Spelman College Announces New President

Spelman College will have a new president this summer.

The Board of Trustees announced Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell will take over the reins as the college's 10th's president on August 1.


Campbell has served as dean emerita of Tisch School of the Arts for 23 years and university professor at New York University.

Campbell received a B.A. degree in English literature from Swarthmore College, an M.A. in art history from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. in humanities, also from Syracuse.
Current Spelman President Dr. Beverly Tatum will step down at the end of this school year. Over the course of her 13-year career at Spelman, Tatum raised more than $150 million for the institution and increased alumnae giving.

In a statement posted to the University's website, Campbell explained what makes Spelman an extraordinary place for Black women.

Spelman produces more high-quality women who go on to get their PhDs in STEM subjects than any college in this country. That's not an accident. Why? Because if you come here, a black woman is the heart and soul of this college. everyone on this campus is dedicated to her success. And everyone is going to make sure that she graduates with self-knowledge, prepared and ready to take her place in the world. And that's a powerful statement at a time when everybody's wringing their hands about how do we close the gap for underrepresented minorities. Look at the places that have succeeded, look at a place like Spelman, and you'll see the argument for a single-sex college."