Bennett College for Women October 3, 2012 Morehouse President Rev. Dr. Robert M. Franklin will Speak at Bennett College Bennett College celebrates its scholarly students during the annual Honors Convocation with Rev. Dr. Robert M. Franklin, tenth president of Morehouse, as the distinguished guest speaker. The ceremony will convene on Thursday, October 18, 2012 at 11:00am in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel. The program is free and open to the public. Last summer marked the end of Franklin's five-year presidency at the nation's largest private, liberal arts college for men. Bestowed the honor of president emeritus, Franklin has since agreed to lead until the board can find his replacement. Coming to Morehouse in 2007, Franklin is known for his dedication to fundraising efforts. It was under his leadership that alumni giving increased from 17 percent to 36 percent, three times the national average. The College also received $60 million in federal grants and contracts as well as $33 million in support of the capital campaign. Prior to serving at the nation's only historically black college for men, Franklin was a presidential distinguished professor of social ethics at Emory University as well as a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion. An insightful educator, Franklin has served on the faculties of the University of Chicago, Harvard Divinity School, Colgate-Rochester Divinity School and at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. He has also served as the president of the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) and as a program officer in Human Rights and Social Justice at the Ford Foundation. Franklin has quite the experience with media as well, presently serving as a commentator for the National Public Radio (NPR) program, "All Things Considered" and for Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting Television. He is the author of three books: Crisis in the Village: Restoring Hope in African American Communities (2007); Another Day's Journey: Black Churches Confronting the American Crisis (1997); and Liberating Visions: Human Fulfillment and Social Justice in African American Thought (1990). He has co-authored (Don S. Browning, et. al.) a volume titled From Culture Wars to Common Ground: Religion and the American Family Debate (2001). He is a contributor to a collection of essays, A Life of Meaning. Franklin is active in a range of organizations and board memberships, including the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE), the Salvation Army, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Executive Committee), as well as NASA's 100-year Starship Project Advisory Board. He is a member of the Atlanta Business League; the Atlanta Falcons Advisory Board; the Atlanta Mayoral Board of Service; the CNN Dialogues Committee; Atlanta Rotary Club; 100 Black Men of Atlanta; the Kappa Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and many more. A graduate of Morehouse, Franklin earned his degrees in political science and religion in 1975. He holds a master's of divinity in Christian social ethics and pastoral care from Harvard Divinity School. At the University of Chicago, he earned a doctorate in ethics and society, and religion and social sciences. He holds honorary degrees from Bethune Cook University, Bates College and Swarthmore College. 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 404-520-0593 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. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.