Spelman Scenes

SpelmanSCENES

HONORING THE TRADITION OF OUR FOUNDERS

Each year, Spelman College pays tribute to its founders, Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles, who opened the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church in 1881. This tribute recognizes three individuals who exemplify the College’s imbued principles of excellence, service and character.

The 2021 Founders Day awardees are Judge Brenda Hill Cole, C’63, honorary degree recipient; Gwendolyn Harris Middlebrooks, Ph.D., C’61, Founders Spirit Award; and Nettie Ware, the True Blue Award. These outstanding women are a testament to hard work, dedication and commitment to Spelman.

HONORARY DEGREE

Established in 1977, the honorary degree is awarded during both Founders Day convocation and at commencement; however, alumnae are usually awarded the College’s highest honor at Founders Day. Recipients are people of unusual ability who have distinguished themselves professionally; those who have national or international accomplishments, particularly as it relates to improving the human condition; or those who have had a significant impact on Spelman.

Honorary degree recipient Hill Cole was appointed as judge of the State Court of Fulton County by Georgia Gov. Zell Miller in 1998. Reelected for four terms, she served until 2012 and was then appointed senior judge in 2013 by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. She also served as a neutral at JAMS, an international mediation and arbitration firm, until 2016.

FOUNDERS SPIRIT AWARD

Established in 1987, the Founders Spirit Award is presented to an alumna whose life and works are representative of the spirit and determination of the founders of Spelman. It is awarded to an alumna who graduated 50 or more years ago.

Middlebrooks began her teaching career in the Atlanta Public School System in 1961 and taught at the high school level for five years before returning to Spelman, where she was employed for 42 years. As a tenured faculty member and administrator in the education department, Middlebrooks’ research, publications and presentations were focused on teacher leadership, leadership preparation and teacher education.

TRUE BLUE AWARD

Established in 1998, the True Blue Award is presented to a Spelman faculty or staff member who exemplifies campus community service beyond the call of duty and who has exhibited the “True Blue” spirit through service and commitment to the mission of Spelman.

Nettie Ware loves working at Spelman and says it feels like her second home. She is responsible for cleaning the Living Learning Center II first floor and its guest suites. She finds enjoyment in preparing a cozy and clean place for others, and also delights in assisting students, alumnae, staff and guests on campus with their needs.

Judge Brenda Hill Cole, C’63

Gwendolyn Harris Middlebrooks, Ph.D., C’61

SpelmanSCENES

COMMENCEMENTS 2021 AND 2020

In a historical twofer, Spelman celebrated commencements for classes of 2021 and 2020, May 16, 2021. Spelman’s 134th Commencement ceremony celebrated the perseverance and achievements of the class of 2021 and honored the work of speaker Angela Y. Davis, Ph.D., a political activist known internationally for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the U.S. and abroad.

During Spelman’s 133rd Commencement, playwright and actress Danai Gurira, best known for her roles as Gen. Okoye in Marvel’s 2018 Academy Award-winning film “Black Panther” and Michonne in the AMC series “The Walking Dead,” delivered the keynote address to the class of 2020. Both Davis and Gurira received honorary degrees. Literary luminary Pearl Cleage, C’71, received the 2020 National Community Service Award and HBCU champion U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., (D-NC), received the 2021 National Community Service Award.

The twofer 2020/2021 commencements boasted 469 and 415 graduates respectively.

Golden Girls celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation.

SpelmanSCENES

REMEMBERING OUR NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN

Robert Daniel “Danny” Flanigan Jr., executive vice

president, chief investment officer and treasurer at Spelman, died March 17, 2021. He and his colleagues are credited with growing the College’s endowment from $6 million in 1970 to approximately $400 million today.

Flanigan joined Spelman in 1970 as assistant to the business manager. During his 50-year tenure, he worked with six of the College’s presidents, one acting president and the board of trustees.

He was born April 14, 1949, in Lithonia, Georgia, and raised in Conyers, Georgia. After graduating from J.P. Carr High School in 1966, he earned degrees from Clark College in 1970 and the Emory University Goizueta Business School in 1982.

Flanigan contributed to a range of professional and community organizations throughout his life, including at Big Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church, where he served as a trustee and member of the finance department; at Commonfund, where he was a board member for asset manager; at The College Board and numerous private institutions.

He and his wife, Anne, celebrated 50 years of matrimony in December 2020. They had one son, Robert Johnathan. April King, special assistant to the provost, died May 18, 2021. She joined Spelman in 2017 as the provost’s executive administrative assistant. As chair of the Staff Council, she launched an initiative to share with staff how their contributions supported student retention, illuminating how staff members were instrumental in “Delivering the Spelman Promise,” a pillar of the College’s strategic plan.

King also launched the hashtag #WorkAtSpelman to promote the idea that Spelman isn’t just a place to work, it’s a home. Under her leadership, Staff Council started the new faculty and staff meet-and-greet to ensure new employees felt welcomed and had access to resources.

King is also the founder of two organizations: the National Association for Black Administrative Professionals and Black Admin Magic to encourage and empower those in the administrative professional field. She is the author of The Ninja: Chronicles of an Administrative Assistant and was a prolific speaker, moderator and panelist at national conferences.

Pre-pandemic, King led the Staff Council in the creation of an in-person professional development program for nonmanagerial staff. During the pandemic, she published weekly Online Tip Talks that featured faculty from across the College employing novel pedagogical approaches in their online classes.

King was married to Jeromy and the mother of a daughter, Tere, and two sons, Ezra and Angelo. She had recently become senior pastor for the Lion of Judah Family Worship Center in Riverdale, Georgia.

Julio Gonzalez-Ruiz, Ph.D., associate professor and former chair of Spelman College’s Department of World Languages and Cultures (previously World Languages and Literature), died at his home in Los Alcarrizos, Dominican Republic, March 29, 2021.

He joined Spelman in 2004, and during his 17-year tenure made important contributions to the Global Studies Program. He created and directed two study abroad programs in collaboration with the University of Malaga, Spain, and CIEESanto Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Gonzalez-Ruiz also served as chair of the Library Advisory Council of the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library; organized Spelman’s International Film Festival; and chaired the Department of World Languages and Literature from 2015 to 2018. Raymond Charles Jackson, a support services technician II in the Enterprise Support Services Department of the College’s Technology Services Division, died April 30, 2021. He was married to DeAnna M. Jackson and had three sons: Quindarius King, Ayden J. Jackson and Ashton A.D. Jackson.