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Earl S. Richardson, the former president of Morgan State University who helped organize a 2006 lawsuit against the state of Maryland for providing more resources to predominantly white institutions that ended in a $577 million settlement, died at the age of 81.
The school released a statement Saturday about the death of Richardson, who served as president from November 1984 to June 2010. A school spokesman said in an email that after he stepped down as president, Richardson remained at the institution for several years and taught a graduate-level course, when he held the title聽president emeritus.
鈥淒r. Richardson鈥檚 commitment to excellence and his ability to inspire confidence restored faith in the University at a time when its future was uncertain,鈥� said Morgan State President David K. Wilson聽. 鈥淗e leaves behind a legacy of perseverance, innovation, and an unshakable belief in the transformative power of education.
鈥淥n a personal note, I am deeply humbled to have followed in the presidency after Dr. Richardson鈥檚 tenure,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淭he foundation he built allowed us to continue Morgan鈥檚 upward trajectory, and much of what we have achieved in recent years is possible because of the strong platform he left behind.鈥�
Richardson was the force behind the聽聽that got settled in 2021 when the state agreed to direct $577 million over the next decade to Morgan and the state鈥檚 other three Historically Black Colleges and Universities 鈥� Bowie State and Coppin universities and the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.
The suit claimed the state provided more resources to predominantly white institutions and allowed them to duplicate programs already offered at the four Black schools.
Because Richardson was a state employee as president of Morgan, he couldn鈥檛 sue. So a group of HBCU alumni and supporters became plaintiffs in the suit and formed the Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education Inc.
In addition, a group known as the Maryland HBCU advocates also pushed publicly on the importance of those schools in the state.
Sharon Blake, a 1972 Morgan State alumna and member of the HBCU advocacy group, said Richardson鈥檚 鈥渉istory, vision and passion鈥� served as the catalyst for why the settlement happened and helped all HBCUs nationwide. In addition, she said he understood those schools after graduating from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. When he graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in social science in 1965, the school was called Maryland State College.
鈥淚 remember when we talked about starting the advocacy piece, I said to Dr. Richardson, 鈥業f you鈥檙e serious about moving forward on this public piece, I鈥檓 going to go down with the ship,鈥欌�� Blake said in an interview Saturday. 鈥淲e saw the love and the passion that Dr. Richardson had. [His death] is a tremendous loss for our society and Morgan State University.鈥�
Several people posted messages on social media including聽Sen.聽聽(D-Md.), Baltimore Mayor聽听补苍诲听骋辞惫.听聽(D), who called Richardson 鈥渁 pillar of Maryland and the Morgan State University community.鈥�
Le Shaun Quander-Mosley, also a member of the Maryland HBCU advocacy group, said the work to fight for those schools continues.
Two years after the settlement, Wilson and other HBCU advocates accused Towson University of聽聽a business analytics doctoral program that was similar a business administration doctoral program at Morgan. Towson eventually聽聽its proposal.
Last year, the General Assembly approved legislation that revised the program-approval progress when higher education officials want to establish new programs at state universities. Part of that included the聽聽approving bylaws for a 21-member Program Review Process Advisory Council to make sure processes are 鈥減ractical, efficient, and transparent.鈥�
鈥淒r. Richardson helped bring things to light. We鈥檝e done taking the steps to adjust the laws, but now we have to look at practice [and] make sure that everyone is doing what the law requires,鈥� Quander-Mosley said. 鈥淗e meant everything to HBCUs in Maryland in the state of Maryland. His example emanates across the country to other HBCUs.鈥�
