of Bennie & Candle Award
Friday, February 13, 2026
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
The Presidential Tribute Dinner marks the formal induction of the award recipients from the previous “A Candle in the Dark” Galas into The Society of Bennie and Candle Award Honorees, a newly established body of distinguished leaders whose lives and legacies reflect the highest ideals of Morehouse College.
This gathering is more than a ceremonial dinner. It signifies the beginning of a renewed and enduring partnership between Morehouse and some of its most visible ambassadors— individuals whose excellence, integrity, and influence continue to inspire generations of Morehouse Men. Convened during the installation of Dr. F. DuBois Bowman ’92 as the 13th President of Morehouse College, the Society is founded at a pivotal moment in the institution’s history and presidential vision.
Purpose and Vision
The Society exists to honor extraordinary achievement while deepening meaningful engagement between honorees and the College. Through this induction, Morehouse affirms its commitment to sustained relationships that inspire students, strengthen the academic and leadership pipeline, and advance the mission of educating and empowering exceptional Black men.
The objectives of the Society include:
Recognizing Candle and Bennie honorees again in a setting aligned with the values, dignity, and excellence of Morehouse College
Establishing a structured, long-term engagement program for honorees
Creating opportunities for mentorship, learning, and inspiration for current and future Morehouse Men
Cultivating philanthropic partnerships and storytelling relationships that contribute to the College’s future growth and global impact
Extending the influence of honorees and their introducers beyond the moment of recognition
Presenting a collective philanthropic gift to the President in support of his vision for the College
Induction and Membership
Induction into the Society formally welcomes honorees into an ongoing relationship with Morehouse College. Each member is presented with a commemorative medallion recognizing the year of their original honor. Intended as a family heirloom, this hand-crafted medallion symbolizes each honoree’s permanent place within the lineage of Morehouse excellence and may be worn at significant institutional occasions.
Membership carries both distinction and responsibility. As trusted partners and role models, Society members are invited to engage with the College through leadership, presence, and purpose.
Expectations of Inductees
Members of the Society are encouraged to:
Participate in Inauguration Weekend events, including the Presidential Tribute Dinner
Mentor or sponsor Morehouse students over a five-year period, with biannual engagement
Deliver guest lectures, master classes, or fireside conversations within one year of induction
Return for Commencement, when possible
Consider philanthropic investments through personal giving or influence-based cultivation toward a collective honoree gift
Serve as active storytellers and advocates for Morehouse within their respective industries and communities
A Living Legacy
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees is envisioned as a living body of leadership—one that transcends a single evening and extends across generations. Through continued counsel, engagement, and support, members help ensure that the light of Morehouse burns ever brighter, carried forward by the men who follow in their footsteps.
About the Society
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees is a newly established Morehouse College tradition, honoring the enduring relationship between the institution and those whose lives exemplify the highest ideals of leadership, scholarship, service, and global impact. Members of the Society serve as ambassadors of the Morehouse Mission and stewards of its future.
biography
13 th president of morehouse college FOR
F. DuBois Bowman ’92, Ph.D.
F. DuBois Bowman, Ph.D., is the 13th President of Morehouse College, a role that marks a full-circle return to his alma mater. A nationally respected biostatistician and academic leader, Dr. Bowman has had a distinguished career at the intersection of scholarship, leadership, and public service. He brings decades of experience advancing research excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional transformation.
A proud 1992 magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. Bowman earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics before completing his master’s in biostatistics at the University of Michigan, and his doctorate in biostatistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His career reflects a sustained commitment to mentoring the next generation of scholars and expanding diversity in the sciences. He leverages large-scale data to advance human health and social good.
As President of Morehouse College, Dr. Bowman leads with the conviction that excellence, equity, and service are inseparable, believing that institutions grounded in purpose can shape a more just and healthier world.
Prior to his presidency, Dr. Bowman served as dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, from 2018 to 2025. He also held the Roderick J. Little Collegiate Professorship of Biostatistics. As dean, he led one of the nation’s top public health schools through significant growth and global impact, elevating its ranking to No. 2 nationally at the time of his departure. He expanded research infrastructure and launched an equity-centered interdisciplinary initiative to create healthy cities, prevent firearm injuries, and combat infectious diseases. Dr. Bowman further contributed to university-wide priorities in data science, precision health, and sustainability. He also strengthened the faculty, grew student enrollment, and launched innovative academic programs. His leadership emphasized public health as both a scientific enterprise and a moral imperative.
Before joining the University of Michigan, Dr. Bowman held senior academic leadership roles at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. He served as chair of the Department of Biostatistics and as the Cynthia and Robert Citrone–Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Professor. Earlier, he spent 13 years at Emory University. There, he was a tenured professor, founding director of the Center for Biomedical Imaging Statistics, and a key contributor to interdisciplinary neuroscience and data science initiatives.
Dr. Bowman’s scholarly research has earned him international recognition, focusing on statistical methods for complex biomedical and neuroimaging data, while making influential contributions to understanding Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, mental health, and brain connectivity. He has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous National Institutes of Health–funded projects and has authored or coauthored an extensive body of peer-reviewed publications in leading journals across statistics, medicine, and neuroscience.
His research and leadership have received numerous prestigious recognitions, including the highest honors in science and medicine by being elected to the National Academy of Medicine and becoming a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His alma mater, Morehouse College, honored him with the Benjamin E. Mays “Bennie” Trailblazer Award in 2019, the highest honor bestowed upon the College’s alumni. He also received a distinguished alumnus award from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he completed his doctoral studies. For contributions within his discipline of statistics, he was elected as a fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA) in 2012, named an ASA Black History Month Trailblazer in 2020, and presently serves as the vice president and a member of the board of directors of the ASA.
Dr. Bowman is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He and his wife, Cynthia, are the proud parents of four amazing children, and they have two grandchildren.
Order of Program
Welcome
Henry M. Goodgame Jr. ’84
Chair, Presidential Inauguration Committee Vice President, External Relations and Alumni Engagement
Historical Charge and Video Presentation
Presidential Welcome Remarks
F. DuBois Bowman ’92, Ph.D. 13th President, Morehouse College
Invocation
Min. Naivion M. Stephens ’28
Sophomore, Religion/Philosophy Major, Opelika, AL
Memorial Moment
Dinner
First Course
Greens with Tomato Medley, Mini Cucumbers, and Feta Cheese, served with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
Dinner Rolls and Butter Balls
Main Course
Herb-Roasted Salmon, Cajun Airline Chicken, and Asparagus with a Parsnip Purée
Dessert Red Velvet Cheesecake
Occasion
Verdun Perry ’94 Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Formal Induction of the Inaugural Class
President Bowman
Presentation of Medallions
Mr. Goodgame
Bennie and Candle Award Honorees (Inducted by Cohort Year)
Closing Remarks
President Bowman
Morehouse College Hymn
Celebration & Photos
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
1989
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Roderic Pettigrew ’72 Physician/Nuclear Physicist
BENNIE SERVICE
Otis Smith ’47 * President, Atlanta Chapter NAACP
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Louis Sullivan ’54 Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Danny Glover Actor
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS
Vincent “Bo” Jackson Professional Athlete L.A. Raiders and Kansas City Royals
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
George R. Lewis Vice President and Treasurer, Philip Morris Companies Inc.
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Henry Louis Gates Jr. W.E.B. DuBois Professor of Literature, Cornell University
CANDLE IN LAW
Kurt Schmoke Mayor, Baltimore, Md.
CANDLE IN MILITARY
Fred A. Gorden Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Military Academy
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Eugene A. Marino * Archbishop, Atlanta Catholic Archdiocese
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Benjamin Carson Chief, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital
1990
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
T.M. Alexander Sr. ’31 * President, T.M. Alexander Co. Inc.
BENNIE SERVICE
Asa G. Yancey Sr. ’37 * Retired Medical Director, Grady Memorial Hospital
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Spike Lee ’79 Filmmaker and President, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS
Henry “Hank” Aaron *
Legendary Baseball Player Senior Vice President, Atlanta Braves
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Denzel Washington Academy Award-Winning Actor
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Asa G. Hilliard III * Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Urban Education, Georgia State University
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Calvin O. Butts III ’72 * Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church
1991
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Nathaniel Hawthorne Bronner ’40 * Founder and President, Bronner Brothers Beauty Complex
BENNIE SERVICE
Edward B. Williams ’27 * Professor Emeritus of Economics, Morehouse College
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
George William Crockett Jr. ’31 * Retired U.S. Congressman
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Kenneth I. Chenault
President, Consumer Card & Financial Services Group, USA American Express, Travel Related Services Co. Inc.
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
John Hope Franklin *
James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History and Professor of Legal History, The Law School, Duke University
CANDLE IN THE MILITARY
Robert L. Toney * Former Director for Logistics and Security Assistance U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Otis Moss Jr. ’56 Pastor, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
*Deceased
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
1992
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
I. Owen Funderburg ’48 * President, Citizens Trust Bank
BENNIE SERVICE
Clarence “Kappa” Brown ’40 * Retired, New York Transit Authority
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Walter E. Massey ’58 Director, National Science Foundation
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Louis Gossett Jr. * Actor
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Roy S. Roberts
Manufacturing Manager, General Motors Corp. Cadillac Motor Division
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Robert H. Brisbane*
Retired Chairman and Professor, Political Science, Morehouse College
CANDLE IN RELIGION
George H. Clements Founder, One Church, One Child
1993
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Roy Terry ’66 and Rudolph Terry ’69 * Terry Manufacturing Co.
BENNIE SERVICE
J.O.B. Moseley ’29 (Posthumously) * Composer
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Griffith Jerome Davis ’47 * Photographer, Journalist and Diplomat
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS
Reggie White * Athlete and Evangelist
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Kenny Leon Artistic Director, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre Co.
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Arthur Johnson ’68 President and Chief Operating Officer, IBM Federal Systems Co. Vice Chairman, Postal Rate Commission
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Samuel Proctor* Pastor Emeritus, Abyssinian Baptist Church
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Arthur Ashe (Posthumously) * Athlete and Humanitarian
1994
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Maynard Holbrook Jackson ’56 * First African American Mayor, City of Atlanta
BENNIE SERVICE
Charles V. Willie ’48 * Professor, Education and Urban Studies Harvard University Graduate School of Education
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Edwin C. Moses ’78 Olympic Champion, Sports Administrator and Diplomat
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Professional Basketball Player
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Sinbad Comedian, Actor, Entertainer
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Cornel West
Professor of Religion and Director of the Afro-American Studies Department, Princeton University
CANDLE IN SOCIAL JUSTICE
A. Leon Higginbotham Jr.* Professor, Harvard University
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
*Deceased
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
1995
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Samuel Milton Nabrit ’25 * Former Foundation Director and College President, Texas Southern University
BENNIE SERVICE
Samuel DuBois Cook ’48 * President, Dillard University
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
J. Eugene Grigsby ’38 * Artist and Professor
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Hugh Morris Gloster ’31 * President Emeritus, Morehouse College
CANDLE IN GOVERNMENT
Andrew Young Civil Rights Leader Former Mayor of Atlanta, U.S. Congressman, and U.S. Ambassador
CANDLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
Derrick Albert Bell Jr.* Professor, Harvard University Law School
1996
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Hobert Kornegay ’45 * Dentist and Politician
BENNIE SERVICE
Henry W. Foster Jr. ’54 * Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology Meharry Medical College
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Samuel L. Jackson ’72 Veteran Actor and Academy Award Nominee
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Joe Adams * Executive Vice President, Ray Charles Enterprises
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Robert E. Johnson ’48 * Executive Editor and Associate Publisher Jet Magazine
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
James King Jr. ’53 * Former Director, Engineering and Science Directorate Jet Propulsion Laboratory
1997
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Maceo K. Sloan ’71 President & CEO, Sloan Financial Group Inc.
BENNIE SERVICE
Major R. Owens ’56 * Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Donald R. Hopkins ’62 Epidemiologist and Senior Consultant, The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Dennis F. Hightower Retired President, Walt Disney Television & Telecommunications Senior Lecturer, Harvard University Business School
CANDLE IN JOURNALISM
Bernard Shaw * Principal Washington Anchor, CNN *Deceased
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
1998
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
George W. Haley ’49 * Chairman, Postal Rate Commission
BENNIE SERVICE
Frederick E. Mapp ’32 * Educator and Published Scholar
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
H. Julian Bond ’71 * Civil Rights Activist and Scholar-in-Residence at American University
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79 Director, Foundation Relations and School Development Services, MIT
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Alvin F. Poussaint * Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Harvard University School of Medicine
CANDLE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE
Joseph E. Marshall Jr. Founder and Executive Director Omega Boys Club
1999
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Peter Chatard ’56 President, Washington Society of Plastic Surgeons
BENNIE SERVICE
Lerone Bennett ’49 * Executive Editor, Ebony Magazine
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
David Satcher ’63
U.S. Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary of Health
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Arthur Mitchell * Founder and Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Earl G. Graves Sr. * Publisher, Black Enterprise Magazine Chairman and CEO, Earl G. Graves Ltd.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Quincy Jones * Musician, Composer and Record Producer
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORTS AND ATHLETICS
Muhammad Ali * Former Gold Medalist, and Heavyweight Champion of the World
2000
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Herman Cain ’67 * CEO, Godfather’s Pizza and President, National Restaurant Association
BENNIE SERVICE
Cameron Alexander ’59 *
Noted Pastor and Community Activist Antioch Baptist Church North
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Robert L. Mallett ’79 Deputy Secretary of Commerce
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Charles D. Watts Sr. ’38 * Physician and Medical Educator
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS
Tony Dorsett Football Hall of Fame
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Bernard Harris Astronaut Vice President, Spacehab Inc.
CANDLE IN EDUCATION AND BUSINESS
Clifton R. Wharton * Former President, Michigan State University Former CEO, TIAA-CREF
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
*Deceased
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2001
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Ezra C. Davidson Jr. ’54 * Distinguished Physician and Educator
BENNIE SERVICE
Horace T. Ward ’49 * U.S. Federal Judge and Civil Rights Attorney
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Charles “Chuck” H. James III ’81 * President and CEO, C.H. James & Co.
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Howard F. Jeter ’70 U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria
CANDLE IN HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS
C.T. Vivian * Civil Rights Strategist
CANDLE IN SOCIAL ACTIVISM
Dick Gregory * Civil Rights Activist, Nutritionist, and Comedian
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Harry Belafonte * Award-Winning Actor/Entertainment Legend
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Ray Charles * World-Renowned R&B Legend and Songwriter
2002
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Artis A. White ’51 * Maxillofacial Prosthodontist
BENNIE SERVICE
Tobe Johnson Jr. ’54 * Distinguished Political Scientist and Chair, Department of Political Science, Morehouse College
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
James H. Sills Jr. ’55 Former Mayor of Wilmington, Del.
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
William “Bill” G. Nunn III ’76 * Famed Actor
CANDLE IN LEADERSHIP
William H. Gray III * President and CEO, The College Fund/UNCF
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Charles Gilchrist Adams * Senior Pastor, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church Detroit, Mich.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN LITERARY AND PERFORMING ARTS
August Wilson * Award-Winning Playwright
2003
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Harold A. Dawson Sr. ’63 * Entrepreneur and Real Estate Developer
BENNIE SERVICE
Jeh Charles Johnson ’79 Former General Counsel, U.S. Air Force Litigation Partner with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Willie J. “Flash” Davis ’56 * Prominent Criminal Defense Attorney and Litigation Partner Davis, Robinson & White LLP
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Robert L. Johnson Entertainment and Television Pioneer Chairman, Black Entertainment Television
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Kwame Anthony Appiah Distinguished Author and Philosopher Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy Princeton University
CANDLE IN JOURNALISM
Ed Bradley * Award-Winning Journalist Senior Correspondent, CBS’ “60 Minutes”
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
Keith L. Black Director, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Division of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of California at Irvine
NOTE: Career
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2004
2005
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Sanford D. Bishop Jr. ’68 Congressman, Georgia, 2nd District
BENNIE SERVICE AWARD
Howard H. Carey ’57 * President & CEO Neighborhood House Association
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Isaac Willis ’61 * Distinguished Dermatologist Northwest Medical Center
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Tom Joyner Nationally Syndicated Radio Host Founder, Tom Joyner Foundation & REACH Media Inc.
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
LaSalle D. Lefall Jr. * Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery Howard University
CANDLE IN LEADERSHIP
Jesse Hill Jr. * Former Chairman Atlanta Life Insurance Co.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Ossie Davis * Acclaimed Actor & Activist
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN HUMANITARIAN SERVICE
Oprah Winfrey Philanthropist and Entertainer, Founder, Oprah’s Angel Network & The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Chairwoman, HARPO Entertainment Group, Co-founder, Oxygen Media
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
James O. Webb ’53 Founder & Managing Principal Baker-Eubanks LLC
BENNIE SERVICE
Richard O. Hope ’61 * Vice-President, Public Policy and International Affairs Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Program
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Gerald L. Truesdale ’71 * Distinguished Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Reginald Davis ’84 Head of Business Banking, SunTrust
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Herman J. Russell * Chairman H.J. Russell & Company
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Charles J. Ogletree * Jesse Climenko Professor of Law Harvard University
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
Charles J. McDonald Professor of Medical Science Chair, Department of Dermatology Brown University School of Medicine
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Berry Gordy Founder, Motown Records Chairman, West Grand Media Inc.
2006
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Michael L. Lomax ’68 President and CEO UNCF
BENNIE SERVICE
Albert J. Price ’50 * Retired U.S. Air Force Pilot and State Senator
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Thomas G. Sampson Sr. ’68 * Managing Partner, Thomas, Kennedy, Sampson & Patterson Law Firm
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Alphonse Fletcher Jr. Prominent Businessman Fletcher Asset Management Inc.
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
Augustus White III Orthopedic Surgeon
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND SPORTS MANAGEMENT
Butch Lewis * Prominent Businessman and Sports Promoter
CANDLE IN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Gordon Parks * World-Renowned Photographer
CANDLE IN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Geoffrey Holder * World-Renowned Artist, Dancer and Choreographer *Deceased
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2007
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Robert C. Davidson Jr. ’67 Distinguished Businessman President and CEO Surface Protection Industries
BENNIE SERVICE
Melvin D. Smith ’61 * World-Renowned Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Leroy R. Johnson ’49 * Pioneering Georgia Senator and Prominent Attorney
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Amos C. Brown Sr. ’64
Senior Pastor, Third Baptist Church Noted Civil and Human Rights Activist
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Alden J. McDonald Jr. Prominent Businessman CEO and President, Liberty Bank & Trust
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS
Joseph E. Lowery * Renowned Civil Rights Activist Co-Founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Roscoe Lee Browne * Acclaimed Actor and Renowned Poet
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Sidney Poitier * Academy Award-Winning Actor
2008
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
M. William Howard Jr. ’68 Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church and former President, New York Theological Seminary
BENNIE SERVICE
Mack Roach ’75 World-Renowned Urology Researcher Professor, Radiation Oncology and Urology
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
James R. Hall ’57 Lt. General, U.S. Army (ret.) and Morehouse College Trustee
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Clinton Warner ’44 * Pioneering Georgia Physician and Morehouse College Trustee Emeritus
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Lloyd G. Trotter Prominent Businessman General Electric
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
Alvin H. Crawford, M.D., FACS Director, Pediatric Orthopedics Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
William “Smokey” Robinson Jr. Legendary Grammy Award-Winning Recording Artist, Record Producer, and Record Executive
2009
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Charles David Moody ’78 Entrepreneur and Business Executive Owner, President, and CEO C.D. Moody Construction Co. Inc.
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
J. Jerome Farris ’51 *
U.S. Court of Appeals Judge (Ninth Circuit) and Former President, Board of Regents, the University of Washington
BENNIE SERVICE
Arthur Lee Johnson ’48 * Civil Rights Leader, NAACP Pioneer, and Retired Educator
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Richard C. Caesar ’40 * Noted Dentist, Original Tuskegee Airman and Philanthropist
CANDLE IN GOVERNMENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Charles Bernard “Charlie” Rangel * Distinguished U.S. Congressman and Civil Rights Activist
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
Ernest A. “Ernie” Bates, M.D. Distinguished Neurosurgeon and Philanthropist President and CEO, American Shared Hospital Services Inc.
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Samuel Berry McKinney ’49 * Civil Rights Activist and Pastor Emeritus, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Seattle, Wash.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORTS AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM
Tommie Smith
1968 Olympic Gold Medalist and Human Rights Activist
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
*Deceased
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2010
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. ’89
Distinguished Clinical Professor of Law Director, Harvard Criminal Justice Institute, Harvard Law School
BENNIE SERVICE
Perry A. Henderson ’54 * Renowned, Retired Physician and Professor of OB/GYN, University of WisconsinMadison Medical School
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Julius E. Coles ’63
Internationally-renowned Career Minister and Foreign Service Officer (USAID) Immediate Past President, Africare
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Lonnie C. King ’69 *
Noted Civil Rights Activist President and CEO, Onyx Development Co. LLC
CANDLE IN HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
Lloyd Dean
President and Chief Executive Officer Catholic Healthcare West
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Freeman A. Hrabowski III
Noted Author and Educator President, University of Maryland Baltimore County
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Antonio “L.A.” Reid Music Industry Pioneer Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
*Deceased
2011
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Melvin D. Gerald, M.D. ’64
Distinguished Physician, Gerald Family Care Associates
BENNIE SERVICE
Curley M. Dossman ’73 Education Advocate and President, Georgia-Pacific Foundation
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
William M. Jackson ’56 Distinguished Space Scientist and Educator University of California at Davis
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND LAW
Donald V. Watkins
Noted Entrepreneur and Attorney, Donald V. Watkins, P.C.
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Harry S. Wright Sr. ’53 Pastor Emeritus Cornerstone Baptist Church, Brooklyn, N.Y.
CANDLE IN JOURNALISM
Ronald R. Davenport Sr. Radio Broadcasting Pioneer Chairman, Sheridan Broadcasting Corp.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ATHLETICS
Frank Robinson * Major League Baseball Legend Major League Operations
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Morgan Freeman Academy Award-Winning Actor and Director
2012
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Herman F. Bostick ’49 * Distinguished Professor Howard University
BENNIE SERVICE
Earl F. Hilliard ’64
Former United States Congressman
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Calvin W. McLarin ’68 * Renowned Cardiologist
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Robert M. Franklin ’75 10th President, Morehouse College and Distinguished Professor
CANDLE IN HUMANITARIAN SERVICE AND BUSINESS
Earl W. Stafford Sr. Founder, The Stafford Foundation
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2013
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Calvin Mackie ’90 Author, Educator, Engineer, and Motivational Speaker
BENNIE SERVICE
Milton J. Little Jr. ’76 President & CEO United Way of Greater Atlanta Inc.
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Willis B. Sheftall Jr. ’64 * Professor of Economics and Acting President Morehouse College
CANDLE IN SCIENCE
Charles F. Bolden NASA Administrator and Famed Astronaut
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Ulysses L. Bridgeman Jr. Founder and CEO, Bridgeman Foods Inc. Former NBA Star
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Laurence J. Fishburne Critically Acclaimed Actor, Director and Producer
2014
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
James H. Shelton III ’89 Acting Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
BENNIE SERVICE
Donald L. Hense ’70 Educator, Founder and CEO of the Friendship Public Charter School
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
John E. Williams ’69 Former Division Dean, Interim Provost and Professor Emeritus at Morehouse College
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Reginald C. Lindsay ’67 (Posthumously) Attorney and Former U.S. District Judge (Massachusetts)
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Stevie Wonder
Grammy Award-Winning Musician, Producer, Songwriter, and Performer
2015
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Paul Q. Judge ’98 Technology Entrepreneur
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Eugene V. Wade Jr. ’92 Education Entrepreneur CEO, University Now
CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Robert B. Crews Jr. CEO Airport Retail Management (ARM)
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Thomas A. Moorehead Owner, BMW/Rolls-Royce Dealership
CANDLE IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Grant H. Hill
Former NBA All-Star Player and Real Estate Investment Firm Owner *Deceased
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2016
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Rufus H. Rivers ’86 Managing Partner, RLJ Equity Partners
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Joseph L. Press III ’84 Senior Division Sales Manager, Ethicon Inc. Johnson & Johnson
BENNIE SERVICE
Robert E. Steele ’65
Founding Executive Director
David C. Driskell Center University of Maryland, College Park
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND LAW
Christopher P. Reynolds Chief Legal Officer Toyota Motor North America
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Richard Roundtree * Award-Nominated Actor
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN CIVIL RIGHTS AND PUBLIC SERVICE
John Lewis * Civil Rights Activist
U.S. House of Representatives Georgia’s 5th Congressional District
2017
BENNIE SERVICE
Jonathan L. Walton ’96
Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church at Harvard
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Theodore Colbert III ’96
Chief Information Officer & Senior Vice President of Information Technology, Boeing Co.
CANDLE IN MUSIC, BUSINESS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Jon Platt
Chairman & CEO, Music Publisher, Warner/Chappell Music
CANDLE IN PHILANTHROPY, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Usher Raymond New Look Foundation Acclaimed Singer, Dancer, Actor, Producer and Philanthropist
CANDLE IN PHILANTHROPY, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Tyler Perry Owner, The Tyler Perry Co. Inc. Actor, Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Playwright, Author and Philanthropist
2018
BENNIE SERVICE
William T. McDaniel Jr. ’67
Professor Emeritus of Music and African American & African Studies, The Ohio State University
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Emmett D. Carson ’81 Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director, Silicon Valley Community Foundation
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Cedric I. Richmond ’95 U.S. Representative Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
William M. Lewis Jr. Managing Director and Co-Chairman Investment Banking at Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Oz Scott
Celebrated Director and Producer
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND PHILANTHROPY
Robert F. Smith
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
Founder, Chairman and CEO, Vista Equity Partners *Deceased
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2019
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Steve Pamon ’91 President & CEO, Parkwood Entertainment
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
F. DuBois Bowman ’92 12th Dean, University of Michigan School of Public Health Tenured Professor of Biostatistics
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Ray M. Robinson
Retired President, AT&T Southern Region Chairman of the Board, Citizens Trust Bank
CANDLE IN LAW AND BUSINESS
Jeffrey Harleston
General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for North America Universal Music Group
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Norm Nixon
Two-time NBA World Champion & NBA All-Star Accomplished Businessman and Humanitarian
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
N. Anthony Coles Chairman & CEO Yumanity Therapeutics LLC
2020
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Verdun Perry ’94
Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Strategic Partners, Blackstone
BENNIE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Admiral Alvin Holsey ’88 Rear Admiral and Commander Commander, Strike Group One, U.S. Navy
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Eddie Glaude, Ph.D. ’89 Chair, African American Studies Program
James S. McDonnell Distinguished Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University
CANDLE IN MISSION AND MINISTRY
Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., Ph.D.
Founding Dean, Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Author, Archivist, College Curator and Professor of Religion Morehouse College
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Adebayo Ogunlesi Chairman and Managing Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners
CANDLE IN ART, HISTORY AND CULTURE
Lonnie G. Bunch III Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Gordon L. Joyner ’72
Owner, The Law Offices of Gordon L. Joyner Fmr. Executive Director/Administrator, State of Georgia Civil Rights Department, Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity
BENNIE SERVICE
Robert “Rob” Gore ’98 Physician and Founder, Kings Against Violence Initiative Inc.
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Raphael G. Warnock ’91 U.S. Senator from Georgia Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church
CANDLE IN LAW AND INNOVATION
Kenneth C. Frazier Chairman, President and CEO, Merck
CANDLE IN EDUCATION AND PHILANTHROPY
Darren Walker President and CEO, Ford Foundation
CANDLE IN BUSINESS, ARTS, AND ENTERTAINMENT
Byron Allen Founder, Chairman and CEO, Allen Media Group Media Mogul, Philanthropist
†Due to COVID-19, the 2021 “A Candle in the Dark” Gala was a vitrual event.
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
*Deceased
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2022
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Paul S. “PJ” Morton Jr. ’03 Grammy Award-Winning Musician,Composer, Educator, Recording Artist, and Member of Maroon 5
BENNIE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Bakari T. Sellers ’05
CNN Contributor, Author, and former Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
John K. “JK” Haynes ’64
Distinguished Educator, Researcher and former Dean of Science and Mathematics, Morehouse College
CANDLE IN LEADERSHIP AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO, National Urban League Former Mayor of New Orleans
CANDLE IN TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Charles E. Phillips
Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Recognize Former CEO of Infor
CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PHILANTHROPY
Judson W. Pickard Jr. Cincinnati Businessman, Philanthropist, Owner of McDonald’s Franchises
CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PHILANTHROPY
William “Bill” F. Pickard * President and Co-Owner, Real Times Media Chairman, Global Automotive Alliance Detroit Businessman, Philanthropist, and Author
NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
*Deceased
2023
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Terry L.Woodard ’81
Managing Director and Vice Chairman, Financial Sponsors Group, Private Bank, J.P. Morgan
BENNIE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
James W. Compton ’61 Civic Leader and Former President, Chicago Urban League
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Sanford L. Biggers ’92 Acclaimed Visual Artist and Sculptor
CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PHILANTHROPY
David J. Grain Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Grain Management
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Courtney B. Vance Award-Winning Actor and Producer
2024
BENNIE SERVICE
Aaron L. Parker Sr. ’75
Senior Pastor, Zion Hill Baptist Church and Professor, Philosophy and Religion Department, Morehouse College
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
John David Washington ’06 Film producer, and SAG and Golden Globe-Award Nominated Actor
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Dale E. Jones ’82 CEO, Magna Vista Partners and Morehouse College Trustee Emeritus
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND PHILANTHROPY
Raymond J. McGuire President, Lazard
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Mack Wilbourn Owner and President, Mack II Inc.
The Society of Bennie & Candle Award Honorees
INAUGURAL SOCIETY INDUCTION
2025
BENNIE SERVICE
Marvin Dunn ’61
Author, Historian, Educator, Veteran, Race Relations Expert, and Social Activist Professor Emeritus, Florida International University
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Bryan Rand ’01
Deal Maker, Entrepreneur, and Civic Leader; Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Rand & Co Holdings
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Rashaun L. Williams ’01
Venture Capitalist, Financial Literacy Advocate Atlanta Falcons Limited Partner Chairman, Value Investment Group
CANDLE IN RELIGION AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM
Otis Moss III ’92
Author, Poet, Social Activist, Filmmaker; Senior Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Pharrell Williams
Award-winning Recording Artist, Producer, Songwriter, Philanthropist, Fashion Designer, and Entrepreneur
Men’s Creative Director, Louis Vuitton
CANDLE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
John Hope Bryant
Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Financial Literacy Advocate Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Operation HOPE
Acknowledgments
Morehouse College Board of Trustees
Office of the President
Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement
Founder’s Day and Inauguration Committee
Presidential Ambassadors and Student Ceremonial Ushers
Faculty, Staff, Alumni & Friends
Lance Lucas & Associates
R.H. Bolton Inc.
S.T.E.P.S. Event Planning Firm
IJ Creative Design LLC