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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
1
other purposes.2
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University was established in 1988 upon the consolidation of its3
two parent institutions: Atlanta University, founded in 1865 by the American Missionary4
Association, and Clark University, founded in 1869 by the Freedmen's Aid Society of the5
Methodist Episcopal Church and later renamed Clark College; and6
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University was the nation's first four-year liberal arts college to7
serve a primarily African American student population; and8
WHEREAS, the university's four schools offer 40 academic programs to 3,920 students9
annually, contributing to the future workforce through training in technology, engineering,10
and education as well as fostering leadership within Georgia; and11
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University has launched its first comprehensive campaign,12
Centered on Lifting Lives and Leading the Way, a ten-year initiative aimed at raising $25013
million to support catalytic investments in students, faculty, infrastructure, and research,14
including efforts to cure prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease, promote entrepreneurship,15
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and address social and racial injustices, distinguishing Clark Atlanta University as an
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institution of choice; and17
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University received a record-breaking 46,414 applications for the18
Class of 2028, marking a 6 percent increase from the previous year and an 18 percent19
increase since 2022, with an average admitted first-time freshman GPA of 3.7, up from 2.920
in 2021; and21
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University's economic impact on the State of Georgia consists of22
$541 million in combined gross sales, a direct impact of $400 million, and labor producing23
3,282 full- and part-time jobs that contribute to Georgia's economy; and24
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is a founding member of the Georgia Research25
Alliance and is home to the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, one26
of the nation's largest academic prostate cancer research centers, which provides27
opportunities for high-caliber basic and translational research, trains the next generation of28
scientists in cancer research, and offers an educational environment for community outreach,29
prevention, early detection, and the treatment of prostate cancer; and30
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University additionally houses the Center for Innovation and31
Entrepreneurial Development, one of the nation's most progressive forums integrating32
traditional academics with market research, intelligence, and innovation to enhance the33
competitiveness of the university's graduates and local entrepreneurs; and34
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is the first private historically Black university to host35
a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, America's most prestigious honor society for all academic36
disciplines, in addition to the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Phi Eta Sigma37
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Honor Society, the Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, and several discipline-specific honor
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societies; and39
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is an important contributor to local, regional, and40
national communities, engaging more than 1,000 student and faculty volunteers annually in41
service to local nonprofit organizations; supporting the educational systems of Fulton,42
DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, and nearby Georgia counties; and continuing to reach43
beyond the campus footprint to address critical issues through purposeful service; and44
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is home to WCLK Jazz 91.9 FM, Atlanta's jazz45
station, which is celebrating 50 years of service to the community; and46
WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University has produced stellar alumni who constitute47
irreplaceable threads in the fabric of the State of Georgia and America as a whole, including48
Fletcher Henderson, AU '19; Grace Towns Hamilton, AU '27; Irma Jackson Clayton Wertz,49
AU '35; Evelyn Gibson Lowery, CC '46; Mary Frances Early, CC '57; The Honorable Brenda50
Hill Cole, AU '67; Georgia State Representative Sheila Jones, CC 74-78; Kenny Leon, CC51
'79; Helen Smith Price, AU '81; Georgia State Senator Horacena Tate, AU '88, CAU '92;52
Anthony White, CAU '99; Bomani Jones, CAU '01; Tharon Johnson, CAU '02; and Lorin53
Crawford, CAU '13; and54
WHEREAS, under the leadership of President Dr. George T. French Jr., Clark Atlanta55
University has received the largest unrestricted donation in the university's history, and Dr.56
French has stewarded the addition of the Propel Center, which will support Clark Atlanta57
University, the Atlanta University Center, and the entire HBCU community, which includes58
more than 100 colleges and universities, through a robust virtual platform accessible to all59
HBCU students and faculty. Founding partners Apple and Southern Company, along with60
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strategic partner the Walt Disney Company, have each made major investments toward the
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development and launch of the center.62
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body63
recognize and commend Clark Atlanta University as well as President Dr. George T. French64
Jr. for his leadership, extensive experience, and unwavering dedication to higher education;65
he serves as the longest-tenured HBCU president in the nation and has worked tirelessly to66
attract talented scholars to the State of Georgia.67
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body recognize February 18, 2025,68
as Clark Atlanta University Day at the state capitol.69
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed70
to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Clark Atlanta71
University and President Dr. George T. French Jr.72
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