| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 112 2931 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | Senate Resolution 170 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Burns of the 23rd, Jones II of the 22nd, Beach of the 21st, |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | Harrell of the 40th and others |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A RESOLUTION |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | Recognizing February 18, 2025, as Clark Atlanta University Day at the state capitol; and for |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | 1 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | other purposes.2 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University was established in 1988 upon the consolidation of its3 |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | two parent institutions: Atlanta University, founded in 1865 by the American Missionary4 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | Association, and Clark University, founded in 1869 by the Freedmen's Aid Society of the5 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Methodist Episcopal Church and later renamed Clark College; and6 |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University was the nation's first four-year liberal arts college to7 |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | serve a primarily African American student population; and8 |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, the university's four schools offer 40 academic programs to 3,920 students9 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | annually, contributing to the future workforce through training in technology, engineering,10 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | and education as well as fostering leadership within Georgia; and11 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University has launched its first comprehensive campaign,12 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Centered on Lifting Lives and Leading the Way, a ten-year initiative aimed at raising $25013 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | million to support catalytic investments in students, faculty, infrastructure, and research,14 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | including efforts to cure prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease, promote entrepreneurship,15 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | S. R. 170 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | - 1 - 25 LC 112 2931 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | and address social and racial injustices, distinguishing Clark Atlanta University as an |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | 16 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | institution of choice; and17 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University received a record-breaking 46,414 applications for the18 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Class of 2028, marking a 6 percent increase from the previous year and an 18 percent19 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | increase since 2022, with an average admitted first-time freshman GPA of 3.7, up from 2.920 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | in 2021; and21 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University's economic impact on the State of Georgia consists of22 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | $541 million in combined gross sales, a direct impact of $400 million, and labor producing23 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | 3,282 full- and part-time jobs that contribute to Georgia's economy; and24 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is a founding member of the Georgia Research25 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | Alliance and is home to the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, one26 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | of the nation's largest academic prostate cancer research centers, which provides27 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | opportunities for high-caliber basic and translational research, trains the next generation of28 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | scientists in cancer research, and offers an educational environment for community outreach,29 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | prevention, early detection, and the treatment of prostate cancer; and30 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University additionally houses the Center for Innovation and31 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | Entrepreneurial Development, one of the nation's most progressive forums integrating32 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | traditional academics with market research, intelligence, and innovation to enhance the33 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | competitiveness of the university's graduates and local entrepreneurs; and34 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is the first private historically Black university to host35 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, America's most prestigious honor society for all academic36 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | disciplines, in addition to the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Phi Eta Sigma37 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | S. R. 170 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | - 2 - 25 LC 112 2931 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | Honor Society, the Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, and several discipline-specific honor |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 38 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | societies; and39 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is an important contributor to local, regional, and40 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | national communities, engaging more than 1,000 student and faculty volunteers annually in41 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | service to local nonprofit organizations; supporting the educational systems of Fulton,42 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, and nearby Georgia counties; and continuing to reach43 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | beyond the campus footprint to address critical issues through purposeful service; and44 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University is home to WCLK Jazz 91.9 FM, Atlanta's jazz45 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | station, which is celebrating 50 years of service to the community; and46 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | WHEREAS, Clark Atlanta University has produced stellar alumni who constitute47 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | irreplaceable threads in the fabric of the State of Georgia and America as a whole, including48 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | Fletcher Henderson, AU '19; Grace Towns Hamilton, AU '27; Irma Jackson Clayton Wertz,49 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | AU '35; Evelyn Gibson Lowery, CC '46; Mary Frances Early, CC '57; The Honorable Brenda50 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | Hill Cole, AU '67; Georgia State Representative Sheila Jones, CC 74-78; Kenny Leon, CC51 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | '79; Helen Smith Price, AU '81; Georgia State Senator Horacena Tate, AU '88, CAU '92;52 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | Anthony White, CAU '99; Bomani Jones, CAU '01; Tharon Johnson, CAU '02; and Lorin53 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | Crawford, CAU '13; and54 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | WHEREAS, under the leadership of President Dr. George T. French Jr., Clark Atlanta55 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | University has received the largest unrestricted donation in the university's history, and Dr.56 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | French has stewarded the addition of the Propel Center, which will support Clark Atlanta57 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | University, the Atlanta University Center, and the entire HBCU community, which includes58 |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | more than 100 colleges and universities, through a robust virtual platform accessible to all59 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | HBCU students and faculty. Founding partners Apple and Southern Company, along with60 |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | S. R. 170 |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | - 3 - 25 LC 112 2931 |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | strategic partner the Walt Disney Company, have each made major investments toward the |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | 61 |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | development and launch of the center.62 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body63 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | recognize and commend Clark Atlanta University as well as President Dr. George T. French64 |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | Jr. for his leadership, extensive experience, and unwavering dedication to higher education;65 |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | he serves as the longest-tenured HBCU president in the nation and has worked tirelessly to66 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | attract talented scholars to the State of Georgia.67 |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body recognize February 18, 2025,68 |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | as Clark Atlanta University Day at the state capitol.69 |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed70 |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to Clark Atlanta71 |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | University and President Dr. George T. French Jr.72 |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | S. R. 170 |
|---|
| 89 | 89 | | - 4 - |
|---|