Morehouse College News June 2, 2015 John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79 Elected to Harvard Board of Overseers Morehouse College’s 11th president has been named to the Board of Overseers for Harvard University. John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79, a graduate of both Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Divinity School, is one of five members of the Board chosen to help direct the governance of Harvard University over a six-year term. The results of the election were announced during Harvard’s 364th Commencement Exercises on May 28, 2015. “Harvard is unusual among American private universities in giving its degree holders the authority to elect all of the members of its Board of Overseers,” said Morgan Chu, president of the Board of Overseers in a letter written to alumni. Chu went on to say that the Board, first organized in 1642, plays a significant role in Harvard governance — helping to shape the University’s agenda, assessing and making recommendations about the quality and direction of Harvard’s wide-ranging programs of education and research, and consenting to certain major actions, including the selection of new members of the Harvard Corporation. “Being elected to the Board of Overseers at Harvard University is a true honor. It certainly indicates that my fellow Harvard alums have confidence in my ability to meaningfully influence how Harvard evolves,” said John S. Wilson. “But, given the longstanding prominence of Harvard in the American higher education landscape, I also see it as an opportunity to influence higher learning in general. To be asked to serve in the governance body of one’s graduate institution, while presiding over one’s undergraduate institution is a rare privilege that I do not take lightly,” he said. Ballots were cast by 26,400 Harvard degree holders. Others elected to the Board include: · R. Martin Chavez, chief information officer and partner, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. · Fernande R. V. Duffy, Associate Justice, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · Brian Greene, professor, Physics and Mathematics, Columbia University · Beth Y. Karlan, director, Women’s Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute All of the members were nominated by the Harvard Alumni Association. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.