Andrew Young slated to speak at Shorter University's celebration of Black History Month

January 25, 2011 - Former United States Ambassador Andrew Young will speak at Shorter University in observance of Black History Month on Feb. 21.

Young, who also served as a United States congressman and mayor of Atlanta, is scheduled to deliver his lecture at 7 p.m. inside the university’s Winthrop-King Centre. A book signing will immediately follow the lecture. Young will be on hand to sign copies of his latest book, “Walk in My Shoes: Conversations Between a Civil Rights Legend and His Godson on the Journey Ahead.”

Copies of Young’s book can be purchased through the Shorter University bookstore, located on the university’s main campus, and on the night of the event inside the Winthrop-King Centre.

There is no charge for the public event; however, tickets are required for admission. Local community residents wishing to attend the event should contact the Shorter University Box Office by phone at 706-233-7288 or via email at boxoffice@shorter.edu. A limited number of tickets have been allocated for the general public and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis at the box office beginning Feb. 1. All tickets must be picked up prior to noon on Friday, Feb. 18.

Shorter University’s regular Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Box Office will be closed on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 for Shorter’s winter break.

“We are so pleased to welcome Mr. Young to the Shorter University campus, and we are excited to be able to share this experience with the residents of Greater Rome and the surrounding area,” said Shorter University President Dr. Harold E. Newman. “Mr. Young will be able to enlighten us with a unique perspective formed by his knowledge in national and global leadership.”

Young continues to view his career through the lens of his first career- that of ordained minister. His work for civil and human rights, his many years in public office as congressman, United Nations ambassador and mayor, his leadership of the Atlanta Olympic Games, his advocacy of public purpose capitalism through Goodworks International, and the establishment of the Andrew J. Young Foundation are all a response to his call to serve.

He confronted segregation with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and galvanized a movement that transformed a nation through non-violence. Young was a key strategist and negotiator during the Civil Rights Campaigns in Birmingham and Selma that resulted in the passage Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1972 and served on the Banking and Urban Affairs and Rules Committees, sponsoring legislation that established a U.S. Institute for Peace, The African Development Bank and the Chattahoochee River National Park, while negotiating federal funds for MARTA, the Atlanta highway system and a new international airport for Atlanta.

Young’s leadership as mayor of Atlanta took place during a recession and a reduction in federal funds for cities. He turned to international markets for investments in Atlanta attracting 1,100 new businesses, $70 billion in investment adding 1 million jobs to the region. He developed public-private partnerships to leverage public dollars for the preservation of Zoo Atlanta. Young led the effort to bring the Centennial Olympic Games to Atlanta and as co-Cchair of the Atlanta Olympic Committee, he oversaw the largest Olympic Games in history—in the number of countries, the number of athletes and the number of spectators. He was awarded the Olympic Order, the highest award of the Olympic Movement.

He and his wife, educator and civic leader Carolyn McClain Young, live in Atlanta. He is the father of four and a grandfather of six.


Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christian college committed to excellence in education. Since 2003, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Shorter among the South’s best baccalaureate colleges, and the Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its lists of best value and best Southeastern colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 48 major areas as well as undergraduate degree programs for working adults, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Education and the Master of Arts in Leadership. General education and calculus courses are offered in an online format, and Shorter recently launched online programs that lead toward the Associate of Science, the Bachelor of Business Administration, and the Master of Accountancy degrees. For more information, visit www.shorter.edu.

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