W.E.B. DuBois House, 1972-92

     In 1973, a new college house was founded at Penn-one whose mission 

is to further the study of African-American culture. It was formally 

dedicated in 1974 as the W.E.B. DuBois House, named for the revered 

19th-century leader who had held the position of research investigator 

at Penn in 1896-97. In its residential setting on three floors of Low 

Rise North,  the House developed rapidly as a place where students of 

all ethnic backgrounds could explore the African-American cultural 

heritage. 

     As DuBois House celebrates its 20th anniversary, the tradition 

continues:  100 undergraduates and their 6 graduate facilitators live 

with the current Faculty Master, Dr. Richard Sims; three Faculty 

Fellows, a Visiting Faculty Fellow and an Assistant Dean. The House has 

its own Paul Robeson Library and Louis Lattimer Computer Center, a 

gallery and a guest suite well used as its wide-ranging program of 

events and activities draws some of the major names in African-American 

culture to Penn. 

     Two important ongoing programs are the Afro-American Studies 

Speaker's Forum, which has investigated such topics as Black Male/Female 

Relationships, Stereotyping through the Media, and Politics of 

Literature in South America; and the Visiting Scholars and Artists 

program which has brought such distinguished figures as Ed Bradley of 

"60 Minutes," Actress/Author Ruby Dee; Filmmaker Spike Lee, Musician 

Grover Washington, Jr., Civil Rights Leaders Julian Bond and Rosa Parks, 

Historian Asa Hilliard, Congressman Walter Fauntroy, Activist/Author 

Angela Davis and Activist Martin Luther King III.  

     Students take an integral part in program design and 

implementation. The DuBois House Council promotes the purposes and goals 

of the House through its five independently functioning committees: 

social, cultural, political, community outreach, and building 

activities.



Soul of DuBois     

     A special feature this year has been the development of the "Souls 

of DuBois" conference in which House members will explore and identify 

with many of the teachings and writings of W.E.B. DuBois. The 

conference-scheduled for March 20, 1993 and slated to become annual-will 

be open to all and will feature national and local art exhibits and a 

concert. This conference is scheduled for once a year and is scheduled 

for March 20, 1993. The theme will be"20 Years and Counting, What Have 

We Learned?"

     Chronology of Leadership

     While most of the college houses at Penn have consistently been led 

by senior faculty masters, DuBois leadership has been different, 

according to Dr. David Biggs's brief history-in-progress, excerpted 

below: "Since African-American senior faculty were (and still are) 

scarce at the University of Pennsylvania, junior faculty were often 

called to serve," he explains. "Professor Howard Arnold of the School of 

Social Work served as the DuBois House first faculty master, although he 

did not reside in the building. The first live-in faculty master, 

according to records, was Dr. Mary Hoover of the English department." 



1972-73

Cathy Barlow, CW '71 and Law '76, was part-time director. 



1973-74

Law Professor Howard Resnick, a trustee member who had served on the 

original fact-finding commission that led to the creation of the DuBois 

College House was non-resident faculty coordinator. William Harvey 

became the first  full-time director, with Wesley Williams as assistant 

director. Irving McPhail and Lorraine Howard were the first faculty 

fellows.



1975-76, 1976-77

Irving McPhail left the University and was succeeded by Jacqui Wade as 

faculty fellow. All others remained in service.



1977-78

Positions were re-evaluated after the departure of William Harvey and 

Leslie Carter, and the  position of administrative fellow created-part-

time, and to be filled by a graduate or professional school student. The 

first such Fellow was Bill Simms (Law, '80). The first live-in faculty 

master, Mary Hoover, arrived. Lorraine Howard and Jacqui Wade remained 

as faculty fellows.



1978-79, 1979-80

Valerie Swain-Cade succeeded as faculty master, and a new position, 

program director, was filled by Denis Cochran-Fikes. Bill Simms remained 

as administrative fellow, and the faculty fellows were Ernest Wilson and 

Lorraine Howard.



1980-81

Non-resident faculty master status returned and Law Professor Ralph 

Smith served in that capacity, sharing  duties with Social Work's 

Professors Samuel Sylvester and Howard Arnold. The director's position 

was resurrected, and Eleanor Cox served in that position as well as 

faculty fellow. The other faculty fellow was Raoul Jordan-Cook.



1981-82

Raoul Jordan-Cook was succeeded by Lorenzo Griffin, and Mark Carter 

served as administrative fellow in this academic year as well.



1982-83

Resident faculty master status returned and John Roberts served in this 

year. The faculty fellows at this time were Barbara Turner and Eleanor 

Cox. Robert Marchman succeeded Mark Carter as administrative fellow.



1983-84, 1984-85

John Roberts remained as faculty master, with a change of faculty 

fellows: Sociology's Ivar Berg, and GSE's Thomas Parham.  Joia Johnson 

became administrative fellow.



1985-86

In John Roberts's last year as faculty master, the  faculty fellows were 

Joyce Wilkerson and Robert Hill; Virginia Henderson was administrative 

fellow.



1986-87, 1987-88

The new faculty master was Allen Green;   faculty fellows, E. Vanessa 

Siddle, Ken Shropshire, and Raynard Kington; and administrative fellow   

Pamela Petty with Lisa Johnson as assistant administrative fellow.



1988-89

Pamela Petty and Ken Shropshe left, and Flora Taylor joined as 

administrative fellow. All others remained in service. Jeffrey Cusic was 

added as assistant administrative fellow.



1989-90

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, an M.D. with appointments in medicine and health 

care systems became faculty master at this time; Raynard Kington, and 

Vanessa Siddle remained as faculty fellows. Kevin Hibbert was added as 

assistant administrative fellow.



1990-91, 1991-92

New faculty fellows were Vivian Gadsden  and Jacqueline Bowles. The 

administrative fellow position was discontinued and an assistant dean 

was added:  David B. Biggs,who also does academic advising in the 

College of Arts and Sciences as well as administering the operations of 

the DuBois College House. 



1992

Richard Sims, III, succeeeded as faculty master. Johnetta Craig, and 

Francis Mante joined the House as faculty fellows.