Dean College’s President Inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College

Dean College is proud to announce that our president, Kenneth Elmore, J.D., has been inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College. 

The collegium is part of Morehouse’s College of Ministers & Laity and is named for Dr. King, who graduated from the school in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Collegium inductees are individuals who have “demonstrated and are evolving toward great achievement in their chosen vocation; have a profound commitment to their community and society, the planet and the cosmos; and are living their lives according to a high standard of cosmopolitan ethical principles.”  

“My life’s work has been focused on breaking the barriers of divisiveness by pushing communities to discover their shared humanity and to foster meaningful, authentic friendships,” said President Elmore. “That is why being inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College is so very meaningful to me. Dr. King was the epitome of a remarkable leader and selfless servant, and I pledge to continue his legacy as a member of the MLK Collegium of Scholars.” 

The induction ceremony took place on Thursday, April 11, 2024, in the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel. This year’s ceremony theme was “Saving Democracy While Thriving in the Wake of Cosmic Trauma.” The collegium recognized Elmore as an academic and scholar who is “committed to research, writing, teaching and mentoring a wide variety of disciplines and contexts that promote and give support to the work of peace through moral cosmopolitan social responsibility.”

Elmore was nominated for this honor by Dr. Keith Magee who said, “The reason I nominated President Elmore is due to his commitment to social justice and what it has represented throughout his professional career. His leadership in higher education has been impeccable and he has used his business acumen, training, and understanding of family and community to represent the best of all of us. He has certainly upheld the legacy of Dr. King who understood the value of us not being judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character. And equally important, President Elmore embraces Dr. King's words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere and has used his platform in higher education to ensure quality access to education for all."

Elmore is the 14th president of Dean College. He has more than three decades of higher education experience as an accomplished leader, connector and community builder. Throughout his career, Elmore has been an institutional catalyst dedicated to making and keeping the common ground compelling. He is committed to public engagement and the pluralistic ideal. 

Elmore has co-led efforts to facilitate free speech and expression climates – to expose, debate and wrestle with ideas, understand our bias and encourage critical engagement. Early in his career as a dean of students, Elmore pioneered a long-standing discussion series – Coffee and Conversation – to foster an inclusive atmosphere through listening and idea exchange.

Throughout his career, Elmore has cultivated an institutional mindset that ensures traditional non-academic departments understand that the student experience is multi-dimensional and not solely about social integration and skill-based experiences “outside the classroom” to achieve better student outcomes.

Elmore has received several honors and professional distinctions, including being named a Pillar of the Profession by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and a Diamond Honoree by the American College Personnel Association – College Student Educators International (ACPA) for outstanding work in student affairs and services, and in higher education. In 2019, Elmore was selected by the Mayor of Boston to deliver the annual, historic Fourth of July oration at Faneuil Hall.

President Elmore is a lifelong advocate, teacher and learner who believes in the potential of students and the value of education to change lives. He is a graduate of Brown University, Boston University, and New England Law | Boston.