ATLANTA (AP) — Morehouse College President David Thomas announced that he will retire next year, saying it is time for new leadership at the prominent all-male, historically Black school he has led since 2018.
Thomas, 67, said in a statement Friday that he will retire June 30, 2025, noting that “the most challenging moment for a leader is to know when it is in his and the institution’s best interest to step down.”
“After countless hours of reflection, I believe Morehouse’s future potential requires new leadership. The next president will inherit a robust platform from which to build an agenda and vision that will accelerate and enhance the positive trajectory of the College,” he said. He plans to remain on the school faculty.
The board of trustees said it will begin a search for Thomas’ replacement.
During Thomas’ tenure, Morehouse’s enrollment grew from 1,700 to 2,200 and he said applications are at an all-time high, reaching nearly 3,600 last year. The school’s endowment has more than doubled, to $280 million, and it has embarked on a $170 million project to improve campus facilities.
“We stand on much firmer financial ground than 10 years ago,” he said.
Thomas was criticized by some faculty, students and alumni this year for inviting President Joe Biden to speak at the school’s graduation ceremony because of the president’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas. Thomas met with protest leaders, but he didn’t rescind the invitation.
Morehouse is one of the nation’s preeminent historically Black universities. Its alumni include civil rights icon the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his father, film director Spike Lee, former presidential candidate and business executive Herman Cain, actor Samuel L. Jackson and Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses.