College presidents carry a wealth of wisdom and insight born from years of experience in educating young people. They keep the memory of so many past students, professors and colleagues that have passed through their institutions of higher learning. The Black College Fund's Council of Presidents has collected testimonies from seven retired presidents of Historically Black Colleges as part of their "Privileged to Serve: Lessons in Leadership & Life". Each speaker shares personal stories of their life and service to education through video interviews on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry website.
"Privileged to Serve" is a collaborative project of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, African American Methodist Heritage Center and the General Commission on Archives and History Ebony Bishops' Oral History Project. The seven presidents include Dr. Gloria Dean Randle Scott, Bennett College; Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed, Bethune Cookman University and Philander Smith College; Dr. Thomas Winston Cole, Jr., Clark Atlanta University; Dr. Larry L. Earvin, Huston-Tillotson University; Dr. Julius S. Scott Jr., Paine and Wiley Colleges; Dr. Shirley A.R. Lewis, Paine College; and Dr. Haywood L. Strickland, Wiley College.