Published Sept. 17, 2021
Dr. Alex John, Jr., was the first Black dean at the university. An endowed scholarship
has been established in his name. Photo/Chacahoula 1978
WHAT: Check presentation fully funding Dr. Alex John, Jr., Endowed Scholarship
WHEN: 9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021
WHERE: Laird Weems Center, 4400 Bon Aire Dr., ULM
WHO: Established by the BULM Club of the ULM Alumni Association
The University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation announces the Dr. Alex John, Jr., Endowed
Scholarship at ULM is now fully funded, thanks to generous gifts from alumni. The
scholarship is in honor of Alex John, Jr., Ed.D., the first Black dean at the university.
The BULM Club of the ULM Alumni Association will present a $25,000 check to the ULM
Foundation at 9 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 18, at Laird Weems Center. The event is on the
day of the Warhawks home opener against visiting Jackson State. A video honoring John
will be shown on the Warhawks scoreboard at the end of the first quarter.
The Dr. Alex John, Jr., Endowed Scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students,
with special consideration for marginalized and/or first-generation students.
John at the university
John was an early champion for diversity and inclusion at ULM. As a faculty member,
John advised and encouraged Black students to persevere in their quest for a college
education when there were few supportive resources for Black students. He was one
of the first faculty and administration members who promoted diversity and inclusion
at the university.
John (1943-2018) joined ULM, then-Northeast Louisiana University, in 1971 as an instructor
in psychology. He later became a tenured assistant professor. In 1974, John was appointed
assistant to the vice president of Student Affairs.
In 1980, John was named Dean of the Office of University Relations, becoming the first
Black to hold an executive position at ULM. He left the university in 1982 and went
on to become successful in several business ventures.
John received his bachelor's and master's degrees from McNeese State University. John
earned his Doctor of Education from ULM. He also studied at Southern University, Howard
University, and Columbia University.
Scholarship funding started in 2012
In 2012, the BULM, formerly the Black NLU Chapter of the Alumni Association, started
the scholarship with $2,100 in proceeds raised at an event in Texas.
Susan Chappell, Executive Director of ULM Advancement, Foundation, and Alumni Relations,
said in 2016 the scholarship was converted into an endowment with the goal to reach
the $25,000 fully funded endowment level by 2021.
"Through fund-raising by dedicated ULM alumni, 53 donors contributed to the Dr. Alex
John Endowed Scholarship. By 2020, the scholarship reached and exceeded the $25,000
endowment minimum. Gerald McHenry successfully championed the initiative, receiving
support from fellow BULM Alumni Chapter members," Chappell said.
McHenry (B.S.' 85) is a long-time supporter of the ULM Foundation and active ULM alumni.
Several years ago, he became involved with the Alumni Association as a member of the
Black NLU (BNLU) chapter.
McHenry said John was a supportive presence on campus who was dedicated to helping
Black students succeed.
"During Dr. John's tenure at the university, there were not many faculty or administrators
who were African American or minority. He was one of the few," McHenry said.
"He was that person you could go to for guidance. He would always have an open door
and an open ear. He was like your stand-in dad. Dr. John changed the lives of many
students by being always willing to help," he said.
McHenry said as the BNLU chapter grew and raised more money for the university, it
was decided that a scholarship for minority students was the best way to give back.
The executive committee for BNLU, of which McHenry was a member, made the decision.
"We said, look, we've got this, do something to give back to the university. Let's
do something for the students that are there today," he said. "We want this university
to continue after we are gone. So, that's when we decided to endow a scholarship and
voted on Dr. John," he said.
McHenry is CEO of Impact/Jay Express, a regional long-haul and courier trucking company
based in Cordova, Tenn., near Memphis. He graduated from ULM with a B.S. in Computer
Science. McHenry earned his M.S. in Quality Management from Eastern Michigan University
and completed continuing education in Six Sigma at Ohio State University and engineering
statistics at the University of Arkansas.
ULM alumnus and contributor to the scholarship, the Rev. William Gipson (B.A.' 79),
associate vice provost for Equity and Access at the University of Pennsylvania, located
in Philadelphia, writes of John, "There are literally thousands of testimonies from
the students he helped and advised. His influence will last for generations to come.
His selfless care was the impetus for this endowment drive. Even those who came to
NLU/ULM after he left heard about this brilliant, kind, generous gentleman who was
a saint to so many."
