Dr. Robert M. Franklin, President of Morehouse College, to Step Down

On June 30, 2012, Robert M. Franklin, class of 1975, will step down as president of Morehouse College, after five years of service.

The board of trustees will recognize Franklin with its most prestigious rank: President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor.

“Dr. Franklin has served an integral role leading the renaissance of Morehouse, and his dedication is greatly appreciated,” said Robert Davidson, chairman of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees in a released statement. “In addition to his years of service, Robert has led by example, dedicating a substantial portion of his time to community service, which is one of the core values that Morehouse seeks to instill in each and every one of its students. We will miss him as the board endeavors to find a successor who will help to usher the college into a new era.”

Following his departure as president, Franklin plans to spend his sabbatical as a Scholar in Residence at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Institute and plans to return to Morehouse in the role of Distinguished Professor of Social Ethics.

“I look forward to a sabbatical during which I intend to travel, write, speak and interview leaders about the condition of boys and men in the U.S. and around the globe, research that I began years ago in my book, Crisis in the Village,” said Franklin. “I am grateful to the board of trustees for the invitation to return as President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Social Ethics, and the opportunity to continue supporting the mission of Morehouse in a different way.”

If a new president has not been selected by July 1, 2012, Franklin will continue in his current role until a new president has been selected by the board, but no later than Dec. 31, 2012.