We are delighted to share that Mt. Holyoke College has appointed Spelman College president emerita, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, interim president.
Dr. Tatum is no stranger to Mt. Holyoke. Prior to serving as president of Spelman College from 2002 to 2015, she served for a brief period as acting president of Mount Holyoke. She also served as dean of the Mt. Holyoke College from 1998 to 2002, and served prior as a faculty member in the psychology and education department from 1989 to 2002.
"Mount Holyoke College holds a special place in my heart as I spent 13 very happy and productive years there at a pivotal time in my career, both as a faculty member and an administrator," Tatum said in a release from the college. "I am tremendously honored and delighted to be invited by the board of trustees to return as interim president during this time of leadership transition. I look
forward to working together with the entire Mount Holyoke community in the coming year to ensure the college’s continued success."
A renowned scholar, psychologist, and author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race and Can We Talk about Race? and Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation, Tatum’s research and work focuses on race, racial identity, and the psychological effects of both on Black people in America.
Dr. Tatum’s legacy and impact on our community are forever commemorated via the Beverly D. Tatum Suites and the Beverly D. Tatum Suites Dining Hall named in her honor and by her courageous decision to eliminate athletics and replace them with a new Wellness Center and Wellness program.
Please join me in sending Dr. Tatum our warmest wishes for her continued success.
Sincerely,
Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. President, Spelman College
