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INSIDE MOREHOUSE, MAY 2011
HBCU Graduates
Do Better In
Labor Maifcet
Than Non-HBCU
Graduates
By ADD SEYMOUR JR.
Morehouse economist Greg Price
GRADUATES OF historically black
colleges and universities do better
in the labor market long term than
non-HBCU grads, according to a
new article by Morehouse econo
mist Greg Price and two fellow
economists from Howard University.
The article, which was spotlight
ed in a blog on The Chronicle of
Higher Education’s website, was pub
lished in the current edition of The
Review of Black Political Economy.
Their findings consider the
returns of earning a baccalaureate
degree from an HBCU relative to a
non-HBCU for black Americans.
Their findings counter the results
of a 2010 study that concluded
long-term returns of graduating
from an HBCU were negative.
"Our results lend support to
the idea that HBCUs continue to
have a compelling educational
justification, as the labor market
outcomes of their graduates are
superior to what they would
have been had they graduated
from a non-HBCU," according to
their article.
Price, and the two other
economists, Howard University's
William Spriggs and Omari
Swinton, also "...suggest that
HBCU graduates realize higher
earnings relative to non-HBCU.
As such, our results lend support
to the idea that HBCUs have a
comparative advantage in nurtur
ing the self-image, self-esteem
and identity of graduates, which
theoretically matters for labor
market outcomes." ■
President Franklin Believes New Leaders Will Come From the Arts World
By RON THOMAS and PHAR/SH SLAUGHTER
“NEW LEADERS WILL COME from the artists, musicians, the rap
pers,” said President Robert M. Franklin ’75 said. “The question is,
where will they lead us?”
Franklin said artists like Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Jay-Z and
acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee ’79 are our potential leaders.
Why will leadership spring from the artistic side of society?
“I think there is widespread skepticism about the effectiveness of tra
ditional political and religious leaders, and there is a hunger for voices
of authenticity who express the real concerns of people and their aspi
rations,” he said.
“I see that among filmmakers, musicians, writers and poets. And I
believe there is an opportunity for those leaders to step forward and
provide public leadership, not only public commentary on events.”
Franklin was speaking on March 17 as a guest lecturer in the course
“Ethical Leadership: The African-American Moral Tradition.”
His 40-minute lecture was based on his book Crisis in the Village, which
expresses concern for three anchor institutions in the black community:
families, churches and HBCUs. The book is required reading in the course.
Franklin paced forward and back, gestured with his arms,
jabbed with pointed fingers for emphasis, and passionately raised
and lowered his voice.
“I draw energy from students and from an atmosphere of inquiry
and curiosity, of intellectual synthesis,” he said. “And in that environ
ment, I think I really come alive.”
Melvinia King, interim director of Leadership Studies, had invit
ed Franklin to set a precedent in her course.
“I know of no other Morehouse president who has lectured in a
class,” she said.
Walter Fluker, founding director of the Leadership Center,
attended the lecture, along with California Endowment program
manager Robert Phillips and Mark Ridley-Thomas, the supervisor of
the Second District in Los Angeles County.
'Thanks to grants totaling $265,000 from The California
Endowment, the Kellogg Foundation and the Weingart Foundation,
the Morehouse model of leadership will be piloted in Ridley-Thomas’
district to develop community leaders, then replicated in national and
international locations. ■
Ron Thomas is the director of The Journalism and Sports Program.
Pharish Slaughter is a junior at Morehouse.
Kin of
Morehouse
College
Namesake to
Share Family
History
By Add Seymour Jr.
Christal Morehouse
A YOUNG LADY in a Morehouse shirt in mid-April
walked up to students and faculty members to say hello
and get their thoughts on the College. But when she
introduced herself, they were more interested in taking
a photo with her.
Why?
Her name is Christal Morehouse. Yes, that
Morehouse. She is the great, great niece of Henry
Lyman Morehouse, the namesake of Morehouse College.
A senior project manager in migration and inte
gration for Bertelsmann Stiftung in Berlin, Germany,
Morehouse was visiting the College to learn more
about the relationship between the College and her
great, great uncle. She also plans to contribute her
findings to the 150th Morehouse Anniversary Project.
Henry L. Morehouse was the corresponding secre
tary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, an
organization that helped fund the establishment of sev
eral black colleges. The College, which had been
► passages
known as Atlanta Baptist College, was named after
Morehouse in 1913.
“It’s family legend that it was John D.
Rockefeller’s wish that the College be named after
Henry because he trusted Henry with a lot of deci
sions in how to invest in positive social change,” she
said. “Henry was a big advocate of education, espe
cially in marginalized communities. But I don’t
know the truth about why the College decided to
rename itself Morehouse.” Morehouse’s father gave
her some family papers and memorabilia, which fur
ther heightened her interest in the College, Henry
Morehouse and her family story.
“If I don’t rediscover the history, then I feel like the
generation will not know very much about Henry, who
he was and why he did the things that he did,” she said.
“So I’m trying to preserve that and rejuvenate that rela
tionship and maybe I can discover something that may
have fallen through the cracks of history.” ■
Calvin Grimes '62 Was Instrumental
in Educating a Generation of
Morehouse Musicians
By Vickie G. Hampton
W hen Calvin Grimes ’62 earned a doctorate from the
University of Iowa back in the 70s, none other than
revered professor and musician Wendell P. Whalum ’52
exclaimed: “That’s one of my children, and not just any Ph.D.—a
Ph.D. in music theory!”
The proclamation was a herald into a royal musical
family at the ‘House, a lineage where Kemper Harreld begot
Whalum, Whalum begot Grimes, and Grimes became the
progenitor to a new line of many accomplished Morehouse
musicians, including current chair of the Music Department
Uzee Brown ’72.
“As my theory teacher, in spite of his no-nonsense
demeanor, he was thorough, methodical and in every way inspir
ing,” said Brown. “He opened my eyes to the wonderful creative
aspects of theory as they relate to practical applications that give
birth to real musical ingenuity.”
On April 7,2011, Grimes died of congestive heart failure at
Elis home in Atlanta at the age of 71. He was professor of music the
ory and immediate past dean of the Division of Humanities and
Social Sciences. A 30-minute musical tribute
was held prior to his funeral on April 16 in the
Ray Charles Center for Performing Arts.
Grimes earned a bachelor’s in music
from Morehouse, and a master’s degree
and doctorate in music theory from the
University of Iowa.
He joined the Morehouse faculty in
1977, and served as chair of the music department for 12
years. He became division dean before returning to the music
department to teach music theory.
The music educator’s career also involved stints as a
chorus director for area public schools and, for eight years,
and as a music professor at Clark College, now Clark
Atlanta University.
He also became widely engaged in regional and national
scholarly panels, symposia, workshops, and lectures.
Appointed by former governor Roy Barnes, he was a
member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Humanities
Council. He was also organist-choirmaster emeritus at St.
Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta.
Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing such a capable
colleague as Calvin would welcome his probing and sagacious
intellect to their faculty, said Brown. “He was outstanding in
so many ways that made a difference in the lives of those
around him.” ■