Morehouse College: A Legacy of Excellence and Leadership

Morehouse College, a private, historically black, men's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, stands as a beacon of academic excellence and leadership development. Founded in 1867, the college has cultivated a rich history of producing extraordinary leaders, visionaries, and pillars of the community.

Origins and Early Years

In 1867, two years after the American Civil War, William Jefferson White founded the Augusta Institute in Augusta, Georgia. White, an Atlanta Baptist minister and cabinetmaker, established the institution with support from Rev. Richard C. Coulter, a former slave from Atlanta, and Rev. Edmund Turney, organizer of the National Theological Institute. The institution's primary purpose was to educate African-American men in theology and other subjects, at Springfield Baptist Church, the oldest independent Black church in the United States.

The institution received sponsorship from the American Baptist Home Mission Society, an organization that helped establish several historically Black colleges. The Rev. Joseph T. Robert served as the institute's first president from 1871 to 1884.

In 1879, the Augusta Institute moved to Atlanta and changed its name to the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. It later acquired a 4-acre campus in downtown Atlanta. In 1885, Samuel T. Graves became the second president. That year the seminary moved to its present location, on land given by a prominent Baptist and industrialist, John D. Rockefeller. In 1890, George Sale became the seminary's third president. In 1897, Atlanta Baptist Seminary became Atlanta Baptist College.

Growth and Transformation

A new era, characterized by expanded academic offerings and increased physical facilities, dawned when Acting President John Hope became the fourth President in 1906. A pioneer in education and recognized as the first civil rights president in the American Academy, he was also the College’s first African American President. Hope, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University, encouraged an intellectual climate comparable to what he had known at his alma mater and openly challenged Booker T. Washington's view of agricultural and trade-focused education for African Americans.

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In 1913, the college was renamed Morehouse College, in honor of the Rev. Henry L. Morehouse, corresponding secretary for the American Baptist Home Mission Society.

The Archer and Mays Eras

Samuel H. Archer became the fifth president of the college in 1931 and chose the school colors, maroon and white, to reflect his own alma mater, Colgate University.

Benjamin Mays became president in 1940. Mays, who became a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr., presided over the growth in international enrollment and reputation. During the presidency of Mays, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bates College and the University of Chicago, the number of faculty members grew, and those holding doctoral degrees increased from two to 34 out of 65 teachers. Mays is recognized as the architect of Morehouse’s international reputation for excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.

Mid- to Late 20th Century

In 1967, Hugh M. Gloster became the seventh president. The next year, Morehouse became the third historically Black institution (HBCU) to establish a Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society. In 1975, Gloster established the Morehouse School of Medicine, which became independent from Morehouse College in 1981. Morehouse established a dual-degree program in engineering with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan, and Boston University.

Leroy Keith Jr., was named president in 1987. The College’s endowment increased to more than $60 million during the Keith administration. The Nabrit-Mapp-McBay science building was completed, the Thomas Kilgore Jr. Campus Center and two dormitories were built, and Hope Hall was rebuilt.

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Recent Leadership and Developments

In 1995, alumnus Walter E. Massey, became Morehouse's ninth president. Under Massey’s leadership, the College embraced his vision of becoming one of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges and accepted the challenge of providing students with a top-quality, 21st-century education. Construction was completed on Davidson House Center for Excellence, which serves as the President’s official residence. In 2005, a new Leadership Center was opened with a comprehensive conference center, the Executive Conference Center.

His successor, alumnus Robert Michael Franklin Jr. was the tenth president of the college. During his tenure, Franklin led the institution forward with his vision of the “Morehouse Renaissance,” further elevating public confidence in the College’s continuing stature as a premier institution providing a high-quality education along with enhancing the intellectual and moral dimension of Morehouse’s mission and mystique.

In November 2012, alumnus John Silvanus Wilson was announced as the institution's 11th president. Under his leadership, the College improved student achievement across various metrics.

In January 2018, David A. Thomas took office as the 12th President of Morehouse College. Thomas is raising funds to support campus renovations, faculty research, infrastructure improvements, and other needs. Under Thomas’ leadership in 2018-19, Morehouse College raised more than $7 million to establish new endowed scholarships, build an outdoor study area and park for students, and support programming at Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel.

In April 2019, Morehouse announced that they will begin admitting transgender men for the first time in the year 2020. In May 2019, Robert F. Smith paid off the student loans of the Class of 2019. In June 2020, Reed Hastings and his wife Patty Quillin donated $40 million to Morehouse College to be used as scholarship funds for students enrolled at Morehouse. In January 2022, Morehouse announced the establishment of the Black Men's Research Institute.

Campus and Facilities

Anchored by its main campus of 61 acres near downtown Atlanta, the college has a variety of residential dorms and academic buildings east of Ashview Heights.

Notable campus facilities include:

Archer Hall: Houses the college's recreational facilities, such as its gymnasium, swimming pool, and game room.
B. T. Harvey Stadium/Edwin Moses Track: A 9,000-seat stadium built in 1983, named after the only alumnus to win an Olympic gold medal.
Brazeal Hall: A dormitory built in 1991, which housed athletes during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and Aretha Robinson Music Academic Building: A 76,000-square-foot facility dedicated on September 29, 2010.
Chivers Hall/Lane Hall: The cafeteria of the college, which has been featured in many movies.
Douglass Hall: Originally built as the school's student center, it now serves as an academic readiness center.
DuBois Hall: A freshman dorm erected in 1973, named after philosopher W. E. B. Du Bois.
Franklin L. Forbes Arena: A 5,700-seat capacity arena, built for the 1996 Olympic Games, now the main gymnasium for the college's basketball team.
Graves Hall: Home to the Howard Thurman Honors Program and Bonner Scholars.
Hope Hall: Formerly the Science Building, it now holds laboratories for departments that are in other buildings.
Hubert Hall: A freshman dorm.
Kilgore Campus Center: Houses administrative offices, seminar rooms, and lounges.
Living Learning Center (LLC): Formerly known as Thurman Hall.
Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel/Gloster Hall: Built in 1978 as the new auditorium and administration building.
Mays Hall: Named after the sixth president of Morehouse College, Benjamin Mays.
Merrill Hall: The chemistry building, which underwent a renovation in the 2000s that doubled its size.
Nabrit-Mapp-McBay Hall: Houses the Biology department.
Otis Moss Jr. Residential Suites: Apartment, studio, and suite dwellings built in 2003.
Perdue Hall: A residences hall built around the time of the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Robert Hall: The college's first residence hall.
Sale Hall: The department building for religion and philosophy courses.
Shirley A. Massey Executive Conference Center: Houses several large conference rooms and the Bank of America Auditorium.
Walter E. Massey Leadership Center: Houses the Business Administration and Economics departments, the Bonner Office of Community Service, a 500-seat auditorium, and an executive conference center.

Academics and Programs

Morehouse College is accredited by the Commission and Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Morehouse offers more than 30 majors and the Howard Thurman Honors Program.

Morehouse College, along with other members of the Atlanta University Center, share the Robert W. Woodruff Library.

The King Collection

Morehouse College is home to a 10,000-piece collection of original documents written by Martin Luther King Jr. (referred to as the King Collection). The set was valued by the Library of Congress as being worth between $28 and $30 million. In June 2006, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin announced that a new civil rights museum would be built in the city to make the documents available for research, public access and exhibits.

Student Life and Traditions

New Student Orientation (NSO) is an eight-day experience that culminates with new students ceremoniously initiated as Men of Morehouse. Morehouse has 10 residence halls on campus, and approximately 60% of Morehouse students live on campus.

In October 2009, Morehouse College initiated a campus wide attire policy that prohibits students from wearing women's clothes, jewelry on their teeth, pajamas as classroom attire, du-rags or bandanas on their heads, or pants which hang below the waist at official college-sponsored events.

The Morehouse College Marching Band, better known as the House of Funk, is known for their halftime performances. They have performed at Super Bowl XXVIII, the Today Show, at Atlanta Falcons home games, and in a national commercial with Morehouse alumnus Samuel Jackson. Morehouse's debate team claims to have been formed in 1906. Founded in 1911, the Morehouse College Glee Club has a long and impressive history.

Athletics

In sports, the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers are affiliated with the NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

Affiliations and Memberships

Morehouse is a member of the Atlanta University Center, NAICU, CIC, Annapolis Group, ORAU, ACS, and Oberlin Group.

Notable Alumni

Morehouse College has been home to 11 Fulbright Scholars, six Rhodes Scholars, and five Marshall Scholars. The college is the alma mater of many celebrated African Americans, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and filmmaker Spike Lee. Other famous graduates include Julian Bond, Maynard Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Edwin Moses, former Surgeon General David Satcher, and Dr. Louis W. Sullivan.

Controversies

In early 2026, Morehouse College faced controversy over the installation of a portrait of Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. Some alumni and students objected to the portrait, citing Smith's association with a religious tradition that had racially exclusionary teachings and practices in its early history. However, the Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. Carter Sr., dean of the chapel, defended the decision, noting Smith's plan to abolish slavery.

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