morehouse magazine spring/summer 2004

conten

tsDownload a pdf version of the following articles.

f e a t u r e s2 8 A THINKER AND AN ACTIVIST

Morehouse College’s third Rhodes Scholar plans to use his scholarlyachievements to advance his personal commitment to improve con-ditions in developing countries.by Monét Cooper

3 4 COMMENCEMENT 2003: AWASHED IN PAGEANTRY,

ACCOMPLISHMENT AND RAIN

Even rain soaked clouds and a muddy campus green could notdampen the spirits of the 500 graduating seniors or the thousands offamily and friends who gathered for the 119th Commencement onthe Century Campus.by Kenneth Rollins

4 2 137TH FOUNDER’S WEEK CELEBRATION

With names like Calvin O. Butts ’71, Peter J. Gomes and YolandaAdams on the roster of speakers and performers, the 137thFounder’s Week Celebration was destined to live up to MorehouseCollege’s long-standing history of celebrating African Americanleadership in a way unlike any other institution in the nation.by Vickie G. Hampton

4 8 THE GALA OF GALAS

Highlighting the Founder’s Week Celebration was this year’s “ACandle in the Dark” Gala, an event that will certainly go down inthe annals of history as being the “Gala of Galas.”by Michael K. Watts ‘92

5 3 MAYNARD THE MOREHOUSE MAN

Statesman, politician, civil rights activist, entrepreneur, father, hus-band – Maynard Jackson ’56 was many things to many people. Yet,no matter where he went, he made sure people knew he was aMorehouse Man.by Lee R. Haven

d e p a r t m e n t s6 INSIDE THE HOUSE

Homecoming 2003Passages: Thomas J. Blocker ’74

5 9 ALUMNI NEWS

Passages: Samuel Nabrit ’23

MOREHOUSESPRING/SUMMER 2004

M A G A Z I N E

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Copyright © 2004, Morehouse College.Morehouse Magazine is published by MorehouseCollege, Office of Communications, Division ofInstitutional Advancement. Opinions expressed inMorehouse Magazine are those of the authors,not necessarily of the College.

Letters and Comments. Letters must be onetyped page in length and must be signed. Pleaseinclude address and daytime phone number. Sendto: Morehouse Magazine Editor, MorehouseCollege, Office of Communications, 830 WestviewDr., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30314. Email: [email protected]: 404-215-2729

MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE 6 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 0 4

■ June 3, 2003- The OprahWinfrey Show profiled the Millertriplets. Craig, Cedric andCornell Miller ’03 are the firstset of triplets to graduate fromMorehouse College at the sametime with the same major. TheOprah Winfrey Show sent a crewto Morehouse to interview theSt. Louis natives before flyingthem to Chicago for a liveappearance on the show thatfeatured amazing graduationstories. BET Nightly News withJacque Reid also profiled theMiller triplets.■ June 2003- The death ofalumnus Maynard H. Jackson‘56 was featured in several publi-cations and on television pro-grams nationwide. The AtlantaJournal-Constitution wrote:“Starting at noon, mournersfiled into the [MLK] chapel toview the former mayor’s body.By 3 p.m., Atlanta police estimat-ed 3,000 to 4,000 people hadpassed through since the viewingbegan.” Some of the other mediaoutlets that chronicled the eventssurrounding Jackson’s deathwere Ebony, Jet, The New YorkTimes, ABC World News TonightNews with Peter Jennings, NBCNightly News with Tom Brokaw,CNN and C-Span ■ June 2003- MorehouseCollege received national atten-tion from various media outletsafter a baseball bat-beating inci-dent that rocked the College.Some of the outlets to cover theincident, subsequent trial andaftermath were Southern Voice,The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Blade,

Philadelphia Tribune, theChicago Defender, theWashington Times and all of theAtlanta-area television stations.■ July 2003- The ChristianScience Monitor mentionedMorehouse is a story titled“Pride and Paradox,” whichreported on the struggles forsome HBCUs to survive.■ July 16, 2003- TheMilwaukee Journal Sentinel pro-filed Morehouse student SamuelRoss in a story about the grow-ing gender gap among minoritystudents and the United NegroCollege Fund. Ross said of hisUNCF Scholarship: “It’s like ablessing. My mom had to takeout loans my first year and itwasn’t something she wanted todo. With the scholarship, wewon’t have to take out as manyloans.”■ August 23, 2003- Dr.Lawrence E. Carter, dean of theMartin Luther King Jr.International Chapel, was quot-ed in the Faith & Values sectionof The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a story aboutfaith-based programs at collegesand universities. Carter said:“The students at Morehouseplay an active role in Sundayservices. They put together theservices. Together we select whothe preachers will be.”■ August 26, 2003- Dr.Massey was interviewed for oneof the first installments of thenew radio program titled “ThePlayers.” The program airs onWGST in Atlanta and is hostedby Atlanta Business Chroniclecolumnist Alf Nucifora. It fea-tures the top business players inmetro Atlanta.■ September 2003- Ebonymagazine profiled Maroon Tigereditor Christian Nwachukwu Jr.in an article titled “What BlackCollege Students Think AboutSex, Money & Civil Rights.”

■ September 2003- AssociateDean of Admissions TerrenceDixon was interviewed by theAugusta Magazine about theCollege’s admission process.■ September 5, 2003- TheAtlanta Journal-Constitutionran a story titled “Would-beRobber Shot at DowntownBank.” The hero in the story wasMorehouse College Lt. JohnnyWeaver, who happened to havebeen at the bank at the time ofthe attempted robbery. Weaverapprehended the suspect at thescene. The news was covered onall Atlanta television stations andseveral local radio stations.■ September 17, 2003- TheWall Street Journal mentionedMorehouse College in a storyabout the challenges surround-ing alumni giving. The articletitled “The Call To Give Back,”referred to Morehouse as one ofthe “titans of historically blackcolleges.” Alumnus RobertDavidson ’67 was quoted in thearticle: “Philanthropy is aresponsibility. The success ofhistorically black colleges will bedetermined by the willingness ofour graduates to support them.”■ September 25, 2003-Morehouse student EdwardSmith-Lewis Jr. was profiled byBlack Issues in HigherEducation. The story, titled“Whatever it Takes,” appeared inthe special report: Focus onDiversity. Smith -Lewis was oneof only 15 blacks out of a classof 320 at his high school inOakland, California. He said hehas looked “all my life” for aplace like Morehouse College.■ September 26, 2003-Morehouse College was namedone of America’s top 50 most suc-cessful feeder schools by The WallStreet Journal. Morehouse rankedNo. 26 on the list that only includ-ed one other Georgia institutionin the top 50. The Atlanta Journal

Constitution did a subsequentstory on the ranking inn an articletitled, “Morehouse, Emory, Techcan brag.”■ September 2003- Dr.Walter E. Massey ‘58 wrote acommentary for the Final Wordsection of the Network Journalbased in New York City. Thetitle of the commentary was“Education Dedicated to BlackMales Still Relevant.” Masseywrote: “Morehouse men com-pete favorably with male andfemale graduates of all racesfrom other colleges and univer-sities for coveted spots in the topgraduate and professionalschools, as well as for careerpositions in corporations andother organizations. Simply put,if Morehouse did not exist, therewould be a critical, unmet needin higher education.”■ September 2003- News ofalumnus Lerone Bennett’s ’49decision to retire from the helmof Ebony magazine after 50 yearsmade news in several publica-tions. Among those that coveredhis retirement was thePhiladelphia Tribune, the oldestblack newspaper in the country.■ October 5, 2003- The NewYork Times crossword puzzlefeatured Morehouse College as aclue in the October 5th edition.The NYT puzzle is consideredone of the most challengingpuzzles in the world. The Clue:“Unlike Morehouse College.”The answer: Coed.■ October 15, 2003- Alumnusand Morehouse professorMarcellus Barksdale ‘65 was fea-tured in the Gainesville Timesfor his participation in GeorgiaGovernor Sonny Perdue’s racialreconciliation forum. Barksdalewas a featured presenter at theforum.■ October 15, 2003- TheWheaton Gazette inGaithersburg, Maryland, featured

MOREHOUSEin the

NEWS

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S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 0 4 7 MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

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Morehouse student MarvinBrooks in an article titled“College’s Federal Work-StudyStudents Give—and Get a LotBack in Return.” Brooks said:“I have worked and volun-teered in community servicewith kids since high school andcan really see the benefits ofhelping others.”■ November 11, 2003- In anarticle titled “College StudentsShould Plan Ahead,” The WallStreet Journal began with aprofile of Morehouse Collegesenior Jason Tolliver. The storywas about students who aretaking steps to get jobs aftergraduation.■ November 19, 2003- Dr.Preston King, distinguished pro-fessor of political philosophyand scholar-in-residence atMorehouse, was interviewed liveon “The Tavis Smiley Show” onNational Public Radio. Kingspoke in detail about the politi-cal and social ramifications ofthe war on Iraq as it relates tothe United States and Britain.■ November 20, 2003- Dr.Walter E. Massey ‘58 and Mrs.Shirley Massey were featured ina photo on the ABC News.comwebsite. The photo was takenduring a state dinner in Londonat which the Masseys wereguests. Maria Saporta, a busi-ness columnist for The AtlantaJournal-Constitution, also men-tioned the dinner in her col-umn.■ December 2003- The NewYork Times was one of severalpublications to announce thatMorehouse College has claimedits third Rhodes scholar,Oluwabusayo “Tope” Folarin.The news was carried in TheDallas Morning News, TheAtlanta Journal Constitution,The Fort Worth Star-Telegram,Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine,Black Issues in Higher

Education, Ebony, Jet, Journal ofBlacks in Higher Education aswell as on every Atlanta-areatelevision station.■ December 2003- SouthernLiving magazine did an exten-sive profile of the MorehouseCollege Glee Club and theannual Christmas CarolConcert.■ December 2003- Ebonymagazine did a report on blackphilanthropy. It featured men-tions about Morehouse Collegeand a photo of Dr. Walter E.Massey ‘58 with Ray Charles.■ December 12, 2003-Morehouse College was fea-tured very prominently in TheCongressional QuarterlyResearcher. The in-depthreport was titled “BlackColleges: Do They Still Have anImportant Role?”■ December 14, 2003- TheAtlanta Journal-Constitutionfeatured a story on Morehouse’sCelebrating the Arts Initiativeand plans for a Center for theArts. In the article titled,“Morehouse Thanks MajorDonors,” vice president ofInstitutional AdvancementPhillip Howard ’87 said, “Asmuch as anything, we want toraise the visibility of Morehouseas it relates to the arts.”■ December 2003- TheHollywood Reporter carriednews of David Geffen’s$500,000 gift to Morehouse.The money will support artsprogramming and scholarshipsat Morehouse.■ December 2003- TheMorehouse College annualChristmas card got a nod in Jetmagazine. It was mentioned inthe National Headliners sectionof the magazine.■ January 6, 2004- Thedeath of Dr. Samuel Nabrit ‘25,Morehouse College’s oldest liv-ing alum, made national news.

Some of the publications tocarry the news were The NewYork Times, The AtlantaJournal-Constitution and theHouston Chronicle.■ January 14, 2004-Alumnus Sanford Watson ‘85was profiled in the ClevelandPlain Dealer after being namedthe new public safety director ofthat city.■ January 15, 2004- Dr.Massey and Dr. LawrenceCarter, dean of the MartinLuther King InternationalChapel, was interviewed as partof a 30-minute program onWXYZ-TV in Detroit. The pro-gram was the Ford FreedomAwards, which honored Dr.Benjamin E. Mays and Dr.William “Bill” Cosby Jr.■ January 16, 2004-Alumnus Jerome Farris ‘51 wasfeatured in front page stories inthe Sacramento Daily Recorderand the San Francisco DailyJournal. Farris is a senior judgeon the 9th U.S. Circuit Court ofAppeals.■ January 16, 2004-Alumnus Bill Humphrey ‘63was featured in an article in thePortsmouth Herald. Thechemist for Collins andAikman, a global automotive-parts supplier, gave “A LivingLesson in Black History” tochildren during black historymonth.■ February 10, 2004- Newsthat alumnus Michael Lomax‘68 will take the helm of theUnited Negro College Fundspread nationally. It was car-ried in Black Issues in HigherEducation, The AtlantaJournal-Constitution and all ofthe Atlanta-area local televi-sion stations.■ February 2004- More than200 news outlets picked up thenews about Oprah Winfrey’ssecond $5-million gift to

Morehouse. Winfrey made theannouncement during heracceptance speech at the 16thannual “A Candle in the Dark”Gala, where she received thefirst ever Candle for LifetimeAchievement in HumanitarianService. Some of the outletsthat carried the news wereEntertainment Tonight(ETonline.com), the New YorkTimes, the Chicago Tribune,USA Today.com, the AtlantaJournal-Constitution,Newsday, the Boston Globe,Atlanta Magazine, Rolling OutMagazine, Jet, People maga-zine and the Associated Presswire service, WSB-TV, andWXIA-TV.■ February 2004-Morehouse College Founder’sWeek was the subject of severalinterview segments on Atlantatelevision and radio stations.The segments, which aired onWSB-TV, WXIA-TV, Good DayAtlanta/WAGA-TV, Praise 97.5FM, and V-103, highlighted theYolanda Adams Concert and theA Candle in the Dark Gala.■ February 2004- An exhib-it by William Anderson, assis-tant professor of art history, wasfeatured in several publications.The exhibit, titled "Love Now,"was a black history month pho-tography exhibit that appearedin 15 Nordstrom departmentstores across the country. Theexhibit was mentioned in theSeattle Post-Intelligencer, TheWashington Afro-American,The Herald Sun (Raleigh-Durham), The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The News &Observer (Raleigh-Durham)and Howard University's radiostation WHUR/96.3 FM.

–Elise Durham


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ROYAL SEATING: Masseys Dine with the Queen in London

PRESIDENT WALTER E. MASSEY ’58 has been to many soirees andconversed with the rich and famous from all walks of life. He andwife Shirley “know how to work a room.” But when he receivedan invitation from President George W. Bush to hob knob withthe “Royals” in London this past November, he confessed to hav-ing butterflies. “I haven’t been nervous for a long time—but I wasnervous,” he said. He figured there would be hundreds of guestsand that once he was seated—presumably somewhere in theback—he would be good to go.

Boy, was he wrong. Turns out, there were only 60 guests—30Americans and 30 Britons. After finding his place card at tablethree, he glanced at two of the other cards on the table. It was vir-tually a royal flush: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth would be sittingright next to him—and President Bush next to her.

So what did the college president and the Queen of Englanddiscuss? Politics? Education? The paparazzi?

“We chatted—literally most of the evening, nearly 90 min-utes,” said Massey. She’s very charming, very knowledgeable, veryrelaxing. We talked about children and grandchildren. She

lamented the fact that no one writes letters anymore—everythingis e-mailed or faxed.”

Massey knows a royal opportunity when he sees one. Uponreturning to the States, he sent the queen—a woman who has every-thing—something she didn’t get enough of: a handwritten letter. ■

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE’S ANNUAL SpiritualAwareness Week offered both change andcontroversy this year. The name changeto Science and Spiritual Awareness Weekoffered an interesting foray into topicsthat juxtaposed the two disciplines, asevident in lectures with such titles as“The Relation Between QuantumPhysics, Spirituality and the Soul.”

Held from March 28 to April 4, 2004the week featured several prominent per-sonalities, including F.W. De Klerk, for-mer president of South Africa and NobelPeace Prize Laureate, Nobel Prize LaureateBetty Williams, spiritual teacher Ma JayaSati Bhagavati, all of whom were either

featured speakers or award recipients.De Klerk was the keynote speaker for

the Inter-Faith Assembly. He was invitedto the College because of his call for anon-racist South Africa, which led to liftingthe ban on the African National Congress(ANC) and former South African presidentNelson Mandela’s release. Just as De Klerkand Mandela jointly received the NobelPrize in 1993, they both received theGandhi, King, Ikeda Community Builder’sPrize, administered by the King Chapel.(Mandela will be presented the awardwhen Lawrence Carter, dean of the KingChapel, travels to South Africa this fall).

However, De Klerk’s invitation to speakon the topic “Do the Right Thing” was alsoan open invitation for irony. Indeed, manyquestioned, whether Carter had done theright thing by inviting a man who had—until his presidency—supported apartheidand the oppression of millions of Africans.

De Klerk’s speech was an eloquentappeal for forgiveness and reconciliation.However, few students got the message.

Earlier during the week, nearly 800 of themhad signed a petition to protest De Klerk’spresence on campus. On the night of DeKlerk’s speech, there was only a smatteringof Men of Morehouse in the audience.

De Klerk’s presence in a chapelnamed after an African American whosacrificed his life for freedom, on a stagethat represents the best in black scholar-ship and achievement; and on a campusthat provides an insulator from the“isms” that fetter learning at many otherinstitutions, was a rare study in irony—which was not lost on De Klerk.

“I can think of no institution in theUnited States that I would be as honoredto receive this award than from the almamater of Martin Luther King Jr.,” he said.“May this symbolic act of giving thisaward to someone of my history act as asymbol for all the peacemakers…. May itbe seen as an act of reconciliation andinspire others to work together to closethe book on the past.” ■

Spiritual and Science Awareness Week: Change and Controversy

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S TAVIS SMILEY electrified an audi-ence of Morehouse College students, faculty, staff andadministrators during his lecture on “The State of BlackLeadership: Ethical Issues and Challenges.” Smiley’s visit to theCollege on April 11, 2003, was part of the annual Coca-ColaLeadership Lecture Series sponsored by the Morehouse CollegeLeadership Center. Called one of the most political voices ofhis generation and selected as one of America’s 50 most prom-ising young leaders by Time magazine, Smiley is making wavesacross many mediums. As host of The Tavis Smiley Show, he is

the first African American to host his own signature talk show in the history ofNational Public Radio. Smiley also hosts The Smiley Report for the ABC RadioNetwork, which is heard daily on urban contemporary radio stations across the nation.He appears twice a week on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show.

DR. MICHAEL ERIC DYSON shared some of his knowledge,quick prose and wit with Morehouse College during theCoca-Cola Leadership Lecture Series on October 20, 2003. Histopic was “Why We Can’t Wait: The Need for EthicalLeadership.” Dyson is known as one of the most thought-pro-voking authors and lecturers of African Studies and hip-hopculture. Dyson, the Avalon Professor in Humanities at theUniversity of Pennsylvania in Religious and Africana Studies,has been hailed by The Chronicle of Higher Education as “oneof the youngest stars in the firmament of Black intellectuals.”

The Coca-Cola Foundation endows the Coca-ColaLeadership Lecture Series, which provides an opportunity for world-class leaders toshare insights about contemporary leadership issues as well as the challenges and oppor-tunities likely to confront tomorrow’s leaders. A leadership lecture is held each semester

JUDGE GLENDA HATCHETT, the former chief presiding judgeof the Fulton County (Ga.) Juvenile Court, has seen andheard it all. Like the 15-year-old girl who was ordered to killher own mother if she wanted to join a gang. Without ethi-cal leadership, she said, such horror stories could hit closerto home.

“The Morehouse class of 2025 is being born this year,”said Hatchett, who spoke during Crown Forum on Nov. 13,2003. “If things don’t get better, one in six black boys willdrop out of high school; one in nine will use cocaine before

the age of 30; one in 20 will be locked up before the age of 30. And every two days,a black boy will give up on life and commit suicide.”

Rather than “lingering in a pity party,” Morehouse men in particular mustweave together our unraveling community, said Hatchett. “If you fall by the way-side, then we all suffer, because [Morehouse] is where the power and potentialare… So the only question left is, really, are you willing?”


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Three Renowned Speakers on Ethical Leadership

77TH ANNUAL SPELMAN-MOREHOUSE

CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT

For more than three quarters of a century, the Spelman-

Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert has kicked off the

holiday season of celebration for the Atlanta

Community. This year, glee club members again lifted

their voices in song for three performances, December

5-7, 2003.

The combined choir performed both new selec-

tions and the old traditional songs the community has

come to love, including “Holy Radiant Light,” “Behold

The Star” and “The Holy and the Ivy.” Patrons enjoyed

the sing alongs, as well as the Morehouse College Glee

Club’s rousing performance of the Yoruba folk hymn

“Betelemehu.”

Each year, more than 6,500 participants attend the

concerts, which are free and open to the public. “Many

people have asked why we don’t charge for the con-

cert,” said Dr. David Morrow, director of the Morehouse

College Glee Club. “We don’t charge because the

founders of the concert envisioned it as a gift to the

Atlanta community.”

A KING CELEBRATION

The 12th annual King Cele-

bration Concert was held in the

Martin Luther King Jr. Chapel

on the Morehouse campus on

January 16. Atlanta Symphony

Orchestra (ASO) Music Director

Robert Spano, the Orchestra

and members of the ASO

Chorus, the glee clubs of

Morehouse and Spelman colleges, Soprano soloist

Arietha Lockhart, and special guest National Black Arts

Festival Executive Director Stephanie Hughley, paid trib-

ute in words and music to Martin Luther King Jr. ’58, the

man whose harmonic spirit — in times of calm and in

times of crisis — embodies the noble musicality of life.

The concert was broadcast over more than 250

public radio stations nationally on NPR’s daily classical

music program, Performance Today.

Morehouse cosponsors the concert each year in

partnership with the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for

Nonviolent Social Change Inc., National Public Radio,

Spelman College and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Tavis Smiley

Michael Eric Dyson

Glenda Hatchett

The Glee Club In Concert

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Homecoming 2003

It’s MoreThan JustA Game...


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3

omecoming 2003 was an exciting weekend of tradition and celebration. Thegame was a much anticipated clash between the AUC’s big cats—the Tigersand the Clark Atlanta Panthers. The Tigers mauled the Panthers 48 to 33.

For the first time, Morehouse welcomed many of her sons back home for the inau-gural Homecoming Showcase and Conference—a unique opportunity for alumni toreunite and discuss their careers with students and faculty.

From the Homecoming Parade to the National AlumniAssociation Golf Classic to the Homecoming Step Show,Morehouse brothers were on the scene in record numbers.

Get ready for Homecoming 2004... It Will Be More Than Just A Game


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“If Morehouse has unintentionally

created this much creative power,

imagine what power it will have in

taking this initiative intentionally,”

Michael Lomax ‘68

President of the

United Negro College Fund

Homecoming Conference and

“I don’t regret that I had to study Beethoven, Bach and Mozart. I do

regret that I was not required to study Armstrong and Coltrane.”

–William McDaniel Jr. ’67

Director of jazz studies

Ohio State University

MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE 12 S P R I N G 2 0 0 4

Q uick. Think of some of the leading African American men in Hollywood.Spike? Sam Jackson? Bill Nunn? Now, think hats—big “why did you have to sit in front of me” church hats and

Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center.We’re not finished. Think about the National Black Arts Festival, and the

draw it has for countless African American artists and those who seek out their work.What do they all have in common? Morehouse.Those leading men in Hollywood—Shelton “Spike” Lee ‘79, Samuel L. Jackson ’72, Bill

Nunn III ‘76—are all Morehouse Men.At Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center in November,“Crowns,” a book co-created by Morehouse

alum Craig Marberry ‘81, was featured in two of its incarnations: an exhibition in the High Museumof Art and a gospel play, directed by acclaimed actress Regina Taylor, in the AllianceTheater.

Finally, the National Black Arts Festival was founded by Morehouse alumMichael Lomax ‘68, president of the United Negro College Fund.

“If Morehouse has unintentionally created this much creative power, imaginewhat power it will have in taking this initiative intentionally,” said Lomax dur-ing the opening of the first ever Conference and Showcase during HomecomingWeekend 2003.

Indeed, the power of the Morehouse influence was felt during the conferenceas dozens of participants—including luminaries such as actor casting directorReuben Cannon (Hon. ’02), director and producer Oz Scott and visual artist KojoGriffin ‘92—shared stories about their challenges and success in the arts industry.

Topics discussed during the conference included “Making Movies andMaking the Cut,”“Why We Write: An Author’s Perspective,”“Defining the ActingRole,” and “Success in the Arts and Entertainment Industry,” among others.

“Each year, we will invite alumni from different disciplines to come back homeand share their experiences,” said Henry M. Goodgame Jr. ’84, director of AlumniRelations and Annual Giving and the Conference coordinator. “We will continueto find creative ways to fully engage alumni in the life of the College.” ■

“We are the most creative people on earth—

and we don’t get credit for it. We don’t

appreciate [our artists] until someone out-

side of our own culture comes along and

says, ‘This is great.’…If we don’t love our-

selves first, no one else will.”

–Alton C. Brothers ‘69

Visual Artist


“I’ve lived in so many cities, walked so

many blocks, and talked to so many dif-

ferent people. And there are so many sto-

ries out there. All you have to do is frame

them, follow them through, and put them

in pages that people can read.”

–Kenji Jasper ’97

Author

“Investing in art is a spiritual invest-

ment you’re making in yourself and

your family. And that’s something

you can’t put a price tag on.”

--Kojo Griffin ‘92

Visual artist

Showcase

Morehouse Launches Multi-Year Initiative That Helps Build ‘Human Infrastructure’

THE INSTITUTIONAL VALUES PROJECT is the first multi-year initiativedesigned to build a better community at Morehouse College by developing theCollege’s “human infrastructure.” The project, which was launched at the startof the 2001-2002 academic year, has an overall goal of equipping students, fac-ulty and staff with the ethical tools they need to support the shared vision ofmaking Morehouse one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the nation.

Students, faculty and staff came to a consensus to determine the appropriatevalues for the community. In the first year, “The Year of Dialogue,” members ofthe campus community formed small groups to determine how perceptionsabout values are different or similar for different age and constituency groups.The nine values that emerged as those that guide campus interactions and aremost important to building a better community at Morehouse are accountabili-ty, civility, community, compassion, honesty, integrity, respect, spirituality andtrust. However,“respect”was identified as the primary value that should providethe framework for community interactions.

The goal for the second year, “The Year of Reflection,” was to have the cam-pus community reflect on their own behavior and values. Following a studentassault incident on campus, however, the Institutional Values Project beganfocusing on issues of tolerance and diversity. As a result, student dialogues, focusgroups with the campus community, and a survey helped to inform a local andnational advisory group on the “climate” for tolerance and diversity on campus.

Now in its third year, “The Year of Responsibility,” the Institutional ValuesProject seeks to institutionalize the values into the fabric of the College. In October2003, the College launched its “I Take Responsibility” campaign, which wasdesigned to improve customer relations with both internal and external customers.Faculty and staff are encouraged to display a desktop placard that reads: “I workfor Morehouse. I take responsibility.” The College is also conducting a student-sat-isfaction survey to be used to help improve key services throughout the College.

The Institutional Values Project has resulted in the placement of two currentinitiatives. As a part of Freshman Orientation, the freshman dean will hold manda-tory small-group discussions that thoroughly examine tolerance and diversity. Thesecond initiative are values forums that explore the “rules of civility.” One suchforum, titled “Coffee and Conversation,” is sponsored by Student Services and isheld the first Friday of each month to provide an opportunity for the campus com-munity at large to have ongoing conversations about institutional values. ■

–Reneé Calhoun

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ofResponsibilityInstitutional Values Project Year

I work for Morehouse.I take responsibility.

Three-Peat Winner of HondaCampus All-Star Challenge

For the third time in four years, Morehouse College has

become national champion of the 15th Annual Honda Campus

All-Star Challenge. The three-day competition pits students

from 64 Historically Black Colleges and Universities against

one another as they answer questions on a range of topics—

from African American history to science. Morehouse beat

the team from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Florida A&M University is the only other team that has won

the competition three times.

Morehouse was awarded a check for $50,000, which

will be used to provide equipment and materials for future

teams, as well as fund the newspaper program, which pro-

vides students with free issues of USA Today and the Atlanta

Journal-Constitution newspapers.

Anderson Williams, the team’s coach and chairman of

Business Administration, said that he is very happy about

this year's victory. "With the players that we have coming

back next year, I think we have a good chance at making it

four out of five victories."

Morehouse College senior John Thomas III was named

to the competition's All-Star Team, which earned the College

an extra $1,000 in award winnings. He also received an

honor for exemplary sportsmanship.

Team captain Christopher E. Lee said it is great to be

back on top. "Everyone wanted us to bring the championship

back home," he said. "This team was probably the best team

that has ever participated in this competition. Our chemistry

was incredible. We operated like one huge brain."

The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge was estab-

lished by American Honda Motor Co., Inc. in 1989. Since its

inception, approximately 50,000 HBCU students have taken

part in the program and nearly $3.5 million in grants have

been awarded to the schools. The National Association for

Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) and the

Association of College Unions International are partners in

the program. ■

Morehouse earned the national academic champion title at the 15th

annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge after team members John

Thomas III, John Ramsey Clarke, Christopher E. Lee and Jordan A.

Harris prevailed in competitions.

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CK

The Wall Street Journal, the nation’s most widely circulated daily and a virtual bible for businessleaders the world over, has recognized Morehouse as a leader when it comes to sending studentsto top graduate schools.

The Journal found the alma maters of more than 5,000 incoming students at 15 of the nationstop graduate programs—five each in business, law and medical schools—and published theresults in its Sept. 26 issue. Morehouse is number 29 in the listing of the top 50 feeder schools.Following are other highlights.• Morehouse is the highest ranking private feeder school in Georgia.• Only two private institutions ranked in Georgia: Morehouse at #29 and Emory at #36• Morehouse is the only HBCU ranked in the top 50 Of the two Associated Colleges of the South schools,• Morehouse ranked #29 and Washington and Lee ranked #48. ■

The Wall Street Journal Ranks Morehouse Among the Top Feeder Schools in the Nation

Sheftall Appointed to SACS Committee

insidethehouse

THE ANNUAL MOREHOUSE College Breast Cancer Awareness Walk marched to the

beat of several drummers on last October. The Maroon Tiger Marching Band led the

processional from the King Chapel to the Morehouse School of Medicine.

The addition of the band renewed interest in the four-year-old event, says event

co-coordinator Sandra Walker (center), executive assistant to the vice president for

Business and Finance. Over the past three years, Morehouse has donated $38,000 to

the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. ■

Morehouse Listed

Among The “Most

Connected”

College Campuses

The Forbes/Princeton Reviewranked Morehouse No. 250among the nation’s 351 mostconnected campuses. The rank-ing was based on student/com-puter ratio and breadth of com-puter science offerings, amongother criteria.

Ranking of Georgia schools: Georgia Tech, #3Wesleyan College, #27University of Georgia, #57Emory University, #117Mercer University, #156Morehouse College, #250Agnes Scott College, #300Oglethorpe University, #346Spelman College, #351

MEDICAL SCHOOLS:

Columbia

Harvard

Johns Hopkins

University of California,

San Francisco

Yale

LAW SCHOOLS:

Chicago

Columbia

Harvard

Michigan

Yale

MBA:

Chicago

Dartmouth’s Tuck School

Harvard

MIT’s Sloan School

Penn’s Wharton School

Students were surveyed at the following graduate schools:

Drumming Up Excitement:

WILLIS B. SHEFTALL JR. ’64, sen-ior vice president for AcademicAffairs, has been appointed to serveon the six-member Central ReviewCommittee of the SouthernAssociation of Colleges and SchoolsCommission on Colleges.

The Central Review Committeewill be responsible for reviewingand approving the work of eight Commission on Collegessubcommittees that are studying core requirements andcomprehensive standards in the areas of institutional effec-tiveness, mission, faculty, educational programs, governanceand administration, learning resources, student supportservices, finances and physical resources.

The Committee also will oversee the development of acompanion document to the Principles of Accreditation thatwill pose questions designed to stimulate ideas about issuesthat institutions need to consider when providing evidenceof compliance with each standard. ■



insidethehouse

With 27 years of service at Morehouse, Blocker, who was dean ofthe senior class and director of the Office of Health Professions, will beremembered most for his role as a mentor and role model.“Hundredsof men and women of medicine are indebted to him,” said MarcellusBarksdale ’65, professor of history at Morehouse. “The lyrics of thesong, ‘If I Can Help Somebody,’ reflect the life of my dear friend.”

Indeed, Blocker’s legacy is his legendary advocacy for students.“Tom was the most student-oriented person I have ever known,” saidDr. J.K. Haynes ’64, dean of the Division of Science and Mathematics.“When he talked, students listened. And it wasn’t so much because hewas an imposing figure, but because he walked like a king.

“Students believed in Thomas Blocker. They knew he would doeverything in his power to help them achieve their career goals.”

Speaking at Blocker’s “Celebration of Life,” Dr. Roderick EarlEdmond ’83 provided testimony to illustrate that Blocker, indeed,did whatever it took to encourage and guide his students.

Edmond recalled how, at age 20, he suddenly felt disillusionedabout the path he was on, and was ready to drop out of school.

Blocker invited him to his office and sat him down for a long talk.“We sat there for four to five hours,”Edmond recalled.“I’m sure

we solved the origin of civilization. We cured cancer that night. Idon’t remember what we talked about, but—guess what—the nextday I was in class.”

Edmond told accounts of other times in his life when Blockerhad been there for him. As he paid a final tribute to his mentor andfriend, he said that now it was his time to be there for Blocker. Hechallenged the large number of doctors, dentists and scientists in theaudience to begin giving back to the College.

Blocker graduated from Morehouse in 1974 with a degree inbiology. While at Morehouse, he studied abroad as a Charles E.Merrill Scholar at the University of Vienna, Austria, in the Instituteof European Studies from 1972-73. After graduating fromMorehouse, he went on to earn a master’s degree from AtlantaUniversity and was admitted to Clark Atlanta University as a Ph.D.candidate and completed 70 graduate hours.

He returned to the College in 1976 as an instructor in the BiologyDepartment. Thousands of students came under his tutelage in hisvarious roles with organizations.

As pre-medical adviser for 27 years, Blocker recruited andenrolled more than 2,100 young men and women in the summerprograms. A large number of these students, as well as others whomhe has mentored—entered and completed medical and dental pro-grams, as well as doctoral programs.

In 1997, Meharry Medical College awarded Blocker the hon-orary doctorate of humane letters. After serving on the PrincetonReview Advisory Board, the Princeton Review praised him for “mak-ing an outstanding contribution to the education, counseling androle modeling for African American male students.”

Blocker received funding for grants supporting education,research, health careers and health care totaling more than $3 millionfrom the government, foundations, organizations and industry. Healso organized and directed many conferences—several of whichwere the only ones of their kind in the nation—and was responsiblefor establishing 41 scholarships to assist students who otherwisemight not have been able to complete their undergraduate degreeand attend a medical or professional school.

Among Blocker’s honors are receiving the General Biology Student’sOutstanding Teacher award six times. He also served on several nationalassociations, including Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Honor Society and theNational Association for the Advancement of Science. ■

THOMAS J. BLOCKER ‘74, AN ADVISER,

PROFESSOR AND ROLE MODEL TO PRE-

MEDICAL AND PRE-DENTAL STUDENTS,

DIED ON MAY 8, 2003. HE WAS 52.

“BLOCKER WAS A STERLING EXAM-

PLE OF WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE A

MOREHOUSE MAN,” SAID PRESIDENT

WALTER E. MASSEY ’58. “INDEED, IN

HIS VERY QUIET, BUT VERY POWERFUL

WAY, [HE] EMBODIED VALUES AND

VIRTUES TO WHICH ALL MOREHOUSE

MEN ASPIRE.”

BLOCKER’S LIFE WORK WAS A TIRE-

LESS PURSUIT OF EDUCATING OTHERS,

MASSEY CONTINUED. “HE KNEW THAT

KNOWLEDGE IS LIGHT. HE WAS A

LEADER—IN THE CLASSROOM, ON THE

MOREHOUSE CAMPUS AND THROUGHOUT

THE NATION. HE WAS NOT OUT IN THE

FRONT—BUT HAD A QUIET INFLUENCE.”

“Dean” Prescribed Success For His Students

Passages


insidethehouse

SEVERAL TIMES EACH YEAR, the Morehouse College Corporate Alliance Program and the Leadership Center invite senior-level execu-tives from the world of business to participate in its Presidential Chat Series and Executive Lecture Series to share their experiencesand expertise with a select group of business students and other members of the campus community. The session includes a shortpresentation by the visiting professional and an opportunity for informal interaction between the executives and students.

Edmond “Ted” Kelly, chairman and CEO of Liberty Mutual Group,

Nov. 25, 2003, with Dr. Massey and Director of Corporate

Foundation Relations, Dennis Long

Timothy Collins, senior manag-

ing director and CEO of

Ripplewood Holdings LLC., Oct.

31, 2003

William A. Clement Jr., chairman and

CEO of Dobbs, Ram and Co., Nov. 24,

2003, with sophomore Ken Jones

Thomas D. Bell Jr., vice chairman, president and CEO of Cousins Properties

Inc., Sept. 30, 2003

Bill E. Mayer of Park Avenue Equity Partners, April 7, 2004,

with student Guy Etoundi.

Tom Karsh, executive vice president and

general manager of Turner Classic Movies,

Jan. 29, 2004

Rec

ent

Cam

pus

Vis

its

Ken Barun, president and CEO of

Ronald McDonald House

Charities, Feb. 23, 2004, with

senior Oluwabusayo Topé Folarin

and President Massey ‘58

James Blanchard,

CEO of Synovus,

Sept. 11, 2003

Lloyd Trotter, president

and CEO of GE

Consumer and Industrial

Systems, Feb. 9, 2004


insidethehouseR

ecent C

ampus V

isitsJohn J. Mack, vice chairman and CEO of Credit Suisse First

Boston Group, Oct. 8, 2003

James Cantalupo, chairman and

CEO of McDonald Corp., Oct. 28,

2003 (Cantalupo died suddenly on

April 19, 2004.)

Jeffrey A. Sine, vice chairman

and managing director of UBS

Investment Bank, Oct. 10, 2003

Duane Ackerman, chairman and

CEO of BellSouth, Nov. 4, 2003

Calvin Darden,

senior vice presi-

dent for UPS, Oct.

27, 2003

Arnold W. Donald, chairman

of Merisant Corp., March 2,

2004

Arthur Ryan, chairman and CEO of

Prudential Financial, Inc., Nov. 25, 2003

Erroll Davis Jr., chairman, president and CEO of

Alliant Energy Corp., Feb. 24, 2004 James Houghton, chairman and CEO of Corning, Inc.,

Jan. 20, 2004, with Morehouse vice president for

Institutional Advancement Phillip Howard ‘87

inperson

by Monét Cooper

HEN OLABODE FOLARIN FIRST CAME TO THE UNITED STATES NEARLY THREE DECADES AGO, HE SETTLED IN

CALIFORNIA. A POOR NIGERIAN IMMIGRANT, HE HAD NO OPTIONS IN HOUSING AND RELIED ON THE CHAR-

ITY OF A CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE HIM WITH A PLACE TO LIVE. HE WAS PLACED IN THE HEART

OF WATTS. HIS HOUSE, HE SAYS, WAS A FEW SHORT BLOCKS FROM THE CITY’S CRIME-RIDDEN PROJECTS. HE

REMEMBERS LIVING THERE ONLY A SHORT WHILE BEFORE WITNESSING FOUR DIFFERENT SHOOTINGS. AFTER THE LAST SHOOT-

ING LEFT SOMEONE DEAD, HE PROMISED GOD THAT IF HE WERE GIVEN CHILDREN, NOT ONE WOULD MEET THE SAME FATE.

WFolarin was given five children. And to say he’s madegood on his promise is an understatement. His oldestson, Oluwabusayo “Topé” Folarin, has been named a2004 Rhodes scholar. The Morehouse senior ismajoring in political science and is the College’s thirdRhodes scholar — no small feat for a historicallyblack institution. In fact, Morehouse is only one oftwo HBCUs to produce three Rhodes scholars.

Anne W. Watts, associate vice president forAcademic Affairs says Morehouse “raises the bar andscales it.” She oversees the College’s Rhodes nomina-tion process, which trained Folarin for the interviewsand reviewed his application. Watts says he honed hisinterviewing skills with a hand-picked group ofadministrators. The training prepared him well.Folarin remained cool under pressure during the


A Thinker and an ActivistA Thinker and an Activist

strenuous day-long process in Texas.How Folarin became a Rhodes

Scholar it is a lesson in strategy. His is alife built on it and the plan of parentswith a vow to keep. He and his fatherrecount tales of Folarin’s childhood.Homework was to be done as soon asFolarin arrived home. No video games.No television except for the Nightly Newswith Tom Brokaw. His parents’ demandfor academic focus kept him slightly dis-gruntled, but astute. He also learnedpriceless lessons that would carry himthrough his college years. “It taught mehow to manage time,” he admits. “I readvoraciously because we weren’t allowedto do anything else. It definitely con-tributed to my ability to speak and write.”

But what Folarin reveals “altered thecourse of his life” was not learned in hisparents’ house or by poring over books. Itwould come in Cape Town, South Africa,from a young girl.

It was two years ago when he was inthe country working for a nongovern-mental group while on summer break.Each day, he rode the minibus into CapeTown. Amid the bustle of college stu-dents, a small child stood out. Her facewas dirty. Her clothes were mere rags.And her brown hair reached just belowher thin shoulders. For days she followedFolarin through the city’s streets askingfor money.

At first he ignored her. But one day,he turned and asked her name. She gavehim her name and her story.

Her name was Thandeka.She had AIDS.She had been raped.At 13, it was up to her to provide for

her siblings any way she could.They shared walks almost every day

after that—but she never again asked himfor money. “That affected me a great deal.The first-world, third-world divide thatexisted in South Africa was egregious, ” hesays solemnly. “One of my good friends

had family in South Africa and they livedin this palatial mansion just outside ofCape Town, and then five minutes fromthat you’d see people in the townshipswho just didn’t have anything.”

But Folarin’s desire to help developingnations hits even closer to home.“I’m real-ly passionate about helping people inthird-world countries because both of myparents are from Nigeria and a lot of mycousins definitely don’t have the thingsthat I have here,” he said. “I need to make adifference, I’m not sure in what capacityyet.… Public service is where my heart lies.

“Being in South Africa broughteverything into focus because of thestruggles I had...It hurt me to see thatpeople were making a living with next tonothing. They began to think that thiswas almost as it should be since they hadlived that way for so long.”

Dr. George Kieh Jr., political sciencedepartment head and one of Folarin’smentors, says that he has seen Folarin’sfocus shift from academic matters to ashared interest in scholarship andactivism—a rarity for thinkers likeFolarin. He says he also is sure that it is inthe area of making an impact on thedeveloping world that the Rhodes schol-ar will make his mark.

“Intellectuals analyze society’s prob-lems and tend to be less involved in try-ing to resolve them. The discovery of anactivist is the discovery of a rare person,”Kieh says. “If Topé went into the acade-my, that’s essentially the person he wouldbe: a scholar-activist. He would make animpact on people’s lives no matter whathe does.”


inpersonFolarin has grown accus-

tomed to bending against

the trend. It’s the reason he

chose Morehouse and turned

down offers from Stanford

and Dartmouth universities.

Oprah Winfrey talks with Folarin at the 2004 “A Candle in the Dark” Gala.

inperson

RHODES SCHOLAR NIMA WARFIELD ’94Received degrees from Oxford and the University of London. Workedfor The Wall Street Journal as a copy editor for three years. AfterSeptember 11, drastically changed his lifestyle and left journalism.Now owns the Alkalight Group International, a health and wellnesscompany, and has a four-year-old daughter Kiara Elon Warfield.

RHODES SCHOLAR CHRISTOPHER ELDERS ’02Finishing doctorate in modern history at Oxford University. Plans togo to law school and pursue a career in U.S. and Asian foreign policy.

ABOUT THE RHODESRhodes Scholarships provide two or three years of study at the University of Oxford in England. The schol-arship is the oldest international study award available to American scholars. The value of the scholarshipvaries depending on the academic field, the degree (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral), and the Oxford collegechosen. The Rhodes Trust pays all college and university fees, provides a stipend to cover necessaryexpenses while in residence in Oxford, as well as during vacations—and transportation to and fromEngland. The total award averages approximately $28,000 per year.

WHEREARE

THEYNOW?


Folarin has grown accustomed tobending against the trend. It’s the reasonhe chose Morehouse and turned downoffers from Stanford and Dartmouthuniversities.

At his majority white high school inUtah, he was oftentimes the only AfricanAmerican high achiever. The battle toprove himself was one Folarin fought allhis life. He decided he would not spendhis college years fighting, too.

Morehouse was the right choice, hesays. He had dreamed of obtaining theRhodes since high school. Folarin is atutor and a member of the debate team.He’s confident that he couldn’t havefound such purpose at any other insti-tution.

“It’s incredibly empowering to seethat I’m not the only one because I’vealways been the only black on the honorroll. I got sick of that and that’s not thecase here,” he says. “When I go off intothe world, and perhaps I may have to

encounter that again, I can draw on theexperiences I’ve had here.”

Folarin will travel to England this fallto begin a two- to three-year study in pol-itics with a concentration in comparativegovernment. It will be the first steps he willtake to making a difference. Seven black

students from Historically Black Collegesand Universities have been awarded theRhodes—a fact not lost on Folarin.

“I really want to have a hand in chang-ing that,” he says. “I think Morehouse isone battleground where we can begin towin that fight.” ■

Folarin with His Excellency FLT. LT. Jerry John Rawlings, former president of the Republic of Ghana, during a recent

visit to London.


Commencement:Awashed in Pageantry, Ac

by Kenneth Rollins


hroughout the rain-soaked morn-ing, the pair of concessionaries,stationed on the portico ofCharles Kilgore Student Center,enjoy a brisk business. First, it is

the umbrella and rain poncho vendor, who outfitsscores during a spirited run on the merchandise.

However, before the day was complete, the T-shirt concessionaire, whose wares included T-shirtsemblazoned with “Proud Dad of a MorehouseGrad” or “Proud Mom of a Morehouse Grad” letter-ing, grows more and more popular. You could findT-shirts for every relationship imaginable. Therewere garments for grand dads and grand mamas, foraunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, even distantcousins and good, good friends. Eager relatives,amassed four or five deep, engulfing the table, anx-ious to purchase one or more. By ceremony’s end,the T-shirt was the ubiquitous emblem, trumpingthe rain poncho as the attire of the day.

T

feature

complishment and Rain!

Continued on page 36

Great, proud traditions typicallyoutdistance the momentary milieu. Youdon’t need Aesop for that moral. The raindid indeed fall on the Commencementceremony, but the celebration of accom-plishment ultimately ruled the day.

The graduating seniors themselvesare the best illustrations. They felt des-tined to fulfill the call of that hour. Attimes, the class roared in throaty defianceas torrent after torrent washed acrossthem. They seemed to galvanize theirstrength in the maw of adversity.

“We would have been there if it wererain, sleet, hail or snow. This was a day wesurely weren’t going to miss,” said DarrellMason Gray II, biology major bound formedical school. “Nothing can stop Da’House.”

That put the day into perspective,and framed the unforgettable backdropfor the 119th commencement ceremonyhonoring the Class of 2003.

It was a wet and wicked morningindeed, with rain showers so relentlessthat an abbreviated ceremony was, merciful-ly, ordained. Even the honorary degreesgiven to Rev. Dr. Gardner C. Taylor and Dr.

Joseph Earl Marshall Jr. were hastily deliv-ered. Commencement speaker VernonJordan’s address may go down in theannals of Morehouse history as the greatestcommencement speech never delivered.

He did rise to the podium—but onlybriefly. Jordan, a high-powered WashingtonD.C. attorney, National Democratic Partykingmaker and veteran of many civil rightscampaigns, spoke just over a minute.

There were other equally significantmoments to mark the occasion. Thegrads were welcomed onto the maincampus by an archway of their brethren,Morehouse graduates, sporting whitestraw hats—like Mack Stewart ’63 andBob Mackey ’91—who formed a friendly


feature

“We would have been there if it were

rain, sleet, hail or snow. This was a

day we surely weren’t going to miss.”


THE SHORTEST COMMENCEMENT SPEECH IN MOREHOUSE HISTORY

"Your robes might be wet and your mortarboards might be wet, but the degrees that

you have just received are dry and fresh. I hope that you will take them and make

use of them in the tradition of Morehouse Men. And may you take with you the

words of Herman Melvil: We cannot live by ourselves alone. Our lives are connect-

ed by a thousand invisible threads. And along these sympathetic fibers our actions

run as causes and return to us as results."

-Vernon JordanSenior Managing Director of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC


feature

Rep. Sanford D. Bishop ’68 (D-2nd District, GA.) was

one of many alumni to return to the House for

Commencement ’03.

“Morehouse has activated,

distilled and increased

intelligence, integrity,

brotherhood, tolerance,

compassion and character.”

V A L E D I C T O R Y A D D R E S S<< >>

Sing, O Muse, of the Birth of the Cosmos, Our Cosmos, Morehouse College!

…We are here today because all things in the cosmos are on an inexorable path to

their highest form—the quintessence. This Commencement ceremony is the culmination

of an evolutionary process, an alchemy that has activated, distilled and increased that

which was already present.

The philosopher Jean Dubuis said: “Alchemy is the art of manipulating life and mat-

ter to help it evolve.” For more than 136 years, through its unique alchemy, Morehouse

College has helped her students evolve. It has vitiated the worst and cultivated the best

human qualities in order to prepare wholly developed men. Morehouse has activated, dis-

tilled and increased intelligence, integrity, brotherhood, tolerance, compassion and charac-

ter. Bringing out these qualities is neither facile nor immediate, but continually rewarding.

When I began my pursuit of higher education, I was hesitant to undergo this

Morehouse transformation. I questioned whether this institution was relevant to the

modern era. But, persuaded by my family and friends, I came. I reluctantly came.

During my freshman year, I began to comprehend the value of the Morehouse alche-

my, to understand that the process one undergoes here is not just academic enrichment,

but a life-affirming development. In the classroom, I was challenged to think beyond the

superficiality of texts and ideas, to understand their assumptions and to penetrate their

essence. Through discussions in Graves Hall, work with the Leadership Center and

involvement with the Maroon Tiger, through the philosophies of the 145, and the

labyrinth of Gloster Hall, I realized these extra-academic experiences also were teaching

me how to use and increase the best in me.

Every moment at Morehouse was important in my alchemic process, as it was to

each member of this class. Every person we encountered helped in our awakening. Now,

at the end of the Morehouse road, we, the graduation class of 2003, have been activat-

ed, distilled and increased. We have been transformed.

Brothers, we leave these gates more refined, more aware of ourselves and our

potential—and more aware of a world that we know to be antagonistic to us. We see it

in the media, our government, the places we work and even in our daily interactions.

Although we do not face the overt racism of our forefathers, we face one of a much more

insidious kind. This institutional racism, characterized by inconspicuous condescension,

which demeans us; debilitating favoritism, which limits us; and circuitous exclusion,

which exasperates us at every turn, destroys us and our peers without our knowledge.

To fight this destructive, anti-alchemic process, we must take the lessons we

learned from our Morehouse transformation and unerringly apply them to our every

endeavor. Having been changed by the Morehouse alchemy, we, ourselves, must become

alchemists and revolutionize the world around us. Thus, the process that we began here

at Morehouse will never end—for we still have miles to go….

F. Christopher Eaglin, a 2003 Marshall Scholar, is currently attending the University of

Oxford, in England, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy and devel-

opment studies.

F. Christopher Eaglin ’03

gauntlet as the class paraded through thecampus. When President Walter E.Massey ’58 recognized Dr. Samuel ANabrit ’25 as the oldest living Morehousegrad in attendance, it earned hearty,respectful applause. This ceremony evencharted a little history: it inaugurated thepractice of awarding degrees by theCollege’s three academic divisions. “Theywill never forget this one,” said Jerome C.Jenkins ’53, who observed the entire scenenear quaint Danforth Chapel.

Jenkins fumbled for his 50-year com-memorative pin to display while herecounted his own graduation, which heand his classmates celebrated duringReunion Weekend ’03. There were only 81graduates in his class.

“Dr. Mays knew just about every kidon campus,” he recalled fondly, referring toformer president Benjamin E. Mays.

Fifty years is a vast distance betweenJenkins’ Class of 1953 and the Class of2003, between these two generations ofMorehouse men, between two differentAmericas in two different centuries. Butthe country was certainly no less perilousthen or more promising now.

Nationally, the college-age AfricanAmerican male has become an endangered

species. Approximately 33.8 percent ofblack males, ages 18-24, were in collegeduring 2000-2001. In contrast, 43.9 percentof black women in the same age bracketattended the nation’s colleges and universi-ties. Perhaps an even more sobering andunsettling statistic puts more young AfricanAmerican men in prison cellblocks than incollege classrooms: 791, 600 versus 603,032,according to the Justice Policy Institute, aWashington-based research and advocacyorganization, in a recent study.

That seemed to be the unwittingsubtext of the morning, brilliantly out-lined by Fulton Christopher Eaglin in hisvaledictory address:

“Brothers, we leave these gates morerefined, more aware of ourselves and ourpotential – and more aware of a world thatwe know to be antagonistic to us. We see itin the media, our government, the places wework, and even in our daily interactions.Although we do not face the overt racism ofour forefathers, we face one of a much moreinsidious kind....To fight this destructive,anti-alchemic process, we must take the les-sons we learned from our Morehouse trans-formation and unerringly apply them toour every endeavor.”

That kind of assuredness elevatesMorehouse, the largest independent col-lege educating African American men,onto a rarefied plateau and casts the

College as a definitive national treasure.“The event is a powerful statement

in itself,“ said Sterling Hudson, dean ofseniors. “Where else can you come to see500 African American men receive bac-calaureate degrees?”

Since 1993, Morehouse has consis-tently graduated impressive young menin impressive numbers. Like the Class of2003, most classes have averaged 500graduates. And, like their brethren beforethem, this class made great strides.

Approximately 300 graduates enteredadvanced-degree programs at Harvard,Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Stanford,Howard and Ohio State universities, tolist a few. Still, a significant numberentered the corporate ranks of ChaseManhattan, JP Morgan and otherFortune 500 companies; while others willapply their Morehouse-honed skills toentrepreneurship.

Indeed, as the 500 young menembarked upon their personal sojournsinto the “real world,” the unique, individ-ual stories began to emerge. RodrickHobbs, for instance, couldn’t wait. As theceremony waned, he broke rank and,with his biology degree cover in hand, hedeparted early. But he paused to reflectupon his tenure.

“It’s a great day, because so many

feature


Dr. Joseph Earl Marshall Jr. recieves honorary doctor of

humane letters during Commencement, May 2003.


Commencement, cont’d

The Reverend Dr. Gardner Calvin Taylor receives an honorary doctor of humane letters from Dr. Willis B. Sheftall ’64.

THE REVEREND WILLIAM E. FLIPPIN SR.

affirmed the transition of 500 Morehouse

scholars to their places in the universe during

the 2003 baccalaureate service held in the

Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel,

Saturday, May 17, 2003.

Among the young scholars donned in black caps and gowns

was Joseph Charles Flippin, the speaker’s youngest of three sons

who, like his brothers, chose to attend Morehouse, as well as fol-

low his father’s footsteps into the ministry.

“This is the third time my wife and I have witnessed one

of our sons seated in this place after four years of sacrifice, hard

work, and … rising tuition payments.

“The risk of asking a parent to preach this particular sermon

is that they may lose it. …I am about to [burst] wide open….

Thank you Lord,” shouted the 51-year-old preacher of the Greater

Piney Grove Baptist Church in Atlanta. Flippin is also the author

of Church Etiquette: A Practical Guide for Church Behavior in the

Black Church; A Workbook for Black Churches Reaching College

Students, and Selected Sermons of Reverend Frank Jones.

Switching gears from proud parent to sage preacher,

Flippin addressed the newest crop of Morehouse Men.

“Do not compromise goals, don’t lose heart or hope,” he

advised. “Excellence has become a curse word. Mediocrity is the

norm. In the face of challenges to our faith, it becomes quite easy

for people with promise, purpose and potential to give up.”

Flippin spoke of the apostle Paul’s descent in the basket

when the Jews sought to kill him. Although the apostle—who

before his conversion once persecuted Christians—was on

Jerusalem’s “most wanted list,” he defended the faith.

Flippin warned graduates that they, too, were on a hit list. But,

like Paul, they must grab hold of something deep inside as if it

were a rope, and hold tight.

“The rope, some may say, is the Morehouse mystic…The

rope has been thrown to you…Take the rope from the white racist

who once used it to place [a noose] around our necks to show

superiority, to shut us up, to cause us to lose our dignity…. Hold

onto the rope that benefits and serves. Tie a knot. Tie a double

knot…a square knot…any other kind of knot you can think of.

Hold on to the rope. Hold on to God’s unchanging hand.”

—By Merlin JnBaptiste


B A C C A L A U R E A T E<< >>

feature

Unveiling the Masseys

Oil portraits of President Walter E. Massey ’58 and first lady, Shirley

Massey, were unveiled during the baccalaureate services, May 2003. Their

portraits now hang in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel.

Beating the OddsSENDING A CHILD TO COLLEGE can pose a financial challenge

for some. But imagine sending not one, not two, but three chil-

dren to college at once and dreams of them receiving degrees may

seem unattainable. The Miller brothers, Cornell, Craig and Cedric,

like many other African American college students, experienced

several financial challenges.

For the Millers, getting accepted to Morehouse was the easy

part. Staying at Morehouse was the challenge. Their mother, Carol

Miller, has been unemployed due to a heart condition for nearly 10

years. To help her sons attend the College, she rented out her home

in St. Louis. The twins themselves fell back on a family value they

had learned years earlier as toddlers: sharing. This principle was

behind their decision to attend the same college, because they

would be able to share everything from off-campus living quarters

to a car to textbooks.

“We took out loans, received grants and scholarships and

worked full-time jobs, leaving little time for extracurricular activi-

ties,” says Craig. It was making sacrifices like these that enabled the

Millers to overcome those monetary trials, making them the first

triplets in Morehouse history to graduate the same year with the

same major.

Surprisingly, the Millers welcome the battles, believing chal-

lenges only make them stronger. “You want a challenge because

in the real world, it’s going to be hard,” says Cedric. “I think it

shows you that perseverance and determination work… and

that’s with anything in life.”

The Miller brothers plan to start Skies the Limit, a non-profit

organization aimed at empowering economically challenged youth

with technology know-how. And in the tradition of giving back to

their alma mater, they hope to establish a scholarship for siblings,

helping families to finance the growing price of higher education.

Soon after, they plan to go to law school.

Sounds like the brothers have set their sights very high, but

success is possible. Says Cornell, “There is a different way. Times

don’t have to be difficult. You can actually succeed in life.”

–by Cherie S. White


great men got their degrees today,” saidthe Detroit native.

You could tell he was not referringonly to himself, but to his fellow gradu-ates. Like Brandon Nash, whose mom,Vanessa Nash, encouraged her son toenter Morehouse, even though he had afree ride to any college or university inArizona. It became singularly impor-tant, she said, primarily becauseMorehouse thoroughly grooms its grad-uates to become outstanding scholarsand gentlemen.

“He is the perfect gentleman,” she

said. “He’s more responsible. He’s moreoutgoing. He’s more rounded.”

Later, Ms. Nash could be spottedalong the departure route for the reces-sional, a digital camera in hand. Whenshe spied Brandon, she waved him to ahalt, slowing the procession momentar-ily, while she snapped his picture, amemento bound for the Nash livingroom mantle.

Back at the Kilgore portico, thethree Bailey sisters pose for a photo-graph, too. They all purchased T-shirts,touting their connection with aMorehouse graduate, W. Dwight Bailey.His mother, Shirley, wore the “ProudMama of a Morehouse Grad shirt.” His

Class of ’03 graduate Kevin Bryson strikes a pose with his

family after receiving a bachelors of arts degree in music.

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P R O F I L E<< >>

Commencement, cont’d

Cedric, Cornell and Craig Miller are the first set of triplets to graduate from Morehouse at

the same time, during the College’s first independent summer Commencement in 2003.


feature<< >>S U M M E R C O M M E N C E M E N T

aunts Edna Bailey-Woody and TaraBailey, wore their appropriate shirts.

After five years—her son was a dual-degree major in industrial engineering—Ms. Bailey has embraced her role as aMorehouse mom with aplomb.

“[Morehouse is] a school that is vest-ed in a long, proud legacy and tradition,”she said. “They come in as young men,not confident. But they leave confident inknowing who they are and of wanting tobe of service to the world.”

From the Century Campus,President Massey, bolstered by a mega-watt amplifier, uttered his customarycharge to the graduates. For personsassembled yards from the scene, his mag-nified, disembodied voice rolled acrossthe campus, laden with sonorous weightand mythic echoes of prior lords ofMorehouse, like Quarles, Hope andArcher, Mays and Gloster:

“Morehouse has done all it could toprepare you–personally and intellectually–for this challenge. Now, it is up to you to goout and make good on the promise.As you do, the world will be watching. Thebar has been set high and some may doubtyour ability to leap over it. But alwaysremember: You are not average men, youare Morehouse Men.”

With that pronouncement, the 119thCommencement ceremony became anoth-er Morehouse historic memory. ■

Morehouse Holds History-Making

Summer CommencementNearly 40 Men of Morehouse made history last summer as the first class to

graduate during an independent summer commencement at Morehouse.

Though the graduates were fewer in number, the ceremony itself had all the

pomp and circumstance of its May counterpart, including the ringing of the

bell, the charge to graduates and, of course, the joy and excitement of proud

parents.

Summer commencement speaker was Morehouse alumnus the Rev. Dr.

Robert Michael Franklin ’78, former president of ITC and Distinguished

Professor of Social Ethics at the Candler School of Theology at Emory

University. ■

alvin O. Butts ’71wears two hats equal-ly—and equally well:as the pastor of thehistoric Abyssinian

Baptist Church in New York and aspresident of the State University of NewYork (SUNY), Old Westbury.

The two roles, however, are notmerely complementary, but are so syn-ergistic that they seem to be singular innature and purpose. As Butts put it,religion and education are like theTigris and Euphrates, twin rivers thatare the source of our redemption.

Butts, the 137th Founder’s Dayconvocation speaker, perhaps once ortwice punctuated his speech with thepulpit’s customary harrumph, but hismessage of redemption would havebeen just as relevant coming from a lec-ture hall as a sanctuary.

He focused on how the 21st centu-ry has become an era of concentrationof power—from the gigantic AOLTime-Warner merger to the unificationof European nations. The result, hesaid, has been a loss in our sense ofindividual power.


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C137th Founder’s

by Vickie G. Hampton

Founder’s Day Convocation:

The Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III ‘71

Founder’s Day Convocation:

The Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III ‘71

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“The concentration of power reducesthe importance of the average person. Youcan be left feeling like a man trying tobuild a highway with a shovel,” he said,alluding to a story he had told earlierabout a highway being built with animpressive array of heavy machinery, and alone man with a shovel.

Butts—now the educator in him tak-ing center stage—also lamented the condi-tion of public education in America. As thepopulation gets browner, the quality goesdown, he asserted. But what is really upset-ting is that there is still little information inschools that affirms minority groups’achievements and contributions.

“Can you imagine that in the 21st cen-tury, there’s nothing about us in the cur-riculums of public schools that help us feelappreciated and respected,” said Butts.“That’s a sin and a shame. It’s uncon-scionable, and it must be changed.”

“Uninspired and uneducated” stu-dents are falling by the wayside, he added.“They’ve been disrespected so long thatthey start to disrespect themselves. Thenthey try to convince you that your desire foran education is weak, ‘white’ and wimpy.

“One thing I want you to do is help

every little black child feel appreciated,”Butts continued. “Encourage our children.Make them feel like they’re somebody. Tellthem, ‘You look good.’ ‘You are so pretty.’‘Boy, you’re going to be smart.’ Because ifyou help someone feel appreciated andrespected, he can’t be stopped.” ■

Day Celebration


Gloster MemorialHugh M. Gloster ’31, president emeritus, is given

a final resting place on the east lawn of Gloster

Hall, the main administration building.

The 2004 Otis Moss Jr. Oratorical Contest win-

ners: (l-r) Jarrett Crochet ’07 (honorable mention),

Xavier Collins ’07 (honorable mention); Lenardo

Major ’04 (4th place); Reuben Burney III ’06 (3rd

place) and Justin Dandridge ’05 (2nd place.) Also

pictured are Anne W. Watts, associate vice presi-

dent for Academic Affairs, President Walter E.

Massey ’58, Otis Moss Jr. ’65, chairman of the

Morehouse Board of Trustees, and Dr. Walter

Fluker, director of the Leadership Center.

The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. ’56 extends a hand to Founder’s Day Convocation speaker The Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III

’71 as President Walter E. Massey ’58 and Helen Smith Price, assistant vice president and director of Corporate

Contributions for the Coca-Cola Co., offer congratulations.


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Yolanda Adams:A Night of Inspiration

rom a medley of churchhymns to a string of con-temporary gospel tunes,acclaimed vocalist YolandaAdams’ remarkable dis-

play of musical range and undeniablecharisma showed a standing-room-onlycrowd at the 2004 Founder’s WeekConcert that “Gospel Diva”was an honorshe had rightfully earned.

Adams has accomplished whatfew singers before her have achieved:the ability to attract fans from all walksof life without straying from the gospelroots that nurtured her Grammy-win-ning voice. Her Grammy came in theyear 2000 for Best Contemporary SoulGospel Album. Other honors includefive Stellar Awards, two Soul Train“Lady of Soul” Awards and fiveNAACP Image Awards.

Before Adam’s performance, theCollege’s new Church Music Concen-tration was announced (see relatedarticle on page 21). The concentra-tion, which will be offered beginningfall 2004, was supported by a gener-ous donation of $5,000 from ApostleJohnathan Alvardo, pastor of TotalGrace Christian Center.

Also in performance that nightwere several students, including vocalistsCharles Bryant ’05 and Anthony Gause’05, and pianist Antonio Hunt ’99. ■

F

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To challenge a wise, widelyaccepted adage it takes a wise,widely acclaimed thinker. That’sexactly what happened duringthe Sunday service that culmi-

nated the 137th Founder’s Day celebration.The adage: We are defined by our experiences.

The wise thinker: the Rev. Peter John Gomes, theNathan Marsh Pusey Minister in the MemorialChurch at Harvard University. Gomes is consid-ered one of the greatest preachers of our times.

His challenge: Experience is a great teacher,but it does not define our future.

“Consider your founders,” said Gomes. “Whatexperiences were there for them to look back on?

The slave master’s lash? The depriva-tion of their minds and souls? Whatcould come out of their experienceof racism, segregation and outrightdiscrimination? They were living ina world where nothing good wasexpected of them. What could be

expected of sons of slavery?”Something good did come forth—not from their

tortured past, but from their great expectations.The key was that the founders didn’t

look back, said Gomes, but looked for-ward. Looking back they would have seenslavery and its ravages; looking forwardthey saw possibilities, the opportunity toeducate their sons.

Gomes said that the lessons of the founders areapplicable today.

“The danger of having a long and distin-guished past is that it encourages people to dwell inthat past,” said Gomes. He then quoted an oldBuddhist saying: “Seek not to walk in the footstepsof men of old. Seek what they sought.”

“Instead of looking back at them,look at what theywere seeking,” said Gomes.“I dare to say that Dr. Mayswould be horrified if he thought you spent too much ofyour time and treasure looking back on him….

“America does not need one more self-cen-tered, self-serving, greedy little liberal arts collegeproducing little self-serving automatons,” saidGomes, who then quickly assured the audience that,having heard of the great things the College wasdoing, Morehouse was not among those ranks.Moreover, his experience the previous night at the“A Candle in the Dark” Gala, solidified the point.

“It led me to believe that at the heart of thisCollege was joy and that the great expectations of itsfounders to educate its sons was being met,” he said.

“You are a community, not so much of the past,but of the future. You constantly live in

the possibility. There is somethingunique, special and different

about this College, and thatis its great expectation that

you are producing menwho will not conform—but transform.” ■

T

GreatExpectations


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etween the opening convocation and the ever-popular“A Candle in the Dark” Gala and the Founder’s Dayconcert, is the Key Supporters Reception—perhapsone of the most significant events in the weeklongFounder’s Day celebration.

The Key Supporters Reception honors the top donors for the year,many of whom are alumni. The people who give generously to ensurethat Morehouse College continues to educate African American menin a tradition of excellence are honoring the vision, dedication and sac-rifices of founder William Jefferson White.

This year, the Class of ’78 was awarded the A.Z. Traylor Sr. Award,which is presented to the reunion class that contributed the largestfinancial gift to the College in their reunion year.

The Greater Boston Morehouse Alumni Chapter was presentedthe Maynard Holbrook Jackson Sr. Award, which is presented to thealumni chapter that contributes the largest financial gift to the Collegein the past fiscal year.

Key SupportersReception

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE KEY SUPPORTERS 2002-03

Billye S. AaronLeroy W. AikenWilliam G. BowenSusan A. BuffettHerman Cain ‘67Darlene and Herbert

CharlesJames W. Compton ‘61Willie J. Davis ‘56Macie and Luther W.

Dennis ‘50John B. Fuqua

Emma and Joe AdamsHerbert A. Allen

Allen & Company, Inc.Charles A. BibbsBenjamin A. Blackburn II ‘61Linda and Reuben CannonTimothy C. Collins

Ripplewood HoldingsChester C. Davenport ‘63Rose and Harold A. Dawson,

Sr. ‘63

Joel Z. HyattCharles H. James III ‘81Spike Lee ‘79Lorna and

Michael K. Lindsay ‘75Shirley and Walter E. Massey ‘58Charles E. Merrill Jr.Eugene MitchellCharles David Moody Jr. ‘78Jim Moss ‘70Hazel R. O’Leary

Fred B. Renwick ’50John ThorntonGary L. TookerJohn A. WallaceJohn C. WhiteheadOprah WinfreySamuel A. Young, Jr. ‘70

$25,000 and Above $10,000 to $24,999

B

President Walter E. Massey ’58 and first lady Shirley Massey are presented their

award by Dr. Otis Moss Jr. ’56, chairman of the Morehouse Board of Trustees.

Alvin A. Harris ‘73Julius H. Hollis ‘72Calvin W. Jackson Jr. ‘52William M. Jenkins Jr. ‘53Jeh C. Johnson ‘79Mattie and Michael LawsonArthur J. McClung Jr. ‘66Rufus H. Rivers ‘86David Satcher ‘63B. Franklin SkinnerJames O. Stallings ‘68Mac A. Stewart ‘63

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Samuel A. Young Jr. ’70 Class of 1978 represented by Calvin Vismale

and C. David Moody

James W. Compton ’61

Fred B. Renwick ‘50MCNAA president Arthur J. McClung Jr. ‘66Boston Chapter represented by LeJuano Varnell ’95

and presented by James R. Hall ‘57

Rose and Harold A. Dawson Sr. ‘63Lorna and Michael K. Lindsay ‘75Jim Moss ‘70

Chester C. Davenport ‘63 Mattie and Michael Lawson Macie and Luther W. Dennis ‘50

Receiving their awards from Dr. Otis Moss Jr. ’56, chairman of the

Morehouse Board of Trustees, and President Walter E. Massey ’58 (l-r) are:

OREHOUSE COLLEGE’S

MISSION TO TRAIN

YOUNG MEN FOR

EXCELLENCE CAME FULL

CIRCLE AT THE 16TH ANNUAL “A CANDLE

IN THE DARK” GALA, CELEBRATING THE

137TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLEGE’S

FOUNDING. THE BLACK-TIE AFFAIR, HELD

THIS FEBRUARY AT THE HYATT REGENCY

ATLANTA’S CENTENNIAL BALLROOM,

BROUGHT TOGETHER STUDENTS, ALUMNI

AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE TO HONOR

SEVERAL NOTED INDIVIDUALS FOR THEIR

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS.

The College raised a record-breaking $5.5 million at this year’sGala, thanks to substantial contribu-tions from alumni, sponsors and a sur-prise $5 million donation from OprahWinfrey Hon. ‘89, who received thefirst ever Candle Award for LifetimeAchievement in Humanitarian Service.

“My dream was—when I firststarted making money—to pass it on,and I wanted to put 100 men throughMorehouse,” said Winfrey whose con-tribution to the College totals $12 mil-lion to date. “Right now we’re at 250and I want to make it a thousand.Before I leave here tonight, I want toleave another $5 million check.”

President Walter E. Massey ‘58

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Mby Michael K. Watts ‘92

The G

MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE 48 S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 0

was visibly overjoyed by Winfrey’s unex-pected announcement. “I think OprahWinfrey expressed it best when she said:‘When you empower a Morehouse man,you empower the world,’” Dr. Masseysaid. “We are grateful that Ms. Winfreynot only shares our passion for educatingthese young men, but also generouslyshares her resources to help us make theireducation possible.”

The Gala is the College’s largestannual fundraiser, and is a key compo-nent of the College’s Campaign for a NewCentury. The College embarked uponthis ambitious $105- million campaign in1997 to raise funds for faculty and cur-riculum development, infrastructureimprovements, facilities upgrades, and

permanent endowments for studentscholarships. The Campaign has raised$84.6 million to date, including this year’sGala proceeds of $5.5 million, a big jumpfrom $255,700 and $305,900 in 2002 and2003, respectively. In its first 14 years, theGala raised $2.5 million for studentscholarships. The College awards schol-arships from Gala proceeds twice annual-ly to numerous ‘Candle Scholars’ basedon need and merit.

Training for ExcellenceEach year, attendees get to witness

their donations at work as Morehousestudents take the stage to present theevening’s awards. The Gala’s tradition ofselecting talented students to present the

evening’s awards brings budding educators,financiers and civic leaders face to face withaccomplished medical doctors, CEOs andjournalists. The students serve as ambassa-dors for the College, escorting their respec-tive honorees throughout the evening and,in turn, getting a mentor for the day.

“Dr. [Isaac] Willis told a great storyabout receiving an award from theInternational Biographical Centre inCambridge, England, and the [surprised]reaction he received there,” said MichaelWeaver Jr. ‘04, Dr. Willis’ award presenter.“He said they weren’t expecting an AfricanAmerican to have done the great things hehad done. I found that to be a testament toour recognizing him as a trailblazer.”

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ala of Galas Master and Mistress of Ceremonies, Boris Kodjoe

and Nicole Ari Parker, from the Showtime series

"Soul Food ."



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Troy Causey ‘04 said that his experi-ence presenting Winfrey’s award taughthim a lesson in humility. “I couldn’tbelieve that this first black female billion-aire was [emotional] because I just pre-sented her,” said Causey. “I didn’t realizethe magnitude of my speech.”

Causey says Winfrey took him underher wing and chatted passionately abouther 2002 trip to Africa. “I told her I’d liketo go to Africa with her the next time shegoes, and she said, ‘The next time I go,you’re there!’ I couldn’t believe it!”

These incredible connectionsbetween students and honoree are thehallmarks of the Gala. Henry M.Goodgame Jr. ’84, director of AlumniRelations and Gala chairman, says it isimportant that Morehouse students haveup-close and personal contact with someof the nation’s most influential leaders. “Ifwe place in front of our students thoseachievers who look like them, it will hope-fully encourage them to [one day] lookbeyond the glass-ceiling level,” he said.

“The more we do that, the more consistentwe are with our mission to be the centerfor African American male excellence.”

Each year, student presenters arechosen from a competitive pool of candi-dates. They train under speech coach Dr.Anne W. Watts, who arms them witheffective oratorical skills. “It’s very impor-tant for people to see the Morehouseproduct to understand why we need tocontinue supporting it financially,” saidWatts, associate vice president forAcademic Affairs. “These men to becomeambassadors for the institution send apowerful, needed message.”

A Busy DayMorehouse’s big night capped off a

busy day for the honorees. That morning,they gathered on campus to reflect ontheir achievements and share insight ontheir chosen fields at Reflections ofExcellence. The public forum gave stu-dents and members of the communitythe opportunity to tap into the honorees’

Gala honorees (l-r): Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. ‘68,

Congressman, 2nd District, Ga., Bennie Achievement

Award; LaSalle D. Leffall Jr., Charles R. Drew Professor

of Surgery at Howard University Hospital, Candle Award

in Medicine; Isaac Willis ‘61, dermatologist at Northwest

Medical Center, Bennie Trailblazer Award; Howard H.

Carey ‘57, president and CEO of Neighborhood House

Association, Bennie Service Award; Oprah Winfrey,

chairwoman of Harpo, Inc., and founder of the Oprah

Winfrey Foundation and Oprah’s Angel Network, Candle

Award for Lifetime Achievement in Humanitarian

Service; President Walter E. Massey ‘58; Jessie Hill Jr.,

retired chairman of the Atlanta Life Insurance Co., Candle

in Leadership; Ossie Davis, acclaimed actor and activist,

Candle Award for Lifetime Achievement in Arts and

Entertainment; and Tom Joyner, nationally syndicated

radio host and founder of the Tom Joyner Foundation,

Candle Award in Arts and Entertainment.


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vast knowledge on topics like choosing thebest medical school, plotting a road mapfor success, and climbing the corporateladder versus starting a business.

Actor Ossie Davis encouraged stu-dents to always remain rooted in theirblack communities. “Black folk may notmake you rich, but they’ll never let youstarve,” he said. Davis said that he andwife, actress Ruby Dee, took gigs at funer-als and weddings in the black communitywhen roles were scarce in the entertain-ment industry. “It was working out a way tobelong to our own group and ultimately toexpress the thing that our own group want-ed us to express that enabled us to survive.”

.The Gala of Gala’s

Later that afternoon, as the honoreesdined at the Davidson House, home ofPresident and Mrs. Massey, final prepara-tions for the evening’s Gala were in fullswing. The Hyatt ballroom buzzed withhotel staff decorating elaborate tables.The drone of student presenters rehears-ing “My name is…” competed with thesounds of the Morehouse College JazzEnsemble tuning up on stage. Amidst theballroom bustle, gala co-creator and con-sultant Robert H. Bolton ‘86 intentlychecked table assignments.

Bolton was there for the first gala in1989. As one of the College’s public rela-tions staffers, he and former AlumniAffairs director Hardy R. Franklin Jr. ‘83wanted an event that would honor alumniand other noted achievers, as well as

showcase students and raise funds for stu-dent scholarships. Former President LeroyKeith ‘61 green-lighted the idea and, in afew short months, the first Gala was held.

Franklin remembers it well. “That firstGala was awe-inspiring. Spirits were high. Itwas just something so brand new to every-body that it was just really a great thing.”

The Gala was named after the title ofthe College’s official history book written byEdward A. Jones ‘26. Like the EssenceAwards, the Trumpet Awards and theNAACP Image Awards, the Gala has becomeone of the nation’s premier events that cele-brates African American achievement.“When one develops something, you havethe belief that it’s going to be successful,” saidBolton. “But it’s icing on the cake when itblows up and becomes a household namefor events in the city and across the country.”

The event has honored more than100 individuals, including noted plasticsurgeon Dr. Peter Chatard Jr. ‘56; actorsDenzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson ‘72and Danny Glover; renowned historianand educator John Hope Franklin; leg-endary sports figures Henry “Hank”Aaron, Muhammad Ali and Arthur Ashe;retired New York Transit Authority worker

Clarence “Kappa” Brown ‘40; civil rightsleaders Andrew Young and H. Julian Bond‘71; former Postal Rate CommissionChairman George Haley ‘49; former U.S.Surgeon General David Satcher ‘63 andnoted scholar and professor Cornel West.

A Homecoming ExperienceAlthough the Gala has grown in

national appeal, it is steadily drawingalumni back to the House. Some come toreconnect with college buddies; others totake advantage of the Gala’s incrediblenetworking opportunity. Regardless ofwhat attracts them to the Gala, they alltake pride in the event and what it accom-plishes for the College.

“There really is no other event, otherthan Homecoming, that has such a unify-ing affect,” Franklin said. “This is our sig-nature event.”

Michael Pierce ‘94 was happy to havethe chance to sing the college hymn again.“Singing ‘Dear Old Morehouse’ with myold roommate, other classmates, and olderbrothers was just a good homecomingexperience.”



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Julius Pryor III ‘79 says he has gottenevery company he has worked for overthe past eight years to serve as a Galasponsor, including his current employerJohnson & Johnson Consumer Companies,Inc. “We are building a partnership that isgoing to be beneficial to the company andthe College,” said Pryor. “Morehouse is anAmerican institution, and this event reflectswhat Morehouse is all about.” He also citesthe Gala’s reputation as “an unbelievable net-working event for alumni and the business

community” as an attraction for attendees,regardless of their relationship to the College.

“We’re the only institution in theworld that can do something like this,”said Euclid Walker ‘94, an investmentbanker with Morgan Stanley who recent-ly pledged $100,000 to the College’s cam-paign.“This is a unique Morehouse expe-rience—people coming out, paying trib-ute to leaders in the community, and pay-ing homage to the history and traditionthat Morehouse has built.” ■

Dr. Anne Watts, associate vice presidentfor Academic Affairs, coaches the Menof Morehouse who introduce theBennie and Candle award recipients, aswell as the master and mistress of cere-monies. This year’s presenters wereJason Leon Miles ‘04, Kevin John Peters‘04, Brian DeQuincey Newman ‘05,Michael John Weaver Jr. ‘04,Christopher Edward Carter ‘04, GeneAnthony Gibbs ‘04, Reginald HayesWilborn Jr. ‘05, Julian MichaelDeShazier ‘05, Beryl Monroe Whipple‘04, Edwin Troy Causey Jr. ‘04.Alternate presenters were DarrenHicks and Shyboyd Cannon.

See a photo of Watts and the presentersin the table of contents.


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OREHOUSE WAS WRITTEN ALL OVER MAYNARD JACKSON.

THE IMPRESSIVE, DARN NEAR REGAL BEARING. THE COURAGE,

CONVICTION AND MORALITY. THE ERUDITE ORATIONS THAT

OFTEN SWAYED THE MASSES TO DO “WHAT WAS RIGHT.” JACKSON GRADUATED

FROM MOREHOUSE IN 1956, BUT THE COLLEGE NEVER LEFT HIM. IT SHOWED

IN THE WAY HE REPRESENTED ITS BEST IDEALS.

“MAYNARD WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL MOREHOUSE MAN, PART OF

THE SCHOOL’S TRADITION OF LEADERS WHO MAKE TREMENDOUS CONTRIBU-

TIONS TO SOCIETY,” SAYS WALTER FLUKER, DIRECTOR OF THE MOREHOUSE

COLLEGE LEADERSHIP CENTER.

MContinued on page 54

by Lee R. Haven

MaynardMaynardThe Morehouse Man

Leading the city to international greatness as Atlanta’s firstblack mayor ranks prominently among Jackson’s myriad contri-butions. Much of that was due to his overseeing the successfulexpansion of Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, helping tomake it the world’s busiest airport and the largest economic gen-erator in the southeastern part of the country.

But more importantly, following in the tradition of promi-nent alumni like Howard Thurman ’23 and Martin Luther KingJr. ’48, Jackson was an “ethical leader,” says Fluker, whoseLeadership Center promotes ethical leadership and offers aminor in Leadership Studies.

Through his groundbreaking affirmative action program,

Jackson created opportunities for all citizens to benefit fromAtlanta’s development. His triumphant stance to not beginexpansion on the Hartfield International Airport until blacksand women were fairly represented in the awarding of city con-tracts is the stuff of political legend.

“Maynard was moved by his spirituality to do what wasright. His spirituality formed his ethical insight,” Fluker says. “Tomiss Maynard is to miss his spirituality.”

Spirituality is a large part of an ideal Morehouse Man, saidDean Lawrence Carter, dean of the Martin Luther King Jr.International Chapel. According to Carter, Jackson demonstrat-ed the “highest form of spirituality—cooperation” when he wasable to work with former segregationists to make Atlanta a bet-ter city for everybody. Carter, who is also a professor of religion,as well as the curator and archivist for the Chapel, recognized


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Morehouse Class of 1956. Maynard

Jackson top row far left

Maynard, cont’d

Jackson and his place in history by hanging a portrait of him inthe Chapel’s International Hall of Honor. The Hall celebratesthe contributions of nearly 100 individuals who used the tenetsof King’s Beloved Community, such as non-violence, to fight forsocial and economic justice.

Again true to his Morehouse roots, Jackson was committedto producing leaders to follow in his formidable footsteps. “Hisinterest was always in developing leaders for the 21st century.Morehouse has always been about producing leadership, andMaynard took the issue seriously, especially black leadership,”said Fluker.

Jackson was a hands-on honorary chair of the advisoryboard of the Center, often keeping Fluker informed of the bestpractices of leadership to impart to young Men of Morehouse.Jackson was also the first member of the board to make a signif-icant monetary contribution to the Center.

His commitment to developing youth wasn’t restricted tothe Morehouse campus, however. In 1992, he established thehugely successful Maynard Jackson Youth Foundation, a teach-ing program that develops leadership and mentoring skills forhigh school students in the Atlanta public school system (seesidebar.)

But as much as he did for others in his capacity either aslawyer, mayor or successful businessman—his Atlanta-basedJackson Securities, with branches in several cities, ranks amongthe top black-owned securities businesses in the nation—Jackson always found time to remain engaged with his almamater.

An intellectual prodigy, as well as a son of a Morehouse Man(Maynard Jackson Sr., ’14), Jackson graduated from the Collegeat the age of 18, a time when many students enter college—fouryears after his early matriculation as a Ford Foundation EarlyAdmission Scholar. Tobe Johnson, a Morehouse political sci-ence professor who shared a class with Jackson in the ‘50s,believes that Jackson was especially appreciative of the “milieu ofMorehouse…imbuing in you the idea you can and will achieve.

“I think that’s why he spent so much time and energy atMorehouse [after he left]. It was his way of paying the schoolback,” says Johnson, who served as an “informal advisor” in theJackson administration.

Jackson’s long-term commitments to the College includedmembership on the Morehouse College National AlumniAssociation and 18 years of service on the Morehouse Board ofTrustees, including tenure as chair of the policy-settingGovernance Committee. Words like “active” and “tireless” pop upwhen members of these bodies talk about Jackson’s contributions.


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“He was a strong supporter of the Alumni Association,very active,” said John Draper ‘57, who serves as theAssociation’s acting director. “We could always depend on himto speak to the metro chapters of the alumni association. I wishwe had more like him.”

Said President Walter E. Massey ‘58: “As a board oftrustees member, Maynard was a tireless advocate for excel-lence, a visionary who believed his alma mater’s future role inthe education of African American men would be even greaterthan its past.”

There is a belief—perhaps a hope—that a departed person’sspirit will dwell with the people and places that he held dear inlife. Jackson, the consummate businessman, made the necessaryarrangements to ensure that there would be tangible evidence ofhis spirit, leaving a scholarship for political science students andhis political writings to the College. In turn, to honor his spiritof tested, tried and true commitment to the ideals of ethicalleadership, the Morehouse Board of Trustees recently passedaction to name the new Leadership Center in his honor.

Jackson died June 23 while traveling to Washington, D.C., of a heartattack. A few days later, on June 27, Maynard made his final visit tothe campus. Thousands came to say farewell as he lay in state in theKing Chapel. Later that evening, a program was held to celebrate hiscommunity spirit…an indomitable spirit that led him to volunteerhis time and talent to the House, impart his wisdom to young andold alike, give generously toward scholarships and champion theLeadership Center and its call for ethical leadership.

On the day of his funeral, June 28, Atlanta mourned the loss ofa political giant in a ceremony attended by thousands at the AtlantaCivic Center on June .

It seemed everyone—from former presidents to Atlanta politi-cians to Morehouse staff—had a “Maynard moment” to share.

While Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin recalled how Jackson wasthe impetus for her seeking the City’s highest office, people likePhyllis Bentley, director of Academic Operations at Morehouse, toldof a brief, slightly less momentous, but equally memorableencounter with Jackson.

Bentley had on occasion held short conversations withJackson when he visited the campus. But then again, so had count-less other faculty, staff and students. One day, as she passed himnear Gloster Hall, she said a quick “Hello, Mr. Jackson” and keptmoving, not expecting the busy ex-mayor and businessman toremember her name.

As she walked away, Jackson replied: “Bye, Phyllis.”She was impressed. ■

� � �

Indeed, Atlanta had lost a mayor that had put the

city on the international map, but Morehouse…she

had lost a beloved son.


feature

Maynard, cont’d

Maynard Jackson and his co-panelists, Sinbad and Kareem Abdul Jabbar respond †o

student’s questions a† the 1994 Reflections of Excellence program. Later that evening,

he received the Bennie Achievement Award.


feature

Maynard Jackson changed the way Wayne Martin thought about every-

thing. The college he wanted to attend. The career he wanted. Even about

being late for band practice.

Martin, a participant in the Maynard Jackson Youth Foundation, had

every intention of moving out of Georgia to attend college. Because of

Jackson’s influence, he is now at Morehouse studying political science. And,

like Jackson, he plans on becoming a lawyer and practicing in Atlanta.

What also impressed Martin about Jackson was the man’s dedication

to the Youth Foundation. “He never missed a session,” Martin recalls. Up until

then, Martin had thought missing high school band practices was no big

thing. “But I saw how dedicated he was and that made me become more dis-

ciplined. That’s what stands out now most about those [Youth Foundation]

sessions and that’s what I use today to help me achieve my goals.”

But beyond career goals and dedication to the task at hand, Martin

was enamored by the entire Maynard Jackson package.

“It was his presence, the way he handled himself, his confidence

that I really admired above everything else,” said Martin, now 20. “I said,

‘I want to be like Mr. Jackson.’”

Jackson became Martin’s mentor when Martin began participating in

the Maynard Jackson Youth Foundation as an 11th grader at Therrell High

School in southwest Atlanta. The foundation partners with Atlanta public

schools to identify at-risk, low-income eleventh-graders who show leader-

ship potential.

“Even more than top grades, [these participants] have a spark of

leadership so that we can develop them for leadership positions in the

workplace,” said John Holley, the foundation’s president. The foundation

recruits nearly 20 students a year and teaches them to master the spo-

ken and written language, hone salesmanship skills and learn the stock

market, among other subjects. They also are encouraged to give back to

the community by serving as mentors, tutors or counselors. The program

features guest speakers, mentors and field trips, such as the one the

group took to the Chicago Stock Exchange.

Nearly 130 students have gone through the program since its incep-

tion in 1992. Some of the foundation’s participants have gone on to such

institutions of higher learning as Morehouse, and Emory and Harvard uni-

versities—or service in the military.

Holley credits Jackson’s leadership skills and his commitment to excel-

lence for the success of the program. “We don’t tolerate failure,” he said.

— LH

‘I want to be like Mr. Jackson’

CRITICAL T

HINKING • SEL

F ESTE

EM

Maynard JacksonYouth Foundation

LEADERSHIP • SALESMANSHIP

Corporations funding the foundationinclude Coca-Cola, Georgia Pacific, HomeDepot, First Union Bank, Georgia Powerand Jackson Securities. Foundation stu-dents meet at the Maynard Jackson YouthFoundation’s office in the EquitableBuilding during the first and thirdSaturdays of months comprising theschool year. For more information about

the foundation, call 404-681-3211.

100 PEACHTREE STREETSUITE 2275, EQUITABLE BUILDING

ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303

TELEPHONE: (404) 681-3211WEBSITE: WWW.MJYF.ORG

Wayne Martin, junior

political science major

Lomax ’68 NamedPresident of UNCF

MICHAEL LOMAX '68,president emer-itus of Dillard University and formerchairman of the Fulton County (Ga.)Commission, was recently named presi-dent of the United Negro College Fund.He plans to build amassive endowmentthat will ensure theorganization's contin-ued support for its 39member schools byraising $1 billion.

The fund is the nation's oldestminority higher education scholarshipprogram and contributes significantfinancial support to private historical-ly black colleges and universities.

Lomax had been president ofDillard University in New Orleanssince 1997. He helped double enroll-ment at the historically black schooland spearheaded a $60 million reno-vation campaign. He also taught liter-ature for 20 years at Spelman andMorehouse colleges and EmoryUniversity. He ran twice for mayor ofAtlanta and founded the city'sNational Black Arts Festival.

Lomax said he intends to dividehis time between the UNCF headquar-ters outside Washington, D.C., andAtlanta, where he and his wife, Cheryl,still own a home.

He said his ties to Atlanta and theschools within the Atlanta UniversityCenter will serve as a fund-raisingadvantage. "These schools have a long,rich and powerful history," he said."Morehouse and Spelman,especially,areexemplars of the very best in higher edu-cation. The city of Atlanta has long beena generous supporter of the fund. I'mhoping I can continue that trend." ■

Morehouse Well Represented at Caltech

MOREHOUSE GRADUATES HAVE MADE their mark at the California Institute ofTechnology (Caltech) for more than 40 years. Pictured below at a Caltech event areTerrell D. Neal '99 (left), Christopher Boxe '99 (right) and Caltech graduate WilliamD. Hutchinson, Ph.D '60 (center).

Terrell Neal completed the Dual Degree Program while at Morehouse, earning abachelor’s in mathematics from Morehouse and a bachelor’s in electrical engineer-ing from Georgia Tech. He entered Caltech in September 2000, earning the mas-

ters’ in electrical engi-neering in 2001. He iscontinuing his studiesfor the Ph.D inElectrial Engineering.as a David and LucillePackard FoundationFellow, where he isworking to developnanofabricated devicesfor optical fluidic, andelectrical analyses andapplications. He antic-ipates receiving thePh.D in 2005.

Christopher S. Boxereceived the bachelor’s

in chemistry with a minor in mathematics from Morehouse in 1999. He enteredCaltech in the fall of 1999 and began the masters’ program in planetary science, receiv-ing his degree in 2001. Transferring to the Environmental Science and EngineeringDepartment in 2001, he received the M. S. in 2002 and now is in the EnvironmentalScience and Engineering Ph.D program. He anticipates completing his studies in thefall of 2004.

William D. Hutchinson received a bachelor’s in chemistry from Morehouseand completed the doctorate in chemistry with a minor in physics at Caltech in1960, where he studied the chemistry of abnormal hemoglobins. This workfocused principally on sickle cell hemoglobin and culminated in his identifyingthat portion of the hemoglobin molecule that produces the well-known clinicalmanifestations of sickle cell disease. In this work, he was associated with NobelLaureate Linus Pauling. Entering the aerospace industry after graduate school,Hutchinson worked 40 years in rocket propulsion, nuclear and laser weaponseffects, and optics. He retired in 1999 as manager of the Advanced ResearchLabs at the Rocketdyne Division of Boeing. Over the years, he has maintainedcontact with and provided support to many generations of African Americanstudents who have matriculated at Caltech. He has worked closely with theCaltech administration to increase the ethnic diversity of the faculty and stu-dent body. ■


alumninews

MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE 60 S P R I N G 2 0 0 4

SAMUEL NABRIT ’25, prominent educator, scientist and scholar,died on December 30 in Atlanta. At age 98, he was the College’s old-est living alumnus. Nabrit was eulogized at Friendship BaptistChurch in Atlanta. The Rev. William Guy officiated.

Nabrit’s long life included an impressive roster of firsts. He wasthe first Morehouse graduate to earn a doctorate and the firstAfrican American to receive a doctorate from Brown University in1928. He also became Brown’s first black trustee. He was the firstAfrican American to serve on the AtomicEnergy Commission, as well as several othernational committees.

“Dr. Nabrit was the quintessential MorehouseMan,” said Henry L. Goodgame ’84, director ofAlumni Relations at Morehouse. “He was an aca-demician,statesman and scholar.”Goodgame cameto rely on Nabrit’s ubiquitous presence at some ofthe College’s most significant events, includingNew Student Orientation, Commencement andFounder’s Week. “He had a rich history with theinstitution and could remember every detail,” hesaid.“It was a joy to get to know him.”

Nabrit devoted his distinguished career tohelping educate black students. A developmentalbiologist, he spent several decades as a college professor and adminis-trator. From 1927 to 1932, he headed the biology department atMorehouse. He also taught at Atlanta University, where he was deanof the graduate school of arts and sciences, and—at age 86—served asinterim director of the Atlanta University Center for 15 months.

He once said that he adopted his paternal grandmother’s“yearning to develop functional literacy.” Among the accomplish-ments he was most proud of as an educator was training black doc-torate recipients. “The 30 Ph.D.’s I turned out, I relish,” he was quot-ed as saying.“I’m so delighted to see them become successes.”

In 1955, Nabrit began an 11-year term as the president ofTexas Southern University in Houston. It was an era where,throughout the South, student protestors were staging sit-ins andother demonstrations. Before long, TSU students staged their owndemonstrations in an effort to integrate Houston. Unlike some ofthe other schools that were paving the way to integrated facilities,however, TSU was a public school and Nabrit was an employee ofthe state. As he prepared to speak in chapel before his students,some of whom had recently participated in a sit-in, Nabrit wasforced to make a conscious choice about the stance he would take.

“I said, ‘If all the other black students in this country havecome to the feeling that racial discrimination and segregation arewrong, and if they are making an effort to do something about it,and if our students don’t feel the same way, well, then there is some-thing wrong with our teaching at TSU,” he is quoted as saying.

Nabrit knew that the speech could cause him his job. He andMrs. Nabrit had earlier decided, however, that “…With frugal liv-ing, we could make it to the end of our lives with what we had. I

had no fear of my position being taken away, orof reprisal from the state.”

Nabrit did not lose his position, but insteada year later was appointed by President DwightEisenhower to a six-year term on the NationalScience Board. He also went on to serve as thepresident of the Association of Colleges andSecondary Schools from 1960-61 and on theboard of directors of the American Council onEducation in 1961.

Nabrit’s tenure at TSU came to an end in 1966when he was nominated by President LyndonJohnson to serve a four-year term on the AtomicEnergy Commission. A third president, John. F.Kennedy, named him representative to Niger.

A tireless advocate for education, Nabrit founded and operat-ed the Southern Fellowship Fund for nearly 15 years, disbursingmore than $22 million to assist African American students whowere pursuing doctoral degrees.

The Nabrit name has become legendary at Morehouse.Samuel Nabrit was the son of a Morehouse Man, the late Dr. JamesMadison Nabrit Sr., class of 1898, and the brother of twoMorehouse pillars, the late Dr. James M. Nabrit Jr. ’23 and the lateRev. Dr. Henry C. Nabrit, JD’37.

Now, his own name, Samuel Nabrit, has become legendary inits own right: as a scholar called to served his country under threepresidents; an education pioneer credited with championing morethan 30 African Americans to receiving doctoral degrees; a collegepresident who was willing to sacrifice his career for the cause ofjustice; as the recipient of numerous honorary degrees (includingfrom Morehouse in 1960); and as a devoted Morehouse alumnus.

“I have no regrets, having gone to Brown, or having taken anyof the forks in the road I took,” he was quoted as saying.

“If I had to sum it up, I’d say that no kite can rise unless it’sgoing against the wind.” ■

Passages

alumninews

A Long Life of Firsts: Oldest Alum, Samuel Nabrit ‘25, Dies at 98

S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 61 MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE

alumninews

Thornton Named Secretary of the General Staff

MAJOR OTHA THORNTON ’89 has been tapped to serveas secretary of the general staff for Major General BennieWilliams, commanding general of the 21st Theater SupportCommander in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

The 21st Theater Support Command is the largest for-ward logistical support command in the United States Armywith over 7,900 soldiers, civilians and local nationals.Currently, this support command is involved in ongoingOperation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Thorton’s duties will include managing the commanding general’s calendar andspecial events. He will also manage military, civilian, and foreign dignitary official vis-its, including United States Congressional visits. Major Thornton will also be respon-sible for managing a protocol, security, and transportation staff for the commandinggeneral. This position is equivalent to that of an Executive Assistant to a ChiefExecutive Officer of a 7,900 person corporation. Thornton has served in the U.S.Army since 1989. ■

Charlie Moreland ’51, Joseph Arrington ’58 and Clyde James ’62 enjoy a moment of camaraderie at the Region I

conference May 1, 2004, in Chivers Dining Hall.

Walter Massey’58 To ReceiveHonorary Degreefrom Tufts

DR. WALTER E. MASSEY ’58,the ninth president ofMorehouse College and formerNational Science Foundationdirector, received an honorarydoctorate of science degree at the148th commencement excercisesheld on May 23. Other honoreesincluded an astronaut, singer,senator and businessmanl.

Apollo 11 astronaut NeilArmstrong received an hon-orary doctorate of engineer-ing; musician and Tufts grad-uate Tracy Chapman receivedan honorary doctorate of finearts; and Chairman of the U.S.Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee Richard Lugar (R-IN) received an honorary doc-torate of laws; and formerUniversity Board of TrusteesChair Nathan Gantcherreceived an honorary doctor-ate of business administra-tion. ■

Region I Conference in Atlanta

morehouse magazine spring/summer 2004

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