SR 170: Clark Atlanta University Day; recognize February 18, 2025

Senate Resolution 170

By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Burns of the 23rd, Jones II of the 22nd, Beach of the 21st, Harrell of the 40th and others

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing February 18, 2025, as Clark Atlanta University Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University was established in 1988 upon the consolidation of its two parent institutions: Atlanta University, founded in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, and Clark University, founded in 1869 by the Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church and later renamed Clark College; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University was the nation's first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily African American student population; and

WHEREAS, the university's four schools offer 40 academic programs to 3,920 students annually, contributing to the future workforce through training in technology, engineering, and education as well as fostering leadership within Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University has launched its first comprehensive campaign, Centered on Lifting Lives and Leading the Way, a ten-year initiative aimed at raising $250 million to support catalytic investments in students, faculty, infrastructure, and research, including efforts to cure prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease, promote entrepreneurship, and address social and racial injustices, distinguishing Clark Atlanta University as an institution of choice; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University received a record-breaking 46,414 applications for the Class of 2028, marking a 6 percent increase from the previous year and an 18 percent increase since 2022, with an average admitted first-time freshman GPA of 3.7, up from 2.9 in 2021; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University's economic impact on the State of Georgia consists of $541 million in combined gross sales, a direct impact of $400 million, and labor producing 3,282 full- and part-time jobs that contribute to Georgia's economy; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is a founding member of the Georgia Research Alliance and is home to the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, one of the nation's largest academic prostate cancer research centers, which provides opportunities for high-caliber basic and translational research, trains the next generation of scientists in cancer research, and offers an educational environment for community outreach, prevention, early detection, and the treatment of prostate cancer; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University additionally houses the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development, one of the nation's most progressive forums integrating traditional academics with market research, intelligence, and innovation to enhance the competitiveness of the university's graduates and local entrepreneurs; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is the first private historically Black university to host a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, America's most prestigious honor society for all academic disciplines, in addition to the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, the Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, and several discipline-specific honor societies; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is an important contributor to local, regional, and national communities, engaging more than 1,000 student and faculty volunteers annually in service to local nonprofit organizations; supporting the educational systems of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, and nearby Georgia counties; and continuing to reach beyond the campus footprint to address critical issues through purposeful service; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is home to WCLK Jazz 91.9 FM, Atlanta's jazz station, which is celebrating 50 years of service to the community; and

WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University has produced stellar alumni who constitute irreplaceable threads in the fabric of the State of Georgia and America as a whole, including Fletcher Henderson, AU '19; Grace Towns Hamilton, AU '27; Irma Jackson Clayton Wertz, AU '35; Evelyn Gibson Lowery, CC '46; Mary Frances Early, CC '57; The Honorable Brenda Hill Cole, AU '67; Georgia State Representative Sheila Jones, CC 74-78; Kenny Leon, CC '79; Helen Smith Price, AU '81; Georgia State Senator Horacena Tate, AU '88, CAU '92; Anthony White, CAU '99; Bomani Jones, CAU '01; Tharon Johnson, CAU '02; and Lorin Crawford, CAU '13; and

WHEREAS, under the leadership of President Dr. George T. French Jr., Clark Atlanta University has received the largest unrestricted donation in the university's history, and Dr. French has stewarded the addition of the Propel Center, which will support Clark Atlanta University, the Atlanta University Center, and the entire HBCU community, which includes more than 100 colleges and universities, through a robust virtual platform accessible to all HBCU students and faculty. Founding partners Apple and Southern Company, along with strategic partner the Walt Disney Company, have each made major investments toward the development and launch of the center.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and commend Clark Atlanta University as well as President Dr. George T. French Jr. for his leadership, extensive experience, and unwavering dedication to higher education; he serves as the longest-tenured HBCU president in the nation and has worked tirelessly to attract talented scholars to the State of Georgia.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body recognize February 18, 2025, as Clark Atlanta University Day at the state capitol.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Clark Atlanta University and President Dr. George T. French Jr.