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LEGEND DIES
By William Blackburn
Editorial Editor
As a staunch supporter
of Black athletes, Chico
Renfroe was a fixture at Atlanta
University Center sporting
events. Whether it was doing
play-by-play reports of Morris
Brown games for WIGO-AM, or
covering Clark Atlanta
University games for The
Atlanta Daily World, o r
scouting Morehouse games,
Renfroe was a flawless
specimen when it came to Black
athletes.
On Sept. 3, the former
Negro League All-Star died of a
heart attack at the age of 68,
three days after doing play-by-
play coverage of the CAU-
Morris Brown football game.
Renfroe was a three-
sport star at Atlanta's Booker
T. Washington High School and
attended Clark College for one
year before deciding to pursue
his goal of becoming a
professional baseball player.
Barred from playing in the all-
White major league, Renfroe
became a stellar performer in
the Negro League for 10 years
playing with the Atlanta Black
Crackers, the Cleveland
Buckeyes and the Kansas City
Monarchs, where he teamed up
with Jackie Robinson.
Never wanting to drift
too far from the sports arena,
Renfroe did radio play-by-play
coverage for Florida A&M for
eight years, and became the
first Black to hold the position
of official scorer in the major
leagues when the Atlanta
Braves hired him in 1977.
As sports director of
••w *
Chico Renfroe center
WIGO-AM and sports editor of
The Atlanta Daily World,
Renfroe made a point of
covering sporting events in the
AUC extensively. On a typical
Saturday afternoon in the fall,
Renfroe could be heard on the
radio or seen in the press box
analyzing the CAU or
Morehouse game. Then later
that evening he could be
spotted covering a local high
school event. His penchant for
covering Black athletes had no
limits.
One of the foremost
advocates of recognizing the
accomplishments of Black
athletes, Renfroe lobbied
diligently for the players of the
old Negro League to receive the
credit they richly deserved. On
Aug. 11-12, Renfroe saw his
dream come true as 75 former
Negro League players were
united at baseball's Hall of
Fame in Cooperstown, New
York for a special tribute.
Unified Commencement
By Veronica Fields
Entertainment Editor
Approximately 200
students from Clark Atlanta
University, Morris Brown
College and the
Interdenominational
Theological Center received
degrees at the July 26 summer
commencement exercises.
The ceremony marked
the second time that three
institutions from the Atlanta
University Center joined
together for one
commencement activity.
Graduates received
bachelor's, master's and
doctorate degrees and two
honorary degrees were
presented to Clark College
Alumnus Reverend William B.
McClain, Sr. and Alhaji
Hassan Adamu, the Wakilin
Adamawa. This is the title for
the traditional Prime Minister
of Adamawa Emirate in Yola,
Gongola State, Nigeria.
Dr. Calvert H. Smith,
President of MBC, gave the
commencement address and
told the students that
"whatever your mind can
conceive and believe, you can
achieve."
He said that it was up to
them to help society find a way
to deal with the social
problems in this country. He
placed on their shoulders the
responsibility to do what his
generation was unable to
finish.
Dr. Smith said that an
educated person can do at least
four things: 1) objectively
review facts 2) analyze those
facts 3) interpret those facts
and 4) take appropriate
actions.
"The quality of
education depends on how you
can do those four things and it
does no good to go to an
institution unless people end
up where they are today," said
Dr. Smith, referring to the
graduates.
Dr. Adamu stated that it
was a privilege to receive his
honory degree and he felt that
Clark had made Africa proud.
He affirmed a good
PANTHER page 2 September 25, 199 lg
FORMER PROFESSOR'S WORK FEATURED AT THE HIGH
MUSEUM
The High Museum of Art in Atlanta will be featuring the work of
Henry O. Tanner, a renowned artist and former professor at Clark
University - now Clark Atlanta University, from September 17 through
November 24. This national touring exhibition is the first large-scale
traveling presentation of Tanner's work.
During his stay in the United states, Tanner developed various
phases of Clark University's programs. However, he spent most of his life
in Paris, France and is most recognized for his work as a Black artist.
Tanner is one of the university's most celebrated artist and in
honor of his legacy, a building on campus was named in his memory.
Two of Tanner's paintings entitled "Two Disciples" and "Return at
Night from the Market" are on display in Waddell Art Gallery located on
the Clark Atlanta University campus.
WCLK-FM AWARDED EQUIPMENT GRANT
WCLK-FM was awarded a $36,150 equipment grant from the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration. This
grant will allow the station to re-design and re-equip a number of areas.
In addition to that grant, The Panasonic Corp. is expected to
make a presentation to WCLK-FM as part of the final phase of its grant
which will allow the station to receive nine new pieces of equipment.
WILKINS SUPPORTS BLACK COLLEGES
Dominique Wilkins, star of the Atlanta Hawks professional
basketball team, participated in two separate fundraisers aimed at
advancing historically Black colleges and universities.
He hosted his annual All-Star basketball benefit game at The
Omni and the Dominique Wilkins Comb-Thru Slam Dunk Contest held
at the Vivian Wilson Henderson Center gymnasium.
Pro-Line Hair Products donated a portion of the proceeds of the
slam dunk contest to CAU. The All-Star game benefitted the United
Negro College Fund. Other National Basketball League celebrities were
present at both functions and the CAU cheerleading squad led the cheers
during the game.
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION RECEIVES GRANT
Clark Atlanta University's School of Education will receive an
$850,000 grant over a three-year period to increase the number of
minority teachers in the seven-county metro area public school systems.
The grant will provide scholarship support for non-certified teachers
who need to earn Master's degrees and it will also give educational
support services for those teachers who lack requirements for state
certification.
The grant is part of a national effort by the DeWitt Wallace-
Reader's Digest Fund. The fund is committed to increasing educational
and career opportunities for all vouth across the country.
VOICE OF AMERICA TO BROADCAST CAU
The award-winning international radio network. Voice of
America, plans to feature CAU on both English and French language
programs sometime this fall. The presentation will focus on Africana
Women's Studies and intematinal programs.
Voice of America visited the campus for two days in September to
record messages from students, faculty and staff, including President
Thomas W. Cole Jr.
XEROX CORP. MAKES CONTRIBUTION
Xerox Corp. awarded CAU School of Business Administration a
contribution of $20,000. Xerox pledged to financially support the School
of Business during its 45 th anniversaiy last Spring.
The money will go toward the School of Business Scholarship
program, which will provide Xerox Fellowships to first and second year
MBA students.
relationship between America
and Africa and pledged to
uphold the university.
Dr. Adamu received
moral support from an 80
member delegation from
Nigeria who attended the
ceremony.
Dr. Thomas Cole, Jr.,
President of CAU, told the
students that the eternal flame
of knowledge and wisdom was
past to them and that they
should be men and women of
vision because eveiyone was
depending on them to show
leadership.
Dr. McClain said that it
was a great honor for him to
come back to CAU.