Morgan State University recently held the DeLoatch Lecture Hall Dedication Ceremony at the School of Engineering. The event celebrated the life and achievements of Morgan’s emeritus dean Eugene M. DeLoatch.
Marcellus “Bassman” Shepard, broadcaster for WEAA 88.9 in Baltimore, MD, served as the emcee for the ceremony.
The event was attended by past and present university leaders, alumni, professional colleagues, family, and Career Communications Group CEO and publisher Tyrone Taborn, a longtime collaborator of Dr. DeLoatch.
Dr. DeLoatch, along with Taborn, co-founded the BEYA STEM Conference, which held its first annual conference at the Morgan State University campus almost 40 years ago.
Dr. DeLoatch’s impact was felt by thousands of engineers he taught and mentored during his 30+-year career.
His vision went beyond teaching engineering; he aimed to change the lives of people in the African American community.
Dr. DeLoatch’s legacy continues to inspire future generations, which was honored through the unveiling of a bust in his likeness in the Eugene M. DeLoatch Lecture Hall.
The engineering school at Morgan State University was established in 1984 under Dr. DeLoatch’s leadership, and he is recognized for producing more Black engineers than any other individual in higher education in the United States.
The school has become a national powerhouse.
Throughout his career, Dr. DeLoatch received numerous accolades, including serving as the first African American president of the American Society of Engineering Education.
Dr. Earl S. Richardson, president emeritus of Morgan State University, shared his thoughts on Dr. DeLoatch in a video, describing him as one of a kind.
He highlighted their efforts in launching the engineering school at a time when only 3% of engineers were Black, and how they significantly increased the number of Black engineering graduates at Morgan.
In 1991, a new engineering department building was completed, followed by an annex to accommodate the growing number of engineering students.
Today, the Mitchell School of Engineering at Morgan State University offers various engineering programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Family tributes were led by Dr. DeLoatch’s granddaughter, who thanked her grandfather for staying on campus for an additional year to witness her registration as a student during his tenure. The event also included comments from Dr. DeLoatch’s sisters and brothers.
Dr. DeLoatch’s niece, also a Morgan State engineering graduate, sent her good wishes.
Alumni shared anecdotes, and speakers like Dr. David Wilson, president of Morgan State University, highlighted the continued growth in enrollment.
CEO and publisher Tyrone Taborn mentioned the upcoming fortieth anniversary of the BEYA Conference, expressing pride in the long-standing relationship between himself and Dr. DeLoatch. The short video produced by Bryan Davis, an engineering graduate from Morgan State University and digital products director at Career Communications Group, featured the fruitful collaboration of Taborn and DeLoatch.