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SPELMA N np Ll88J^ mi THE VOICE OF BLACK WOMANHOOD SPO TLIGHT Yol. 31 No. 3 Atlanta, Georgia November 1977 He Is Inaugurated Stewart Is Spelman’s Sixth President President Donald M. Stewart (Center) was Inaugurated October 23,1977 in Sisters Chapel. by Dorothy Williams Roxie F. Hughes On Sunday, October 25, 1977, at 2 p.m., Donald Mit chell Stewart was inaugurated as the sixth president of Spelman College in Sister’s Chapel. Many honored guests, trustees, and students were present at this affair. The inaugural proceedings began with an organ prelude “Benedictus” under the dexterous hands of Dr. Joyce Johnson followed by an im pressive processional march, from “Die Meistersinger,” of the trustees, faculty, and students of Spelman, alumnae representatives, delegates from colleges and universities, learned societies, the platform party, professional and other organizations, in all of their academic regalia. The Reverend William V. Guy, pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church, delivered the invocation. The Spelman Glee Club filled the air with harmony singing Beethoven’s “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” followed by a scripture reading by the Reverend William Holmes Borders, pas tor of the Wheat Street Baptist Church, of “Praise Ye The Lord” and a prayer by Dr. Mary Brookins Ross of the class of '28. Dr. Ross is the President of the Women’s Convention Auxiliary to the National Baptist Convention, Inc. Mrs. Laura English—Robin son, assistant professor of music, pleased the ears with her operatic rendition of “Hear Ye, Israel” by Felix Mendelssohn. Then came the greetings to the President. Ms, Paula Spence, president of the Spelman Student Government Association (SGA), represented the student body in extending greetings to the president. She said, “It is somewhat ironic to stand before you and Dr. Stewart in the inauguration of a male president of our college. But, through a re-evaluation of our feelings and priorities and through the personal effort of Dr. Stewart, we applaud the inauguration.” Dr. Edward Riley, Jr., academic dean, represented the faculty and staff. Dr. Riley stated that Dr. Stewart has dis tinguished himself. He contends that our institution will be sustained in its achievement of excellence, and that Spelman will even achieve greater heights. He said that Spelman demands academic sophistication and by Pamela Denise Moore Until her recent ap pointment by President Carter as chairperson of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Ms. Eleanor Holmes Norton was virtually unknown as a national figure. Now she stands as one of the top ranking black officials in the country. But who is Ms. Eleanor Norton? Why was she chosen above all others to head EEOC? What is the force that makes her push so diligently for excellence. Spelman students were able to answer these questions and others for themselves when that Dr. Stewart has the ability to bring that sophis tication to Spelman. “In Donald Stewart,” Dr. Riley said, “lies Spelman’s tomorrow.” Mrs. Helen Barnett Hum phrey, president of the National Alumnae As sociation, said that to know Dr. Stewart is to accept him. She said, “To know Donald Ms. Norton visited campus on October 20, 1977. Ms. Norton spoke during the morning con vocation as a participant in the preinaugural activities. On the basis of her delivery, she appeared to be a woman of courage, integrity and sincere dedication to the progress of black women. She referred to the younger generation of women as “couriers of change” in the struggle to stop sexist and racial discrimination. “You are so well suited for the task,” she said. This is Eleanor Holmes Norton before an audience. Surprisingly, she is not very different off stage. In an exclusive interview at Stewart is to renew pride in Spelman as an alumna.” She told Dr. Stewart that the alum nae are glad he’s here at Spelman and that working with him has been an inspiration. She also told him that he has the alumnae’s sup port both financially and in recruitment, and wished him much success and happiness. Representing the trustees in Reynold’s Cottage, Ms. Norton articulated her opinions in the same quiet but confident manner as witnessed by her audience. Reporters present were from the Spelman Spotlight and the Atlanta Constitution. Q. Ms. Norton, do you have any comments in regards to the Bakke case? A. I think that there has been too little leadership in the country on what the full meaning, the real meaning of what affirmative action is. Af firmative action is a concept that, with some irony, grew up during the Nixon years. While President Nixon did not welcoming Dr. Stewart was Ms. Laura Rockefeller Chasin, great granddaughter of Mrs. Laura Spelman Rockefeller. She said one of her great grandmother’s favorite anec dotes was “I can paddle my own canoe.” Ms. Chasin took those present on a trip through time drawing a verbal picture of Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles, the founders of Spelman College, and Mrs. Rockefeller, paddling a canoe through the history of Spelman. She then analogized Dr. Stewart the president as Dr. Stewart the captain of a ship—Spelman, guiding a fine boat that was going places. Ms. Chasin concluded by saying, “Donald Stewart has arrived.” Dr. Hugh Gloster, president of Morehouse College, represented the Atlanta University Center. He said that he was pleased and proud to honor Dr. Stewart’s inauguration as sixth president of Spelman College. Dr. Gloster praised Dr. Stewart’s credentials and assets in representing a college such as Spelman. He said that Dr. Stewart not only had a brilliant mind and education, but he was also rich in profes- Continued on page 8 interfere, for the most part, with the development of the technique, he did not himself give much leadership on that question, and so the American public has a quite distorted view of what affirmative.ac tion is. . . . The American public has a quite distorted view of what affirmative aciton is. They do not understand the essence of the concept, the core techniques which are pretty fundamentally American—core techniques such as expanding the pool Continued on page 8 Close-up on Eleanor Holmes Norton