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Chapter and Class News
Dallas Fort-Worth Chapter Served Hundreds for Christmas
The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Chapter volunteered with its community partner Mercy Street Dallas to serve low-income residents of West Dallas last December, during their Christmas Co-Op. Donations of time, money and more than 200 boxes of food provided gifts for 200 families at the event. The chapter has been very active in 2020–2021, with other activities such as its joint virtual mixer with the Greater Houston Chapter and a virtual art gallery fundraiser featuring African-American and abstract art highlighting Morgan, HBCUs, the “Divine Nine,” Black Lives Matter and more. The chapter welcomes Morgan alumni who are new to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For more information, please contact msuaa.dfwchapter@ gmail.com to learn more about the DFW Chapter and fellow MSU alumni nearby.
Delaware Alumni Chapter Holds Raffle to Support Students
The Delaware Alumni Chapter is sponsoring a raffle to raise money for the chapter’s MSU College Scholarship Fund. The first prize is a new Vizio 55-inch Smart TV, the second prize is $250 cash, and the third prize is $100 cash. The raffle tickets are $10 each. The drawing of the raffle tickets will be live on Zoom. The prizes will be mailed or delivered to winning ticket holders. Tickets can be purchased by emailing the Chapter President, Howard Sharps, at hesharps@yahoo.com.
Howard County Chapter Pushes Forward Through Pandemic
The Howard County Alumni Chapter has adjusted to the “new normal,” finding creative ways to push forward with its business during the pandemic. Although unable to hold its annual scholarship awards dinner, the chapter awarded scholarships to six deserving Howard County students enrolled in Morgan. Short videos of the students — in which they introduced themselves and expressed what the scholarship meant to them — were viewed during the October chapter meeting. The chapter’s annual Thanksgiving and Christmas donations to the Howard County Food Bank were accomplished this year via an outside “drive-by/ drop-off” that yielded $1,350 in cash and 844 pounds of food. In lieu of in-person activities, fundraising to support the chapter’s scholarship fund was accomplished with a “Let’s Give Something Back Campaign.” Chapter members were asked to donate or pledge a certain amount and have already pushed past the halfway mark en route to the Fundraising Committee’s goal! Donating a certain amount gets the donor a custom MSU Howard County facemask, which is also available for purchase for $20. Another proud moment for the chapter was the creation of its website. Visit the group at MSUAA-hcc.org!
New Jersey Chapter Remains Active in the State
The New Jersey Alumni Chapter has remained an active presence in the state despite the social restrictions enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, the chapter sponsored its first-ever virtual wine tasting fundraising event. Hosted by “Love, Cork, Screw” of Chicago, the event had almost 30 alumni and friends as participants. It was a unique, fun and educational evening for all — one the chapter hopes to repeat this spring. In February, the NJ Chapter participated in its annual community service activity for the Community Food Bank of NJ, which is the largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization in New Jersey. Hosted by the HBCU-NJ Consortium for the eighth year, the NJ Chapter joined 15 other HBCU alumni chapters for the activity, which raised more than $4,800 for the food bank. As participants were not able to meet in-person, a Zoom get together was held with other members of the HBCU-NJ Consortium during the hours that would normally be spent at the food bank.
THE ALUMNI NEWS
The Alumni News is published biannually by the Office of Alumni
Relations and the Office of Public
Relations and Communications.
Any questions or concerns about this publication can be directed to: Office of Alumni Relations, Alumni House, Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251, (443) 885-3015. Northern Virginia Chapter Continues Work and Celebration
The work and celebration of the Northern Virginia Alumni Chapter (MSUNOVAAC) have continued apace. When the pandemic prevented Morgan’s in-person Homecoming last year, the chapter decided to show its “Bear Pride” by hosting a Virtual Homecoming Celebration/Happy Hour on Oct. 23, via Zoom. Later last fall, six chapter members participated in the Sixth Annual HBCU Showcase. More than 400 students registered for the virtual event, which gave the Morgan alumni — including retired U.S. Army Gen. William E. (“Kip”) Ward, ’71 — opportunities to talk with prospective MSU matriculants about the University and the benefits of attending an HBCU. In December, after a short business meeting, chapter members and their families celebrated an afternoon of fun, virtually, at MSUNOVAAC’s Annual Holiday Celebration.
Pershing Angels Alumnae Stand Strong Amidst COVID-19
The MSUAA Pershing Angels Alumnae Unit (AA-8-5) stood strong for Morgan and the broader community from fall 2020 through winter 2021. After performing a virtual salute on Facebook for Morgan’s Homecoming, sisters of the unit “Zoomed” in to support Morgan and Coppin undergraduate Pershing Angels during the Veterans Day program at Coppin State University, in November. In December, the unit shared the love of giving as Pershing Angels Elves in Baltimore City, partnering with Rosemont Interfaith Coalition to distribute adult winter care packages at Rosemont Towers and distribute Christmas toys and school supply bags to Youth of Rosemont Community. The kickoff of a High Tea Fellowship in February gave the sisters and their friends the opportunity to don fine linen and long white gloves to share the unit’s history and accomplishments. A few days later, the unit was well represented at the virtual Founders’ Day celebration of The National Society of Pershing Angels Sorority, Inc., which was founded on Morgan’s campus in 1965.
Prince George’s Alumni Chapter Gives Back to Alma Mater and Community
Despite the pandemic, the Prince George’s County Alumni Chapter (MSUPGCAC) raised its high standards for service with a number of successful activities. The chapter kicked off the giving season with its financial support of the Washington, D.C. Metro HBCU Alumni Alliance’s Hunger Initiative, providing dinner boxes for families on “A Soulful Thanksgiving.” Next, the chapter collected $350, and $200 worth of toys, clothes and toiletries, in December, for the Ronald McDonald House Charities Annual Toy and Supply Drive. Later in the month, chapter members donated $1,050 to Morgan’s Food Resource Center, to help support the approximately 65 students on campus who were unable to return home during the winter break. Volunteer service by the
DUES RENEWAL
Dues renewal begIns on July 1, 2021.
Enjoy all of the benefits of being an alumnus or alumna on an annual basis, for $35 per year: our easiest and most convenient way to contribute to the Morgan State University Alumni Association! Membership dues cover the fiscal year July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022. We look forward to your continued support! chapter benefited students in grades 11 and 12 during the Washington, D.C. Metro HBCU Alumni Alliance College Admissions Readiness Virtual Workshop, which focused on STEM, and chapter members helped organize and lead the first-ever Alumni Chapters Workshop, which focused on training to increase awareness and guidance for MSUAA chapters’ operation and management. MSUPGCAC also continued supporting Morgan students with scholarship fundraising and the award of two $1,500 scholarships to incoming freshmen. The University Memorial Chapel likewise benefited from the chapter’s giving: Chapter President Phillip David, ’87, presented a $500 check during an Embrace-the-Chapel service.
Howard L. Cornish Chapter’s Direct-Mail Campaign Raises $52,000 for Scholarships
Like many other charitable, fundraising events since the spring of 2020, the Howard L. Cornish Metropolitan Baltimore Chapter’s 36th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast, scheduled for Jan. 9, 2021, was canceled because of COVID-19. However, the chapter would not let the pandemic stop its annual tradition of awarding much-needed financial assistance to students of its alma mater. Last year, concerned that its perennially sold-out fundraiser would be preempted by the coronavirus, the chapter implemented a direct-mail campaign to ask its many dedicated supporters to donate the amount they would normally give to the MLK Breakfast. As a result of the dedication and unprecedented response of Cornish Chapter members, fellow Morgan alumni and the general public, the chapter has awarded $52,000 in scholarships to 26 deserving MSU students. The funds will be applied to the students’ Spring and Fall Semester tuition this year.
Many students now face the stress of additional financial pressures because of the economic impact of the pandemic on their families. These scholarships were welcome assistance!
Class of 1949’s Giving Reaches a Milestone
The Class of 1949’s contribution to MSU Foundation, Inc., for the Class of ’49 Alumni House Maintenance Endowment Fund has passed the $50,000 mark! Giving is an ongoing tradition for the Class of 1949, which has also made major contributions to the Harold Blackwell, Sr. Endowment Fund and the Dr. Effietee M. Payne Endowed Scholarship Fund and donated $1,949 to the University Memorial Chapel in 2019.
The class extends its thanks to the family of Alfonso Owens, ’49, for the memorabilia they donated to the Beulah M. Davis Special Collections, housed in Morgan’s Richardson Library. Thanks also to the Class of ’49 from the Class Agents, Marie Bessick and Elaine Blackwell, for making the 70th Anniversary Class Reunion a success. As it continues its accomplishments in the present, the class acknowledges the work and cherishes the memory of three of its classmates who have passed on since 2019: Dr. Nancy Arnez, Dr. Edward James and Constance B. White.
Class of 1961’s 60th Reunion Will Honor Achievement and Legacy
The Class of 1961 will hold a virtual meeting for its 60th reunion, on Friday, May 21, 2021. The class honors Morgan for giving it the tools to make a difference in the world: the tools to legislate, govern, heal body and soul, build financial wealth, teach, write, and create world ambassadors and musicians. At the reunion, the class will honor its own and acknowledge that the classmates have “fought the good fight.” For more information, contact wilsongoodesr@gmail.com. The Class of ’61 asks its members to continue their group legacy by contributing to the class endowment fund. Please make checks payable and mail them to: Morgan State University Foundation, Inc., 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, 201 Truth Hall, Baltimore MD 21251. Write “Class of ’61 Endowment Fund” on the memo line of your check.
GIVE A GIFT TO MORGAN
We are always told, “It is better to give than receive.”
So, on your birthday, anniversary, graduation, holiday or any other significant day in your life, honor your alma mater by giving a gift to Morgan State University! Visit www.givetomorgan. com, and click on “Give Now,” or make your check payable and mail it to: MSU Foundation, Inc., 201 Truth Hall, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251.
Class of 1969 Continues Its Giving
The Class of 1969 appreciates its members’ generous financial and other support of Morgan’s 2020 Homecoming Virtual Gala. Many classmates purchased bricks and MSU facemasks, filled virtual tables and became sponsors of the event. Financial contributions totaled $8,000, which will help MSU Foundation, Inc., respond quickly to the urgent needs of Morgan students and ensure their success in the future.
The class also continues to generously support the Class of 1969-sponsored funds: the 1969 Endowment Scholarship Fund and the Food Resource Center Fund (FRC). During the 2020 school year, the class awarded need-based scholarships to five students, one of whom reported that she was “overjoyed to be a recipient of the scholarship and will not take this responsibility lightly. Thank you for believing in me and investing in my future. This scholarship means more than the world to me.”
Class members may continue to make an annual gift to the 1969 Endowment Fund (#6147) or the MSU Food Resource Center (FRC) Fund (#2635) and send gifts in support of Morgan and its vision of “Growing the Future, Leading the World,” as part of their 2021 annual giving plans. Donations can be made online at https://givetomorgan.org/give, or checks may be made payable to MSUF, Inc. and mailed to P.O. Box 64261-4261, Baltimore, MD 21264-4261. Be sure to type the name of the fund you have chosen to support in the comment section online or in the memo section of your check.
A special “Thank You!” to classmates who have already given! Class support is greatly appreciated. Please continue your support today to assist Morgan students as they build on Morgan’s legacy of excellence. Contact Nellie Maskal, Class Agent, at (301) 445-1433 or orblue6947@gmail.com for more information.
Class of 1975 Launches an Endowment in Honor of Its 50th Anniversary
The Class of 1975’s virtual Holiday Party this past December included more than fun and fellowship. The class members also voted on launching a class endowment to support students at Morgan State University. Special guest for the evening was Denise Smith, Major Gift Officer for MSU, who provided updated information on establishing a class endowment, during the Zoom event. The 27 class members in attendance voted to create an endowment of $10,000 before the Class of 1975’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, to fund scholarships for Morgan students. Several class members pledged $100 during the event to make the initial $2,000 payment.
Progress continued during the Class of 1975 virtual Business Meeting, in February. The class is happy to report that $3,200 was collected for the initial endowment payment and was mailed to MSU Foundation, Inc. The last class of Morgan State College is on the road to its 50th Anniversary Celebration! Other fundraisers by the class are being planned. Class of 1973 Moves Toward Its 50th Anniversary Goal
The Class of 1973 is moving ever closer to its 50th Anniversary and its goal of raising $50,000 or more for its Class Endowment Fund before the 50th Anniversary Reunion celebration. The request remains the same: for every member of the class to pledge a tax-deductible gift of $100 per year before Jan. 1, 2023. Please make checks payable and mail them to: Morgan State University Foundation, Inc., 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, 201 Truth Hall, Baltimore, MD 21251, and write “Class of ’73 Endowment” on the memo line of the check.
The class sends “Kudos!!!” to the “Change Makers ’73” classmates who have been consistent with their giving. For additional Information, please contact Denise Smith at denise.smith@morgan.edu or (410) 440-0281, or Gail Robinson-Brown, ’73, at g_robinsonbrown@msn.com or (410) 961-5916.
Class of 1980 Maintains Digital Connections
The Class of 1980 is making good use of the internet to bring classmates together. A virtual gathering was held via Zoom on Saturday, March 27, and the Class of 1980 Newsletter is now available electronically. Classmates who have not received the newsletter should email morganstate1980classagentteam@gmail.com to request a copy. Contributors to the newsletter are welcomed! If you have a talent for writing or have article suggestions, please contact the editors at the email address above.
Class of 1981 Forges Ahead
The Class of 1981 has a primary goal: to assist Morgan students as they, too, embark upon a quality education at Fair Morgan. As the class moves toward its 40th Anniversary Reunion, current circumstances have made it necessary to do things a little differently this season. But the goal of the class has not changed, nor has its determination to make a monetary commitment in the name of the Class of 1981. During the Homecoming season last year, the class asked each member to make a donation of $100 or more to the University, and it is renewing that call once again. Classmates unable to make the $100 commitment are asked to give what they can! Please give through the MSU Foundation (Class Giving) online at https:// givetomorgan.org/give, or make checks payable and mail them to: Morgan State University Foundation, Inc., 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251. Please write "Class of 1981 Endowment" on the subject line of your check, as the class has created an endowment and would like the monies to go toward it. The class is $5,000 shy of its goal.
Have you moved? If so, contact the Alumni Relations Office at (443) 885-3015, or send an email to alumni@morgan.edu (subject line: "Updated Contact Information"). Do you have any fundraising ideas? Reach out to one of your Class Agents: Lolita A. Kelson at lolitaakelson@yahoo.com; Karen Gilmore at kgilmore1959@gmail.com; Marsha Worrell at mdworrell1@aol.com; or Vanessa Grey at vmgrey1958@ gmail.com.
Class of 1991 Preps for Its 30th Anniversary
The Class of 1991 is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! Classmates should join the “Morgan State University Class of 1991” Facebook group to stay in the know about preparations for the 30th Anniversary Reunion. The class is still accepting contributions to the class gift that will be presented during the reunion this year. Please make your gift online, on or before May 7, 2021, by visiting https:// givetomorgan.org/give and specifying “Class of 1991.” For more information, or to make suggestions, email Tisha Lynton Rose at msu91pres@gmail.com. A Message From Morgan’s 50th Anniversary Class
As the Class of 1971’s 50th anniversary quickly approaches, we regret that class members and friends will miss the opportunity to meet on “The Yard” this year for a 50th Anniversary Reunion. Nonetheless, the celebration continues! The class extends its thanks to all who have continued to give back to Fair Morgan, and it sends the following message as a call to action:
We all have been affected in some way by the current circumstances, but many of us have endured. Some have even flourished. The work of providing for and giving back to our Morgan students never ends.
Although we can’t be together this year, we need to always be there for our students and our alma mater. So, please consider making a donation to our Morgan “Class of 1971 Endowment,” or think about giving to your department or maybe the University Memorial Chapel or MSU Athletics. Whatever your choice, just give to Morgan! Here's how...
By Check: Make checks payable and mail them to: MSU Foundation,
Inc., P.O. Box 64261, Baltimore, MD 21264-4261. Designate the recipient of the funds in the memo section of your check. Online: Visit www.givetomorgan.org, and follow the prompts. Please contact: Denise A. Smith at (410) 440-0281 or denise. smith@morgan.edu for answers to questions or for other assistance.
Our memories of Morgan will last forever, so let’s make sure the lifetime blessing of education is there for our students!
Class of 1982 Grows Its Endowment
Hard work by the Class of 1982 and its eight-member Steering Committee is paying off: funding for the $82,000 class gift to be presented at the group’s 40th Anniversary Reunion in 2022 is at the halfway point! This endowment will not only help current and future students but will leave a lasting legacy from the class. Classmates wishing to give to Fair Morgan should follow these steps:
• Go to https://givetomorgan.org/give. • Select “Other” (specify your desired area) from the dropdown menu to earmark your donation. • In the “Instruction about My Donation” box directly below, indicate and type: “Please apply my donation to the pending Class of 1982 Endowed
Scholarship Fund”. • After completing all required information, click “Donate Now”. • Print out the receipt for your tax-deductible gift.
Or, make the check for your donation payable and mail it to: Morgan State University Foundation, Inc., 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, 201 Truth Hall, Baltimore, MD 21251. Please write “Class of 1982 Endowed Scholarship Fund” in the memo section of your check. You will receive your taxdeductible receipt in the mail from MSU Foundation, Inc.
For more information, please contact Class Agent Dorothy Scott Blakely at (410) 302-1264 or Class Agent Gregory T. Pinn at (917) 861-7242.
ALUMNI BUSINESS DIRECTORY
Do you own a business?
We are inviting you to join our Alumni Business Directory, where you can post information about your business online and gain support from other alumni. Log on today, and be connected at alumni.morgan.edu! MSU EMBROIDERED FACE COVERING
Four-ply face coverings embroidered with the MSU logo are still available for
purchase! The masks are available online at the following page, for $20 per mask:
https://givetomorgan.org/face-mask
