The 2023 Founder's Week Convocation Program

FOUNDER’S DAY CONVOCATION

Celebrating the 156th Anniversary of the Founding of the College

thursday, february sixteenth two thousand twenty-three 10:45 a.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel

morehouse college: then and now

In 1867, two years after the Civil War ended, Augusta Institute was established in the basement of Silver Bluff Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga.—the oldest independent African American church in the United States. The school’s primary purpose was to prepare Black men for ministry and teaching. Today, Augusta Institute is Morehouse College, which is located on a 66-acre campus in Atlanta and enjoys an international reputation for producing leaders who have influenced national and world history.

Augusta Institute was founded by the Rev. William Jefferson White, an Augusta Baptist minister, cabinetmaker and journalist, with the encouragement of the Rev. Richard C. Coulter, a former slave from Augusta, Ga., and the Rev. Edmund Turney, organizer of the National Theological Institute for educating freedmen in Washington, D.C. The Rev. Dr. Joseph T. Robert, trained minister, physician, and the father of the author of “Robert’s Rules of Order,” was appointed the Institute’s first President by William Jefferson White.

In 1879, Augusta Institute was invited by the Rev. Frank Quarles to move to the basement of Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta, and the school changed its name to Atlanta Baptist Seminary. Later, the Seminary moved to a 4-acre lot near the site on which the Richard B. Russell Federal Building now stands in downtown Atlanta. Following Robert’s death in 1884, David Foster Estes, a professor at the Seminary, served as the institution’s first Acting President.

In 1885, when Dr. Samuel T. Graves was named the second President, the institution relocated to its current site in Atlanta’s West End community. The campus encompasses a Civil War historic site, where Union forces battled Confederate soldiers during William Tecumseh Sherman’s famous siege of Atlanta in 1864. The land was a gift of John D. Rockefeller. Atlanta Baptist Seminary became Atlanta Baptist College in 1897, during the administration of Dr. George Sale, a Canadian who served as the third and youngest President from 1890 to 1906.

A new era dawned when Acting President John Hope became the fourth President in 1906, characterized by expanded academic offerings and increased physical facilities. Hope was the College’s First African American President, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University and a pioneer in the field of education and has been recognized as the first “civil rights President” in the American Academy. He encouraged an intellectual climate comparable to that of his alma mater and openly challenged Booker T. Washington’s view that education for African Americans should emphasize vocational and agricultural

skills. Atlanta Baptist College, already a leader in preparing African Americans for teaching and the ministry, expanded its curriculum and established the tradition of educating leaders for all areas of American life. In addition to attracting a large number of talented faculty and administrators, Hope contributed much to the institution we know today.

Upon the death of the College’s founder in 1913, Atlanta Baptist College was named Morehouse College in honor of Henry L. Morehouse, the corresponding secretary of the Northern Baptist Home Mission Society. Dr. Samuel H. Archer became the fifth President of the College in 1931 and headed the institution during the Great Depression. He gave the school its colors, maroon and white, the same as those of his alma mater, Colgate University. Archer retired for health reasons in 1937. Dr. Charles D. Hubert served as the third Acting President until 1940, when Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays became the sixth President of Morehouse College.

A nationally noted educator and a mentor to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’48, Mays is recognized as the architect of Morehouse’s international reputation for excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. During the presidency of Mays, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bates College and the University of Chicago, the number of faculty members grew and those holding doctoral degrees increased from two to 34 out of 65 teachers. The College earned global recognition as scholars from other countries joined the faculty, an increasing number of international students enrolled, and fellowships and scholarships for study abroad became available. Morehouse received full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1957, and Mays’ 14-year effort to win a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Morehouse was realized in 1968.

In 1967, Dr. Hugh Morris Gloster ’31, was selected by Dr. Mays to become the first alumnus to serve as President of the College. Under his leadership, Morehouse strengthened its Board of Trustees, conducted a successful $20-million fundraising campaign, grew the endowment from $3 million to more than $29 million and added 12 buildings to the campus, including the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter Sr. became the first Dean of the Chapel in 1979. Morehouse established a dual-degree program in engineering with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, and Boston University. Gloster also founded the Morehouse School of Medicine, which became an independent institution, in 1981. He appointed Dr. Louis Wade Sullivan ’54, its first dean; Sullivan later became the school’s first president.

Samuel T. Graves Hall

Hugh M. Gloster ’31 and Benjamin E. Mays

In 1987, Dr. Leroy Keith Jr. ’61, was named eighth President of Morehouse. During the Keith administration, the College’s endowment increased to more than $60 million and faculty salaries and student scholarships significantly increased. Construction of the Nabrit-Mapp-McBay science building was completed. In 1994, Nima A. Warfield, a member of the graduating class that year, was named the College’s first U.S. Rhodes Scholar. The “A Candle in the Dark” Gala was founded in 1989 to raise scholarship funds.

In October 1994, Wiley Abron Perdue ’57, vice president for business affairs, was appointed the fourth Acting President of Morehouse. Under his leadership, national memorials were erected to honor Dr. Benjamin E. Mays and internationally noted theologian Dr. Howard W. Thurman ’23. Perdue launched an initiative to upgrade the College’s academic and administrative computer information systems and undertook construction of a 5,700-seat gymnasium, which served as a basketball venue for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

On June 1, 1995, Dr. Walter Eugene Massey ’58 was named the ninth President of Morehouse College. A noted physicist and university administrator, Massey called on the Morehouse community to renew its longstanding commitment to a culture of excellence. Before joining the College, Massey had held several notable positions, including dean of the college and professor of physics at Brown University, professor of physics and vice president for research at the University of Chicago, director of the National Science Foundation, and senior vice president and provost of the University of California System. Under Massey’s leadership, Morehouse expanded its dual-degree program in natural sciences with Georgia Tech, and also launched the Center for Excellence in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics with a $6.7-million Defense Department grant, and established a new African American studies program and a center for international studies named for former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young. The College was reaccredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Division of Business Administration and Economics was accredited by the American Association of Schools and Colleges of Business, making Morehouse one of only a handful of liberal arts colleges in the nation with both AASCB accreditation and a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

During Massey’s tenure, two more Rhodes Scholars were named—Chris Elders in 2002 and Oluwabusayo “Tope” Folarin in 2004. In June 2006, the College successfully completed Morehouse’s most ambitious capital campaign as of that date— raising a record $112 million, which exceeded the campaign’s goal of $105 million. The same year, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin raised $34 million to give to Morehouse College to acquire the Martin Luther King Jr. Collection. Today, Morehouse is the permanent custodian of this coveted collection, which includes more than 13,000 hand-written notes, sermons, letters, books, and other artifacts belonging to its most noted alumnus, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’48.

On July 1, 2007, the Rev. Dr. Robert Michael Franklin Jr. ’75 was appointed the 10th President of Morehouse College. The former president of the Interdenominational Theological Center had previously served as presidential distinguished professor of social ethics at the Candler School of Theology and senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, both at Emory University. During his tenure, Franklin led the institution forward with his vision of the “Morehouse Renaissance,” further elevating public confidence in the College’s continuing stature as a premier institution providing a high-quality education and enhancing the intellectual and moral dimension of Morehouse’s mission and mystique. In part, he accomplished this by establishing the concept of the “Five Wells,” an ideal to cultivate men of Morehouse as “Renaissance men with social conscience and global perspective” who are well-read, well-spoken, well-traveled, well-dressed, and well-balanced. Under Franklin’s leadership, the College reaffirmed its commitment to academic rigor, underscored by re-accreditation in 2009 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In a $20-million project initiated by Massey, Franklin oversaw the completion and opening of the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and Aretha Robinson Music Academic Building, a 75,000-square-foot facility named after the late, legendary musician. Franklin led and supported cultivation efforts—such as establishing the Renaissance Commission, a blue-ribbon group of 150 influential volunteer stakeholders—which increased the total number of new donors by 4,500. The College had generated more than $68 million in institutional funds ($33 million during the silent phase of the comprehensive capital campaign) and $60 million in restricted funds from federal sources.

After a period of transitional leadership, Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79, an accomplished university administrator, professor, and former executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, stepped into office as the College’s 11th President on Jan. 28, 2013. Under his leadership, the College improved student achievement across a wide range of metrics. In addition, Wilson played a pivotal role in bringing President Barack Obama to Morehouse as the Commencement speaker in 2013, and, in 2015, hosting then Vice President

Ray Charles Performing Arts Center

The Martin Luther King Jr. Collection

Walter E. Massey ’58

Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75

college: then and now cont’d

Joseph R. Biden, Jr. In 2016, Prince Abudu became the College’s first international Rhodes Scholar, making him the fourth Rhodes Scholar the College has produced.

President Wilson served the College for four years, ending his tenure on April 7, 2017. William James Taggart, a graduate of Howard and Harvard universities, assumed the role of the sixth Acting President of the College after serving as the chief operating officer at Morehouse since 2015. Tragically, just two months after his appointment, Taggart suddenly passed away on June 8, 2017. Two Acting Presidents then led the campus, including Harold Martin Jr. ’02, who left the Morehouse Board of Trustees temporarily to accept the appointment as the eighth Acting President.

In October 2017, the Morehouse Board of Trustees voted to name Dr. David A. Thomas as the 12th President of Morehouse, ushering in a new era of leadership for the College. Thomas took office on Jan. 1, 2018. A visionary leader, Thomas has 30 years of higher education experience as a professor and an administrator. He holds a doctorate in organizational behavior studies and a master’s degree in organizational behavior, both from Yale University. He also has a master’s degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University and a bachelor of administrative sciences degree from Yale College. Thomas is the former H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the former Dean of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. President Thomas has significantly prioritized fundraising to support campus renovations, faculty research, infrastructure improvements, and other needs. During the President’s first year in office, enrollment applications increased by more than 40 percent, and a fifth Rhodes Scholar was named—Franck Nijimbere, a computer science and mathematics major who was selected in May 2018. The prestigious honor made Morehouse the top producer of Rhodes Scholars among HBCUs.

Under Thomas’ leadership in 2018-19, Morehouse raised more than $7 million in generous donations to establish new endowed scholarships, build an outdoor study area and park for students, and support programming at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. In addition, the College received another $4 million dollars in grants to fund the expansion of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and to launch the comprehensive collegiate writing program, the Black Ink Project, a Quality Enhancement Plan initiative designed to build the critical thinking and writing skills of students across the curriculum. Morehouse Commencement also made history in higher education in 2019 when philanthropist and honorary degree recipient Robert F. Smith told graduating seniors that he would pay off their student loans. It was the first gift of its kind, nationally, at a liberal arts college, heralding an intensification

of large donations and investments in education at Morehouse to occur soon after.

Morehouse College, the only historically Black college for men, continues its legacy of delivering an exceptional educational experience that meets the intellectual, moral, and social needs of students representing more than 35 states and 17 countries. Morehouse is the nation’s top producer of Black males who continue their education and receive doctorates. The National Science Foundation also ranked Morehouse as the No. 1 producer of Black men who receive doctorates in education, life and physical sciences, math and computer sciences, psychology and social sciences, as well as humanities and the arts. Morehouse currently has more than 17,000 alumni.

On Feb. 17, 2022, Thomas launched the public phase of a $500-million fundraising campaign to drive more investment in student scholarships, faculty research and recruitment, campus construction, and the expansion of technology and innovative academic programs at Morehouse College. The “Making Men of Consequence” Campaign, formally announced during Founder’s Week, is the largest and most ambitious campaign in the history of the institution. By February 2023, more than $250 million had been raised, including gifts presented to Morehouse College since 2019, the quiet phase of the campaign.

Gifts contributed by alumni, benefactors, and friends of the College have funded renovations at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel and the Edwin C. Moses Track & Field at B.T. Harvey Stadium, among other projects. Philanthropic investment has also supported the establishment of new endowed scholarships and academic programs, such as the Black Men’s Research Institute and the Center for Broadening Participation in Computing.

Thanks to President Thomas’ visionary leadership and the College’s distinguished faculty, Morehouse continues to climb national ranking lists, achieving the status of the “No. 1 Liberal Arts College and the Most Innovative College for Men in Georgia,” as well as the “No. 1 HBCU for Core Curriculum, First-year Experiences, and Innovation and Undergraduate Teaching.” Ranked No. 29 nationally for social mobility, the College’s selective group of approximately 2,200 students each year (60 percent of whom come from families with household incomes of $40,000 or less), continue to be highly recruited by Fortune 500 companies, post-graduation—speaking directly to

morehouse college: then and now cont’d

Barack H. Obama II

The 44th President of the United States

David A. Thomas

2023 CONVOCATION

PRESIDING:

Kendrick Brown, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Provost of Academic Affairs

PRE-CEREMONIAL MUSIC “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” by Fred Bock

PROCESSIONAL

“War March of the Priests” by Felix Mendelssohn

arr. Uzee Brown Jr. ’72

CALL TO CONVOCATION Provost Brown

“The Star-Spangled Banner” Text by Francis Scott Key Music by John Stafford Smith

PRESENTATION OF COLORS

“Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” Text by James Weldon Johnson Music by J. Rosamond Johnson

Morehouse Color Guard and Morehouse College Glee Club

INTRODUCTION OF THE FOUNDER’S REPRESENTATIVE

RINGING OF THE 1787 FOUNDING BELL

PRAYER AND REDEDICATION OF THE CORNELL EVERETT TALLEY ’32 & CALVIN OTIS BUTTS III ’72 PULPIT

The Rev. Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter Sr. Founding Dean, Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel

The Rev. Dr. Hardy Spurgeon Bennings III Founder’s Representative, Pastor, Springfield Baptist Church, Augusta, Ga.

The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Haggray Chief Executive Officer, American Baptist Home Mission Societies King of Prussia, Pa.

THE OCCASION Provost Brown

GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF THE 2023 OTIS MOSS JR. AND OTIS MOSS III ORATORICAL CONTEST WINNERS

Willie E. Woods ’85 Chairman, Morehouse College Board of Trustees President and Managing Director, ICV Partners, New York City, N.Y.

The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. ’56 Chairman Emeritus, Morehouse College Board of Trustees

The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III ’92 Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, Ill.

Elijah Moss ’23 Graduating Senior, Morehouse College

MUSICAL SELECTION

“John Was a Writer” arr. Uzee Brown Jr. ’72

Morehouse College Glee Club

INTRODUCTION OF SPEAKER David A. Thomas, Ph.D. 12th President, Morehouse College

2023 CONVOCATION

PRESIDING:

Kendrick Brown, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Provost of Academic Affairs

FOUNDER’S DAY ADDRESS

CLOSING HYMN

The Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson

Centennial Chair and University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies and Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School Renowned scholar, author, ordained minister and public intellectual

“Dear Old Morehouse” J.O.B. Moseley ’29

Morehouse College Glee Club David E. Morrow, Ph.D. ’80, Director

RECESSIONAL “Trumpet Tune” David German George W. Warren

Dr. David E. Morrow ’80 Professor of Music and Director of the Morehouse College Glee Club

Dr. David Francis Oliver College Organist

CEREMONIAL MARSHALS

Chief Ceremonial Marshal

Dr. John K. Haynes ’64

Macebearer

Dr. Lance Shipman Young ’95

Marshals of the Faculty

Dr. Adria Welcher

Dr. Nina Gilbert

Lead Marshals of the Students

Dr. Illya Davis ’89

Dr. Brian Lawrence

Marshals of the Students

Dr. Jamie Chavez

Dr. Michael Douglas ’97

Dr. Alison Ligon

Dr. Yohance Murray ’96

Dr. Wallace Sharif ’94

Dr. Patrick Washington ’03

Marshals of the Platform Party

Dr. Uzee Brown ’72

Dr. Tricia Hendrickson

Dr. Robert Tanner

Marshal of the Alumni

Mr. Henry Goodgame ’84

Mr. Sean Bland ’05

1st Place Pulpit

Christian McCauley ’23

Honorable Mention

Xavier P. McDaniel ’26

Certificate of Participation

Kalzayvian Ray ’25

Elijah A. Turner ’24

Kioi Shropshire-Maina ’25

THE 2023 OTIS MOSS JR. AND OTIS MOSS III ORATORICAL CONTEST WINNERS

1st Place Statesman

Coleman A. Gipson ’24

2nd Place Statesman Hasani Comer ’23

3rd Place Statesman

Shawn L. Turner ’24

2023 FOUNDER’S DAY CONVOCATION Remembering the rev. dr. calvin o. butts iii

Education and faith were the hallmarks of the ministry of the Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III. Dr. Butts served as pastor of the globally renowned Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York for over 30 years, and he served as president of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury for two decades until retiring in 2020.

Butts continued as the eminent pastor of The Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of the most historic faith institutions in the nation. In addition to growing Abyssinian’s core values that focus on Worship, Evangelism, Service, and Education, Butts was the chairman of the Abyssinian Development Corp., a communitybased, not-for-profit organization responsible for over $1 billion in housing and commercial development in Harlem. Butts was also instrumental in establishing the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change—a public, state-ofthe-art, intermediate and high school in Harlem, and he was the visionary behind the Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School.

During his presidential tenure at SUNY College at Old Westbury, Butts reinvigorated one of the most diverse public college campuses in America to its largest enrollment ever, adding full-time faculty and expanding student support services. Under his leadership, SUNY Old Westbury earned

new accreditations and created its first-ever graduate programs, conferring graduate degrees in more than 15 disciplines. Further, Butts oversaw the College’s investment of approximately $150 million in capital projects, including technological advances, residence halls, a Student Union, and a major academic building. Butts served as a member of the leadership board of New Visions for Public Schools. In September 2020, he was appointed president emeritus of SUNY College at Old Westbury College, and served as chairman emeritus of the Board of the National Black Leadership Commission on Health (NBLCH), as well as a founding member of the organization’s Board of Commissioners.

Butts served as president of Africare NYC, an independent organization dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life in rural Africa, and was a member of the board of the September 11th Fund. Butts received honorary degrees from Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the City University of New York/The City College of New York and many others. For his community activism, Butts received innumerable honors and commendations, including the United Negro College Fund’s Shirley Chisholm Community Service Award, The Medal for Distinguished Service from Teachers College, Columbia University, and Man of the Year, Morehouse College Alumni Association. The Rev. Butts was married to Patricia Butts and had three children and six grandchildren.

2023 FOUNDER’S DAY CONVOCATION

speaker the rev. dr. michael eric dyson

Michael Eric Dyson is one of the nation’s most renowned professors, gifted writers, inspiring preachers, knowledgeable lecturers and riveting media personalities. As a professor who earned a Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University, Dyson has taught at some of the nation’s most distinguished universities, including Brown, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia, DePaul, the University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown University. Michael Eric Dyson, a globally renowned scholar of race, religion and contemporary culture, joined Vanderbilt as Centennial Chair and University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science, and University Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School on Jan. 1, 2021.

Dyson is the author of more than 20 New York Times bestsellers, including: “The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America”; and, “Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America,” called by the New York Times “one of the most frank and searing discussions on race… a deeply serious, urgent book, which should take its place in the tradition of Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time” and King’s “Why We Can’t Wait.’” His latest book, “Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America,” published December 2020, was heralded as Amazon’s Bestselling Book for 2020.

Dyson has lectured across the country, and around the world, in many of the best colleges and universities, in public theaters and auditoriums, and for many corporations and unions. He has also served for the last 30 years as a media commentator and host, on every major radio and television show, from NPR’s “Morning Edition,” “The Takeaway,” and “Fresh Air with Terry Gross,” to television’s “Meet the Press,” “Face the Nation,” “Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” and “Real Time with Bill Maher,” and as a political analyst on MSNBC, CNN and Fox News.

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing

Lift ev’ry voice and sing, till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of liberty. Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies; Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us; Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won.

James Weldon Johnson

Dear Old Morehouse

Dear old Morehouse, dear old Morehouse, We have pledged our lives to thee; And we’ll ever, yea forever, Give ourselves in loyalty.

True forever, true forever, To old Morehouse may we be; So to bind each son the other, Into ties more brotherly.

Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Make us steadfast, honest, true To old Morehouse and her ideals, And in all things that we do.

J.O.B. Moseley ’29

Schedule of Events

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

6 p.m.

Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival presents Film Screening + Conversation

“Memory Builds the Monument”

An Isaac Yowman Film

Presented in partnership with Paramount and BET Films

Ray Charles Performing Arts Center

7:30 p.m.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Tickets on Sale Now!

Fox Theatre

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

11 a.m.

Reflections of Excellence

Featuring the 2023 Bennie and Candle Honorees

Moderator

Errin Haines

Founder and Editor-at-Large of “The 19th” and Award-winning Political Journalist

Ray Charles Performing Arts Center

3 p.m.

Founder’s Weekend Basketball Game

Morehouse College vs. Benedict College

Tickets on Sale Now!

Franklin L. Forbes Arena

7:30 p.m.

The 35th Annual “A Candle in the Dark” Gala

Mistress of Ceremonies

Tammy Townsend

Actress, “Queen Sugar” and the upcoming BET+ series, “Average Joe” Hyatt Regency Atlanta

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

5:30 p.m.

156th Founder’s Week Sunday Vesper Hour Service

Preacher

The Rev. Dr. Timothy W. Sloan ’94, D. Min.

Founder and Senior Pastor, The Luke Church, Humble, Texas

To learn more, visit morehouse.edu/founders-week.

2023 STEERING COMMITTEE

Henry Goodgame Jr. ’84

Chair, Founder’s Week Planning Committee Vice President, Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement

Katina Henderson Hawkins Director of Parent Engagement, Partnerships and Event Sponsorships

Office of External Relations

Candace Bazemore

Director Digital Strategy and Transformation Marketing and Communications

Kevin R. Booker ’90 Vice President of Student Services and Dean of the College Office of Student Services

Kendrick Brown Provost and Senior Vice President, Office of Academic Affairs Chair, Founder’s Day Convocation

Kimberly M. Brown Executive Assistant to Dean, Chapel Office Manager & Director of Chapel Arts Ministries Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel

Lawrence E. Carter Sr. Dean, Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Chair, Founder’s Day Worship Service

Gary C. Clark

Multimedia Coordinator Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement

Michael Davenport Director of Transportation MDMC Transportation Services

D. Aileen Dodd

Senior Director of Advancement

Communications and Digital Strategy

Office of Institutional Advancement

Mel Foster

Associate Provost for Student Success Office of Academic Affairs

Kennard Garrett ’02 Director of Multimedia Services/ Director of Operations-Ray Charles Performing Arts Center/Filming

Leah Creque, Ph.D. Professor, Department of English Associate Provost for Pedagogy and Assessment

Oratorical Contest Co-Chair Gala Presenters’ Coach

Warren Greene Event Support Services Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement

Renee Grier-Calhoun Executive Administrative Assistant Protocol Facilitator

Maisha Gunter Administrative Assistant Student Services

Jasmine Gurley Director of Brand, Media, & Communications Office of Strategic Communications

Kenneth Harris III ’13 Administrative Assistant Event Support Services Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement

Enrico Hunter General Manager Operations Aramark at Morehouse

Ibiyomi Jegede Freelance Graphic Designer

I. J. Creative Designs

Deborah Lawson Board Logistics Coordinator Office of General Council

Brock Mayers ’99 AVP Student Services Cake Cutting Services Office of Student Development

Phillip McCollum Photographer McCollum Photography, Inc

Sidney Miller Media Relations Manager Office of Strategic Communications

Judy Davis Carroll Gala Consultant R.H. Bolton Inc.

Charles Prescott ’07 Chief of Police Campus Police & Security

Rayven Reeves Program Coordinator Event Support Services

Paula Resley

Chief Brand Officer and Vice President, Office of Strategic Communications, Marketing, and Admissions

James Robinson Photographer James F. Robinson Photography

Madeleine Rogers

Gala Administrator & Consultant

Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement

Haskell Ruff Associate Vice President/Controller Office of Business and Finance

Stacey Sauls Deputy Chief of Police Campus Police & Security

Peggy J. Shaw Public Relations Wren Cottage Writing & Editing

James Smartt

Founder’s Day Concert Production Director Event Support Services Office of External Relations

Thelbert J. Snowden Chief of Staff to the President Office of the President

Philmon Thomas Associate Vice President Purchasing and Procurement Office of Business and Finance

Sean “Skip” Bland ’05 Director of Alumni Engagement and Events

Michael Turner Associate Dean of Students and Ombudsperson

Terry F. Walker ’89 Convocation Coordinator Director of Chapel Relations Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel

Phillip Wallace Associate Athletic Director for Operations Athletics

Nakia Washington Senior Executive Assistant Office of the President

Klara S. Wesley Executive Assistant Honoree Logistics Administrator Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement

Brittany Wilkins Coordinator, Davison House

Carlton Winfrey Assistant Manager of Parking Operations Parking Office

Sandra Yates Senior Director Advancement Operations Donor Relations Office of Institutional Advancement

Tracie Young Senior Financial Analyst

Office of VP for Business & Finance