John S. Wilson Jr., the executive director of the Obama administration’s Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, has been named president of Morehouse College, the renowned Black college for men in Atlanta.

Wilson, who succeeds Robert M. Franklin, will officially assume the role as the college’s 11th president at the end of January 2013.  
“I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity,” Wilson said in an interview with BET.com. “And it’s not just because it’s my alma mater, but because it represents a chance to make a historically Black college competitive in every way with the best in the world.”
Wilson said that his goal of making Morehouse competitive with other major American universities reflects “every aspect of its operation, from the education experience to the human resources, facilities, the financial stability and everything else that ties to those things.”
Morehouse has a storied history, having been led from 1940 to 1967 by the renowned educator and minister Benjamin Elijah Mays. It was the first predominantly Black college to produce a Rhodes Scholar. It is the alma mater of some of the nation’s most prominent African-American figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., theologian Howard Thurman and filmmaker Spike Lee.
In recent years, however, it has had some struggles, financially and otherwise. Last month, the college announced it would make budget cuts due to lower-than-expected enrollment.
“John has been a trusted voice, helping my administration follow through on our commitment to strengthen historically Black colleges and universities,” said President Obama, in a statement. “I wish John the best as he takes on this important new role as the president of Morehouse College and as he continues to inspire more of our nation's youth to pursue higher education.”
Wilson, a 1979 graduate of Morehouse, is a former associate professor at George Washington University, where his research focused on finance in higher education and the role of Black colleges and universities. He also worked for 16 years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, serving as the director of foundation relations and assistant provost.

BET National News - Keep up to date with breaking news stories from around the nation, including headlines from the hip hop and entertainment world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

(Photo: News One)