Morehouse Expansion, Domestic & Abroad 1918-1968
The years 1918 to 1968 were filled with expansion and growth domestically and internationally for Morehouse College. From defining the legacy of a Morehouse man to the trenches of World War II, Morehouse men were determined to show the world how to build coalitions within the United States and across the globe. This section containes brochures, photos, and printed materials that depict the college’s charge to expand in Georgia and abroad.
Highlighting post-graduation student success was very important to Morehouse College. This brochure is filled with dean and department chair testimonies of Morehouse men in their graduate and professional degree classes. Martin Luther King is pictured with Charles E. Batten, the Dean of Crozer Theological Seminary, stating King was the only student that passed his comprehensive exam with honors.
1967 marked the 100th anniversary of Morehouse. In his address entitled, “Twenty-Seven Years of Success and Failure at Morehouse,” President Mays speaks about the history of Morehouse, the history of African Americans, and what he experienced during his time at the college. In it, he states that “[he] can only advise you to utilize the past, whatever it is, to good advantage and to look to the future with courage and confidence.”
Many of the achievements displayed in this case were accomplished under the administration of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, President of Morehouse College from 1940 to 1967. When Mays became president of the College, morale and funds were low. By highlighting student and alumni for their service to the community, President Mays and students embraced the challenge of rebranding the college with a series of brochures to grasp the attention of prospective Morehouse students and donors.
The years of expansion are most memorable because of a large fundraising campaign by President Mays. A lofty fundraising campaign led to the erection of a prominent science building on campus which was known as the Chemistry Building in 1952. The Chemistry building was boasted as one of the most modern of its time. It was renovated in 2002 and is now Merrill Hall.
The Athenaeum Club, the student organization that produced the Athenaeum, is pictured in The Torch Yearbook.
The 1943-44 school year was fiscally challenging for Morehouse. Losing 175 students to World War II put a dent in one of the school’s forms of monetary support, student fees. Despite economic hardship, it was of utmost importance to bring honor and dignity to the men who served the nation abroad. Above are the names of students and graduates inducted in the armed forces in 1943-1944.
Despite the challenges of global war, this article challenges Morehouse College to educate men in professional degrees such as dentists, journalists, technicians, lawyers, social scientists, and teachers to serve the global community in its time of need.
These two coasters commemorate the centennial of Morehouse College in 1967. The first showcases a banner that states: “100 Years, “A Record and a Challenge.” The other commemorates Graves Halls, Morehouse’s first and oldest building in Atlanta, erected in 1889. The hall is named in honor of Samuel T. Graves, the second president of the college.
Word of achievements of Morehouse College transcended national borders with the debut of A Candle in the Dark, the college’s first written history authored by Dr. Edward A. Jones, Morehouse College French Professor from 1927 to 1977 and Chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages from 1930-1977 and 1926 alumnus, in 1967. The “Candle in the Dark” slogan was adapted as the name for the College’s annual awards ceremony and fundraising gala with the progress of the college living up to its motto “et facta est lux” which means “and there is light”.