“You can
always tell a Morehouse Man, but you can’t tell him much,”
announced Dr. Robert M. Franklin, the 10th president of
Morehouse College, proudly eyeing the group of Morehouse alumni and
current Morehouse students seated amidst the 350 attendees at this
year’s 3rd Annual Morehouse Men of Style Fashion Show
Luncheon.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Dr. Franklin was the special guest and keynote speaker of the luncheon that was sponsored by the St. Louis Morehouse Parents Association and the St. Louis Morehouse Alumni Association recently at the St. Louis Frontenac Hilton.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>He expressed his gratitude on behalf of the college to the luncheon attendees for their support of and investment in the college that produced such celebrated leaders as civil rights champion Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., filmmaker Spike Lee, “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN;” lang=”EN” xml:lang=”EN”>actor Samuel L. Jackson, Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses, “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>United States Surgeon General David Satcher, Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis W. Sullivan “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN;” lang=”EN” xml:lang=”EN”>, “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>and a legion of business executives, physicians, lawyers, judges, academics and educators.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Dr. Franklin instills in his students the expectation that they will join the ranks of these esteemed alumni and become “Renaissance “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN;” lang=”EN” xml:lang=”EN”>men with a social conscience and global perspective.” To this end, Dr. Franklin has challenged students to embrace his “Five Wells” – to be Well-Read, Well-Spoken, Well-Traveled, Well-Dressed and Well-Balanced.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Dr. Franklin’s vision has garnered much praise and support from students, parents and community leaders. Mary H. Thomas, one of the founders and president of the St. Louis Morehouse Parents Association, said she attributes the unparalleled success of Morehouse Men to their unique mix of talent and discipline, their unrelenting persistence and the unfailing support of their families.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Mrs. Thomas is the mother of Jean A. Thomas, M.D. (‘03) and Bryant Thomas (’08).
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>However, such success requires not only that students take up Dr. Franklin’s charge, but that they be around to do so. Dr. Franklin divulged that each year, scores of students who are on the road to achievement are derailed due to the ever-rising costs of education and an increasingly sluggish economy. During the zenith of the recession, more than 200 students in their last year were unable to secure sufficient financial aid to continue their education and graduate.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Even with a recovering economy, many students – from freshmen to seniors – who began this past Spring semester had to depart from the school prematurely, in debt and without a degree, due to their inability to cover the costs of their last semester.
“mso-spacerun: yes;”> Louis Morehouse Parents Association to support these students through scholarship fundraisers, and the annual fashion show luncheon has become the association’s signature means of doing so.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In addition to raising scholarship funds for new and current Morehouse students, the luncheon serves to bring attention to the financial plight of African-American men striving to achieve higher education, to introduce St. Louis high school students to the college and to honor St. Louis-area distinguished alumni of Morehouse College.
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This year’s
class of honorees included
“mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;”>John E. Armstrong (‘93),
director for the United Negro College Fund for the states of
Missouri and Kansas;
“mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;”>David A. Calloway (‘04),
council and vice president of Business Development for Griffin
Global Capital and KG Group Holdings, Inc. in Atlanta;
“mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;”>Jonathan C. Davis, M.D. (‘03), a family medicine
Fayetteville, N.C.; Duane Martin Foster (‘92), head of the choral
department for Normandy High School and the founding director of
the Norman Performing Arts Academy and the Normandy Dance Academy;
the Rev. Dr. Samuel W.
Hylton Jr. (’49), pastor emeritus of Centennial Christian
Church; and Alvin R.
Sams, DDS (‘76), pediatric dentist and founder of Dental
Kids.
