ATLANTA, February 13, 2003 -- For 15 years, Morehouse College has been honoring African-American men who are leaders in their professional fields of discipline. This year, the College is honored to include among those great men, Ed Bradley, senior correspondent for CBS News 60 Minutes.

On Saturday, February 15, Mr. Bradley will receive the Candle Award in Journalism and join the ranks of previous Candle recipients such as academy award-winning actor Denzel Washington, entertainer Ray Charles, civil rights activist Reverend C.T. Vivian, music producer Quincy Jones and former CNN anchor Bernard Shaw, to name a few.

As part of the 136th anniversary of the founding of the College, the “A Candle in the Dark” Gala serves as one of the College’s major fundraising activities that generates revenue for the institution’s endowed scholarship fund.

The Gala is named “A Candle in the Dark” after the official history book of Morehouse College. The event carries the same name in order to illustrate the College’s strong ties to its history.

“Candle” recipients are honored for excellence in a variety of fields including athletics, business, education, journalism, entertainment, government, law, the military services, religion, and science and technology.

“Bennie” recipients are graduates of the College who receive recognition in the categories of service, achievement, and trailblazing. The award is named in honor of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, who served as president of Morehouse from 1940-1967, and is considered a legend among all alumni.

The mistress of ceremonies for the Gala is Emmy award-winning actress Lynn Whitfield.

The full list of honorees is below:

• Candle Award in Journalism: Edward Bradley-Senior Correspondent for CBS News 60 Minutes
• Candle Award in Business: Robert L. Johnson-Founder/Chairman Black Entertainment Television, Owner NBA expansion team, Charlotte, N.C.
• Candle Award in Science: Keith L. Black-Director, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Division of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• Candle Award in Education: Kwame Anthony Appiah-Distinguished Author and Philosopher, Laurence S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy, Princeton University
• Bennie Trailblazer Award: Willie "Flash" Davis '56-Prominent Criminal Defense Attorney and Litigator, Partner with Davis, Robinson & White, LLP
• Bennie Service Award: Jeh Charles Johnson '79- Former General Counsel for the United States Air Force, Litigation Partner with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
• Bennie Achievement Award: Harold A. Dawson, Sr. '63- Distinguished Entrepreneur and Real Estate Developer, Chairman and CEO, Harold A. Dawson Company

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Ranked the number one college in the nation for educating African American students by Black Enterprise magazine, Morehouse College is the nation’s largest, private liberal arts college for men. Founded in 1867, the College enrolls approximately 3,000 students. Morehouse is one of the only Historically Black Colleges or Universities to produce two Rhodes Scholars, Nima A. Warfield, who was the first African-American Rhodes Scholar from Historically Black College or University, and Christopher Elders who received the honor in 2001.

Prominent alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civil rights leader; Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General and director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine; Sheldon “Spike” Lee, filmmaker and president of 40 Acres & A Mule Productions; Maynard H. Jackson, president of Jackson Securities and the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.