[ HBCU_Presidents ] Dwight O. W. Holmes: 1st Black President of Morgan State

Posted on 04. Aug, 2009 by Leshell Hatley in HBCU Presidents, Scholarly Celebrations

Morgan State University

Dwight Oliver Wendell Holmes was the 6th and 1st Black President of Morgan State University, founded in 1867. He was born on November 18, 1877 in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He was the son of a minister in the Washington D.C. and New York conferences of the Methodist Church. Holmes spent his formative years in Annapolis, Maryland; New York; and Staunton, Virginia. His secondary schooling was obtained in the preparatory department of Howard University.

After completing his secondary schooling, Holmes continued at Howard University. As an undergraduate Holmes was an athlete, playing quarterback on the football team and serving as captain of both the baseball and football teams. He established and was the president of Howard’s first tennis team. He earned nine letters for athletics. In addition, Holmes organized Howard’s very first debate competition. He also led Howard’s college Mandolin and Glee Club. Holmes earned a B.A. in 1901. He was the valedictorian of his class.

The next year Holmes began his post-graduate work at Howard and then became an instructor at Sumner High School in St. Louis. In the fall of 1902 he was appointed to teach science courses in the High School of Baltimore in Maryland. While teaching high school, he simultaneously enrolled at Johns Hopkins University for classes in art and education. Holmes continued his education, earning both his MA. and Ph.D. at Columbia University. Howard University awarded Holmes an honorary MA. degree in 1912.

Chronology
1877
Born in Lewisburg, West Virginia on November 18

1901
Earns B.A. from Howard University; is valedictorian of his class

1902
Teaches at the Sumner High School in St. Louis; teaches science at the High School of Baltimore (Douglass High School)

1903
Enrolls in art and education classes at Johns Hopkins University

1909
Serves as vice principal of Douglass High School in Baltimore

1912
Granted honorary MA from Howard University

1917
Teaches education and psychology at the Miner Normal School in Washington, D.C.

1918
Becomes registrar and professor of education at Howard University

1928
Increases enrollment by one thousand students in the School of Education at Howard

1934
Publishes The Evolution of the Negro College

1934
Heads the graduate school at Howard University

1937
Installed as the sixth president of Morgan College

1963
Dies on September 7

Holmes served four institutions for almost four decades as an educator. He taught at what is now Douglass High School in Baltimore, Maryland, for fourteen years, chairing the Science Department for eleven years and serving as vice principal for eight years. He left Baltimore in April 1917 to teach psychology and education at the Miner Normal School of Washington, D.C. In 1919, Holmes returned to his alma mater to serve as Howard’s registrar and to teach education courses. He was later appointed dean of Howard’s College of Education. It was in this capacity that Holmes first began to distinguish himself as a university administrator.

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Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD

Did You Know?…

Morgan is the fastest-growing college in Maryland.

• Over the last ten years, undergraduate enrollment at Morgan grew by more than 35 percent.
  • More than $200 million has been expended on new construction and renovations throughout the campus. Construction is nearing completion on several projects, including the $40 million 2000-seat state-of-the-art Carl Murphy Fine Arts Center, the $14 million refurbishment and expansion of Hughes Stadium, and the $16 million Research Building and Greenhouse, which will offer ultramodern laboratories for physics, biology, chemistry, and biochemistry.
• For four decades, Morgan has been one of the leading institutions in the Mid-Atlantic States in the production of Fulbright Scholars.
• Each year Morgan produces more African-American scientists and engineers than any other institution of higher education in Maryland.
• Morgan ranks first in the state in the enrollment of African-Americans in chemistry.
• During a recent ten-year period, Morgan graduated 10 percent of all the African-Americans in the nation who received the bachelor’s degree in physics.
• Morgan is one of the top institutions in the country with respect to the number of its African-American bachelor’s degree recipients who go on to earn graduate degrees.
• Morgan receives more applications for admission from African-American high school students than almost any other college or university in the country.

Follow Morgan State University on Twitter – http://twitter.com/msutwit

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3. [ HBCU_Presidents ] Daniel Payne: 1st Black College President in the US
4. [ HBCU_Presidents ] Dr. Carolyn W. Meyers: Norfolk State University
5. [HBCU_Presidents] Dr. Ronald Mason: Jackson State University

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