Earl Richardson, President Emeritus Of Morgan State University, Dies At 81

Earl Richardson, the 81-year-old president emeritus of Morgan State University who was also the guiding force behind the university’s 15-year fight to give Maryland’s HBCUs $577 million in supplemental funding, died on Sept. 13. Richardson leaves behind a considerable legal legacy as HBCUs now face a murky future.

According to NPR, Richardson, who led the university from 1984 to 2010, long had an issue with the underfunding of his university by the state, and in 2006, Richardson helped to organize a lawsuit that some of the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, including David Burton, compared to the landmark “Brown v. Board of Education” Supreme Court case that led to the desegregation of public schools in America.

As Edwin Johnson, one of the original student protestors noted, in 1990, six years after Richardson assumed his post, a protest over dilapidated conditions at the university started off critical of Morgan State’s administration, but it soon became clear that their ire should be trained on Maryland’s government and not the school’s administration.

“We originally were protesting against Morgan’s administration,” which included Richardson, he told NPR. “But then after we dig and do a little research, we find out it’s not our administration, but it’s the governor down in Annapolis that isn’t equipping the administration with what they need to appropriately run the school.”

According to Johnson, Richardson, who was a veteran of the civil rights movement, is the figure most responsible for guiding the students to the proper target, which culminated in a 34-mile march to the Capitol in Annapolis.

Because Richardson was an employee of the state, as the university’s president, he couldn’t officially sue the state, so the Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education Inc., was created in order to facilitate the lawsuit and he was brought in as an expert witness.

As Burton told the outlet, Richardson was the visionary who guided the lawsuit. “He was armed with history. Dr. Richardson knew where the skeletons were,” Richardson, he said, was “a force that the state could not reckon with because of his institutional knowledge.”

According to Johnson, the resulting funding increase was referred to on campus as “Morgan’s Renaissance,” and on occasion, “Richardson’s Renaissance,” because under his watch, the university expanded its campus, built new facilities and buildings, including a school of architecture and a school of social work, all of which helped to more than double Morgan State’s enrollment.

As CBS Baltimore reports, David S. Wilson, Morgan State’s current president, noted that the Morgan State University that exists today owes a debt of gratitude to the groundwork laid by his predecessor.

“As we mourn his passing, let us also honor his extraordinary contributions by rededicating ourselves to the ideals he championed and the mission he so faithfully advanced,” Wilson wrote in a press release. “Morgan is stronger today because of Earl S. Richardson, and for that, we are eternally grateful.”

Richardson was given numerous awards for his achievements, which include the Maryland Senate’s prestigious Citizenship Award, and he was also recognized by President Barack Obama for his outstanding service to American higher education.

In 2008, Morgan State dedicated a 222,000-square-foot library, the Earl S. Richardson Library, in honor and recognition of his work.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon S. Scott also reflected on Richardson’s legacy, posting to his Twitter (X) account that he is grateful for Richardson’s service to both the city of Baltimore and his country.

“Morgan State would not be where it is today without Dr. Richardson. Under his leadership, Morgan grew in every sense of the word- from enrollment to degree offerings to physical expansion of the campus. All of that progress brought new students and new investments to Baltimore, helping to drive our own citywide growth,” Scott said in a statement.

He continued, “Dr. Richardson was also a strong advocate for equal opportunity and access for all students. He knew that building a path to higher education meant opening doors for countless young people to reach their full potential. I am so grateful for his service to our city and our country. My prayers are with his wife, Sheila, and son Eric.”

Like Scott, Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore offered his condolences to Richardson’s family, noting that, “For decades, President Dr. Earl Richardson was a pillar of Maryland and the Morgan State University Community. Dr. Richardson dedicated his life to the education of young Marylanders — our home is stronger because of his work.”

He continued, “To his family and friends, you are in the First Lady and I’s hearts and minds — his memory will no doubt serve as a blessing to all that knew him.”

RELATED CONTENT: Morgan State University On Track To Become Next HBCU With Research-1 Status