According to the African American Registry, Morris Brown College originated as an idea for a new school in Atlanta from African Methodist Episcopal Reverend Wesley John Gaines. Gaines proposed Morris Brown College to attendees at the Big Bethel Church on January 5, 1881. The school was opened in October 15, 1885 with Fountain Hall acting as the central location for campus activities. Morris Brown College enrolled 107 students and hired seven teachers in its first semester, mixing vocational and religious education into a single curriculum.
Morris Brown College offers general education courses in biology, history and other academic fields to fulfill Bachelors degree requirements at other institutions. The college's Management Entrepreneurship and Technology Program blends business administration and computer classes to help students prepare for high-tech jobs in the future. The Organizational Management and Leadership Program is particularly popular among Associates degree holders looking for a liberal arts education. The program accepts students with at least 45 Associates or Bachelors credits who want to complete their college education.
Morris Brown College sits on a 42-acre campus in downtown Atlanta. The epicenter of campus is Fountain Hall, an administrative building erected in 1882 that is now a National Historic Landmark. The college's Herndon Stadium holds 15,000 visitors and is used for football, field hockey and soccer games throughout the year. Morris Brown College students have access to the Ruth Hall Hodges Art Gallery, which highlights the best paintings and sculptures from African-American artists.
Morris Brown College was thrown into scandal in 2001 when President Dolores Cross and financial aid head Parvesh Singh were accused of embezzling federal aid money. Cross and Singh were sentenced to five years each on embezzling charges in January 2007, but the school lost its accreditation in the process. The allegations led to the removal of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 2002, denying state and federal tuition assistance to students at the college.
Officials at Morris Brown College have touted its prominent alumni as it seeks to expand course offerings in the 21st century. Civil rights leader Hosea Williams graduated from Morris Brown College before leading the March on Selma in 1965. The school also graduated author James Alan McPherson who would later win the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for "Elbow Room," a collection of short stories. The school's successful football program graduated Ezra Johnson who played defensive lineman in the NFL for fifteen years.