Lester Agyei McCorn has been named president-elect of Paine College, a historically Black undergraduate institution in Augusta, Georgia. He will assume his official presidency on January 1, 2025.
According to the Department of Education’s most recent data, Paine College enrolls about 300 students, 81 percent of whom are Black.
Dr. McCorn currently serves as the thirteenth president of Clinton College, an HBCU in Rock Hill, South Carolina. During his seven-year presidency, Clinton added several new degree programs, reaffirmed its accreditation for 10 years, secured over $20 million in new funding, and increased its enrollment, retention, and graduation rates.
“I am honored to accept the presidency of Paine College,” said Dr. McCorn. “My acceptance originates from a place of deep respect and admiration for the legacy and significance of this historic institution. Connecting Paine College’s historic past with a strategic vision for the future will catapult this institution into unparalleled prominence in American higher education.”
Dr. McCorn is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he double-majored in religion and sociology. He holds a second bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Charter Oak State College in Connecticut, a master of divinity degree from Yale University, a second master’s degree from Chicago Theological Seminary, and a doctor of ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
