of sports journalism for African American students. The program, which began with seed money donated by Lee, launched its first course offerings in January 2007. To date, Lee’s efforts have raised more than $1 million to benefit the program.

19 8 0 s David Morrow ’80, director of the Morehouse College Glee Club, recently conducted the group when it performed for the soundtrack of a recent movie, Miracle at St. Ana, produced by Shelton “Spike” Lee ’79. Dewey Clayton ’81 was recently promoted to professor of political science at the University of Louisville. He also is the author of the book African Americans and the Politics of Congressional Redistricting. Lee B. Stephens III ’81 was been appointed chief administrator for the Asia Pacific region for The Bank of New York Mellon. He joined the bank in 1990 and previously served as a member of the Global Client Management team where, as executive vice president and head of public sector banking, he led the company’s efforts in the U.S. covering key supranational, government, municipal, endowment and foundation and other public tax-exempt enterprises. A. Scott Bolden ’84 was recently honored by the National Partnership for Community Leadership (NPCL) with its 2008 Favorite Father Award for outstanding leadership as a father and role model in the community and for improving the well-being of children and families. The award was given at NPCL’s 10th Annual International Conference at Gallaudet University Kellogg Conference Hotel in Washington, D.C. Rufus H. Rivers ’86 was recently appointed to the board of directors for Thomas & Betts Corporation. He is a managing director of RLJ Equity Partners, LLC, part of which, RLJ Equities, is a private investment firm focusing on middle-market companies in the media, consumer products and professional services sectors. In 2005, Rivers became a member of the Morehouse Leadership Circle of Donors when he contributed $100,000 to name a classroom in The Leadership Center at Morehouse and supported the Board Opportunity Fund. Prior to joining RLJ Equity, Rivers

served as co-founder and managing director of Carlyle Mezzanine Partners, L.P., a private debt and equity fund associated with The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest investment firms. He also has held executive positions with TCW/Crescent Mezzanine LLC, Heller Financial, Inc. and the First National Bank of Chicago. Stuart J. (a.k.a. Stu James) Flemister ’89 recently reprised the role of “Harpo” in the Color Purple at the Fox Theatre in his hometown of Atlanta. He performed on Broadway as “Benny” in Rent. His movie credits include Bill Condon’s Dreamgirls; Downtown A Street Tale; House of Grim and the D.K. Holmes feature Burning Sands. Television audiences know him from roles on General Hospital, All My Children and Barbershop. Flemister is currently putting the finishing touches on his debut album Love Is (www.myspace.com/stujameslive) and he is working on a one-man show titled Son of the South.

19 9 0 s Tony Lamar Burks II ‘93 has been awarded a doctorate of education in educational leadership after successfully defending his dissertation titled “Testifying: A Case Study of Students’ Perceptions of Experiences as Members of a School-Based Youth Court at an Early College High School.” Burks recently accepted a dual appointment as executive director of Small School Innovation and an assistant superintendent with the San Diego Unified School District. In his new roles, he supports a cohort of 18 small high schools, an early college, and a middle college and leads district-wide efforts to establish early and middle college high schools. Richard Watkins ’97 was recently appointed to the associate board of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. The Chicago Committee is a membership-based, non-profit organization

Nicholas Austin ‘06 Hired by D.C. Law Firm Nicholas Austin ‘06 has been hired to work in the law firm Foley & Lardner LLP in its Washington, D.C., office. He graduated from Georgetown Law School in May 2009. While at Georgetown, he was elected president of the Georgetown Black Law Students Association and a member of Georgetown’s Barristers’ Council, Appellate Advocacy Division. Austin also was appointed to serve as assistant director of Appellate Advocacy for the Council. He and a teammate also competed in the European Law Students Association (ELSA) Moot Court Competition and battled against eight law schools from the U.S. and Canada for the chance to represent North America in the ELSA Moot Court World Finals. His team qualified to represent North America in Geneva, Switzerland, for the world finals in April. W I N T E R

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classnotes founded in 1987 as a networking and support organization for minority lawyers practicing in big law firms. Watkins joins a board of 13 other minority attorneys from law firms throughout Chicago. He is employed by Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the nation.

with the Charlotte Chapter of the Morehouse 2 0 0 0 s Alumni Association and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Charlotte. He also was recently Jasaun “Jay” Boone ’01, veteran featured in The Charlotte Post for changing political consultant and managing partner the lives of students and making them into of Gateway Strategies LLC, has entered the masters of math, English and finance. world of journalism as a political commentator and Democratic strategist for Fox News and MSNBC Networks. Boone provided commentary to the two major networks for the presidential electoral cycle, beginning with the race between Barack Obama and John McCain during summer 2008. He can be seen during various news segments throughout the week. Harold Martin ’02 was recently honored by The Bert King Foundation for his dedication to service and history of TERRANCE DAVID CARROLL ’92 was raised in one of the worst neighacademic, professional and leadership borhoods in Washington, D.C., by a single mother. But his mother, the accomplishments at Yale Law School. daughter of sharecroppers, expected greatness from her only child—and Each year, several members of the African Carroll delivered. Carroll, a fourth-term U.S. representative, recently American Student Union are presented became the first African American Speaker of the House for Colorado. with this award to recognize their poten“My mother didn’t have more than a third-grade education. She tial, determination and self-awareness to was the daughter of a sharecropper and the granddaughter of a slave,” make significant contributions to society. said Carroll after his election. “I saw her doing the worst kind of work Jimmy L. Davis ’02 was recently - on her hands and knees cleaning other people’s homes for most of Terrance David Carroll ’92 hired as a consultant to Development her life - yet she still taught me that it was our responsibility to make Dimensions International (DDI) in New York a way for other people and to be a voice for others. She taught me City. He will provide hiring and development that, though we lacked money, we still had the ability to make a difference in people’s lives. I take that role solutions to DDI clients for this global advocating for other people - very seriously. Almost everything I’ve done goes back to my role as a voice for human resource consulting firm. Prior to other people.” joining DDI, Davis was employed at The Carroll chose to attend Morehouse because he wanted to feel he was part of something greater than Home Depot, including positions in merghimself. “Morehouse gave me that opportunity,” he said. ers and acquisitions, talent management, Professors like Aaron Parker ’75 of the philosophy and religion department significantly influenced his staffing and most recently, diversity and theological development, and Hamid Taqi, Abraham Davis ’61 and Tobe Johnson ’54 of the political science inclusion. He also served as an adjunct department were the mentors behind his political development, he said. professor of psychology at Morehouse “But above all, Morehouse’s culture of excellence, commitment to community service and the and Spelman colleges and was honored expectation that Morehouse men be leaders—all three of which reinforced what I learned from my as Black Engineer of the Year by mother—have shaped my life and career,” he said. “It was the knowledge that I had a responsibility to Lockheed Martin and an engineering make a difference in my community.” deans council from historically black colThe fact that he is making that difference is irrefutable. Besides being a politician, Davis is also a lawyer leges and universities. and an ordained Baptist minister. His ability to tackle diverse interests began at Morehouse. Ashton Dunn ’08 has been hired as “I was president of Chi Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. During my senior year, I was also SGA a digital media analyst for Fry Hammond chief of staff during Otis Moss III’s tenure as SGA president,” he recalled. “I was also very active as a volunBarr, a leading, full-service marketing and teer in various community groups in Atlanta.” communications agency based in Orlando, He graduated with honors with a degree in political science and continues to be involved with his alma Fla. As digital media analyst, Dunn is mater as an active member of the Colorado Chapter of the Morehouse Alumni Association. In 2006 and responsible for the monitoring and analysis 2008, he was on the planning committee for the Morehouse College Glee Club’s performance in Denver. of interactive campaigns and website useLiving the lessons from his mother and Morehouse, Carroll now offers the following advice to students: ability. Dunn’s previously worked at Apple, “I encourage future Morehouse Men to follow the example of Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays by pursuing excelGrapevine Notlobbyists, Inc. and the City of lence in scholarship, service and leadership.” —Richard Jones Orlando. Elijah Watson ’98 was honored by the Charlotte North Carolina Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance as the Mentor of the Year for his exceptional work founding and managing the STARS [Striving Together Achieving Real Solutions] Academy, a local tutoring and mentoring group in partnership

Profilesin Leadership

Expected to Lead Terrance Carroll ’92

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classnotes Births Aaron Ellison '98 and his wife, Raycinia, are the proud parents of a son, Aiden Jacob, born on Jan. 28, 2009, in Charlotte, N.C.

Marriages Katende Kinene ’02 was married to Sanyu Senkolo on March 15, 2008. Curtis W. Douglass '92 was married to his wife, Capucina, on June 21, 2008.

Passages William Amos “Bill” McGill ’47 recently passed away in Detroit. McGill retired after a stellar career in many arenas. He was the principal for Statesboro Junior High School, Statesboro, Ga., and political science teacher at both Grambling State University and Wayne County Community College. He held numerous positions in both the City of Detroit, Wayne County government and the State of Michigan. Elliot Ernest Franks III ’56 passed on Oct. 16, 2008. In 1964, he managed marketing activities for the Atlantic Bottling Corporation (now known as Pepsico) for black retail outlets in South Carolina. His illustrious career in public service began as the director of Economic Development and Employment for the Columbia Urban League in 1967. He even-

Save the Dates HOMECOMING 2009 October 19-25, 2009 143RD FOUNDER’S DAY CONVOCATION February 11, 2010 • King Chapel REFLECTIONS OF EXCELLENCE February 13, 2010 • King Chapel “A CANDLE IN THE DARK” GALA February 13, 2010 • Hyatt Regency

Lionel C. Barrow Jr. ’48 Served As Howard’s Dean of the School of Communications LIONEL C. BARROW JR. ’48 passed away on Jan. 23, 2009, just days after he witnessed the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. The election of the nation’s first black president was a fitting end to a life of fervent political involvement, which began in the ’60s with the Unity Democratic Club in Brooklyn, N.Y., that resulted in the successful election of Rep. Shirley Chisholm to the U.S. Congress to his recent campaigning for Obama as he sought to become a super delegate. Barrow, an educator, journalist and civil rights activist, graduated from Morehouse in 1948. He was initiated into Alpha Rho chapter, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, at the College in May 1944. Throughout his distinguished life and career, he provided leadership to many organizations. In 1968, he became vice president and associate director of research for the nation’s third oldest advertising agency, Foote, Cone and Belding in New York. He served as dean of the School of Communications at Howard University from 1975 to 1985, during which time the school radio station was established. As a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), Barrow founded the Ad Hoc Committee on Minority Education in an effort to recruit, train and place minorities in communications. In 1970, he founded and became the acting head of the Minorities and Communication Division of AEJMC. The AEJMC honored him by establishing the Lionel C. Barrow Scholarship in 1970 and by giving him its Presidential Award in 1997. Barrow is survived by his wife, Frederica, five daughters, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. ■

tually was appointed by Gov. Richard Riley as the president and chief executive officer of the Jobs Economic Development Authority. Daniel Arthur Williams Jr. ’49 recently passed away in New Britain, Conn. Richard G. Griffin Jr. ’49 recently passed away. During his distinguished career, Griffin served as director of library services at the New York Institute of Technology, director of library and information services at Fayetteville State University, and was commissioned to the rank of captain in the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Alexander “A.C.” Brown ‘61 recently passed. His funeral was held at Salem Bible Church in Atlanta where he served as an elder. Brown was retired from the City of Atlanta Housing Authority and, while at Morehouse, became a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. William James Harding ’63 recently passed. His funeral was held at

Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta. The family has requested donations be made to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in his honor. Melvin Earl Walker III ’95 recently died as the result of a motorcycle accident. Celebration of Life services were held at the Peach County Comprehensive High School in Fort Valley, Ga. He was employed by Warner Robins Air Force Base (WRAFB) as a mechanical engineer for the past six years. While there, he received a letter of commendation for his work on the Lavatory Service Truck Improvement/Safety Modification. Ryan Smith ’99 recently died after a long battle with lymphoma at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He was a first-year ensemble member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s prestigious artist development program. This past spring, after

years of setbacks and struggles, Smith fulfilled a dream when he sang on stage at the Metropolitan Opera, playing the minor role of “Don Ricardo” in the rarely performed Verdi opera Ernani. Makoyle Pambi ’03 recently died as the result of an automobile accident in Macon, Ga. Pambi was the son of Daniel Pambi, curator and instructor in the chemistry department at Morehouse. His funeral was held on campus in Sale Hall Chapel on Jan. 24. Jasiri L. Whipper ’06 died from injuries suffered after a vehicle struck him on Interstate 95 in South Carolina. Whipper, a reporter for The Post and Courier newspapers, covered North Charleston and Berkeley County community news. ■

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“It is these intimate encounters I’ve shared that inspire me towards service, so that the quiet voices of the famished, poor and oppressed can still be heard during the pivotal discussions on our society’s future.”

‘MOREHOUSE INSPIRED

By Michael Young ’06

lthough some would define ‘diverse HBCU’ as an oxymoron, it was the breadth of cultures, interests and values flowing throughout the Morehouse student body that most inspired me to travel. After graduation, I found myself at the London School of Economics, a wellblended community reputed for vaulting across the typical racial and religious divides of Europe. London was full of ethnic enclaves permeating nearly every Metro stop; but my journey spilled over to France, Scotland and Spain, where I discovered entirely new worlds of food, music and art. A new, broader perspective awaited my return home. My mother, Dr. Joyce Young, was the first of her humble Kittitian family to graduate high school. Needless to say, the value of education was wellrespected at home, which is why the pursuit of a degree in physics brought me to none other than Morehouse College. It was during my time in Atlanta that I realized how the absence of educational opportunity could cripple a community. Watching unemployment and despair run parallel through the streets of the city hailed as the black mecca genuinely moved me. It was late in the fall of 2006 in Durham, N.C., when I linked this Morehouse inspiration with meaningful action. My father, a life-time educator and engineer, lent his experience to help me incorporate an academicenhancement non-profit established to serve our metro communities. Although the services offered have evolved since that time, Osborne Educational Services still rests on a basic devotion to delivering science and math tutorials for students in need, at flexible, affordable rates.

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Young on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

TheRoadTaken The following year, I was blessed with even further opportunities to live out the servant-leader ethos imbued by our alma mater. As a University of North Carolina (UNC) master of public administration student, I became part of the largest, university-based government advisory organization in the United States. Presenting an opportunity to master the principles of public service management, organizational leadership, and policy analysis, the coursework was riveting. The program also provided a field of student development activities, such as public-sector consulting projects. My first consulting assignment: To draft a housing development bid procurement

responsible for his case translated his language and the legal question into something I could understand. No sooner than I left the office, the heavy weight of this new duty descended on me. Only a newly developed sense of urgency allowed me to plow through the murky field of immigration law to deliver some much-needed answers to the client. Over the following weeks, we filed the appropriate papers. The summer I clerked at the North Carolina Court of Appeals brought multiple lessons on how the rule of law is truly the cornerstone of our society. In the chambers of the second most senior judge of what was reverentially referred

the subsequent years, it couldn’t possibly be overstated how influential my time at Morehouse College was in molding the image of the man I am today, as well as the one I hope to be tomorrow. ■ _________________________

Michael Young ‘06, a Durham, N.C., native, is in his third year of a joint-degree J.D./master of public administration program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He may be contacted at michael@unc.edu.

ME TO BECOME A SERVANT-LEADER’ policy for the Town of Chapel Hill’s Housing Department. Following months of research, countless meetings and tireless effort, I helped design a plan aimed at creating local jobs and enhancing the businesses of minority and women entrepreneurs. Ensuring alignment with HUD federal guidelines, North Carolina law, and local community needs was certainly challenging, but it piqued my interest in the legal field, and I began forming my own notions of social justice. Then, I took the next step. A year later, while jointly enrolled at UNC’s law school, I was confronted by an unexpected challenge. An Eastern European immigrant, recently convicted of a state felony, saw the refugee status he rested upon the past four years quickly receding from beneath his feet. This pro bono matter was the first time I had to wrestle a legal question with more at stake than my grade in a course. It was eerily exciting. I met him at the local office of an international law firm. There, his wife and the partner

to as “the working court,” there was no space for an idle mind. I spent that summer buried in memos, briefs and opinions. But in a generous exchange, almost daily, Judge Wynn provided a bounty of invaluable judicial gems. Judge Wynn worked as a JAG officer and was chair of the ABA Judicial Committee. The passion with which he advocated for justice throughout his several stations was monumental. As a parting gift on my final day, an aged copy of Simple Justice accompanied an inspirational, but sober charge: “They will try, but don’t let them stop you.” With all of these inspirational memories fixed in my mind, the concept of public service has gradually evolved from the abstract onus it once was to a more comfortable, unassuming fixture in my life. It is these intimate encounters that inspire me towards service, so that the quiet voices of the famished, poor and oppressed can still be heard during the pivotal discussions on our society’s future. Although this essay reflects mostly upon W I N T E R

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and Lorna Douglass Lindsay

Education Bachelor of Science, Morehouse College, 1975; Medical Degree, Yale Medical School, 1979; Master of Public Health, Emory University, 1991

Passions Married to Lorna Douglass for 28 years; Sons, Jonathon, 24, a 2006 Morehouse graduate, and Kenneth, 20, a senior at Emory University

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