By Melanie R. Holmes
AFRO Staff Writer
Morgan State University is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Department of English and Language Arts, housed in Holmes Hall. (Courtesy Photo/MSU)
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(October 15, 2009) - The rich legacy of Morgan State University was celebrated this week as students and faculty gathered in honor of the 75th anniversary of its Department of English and Language Arts. If the past is any predictor of the department’s future, its long tradition of excellence will continue for countless more years.
“You show me a great university and I will show you a great department of English,” Department Chairman Dolan Hubbard said. “Morgan State University English is one of the great treasures of this great university. The bar was set and we have been able to keep these standards high. ”
The department has about 55 faculty members whose core goals are to help its 7,000 students enhance their reading, writing and critical thinking skills. In addition to serving its undergraduate population, the department educates master’s and doctoral students. Its doctorate of philosophy program is one of two offered by public institutions in Maryland, and one of two in the country offered by historically Black colleges.
“We can place the Morgan State Department of English up with some of the biggest names in the profession,” Hubbard said. “English is poised to lead Morgan State University into the 21st century to take our students to the next level.”
According to Hubbard, the department produces “a constellation of talent” including alumni such as former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume and Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves. By polishing their skills, he said the department has seen students go from struggling to success under the faculty’s guidance.
“We get some very gifted students but we also have some students who have been damaged by the public school systems,” he said. “We take them from here to there and transform them so they can become productive members of society.”
Class of 1966 graduate Cheryl Hitchcock distinctly recalls the intimidation she and her freshman peers felt toward the department because of its reputation for challenging students. Now, she is a proud byproduct of the department, which, she said, met its mission.
“The writing skills and the literary knowledge that they instilled in us has helped in everything I’ve done since I left Morgan,” said Hitchcock, vice president of institutional advancement at MSU. “No matter what occupation you go into, to be able to write and speak clearly makes a major difference in how successful you are.”
The anniversary celebration was held at Morgan State University’s student center and the Carl Murphy Fine Arts Center recital hall. From 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 16, faculty members, alumni and guest speakers reflected on the history of the Department of English and Language Arts and looked forward to its promising future.
“After 75 years of serving the Morgan community, the department is poised to build on its legacy and certain to develop leadership for a new era,” said English professor Adrienne Carthon. “We have a good variety of scholars who are really in a position to take the department to the next level.”