The passing of Dr. John Hope Franklin

My Fraternity Brother, Dr. John Hope Franklin has passed. As one of America’s preiminent historians, he increased the nation’s understanding and knowledge of African Americans in its history. He was currently professor emeritus of history at Duke University. He was a major principal in the Brown vs. Board of Education case. He also was the author of From Slavery to Freedom which was published in 1947. To this day the book, through updates, has sold more than 3 million copies. After 62 years since the book was published, the information provided in print is still relevant. He also was a trailblazer in the education field. He was the first black department chair at Brooklyn College; the first black professor to hold an endowed chair at Duke; and the first black president of the American Historical Association. He also has received more than 130 honorary degrees, the NAACP Spingarn Award, the Charles Frankel Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died of congestive heart failure this morning in Durham, North Carolina. Brother Franklin was 94 years of age.