THE TENTH ANNUAL
HONORING OUR FATHERS AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIP FUNDRAISER
PRESENTED BY THE ATLANTA CHAPTER OF THE MOREHOUSE COLLEGE NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION JUNE 19, 2021
FATHERHOOD • MENTORSHIP • SERVICE
THE LEGACY OF
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
F
ounded in 1867 in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga., by the Rev. William Jefferson White, with the encouragement of former slave the Rev. Richard C. Coulter and the Rev. Edmund Turney of the National Theological Institute, Morehouse College has had a 150-year legacy of producing educated men and global leaders.
Starting as Augusta Institute under the first president, Dr. Joseph T. Robert, the institution was created to educate black men for careers in ministry and teaching. At the urging of the Rev. Frank Quarles, the school moved to Atlanta’s Friendship Baptist Church in 1879 and changed its name to Atlanta Baptist Seminary. The seminary moved to downtown Atlanta, and then, in 1885, to a former Civil War battleground site in Atlanta’s West End under President Dr. Samuel T. Graves. By 1897, the institution had become Atlanta Baptist College. Dr. George Sale was named president in 1890, and Atlanta Baptist College expanded its curriculum and established a tradition of educating leaders for all American life. During the tenure of the College’s first African American president, John Hope, the College was renamed Morehouse College in 1913, in honor of Henry L. Morehouse, corresponding secretary of the National Baptist Home Missionary Society. Dr. Samuel H. Archer lead the College as president during the Great Depression, giving the College its adopted colors of maroon and white. (1931-1937) Beginning in the 1940s, the College’s international reputation in scholarship, leadership, and service began to flourish, particularly as then-president, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, oversaw the increase of faculty members with doctoral degrees, accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the establishment of a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Under the presidency of Dr. Hugh M. Gloster ’31, the first alumnus to serve as president, the College expanded its endowment to more than $29 million, completed a $20-million fund-raising campaign, and added 12 new campus buildings. The Morehouse School of Medicine was founded in 1975 and became independent in 1981 During the administration of eighth president, Dr. Leroy Keith Jr., the College’s endowment increased to more than $60 million, with faculty salaries and student scholarships also increasing. Buildings such as the NabritMapp-McBay Hall and the Thomas Kilgore Jr. Campus Center were constructed, and the College produced its first Rhodes Scholar, Nima A. Warfield. The College’s A Candle in the Dark Gala was founded in 1989 to raise scholarship funds during this time. Dr. Walter E. Massey ’58, Morehouse’s ninth president, ushered in a 21-century approach to learning; his vision was for the College to become the nation’s best liberal arts college. Morehouse leaders expanded the College’s dual-degree program in natural sciences, launched the Center for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Mathematics, and established a new African American studies program. The Andrew Young Center for International Affairs was established in 1993 and the Morehouse Leadership Program was established in 1995. These were combined into a new Center in 2012, named the Andrew Young
Center for Global Leadership, for the former United Nations ambassador. The Davidson House Center for Excellence, the president’s official residence and a mini-conference center, was constructed during this time, as was the Dr. John H. Hopps Technology Tower, in honor of Hopps ’58, an administrator, professor, and scientist committed to enhancing scientific research on campus. Two more students became Rhodes Scholars: Chris Elders in 2002 and Oluwabusayo “Tope” Folarin in 2004. By June 2006, the College had successfully completed its most ambitious capital campaign, raising a record $112 million, far exceeding the campaign’s goal of $105 million. That same year, Morehouse became the custodian of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, more than 10,000 hand-written notes, sermons, letters, books. and other artifacts belonging to King, the College’s most noted alumnus. Dr. Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 became president in 2007 and led the institution forward with his vision of the “Morehouse Renaissance,” further elevating public confidence in the College’s stature as a premier institution providing quality education and enhancing institution’s intellectual and moral dimension. He accomplished this in part by establishing the “Five Wells”— well-read, well-spoken, well-traveled, well-dressed, and well-balanced—which were about developing men of Morehouse with social conscience and global perspective. Franklin oversaw the completion of a $20-million project started by Massey, the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and Music Academic Building, a facility named after the late legendary musician. The latter building would later be named The Aretha Robinson Music Academic Building, for Ray Charles’ mother. Franklin also led cultivation efforts that increased the total number of new donors at the College by 4,500. Morehouse generated more than $68 million in institutional funds and $60 million in restricted funds from federal sources, including Congressional appropriations and competitive federal grants. In 2013, Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79 was named the College’s 11th president. He and his team were champions of STEAM initiatives (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and significantly increased the College’s private gifts, grants and contracts. During Wilson’s tenure, computer science major Prince Abudu ’16 became the College’s fourth Rhodes Scholar. Wilson played a pivotal role in bringing U.S. President Barack Obama to Morehouse as the 2013 Commencement speaker and in hosting Vice President Joseph Biden in 2015. William James Taggart assumed the role of interim president of the College in 2017 after serving as chief operating officer since 2015. A results-driven leader in the private and public sectors, Taggart had more than 30 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies, higher education, and federal agencies. Tragically, just two months after his appointment, Taggart suddenly passed away in June 2017. Harold Martin Jr. ‘02 left the Morehouse Board of Trustees temporarily to accept an appointment as interim president in June 2017, becoming the youngest person to lead the College since 1913. The attorney and business consultant with an extensive background in advising senior executives at higher education institutions and Fortune 500 companies served Morehouse College until Dec. 31, 2017. Under Martin’s steady leadership, the College began to heal after suffering the tragic loss of Taggart. Martin set campus-wide priorities to improve accountability, boost enrollment, increase the graduation rate, and highlight the contributions of young alumni. He guided a rebranding and expansion of the Office of Alumni Services. The department was changed to the Office of Alumni Engagement and Giving and a new initiative was launched — the Morehouse College Young Alumni Engagement Program. In addition, Martin was also instrumental in the launch of the program’s successful “We are Morehouse” campaign and website wearemorehouse.com, which uses images and business profiles of hundreds of successful young alumni who graduated after 1990 to communicate Morehouse’s unique value proposition to prospective students, friends, and donors.
In October 2017, the Morehouse Board of Trustees voted to name Dr. David A. Thomas as the 12th President of Morehouse, ushering in a new era of leadership for the College. Thomas took office on Jan. 1, 2018. A visionary leader, Thomas has 30 years of higher education experience as a professor and an administrator. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior Studies and a Master of Philosophy in Organizational Behavior degree, both from Yale University. He also has a Master of Organizational Psychology degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Administrative Sciences degree from Yale College. Thomas is the former H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the former Dean of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, where he raised $130 million in a five-year capital campaign. Thomas is the first Morehouse President in 50 years who did not graduate from the College. (The last President who was not an alumnus was Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, Morehouse’s revered sixth President.) Thomas’ childhood dream, however, was to attend Morehouse, but his family could not afford the tuition. As a result, he plans to launch a major capital campaign to raise millions of dollars to support student scholarships so that deserving students who also dream of becoming Morehouse Men are not shut out because they can’t afford to attend. In addition, Thomas plans to raise funds to support campus renovations, faculty research, infrastructure improvements, and other needs. His other priorities include expanding academic and leadership opportunities for students, increasing the graduation rate, and growing enrollment to 2,500 scholars. Morehouse is the world’s only HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) for men. It has produced four Rhodes Scholars, several college presidents, and leaders in many other fields. According to the National Science Foundation, Morehouse is the nation’s top producer of black males who continue their education and receive doctorates. The National Science Foundation also ranked Morehouse as the No. 1 producer of black men who receive doctorates in education, life and physical sciences, math and computer sciences, psychology and social sciences, as well as humanities and the arts. Morehouse currently has more than 17,000 alumni representing more than 40 states and 14 countries.
PROGRAM Master of Ceremonies Rev. Gary L. Clayton ’88 The Gathering (Slide Presentation) Invocation Rev. Dr. Rodney Jackson ‘87 Greetings from Atlanta Alumni Metro Chapter
Mr. Alex Branch ’92, President
Greetings from the Morehouse College Mr. Marlin Cousin ‘87, President National Alumni Association Occasion Rev. Rodney Howard ‘76, Chaplain Atlanta Alumni Metro Chapter Musical Selection Introduction of Speaker
Dr. Curtis A. Briscoe ‘75
Speaker Rev. Dr. Joe R. Thomas Sr. Pastor, Open Door Church of Praise Camilla, GA Special Recognition Mr. Javarro ‘Jay’ Edwards ‘92 Wilbur T. Leaphart ‘58 Fatherhood Award 2020 - Mr. Solomon Nixon ‘92 2021 - Mr. George Bandy ‘90 Marvin C. Mangham, Sr. ‘48 Mentorship Award 2020 - Rev. Dr. Aaron Parker ‘75 2021 - Rev. Dr. William E. Flippin, Sr. Joseph T. Draper ‘57 Service Award 2020 - Mr. Harold L. Martin Jr. ‘02 2021 - Mr. Carl M. Williams Morehouse Atlanta Alumni Hall of Honor Inductees Presented by Mr. Kyle Butts ‘93 2020 - Mr. Joseph Carlos III ‘04 2020 - Dr. Gerald A. Yerby ‘75 2021 - Mr. Mark Hill ‘67 2021 - Hon. El-Mahdi Holly ‘98 Presentation of the 2020 & 2021 Dr. Tobe Johnson ’54 Atlanta Metro Area Chapter Alumnus of the Year Award
Mr. Alex Branch ‘92
Closing Remarks Rev. Rodney A. Howard ’76 Mr. Curtis Briscoe ’75 Co-Chairpersons Benediction Dr. Ovell Hamilton ‘93 Singing of Morehouse College Hymn “Dear Old Morehouse”
Morehouse College Atlanta Alumni Chapter
HALL OF HONOR
2012 Joseph Arrington ’58 Dr. Joseph Draper ’57 Dr. Ira E. Harrison ’55 Marvin C. Mangham, Sr. ’48 Arthur McClung ’66 Dr. Harvey B. Smith ’43 Dr. Wilbur T. Leaphart ’58
2013
Jim Barker ’64 Ronnie Jenkins ’67 Earl Nero ’72 John B. Smith ’58 Johnny Thomas ’63
2014 Dr. Robert Michael Franklin ’75 Nathaniel Bruce Ingram ’62 C. David Moody, Jr. ’78 Jeffrey L. Riddle ’90 Munson Steed ’88 Eric “Tiger” Turner ’75 Calvin Vismale Jr. ’78
2015
Michael Harris ’80 Dr. J.K. Haynes ’64 Joseph Wingfield, Sr. ’83 M. Bud Willis ’86
2016 Henry M. Goodgame, Jr. ’84 Clyde Hill, Jr. ’90 E. Lamar Maxey, Jr. ’93 James ‘Jim’ Montgomery ’72 Thomas N. Scott ’84
2017
Dr. Marcellus Barksdale ’65 Hon. William ‘Bill’ Edwards ’72
2018
Grady Brewer ’80 John K. Grant, Sr. ’72 Robert H. McMichael, II ’64 Johnny Popwell ’62
2019
Dr. Curtis A. Briscoe Hon. Ceasar C. Mitchell ‘91 Dr. Valentino ‘Val’ Shumate ‘86
2020
Joseph Carlos III ‘04 Dr. Gerald A. Yerby ‘75
2021
Mark Hill ‘67 Hon. El-Mahdi Holly ‘98
Morehouse College Atlanta Alumni Chapter Celebrates
FATHERHOOD MENTORSHIP SERVICE
DR. WILBUR T. LEAPHART ’58 FATHERHOOD AWARD
T
he Leaphart Fatherhood Award is presented to a local father who is stalwart in his commitment to children while maintaining a successful balance between his personal, professional and family life.
Dr. Wilbur T. Leaphart was a noted educator in the Atlanta area. He came to Atlanta from Waycross, Georgia to attend Morehouse College. After graduating from Morehouse in 1958, Dr. Leaphart went on to obtain a Masters of Education degree at the University of Florida and later a Doctor of Education from Clark Atlanta University. His career in education began as a teacher at the high school level first in Waycross and later in Atlanta. He then moved on to roles as an assistant principal and principal in middle and high schools in Atlanta, eventually retiring as a Secondary Division Administrator with Atlanta Public Schools. Dr. Leaphart most recently worked as an Adjunct Professor at Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Leaphart was a tireless servant of those in his community and profession. He has held membership and leadership positions with such organizations as the National Education Association, the Georgia Association of Educators, the Atlanta Association of Educators, and the Georgia Association of Education Leaders. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Teachers Federal Credit Union and the Board Management of the Southeast Branch of the Metropolitan YMCA. A 50-plus year member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Dr. Leaphart was the chairman of Atlanta’s Eta Omega chapter scholarship committee, which annually awards scholarships to Atlanta-area high school seniors. Dr. Leaphart was a past president of the Atlanta Metro chapter of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association. He could often be found at the forefront of the chapter’s fundraising and scholarship efforts. He was honored on the national level with the Morehouse College National Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award in 2002, and with the College’s Presidential Award of Distinction in 2010. A Christian and family man above all, Dr. Leaphart was married to Shirley Hanks Leaphart for nearly 50 years, and they raised two sons, Gregory T. and Brian T. Leaphart. The couple also had three grandchildren; Malik, Brittany and Ajani. The Leapharts were active members of Radcliff Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Leaphart was awarded Churchman of the Year in 2010.
FATHERHOOD
MARVIN C. MANGHAM, SR. ’48 MENTORSHIP AWARD
T
he Mangham Mentorship Award recognizes an individual who has mentored and guided young people towards the attainment of their educational and professional endeavors.
Marvin C. Mangham, Sr. (March 22, 1919-November 26, 1978) was born in Pike County, Georgia; he was the youngest son of a sharecropper family. He moved to Atlanta several years later, and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1937. Following his high school graduation, he attended one year at Clark College but dropped out due to financial difficulties. He was drafted to the U.S. Army during World War II and fought in the European Theater. With assistance from the G.I. Bill, he attended Morehouse College and graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While at Morehouse, Mangham became an entrepreneur, selling pies and cakes across campus; he was known by everyone on campus and was nicknamed ‘The Pie Man’. He married the former Delores Winkfield, who worked in the Registrar’s office at Morehouse. They had two children; Marvin Jr. ’69 and Lolita Saxon (Spelman ’72). Mangham was employed as an insurance agent for 12 years of several insurance agencies in Atlanta and Houston, eventually becoming manager of an agency before he left for employment with the federal government. He worked in different agencies for 18 years before he retired in 1978. However his longest tenure with the federal government was with the Federal Aviation Administration. Mangham was an active and long-time member of First Congregational Church where he served in various leadership capacities. Having pledged Omega Psi Phi at Morehouse, he remained an active member of his fraternity. He was also a member of the Pine Acres Country Club. Besides his love for his family, Mangham was devoted to Morehouse College. He became active in the Atlanta Morehouse Club in the late 1950s and became Treasurer in the late 1960s. He served in the capacity until his death. He was also active in the Morehouse College Torchbearers. It was a family ritual to attend Morehouse events such as the Annual Christmas Concert and Morehouse homecoming every year. Within his community, he was always actively recruiting young men to attend Morehouse College. With his roles in the Atlanta Morehouse Club and the Morehouse College Torchbearers, Mangham mentored many a young man to become active and involved alumni.
MENTORSHIP
DR. JOSEPH DRAa PER ’57 SERVICE AWARD
T
he Dr. Joseph Draper Service Award is given to a member of the Atlanta community has who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make outstanding contributions to our society through selfless acts of service.
The award is named after 1957 graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. Joseph Draper. While at Morehouse, Dr. Draper majored in Sociology and minored in Education. He was also an active member of the Organized Veterans of Morehouse College, and American Legion Post 574. He was inducted in the Alpha Kappa Delta National Sociological Honor Society. He completed all of his graduate studies at Atlanta University; Master of Arts (1965), Specialist in Education degree (1972) and a Doctorate in Education (1985). Upon graduation from Morehouse, Dr. Draper began a long and distinguished career with the Atlanta Public School System. In the school system he served as a teacher where he distinguished himself as a talented, resourceful, and caring educator. He was soon promoted to Administrative Assistant, and after two years in that post he was promoted to Principal. After only seven years as Principal, he was promoted to Director, and given responsibility for Environmental Services throughout Atlanta Public Schools. He retired from this post in 1996. Dr. Draper also served in the U.S. Military during the Korean War and remained in the military as a reserve officer until he retired at the rank of Major, U.S. Army. Dr. Draper formerly served as Associate Executive Director of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association for more than 3 years. Dr. Draper was very active in the greater Atlanta community; serving on the board of directors for the Butler Street YMCA, Chairman of the Southside Branch Board of Managers, and Director of the Skyline Civitan Club. Throughout his life, Dr. Joseph Draper was a very active and supportive alumnus of the College, the Morehouse Atlanta Metro Alumni Chapter and the National Alumni Association.
SERVICE
DR. TOBE JOHNSON ’58 ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR AWARD
T
obe Johnson was the longest-serving faculty member in Morehouse College history, having taught at the College for 59 years. Dr. Johnson came to Morehouse as a student at the age of 16. He briefly left school to work in a steel mill in Birmingham, Alabama, and then joined the military, spending a few years in Japan. After he was discharged, he immediately returned to Morehouse where he earned a political science degree in 1954. He joined the faculty at Morehouse in 1958, and then went on to earn a doctorate in political science from Columbia University in 1963, thanks to a stipend he received from his native state of Alabama. In his time at Morehouse, Johnson has been interim dean of humanities and social sciences, as well as professor and chair of the political science department. He has significantly shaped the political science curriculum, and the department as a whole, with each political science major over the past 59 years likely having taken a class from him. And he also shepherded the graduation of thousands of Morehouse Men while serving as the mace-bearer and chief ceremonial marshal for Commencement for years. Among the numerous Morehouse Men Dr. Johnson taught and mentored were Atlanta’s first black mayor, Maynard Jackson ‘56, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson ’79, Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell ’91, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard ’72, and Harvard Law School professor Ronald Sullivan Jr. ’89 and Birmingham’s youngest mayor, Randall Woodfin ‘03. At the conclusion of the 2016-17 academic year, in which Morehouse celebrated 150 years of existence and 50 years after Dr. Johnson’s mentor Benjamin E. Mays ended his historic tenure as the College’s president, Dr. Johnson retired from Morehouse.
ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Morehouse College Atlanta Alumni Chapter
PAST HONOREES DR. WILBUR T. LEAPHART FATHERHOOD AWARD
2019 - Marquis Grissom, World Series Champion, Multiple Gold Glove Winner 2018 - Willie Hill, Head Track & Field Coach, Morehouse College 2017 - Robert Bolton ’86, President, CEO, R.H. Bolton, Inc. 2016 - Dr. David Satcher ’63, Founding Director, Satcher Health Leadership Institute 2015 - Illya E. Davis ’89, Lecturer, Morehouse College/Clark Atlanta University 2014 - Kevin Booker ’90, Associate Dean, Morehouse College 2013 - Dr. Duane Jackson ’74, Psychology Professor, Morehouse College 2012 - Andre’ Pattillo ’79, Athletic Director, Morehouse College 2011 - H. Lamar Willis, Esq. ’93, Atlanta City Councilman
MARVIN MANGHAM, SR. LEADERSHIP AWARD
2019 - Frank ‘Ski’ Rodriguez, Radio Personality, Humanitarian 2018 - Alvin H. Darden, III ’72, Dean of Students, Morehouse College 2017 - Mawuli Mel Davis, Esq., Founding Partner, Davis Bozeman Law Firm 2016 - Dr. Glenn Toby, Philanthropist 2015 - Milton J. Little, Jr. ’76, President, United Way of Greater Atlanta 2014 - Mark Wilson, President & CEO, eVerifile 2013 - Louis Negron ’97, Founder/ President, Negron Education Services 2012 - Don Doran, Executive Director, Drew Charter School 2011 - Sterling Hudson, CEO, Child First USA
DR. JOSEPH DRAPER SERVICE AWARD
2019 - Kwame Johnson, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta 2018 - Rodney Bullard, CEO, Chick-fil-A Foundation 2017 - Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock ’91, Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church 2016 - Javarro “Jay” Edward ’92, Founder, JME Group, LLC 2015 - James “Jay” Bailey, CEO, Southeastern Region, Operation HOPE 2014 - Eugene Duffy ’78, Sr. Partner, Intercontinental Real Estate Co. 2013 - Justin Tanner, Esq., Legislative Asst., Office of Mayor Kasim Reed 2012 - Dr. James Bennett, Urologist, Midtown Urology 2011 - David Jernigan, Executive Director, KIPP Metro Atlanta
DR. TOBE JOHNSON ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR AWARD
2019 - Javarro ‘Jay’ Edwards ‘92, CEO & Founder, JME Enterprises 2018 - Gary L. Clayton ‘88, Fair Lending Examination Specialist, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 2017 - Rev. Rodney L. Howard ’76, Pastor, Victory in Praise COGIC
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