Carver scholar visits campus

Keesia Wirt
January 14, 1997

In part of a continuing effort to enrich the Iowa State campus and broaden students’ educations, the university will host the fourth George Washington Carver Visiting Scholar this week.

J. Herman Blake, vice chancellor for undergraduate education at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, will give several lectures at ISU beginning on Jan. 15.

His past achievements include creating an alliance with eight black churches to help promote education and to improve students’ performances in elementary and high school.

His wife, Emily Moore, will join Blake on his visit. Together they founded Scholars for Educational Excellence and Diversity Inc., an Indianapolis service that helps schools and agencies achieve academic excellence in their changing populations.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to have them on campus,” said Dan Robinson, interim vice president for student affairs. “Our experience with scholars in the past has been extremely positive. They have all had a tremendous impact consistent with what we expect of Carver scholars.”

Blake and Moore are scheduled to make several presentations to faculty, staff and students during their stay.

Robinson said the original intent of Carver scholars was to bring scholars to campus who represented diverse groups. These scholars would have an opportunity to have a campus-wide impact with the students, faculty and staff by providing research seminars and guest lectures, public talks and receptions, he said.

“The primary intent [of Carver Scholars] is to have an impact on campus on the university’s diversity initiative,” Robinson said.

Blake and Moore will present “Martin Luther King Jr.: Liberal Education and the Philosophy of Nonviolence,” a lecture on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. to celebrate King’s birthday. The lecture will be in the South Ballroom of the Memorial Union.

They will also give a presentation titled “Generations of Warriors,” an analysis of the life patterns of nine generations of women from one family who were raised in the same community. The talk will be from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16 in the Gold Room of the Union.

Robinson said the timing of this Carver Scholar visit is especially good.

“Their visit is excellent timing — with King’s birthday and with the start of the new semester. I’m extremely excited to have them here,” he said.

Blake, who was a personal friend of Malcolm X, will also give a seminar titled “Malcolm X: A Grass Roots Visionary” on Thursday at 4 p.m. The seminar is scheduled for East Hall but no room number was available at press time.

Robinson said the seminar will be on Blake’s analysis of Malcolm’s philosophy of learning and strategies of symbolic education. The analysis will consist of Blake’s personal memories and reviews of literature.

Blake received a B.A. in sociology from New York University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley. He has served as a professor of sociology, anthropology and education at IUPUI since 1989.

Moore received her master’s degree from Washington University, St. Louis and her doctoral degrees in health education from the University of South Carolina. She worked as interim academic dean, dean of teacher education, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty during her 14 years in the Concordia University System.

George Washington Carver

Visiting Scholar Events

Wed., Jan. 15

Reception * Faculty, students and staff are welcome

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Barton Morgan Reading Rm., Lagomarcino

Research seminar (anthropology) * “The Sea Islands of South Carolina: Survival of Black Culture in a Unique Place” 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Rm. 307, Curtis

Lecture * “Martin Luther King Jr.: Liberal Education and the Philosophy of Nonviolence”

8 p.m., South Ballroom, Memorial Union

Thur., Jan. 16

Presentation * “Generations of Warriors”

noon to 2 p.m., Gold Room, Memorial Union

Research seminar (sociology) * “Malcom X: A Grassroots Visionary”