For Immediate Release
May 14,
2012
Media
Contact:
Nicholyn
Hutchinson
Atlanta University Center Robert
W. Woodruff Library Awarded Mellon Grant for
HBCU Past Presidents Oral History
Project
The
Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library has been awarded a grant
by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support an initiative to document,
publish and preserve the experiences and administrative contributions of living
former presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs). The project, entitled “Documenting the Perspectives of the
Council of Past HBCU Presidents,” will collect the oral histories from select
past presidents, placing them within a historical context and framing issues of
leadership and strategic management within HBCUs.
As
debate over the relevancy and value of HBCUs continues with the question of
whether these institutions will survive, it has become increasingly important
to ensure their stories are preserved. While archives can preserve
institutional records, they cannot capture the first-hand perspectives and
leadership experiences of administrators who had an influence on the health of
HBCUs. The presidents are the keepers of the rich past of HBCUs, and without a
record of their narratives, the insight into this history will be lost.
For the
Mellon-funded project, members of the Council of Past HBCU Presidents, an
Atlanta-based organization comprised of former presidents, will be interviewed.
In addition to capturing their oral histories, biographical profiles of Council
members will be created and an annotated bibliography of their scholarship will
be produced and published for public access. The AUC Woodruff Library’s
Archives Research Center will serve as the repository for the collected
material.
“We are
pleased to receive the Mellon Foundation’s generous support for this timely
project. The Council of Past HBCU Presidents have a perspective about leading
HBCU institutions through some critical periods of the last century, a
perspective that informs U.S. history in general and African American
history in particular,” said Loretta Parham, CEO and Director of the AUC
Woodruff Library. “The information collected and shared will be a critical
resource for scholars on race, education, and management.”
About
the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library
Established
in 1982, the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library serves the
collective research and information needs of Clark Atlanta University, the
Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman
College. A 21st century learning place, the Library features collaborative
learning and study spaces, state-of-the-art technology, practice presentation studios,
a premier destination Archives Research Center and a café. Visit www.auctr.edu.
Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library Awarded Mellon Grant for HBCU Past Presidents Oral History Project
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