Honors an Education Pioneer and a Lifetime Achiever

The South Hampton Roads (VA) Alumni Chapter gathered in Norfolk, Virginia, last November, to honor a pioneering Black educator, at the unveiling of renowned sculptress and Morgan alumna Vinnie Bagwell’s statue of Richard A. Tucker. Tucker became Rector (Principal) of the Cumberland School when it opened in 1888, Norfolk Public Schools’ first educational institution built for African Americans. South Hampton Roads Chapter member Merv McCoy was Principal of Norfolk’s Richard A. Tucker Elementary School from 1976 to 1981.

The Norfolk Public Library selected Bagwell to sculpt the bronze statue for its latest library, the Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library, located in the Berkley neighborhood in Norfolk. The South Hampton Roads Alumni Chapter continued recognizing local greats in December, when it gave James M. Nixon, Sr., Morgan Class of 1954, its Lifetime Achievement Award, in honor of his 70 years of service to Morgan and the chapter. The presentation took place on his 96th birthday. Nixon was the first President of the original Tidewater Chapter and a member of the Greater Hampton Roads Alumni Chapter, and is the current Treasurer of the South Hampton Roads Alumni Chapter.

Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter Turns Out for the Morgan State Choir

The Morgan State University Choir enjoyed enthusiastic support from MSUAA’s Dallas/ Fort Worth Alumni Chapter during the choir’s All-Texas Spring Break Tour last March. The tour, originally planned for March 2020 then postponed because of COVID-19, included concerts in Austin and Houston in addition to Dallas. Alumni from the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston Chapters turned out in full force for the events, which took place at Inspiring Body of Christ Church, in Dallas, on March 17; Grant Worship Center, in Austin, on March 18; and Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, in Houston, on March 19. The performances were captured digitally and shared with the greater church community via the church websites. A few choir members flew on airplanes for the very first time during the tour.

Class of

’73 ‘Change Makers’

to Celebrate Their Golden Anniversary Morgan’s Spring Commencement on May 20 this year will be golden for the Class of 1973, as the class members, nicknamed the “Change Makers,” celebrate their 50th Anniversary. The Golden Anniversary Weekend will start with the Annual Alumni Awards and Class Reunion Luncheon, on Friday, May 19, 2023, in the Calvin & Tina Tyler Ballroom of the MSU Student Center. Tickets are $100 per person. For more information about purchasing tickets, call Morgan’s Alumni Relations Office at (443) 885-3015.

At that luncheon, the class will present its endowment gift of $50,000 to the Morgan State University Foundation. The last day for online donations to the endowment is Friday, May 5. The class plans to meet and maybe even exceed the pledged amount of $50,000. Each classmate is asked to make a tax-deductible gift of $50, $100 or more. To donate, visit “GivetoMorgan.org, click on the drop-down menu, choose “Other,” enter “Class of 1973 End” in the “My Donation” box, and enter your donation amount. To donate by check, make checks payable to “MSUF,” and mail them to:

MSUF, P.O. Box 64261, Baltimore, MD 21264-4261

Write “Class of 1973 End” in the memo section of the check. All donations must be received on or before Friday, May 5.

Other Important Dates:

Monday, May 15 – If you need accommodations/assistance to participate in and/or attend the Spring Commencement ceremony, contact the Alumni Relations Office at (443) 885-3015 by May 15, or send an email to alumni@morgan.edu and identify your need. You will receive a call back within 48 business hours.

Saturday, May 20 – 50th Anniversary Commencement Ceremony: two volunteers from the Class of 1973 are requested to serve as Pole Guards, who will lead the class during the Commencement procession. Please call Alumni Relations at (443) 885-3015 to express your interest in serving.

Note: Please be sure the Alumni Relations Office has your current contact information!

Class of 1978’s 45th Anniversary Reunion Approaches!

Morgan’s Class of 1978 will celebrate its 45th Anniversary Reunion at the Alumni Awards and Class Reunion Luncheon, on Alumni Day 2023, Friday, May 19. The class urges all of its members to come out to the luncheon to rekindle friendships and reminisce about the “good ole days” at Morgan. For more information, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (443) 885-3015, or contact the Class Agent, Dr. Jerome Boyd, at (908) 370-3735.

Please continue to donate to the Morgan State University Foundation, and designate your contributions for the Class of 1978.

2023 Means 25 Years for the Class of ’98

The Class of 1998 has established a reunion activity committee for its 25th Anniversary Celebration on Alumni Day 2023. The committee has settled on sponsoring and promoting a Class of 1998 table at the Alumni Awards and Class Reunion Luncheon; establishing a class endowment; purchasing a class brick for Morgan’s Sesquicentennial Brick Plaza; holding a Morgan on the Vineyard event hosted by Khalilah Harris, Class of ’98; hosting a Homecoming event on Thursday, Oct. 5; and hosting a Homecoming Brunch. The class welcomes additional committee members and ideas to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Please contact Class Agents at tanya.mcduffie98@alumni. morgan.edu and CPJ692001@yahoo.com for more details.

Support the Adopt-A-Game Program!

Now in its 13th season, the Adopt-A-Game Program encourages Morgan alumni chapters, classes and other organizations to come out and support MSU Athletics at all Bears games and events. The program’s outreach also includes the extended Morgan family — friends; family members; classmates; children; grandchildren; fellow church, sorority and fraternity members; and neighbors of alumni; and many others. For details about how your group can participate in this program, please contact Vanessa Grey, Morgan’s Assistant Director of Alumni Relations for Programs and Outreach, at vanessa.grey@morgan.edu, or call (443) 885-4137. You don’t want to miss all the fun!

REMEMBER to wear your ORANGE and BLUE to all Athletic Events!

Winter–Spring 2023 • Visit www.msuchoir.org for the latest information.

Annual Spring Concert ..........................................

14, 4 p.m. Murphy Fine Arts Center, 2201 Argonne Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218

Concert at Mann Center for the Performing Arts

TD Pavilion, 5201 Parkside Ave., Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA 19131.

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with The Philadelphia Orchestra

Morgan State University Spring Commencement.........................

20, 10 a.m. Hughes Memorial Stadium

Tour of Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria!

21–June 2

Homecoming 2023 Homecoming Football! Saturday, Oct. 7 Bears vs. Seawolves, Hughes Stadium

Tickets available at Ticketmaster at (410) 547-7328 or http://www.ticketmaster.com, or before the game at the Box Office, University Student Center first floor

Homecoming Host Hotel – Reserve Your Rooms Now!

Hotel Indigo Baltimore – Downtown 24 W. Franklin Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 (410) 625-6200 $169.00 per night

Make your room reservations by calling the Reservations Center at (855) 914-1370, or use the following link to reserve your room online, today: shorturl.at/koxC6

The cutoff date for reserving rooms at the discounted Homecoming rate is Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time.

In case you miss getting a room at the Host Hotel, three more hotels are listed on the MSU Alumni Association website. To reserve space at one of the additional properties, please visit www.alumni.morgan.edu and click “Events” then “Homecoming,” or click “Resources” then “Hotels.”

MSUAA Business Meeting

Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, 11 a.m.

Meeting will begin promptly in the University Student Center Theater, located on the first floor.

39th Annual Homecoming Gala

Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, 8 p.m.

Martin’s West 6817 Dogwood Road

Baltimore, MD 21244

Tickets sales will start on Saturday, July 1, 2023.

MSUAA Life Member Brunch

Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, 9 a.m. Earl S. Richardson Library, First Floor Invitations will be emailed.

CARL J. MURPHY FINE ARTS CENTER

Events – Spring/Summer/Fall 2023 • Visit www.murphyfineartscenter.org for the latest information. Calendar is subject to change.

Through May 18

MSU Student Art Exhibit, James E. Lewis Museum of Art

Through Sept. 15

The Afro-Futurist Manifesto: Blackness Reimagined, James E. Lewis Museum of Art

May 21

Baltimore Choral Arts Society presents Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Gilliam Concert Hall, 3 p.m.

June 1–Dec. 8

Black Artists of DC Exhibit, James E. Lewis Museum of Art

Stacey T. Abney-Ouzts, ’94 ........12/17/2022

Dennie

Dr.

Feridon Gharib, ’68 ............... 1/29/2023

Gwendolyn B. Giles (Former Staff) .... 7/10/2022

Anita L. Gillard (Former Staff) 8/17/2022

Frederick C. Grant, ’71 12/24/2022

Arletha J. Gray, ’64 ..............11/16/2022

Lorraine T. Green, ’53 ............. 8/15/2022

Rhonda L. Greene-Justice, ’01 12/26/2022

Sylvia Waters Gundy, ’54 1/6 /2023

Doris Webb Hall, ’49 8/25/2022

Dr. Gladys Walton Hall, ’66 ......... 3/16/2020

Morris Hamlin, Jr., ’88

Lenora K. Hardy-Foster, ’83

Constance Crumly Harris, ’50

Freddie Lee Hendricks,’65 and ’77 ....

Benjamin A. Holmes, ’53 ...........

Gloria E. Holmes, ’57

Helen A. Hudson,’61

Paula Darlene Huggins, ’92 and ’94 ... 9/27/2022

Damon Eric Hughes, ’91 ............ 3/2/2023

Emmanuel Mayowa Jaiyeola (Student)

Camilla L. Parrot Johnson (Former Faculty) ...............

Dr. Delores Y. Johnson, ‘74 ......... 8/12/2022

Elaine C. Dixon Johnson, ’92 10/20/2022

Mildred B. Johnson, ’57 7/18/2022

Louis A. Jones, Sr., ’60 ............

Dr. Sophia R. Jones (Former Staff) .....

Ronald L. Kelly, ’79

Wanda Williams Kiah, ’77

Benjamin Kimbers, III, ’74

Alan D. King, ’84 .................

Nellvina LaBeach (Former Staff)

Samuel Alexander LaBeach, ’57

Delores B. Laws, ’52

Beverly D. Lewis, ’85 ..............

Marshall Gaskin Lewis, ’73 ......... 3/25/2023

Takisha Simon Lindsay, ’97 11/6/2022

Dr. John S. Long (Former Faculty) 1/29/2023

Patricia E.R. Low, ’59 (Former Faculty) .. 1/9/2022

Joanne S. Mack, ‘78 .............10/16/2022

Carol M. Mallette, ’63 2/21/2023

Moses McAlister, Jr., ’70 8/27/2022

The Rev. Dr. Yvonne H. Mercer, ’69 10/30/2022

Frank S. Merritt, ’84 ..............12/21/2022

Katrina Elaine Moore, ’82 ..........

Bamidele O. Olowoyo, ’83 10/16/2022

Dr. Charles O. Oluokun (Former Faculty) ............... 9/28/2022

Artis Mae Robinson Peters, ’55, ’74 and ’86 12/25/2022

Martin Phillips, ’79

1st Lt. Jacqueline

Drew Troy, ’87 ..................11/17/2022

Alice L. Watson, ’56...............

Thelma L. (“Kitty” or “Kippy”) Watson, ’64

Dr. Douglas L. Wheeler (Former Faculty) ..............12/22/2022

John Sidney (“Jack”) White, Jr., ’58 ...

Eugene Williams, Sr., ’73 11/14/22022

Anderson (“Woody”) Williams, Jr., ’64 ......................... 12/3/2023

Kay L. Wilson, ’75 ................ 8/10/2022

Dr. Ronald Wood, ’58 2/16/2023

Leydon Young, ’65

*This list includes notices received on or before April 4, 2023. Any notices received after that date will be published in the next issue of Alumni News.

LIFE MEMBERSHIP... JOIN TODAY!

Individuals .......... $500

Spouse/Family $700*

Benefits Include:

Payable Over 2 Years

Get Started for Only $50

• 10% off at the Barnes & Noble campus store

• Use of Richardson Library

• Discounts to sporting events — including Homecoming

• 10% discount to the National Aquarium

• Access to Hurt Gymnasium fitness center

• Free subscription to Alumni News

Visit alumni.morgan.edu to submit your application. *Both parties must be Morgan alumni to receive discount.

HELP US STAY CONNECTED!

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 call or email us if you hear of any missed connections. In addition to housing your profile, the Online Community provides important alumni information and updates. Please log on regularly!