A memorial service Saturday morning at the Dr. Henry Givens. Jr. Administration Building Main Auditorium on the very campus he built honored the life and legacy of a St. Louis icon.
The auditorium seemed an apt venue to hold the service for Dr. Henry Givens. Jr., who served the university for 32 years. He passed July 20 at the age of 90.
Rev. Anthony L. Riley, a senior pastor at the Central Baptist church, hosted the almost three-hour service. It was attended by a small group of people and streamed live on the Harris-Stowe University’s Facebook page.
His grandson, Jarrett Woolfolk, stood with his young daughter and Givens’ niece, Catherine Givens, to offer their personal tributes during the service. Woolfolk said he knew Givens as “poppy” and grew up with a living legend in his life.
“My grandfather taught me what foundation is and what family means,” Woolfolk said. “As much as he loved the community and everybody, he loved his family 10 times more. It’s an honor for you all to show up for my grandfather and love him the way that you all do.”
Before Woolfolk’s comments, numerous speakers took to the podium to express their condolences to his family, particularly Givens’ wife Belma Givens, and reflect on his life of dedicated service, mentorship and leadership.
“Givens is truly a historic figure, not just because he was a master educator who broke down racial barriers within his profession, but because he also saved historically Black colleges —Harris-Stowe and Lincoln University — simultaneously,” said Former U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. during the service via Zoom.
Clay went on to note that he believes thousands of African Americans would not have attended college without Givens.
“Dr. Henry Givens made an indelible mark, and his legacy will endure for generations to come,” Clay said. “He was truly an irreplaceable St. Louis treasure.”
It was announced during the service that St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones proclaimed July 31 as Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Day in the city.
Dr. Donald Suggs, The St. Louis American’s publisher, took to the podium and said Givens’ skilled and determined leadership and firm sense of mission made possible the dramatic evolution and growth of what is now Harris-Stowe University.
“He achieved so much in his lifetime, has created a splendid legacy that will continue to benefit thousands, many of whom have been forgotten and ignored for years,” Suggs said.
During his tenure as president, Givens tripled student enrollment, built six buildings and turned the single elementary education degree it offered into 14 baccalaureate programs. He also established one of the top childhood centers in the state.
Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith, chairwoman of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Celebration Commission, said Givens embodied his favorite MLK quote: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Givens was pivotal in the effort to get the state to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day before it was recognized by the federal government.
Collins Smith recollected the things Givens did that weren’t publicly lauded, like how he encouraged members of his administrative cabinet to join him in donning aprons and gloves to serve late-night breakfast to students during fall semester finals. Or how he participated in homecoming events regardless of his schedule.
“He was a humble yet fierce leader who served as an example and champion of success for the students who often quipped that someday they wanted to be just like him,” she said. “We also know that we will miss him dearly.”
Michael P. McMillan , chair of the Harris-Stowe State University Board of Regents, said Givens was a dear friend, leader and iconic figure. He said he first met the doctor when he was eight years old, running around Harris Stowe University where his mother worked.
“I was inspired because this was the first time in my life that I saw a Black man in charge of an institution, and it inspired me in ways that I will never, ever forget,” he said. “Dr. Givens … was the embodiment of grace, sophistication, elegance and professionalism in a way that we were all looking to him as our role model.”
“My grandfather taught me what foundation is and what family means.” —Jarrett Woolfolk, Dr. Givens’ grandson
