Morehouse College Office of the Presidents, 1890-1967

Dr. John Hope served as Morehouse College's fourth president, and Atlanta University’s fifth president from 1929 until his death in 1936. Hope was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1868. Hope received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University in 1894, and shortly thereafter returned to his home state to teach at Atlanta Baptist College (now Morehouse College) in 1898. He was elected president in 1906, thereby becoming the first African American to serve in that capacity for Atlanta Baptist College. He served as president of the college until July 1931, while simultaneously serving as the first African-American president of Atlanta University. During his tenure as president, Dr. Hope launched the University’s graduate school, he entered into a joint venture with Morehouse College and Spelman College to hold a Summer School, and he started a laboratory school that offered training to students in the Department of Education. In addition, the School of Fine Arts was established, and a new library and athletic field were built during his administration. President Hope was instrumental in persuading the Public Works Administration to initiate a slum clearance program in Atlanta. In 1934, more than $2,000,000 was allocated to buy land and construct the first public housing development in the United States.

Dr. Samuel Archer served as the fifth president of Morehouse College from 1931-1937. Archer was born in Petersburg, Virginia in 1870. Archer received his Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University in 1902, where he was the first African American to play on the Colgate Raiders football team. Archer began teaching mathematics at Morehouse College in 1905, was the football coach until 1908, and again from 1912-1915. Due to World War I, Archer served as acting president in the absence of president Dr. John Hope. In 1920, Archer became the Dean of the College, and in 1931, the president of Morehouse College. Over thirty years, Archer also served as the Morehouse College Summer School Director and witnessed the college’s challenges during the War and a financial depression. Charles Dubois Hubert served a term as acting president from 1937-1940. Hubert was born in Hancock County, Georgia 1880. A graduate of Morehouse Academy in 1905, he went on to receive his bachelor of Arts. from Morehouse College in 1909. In 1912 he earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Rochester Theological Seminary, and in 1923 a Doctor of Divinity was conferred by Morehouse College. From 1932-1933 he continued graduate training at the University of Chicago.

In 1914, Hubert became the director of the School of Religion and served until his death. After the retirement of President Samuel Archer, Dr. Hubert became acting president and he served until the election of President Benjamin E. Mays.