Morgan State University
 Morgan State University  (University)    | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Motto | Growing the Future, Leading the World |
| Formation | 1867 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland, USA |
| Type | • Public • HBCU |
| Other name | Bears |
| Historically black Baltimore university. | |
Morgan State University (MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's HBCUs. In 1867, the university, then known as the Centenary Biblical Institute, changed its name to Morgan College to honor Reverend Lyttleton Morgan, the first chairman of its board of trustees and a land donor to the college.[1] It became a university in 1975. MSU is a member of Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Although a public institution, MSU is not part of the University System of Maryland. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".[2]
History
In 1915 Andrew Carnegie gave the school a grant of $50,000 for a central academic building. The terms of the grant included the purchase of a new site for the College, payment of all outstanding obligations, and the construction of a building to be named after him. The College met the conditions and moved to its present site in northeast Baltimore in 1917. Then a controversy exploded: in 1918, the white community of Lauraville was incensed that the Ivy Mill property, where Morgan was to be built, had been sold to a "negro" college. It attempted to have the sale revoked by filing suit in the circuit court in Towson, which dismissed the suit. They then appealed the case to the state Court of Appeals.[3] The appellate court upheld the lower court decision, finding no basis that siting the college at this location would constitute a public nuisance.[4] Despite some ugly threats and several demonstrations against the project, Morgan College was constructed at the new site and later expanded. Carnegie Hall, the oldest original building on the present MSU campus, was erected a year later.
Morgan remained a private institution until 1939. That year, the state of Maryland purchased the school in response to a state study that Maryland needed to provide more opportunities for its black citizens. Morgan College became Morgan State College. In 1975, Morgan added several doctoral programs and its board of directors petitioned the Maryland Legislature to be granted university status.
In 2020, MacKenzie Scott donated $40 million to Morgan State. The donation is the largest in Morgan State's history and one of the largest ever to a HBCU.[5]
An Alumnus on Wikispooks
| Person | Born | Died | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtis Smothers | 26 August 1943 | 14 May 2012 | Academic Lawyer Judge |
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070927193139/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/visitor/college/bal-hl-morgan,0,5357177.story?coll=bal-health-headlines
- ↑ https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=163453
- ↑ Harrison, Miles Jr.; Chip Silverman (2001). Ten Bears. USA: Positive Publications. p. 19.
- ↑ https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/3490882/diggs-v-morgan-college/
- ↑ https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-morgan-state-university-gift-20201215-stmov4opmngepomsv5t635ntpi-story.html
