Sanford Bishop: “It is my honor and pleasure to rise today to recognize my alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, as it…”

“It is my honor and pleasure to rise today to recognize my alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, as it celebrates 150 years of educating, training, and empowering outstanding leaders. The year-long sesquicentennial celebration began in January 2017, and will include many events for students, faculty, staff, administrators, donors, families, and friends of Morehouse College. The theme of the celebration is ``A House United,'' which highlights Morehouse's position as a unifying force around the globe and here at home. Tracing its roots back to the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, Morehouse was founded in 1867, as the Augusta Theological Institute in Augusta, Georgia. The school was founded by Reverend William Jefferson White, with the encouragement of Reverend Richard Coulter and Reverend Edmund Turney. It aimed to prepare Black men for ministry and teaching. In 1879, the Augusta Theological Institute moved to the basement of the Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta and was renamed the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. In 1885, the institution relocated to its current site in Atlanta's West End community. The seminary became a liberal arts college and was subsequently renamed the Atlanta Baptist College. During these early years in Morehouse's history, the institution expanded its curriculum and established the tradition of educating leaders for all areas of life.…”