MSU ALUMNI HOUSE
Contents
Baltimore, Maryland
Alumnus of the Year . . . . . . . . . . 1 President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . 2 Alumni Day 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chapter of the Year. . . . . . . . . . . 3 Special Achievement Award. . . . 3 Alumni on the Move . . . . . . . . . . 6 Necrology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Chapter and Class News . . . . . . 8 Alumni Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
ALUMNI•NEWS SPRING 2010
Alumnus of the Year
Lt. Col. Lawrence K. Montgomery, Sr., U.S. Army (Ret.) t. Col. Lawrence K. Montgomery, Sr., ’56, was Morgan’s Director of Alumni Affairs from 1977 to 2000 and was MSU acting Vice President for Institutional Advancement from 1994 to 1997. An active alumnus since graduation, he is active now with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Alumni Chapter and is also a member of the Howard L. Cornish Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter. Lt. Col. Montgomery was attracted to Morgan by the music and ROTC programs, and by Bandmaster R. Hayes Strider’s offer of a secondsemester scholarship. By commencement in 1956, he had earned his B.S. degree in music education; completed the ROTC Military Science program; met his future wife, Sarah, MSU Class of ’57, and laid the foundation for an outstanding professional career. He served 22 years in the U.S. Army Adjutant Generals Corps and retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Soon thereafter, Morgan President Andrew Billingsley offered him a job as director of Alumni Affairs, and he accepted.
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His top priority, from the start, was to raise the expectations placed on Morgan graduates to support the university, including support of Morgan alumni in key political positions, Lt. Col. Montgomery says. Under his watch, MSU alumni began to play major
roles in everything from recruitment of students, to lobbying of state legislators for needed resources for the University, to support of Morgan students during their peaceful protests for better educational facilities. Lt. Col. Montgomery’s long list of accomplishments as Alumni Director includes: establishment of MSU’s Alumni House; initiation of awards and other recognition programs for outstanding alumni, faculty and staff; establishment of the All-Classes Reunion during homecoming; and chartering of new alumni chapters that continue to be active, among many other items. Lt. Col. Montgomery and Sarah are lifetime members of the MSUNAA, with the distinction of having four children who are also MSU alumni and graduates of the ROTC program: Lissa K. Jackson, ’80; Lawrence K. Montgomery, Jr., ’83; Lorree K. Slye, ’85; and Lynnet K. Turner, ’86. “The progress that Morgan has made is just outstanding. It makes a graduate feel such pride,” he says. “It never would have happened without the support of Dr. Richardson and the alumni, staff, faculty and friends of the University.”
Class of ’59 Gives $76,000, Extends Challenge In May 2004, members of the Class of 1959 gathered at the Annual Alumni Awards and Class Reunion Luncheon. Some of them had not been back to Morgan since graduation, while others had returned every year — sometimes several times a year. As with every such event, the Morganites shared what had happened in their lives since the last time they were together, and they reflected on their appreciation for the role Morgan played in shaping their friendships and their lives. As a tangible sign of their gratitude, they presented a gift: a $35,000 endowed scholarship fund. At the 2008 Gala, MSU President Dr. Earl S. Richardson reported that a total of 1,063 academi-
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cally qualified students could not return to Morgan because of financial reasons — 604 students in Fall 2007 and 459 in Spring 2008 — some for as little as $100. After hearing these statistics, members of the Class of ’59 were moved to give even more to their beloved alma mater. In May 2009, at their 50th Anniversary, they presented an additional gift of $41,502, for a grand total of $76,502. The economy remains strained. Financial resources are tight for many people. The Class of 1959 extends this challenge to all other classes: Meet, or better yet, surpass our level of giving! Nevertheless, be advised: We intend to keep on giving back to our alma mater!
U N I V E R S I T Y
Members of the Class of ’59
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