IN MEMORIAM NEWS
Publisher John B. Smith Sr. ’58, Trailblazer for Black Journalists
Addie Stabler Mitchell, Retired Professor of English
John B. “J.B.” Smith Sr. ’58, a retired educator, newspaper editor, and publisher of Atlanta’s historically black newspaper, The Atlanta Inquirer, died on April 27. He was 81. At the time of his death, Smith was the owner, publisher, and CEO of the paper, but as a young man he had not planned a career in journalism. He worked as a math teacher and administrator before the Inquirer was founded in 1960. Smith joined the newspaper first as a part-time ad salesman and rose quickly to become publisher. In a 2010 article that marked The Atlanta Inquirer’s 50 years of publication, Smith called those years a “very turbulent time” in Atlanta’s history. “The established black press only printed ‘safe’ black news that often edited out the truth,” Smith wrote, but The Atlanta Inquirer filled a void in reporting, covering, for example, the Atlanta Student Movement. The paper’s reporting staff included activists such as Julian Bond ’71 and Charlayne Hunter. Dean Lawrence Carter, professor of religion at Morehouse, described Smith as “a very outgoing, easily met, very community-oriented individual with many connections throughout the city.” Smith belonged to several community organizations and once served as chair of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. A native of LaGrange, Ga., Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Morehouse, and held master’s degrees in business education and mathematics from Atlanta M
Addie Stabler Mitchell, a retired professor of English and director of the Reading Center at Morehouse College, passed away on April 11, 2017. Mitchell was born on May 22, 1918, in Wilcox County, Ala. She received a full scholarship to the Tuskegee Institute, where she was a member of the choir and often wrote articles for school publications. Mitchell earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Tuskegee and a master’s degree from Atlanta University in 1954. She was an avid reader, talented orator, and concert pianist. Mitchell was recommended to former Morehouse President Benjamin E. Mays for a vacancy in the College’s English department. She gladly accepted the position and was later named director of the reading program. Students who were scheduled for Mitchell’s classes quickly learned that she did not tolerate late arrivals, particularly to her 8 a.m. classes. Her classic phrase to late students was: “Leave by the door or window, whichever is most accessible.” Mays was instrumental in approving Mitchell’s application for the Ford Foundation Grant, which allowed her to complete her doctorate at the University of Chicago in 1965. After returning to Atlanta, Mitchell taught classes at both Morehouse and Atlanta University. In 1987, after 33 years of service, Mitchell retired from Morehouse College. She was known for living a life with dedication and service to others. M
Bertram Arthur Jenkins ’70, Omega Psi Phi Member
Cason Louis Hill ’53: English Professor, Editor, and Communications Officer
Bertram Arthur Jenkins ’70, a life-long resident of Chattanooga, Tenn., passed away on Aug. 9 in Hampton, Va. After being educated in Chattanooga public schools, Jenkins attended Morehouse College. He retired after a career in the Chattanooga Public School System. Jenkins was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church of Chattanooga, where he served in the Usher and Trustee ministries. He was also active in the community and participated in the Chattanooga Choral Society for the Preservation of African-American Song. He is survived by his sister, Willodene J. Scott, a niece and nephew, Erika D. Scott and Evan A. Scott, and other relatives and friends. M
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morehouse magazine • 150 years of excellence
Dr. Cason Louis Hill ’53 died at his Atlanta home on Saturday, April 8. He was 84 and a native of Lagrange, Ga. Hill earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse in 1953, a master’s degree from Atlanta University, and a doctorate from the University of Georgia. He applied for a teaching role at Morehouse and was hired by former President Benjamin E. Mays. Hill was also asked to be the one-man communications office for the College. He edited and wrote stories about Morehouse, and pitched stories and ideas to the national media. In 1979, former President Hugh Gloster ’31, Mays’ successor, urged Hill to become editor of the College Language Association’s magazine, the CLA Journal, a position that Hill held until his retirement. Hill was an institution at Morehouse, where he taught English and did several jobs at the same time for 50 years. At the time of his retirement in 2012, Hill was the second-longest serving faculty member. Only Dr. Tobe Johnson ’54, who retired in spring 2017, had been at the College longer. M