insidethehouse Former President and First Lady Become Buildings’ Namesakes
President Emeritus Walter E. Massey ’58
President Emeritus Walter E. Massey ’58 and former First Lady Shirley A. Massey returned to the College during Homecoming 2012 for an honor that has been bestowed on only a dozen or so people in the College’s history: to have campus buildings named for them. The Leadership Center building is now the Walter E. Massey Leadership Center, and the Executive Conference Center is now the Shirley A. Massey Executive Conference Center. The renaming ceremony came on a perfect day—not simply because of the crisp, fall weather or the nearly hundred attendees (among them former staffers and students) who witnessed the historic name unveilings, but also because it was the Masseys’ 43rd wedding anniversary. “It is especially gratifying that the ceremony takes place on our 43rd wedding anniversary. What could be better? Our profound thanks to the board of trustees and President Franklin,” said Walter Massey. He is currently the president of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During his tenure as Morehouse president (1995 to 2007), the College created and launched a minor in leadership studies and later constructed the 70,000-square-foot facility that houses the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership, the Emma and Joe Adams Public Service Institute, and the Division of Business Administration and Economics. The building, which was one of the cornerstones of capital improvements made to the College under Massey’s administration, opened in August 2005. Shirley Massey played a large role as host to numerous national and international guests and dignitaries who visited the campus. She also spearheaded efforts to improve the campus landscape. Her building namesake, the Shirley A. Massey Executive Conference Center, includes a pre-function area and lobby that can accommodate up to 500 guests. The Bank of America Auditorium seats 300 and is equipped with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment. Meeting room areas can be partitioned for any combination of up to six breakout rooms, each accommodating up to 50 people. n
Dr. Massey and Shirley A. Massey (third from right) with family
Massey Donates Presidential Papers to Morehouse College Just hours before the unveiling of the building that would bear his name, President Emeritus Walter E. Massey ’58, the College’s ninth president, donated his presidential papers to Morehouse during a ceremony on Oct. 26 in the library of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. The papers, which include correspondence, speeches and policy documents from Massey’s tenure from 1995 to 2007, will be housed in the College archives and the Robert W. Woodruff Atlanta University Center Library. n
Signing the official documents are (from left to right) Robert C. Davidson ’67, chairman of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees; Massey; and President Emeritus Robert M. Franklin ’75. Chapel executive director Roy Craft (standing left) and Chapel Dean Lawrence E. Carter Sr. are assisting. s p r i n g
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