Newspaper Page Text
1898
THE ORGAN OF STUDENT EXPRESSION
1978
The Tiger's Roar
Savannah State College
Savannah GA 31404
Volume 80, No.3 Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia Oct. 26,1978
“Mystic” Returns To Morehouse
Dr. Howard Thurman
By Mark Robertson
This pious man has been
deemed a mystic by many and
a saint by others. Through his
profound wisdom, he has
touched the lives of the many
people who have come in con
tact with him and his
teachings. In 1953 Life
Magazine named him one of
the 12 greatest American
preachers in this century. This
giant of a man, a Morehouse
Man, will be returning to
Morehouse. This man is
Howard Thurman.
Howard Thurman was born
in Daytona Beach, Fla., on
Nov. 18, where at an early age,
he was marked for religious
destiny. Thurman was raised
primarily by his grandmother
whom, he revered and believed
to be fearless and invulnerable
to anything or anybody. This
lady was undoubtedly the
most influential person in his
life.
After completing high
school in Jacksonville, Fla.,
Thurman came to MOrehouse
College. By this time he was
already making a name for
himself as an eloquent
speaker; a preacher with an
uncanny command of words.
Thurman was also attending
Colgate-Rochester Divinity
School, an all-white college
(with the exception of
Thurman) where he graduated
at the top of his class in 1923.
He graduated from Morehouse
the same year. He received his
Doctorate Degree from
Wesleyan College Connecticut
in 1946.
Dr. Thurman has been the
recipient of countless honors
and awards including
numerous honorary doctorate
degrees from such schools as
Morehouse, Howard
University, and Boston
University. He served as the
director of religious life and
professor of religion at
Morehouse and Spelman
Colleges from 1929-1932. Dr.
Thurman has served as Dean
of the Chapel at Howard
University and Boston-
College. He founded the
SGA Council
Votes Down Concert
By Keith Harriston
The Morehouse student
council voted this month not to
have a homecoming concert
this year. With that vote the
council broke a tradition of
having a concert as part of
homecoming activities.
It had been rumored that a
concert starring Peabo Bryson
and Pleasure would take place
during homecoming week. The
council originally approved
that concert, but rescinded
after considering the risk of
losing money on the concert.
Councilman Robert Ike, who
voted against having the
concert, said that having the
concert would wipe out the en
tire Student Government As
sociation (SGA) budget. “The
SGA has lost money every
year with the concert,” he said,
“and this one would wipe out
other SGA activities.”
Agreeing with Ike were
councilmen William Coble,
Donald Tyler, Jerome Walker,
James Tyson, who voted by
proxy for Councilman Vincent
Whitehurst, also voted against
having a concert.
Coble said that the concert
could have been held if it had
been supported by the
Spelman SGA. “Spelman’s
SGA offered us every kind of
support, but they couldn’t offer
financial support which is
what we really needed,” Coble
said.
Walker, echoing Ike and
Coble, said that there was too
much of a risk of losing money
if the concert was held. “The
council had decided to split the
$11,000 budget in half this
year,” Walker said, “and that
way we’ll have money to work
with during the second
semester unlike previous
years. With the concert
scheduled for a Thursday
night and having it held off-
campus there was just too
much risk involved.”
SGA Business Manager
Wayne Jones did not agree
with the council’s decision.
Jones, who proposed the
concert, felt that the concert
could be a success.
Jones said that the reason
the SGA has lost money in the
past concerts is that the SGA
waited until three or four
weeks before homecoming
before seeking a group to play
here. “How can you expect a
concert to be a success with
such little prepartion and
almost no publicity?”
Jones also said that in the
past tickets went sale only one
week in advance of the show.
“That is one of the main
Fellowship of All Peoples,
which was the first truly
integrated church in America.
Dr. Thurman, who is presen
tly writing his autobiography,
is the author of 16 books. Many
institutions world-wide, in
cluding many universities and
colleges, have Howard
Thurman Listening Rooms
where individuals or groups
can meditate and listen to his
words of wisdom on tapes.
Dr. Thurman was one of the
first advocates of non-violence
in the United States. Although
he has been the spiritual
inspiration for many of our
great black leaders, he has
never wanted to be a leader
himself. Thurman, a very
modest man, never wanted to
be in the limelight or receive
much glamour and
recognition, although it’s bes
towed upon him worldwide.
According to the vice-
president of Morehouse, Paul
Smith, who regards Thurman
as his mentor and close friend,
“the key thing about Howard
Thurman is that he never lets
the problem of race mar his
religion.”
Dr. Thurman will be at
Morehouse Nov. 16 thru Nov.
19. His activities for his stay
are not as yet known, although
on the 16th he will speak at a
special convocation, in the
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Chapel. Also a film produced
by the British Broadcasting
Company on the life of
Howard Thurman will be
shown. The date of Howard
Thurman’s return to
MOrehouse coincides with his
birthday, which is on the 18th.
Because this will be a great oc
casion for all concerned, we, as
Morehouse Men, should make
this upcoming birthday one
which Dr. Thurman will never
forget. Let us all proclaim Nov.
18 as Howard Thurman Day
and welcome this great
Morehouse Man with all of the
warmth and gratitude that he
so much deserves.