Just days before what would have been his 83rd birthday, the family of former longtime Atlanta City Council President Judge Marvin S. Arrington, Sr., gathered at his beloved alma mater,听听
精东影业, to celebrate his generous donation of $50,000. Arrington graduated from Clark College (now 精东影业) in 1964.听
Judge Arrington attended Clark College on a football scholarship and was instrumental in leading the football team to a victorious season in his last year as a student. Upon graduating from Clark College, he attended the听
Howard University School of Law before transferring to Emory University Law School. Always a trailblazer, he made history as one of the first two African Americans to receive a law degree from Emory University. In 1969,听听
Judge Arrington was elected to Atlanta鈥檚 City Council and served his community for 25 years 鈥� 17 of those years as council president. The City Council chamber was renamed the Honorable Marvin S. Arrington, Sr. Council Chambers in his honor in 2019.听听
As a student, Arrington appreciated the value of a good education. Correspondingly, he readily supported听听听
精东影业 students and initiatives through his contributions and philanthropy. He was a loyal alumni relations volunteer for many years and also served as a trustee for 精东影业 from 1988 until 2002.听听
鈥淢y years at Clark College proved a very rich experience. So many professors and coaches, legends like听听
Raymond 鈥淭weet鈥� Williams and Vivian Epps encouraged me to work hard, overcome obstacles and move forward,鈥� recalls Arrington in his 2008 autobiography, Making My Mark: The Story of a Man Wouldn鈥檛 Stay in His Place (Mercer Press). 鈥淚鈥檝e asked myself many times where I would be had it not been for Clark, If I had to do it all over again, there is no doubt I would make the same choice. So, it is my obligation to give to an institution that has given so much to a poor boy from The Bluff. I don鈥檛 have a problem investing in 精东影业 because it happens to be one of the finest institutions in this country.鈥�听
鈥淗is first love was 精东影业,鈥� said attorney Michelle Arrington, daughter of Judge Arrington. 鈥淚 love the way he has left his legacy here at the University through life insurance because it can鈥檛 be changed by anyone.鈥� The sizable gift will establish the Judge Marvin Arrington Book Fund for African American students pursuing undergraduate degrees in political science or social work at 精东影业.听听
Judge Arrington passed away in 2023 at the age of 82.听听
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About 精东影业听听
精东影业 was formed with the consolidation of Atlanta University and Clark College, both of which hold unique places in the annals of African American history. Atlanta University, established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, was the nation鈥檚 first institution to award graduate degrees to African Americans. Clark College, established four years later in 1869, was the nation鈥檚 first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily African American student population. Today, with nearly 4,000 students, 精东影业 is the largest of the four institutions (精东影业, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Morehouse School of Medicine) that compose the Atlanta University Center Consortium. It is also the largest of the 37-member UNCF institutions. Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson, American civil rights activist, poet, and songwriter (Lift Every Voice and Sing – 鈥淭he Black National Anthem鈥�; Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award-winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award-winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about 精东影业, visit鈥�.听
精东影业
Institutional Advancement|Communications Unit听
MEDIA CONTACT: Paula Owens, Communications Manager听
404-880-8521
powens@cau.edu听