The spiritual mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, was a pioneer in both education and Christian ministry. The distinguished educator was committed to the students he served (such as Dr. King) and was involved in the struggle for civil rights.
On August 1, 1894, Mays was born to Hezekiah and Louvenia Carter, who were formerly enslaved in South Carolina. Mays’ father believed that he would be most useful helping his family run their farm. However, Mays had a deep desire to get an education. Although his mother did not have a formal education, she supported her son’s aspirations.
Mays initially attended Virginia Union University but transferred to Bates College in Maine and graduated in 1920. After college, Mays became the pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. During this time, Mays also set his sights on the University of Chicago’s divinity program. He obtained a master’s degree in 1925 and a Ph.D. in 1935 from the university despite having his academic experience interrupted due to various teaching positions he pursued.
Morehouse College’s President John Hope recruited Mays to join the faculty as a mathematics teacher and a debate coach. From 1934 to 1940, he served as dean of the Howard University School of Divinity. After his departure from Howard University, Mays returned to the Morehouse campus, but this time as the president of the university. He served in this position for 27 years and led the institution to international prominence.
Mays first connected with King. Jr in 1944, forming a bond that would shape the soul of the civil rights movement. Mays delivered the benediction after King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, and years later, gave the eulogy at his funeral, reminding the world that “no man is ahead of his time.” Even after stepping down as Morehouse president in 1967, Mays went on to lead Atlanta’s Board of Education and driving school desegregation. Widely known as the “intellectual conscience” of the movement, Mays has been honored with everything from statues to street names, and calls continue for him to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Mays passed away on March 28, 1984. Since 1995, he and his wife, Sadie, have rested on Morehouse’s campus, right where his legacy lives on.
