Founded in 1867 in the basement of Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga., by the Rev. William Jefferson White, with the encouragement of former slave the Rev. Richard C. Coulter and the Rev. Edmund Turney of the National Theological Institute, Morehouse College has had a 150-year legacy of producing educated men and global leaders.
Starting as Augusta Institute under the first president, Dr. Joseph T. Robert, the institution was created to educate black men for careers in ministry and teaching. At the urging of the Rev. Frank Quarles, the school moved to Atlanta’s Friendship Baptist Church in 1879 and changed its name to Atlanta Baptist Seminary.
The seminary moved to downtown Atlanta, and then, in 1885, to a former Civil War battleground site in Atlanta’s West End under President Dr. Samuel T. Graves. By 1897, the institution had become Atlanta Baptist College.
Dr. George Sale was named president in 1890, and Atlanta Baptist College expanded its curriculum and established a tradition of educating leaders for all American life.
During the tenure of the College’s first African American president, John Hope, the College was renamed Morehouse College in 1913, in honor of Henry L. Morehouse, corresponding secretary of the National Baptist Home Missionary Society.
Dr. Samuel H. Archer lead the College as president during the Great Depression, giving the College its adopted colors of maroon and white. (1931-1937)
Beginning in the 1940s, the College’s international reputation in scholarship, leadership, and service began to flourish, particularly as then-president, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, oversaw the increase of faculty members with doctoral degrees, accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the establishment of a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
Under the presidency of Dr. Hugh M. Gloster ’31, the first alumnus to serve as president, the College expanded its endowment to more than $29 million, completed a $20-million fund-raising campaign, and added 12 new campus buildings. The Morehouse School of Medicine was founded in 1975 and became independent in 1981
During the administration of eighth president, Dr. Leroy Keith Jr., the College’s endowment increased to more than $60 million, with faculty salaries and student scholarships also increasing. Buildings such as the NabritMapp-McBay Hall and the Thomas Kilgore Jr. Campus Center were constructed, and the College produced its first Rhodes Scholar, Nima A. Warfield. The College’s A Candle in the Dark Gala was founded in 1989 to raise scholarship funds during this time.
Dr. Walter E. Massey ’58, Morehouse’s ninth president, ushered in a 21-century approach to learning; his vision was for the College to become the nation’s best liberal arts college. Morehouse leaders expanded the College’s dual-degree program in natural sciences, launched the Center for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Mathematics, and established a new African American studies program.
The Andrew Young Center for International Affairs was established in 1993 and the Morehouse Leadership Program was established in 1995. These were combined into a new Center in 2012, named the Andrew Young
Center for Global Leadership, for the former United Nations ambassador.
The Davidson House Center for Excellence, the president’s official residence and a mini-conference center, was constructed during this time, as was the Dr. John H. Hopps Technology Tower, in honor of Hopps ’58, an administrator, professor, and scientist committed to enhancing scientific research on campus.
Two more students became Rhodes Scholars: Chris Elders in 2002 and Oluwabusayo “Tope” Folarin in 2004.
By June 2006, the College had successfully completed its most ambitious capital campaign, raising a record $112 million, far exceeding the campaign’s goal of $105 million. That same year, Morehouse became the custodian of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, more than 10,000 hand-written notes, sermons, letters, books. and other artifacts belonging to King, the College’s most noted alumnus.
Dr. Robert M. Franklin Jr. ’75 became president in 2007 and led the institution forward with his vision of the “Morehouse Renaissance,” further elevating public confidence in the College’s stature as a premier institution providing quality education and enhancing institution’s intellectual and moral dimension. He accomplished this in part by establishing the “Five Wells”— well-read, well-spoken, well-traveled, well-dressed, and well-balanced—which were about developing men of Morehouse with social conscience and global perspective.
Franklin oversaw the completion of a $20-million project started by Massey, the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and Music Academic Building, a facility named after the late legendary musician. The latter building would later be named The Aretha Robinson Music Academic Building, for Ray Charles’ mother. Franklin also led cultivation efforts that increased the total number of new donors at the College by 4,500. Morehouse generated more than $68 million in institutional funds and $60 million in restricted funds from federal sources, including Congressional appropriations and competitive federal grants.
In 2013, Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79 was named the College’s 11th president. He and his team were champions of STEAM initiatives (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and significantly increased the College’s private gifts, grants and contracts. During Wilson’s tenure, computer science major Prince Abudu ’16 became the College’s fourth Rhodes Scholar.
Wilson played a pivotal role in bringing U.S. President Barack Obama to Morehouse as the 2013 Commencement speaker and in hosting Vice President Joseph Biden in 2015.
William James Taggart assumed the role of interim president of the College in 2017 after serving as chief operating officer since 2015. A results-driven leader in the private and public sectors, Taggart had more than 30 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies, higher education, and federal agencies. Tragically, just two months after his appointment, Taggart suddenly passed away in June 2017.
Harold Martin Jr. ‘02 left the Morehouse Board of Trustees temporarily to accept an appointment as interim president in June 2017, becoming the youngest person to lead the College since 1913. The attorney and business consultant with an extensive background in advising senior executives at higher education institutions and Fortune 500 companies served Morehouse College until Dec. 31, 2017. Under Martin’s steady leadership, the College began to heal after suffering the tragic loss of Taggart.
Martin set campus-wide priorities to improve accountability, boost enrollment, increase the graduation rate, and highlight the contributions of young alumni. He guided a rebranding and expansion of the Office of Alumni Services. The department was changed to the Office of Alumni Engagement and Giving and a new initiative was launched — the Morehouse College Young Alumni Engagement Program. In addition, Martin was also instrumental in the launch of the program’s successful “We are Morehouse” campaign and website wearemorehouse.com, which uses images and business profiles of hundreds of successful young alumni who graduated after 1990 to communicate Morehouse’s unique value proposition to prospective students, friends, and donors.
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 Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior Studies and a Master of Philosophy in Organizational Behavior degree, both from Yale University. He also has a Master of Organizational Psychology degree 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, where he raised $130 million in a five-year capital campaign.
Thomas is the first Morehouse President in 50 years who did not graduate from the College. (The last President who was not an alumnus was Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, Morehouse’s revered sixth President.) Thomas’ childhood dream, however, was to attend Morehouse, but his family could not afford the tuition. As a result, he plans to launch a major capital campaign to raise millions of dollars to support student scholarships so that deserving students who also dream of becoming Morehouse Men are not shut out because they can’t afford to attend. In addition, Thomas plans to raise funds to support campus renovations, faculty research, infrastructure improvements, and other needs. His other priorities include expanding academic and leadership opportunities for students, increasing the graduation rate, and growing enrollment to 2,500 scholars.
Morehouse is the world’s only HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) for men. It has produced four Rhodes Scholars, several college presidents, and leaders in many other fields. According to the National Science Foundation, 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 representing more than 40 states and 14 countries.
Mistress of Ceremonies Ms. Deaiddra “Dee” Griffin
Invocation Rev. Dr. Rodney Jackson ‘77 Greetings from Atlanta Alumni Metro Chapter Kyle Butts ’93 President-Elect
Greetings from Morehouse College Henry M. Goodgame, Jr. ‘84 Vice President of External Relations and Alumni Engagement
Greetings from the Morehouse College
Marlon Cousin ‘87 National Alumni Association Immediate Past President, MCNAA
Occasion Eugene McCray ‘76
Poetry Selection Steaven Misher ‘00
Introduction of Speaker
Pastor Rodney L. Howard ‘76 Chaplain, Atlanta Chapter
Speaker Pastor Derrick Rice ‘88 Sankofa United Church of Christ
Special Recognition Javarro ‘Jay’ Edwards ‘92 President, MCNAA
Wilbur T. Leaphart ’58 Fatherhood Award – Pelham C. Williams, PE Marvin C. Mangham, Sr. ’48 Mentorship Award – Clyde E. Mize, Jr., Esq. Joseph T. Draper ’57 Service Award – Justin D. Miller, Esq. ‘99
Presentation of Atlanta Alumni Curtis C. Briscoe ‘75 Hall of Honor Inductees
Winfred Hill ‘74 Rev. Gary L. Clayton ‘88
Dr. Tobe Johnson ’54 Atlanta Metro Area Chapter Alumnus of the Year Award
Closing Remarks Dr. Briscoe & Pastor Howard Event Co-Chairpersons
Singing of Morehouse College Hymn “Dear Old Morehouse”
Benediction Rev. Dr. Jackson
Reverend Derrick Rice is a founding Pastor of Sankofa United Church of Christ. As a pastor, community activist and civic leader, Pastor Derrick works daily to embody the philosophy of the West Afrikan Sankofa symbol, which purports the wisdom to ‘go back and retrieve’. His travel throughout Europe, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Senegal, Libya, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Caribbean has intensified his belief that; ‘There is no task more sacred than the liberation of oppressed people!’
Pastor Derrick is a co-founder and spiritual advisor for Let Us Make Man, a powerful organization committed to reclaiming Black Manhood. The brotherhood was inspired by Genesis 1:26 that tells us that on the land we now call Africa, God created humankind in God’s own image and that the spirit of God was breathed in that image, Let Us Make Man believes in its ABility and accepts its RESPONSIbility to reclaim black manhood and ultimately the Black Family.
Pastor Derrick is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College and the Master of Divinity with dual concentration and honors from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. While studying at the ITC, he was recognized as a member of the Dean’s list, Who’s Who Among College and University Students in America and Theta Phi International Honors Society. Pastor Derrick is a powerful preacher who has been invited to preach and teach throughout the United States and parts of Africa. He is a member of several additional pastoral, civic, theological and educational organizations and Boards of Directors such as; (A.B.L.E.) Atlantans Building Leadership for Empowerment, Let Us Make Man, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Pastors Conference and NCOBRA (the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America).
Pastor Derrick is the founding visionary of the First Fridays Freedom Prayer Vigil where monthly, pastors, preachers, prayer warriors, imams and freedom fighters - nationwide, offer prophetic and protective prayer in the current fight for the freedom of oppressed people. He is also an active partner at the 10,000 Fearless Headquarters of the South, located in the “Bluff” – one of the most: violent drug and crime riddled communities in the country. His work as an activist / organizer led him to become the Director of Community Engagement in the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Equity Diversity and Inclusion. Rev. Rice is the new director of the Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta (LTCA). In this role he is a part of the CCL Education for Leadership team. In this role, he will lead and recruit participants for non-degree and degree programs in theological education and spiritual growth with an intentional focus on African Descent pedagogies and in the development of African Descent leaders and communities.
Pastor Rice is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., a member of the Prince Hall Masonic Order and an even more proud father of three BEAUTIFUL young ladies; Jaelyn, Kylan and Zionn.
The Atlanta Metro Chapter of the Morehouse College Alumni Association “Hall of Honor” celebrates individuals that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support the efforts of the Chapter and the purpse and mission of Morehouse College. Inductees have distinguished themselves as champions for education and service for our community at large for decades.
Their tireless work has been inspirational to generations that have followed by being the living example of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays’s quote, “We make our living by what we get but we make our life by what we give.”
Winfred E. Hill was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 20, 1952. He is the oldest of two children of Henry and Lillian Hill. He is a proud product of the Atlanta Public School System, having attended grade school and graduated from Washington High School in 1970. Early during his formative teenage years, it was emphasized to try to gain admission to Morehouse College. During his junior and senior years in high school he was enrolled in the Morehouse Upward Bound Program. With the assistance of Upward Bound director Mack Stewart and others, Winfred was accepted into Morehouse College for the Fall Semester of 1970. He graduated in May 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physical Education and later obtained a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice in 1987 at Georgia State University.
Though his early plan was to work in the field of education, the Criminal Justice Field became his calling. Winfred has worked with numerous organizations within this field throughout his adult life. Understanding the Criminal Justice Field better and that it consists of the police, courts, and corrections, he has worked in all three areas spanning a career of 38 years.
In 1984, Winfred followed another calling to serve in the United States Army Reserves. He enlisted in 1984 and retired 30 years later in 2014 as a Chief Warrant Officer 5 in the Intelligence Field. Since 2016 he has ventured into the movie industry working as a Background Actor (BG) and has been in films and series such as Greenleaf, What Men Want, Black Panther, Lodge 49 and Heels.
Winfred is the proud father of three adult children, Quintin, Bryant and Lillian. You can always find him on Sunday mornings at the Beulah Baptist Church in the Historic Vine City where he is an active participant and has been called by some as Mr. Sunday School.
Gary Clayton has continually served Morehouse College, her alumni and students in a variety of capacities since he graduated. He is currently the Coordinator for the National Alumni Association’s “Rites of Final Passage” event during Morehouse College Commencement. During this event, the graduating class ceremonially transitions from Men of Morehouse - which they have been since they first entered Morehouse - to Morehouse Men. Gary is also the Financial Secretary of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association and previously served on the Executive Board of the Morehouse College Atlanta Alumni Association.
Gary has encouraged others to support Morehouse by acting as a Fundraising Ambassador for the College’s Office of Institutional Advancement, and as a reunion Class Agent for his graduating class, the Great Class of 1988. He is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.
2012
Joseph Arrington ’58
Dr. Joseph Draper ’57 Dr. Ira E. Harrison ’55 Marvin C. Mangham, Sr. ’48 Arthur McClung ’66 Dr. Harvey B. Smith ’43 Dr. Wilbur T. Leaphart ’58
2013
Jim Barker ’64 Ronnie Jenkins ’67 Earl Nero ’72 John B. Smith ’58 Johnny Thomas ’63
2014 Dr. Robert Michael Franklin ’75 Nathaniel Bruce Ingram ’62 C. David Moody, Jr. ’78 Jeffrey L. Riddle ’90 Munson Steed ’88 Eric “Tiger” Turner ’75 Calvin Vismale Jr. ’78
2015
Michael Harris ’80 Dr. J.K. Haynes ’64 Joseph Wingfield, Sr. ’83 M. Bud Willis ’86
2016
Henry M. Goodgame, Jr. ’84 Clyde Hill, Jr. ’90 E. Lamar Maxey, Jr. ’93 James ‘Jim’ Montgomery ’72 Thomas N. Scott ’84
2017 Dr. Marcellus Barksdale ’65 Hon. William ‘Bill’ Edwards ’72
2018 Grady Brewer ’80 John K. Grant, Sr. ’72 Robert H. McMichael, II ’64 Johnny Popwell ’62
2019 Dr. Curtis C. Briscoe ’75 Hon. Ceasar Mitchell ’91 Dr. Valentino ‘Val’ Shumate ’86
2020 Joseph S. Carlos III ’04 Dr. Gerald A. Yerby ’75
2021
Mark Hill ’67 Hon. El-Mahdi Holly ’98
Dee Griffin is an Augusta native who graduated from Aquinas High School and earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Upon graduating, she entered the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where she earned her Master of Science in Journalism.
Dee is proud of her tenure in television news that has spanned many cities and states including Tupelo, MS, Hartford, CT, Kansas City, MO and Memphis, TN.
Throughout her career, Dee has garnered countless awards for her reporting and community service including an Emmy nomination for her series on domestic violence titled, “Hidden Crime.” She was awarded the “Jesse H. Turner, Senior Community Service Award” by the Memphis Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. She was listed as one of the “50 Women Who Make A Difference in Memphis” by Memphis Woman Magazine. She was also selected as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by the Memphis Business Journal. Dee is also proud of her work with “Leadership Memphis” as a graduate of the class of 2005. She was also selected as a “2019 Unsung Heroine Honoree” by The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter. Dee is a recipient of “The Salute to Greatness” award during the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Life and Legacy Honor celebration.
Currently, Dee co-anchors the 4:30, 5:30 and 7 p.m. newscasts on WJBF News Channel 6. Dee also enjoys delving into her love of writing and reporting through general assignment and long format stories that air on WJBF News Channel 6 and ME-TV.
The Leaphart Fatherhood Award is presented to a local father who is stalwart in his commitment to children while maintaining a successful balance between his personal, professional and family life.
Dr. Wilbur T. Leaphart is a noted educator in the Atlanta area. He came to Atlanta from Waycross, Georgia to attend Morehouse College. After graduating from Morehouse in 1958, Dr. Leaphart went on to obtain a Masters of Education degree at the University of Florida and later a Doctor of Education from Clark Atlanta University. His career in education began as a teacher at the high school level first in Waycross and later in Atlanta. He then moved on to roles as an assistant principal and principal in middle and high schools in Atlanta, eventually retiring as a Secondary Division Administrator with Atlanta Public Schools. Dr. Leaphart most recently worked as an Adjunct Professor at Clark Atlanta University.
Dr. Leaphart is a tireless servant of those in his community and profession. He has held membership and leadership positions with such organizations as the National Education Association, the Georgia Association of Educators, the Atlanta Association of Educators, and the Georgia Association of Education Leaders. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Teachers Federal Credit Union and the Board Management of the Southeast Branch of the Metropolitan YMCA.
A 50-plus year member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Dr. Leaphart is the chairman of Atlanta’s Eta Omega chapter scholarship committee, which annually awards scholarships to Atlanta-area high school seniors.
Dr. Leaphart is a past president of the Atlanta Metro chapter of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association. He can often be found at the forefront of the chapter’s fundraising and scholarship efforts. He was honored on the national level with the Morehouse College National Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award in 2002, and with the College’s Presidential Award of Distinction in 2010.
A Christian and family man above all, Dr. Leaphart has been married to Shirley Hanks Leaphart for nearly 50 years, and they raised two sons, Gregory T. and Brian T. Leaphart. The couple also have three grandchildren; Malik, Brittany and Ajani. The Leapharts have been very active members of Radcliff Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Leaphart was awarded Churchman of the Year in 2010.
Williams’ age group, and their vocational maturities uniquely qualified their generation to become the first Blacks employed for previous White only positions in the 1960s and 70s. He was the only Black student among the thousands at the Fort Belvoir Army Engineering school in 1953. Williams went on to become the first Black:
• Licensed Professional Civil Engineer in GA; according to the Exec Director of the Board at that time.
• Member of the GA State Board of Registration for Professional Engineering and Land Surveyors; an appointment by Governors Joe Frank Harris in 1991 and Zell Miller in 1996.
• City of Atlanta Operating Dept. Head; appointed Public Works Director by Mayor Sam Massell (1971)
• Mayor Maynard H. Jackson’s first appointment following his historical election in 1974; appointed as Commissioner of the newly created Dept of Environments and Streets for the City of Atlanta in 1974.
After ushering two generations of his family through the maroon and white halls, (both sons, one of whom would later transfer to GA Tech, two grandsons, and a nephew), many would say that Pelham C. Williams is the epitome of a Morehouse Dad!
Pelham Clyde Williams, a native Floridian, enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after graduating from high school in 1953. He later graduated from the prestigious U. S. Army Engineering School at Fort Belvoir, VA, with a military occupation specialty (MOS) in topographic mapping. That schooling and the military assignments he performed influenced his college major and subsequently his life’s vocation.
Williams enrolled in Florida A & M University after completing his Army services, earned a degree in civil engineering at Tennessee A & I State University and became a registered professional engineer in Georgia, five other states and the U. S. Virgin Islands. His career spans an approximate 55-year period, which includes significant private and public sector assignments. He was the key founder and majority owner of Williams-Russell and Johnson, Inc. (WR&J), a nationally recognized Engineering Consulting firm established in 1976. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, WR&J became one of the largest Black-owned engineering firms in the U.S with over 250 employees and branch office operations in Washington, DC., six other Cities and the U. S. Virgin Islands.
Williams’ parents, Anna and Henry Williams, 44 and 71 years old respectively when he was born, wisely taught him “Everyone is born for a purpose” and that purpose may best be realized by the concern, honor and respect one extends towards another. In his public positions Williams managed directly and indirectly thousands of employees who provided services for millions. His guiding principle in the performance of his duties, and with honor to his parents, was to “Be mindful and supportive of the people who are doing the work and diligently seek to exceed the expectation of those who are being served.”
Among his civic involvements, Williams was an active member of the Atlanta Business League from 1972-89 and served on the Board of Directors for five years; Atlanta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America (1972-86), Butler Street YMCA (1973-80), Atlanta Regional Leadership Institute (1973-86), Georgia International Fellows Leadership Institute (1982-86), and the Atlanta Great Park (Currently President Carter Parkway) Development Committee (1974).
Pelham and his deceased wife, Mary Ellen Blocker Williams, are the parents of Tyrone Williams, Pelham Williams III, and Pamela Williams-Phelps; grandparents of Tyrone JT Williams, Pelham Williams IV, Hansen Williams, Zachary Williams, and Anya Williams-Phelps; and great grandparents of Pelham Williams V.
His current wife, A. Delores Mitchell-Williams, brings to the Williams family daughters Tonia Mitchell and Sharnette Mitchell; grandchildren Oshai Mitchell-Walker, Luther Floyd III and Trevor Mitchell-Floyd.
MARVIN C. MANGHAM, SR. ’48 MENTORSHIPThe Mangham Mentorship Award recognizes an individual who has mentored and guided young people towards the attainment of their educational and professional endeavors.
Marvin C. Mangham, Sr. (March 22, 1919-November 26, 1978) was born in Pike County, Georgia; he was the youngest son of a sharecropper family. He moved to Atlanta several years later, and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1937.
Following his high school graduation, he attended one year at Clark College but dropped out due to financial difficulties. He was drafted to the U.S. Army during World War II and fought in the European Theater.
With assistance from the G.I. Bill, he attended Morehouse College and graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While at Morehouse, Mangham became an entrepreneur, selling pies and cakes across campus; he was known by everyone on campus and was nicknamed ‘The Pie Man’. He married the former Delores Winkfield, who worked in the Registrar’s office at Morehouse. They had two children; Marvin Jr. ’69 and Lolita Saxon (Spelman ’72).
Mangham was employed as an insurance agent for 12 years of several insurance agencies in Atlanta and Houston, eventually becoming manager of an agency before he left for employment with the federal government. He worked in different agencies for 18 years before he retired in 1978. However his longest tenure with the federal government was with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Mangham was an active and long-time member of First Congregational Church where he served in various leadership capacities. Having pledged Omega Psi Phi at Morehouse, he remained an active member of his fraternity. He was also a member of the Pine Acres Country Club.
Besides his love for his family, Mangham was devoted to Morehouse College. He became active in the Atlanta Morehouse Club in the late 1950s and became Treasurer in the late 1960s. He served in the capacity until his death. He was also active in the Morehouse College Torchbearers. It was a family ritual to attend Morehouse events such as the Annual Christmas Concert and Morehouse homecoming every year. Within his community, he was always actively recruiting young men to attend Morehouse College. With his roles in the Atlanta Morehouse Club and the Morehouse College Torchbearers, Mangham mentored many a young man to become active and involved alumni.
ty. Through the Gate City Bar Association, he established the Brother to Brother mentoring program which enables male attorneys and law students to interact in social and professional settings, he established the Black Law Students’ Retreat through which students participate in mock interviews, resume review, and panel and small-group discussions, and he established a Young Lawyers Section which engages in professional development, community service and social activities. As the chair of the Father’s Auxiliary for the Greater Metropolitan Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., he established a leadership institute for young men and boys to address issues such as teen violence, leadership development, educational performance, and planning for life after high school. Clyde has been a frequent panelist or presenter at law schools across the state of Georgia, and he serves as a mentor to young Black attorneys.
Clyde E. Mize, Jr. is a founding partner of the law firm Goggans, Stutzman, Hudson, Wilson, & Mize, LLP. He represents clients in all phases of residential and commercial real estate including acquisitions, developments, finance and sales. He is an active member of the Atlanta business community and often speaks on issues of interest concerning the financial and real estate industries.
Prior to establishing his current law firm, Clyde was a Partner in the Real Estate Practice in the Atlanta office of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP (MMM), an AmLaw 200 law firm with national and international reach. For several years, Clyde chaired MMM’s Diversity Committee, and during his tenure, he established programs for diverse students in high school, college and law school, and for diverse young attorneys. Since its inception, nearly 100 students have participated in his high school program, and alumni have graduated from schools with technical certifications and from schools such as Morehouse College, Spelman College, the University of Chicago, the University of Alabama, Georgia Tech, and Georgetown University. Four of his former high school interns are attorneys and one is currently attending law school in Boston.
A committed member of the Atlanta philanthropic community, Clyde has demonstrated a willingness and desire to improve the lives of others. Through his involvement with the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, he established the Emerging 100, an auxiliary comprised of young professional men who mentor students and serve the broader Atlanta communi-
Clyde’s mentoring efforts have been featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution and on local television stations. He has received numerous awards including the National Bar Association’s “My Brother’s Keeper” Award and its President’s Award, the Fulton County Daily Report’s Best Mentor Award, the Let Us Make Man Community Service Award, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School BLSA Community Service Award, and his Jack & Jill chapter’s Father of the Year, to name a few. In 2019, Atlanta Magazine included Clyde in its inaugural 500 Most Powerful Leaders in Atlanta.
He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., 100 Black Men of Atlanta, and Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2020, and The dReam Center Church of Atlanta. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and Speech Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law. He is the father of two children (Noah – 17 and Oliva –12), and one fur baby (Ruby – 3).
The Dr. Joseph Draper Service Award is given to a member of the Atlanta community has who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make outstanding contributions to our society through selfless acts of service.
The award is named after 1957 graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. Joseph Draper. While at Morehouse, Dr. Draper majored in Sociology and minored in Education. He was also an active member of the Organized Veterans of Morehouse College, and American Legion Post 574. He was inducted in the Alpha Kappa Delta National Sociological Honor Society. He completed all of his graduate studies at Atlanta University; Master of Arts (1965), Specialist in Education degree (1972) and a Doctorate in Education (1985).
Upon graduation from Morehouse, Dr. Draper began a long and distinguished career with the Atlanta Public School System. In the school system he served as a teacher where he distinguished himself as a talented, resourceful, and caring educator. He was soon promoted to Administrative Assistant, and after two years in that post he was promoted to Principal. After only seven years as Principal, he was promoted to Director, and given responsibility for Environmental Services throughout Atlanta Public Schools. He retired from this post in 1996. Dr. Draper also served in the U.S. Military during the Korean War and remained in the military as a reserve officer until he retired at the rank of Major, U.S. Army.
Dr. Draper formerly served as Associate Executive Director of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association for more than 3 years.
Dr. Draper was very active in the greater Atlanta community; serving on the board of directors for the Butler Street YMCA, Chairman of the Southside Branch Board of Managers, and Director of the Skyline Civitan Club.
Throughout his life, Dr. Joseph Draper was a very active and supportive alumnus of the College, the Morehouse Atlanta Metro Alumni Chapter and the National Alumni Association.
criminal law, juvenile law, personal injury law, and general trial work. Around 2010 Justin joined the Atlanta office of Morgan & Morgan LP, specializing in civil trials, premises liability, and motor vehicle accidents. While at Morgan & Morgan, Justin helped grow the firm’s name and reputation within the Atlanta community. Justin remained at Morgan & Morgan for 10 years where he quickly became a partner and eventually became the firm’s managing partner, leaving in 2020.
Justin D. Miller is a partner at Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys and an advocate truly working on behalf of the people. Whether it is by fighting large insurance companies on behalf of his clients, or by doing his part in and around communities in the Atlanta area, Justin’s presence can always be felt.
Justin graduated from historic Morehouse College where he was a standout on the basketball team playing for legendary coaches Arthur McAffee and Grady Brewer. During his time playing for the House, Justin was team captain, made the All-SIAC first team, was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, made the All-Tournament team, and was named player of the week several times. Justin graduated with a degree in Mathematics.
After his time at Morehouse, Justin attended the St. John’s University School of Law. While at St. John’s Justin was the president of the school’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA), the president of the school’s Student Bar Association (SBA), and an editor on the New York International Law Review.
Justin started his own law firm once he returned home to Atlanta from New York. This firm specialized in
Since 2020 Justin has been a partner at the law firm of Stewart, Miller, Simmons Trial Attorneys. To date, Justin has fought and received millions of dollars for his clients and has litigated and won several jury trials on behalf of injured people throughout the state of Georgia. Amongst his other trial victories, in 2019 Mr. Miller led the trial team that won a $10 million dollar verdict against an Atlanta apartment complex for negligent security. Justin was also co-counsel for the family of George Floyd and was instrumental in helping the Floyd legal team secure a record 27 million dollar settlement against the city of Minneapolis and the officers responsible for murdering George Floyd. Further, Mr. Miller is co-counsel for the family of Rayshard Brooks who was killed by police in front of a Wendy’s restaurant in Atlanta. Additionally, Justin was a member of the legal team that represented the family of Ahmaud Arbery who was murdered while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia. These cases gave Justin the opportunity to help these families during their time of need and to meet with President Biden and other politicians to help push the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to prevent abuse and racial profiling by law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels.
Justin has a wife, Kamilah, two children (Grayson 11, and Kennedy 9), and owns multiple businesses in the city of Atlanta. He is a member of The State Bar of Georgia, The Gate City Bar Association, The National Bar Association, The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, The 100 Black Men of Atlanta, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Mr. Miller focuses his law practice in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, and civil rights.
Tobe Johnson is the longest-serving faculty member in Morehouse College history, having taught at the College for 59 years. Dr. Johnson came to Morehouse as a student at the age of 16. He briefly left school to work in a steel mill in Birmingham, Alabama, and then joined the military, spending a few years in Japan. After he was discharged, he immediately returned to Morehouse where he earned a political science degree in 1954. He joined the faculty at Morehouse in 1958, and then went on to earn a doctorate in political science from Columbia University in 1963, thanks to a stipend he received from his native state of Alabama.
In his time at Morehouse, Johnson has been interim dean of humanities and social sciences, as well as professor and chair of the political science department. He has significantly shaped the political science curriculum, and the department as a whole, with each political science major over the past 59 years likely having taken a class from him. (And he has also shepherded the graduation of thousands of Morehouse Men while serving as the mace-bearer and chief ceremonial marshal for Commencement for years.)
Among the numerous Morehouse Men Dr. Johnson taught and mentored were Atlanta’s first black mayor, Maynard Jackson ‘56, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson ’79, Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell ’91, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard ’72, and Harvard Law School professor Ronald Sullivan Jr. ’89 and Birmingham’s youngest mayor, Randall Woodfin ‘03.
At the conclusion of the 2016-17 academic year, in which Morehouse celebrated 150 years of existence and 50 years after Dr. Johnson’s mentor Benjamin E. Mays ended his historic tenure as the College’s president, Dr. Johnson retired from Morehouse. Although retiring, he will continue to teach one class at Morehouse next year.
2021 - George Bandy ‘90 2015 - Illya E. Davis ‘89
2020 - Solomon Nixon ‘92 2014 - Kevin Booker ‘90 2019 - Marquis Grissom 2013 - Dr. Duane Jackson ‘74 2018 - Willie Hill 2012 - Andre Pattillo ‘79 2017 - Robert Bolton ’86 2011 - Hon. H. Lamar Willis, Esq. ‘93 2016 - Dr. David Satcher ’63
2021 - Rev. Dr. William E. Flippin Sr. 2015 - Mr. Milton J. Little, Jr. ’76 2020 - Rev. Dr. Aaron Parker ‘75 2014 - Mr. Mark Wilson 2019 - Frank ‘Ski’ Rodriques 2013 - Mr. Louis Negron ’97 2018 - Mr. Alvin H. Darden, III ’72 2012 - Mr. Don Doran 2017 - Mawuli Mel Davis, Esq. 2011 - Mr. Sterling Hudson 2016 - Dr. Glenn Toby
2021 - Mr. Carl Williams 2015 - James “Jay” Bailey 2020 - Harold L. Martin Jr. ‘02 2014 - Eugene Duffy ’78 2019 - Kwame Johnson 2013 - Justin Tanner, Esq. 2018 - Rodney Bullard 2012 - Dr. James Bennett
2017 - Hon. Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock ’91 2011 - David Jernigan 2016 - Javarro “Jay” Edward ’92
2021 - Jason V. Jackson ‘00 2018 - Gary L. Clayton ‘88
2020 - Curtis A. Briscoe, Ph.D. ‘75 2017 - Rev. Rodney L. Howard ’76 2019 - Javarro “Jay” Edwards ’92