A Legacy of Gridiron Glory: The History of Morehouse College Football

Morehouse College, a distinguished private, historically black, men's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, has a rich and storied history that extends beyond academics into the realm of athletics. Anchored near downtown Atlanta, the college has a variety of residential dorms and academic buildings east of Ashview Heights. Among its athletic programs, the football team holds a special place, embodying the spirit, tradition, and values of the institution. From its humble beginnings in the late 19th century to its modern-day resurgence, Morehouse football has been a source of pride for the college and a platform for developing accomplished graduates.

The Foundation: From 1892 to the Early 20th Century

The Morehouse College football program traces its roots back to 1892 when the school formed its first football team. During these early years, the team played against other historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and local opponents. These formative years laid the groundwork for the program's future growth and development.

Growth and Competition in the Mid-20th Century

The football program at Morehouse saw significant growth during these decades. The team became a competitive force within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), which consists of HBCUs, making a name for itself within the conference.

The Civil Rights Era and Beyond

Morehouse football continued to thrive during the civil rights era. The team produced standout players and garnered attention for its achievements. However, like many HBCU athletic programs, Morehouse football faced some challenges, including periods of less consistent success on the field.

Modern Resurgence

Morehouse football has experienced resurgence in recent years, with an emphasis on improving facilities, coaching staff, and recruiting. The emphasis on improving facilities, coaching staff, and recruiting reflects a commitment to elevating the program's competitiveness and attractiveness to prospective student-athletes. The Maroon Tigers have enjoyed successful seasons, and their commitment to academic excellence remains a cornerstone of the program.

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The Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic: A Storied Rivalry

The Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic, also known as the Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic, stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of HBCU football. Putting this game in historical context, there are only three other neutral site footballs that have been played longer. Except for the Covid year of 2020, this game has run continuous, as a neutral site classic, since 1936. Only the Rose Bowl (1902, annual since 1916), the Orange Bowl (1935), and the Sugar Bowl (1935) have had a longer streak. The game is the longest running NCAA Division II classic in the nation.

Morehouse and Tuskegee first met in football in 1902. The matchup was formalized as a neutral-site "Classic" in 1936 and was traditionally played at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium in Columbus, GA, for more than eight decades. (The annual series paused in 2020 due to COVID-19.) Columbus represented a midway between the two campuses. Army soldiers in the Columbus-Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), GA and Phenix City, AL area. Across the long rivalry, Tuskegee leads the all-time series, 73-30-8. B.T.The Classic returns to Columbus, GA, after a three-year stint in Birmingham, AL, to A.J. McClung Stadium. This year's game is being billed as the 85th Annual Classic, but The Classic has been played for 88 years, counting the three years in Birmingham. This will be the 114th meeting of the two Tigers on the gridiron, on Saturday, Golden vs. For Morehouse, this classic is the third classic for the Maroon Tigers in four weeks. Morehouse has also participated in the HNCUNY Classic (Sept. 14) and the Chicago Football Classic (Sept.

Facilities and Campus Landmarks

Several facilities and landmarks on the Morehouse College campus are directly or indirectly related to the football program and the broader athletic experience:

Archer Hall: Named after the fifth president of Morehouse College, Samuel H. Archer, it holds the college's recreational facilities such as its gymnasium, swimming pool, and game room.
B. T. Harvey Stadium/Edwin Moses Track: This 9,000-seat stadium, built in 1983, is a central venue for Morehouse football games and track and field events. The track is named after Edwin Moses, the only alumnus to win an Olympic gold medal.
Brazeal Hall: Constructed in 1991, this dormitory housed athletes during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Franklin L. Forbes Arena: This 5,700-seat capacity arena, built for the 1996 Olympic Games, now serves as the main gymnasium for the college's basketball team and hosts various events year-round. In 2018, Morehouse hosted the 2018 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament's South Region Championship and the 2018 McDonald's All American Dunk Contest in Forbes Arena.

Traditions and Campus Culture

The football program is deeply intertwined with the traditions and campus culture of Morehouse College:

New Student Orientation (NSO): The eight-day NSO program culminates with new students ceremoniously initiated as Men of Morehouse. They learn about the legacy of the college, traditions, academic divisions, the brotherhood, and the "Morehouse Mystique." These components complement academic success strategies designed to help them successfully matriculate to Morehouse Men (graduates).
Attire Policy: In October 2009, Morehouse College initiated a campus-wide attire policy that prohibits students from wearing women's clothes, jewelry on their teeth, pajamas as classroom attire, du-rags or bandanas on their heads, or pants which hang below the waist at official college-sponsored events. This dress code is part of the Five Wells which holds that "Morehouse Men are Renaissance Men with a social conscience and global perspective who are Well-Read, Well-Spoken, Well-Traveled, Well-Dressed and Well-Balanced."
The Morehouse College Marching Band (House of Funk): Known for their energetic halftime performances, the House of Funk combines dance and marching with music from various genres, including rap, traditional marching band music, and pop music. They have performed at Super Bowl XXVIII, the Today Show, at Atlanta Falcons home games, and in a national commercial with Morehouse alumnus Samuel Jackson. They gave the halftime show during the 2013 NCAA Men's National Championship basketball game.

Academic Excellence and Notable Alumni

Throughout its history, Morehouse football has not only provided student-athletes with opportunities to pursue their passion for the sport but has also contributed to the college's legacy of producing accomplished graduates who go on to make significant contributions in various fields.

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Morehouse College is accredited by the Commission and Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Morehouse offers more than 30 majors and the Howard Thurman Honors Program which is a selective academic program providing special opportunities for students of outstanding intellectual ability, high motivation, and broad interests. Morehouse College, along with other members of the Atlanta University Center, share the Robert W.

A Continuing Legacy

Morehouse College's football program stands as a testament to the enduring power of sports to inspire, unite, and develop leaders. From its early days to its modern resurgence, the program has remained committed to its core values of academic excellence, leadership development, and service to the community. As the Maroon Tigers continue to compete on the gridiron, they carry with them the rich legacy of Morehouse College and the hopes of future generations of Morehouse Men.

Institutional Overview

Morehouse College is a private, historically black, men's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded by William Jefferson White in 1867 in response to the liberation of enslaved African Americans following the American Civil War, Morehouse stressed preparatory and religious instruction in the Baptist tradition for students who had been prevented from receiving education by former slave laws. Growth in the late 19th and early 20th century led to strengthened finances, higher enrollment, and focus on the liberal arts. The largest men's liberal arts college in the United States, Morehouse has been home to 11 Fulbright Scholars, six Rhodes Scholars, and five Marshall Scholars, and is the alma mater of many celebrated African Americans, including civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and filmmaker Spike Lee.

The institution moved from Augusta, Georgia, to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1879. The school received sponsorship from the American Baptist Home Mission Society, an organization that helped establish several historically Black colleges.

In 1913, the college was renamed Morehouse College, in honor of the Rev. Henry L. Morehouse celebrated several historic milestones in 2013. One century prior, in 1913, Atlanta Baptist College was renamed Morehouse College after Henry Lyman Morehouse, corresponding secretary for the American Baptist Home Mission Society. 2013 was also the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, when Morehouse graduate Martin Luther King Jr., class of 1948, delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The year also marked the 50th anniversary of King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail". In May 2013, President Barack Obama became the first sitting president in three-quarters of a century to deliver a commencement address in Georgia when he took part in Morehouse College's 129th Commencement ceremony. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had given a summer commencement address at the University of Georgia in 1938. In April 2019, Morehouse announced that they will begin admitting transgender men for the first time in the year 2020. In May 2019, Robert F. In June 2020, Reed Hastings and his wife Patty Quillin donated $40 million to Morehouse College to be used as scholarship funds for students enrolled at Morehouse. In January 2022, Morehouse announced the establishment of the Black Men's Research Institute.

Morehouse's governing body is its board of trustees. The Morehouse Board of Trustees has 37 members, including three student trustees and three faculty trustees. The current president of Morehouse is DuBois F. Morehouse is also a member of the Atlanta University Center.

Key Figures in Morehouse History

The college has been led by a number of influential presidents who have shaped its direction and legacy:

The Rev. Joseph T. Robert (1871â1884): The institution's first president.
Samuel T. Graves: Became the second president in 1885.
George Sale: Became the seminary's third president in 1890.
John Hope: Became the first African-American president in 1906 and led the institution's growth in enrollment and academic stature.
Samuel H. Archer: Became the fifth president of the college in 1931 and chose the school colors, maroon and white, to reflect his own alma mater, Colgate University.
Benjamin Mays: Became president in 1940 and became a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr., presiding over the growth in international enrollment and reputation.
Hugh M. Gloster: Became the seventh president in 1967 and established the Morehouse School of Medicine in 1975.
Leroy Keith Jr.: Was named president in 1987.
Walter E. Massey: Became Morehouse's ninth president in 1995.
Robert Michael Franklin Jr.: Was the tenth president of the college.
John Silvanus Wilson: Was announced as the institution's 11th president in November 2012.
David A.

Campus Buildings and Facilities

Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and Aretha Robinson Music Academic Building: A 76,000-square-foot (7,100 m2) facility dedicated on September 29, 2010. The Emma & Joe Adams concert hall is named after Ray Charles' longtime manager and his wife.
Chivers Hall/Lane Hall: The cafeteria of the college, seating 600 people and attached to Mays Hall.
Douglass Hall (LRC): Originally built as the school's student center, it now serves as an academic readiness center.
DuBois Hall: A freshman dorm erected in 1973.
Graves Hall: Home to the Howard Thurman Honors Program and Bonner Scholars. When constructed in the 1880s, it was the tallest building in Atlanta.
Hope Hall: Formerly the Science Building, now holds laboratories for departments that are in other buildings.
Hubert Hall: A freshman dorm.
Kilgore Campus Center: Houses administrative offices, seminar rooms, and lounges.
Living Learning Center (LLC): Formerly known as Thurman Hall.
Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel/Gloster Hall: Built in 1978 as the new auditorium and administration building. It is home to the GandhiâKingâIkeda Reconciliation Institute.
Mays Hall: Named after the sixth president of Morehouse College, Benjamin Mays.
Merrill Hall: The chemistry building, which underwent a renovation in the 2000s that doubled its size.
NabritâMappâMcBay Hall: Houses the Biology department and is also known as 'Bio-Chem'.
Otis Moss Jr. Residential Suites: Apartment, studio, and suite dwellings built in 2003.
Perdue Hall: A residences hall built around the time of the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Robert Hall: The college's first residence hall.
Sale Hall: The department building for religion and philosophy courses.
Shirley A. Massey Executive Conference Center: Houses several large conference rooms and the Bank of America Auditorium.
Walter E. Massey Leadership Center: Houses the Business Administration and Economics departments, the Bonner Office of Community Service, a 500-seat auditorium, and an executive conference center.

Monuments and Memorials

A bronze statue of Martin Luther King Jr. stands at the eastern portion of the main entrance plaza of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel.
An obelisk named in honor of Howard Thurman stands at the western end of the main entrance plaza of King Chapel. The base of the Thurman Obelisk contains the remains of Thurman and his wife.
A statue of Benjamin Mays stands atop a marble monument situated in front of Graves Hall. This monument marks the graves of President Mays and his wife, Sadie Gray Mays.

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