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Thursday, October 15, 1998 THE MAROON TIGER PAGE 14 HOMECOMING 1998 Alumni Giving: Putting a down payment on the House Cedric Dark/STAFF Henry Goodgame, director of alumni affairs and major gifts, says the college has the highest alumni donation rate of all By Melvin Mallon Contributing Writer It's a question that comes up every homecoming. And with alumnus Bob Davidson's recent $1 million donation, it's resounding louder this year: Are Morehouse alumni doing their share to fortify the House? Fortunately, the answer is yes, says Henry Goodgame, director of alumni affairs and major gifts for the college. The school's alumni donation rate is the highest for all historically Black colleges and universities in the country. And the college persuades a greater percentage of its alumni to contribute than do Purdue, University of Illinois and University of Michigan, all institutions ranking in the top 10 nationally in total alumni contributions. Goodgame attributes the alumni giving to fierce school loyalty. "The love that Morehouse men have for the school is lifelong," said Goodgame '84. "There's been an increase in the donations due to the presence and support of Dr. Massey, and [because of] the various fundraising drives by different chapters." At present, the school maintains a 25 percent alumni donation rate, with Spelman College a close second at 21 percent. HBCUs "We judge alumni donor rates against schools with traditionally high percentage rates, such as Princeton — schools traditionally in the 60 percent range," said Goodgame. "Considering that we are equivalent in contributions to that of Cornell University, which has a bigger alumni population, I feel we are accomplishing a great deal." But Goodgame says the college isn't resting on its laurels just yet. The office of alumni affairs has set a lofty goal of 49 percent by 1999. Utilizing the Young Alumni Council, the National Alumni Association, the Annual Fund Drive, and the Phone-A-Drive, Goodgame's office hopes to reach a wider alumni pool. The rigorous funding drives by the Atlanta, Boston, New York and Chicago chapters have contributed greatly. Alumni donations usually go toward educational supplies, scholarships, and to subsidize student tuition. However, when necessary, the school allocates a percentage of the funds, regardless of its original destination, to a particular area of the school operation depending upon the projected need for the year. Editor's Note: Alumni, students and parents interested in finding ways to contribute money or volunteer time toward alumni or fundraising affairs may contact Henry Goodgame in Gloster Hall, Rm. 305, or call (404) 215-2658. N Information drives our economy and enriches our lives. 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He is one of a hand ful of ministers to have served as president of two national Baptist bodies: the mostly white American Baptist Church and the predominantly Black Progressive National Baptist Convention. Kilgore also served as longtime chairman of the Morehouse Board of Trustees and was Pastor Emeritus of the Second Bap tist Church of Los Angeles, California. The Homecoming service will begin 11 a.m. — Staff Reports OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL Start your career off on the right foot by enrolling in the Air Force OfficerTraining School. There you will become a commissioned officer in just 12 weeks. From the start you'll enjoy great pay, complete medical and dental care, 30 days of vacation each year, plus the opportunity to travel and aim HIGH see the world. To discover how high a career in the Air Force can take you, call 1-800-423-USAF, or visit ., ourwebsiteatwww.airforce.com www.airforce.com