ATLANTA, January 26, 2004-- Morehouse College celebrates its 137th anniversary during Founder’s Week, February 19-22, 2004. As part of the Founder’s Week activities, the College will again host its star-studded premiere “A Candle in the Dark” Gala. This year, for the first time in the history of the Gala, the College will present a “Candle for Lifetime Achievement in Humanitarian Service” award. The recipient of this award will be Oprah Winfrey, talk show host, actress, producer, magazine founder and editorial director, educator and philanthropist.

Also being honored at the 16th annual “A Candle in the Dark” Gala are actor Ossie Davis, syndicated radio host Tom Joyner, retired Chairman of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Jesse Hill, U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, (D) Georgia 2nd District, Morehouse class of 1968, and world renowned surgeon Dr. LaSalle Leffall Jr. (please see below for complete list of honorees).

Honorees at the Gala are presented with either a “Candle” or “Bennie” award. “Candle” recipients receive honors for excellence in a variety of fields including athletics, business, education, entertainment, government, law, military service, religion and science and technology. “Bennie” recipients, who must be graduates of Morehouse, receive recognition in the areas of service, achievement, and trailblazing. The award is named in honor of the late Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, who served as president of Morehouse from 1940 to 1967.

Actress Nicole Ari Parker and actor Boris Kodjoe, who pair as the sizzling duo Terri and Damon on the Showtime series Soul Food, will serve as mistress and master of ceremonies. Honorary co-chairs for the event include Shelton “Spike” Lee, Morehouse class of 1979, and his wife Tanya, and Derek V. Smith, chairman and chief executive officer, ChoicePoint, Inc., and his wife Lisa.

Founder’s Week at Morehouse is a multi-event celebration, which culminates with the annual Morehouse College Glee Club Spring Concert on Sunday, February 22.

Please see below for the full schedule of events.

Thursday, February 19 Founder’s Day Convocation
10:45 a.m.	Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Speaker: Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III,’ 71 Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York President, SUNY College at Old Westbury, Long Island, New York Singing by the Morehouse College Glee Club
Friday, February 20 Founder’s Day Concert
8:00 p.m.	Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Artist: An Evening of Inspiration Featuring Yolanda Adams Tickets Available through TicketMaster Cost: $50 VIP (Reserved Seating) $40 General Admission $20 Students with Valid ID (Limited Number)
Saturday, February 21 Reflections of Excellence
11:00 a.m.	Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Featuring the 2004 “Bennie” and “Candle” Award Recipients (Honorees address the campus community in a panel discussion on their life’s goals and accomplishments.)
“A Candle in the Dark” Gala - Hyatt Regency Hotel
6:30 p.m.	Cocktails Lobby of Centennial Ballroom
7:30 p.m.	Dinner, Dancing and the 16th Annual Bennie and Candle Awards Ceremony Centennial Ballroom Tickets $200 or $300 (VIP)
Sunday, February 22 Founder’s Day Worship Service
11:00 a.m.	Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Speaker: Dr. Peter J. Gomes Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church, Harvard University
Morehouse College Glee Club Spring Concert
4:00 p.m.	Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel
“A Candle in the Dark” Honorees: Bennie Service Howard H. Carey, ’57 President and CEO, Neighborhood House Association (NHA) Bennie Achievement Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr., ’68 (D) Georgia, 2nd District Bennie Trailblazer Isaac Willis ’61 Dermatologist, Northwest Medical Center Candle in Leadership Jesse Hill, Jr. Chairman, Atlanta Life Insurance Company (Retired) Candle in Medicine LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr. Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery Howard University Hospital Candle in Arts & Entertainment Tom Joyner Nationally Syndicated Radio Host Founder, Tom Joyner Foundation Founder, REACH Media, Inc. Candle for Lifetime Achievement in Arts & Entertainment Ossie Davis Acclaimed Actor & Activist Candle for Lifetime Achievement in Humanitarian Service Oprah Winfrey Chairman, Harpo, Inc.

Ranked the number one college in the nation for educating African American students by Black Enterprise magazine, and recognized by The Wall Street Journal as one of the top feeder schools for the 15 most prominent graduate and professional schools in the country, Morehouse College is the nation’s largest, private liberal arts college for men. The College offers 26 majors in three academic divisions: Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Mathematics, and Business and Economics.

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, founder of Jackson Securities and the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.

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