Spelman College's Rockerfeller Hall

The Board of Trustees of Spelman College has appointed Dr. Beverly Danies Tatum as the institution's ninth president. Dr. Tatum, a scholar, teacher, author and administrator, will assume her duties at Spelman in August 2002.

"The Board, and especially the members of the Search Committee, has worked diligently to find the right woman to lead and inspire Spelman College," said Trustee Chair Dr. June Gary Hopps.

"We have selected the best and we are confident that Dr. Tatum will build on Spelman's traditions and enhance Spelman's mission to develop the intellectual, ethical and leadership potential of its students," Dr. Hopps added.

Dr. Tatum comes to Spelman from a 13-year career at Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts) where she is acting president and dean of the college.
Her noted book, "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and Other Conversations About Race," exploded on the national scene in 1997; and she has been a featured lecturer on the subject of race relations, appearing on several panels around the country, including President Clinton's Initiatives on Race.

Prior to joining Mount Holyoke, she was an Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at Westfield State College in Westfield, Mass. And a lecturer at the University of California at Santa Barbara's Department of Black Studies.

A fourth generation professor, Dr. Tatum was raised in Bridgewater, Mass. She earned a B.A. degree from Wesleyan University in psychology and a M.A. degree and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc. (NCBM) wrapped up its 28th Annual Convention in Jackson, Miss. with more than 200 of the nation's 500 plus African Americans mayors in attendance.

The four-day conference, hosted by Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, brought together members of a political force that, collectively, represents more than 25 million constituents.

Attendance topped out at approximately 2,000 conventioneers - including more than 80 women mayors.

Workshops, activities and festivities flowed smoothly throughout the week and included seminars on subjects such as "Planning for Your Small Town and Rural Community; Issues, Alternatives and Opportunities," "The Census Bureau: Data for Your Communities," "Fannie Mae's Foundation's Knowledgeplex," "USDA and Forest Service Programs," and "Welfare Reform and Social Justice."

Officers elected at this 28th annual meeting included Mayor Marilyn Murrell, Arcadia, Oklahoma-President; Mayor Marcia Glenn, Lithonia, Georgia - 1st Vice President; Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jackson, Miss. - 2nd Vice President; and Mayor Roosevelt Dorn, Inglewood, California - 3rd Vice President. Mayor Lee Brown and the City of Houston, Texas, will host the Annual Meeting in the year 2003 and Mayor John Street of Philadelphia (PA) and will host the Conference in the year 2004.