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ATLANTA, Sept. 14, 1998 - When a college president moves back on campus (after a 30-year hiatus), into a brand new multi-faceted facility maintained with the help of a $1 million gift from an alumnus of the school, that's cause to celebrate.

The Morehouse College family will do just that with a dedication and naming ceremony for DAVIDSON HOUSE Center for Excellence, following the College's Opening Convocation, Sept. 17 at noon on the lawn of the House, located at 833 Fair Street.

The $1.5 million-facility serves as a venue for meetings, conferences and fund-raising activities, as well as the home of President Walter E. Massey and his wife, Shirley. It marks the first time in nearly 30 years that the College's first family resides on campus - a tradition that dates back to the turn of the century.

The top level of DAVIDSON HOUSE includes living quarters on one side and a guest suite on the other. The main level, which features a great room, kitchen, formal dining room, library, and living room, and the lower level, which has office space and four conference rooms, will be used for meetings, seminars, and small-group dinners and receptions.

DAVIDSON HOUSE was designed by Moody/Nolan Ltd., Inc., a Columbus, Ohio-based architectural firm. A 14-member committee - that included Moody/Nolan officials and Morehouse alumni, administrators, staff, faculty and students - was the chief planner for the facility, which took two years to complete from conception to construction. The facility was paid for with plant funds ($800,000) and funds from the sale of a former presidential residence ($700,000). The College plans to replenish the plant funds through fund raising.

DAVIDSON HOUSE is named for alumnus Robert C. Davidson, Jr., a 1967 graduate of the College, to honor his $1 million gift, the largest cash commitment from an alumnus. Davidson, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based Surface Protection Industries, is also a member of the Morehouse Board of Trustees and has a son, Robert III, at Morehouse.

"As an alumnus, parent and trustee, I speak firsthand to the quality of a Morehouse education. It is because I believe so strongly in this institution that I commit my time and resources to advancing the College in every way I can. I want to encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting academic excellence at Morehouse."

Several members of the local clergy will participate in the dedication program, which will also include selections by the world-renowned Morehouse College Glee Club.

President Massey said the involvement of the clergy in the ceremony makes a statement about the College's commitment to being a viable and active member of the community.

"DAVIDSON HOUSE is not just a president's residence, or even a place for meetings, but a place that makes a statement about the Morehouse embracing the community," President Massey said.

Founded in 1867, Morehouse is the nation's only historically black, private liberal arts college for men. The College enrolls approximately 3,000 students and graduates 500 each year, conferring bachelor's degrees on more black men than any other institution in the world. Prominent alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civil rights leader; David Satcher, U.S. surgeon general and former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Samuel L. Jackson, motion picture actor and Academy Award nominee; Spike Lee, filmmaker and president of 40 Acres and A Mule Productions; and Edwin C. Moses, Olympic gold medalist and financial consultant for Robinson-Humphrey Co. Inc.