Convocation
Celebrating the 158th Anniversary of the Founding of the College
Thursday, February Thirteenth, Two Thousand Twenty-Five 10:45 a.m.
Then and Now
In 1867, two years after the Civil War ended, Augusta Institute was established in the basement of Silver Bluff Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga.—the oldest independent African American church in the United States. The school’s primary purpose was to prepare Black men for ministry and teaching. Today, Augusta Institute is Morehouse College, which is located on a 66-acre campus in Atlanta and enjoys an international reputation for producing leaders who have influenced national and world history.
Augusta Institute was founded by the Rev. William Jefferson White, an Augusta Baptist minister, cabinetmaker and journalist, with the encouragement of the Rev. Richard C. Coulter, a former slave from Augusta, Ga., and the Rev. Edmund Turney, organizer of the National Theological Institute for educating freedmen in Washington, D.C. The Rev. Dr. Joseph T. Robert, trained minister, physician, and the father of the author of “Robert’s Rules of Order,” was appointed the Institute’s first President by William Jefferson White.
In 1879, Augusta Institute was invited by the Rev. Frank Quarles to move to the basement of Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta, and the school changed its name to Atlanta Baptist Seminary. Later, the Seminary moved to a 4-acre lot near the site on which the Richard B. Russell Federal Building now stands in downtown Atlanta. Following Robert’s death in 1884, David Foster Estes, a professor at the Seminary, served as the institution’s first Acting President.
In 1885, when Dr. Samuel T. Graves was named the second President, the institution relocated to its current site in Atlanta’s West End community. The campus encompasses a Civil War historic site, where Union forces battled Confederate soldiers during William Tecumseh Sherman’s famous siege of Atlanta in 1864. The land was a gift of John D. Rockefeller. Atlanta Baptist Seminary became Atlanta Baptist College in 1897, during the administration of Dr. George Sale, a Canadian who served as the third and youngest President from 1890 to 1906.
skills. Atlanta Baptist College, already a leader in preparing African Americans for teaching and the ministry, expanded its curriculum and established the tradition of educating leaders for all areas of American life. In addition to attracting a large number of talented faculty and administrators, Hope contributed much to the institution we know today.
Upon the death of the College’s founder in 1913, Atlanta Baptist College was named Morehouse College in honor of Henry L. Morehouse, the corresponding secretary of the Northern Baptist Home Mission Society. Dr. Samuel H. Archer became the fifth President of the College in 1931 and headed the institution during the Great Depression. He gave the school its colors, maroon and white, the same as those of his alma mater, Colgate University. Archer retired for health reasons in 1937. Dr. Charles D. Hubert served as the third Acting President until 1940, when Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays became the sixth President of Morehouse College.
A nationally noted educator and a mentor to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’48, Mays is recognized as the architect of Morehouse’s international reputation for excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. During the presidency of Mays, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bates College and the University of Chicago, the number of faculty members grew and those holding doctoral degrees increased from two to 34 out of 65 teachers. The College earned global recognition as scholars from other countries joined the faculty, an increasing number of international students enrolled, and fellowships and scholarships for study abroad became available. Morehouse received full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1957, and Mays’ 14-year effort to win a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Morehouse was realized in 1968.
A new era dawned when Acting President John Hope became the fourth President in 1906, characterized by expanded academic offerings and increased physical facilities. Hope was the College’s First African American President, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University and a pioneer in the field of education who has been recognized as the first “civil rights President” in the American Academy. He encouraged an intellectual climate comparable to that of his alma mater and openly challenged Booker T. Washington’s view that education for African Americans should emphasize vocational and agricultural
In 1967, Dr. Hugh Morris Gloster ’31, was selected by Dr. Mays to become the first alumnus to serve as President of the College. Under his leadership, Morehouse strengthened its Board of Trustees, conducted a successful $20-million fundraising campaign, grew the endowment from $3 million to more than $29 million and added 12 buildings to the campus, including the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. The Rev. Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter Sr. became the first Dean of the Chapel in 1979. Morehouse established a dual-degree program in engineering with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, and Boston University. Gloster also founded the Morehouse School of Medicine, which became an independent institution, in 1981. He appointed Dr. Louis Wade Sullivan ’54, its first dean; Sullivan later became the school’s first President.
Samuel T. Graves Hall
Hugh M. Gloster ’31 and Benjamin E. Mays
Then and Now
In 1987, Dr. Leroy Keith Jr. ’61, was named eighth President of Morehouse. During the Keith administration, the College’s endowment increased to more than $60 million and faculty salaries and student scholarships significantly increased. Construction of the Nabrit-Mapp-McBay science building was completed. In 1994, Nima A. Warfield, a member of the graduating class that year, was named the College’s first U.S. Rhodes Scholar. The “A Candle in the Dark” Gala was founded in 1989 to raise scholarship funds.
In October 1994, Wiley Abron Perdue ’57, vice president for business affairs, was appointed the fourth Acting President of Morehouse. Under his leadership, national memorials were erected to honor Dr. Benjamin E. Mays and internationally noted theologian Dr. Howard W. Thurman ’23. Perdue launched an initiative to upgrade the College’s academic and administrative computer information systems and undertook construction of a 5,700-seat gymnasium, which served as a basketball venue for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
On June 1, 1995, Dr. Walter Eugene Massey ’58 was named the ninth President of Morehouse College. A noted physicist and university administrator, Massey called on the Morehouse community to renew its longstanding commitment to a culture of excellence. Before joining the College, Massey had held several notable positions, including dean of the college and professor of physics at Brown University, professor of physics and vice president for research at the University of Chicago, director of the National Science Foundation, and senior vice president and provost of the University of California System. Under Massey’s leadership, Morehouse expanded its dual-degree program in natural sciences with Georgia Tech, and launched the Center for Excellence in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics with a $6.7-million Defense Department grant and established a new African American studies program and a center for international studies named for former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young. The College was reaccredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Division of Business Administration and Economics was accredited by the American Association of Schools and Colleges of Business, making Morehouse one of only a handful of liberal arts colleges in the nation with both AASCB accreditation and a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
During Massey’s tenure, two more Rhodes Scholars were named—Chris Elders in 2002 and Oluwabusayo “Tope” Folarin in 2004. In June 2006, the College successfully completed Morehouse’s most ambitious capital campaign as of that date—raising a record $112 million, which exceeded the campaign’s goal of $105 million. The same year, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin raised $34 million to give to Morehouse College to acquire the Martin Luther King Jr. Collection. Today, Morehouse is the permanent custodian of this coveted collection, which includes more than 13,000 hand-written notes, sermons, letters, books, and other artifacts belonging to its most noted alumnus, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’48.
On July 1, 2007, the Rev. Dr. Robert Michael Franklin Jr. ’75 was appointed the 10th President of Morehouse College. The former president of the Interdenominational Theological Center had previously served as presidential distinguished professor of social ethics at the Candler School of Theology and senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, both at Emory University. During his tenure, Franklin led the institution forward with his vision of the “Morehouse Renaissance,” further elevating public confidence in the College’s continuing stature as a premier institution providing a high-quality education and enhancing the intellectual and moral dimension of Morehouse’s mission and mystique. In part, he accomplished this by establishing the concept of the “Five Wells,” an ideal to cultivate men of Morehouse as “Renaissance men with social conscience and global perspective” who are well-read, well-spoken, well-traveled, well-dressed, and well-balanced. Under Franklin’s leadership, the College reaffirmed its commitment to academic rigor, underscored by reaccreditation in 2009 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In a $20-million project initiated by Massey, Franklin oversaw the completion and opening of the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and Aretha Robinson Music Academic Building, a 75,000-square-foot facility named after the late, legendary musician. Franklin led and supported cultivation efforts—such as establishing the Renaissance Commission, a blue-ribbon group of 150 influential volunteer stakeholders—which increased the total number of new donors by 4,500. The College had generated more than $68 million in institutional funds ($33 million during the silent phase of the comprehensive capital campaign) and $60 million in restricted funds from federal sources.
After a period of transitional leadership, Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79, an accomplished university administrator, professor, and former executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, stepped into office as the College’s 11th President on Jan. 28, 2013. Under his leadership, the College improved student achievement across a wide range of metrics. In addition, Wilson played a pivotal role in bringing President Barack Obama to Morehouse as the Commencement speaker in 2013, and, in
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center
The Martin Luther King Jr. Collection
Walter E. Massey ’58
Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75
Then and Now
2015, hosting then Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. In 2016, Prince Abudu became the College’s first international Rhodes Scholar, making him the fourth Rhodes Scholar the College has produced.
President Wilson served the College for four years, ending his tenure on April 7, 2017. William James Taggart, a graduate of Howard and Harvard universities, assumed the role of the sixth Acting President of the College after serving as the chief operating officer at Morehouse since 2015. Tragically, just two months after his appointment, Taggart suddenly passed away on June 8, 2017. Two Acting Presidents then led the campus, including Harold Martin Jr. ’02, who left the Morehouse Board of Trustees temporarily to accept the appointment as the eighth Acting President.
In October 2017, the Morehouse College Board of Trustees voted to appoint Dr. David A. Thomas as the institution’s 12th President, ushering in a transformative era of leadership. A distinguished scholar with 30 years of experience in higher education, Thomas holds advanced degrees from Yale and Columbia universities and previously served as a professor at Harvard Business School and dean of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Since taking office at Morehouse in January 2018, he has prioritized financial stability, academic excellence, and institutional growth. In his first year alone, applications increased by more than 40%, and Morehouse celebrated its fifth Rhodes Scholar, Franck Nijimbere, solidifying its position as the top HBCU producer of Rhodes Scholars.
Fundraising has been a cornerstone of Thomas’ presidency, securing more than $320 million toward the College’s $500 million “Making Men of Consequence” Campaign—the
most ambitious campaign in Morehouse’s history. This effort has fueled scholarships, faculty research, and campus enhancements, including a $20 million anonymous gift to establish seven endowed professorships. Additionally, in February 2025, Morehouse launched its “Campus of the Future” initiative, breaking ground on a 324-bed residence hall—its first new building since 2010—with plans for a 58,000-square-foot Campus Center to follow. These enhancements reflect Thomas’ commitment to strengthening Morehouse’s infrastructure and expanding student resources.
Under his leadership, Morehouse has expanded academic offerings, establishing the Black Men’s Research Institute, the Center for Broadening Participation in Computing, and the Morehouse Real Estate Institute, among others, and forging a partnership with the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which moved to Morehouse from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023. His vision includes making Morehouse a “need-blind” institution, ensuring that financial barriers do not limit access to a world-class education.
The College has climbed national rankings, breaking into the top 100 liberal arts colleges and solidifying its position as the #5 HBCU in the nation while excelling in undergraduate teaching and social mobility. Despite more than half of Morehouse students coming from households earning $40,000 or less, they continue to be highly recruited by Fortune 500 companies, showcasing the exceptional return on investment of a Morehouse education.
Thomas has also elevated Morehouse’s national profile, turning it into a premier stage for political and social discourse. Within three years, the College hosted U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris— twice each and once together—highlighting its role as a hub for leadership and democracy. President Biden served as the 2024 Commencement speaker, reinforcing Morehouse’s significance in shaping the nation’s future. Thomas’ leadership, marked by resilience, innovation, and strategic vision, has solidified Morehouse College’s legacy as a leading institution for developing the next generation of Black male leaders.
Barack H. Obama II
The 44th President of the United States
David A. Thomas
2025 FOUNDER’S DAY Convocation
PRESIDING:
Kendrick Brown, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
PRE-CEREMONIAL MUSIC
PROCESSIONAL
CALL TO CONVOCATION
PRESENTATION OF COLORS
RECOGNITIONS
INTRODUCTION OF THE FOUNDER’S REPRESENTATIVE
RINGING OF THE 1787 SILVER BLUFF SPRINGFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH BELL
EVOCATION
THE OCCASION
GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF THE 2025 OTIS MOSS JR. AND OTIS MOSS III ORATORICAL CONTEST WINNERS
“Praise to the Lord” by Emma Lou Diemer
“War March of the Priests” by Felix Mendelssohn
“The Star-Spangled Banner” Text by Francis Scott Key Music by John Stafford Smith
“Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” Text by James Weldon Johnson Music by J. Rosamond Johnson
David Francis Oliver, DMA
Dr. Oliver
Provost Brown
Morehouse Color Guard and Morehouse College Glee Club
Provost Brown
Reverend Dean Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., Ph.D. Founding Dean, Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel
The Rev. Dr. Hardy Spurgeon Bennings III Founder’s Representative, Pastor, Springfield Baptist Church, Augusta, Ga.
Dean Carter
Provost Brown
A. Scott Bolden ’84 Secretary, Board of Trustees
Senior Partner, Reed Smith LLP
The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. ’56 Chairman Emeritus, Morehouse College Board of Trustees
The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III ’92
Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
MUSICAL SELECTION
INTRODUCTION OF SPEAKER
Presidential Awards of Distinction and Oil Portrait Unveilings
Alvin J. “Skip” Darden III, J.D. ’72
Former Dean of the Freshman and Senior Classes, Morehouse College
Delores B. Stephens, Ph.D. C’60
Professor Emerita and Chair, Department of English, Morehouse College
David A. Thomas, Ph.D. 12th President, Morehouse College
“Rockin’ Jerusalem” arr. Damon Dandridge Morehouse College Glee Club
President Thomas
2025 FOUNDER’S DAY Convocation
PRESIDING:
Kendrick Brown, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
FOUNDER’S DAY ADDRESS
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. ’89
Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
CLOSING REMARKS Provost Brown
CLOSING HYMN
RECESSIONAL
Chief Ceremonial Marshal
Dr. John K. Haynes ’64
Macebearer
Dr. Lance Shipman Young ’95
Marshals of the Faculty
Dr. Adria Welcher
Dr. Nina Gilbert
1st Place
George W. Gatling ’25 Religion
“Dear Old Morehouse” J.O.B. Moseley ’29
“Trumpet Voluntary”
Henry Purcell
Morehouse College Glee Club
David E. Morrow, DMA ’80, Director
David E. Morrow, DMA ’80 Professor of Music and Director of the Morehouse College Glee Club
David Francis Oliver, DMA College Organist
CEREMONIAL MARSHALS
Lead Marshals of the Students
Mr. Illya Davis ’89
Dr. Brian Lawrence
Marshals of the Students
Dr. Jamie Chavez
Dr. Michael Douglas ’97
Dr. Alison Ligon
Dr. Yohance Murray ’96
Dr. Wallace Sharif ’94
THE 2025 OTIS MOSS JR. AND OTIS MOSS III ORATORICAL CONTEST WINNERS
2nd Place
Linden M. Young ’26 Philosophy
Honorable Mention
Amari A. Coleman ’28 Computer Science
Dr. Oliver
Marshals of the Platform Party
Dr. Derrick Bryan ’04
Dr. Aisha Meeks
Dr. Robert Tanner
Marshals of the Alumni
Mr. Joseph S. Carlos III ’04
Mr. Michael Levesque ’89
3rd Place
Jeremiah E. Lowther ’26 Sociology
Honorable Mention
Michael J. Simmons ’26 Education Studies
Guest Speaker
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., J.D. ’89
Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. is a distinguished legal scholar and practitioner specializing in criminal law, criminal procedure, trial advocacy, legal ethics, and race theory. He serves as the faculty director of the Harvard Trial Advocacy Workshop and is the faculty director emeritus of the Harvard Criminal Justice Institute.
From 2009 to 2019, Sullivan made history as the first African American Faculty Dean of Winthrop House at Harvard College. He is a sought-after legal commentator, providing insights for CNN, Fox News, PBS, and other major networks. He has also been featured in leading national publications and testified before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, Sullivan earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Harvard Black Law Students Association and general editor of the Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal.
Throughout his career, Sullivan has uniquely integrated legal theory with practice, often taking on extremely challenging, high-profile cases. He secured an acquittal for former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez, for example, in a double murder case, and he successfully represented Michael Brown’s family in a wrongful death settlement with the city of Ferguson. His legal acumen also led to five not-guilty verdicts in a $1.4 billion securities fraud case in New York as well as an acquittal in one of the nation’s largest Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Fraud cases. Additionally, he served as a special prosecutor leading the case against the former governor of Missouri, culminating in the governor’s resignation.
Beyond high-profile cases, Sullivan dedicates significant time to advocating for underserved communities. He has played a pivotal role in freeing more than 6,000 wrongfully incarcerated individuals—a record unmatched in U.S. history. And in 2014, he designed and implemented a model Conviction Review Unit for Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, which became a national benchmark for conviction integrity programs.
Sullivan’s contributions extend into public policy and advisory roles. In 2008, he chaired the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee for then-Sen. Barack Obama’s
presidential campaign. He was also appointed as an advisor to the Department of Justice Presidential Transition Team. And in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2007, Sullivan developed an indigent defense system that facilitated the release of thousands of wrongfully detained individuals in New Orleans.
Internationally, Sullivan served as a visiting scholar with the Law Society of Kenya in 1994, contributing to constitutional drafting efforts and collaborating with the Kenyan Human Rights Commission to address human rights abuses.
Before his tenure at Harvard, Professor Sullivan was on the Yale Law School faculty, receiving an award for outstanding teaching in his first year. He also directed the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and practiced in major Washington, D.C., law firms, specializing in white-collar criminal defense and complex commercial litigation.
Sullivan currently serves as a governing trustee of the DanaFarber Cancer Institute and as a member of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, positions he has held since 2011.
Additionally, his extensive scholarly contributions include “Classical Racialism,” “Justice Story,” “Margaret Morgan’s Journey from Freedom to Slavery: The Story of Prigg v. Pennsylvania,” and “Multiple Ironies: Brown at 50.” He has also contributed to public discourse through articles such as “What I Teach Harvard Law Students About Opening Arguments” and “How Jurors Will Be Selected in Trump’s Legal Cases—A Criminal Law Expert Explains.”
Recipient of the Presidential Award of Distinction
Alvin J. “Skip” Darden III, J.D. ’72
Former Dean of the Freshmen and Senior Classes, Morehouse College
In a career that spanned three decades, beloved educator and retired administrator Dean Alvin J. “Skip” Darden III, J.D. ’72 served in various capacities at Morehouse College. He mentored, advised, and guided thousands of Morehouse students and molded countless leaders who have made—and are making—outstanding contributions locally, regionally, nationally, and worldwide.
Darden, currently the CEO of A.H. Darden and Associates LLC, an educational and human development consultant company, retired from Morehouse in 2020 after 25 years of service to his alma mater. Throughout his tenure, he primarily served as Associate Dean of the College for the men of Morehouse.
Darden graduated, himself, from Morehouse College with the Class of 1972. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, and 1977, he earned a Juris Doctor degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Darden has some 50 years of administrative, managerial, and quasi-legal experience in the academic, public, and private sectors. Before returning to Morehouse College, he dedicated 23 years of professional service to civil and human rights—service that positively affected the lives of countless African Americans. Specifically, he has worked in African male development and education, criminal justice, fair housing, equal employment, employment and training, and community empowerment.
During his 25-year tenure at Morehouse, Darden initiated and cofounded several rites of passage programs that inspired students to achieve their academic and graduation goals. For example, he initiated and cofounded the New Student Orientation Parent Parting Ceremony. He also developed a resource network with faculty members, departmental chairpersons, counseling center staff, and parents for students who were experiencing low motivation and stress.
Among his many other accomplishments, Darden: counseled and mentored freshmen who were enrolled on an academic provisional basis, developing and providing mentoring programs for those students with selected upperclassmen; developed a clearinghouse of information on internships, fellowships, and scholarships for sophomores; and gathered information on internships, fellowships, and scholarships for Men of the Junior Class.
In his work, specifically with seniors, Darden helped Men of the Senior Class find financial resources to help them clear any remaining balances that would prevent them from graduating. He also provided webinars for parents and guardians on the graduation process.
His professional writings and presentations include “Boy, Don’t You Turn Back: The Power of Resilience in Higher Education,” “Engaging Fathers in Higher Education,” and “The Role of Parents in Ensuring the Academic Success of African American Children in the 21st Century.”
At a surprise retirement celebration for Darden in July 2019, testimonials recounted his many acts of outstanding leadership and selfless service for 25 years at his alma mater. In a ceremony on Oct. 21, 2023, Darden was awarded the President of the United States Lifetime Achievement Award & Presidential Volunteer Service Award for his exemplary career of service to others and his contributions to building and strengthening the Atlanta community.
In 2023, he was also presented with the inaugural Dean Alvin Darden Academic Resilience Award, which the College gives to selected students who have demonstrated resiliency in their quest to achieve their Morehouse goals and aspirations.
Darden is married to Truddie E. Darden, M.D., a pediatrician. He has two daughters who are both Spelman alumnae, a son who is a Morehouse alumnus, and three grandchildren. He is also a fourth-generation HBCU graduate.
Recipient of the Presidential Award of Distinction
Delores B. Stephens, Ph.D. C’60
Professor Emerita and Chair, Department of English, Morehouse College
Renowned English scholar and trailblazing educator Delores B. Stephens, Ph.D., devoted an extraordinary 57 years to Morehouse College, beginning her tenure in 1964 and retiring in 2021. In more than 50 years of dedicated service as a professor of English at Morehouse, Stephens profoundly shaped the lives of students and colleagues with her expertise in English literature, passion for education, and commitment to academic excellence.
In fact, Stephens’ own academic journey is a testament to her lifelong passion for learning and unrelenting pursuit of excellence. She graduated as valedictorian from Spelman College, earned her master’s degree from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University), and then completed her doctorate at Emory University. Stephens’ global academic pursuits also led her to the University of London, where she earned a certificate of completion, and to the University of Exeter, where she received a Testamur.
During her years at Morehouse, Stephens mentored, guided, and inspired generations of Morehouse students. She became known for her innovative teaching methods and deep connections with students, as well as high expectations of them. When asked once what percentage of her students she thought were capable of doing something great, for example, Stephens answered: “All of my students.”
Her profound influence is reflected in the successes of many of those students, including 16-term U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee, Rhodes Scholar Nima Warfield, journalist Geoff Bennett, and attorney Randall W. Jackson.
Stephens is also known for her service and distinguished scholarship at Morehouse. She produced a prolific body of work and held numerous leadership roles, including serving multiple times as chair of the Department of English. Stephens was elected to the executive committee of the Association of Departments of English, reflecting her influence and leadership in the field. And, in 1976, Stephens also became a charter member of the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, helping to establish its chapter at Morehouse.
Throughout her distinguished career, Stephens not only garnered numerous accolades but also was honored with the prestigious Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award for the 2015-2016 academic year, underscoring her unwavering commitment to educational excellence.
“I can now say that I have taught or attempted to teach a legion of men of Morehouse,” she said after receiving the award. “I am grateful for their including me as an aid in their progress.”
In a surprise retirement celebration for Stephens, Morehouse President David A. Thomas noted that the steadfast educator had taught her Morehouse students to have a voice and gave them the tools to have those voices taken seriously.
“You pushed these young men to be even more excellent than they could be,” Thomas said. “I can’t know how you would describe your body of work, but I would describe what you did in these 50-plus years as liberation work.
“You understood, I think, deeply what no one has articulated better than Frederick Douglass, which is that becoming literate allows you to have voice, to have power in your voice, and to demand your place in the world.”
Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing
Lift ev’ry voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of liberty. Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies; Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us; Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won.
James Weldon Johnson
Dear Old Morehouse
Dear old Morehouse, dear old Morehouse, We have pledged our lives to thee; And we’ll ever, yea forever, Give ourselves in loyalty.
True forever, true forever, To old Morehouse may we be; So to bind each son the other, Into ties more brotherly.
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Make us steadfast, honest, true To old Morehouse and her ideals, And in all things that we do.
J.O.B. Moseley ’29
2025 FOUNDER’S WEEK
Schedule of Events
TUESDAY, FEB. 11
OUR HOUSE: A Celebration of Faculty Achievement | 4:30 P.M.
Join us at the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center for this memorable event as we celebrate and acknowledge our talented Morehouse faculty.
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center
Emma and Joe Adams Concert Hall
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12
Morehouse Day at the Capitol | 9 A.M.
City of Atlanta and Georgia State representatives celebrate the Morehouse community’s advocacy-in-action and connect with students and employees on equitable policies & pathways forward.
Georgia State Capitol
“The Meeting”: Martin Luther King Jr. Meets Malcolm X | 7 P.M.
“The Meeting” is a play about the brief meeting between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 1964.
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center
Emma and Joe Adams Concert Hall
THURSDAY, FEB. 13
The 158th Founder’s Day Convocation | 10:45 A.M.
GUEST SPEAKER
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., J.D.
Jesse Climenko Professor of Law
Harvard Law School
THE PRESIDENTIAL AWARD OF DISTINCTION
Delores B. Stephens, Ph.D. and Alvin J. “Skip” Darden III, J.D. ’72
Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel
Founder’s Day Cake-Cutting Ceremony | 12:30 P.M.
Chivers Dining Hall
Protestant-Catholic Hip Hop Mass | 5 P.M.
A special Mass celebrating the lives of Eunice (Kennedy) and Sargent Shriver and officiated by His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory.
Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel
“Belonging Beyond Brown” | 7 P.M.
A Morehouse Center for Excellence in Education documentary that explores the journey of Black educators and students before and after the 1954 Brown v. Board ruling.
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center
Emma and Joe Adams Concert Hall
FRIDAY, FEB. 14
SATURDAY, FEB. 15
Reflections of Excellence | 11 A.M.
MODERATOR
Trymaine D. Lee
Journalist, MSNBC Correspondent, Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winner
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center
Emma and Joe Adams Concert Hall
Founder’s Weekend Baseball
Morehouse College vs. Kentucky State University Gresham Park
The 37th Annual “A Candle in the Dark” Gala | 7:30 P.M.
Presented by The JME Group LLC
MASTERS OF CEREMONY
Brandon J. Dirden ’00 and Jason E. Dirden ’02
An exclusive evening recognizing outstanding alumni and industry luminaries who are exemplary in their professions and communities, exhibiting a commitment to leadership, excellence, and service – all while raising much-needed funds for student scholarships.
Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Centennial Ballroom
SUNDAY, FEB. 16
Morehouse College Glee Club Concert | 3 P.M.
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center
Campus of the Future Launch & Groundbreaking | 4 P.M.
The historic launch of the “Campus of the Future” Construction Project Initiative transforming the profile of Central Campus at Morehouse College.
Parking Lot between Wheeler Hall and White Hall
“Love Jones” | 7 P.M.
Special Valentine’s Day Screening of the ‘90s classic film, “Love Jones” starring Nia Long and Larenz Tate, hosted by the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival.
AUC STUDENTS: FREE | GENERAL ADM.: $10
Shirley A. Massey Executive Conference Center Bank of America Auditorium
Founder’s Day Sunday
Vesper Hour Service | 5:30 P.M.
GUEST SPEAKER
The Rev. Dr. Willie Dwayne Francois III, M.Div., D.Min., ’09
Senior Pastor, Fountain Baptist Church, Summit, N.J.; Associate Professor of Theology at Union Theological Seminary Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel