FACULTY/STAFF
Kenneth Perry Retires as Chair of Computer Science Department
Retiree Marcellus Barksdale ’65 is completing a 700-page book on two centuries of Morehouse history.
Marcellus Barksdale ’65 Writing Morehouse History Book Since he began teaching at Morehouse College in 1977, Dr. Marcellus C. Barksdale ’65, retired history professor and director of African American Studies, changed the lives of many Morehouse Men who sat in his class, eager to learn more about black culture and themselves. “It’s been a great ride” said Barksdale, 74, known as “Dr. B” to his students. What Barksdale will miss most about teaching, he said, is the bond he created with students, a mentorship enhanced by laughter and a good meal. End-of-semester dinners at Paschal’s Restaurant in Atlanta, for example, were a ritual in his classes for decades. Barksdale considered students to be “the most important thing” to him. His own teaching method, which he dubbed “the Barksdale style” of teaching, is a student-centered style in which students learn by doing, through writing papers, giving oral presentations, working in groups, and having other interactive involvement. “His request for excellence is insatiable, and as a student you become enthused by
the conquest of high expectations that he has set forth,” said Class of 2017 co-valedictorian Douglas A. Bowen. “He has prepared me to tackle future endeavors with quality in mind, and if ever I deviate from that formula I know his voice of reason shall serve as guidance,” Bowen said. Barksdale may have retired from teaching, but he’s not leaving Morehouse entirely behind. Barksdale is completing a 700-page book on two centuries of College history, to be titled “The Cross, The Candle, and The Crown: A Narrative History of Morehouse College, 1867-2017.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Morehouse, Barksdale received a master’s degree from Atlanta University, and doctorate from Duke University. During his career, he taught as a secondary teacher in Gainesville, Ga., as well as a professor at Morehouse, Clark College, Emory University, Atlanta University, the Morehouse School of Medicine, and Tuskegee University. He was named Morehouse’s Vulcan Teacher of the Year in 2010. M
When Dr. Kenneth Perry was head of the computer science department at Clark Atlanta University, he noticed a trend: Morehouse College students always seemed to win the annual Atlanta University Center computer programming competition. “So, I said, ‘Let me try to go over there to Morehouse and see what they’re doing,’” Perry remembered. “That’s how I got to Morehouse.” It turned out to be a good match, with Perry becoming an associate professor and department chair. He retired last spring. In the 11 years that Perry taught at Morehouse, the College’s computer science department produced a valedictorian, a Rhodes Scholar, a salutatorian, and graduates who went on to work for prominent organizations in significant fields. “I think the department is in much better shape than it was when I came, so I feel good about leaving it now,” Perry said. “We have been able to place graduates in Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc., and we’ve had about a dozen students go into doctoral programs. “I think we’ve been able to develop good, well-rounded computer science graduates and some good entrepreneurial graduates,” Perry, a Howard University graduate, received his electrical engineering master’s and doctoral degrees from Stanford University. Before his career at Morehouse, he worked for both Clark Atlanta University and Florida A&M University. M
special anniversary issue • morehouse magazine
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