General

Presented by Albion College and the NAACP Albion Branch, the 2021 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation and Community Celebration will feature University of Michigan virologist A. Oveta Fuller, Ph.D. (left), an ordained itinerant elder and former pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, as guest speaker during the virtual Zoom event, which begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 4.

Dr. Mathew Johnson, president of Albion College, shared a message with the Albion College community following the January 6 assault on the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Former Albion College President Bernard T. Lomas passed away December 24, 2020 in Grand Rapids at the age of 96. Lomas, who served as the College’s 12th president from 1970 to 1983, guided the institution into a new era of experiential learning and student leadership development, building on Albion’s liberal arts foundation.

Albion College, the Battle Creek YMCA and the City of Albion are banding together to provide recreational facilities and activities for the community. Using the College-owned former Washington Gardner School and other College-owned facilities, plans are being considered to renovate portions of the school including the gym, the cafeteria and the multipurpose room.

“I am proud and excited to welcome Keith and Tim,” said Michael Harrington, ’85, chair of Albion College’s Board of Trustees. “I have known Keith for years as both a classmate and a friend and I know Tim’s quality and enthusiasm for Albion. The College is headed in new and exciting directions under President Mathew Johnson, and I am thrilled Keith and Tim will help us on that journey.”

In a year full of strife and uncertainty, Caryn Ryan, ’79, wanted to do her part to make sure the year also ended with hope. “Healing is a really big thing and this giving was a function of that,” said Ryan, whose matching gift of $20.20 to Albion College’s Student Assistance Fund came on a day that saw an Albion College Giving Tuesday-record 386 gifts from 343 donors.

Retired Provost Susan Conner passed away November 28 in Jackson. During her six years of service to Albion College, Conner, a French historian, developed and strengthened programs that distinguish Albion among its peers nationwide. “Susan was an inspired scholar and a generous colleague,” said professor of French Dianne Guenin-Lelle, adding that she “was an inspiration whom I will miss very much.”

In her new role, Chief Belonging Officer and Title IX Coordinator Keena Williams is leading the College’s journey to a place where everyone not only has a seat at the table, but “everybody’s heard at the table, everybody has ownership at the table.”

Albion College, one of the top 50 innovative liberal arts colleges in the country, has announced the Albion College Promise, an extensive scholarship program aimed at Michigan families who have college affordability concerns due to COVID-19.

Nearly 42,000 gifts and pledges totaling more than $101 million across four key priorities lead to the campaign’s conclusion 18 months ahead of schedule. The success underscores the interconnected impact experienced every day by Albion students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends, and boldly sets up the College for an engaged, purpose-driven future.