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MOREHOUSE
A CAMPUS NEWSLETTER FOR FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS
OCTOBER 2012
Rubina Malik offers advice to
international students
Spike Lee ‘79 talks about “Red Hook
Summer” and his Morehouse days
Former President and First Lady Become Buildings’ Namesakes
W hen former president Walter
E. Massey ’58 returns to
Morehouse for Flomecoming
2012, he and the former first
lady, Shirley A. Massey, also will be leaving
something very special behind.
During homecoming week, their names
will become permanent parts of the name
sakes of The Leadership Center building and
the Executive Conference Center. The names
of the buildings will now be the Walter E.
Massey Leadership Center and the Shirley A.
Massey Executive Conference Center.
Massey will officially presen "the College
with the Walter E. Massey Presidential Papers.
Massey, currently the president o^ the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was
AtHrehouse president from 1992-2007. He
spearheaded the effort to get the Leadership
Center built and to establish the ethical leader
ship center program at Morehouse College.
Shirley Massey played a large role in serving as
the campus’ host to numerous national, inter
national gue.q r s and dignitaries and spearheaded
efforts to improve the Campus landscape.
The naming ceremony is one of the
highlights of Homecoming 2012, Oct. 21-28.
Others include the annual Homecoming
Concert/Fashion Show (rapper 2 Chainz will
perform); R8cB singer Raheem DeVaughn
Former first lady, Shirley A. Massey and former president
Walter E. Massey ’58
will take the stage of the Martin Luther
King Jr. International Chapel for the Neo-
Soul Concert; National Medical Association
president Rahn Bailey ’86 will deliver the
Homecoming Crown Forum address and
Miss Maroon and White and her court will be
celebrated during Coronation in King Chapel.
Morehouse’s official sister school,
Bennett College, will square off against the
College’s unofficial sister school, Spelman
College in the 3rd Annual Big Blue Bash
Powder Puff Flag Football Game at Spelman.
The Leadership Center’s Coca-Cola Pre-
College Leadership Program will be celebrat
ing their 15th anniversary with a reception
on Oct. 26. More than 570 college-bound
young men have completely the ethical lead
ership development program since 1997.
A former Miss Maroon and White,
Anne Ashmore Hudson, will be honored as
she returns to celebrate homecoming. As
queen in 1962, she nearly missed her own
coronation. As a student picketer during the
civil rights movement, Ashmore Hudson had
been jailed in Atlanta and was released just
in time to make her coronation.
Bands and floats will take to the streets
of the West End neighborhood Saturday
morning during the annual parade, while
tailgaters flood the campus later during the
Homecoming Tailgate Experience.
Fort Valley State will be the foe for the
Maroon Tigers during the annual football
game on Saturday afternoon.
“More than just attending these great events,
this is just a great opportunity for alumni to
reconnect,” said Henry Goodgame ’84, director
of Alumni Relations, Annual Giving and Special
Events. “It’s an opportunity to come back and
reconnect with the spirit of Morehouse or see
where they can pitch in. We will have our tradi
tional events each year yet Homecoming will also
be different year after year. ■
For more information about Homecoming
2012, go to page 6 or go to
http://www.morehouse.edu/homecoming/.
President Franklin Delivers Final Opening Convocation
P resident Robert M. Franklin ’75 passionately delivered his
final Opening Convocation speech. His hands trembled as he
calmed down seconds after his spirited Sept. 20th address to
faculty, students, staff and alumni in the Martin Luther King Jr.
International Chapel.
Franklin the president had channeled Franklin the preacher in using
the College’s motto, et facta ex lux (Let there be light), to exhort the
Morehouse community to continue to stand strong during trying times.
“The ancient Hebrew story of creation in Genesis offers that
God was surrounded by chaos,” said Franklin, whose term ends in
December. “They believed that chaos surrounded the deity and it was
the deity’s responsibility to speak to chaos.
“But God spoke to the chaos and said, ‘Let there be light,”’ he said as
the Chapel audience stood and shouted.
“So I’m challenging you young men today as you prepare to go
forth, speak truth to chaos. Call it out! Let there be peace - et facta
ex pax. Let there be faith - et facta ex ftdes. Let there be wisdom - et
facta ex prudential Let there be justice - et facta ex equitas. Let there be
Morehouse - et facta ex da ’Housd. Call it out! Call it out!”
Willis Sheftall ’64, interim provost and senior vice president for
Academic Affairs, said afterwards, “You didn’t just throw the gauntlet down.
You stomped it!”
Franklin’s speech was the highlight of the annual ceremony that
brings the campus community together to formally open the school year.
Current and new men of Morehouse, along with staff and faculty adorned
in academic regalia, commit to a year of excellence at the College.
“Through this ritual, we recommit ourselves to the mission of the
College and the continuing pursuit of excellence in those endeavors that
support that mission,” Sheftall said.
Three members of the Morehouse family were honored during the
ceremony.
Trustee James R. Hall ’57, a retired lieutenant general in the
U.S. Army and former president of the Morehouse College National
Alumni Association, was presented with the Renaissance Medallion
Award for his service to the College and the country.
Economics professor John W. Handy was named the Vulcan Materials
Company Faculty Member of the Year for 2012-13 (see page 5 for article).
The award annually goes to the faculty member who is deemed an out
standing teacher through peer reviews and student evaluations, has served
the College on various committees and other activities;
and who provides service to the community and the
teaching profession.
Hoeun Chung, who over the past 25 years painted
174 of the 177 oil portraits that hang in the Chapel’s
International Hall of Honor and in other campus build
ings, was posthumously honored (see page 5 for article).
Chung died in August His family was presented
a collage of his paintings. Hi s family was pre
sented a collage of his paintings, created by OIA
staff member David Collins. M
-AS
Editor’s
Note: For
excerpts from
President
Franklin’s
speech,
please see
page 2.
Morehouse
Ranked
No. 3 HBCU
and One of
Nation’s Top
Colleges
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
is one of the nation’s top
historically black colleges
and universities, accord
ing to U.S. News & World
Report magazine.
In its annual Best
Colleges issue, the maga
zine ranked Morehouse
No. 3 among the nation’s
105 HBCUs for the
fourth consecutive year.
Spelman College remains
ranked first and Howard
University is second.
The rankings are
based on peer reviews,
faculty resources, stu
dent selectivity, financial
resources and alumni
giving rate. Morehouse’s
alumni participation rate
has increased by 17% to
36% over the last 5 years.
Morehouse has been
ranked in the top three in
each of the six years U.S.
News & World Report has
done a separate ranking
of historically black col
leges and universities.
The magazine also
ranked Morehouse among
the nation’s top liberal
arts colleges. In a new
ranking this year, U.S.
News & World Report
asked high school guid
ance counselors across
the country to come up
with a list of their best
liberal arts colleges. They
listed Morehouse at No.
62, tied with Spelman, as
the highest ranked HBCUs
on that list. ■