Morehouse College - Torch Yearbook (Atlanta, GA)

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A Tribute to Dr. Mays Morehouse is a close family as well as a first-elass college, and today we are taeing the most trying experience that a family can eontrontethe death of a lming and beloved parent. For 44 years Benjamin E. Mays has been an admired and respected father Figure for thousands of Morehouse Hen: but last Wednesday he left us and joined Mrs. Mays, his talented and devoted wife who passed in 1969.8ince Dr. and Mrs. Mays had no children of their own, they adopted all Morehouse Men. They are our parents. and we are their sons. A nd, there- fore. in view of the great achievements and contributions of Dr. and Mrs. Mays, I urge each Morehouse Man to: Do as your great progenitors have done, And by your merits prove yourself their son. One of the miracles of our time is how Bennie Mays, a son of former slates lifted himself from a shareeropping farm in South Ca rolina and became one of the nationis outstanding leaders in education. religion. and eit-il rights. As he made his upward climb, poverty could not stop him, discrimination could not stop him, segregation eould not stop him. and oppression could not stop him. Despite all these formidable barriers, he persevered until he earned his high-sehool diploma at South Carolina State College, his BA. degree and Phi Beta Kappa key at Bates College. and his MA. and PhD. degrees at the University ofChieago. As most of us know, it is a long way from milking a cow and pushing a plow to earning a Phi Beta Kappa key and getting a PhD. degree. After Dr. Mays gained the best possible training for a career in education and religion. he dedicated his life to helping others and served as Dean of the School of Religion at Howard University from 1934 to 1940. as President of Morehouse College from I940 to 1967, and as Chairman of the Atlanta Board of Education from 19691o1981. Throughout his career he urged young people to have a great love of learn- ing. a burning desire for excellence. and a genuine compassion for humanity. Dr. Mays had his hfinest hour as President of Morehouse College, where he became a living iegend and worked tor thirty of his 89 yearsefrom 1921 to 1924 as a teacher and from 1940 to 1967 as President. When he assumed the presidency in 1940, the College had been seriously weakened for eleven yea rs hy self-sacriflcing contributions of President. teachers, facilities. and land to the Atlanta University at'- filiation and by iniiation. recession. unemployment, and other ravages of the Great Depresssion. By the time he retired in 1967, however, he had laid a firm foundation for the future growth and development ofthe College. He had doubled the enrollment. tripled the endowment, ex- panded the physical plant. increased the proportion of Faculty Ph.D.'s to 52 percent, and qualified for a Phi Beta Kappa Chaptereone of only three at black colleges and one of only four at colleges in Georgia. After his retirement Dr. Mays supported Morehouse in every possible way. He se rted on the Board of Trustees. He gave $25,000 to start the Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Scholarship Fund and 525.000 to endow the Sadie G. Mays Lounge in Mays Hall. A few days before his death he sent a message, in re5ponse to our inquiry, that he would he pleased if the College would raise funds for the endowment of the Ben- jamin E. Mays Chair in Religion and Philosophy. It was at Morehouse that this giant of a man became a national role model who furnished living proof that impoverished black youth could get an education if they really tried. On the Morehouse campus he was a father figure who attracted admiration and respect. Born to lead and not to follow, he did not know his African roots as did Alexander Haley: but his ancestors must have included great men of superior talent and brilliant leadership. Tall and erect, he was a natural a ristoerat who was emulated because of his chariSma and competence, his in- telligence and integrity. Throughout the nation young black Americans tried to walk like him. talk like him, and even look like him. Although all Morehouse Men admired and respected Buck Benny. as we affectionately called him. only a few-like Dr. Thomas Kilgore-i'ollowed his rigid code of conduct. Buck Benny abhorred hard liquors and addictive drugs. He never smoked cigars, cigarettes, or pipes; and he would not supply ashtrays for others. He did not like expensive clothes. ears. and houses. In this connection I recall one ocea- sion when someone was teasing him about the wide lapels of his old-fashioned tuxedo and he replied. itThis tux is in good shape, and it meets my needs quite well. He was a loyal fan of the Atlanta Braves. Falcons. and Hawks and the unbeatable Maroon Tigers; but he seldom at- tended games. He had no favorite sports like tennis. golf. hunting. and fishing; and he was not attracted to card games like whist bridge, and poker. He was a firm helieter in Christianity and democracy; and, as a teacher and as a preacher and as a writer and as a speakert he used these two philosophies to attack racial and social injustice. But, most of all. he was a workaholic, a prolific writer who not only authored nu- merous articles, books, and speeches but always had new ones in mind. Only a few weeks ago, for example. he told me that he pianned to w rite at least three more books. Truly. he was a seeker of The Impossible Dream. which Oiiter Sueing will desicribe later in his song dur- ing today's program: and he in deed lived the phiiosophy which he expressed as follows: It must be born in mind that the tragedy in life doesnit lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled. but is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal. but it is a disaster to hate no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure. but low aim is sin. Dr. Mays had to wait a long time to see the demise of disfranchisement and segregation in Georgia. He was 52 years of age and had been President of Morehouse for six yea rs before he was finally able to vote in local and state elections, and he was 72 and nearing retirement at Morehouse before he finally saw segregation fade away in this state. The merthrow of segregation in Georgia required a massive effort, and at the forefront of that effort were many students of Dr. Mays. Hamilton Holmes was one of the first two blacks to gain admission to the University of Georgia. Martin Luther King, Jr.. upset segregation first in Montgomery and finally throughout the country and then went on to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and become the nations greatest eitii-rights leader. Lonnie King and Julian Bond, Morehouse students. led the sit-ins that integrated restaurants and hotels in Atlanta. .V'laynard Jackson became the First black Mayor of Atlanta. an honorary alumnus Andy Young succeeded him in that office. In addition. Michael Lomax was elected as the first black Chairman of the Fulton County Commission. and Horace Ward was appointed as the first black Federal judge in this state. Dr. Mays' life was a long history of overcoming obstacles. He overcame obstacles in order to gain a first-claSs education for himself. and lllfMays Memorial

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I 4! President Emeritus IIIf I were you, I would stand for something, I would count for something and no man would push me around because my skin is black or his eyes are blue. I would stand for something. I would count. HFleecy locks and black complexion Cannot forfeit nature's claim; Skin may differ but affection dwells In Black and White the same -Unknoml sIOur little systems have their day; They have their day and cease to be; They are but broken lights of thee, And thou, 0 Lord. an more than they? Tennyson IILet knowledge grow from more to more, But more of reverence in us dwell; That mind and soul, according well, May make one music as before. -Tennyson

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Dr. Henry MeBay and Dr. Mays continued from page 10 he mereame obstacles in order to train hlaek south to seek aca- demic excellence in colleges and uniiersities and to overcome bigot- ry and brutality in this enuntrp and ahruad. Dr. May? struggle against obstacles was perhaps most dramatic during his campaign against old age and death. Refusing to retreat or fall before the relentless adtanee of Father Time and the Grim Reaper, Dr. Mays accepted 'llennysonls lie that Old age hath yet its honor and its toil. Death Closes all; but something en? the end. Some work of noble note may yet he done. Since Dr. Mays regarded the years of senior citizenship as a period when one should labor and aehiete rather than rest and relax. he shared the following sentiments of Browning: Grow old along with me. The best is yet tn he- The last of life for which the First was made: Our times are in His hand Who saith. ttA whole I planned. Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid! Again like Browning. Dr. Mays welcomed the contest with death and towed to make it his bratest effort: I was eser a fighter. sti- nne light more. The best and the last! In this last great struggle of his life. Dr. Mays fought death to the bitter end. Age and disease bent him, but he did not break. Again and again he pulled his weary body out of his bed. I can see him mm- wearing his cowboy hat. waning his walking cane. and faring forth to carry his message by plane tn all parts of the country. When he reached the point where he enuld not walk. he went by wheel chair and at the end death, which could not not mereome him during his sleep last Wednesday morning. Dr. Maysl distinguished career is liiing proof of the fact that: There is no chance. nn destiny. no fate Can eireumtent. hinder. or control The firm TESOIlQ of a determined stiul. Gifts count for nothingi Only will is great. What power can stay the force 0f cause the ascending nrh of day to stand and wait? Each weIl-borne soul must win what it deseries, Whose etery act on series the one great end. Even death will stand still And wait and hour or two on such a will. eDr. Hugh M. Gloster, President N'lorehouse College Dr. Samuel Narbit and Dr. Mays Hays Memorialfll