Overview:
Morehouse College Receives $20 Million Gift for Faculty Expansion.
Morehouse College, the nation’s only liberal arts institution dedicated to educating Black men, has received a $20 million anonymous donation to bolster its academic programs and faculty roster. The gift, announced Aug. 6, marks the largest contribution ever designated for faculty positions at the college.
The funds will establish six endowed professorships across various academic divisions, including Business and Economics, Humanities, Social Sciences, Media and the Arts, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
“Our faculty are the heartbeat of this institution,” said David A. Thomas, Ph.D., President of Morehouse College. “This transformational $20 million gift will allow us to increase the ranks of our esteemed and talented professors so that we can uphold the legacy of excellence in our classrooms as our veteran faculty retire.”
Morehouse, which educates more than 2,300 students annually, is renowned for producing distinguished leaders across various fields. The college boasts alumni in the U.S. Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, as well as Olympic medalists and recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize and Academy Awards.
The anonymous donation is part of the “Making Men of Consequence” Campaign, the most ambitious fundraising initiative in Morehouse’s 157-year history. The campaign aims to raise $500 million to expand scholarship support, recruit top-tier faculty, invest in innovative academic programs, and fund campus improvements.
Specifically, the $20 million gift falls under the campaign’s “Inquiry with Distinction” pillar, which focuses on expanding investment in academics. This pillar has a fundraising goal of $100 million.
Currently, Morehouse employs more than 300 full- and part-time faculty members.
Provost Kendrick Brown, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of this investment, stating, “At Morehouse, we are developing men with integrity and intellect to become 21st-century leaders and innovators. That takes resources—not only funds for technology and classroom materials but also a significant investment in attracting accomplished professors to Morehouse who will continue to elevate our profile in all academic areas.”
The anonymous gift brings the total amount raised for the “Making Men of Consequence” Campaign to nearly $290 million.
Hodan Hassan, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, expressed gratitude for the donation, saying, “This significant gift fuels our ongoing commitment to excellence in higher education and our ability to offer students transformative academic experiences that help them to reach their full potential.”
The addition of six endowed professorships is expected to further enhance the college’s ability to attract top-tier educators and researchers. This, in turn, will contribute to maintaining Morehouse’s reputation as a world-class institution of higher learning.