Morgan Forever

” . . .hold onto your faith and do what is necessary to keep you, your family and your friends safe! Until we meet again, I offer each of you my heartiest and very best wishes . ”

Dear Alumni,

After serving the State of Maryland for more than 51 years, including 44½ years here at Morgan, it is with mixed emotions that I pen this letter to let you know I have decided to retire from our beloved Morgan State University on Jan. 1, 2022 — to spend quality time with family and friends, travel, relax and enjoy some of the other things that working people often place on the back burner. I say with much sincerity that it has been a great ride, and that Morgan has been good to me.

I cannot adequately express in words how grateful I am to have served you over these many, many years. I have found that Morgan graduates are the most loyal, committed, devoted and supportive group of people any institution would be proud to call “alumni.” Many people have heard me say I never viewed what I do as a job but, rather, truly as a labor of love. This can be attributed, in large part, to working with our Morgan alumni.

I would be remiss if I did not thank the past and current administrations for their love and support, and for placing their trust in me to serve each of you. I shall forever be grateful to Dr. David K. Wilson, Dr. Earl S. Richardson and all of the Vice Presidents of Institutional Advancement I have served, all of whom have supported me in every aspect of my career growth here at Morgan. I am also grateful to all of my staff, past and present, for their dedication and support and for playing a major role in the success we have had in the Office of Alumni Relations during my tenure. As the old saying goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” I also thank all of the past and present leaders of the MSU Alumni Association, all of the past and present MSUAA Chapter Presidents as well as all of our MSUAA general members who have supported me during my tenure as the association’s Executive Director. Because of the dedication and hard work of these individuals, MSUAA is one of the strongest alumni associations today.

As a two-time graduate of Morgan State, I shall forever hold the “Blue and Orange” close to my heart. I encourage you to continue to support your alma mater with your time, talents and treasure. Remember, there is only ONE Morgan State University, and we must always remember that “We are the Bears.”

I was hoping to have the opportunity to say “goodbye” to some of you in person, but, the new Delta variant is, unfortunately, preventing that. I hope each of you will continue to hang in there a little bit longer during the pandemic, hold onto your faith and do what is necessary to keep you, your family and your friends safe! Until we meet again, I offer each of you my heartiest and very best wishes.

In the Spirit of Morgan,

Joyce A. Brown, ’86 and ’01 MSU Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations and

Strategic Engagement and Executive Director, MSU

Alumni Association

Bozeman, Phillips and Riley-Bozier of Morgan Honored as Coaching Legends

Help Us Stay Connected!

Three current or former Morgan State University Head Coaches have been named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Legends of Coaching list. Todd Bozeman, MSU Basketball Head Coach from 2006 to 2019; James Phillips, Bears Wrestling Head Coach from 1975 to 1994; and longtime Bears Volleyball Head Coach Ramona Riley-Bozier, a two-time graduate of Morgan, were selected for the honor, which concluded the MEAC’s celebration of its 50th year and was presented by The Home Depot. The list, announced in June, comprises 50 outstanding coaches throughout the conference’s history. Nearly 1,900 votes were cast in the selection process, with fans, media representatives, institution sports information contacts and others taking part.

New MSU Alumni Association Officers

The newly elected MSUAA officers for 2021–2023 follow: Phyllis Davis, ’82, President Joanne Mack, ’78, 1st Vice President Michael Bell, ’76, 2nd Vice President Gaynelle Lewis-Fleming, ’74, Secretary Leslie Hannibal, ’90, Financial Secretary (Appointed) Todd Beazer, ’91, Treasurer Joyce A. Brown, ’86 and ’01, Executive Director The Rev. Dr. Charles Fletcher, ’70, Immediate Past President

Phyllis Davis

Let’s stay in touch! Please let us know of any changes to your profile, including your name, address, telephone, email, etc. You may notify us by email at alumni@morgan. edu, by telephone at (443) 885-3015 or through our Online Community (www. alumni. morgan.edu). We would also love to know of any other MSU alumni who are not receiving our mailings. Please check with your MSU family members and friends, and contact us by phone or email if you hear of any missed connections. In addition to housing your profile, the Alumni Online Community provides important alumni information and updates, and we encourage you to log on there on a regular basis.

75 Attendees Celebrated ‘Morgan on the Vineyard’!

Hosted by Morgan graduate Greg Jones of the Class of 1980 and his wife, Lauren, this year’s Morgan on the Vineyard fundraiser and reception was a great success! The annual event, held on Martha’s Vineyard, is a weeklong gathering in the famed vacation spot, where Morganites and friends fellowship, renew old bonds, make new friends and support Fair Morgan.

Highlights of this year’s Morgan on the Vineyard included a State of the University address from President Wilson, presentation of a $250,000 gift to the University from alumnus Stephanie Nellons-Paige (MSU Classes of 1981 and 1985), and gifts from several other alumni. Lydell Sargeant, Morgan’s Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations and Development, was among the 75 guests who attended the event, which was held at the Farm Neck Golf Club.

Event host Greg Jones was more than pleased with the outcome.

“Morgan’s strength is found in us,” he said, “the alumni and friends who support, protect and advance its mission. We have to find creative ways to continue our support and Morgan’s 154-year-old mission.”

The next Morgan on the Vineyard will be held Aug. 7–14, 2022, again at the Farm Neck Golf Club. Please visit Morganonmv.com for additional information.

MSUAA Honors Three Classes for Their Giving

The MSU Alumni Association has announced its 2021 awards to the three classes with the highest giving rate during the calendar year 2020: • Chairman’s Award, for first place – Class of 1966, 20.47% • President’s Award, for second place – Class of 1969, 18.02% • Dean’s Award, for third place – Class of 1965, 16.90%

Giving by classes ending in “1” or “6” since their last reunion, five years ago (May 6, 2016 to May 7, 2021), was as follows:

1941 . . . . . . . . . . . $ 0 .00 1946 . . . . . . . . . . . 0 .00 1951 . . . . . . . . . . . . 119,275 .54 1956 . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,695 .00 1961 . . . . . . . . . . . . 46,995 .00 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . 216,366 .00 1971 . . . . . . . . . . . . 359,812 .71 1976 . . . . . . . . . . . . 118,515 .26 1981 . . . . . . . . . . . . 110,608 .76 1986 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,722 .50 1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . 95,186 .91 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . 43,293 .89 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,630 .01 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,175 .06 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,578 .31 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,289 .96 Total Gifts: . . . . . .$1,283,144 .91