Griffin Speaks

I HAD NO GIFT TO GIVE

On May 20, 2000, I returned to my alma mater, Morehouse College to celebrate my twentieth reunion. I was very excited because I would see some students that I had not seen in 20 years. I was also excited because I had managed to lose fifty pounds. I was the same size that I was my freshman year.

I did not tell anyone that I had lost weight. I walked around as though I had been able to avoid the bulge. Many of my classmates were not as fortunate. Many returned unrecognizable. Almost all of them were extremely financially successful. Several of them were very wealthy.

We all attended a meeting on Saturday, May 20th. At this meeting we were asked by our Junior Class President, Attorney Steve Francis to give a donation. Our Senior Class President, Fred Crear is deceased. I was amazed at the number of my classmates that were able to write checks for two or three thousand dollars without blinking their eye.

I became sad and depressed, because I had no gift to give. I simply could not write a check for any significant amount. Earlier investments and a frugal wife precluded me from writing the check that I wish I could have written. My wife still has money that was given to her as a child.

After the class meeting I returned to my hotel room at the Ritz Carlton in downtown Atlanta. I was so depressed I went to bed. Many of my classmates partied well into the night and were not able to attend the Commencement exercises the following day. Ironically, only my college roommate, David Thornton joined me for the Commencement.

I did not share with David my embarrassment at not being able to give a large financial gift. We reminisced for a short time before the grand march. As we marched I told some of the graduating students as we passed them in line: “See how you are going to look in twenty years.” They laughed, but I was flattered when one guy responded, “I hope I can look as well as you in twenty years.”

This was a historic Commencement because at 27, Nima Warfield, the first African-American Rhodes Scholar from a historically black college or university was the youngest Commencement speaker in the college’s history. Warfield earned his first bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College and his second bachelor’s degree from Oxford University and a master’s degree from the University of London. At the time Warfield was a copy editor for the Wall Street Journal.

As happy as I was to have the opportunity to hear Nima Warfield’s speech, I was still sad about having no gift to give at my twentieth reunion. I looked up into the heavens and asked God to take the pain away. Then something happened beyond belief.

I learned that Nima Warfield’s mentor at Morehouse College was Dr. Melvin B. Rahming, one of Morehouse’s most distinguished professors. He is second only to the legendary Dr. Abraham Davis. Dr. Davis was the professor that nominated me for induction into Phi Beta Kappa.

My depression left me immediately. You see twenty-four years ago I was responsible for Morehouse hiring Dr. Rahming. I was sitting outside on Peachtree Street eating lunch when Dr. Rahming said hello to me. We engaged in conversation and I learned that he had a PHD in English. He told me that he was vacationing from the Bahamas and would be returning the following day. I asked him if he would like an opportunity to teach at Morehouse College. He looked at me as though he had seen a ghost. He said: “ I would love the opportunity to teach at Morehouse.” I told him that I was the former studentbody president and would just need to make a phone call to the college President, Dr. Hugh Gloster.

He accompanied me back to my office where I made the call. Dr. Gloster was very receptive. He scheduled an appointment for Dr. Rahming to meet with the Chairman of the English Department, Dr. William Pickens. The rest is history. Dr. Rahming was hired. He has served Morehouse for twenty-four years. He has taught thousands of Morehouse men.

My depression subsided as I realized that I had made a tremendous contribution even though it was not in the form of a check. It just goes to show you never know where saying hello to a perfect stranger can lead you.

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles at www.greggriffin.com