Letter from the President

Graduating the Tempered Radical

Dear Morehouse Community and Friends:

Morehouse College’s significance to the Black community and the world at large cannot be overstated. Founded 155 years ago, Morehouse has been acknowledged throughout its history as a foremost contributor of Black male excellence. Producing leaders in all aspects of society and professional life—social activism, politics, religion, the arts, education, business, science, technology, law, medicine, and more—the College has carved a distinctive and unmatched niche in higher education for men of color.

But, what makes Morehouse College relevant in the 21st century? With Ivy League institutions, prestigious state universities, and selective liberal arts colleges all competing for qualified Black men to attend their institutions, do we remain pertinent to higher education? Is Morehouse still needed today?

The answer is an emphatic, “Yes.” As any alumnus will tell you, a first-class education is only one part of the brotherhood of Morehouse Men. The nurturing and undergirding of spirit that happens at Morehouse is unlike any other institution of higher learning—and is as relevant now as it was in 1867. While access to other venues for education has dramatically changed since the 1960s, the need for a supportive environment specifically designed to educate and empower Black men to take on leadership roles is as crucial today as it was at our inception.

Martin Luther King Jr., Julian Bond, Maynard Jackson, Lerone Bennett Jr., George Crockett Jr., and countless more of Morehouse’s 22,000+ celebrated alumni have transformed history and shaped human progress over the last century. We have been developing Men of Consequence since our inception—that is our unique place in the world. But Morehouse is not a static institution that once produced great men. We are a living organism—reacting to our environment, engaging with it, and challenging and forging new iterations of it.

If our present tells us anything, it is that the men that Morehouse graduates— tempered radicals as adept in chemistry or entrepreneurship as in social justice— are every bit as needed now as they were 150 years ago, or 60 years ago, or last year. Morehouse Men, such as Raphael Warnock, Jeh Johnson, David Satcher, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Calvin Butts Jr., and C. David Moody Jr., are a sampling of today’s tempered radicals.

Morehouse College is at a critical juncture in its evolution, and that is why we have launched this exciting effort to raise $500 million for Making Men of Consequence: The Campaign for Morehouse College. Our goals are ambitious and far-reaching: grow our international footprint, modernize our infrastructure, recruit new faculty at the top of their fields, and expand our ability to offer scholarship support to any deserving student—all geared toward making a lasting global impact as we continue to produce exceptional leaders for our exceptional times.

To realize our global vision, we must be innovative in our planning, visionary in our execution, and resourceful in forging ahead. I am asking you to invest in this remarkable institution and play a part in developing tempered radicals who will shape thought leadership for decades to come. With your generous support, we can continue our legacy of producing Morehouse Men who excel, who lead, and who change the world.

We cannot succeed without you. Together, we are custodians of one of the world’s most important higher education institutions. Together, we can ensure that Morehouse College continues to graduate stellar Men of Consequence.

Best regards,

David A. Thomas, PH.D. President