Morehouse Board of Trustees Appoints New Interim President — Mr. Harold L. Martin Jr. to assume the role as Interim President of Morehouse College

The Morehouse College Board of Trustees unanimously voted today to appoint Mr. Harold Martin Jr. as Interim President of Morehouse College. His appointment follows the recent passing of former Interim President William J. “Bill” Taggart, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this month. Interim President Martin Jr. will take on the day-to-day leadership responsibilities for the College until a new President is identified and hired.

“The Morehouse College Search Committee has received many inquiries regarding the permanent President’s position and is working diligently to identify a candidate as the process moves forward,” said Dale Jones, Chairman of the Search Committee.

Interim President Martin Jr., who holds an M.B.A from Harvard Business School and a J.D. from Yale Law School, is an alumnus of Morehouse College. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2002 as the class valedictorian, earning a B.A. in Business Administration and membership into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

“While these circumstances are certainly unprecedented, I am honored to step into the role of Interim President of Morehouse College,” said Interim President Martin Jr. “Over the past few months, the College has made great strides under the leadership of Bill Taggart; it’s amazing how much he was able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.”

“During this time, I worked closely with Bill to support his vision and his primary goals and objectives,” noted Interim President Martin Jr. “I will continue to execute on this plan in the days and weeks ahead and look forward to working with Morehouse’s Board, students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and donors to solidify Morehouse’s position as an academic leader during this pivotal time in our College’s history.”

Willie Woods, Chairman of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees said: “In selecting a new Interim President, the Board’s primary objective was to maintain the strong momentum achieved under Bill Taggart. We selected a leader familiar with his work who would offer very little disruption to the staff. Today, the Board could not have made a better selection. Harold will be a stabilizing force and will continue to move Morehouse forward as we finalize our search for a permanent President. We look forward to working with Harold to deliver on our promise of putting the College and its students first, and working toward delivering the highest levels of academic excellence.”

“Harold has been a tremendous asset to the Board, and he has a strong fundamental understanding of higher education governance and operations, as well as the necessary leadership skills to chart a successful path forward,” said Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy, a long-time Board member and former President of Shaw College and Johnson C. Smith University.

Additionally, Dr. Yancy was appointed by the Board as a Senior Advisor to Interim President Martin Jr. She will focus on supporting the College’s preparation for the upcoming SACSCOC accreditation process.

“Harold Martin Jr. brings experience, character and leadership to the role as Interim President,” said Dr. Robert Franklin, President Emeritus of Morehouse College. “Harold and I worked closely during my tenure as President, and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to guide the future direction of Morehouse College. I look forward to watching him follow in my footsteps, along with others who have stood before him, to continue building a strong academic institution.”