Earl S. Richardson, the ninth president of historically Black Morgan State University in Baltimore, passed away on September 13. He was 81 years old.
A Maryland native, Dr. Richardson received his bachelor’s degree in social science from what is now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a historically Black institution. He went on to become a two-time Ivy League graduate, receiving both his master’s degree and doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
From 1984 to 2010, Dr. Richardson served as the ninth president of Morgan State. During his presidency, he was a staunch advocate for HBCU education and consistently called out the state of Maryland’s lack of funding to Morgan State and other neighboring HBCUs. In 2006, he helped organize a lawsuit against the Maryland Higher Education Commission. It was settled in 2021 when the state of Maryland agreed to give $577 million in funding over 10 years to the state’s four HBCUs.
Over the course of his 26-year tenure, Dr. Richardson led Morgan State through a period of significant growth. Under his leadership, the HBCU developed several new academic schools and degree programs. Notably, the number of doctoral degree offerings increased from a single doctorate in urban education leadership to a total of 15 programs by 2010. Dr. Richardson also oversaw substantial growth in student enrollment, as well as more than $500 million in campus renovations and construction projects. After retiring from his presidency, he continued to teach as a distinguished professor and research associate in the Robert M. Bell Center for Civil Rights in Education.
“Dr. Richardson will forever be remembered as a towering figure in Morgan’s history — an exceptional leader whose life’s work profoundly shaped this institution and enriched the lives of countless students, faculty, alumni, and friends of the university,” said current Morgan State President David K. Wilson. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
