Twenty seven years ago on this day, Atlanta University and Clark College trustees voted to officially merge the two institutions of higher learning. This action significantly changed the financial and academic profile of both these historically black institutions. The merge led to the creation of Clark Atlanta University which offered undergraduate as well as graduate programs. This consolidation was a blessing for Atlanta University which at the time was struggling financially. It was also a time when there was stiff competition for enrolments and the creation of a consortium would therefore help in evening out the playing field and enhancing fair competition.
The person who was appointed to head the newly merged institution was Dr. Thomas Cole Jr., who was the former vice president of Atlanta University. At a press conference held during the official announcement of the merger, the incoming president mentioned that it was indeed “a historic moment for black higher education.” He went on to add that it was a merging of traditions for two great historic institutions.
This consolidation was expected to create a larger but leaner institution through economies of scale. For instance all the members of the consortium were to share certain operations such as management information systems, maintenance programs and other infrastructure which was seen as a way of managing resources efficiently.
The merger seems to have paid off in the long run with Clark Atlanta currently ranked as one of the best colleges in in the U.S. It is one of just four Historically Black Colleges and Universities to have a Carnegie classification for research guaranteeing the institution millions of dollars in research grants.