John Hope was born in Augusta, Georgia back in 1868 to James and Mary. He was eight when his father died leaving school in the eighth grade to help support the family. Undeterred he saved enough money to put himself through school graduating from Worcester Academy in 1890. He continued his education graduating from Brown University in 1894.
After graduation he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he began his teaching career. In 1898, he was chosen to be president of Atlanta Baptist College, where he stayed until his death in 1936. His tenure was interrupted by WWI, when he served as the YMCA secretary. After being discharged he organized the Commission on Interracial Cooperation serving as its first president.
What you may not know about John is that his father was white and his mother was black. While he looked white he identified with the African-American community. He was the first African-American to serve as president of both Morehouse College and Atlanta University. While there he worked to develop graduate programs.
Your day is worthwhile when you make someone smile, so give the free gift of a smile today
Comments(21)