John Silvanus Wilson
| John Silvanus Wilson, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 11th President of Morehouse College | |
|
Assumed office January 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Michael Franklin, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse(s) | Carol Espy-Wilson |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater |
Morehouse College Harvard University |
| Profession | Education |
| Website |
www |
John Silvanus Wilson, Jr. is the 11th president of Morehouse College. Before returning to lead his alma mater in 2013, Wilson served in posts in the United States Department of Education, at George Washington University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Early life and education
John Silvanus Wilson, Jr. was born and raised in Philadelphia. His father was a clergyman who graduated from Virginia Union University. His mother, a teacher, graduated from Morgan State University.[1]
Wilson attended Morehouse College and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979, majoring in business, with a minor in religion and philosophy. He was then accepted in graduate programs at Harvard University and pursued a Masters in Theology (1981), a Masters in Education (1982), and a Doctorate in Education (1985).[2] He concentrated his doctoral studies on education administration, planning and social policy.[3]
Career
Wilson was an administrator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1984 until 2000, becoming its Director of Foundation Relations and Assistant Provost. During this time, he also served as a teaching fellow at Harvard in their African American Studies program, and in the Graduate School of Education.[1]
In 2001, Wilson was named the Executive Dean of the George Washington University's (GWU) Virginia campus.[1] GWU appointed him an Associate Professor of Higher Education in 2006.[4]
In the presidential administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, Wilson was named to head the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.[5] Here, beginning in 2009, he served as a liaison between these higher education institutions and the federal government's many agencies.[4]
Wilson was appointed the 11th president of Morehouse College in 2012.[3] Morehouse is the only college in the United States that provides men only liberal arts college education, with focus on African Americans.[1]
Other activities
While at MIT, Wilson was the head of the Boston area Morehouse alumni association and received the college's Benjamin Elijah Mays Leadership Award in 1998. Wilson has served on the governing boards of Spelman College, the Andover Newton Theological School, and The Samaritans. He has also served on the advisory board of the Kresge Foundation and as a consultant to the United Negro College Fund.[1]
Personal
Wilson is married to engineering professor Carol Espy-Wilson, and has twin daughters and a son.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Morehouse College Biography". Morehouse College. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
- ↑ Brown, Nell Porter (2013-09-25). "Morehouse College president returns to rebuild ailing institution | Harvard Magazine Nov-Dec 2013". Harvardmagazine.com. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
- 1 2 "Morehouse names president". Atlanta Journal Constitution. 2014-04-03. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
- 1 2 "John Silvanus Wilson Jr.". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-04-12.
- ↑ "John Silvanus Wilson, Jr., Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities —Biography". ed.gov. 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2014-04-12.