Bill Cosby To Perform Benefit for Future City Teachers

On Friday, October 15, 2004 at 8:00 p.m., Morgan State University welcomes entertainer Bill Cosby to the magnificent Gilliam Concert Hall in the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center. “An Evening with Bill Cosby” is a benefit concert to establish an endowment for students at Morgan who will teach in the Baltimore City Public Schools upon graduation.

“Morgan graduates the highest number of African American elementary school teachers in the state of Maryland and still there are not enough to fill the needs of the public schools, particularly in the areas of science, math and special education. We need to do more!” says Dr. Patricia Welch, who is chairwoman of the Baltimore City School Board and dean of Morgan’s School of Education and Urban Studies.

Morgan is doing more! With assistance from Bill Cosby, an endowed scholarship fund is being established that will allow the University to serve as an incubator for future teachers in the Baltimore City Public Schools. Using the proceeds of this concert and other contributions, deserving students attending Morgan will be offered financial assistance with their college tuition costs in exchange for a commitment to become public school teachers in the city.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for young people to get a quality college education while at the same time serving the greater community by improving Baltimore City Public Schools,” said Morgan President Earl S. Richardson. “Education has always been important to Mr. Cosby and his family and the fact that Morgan was chosen to launch this initiative is very exciting for us.”

The endowment will honor the late Major League Baseball player Joe Black, Jr., an alumnus of Morgan and close friend of Mr. Cosby. Joe Black, Jr. was named “Rookie of the Year” in 1952 and was the first African American pitcher to win a World Series game. He also had a great career in corporate America serving as a senior vice president with Greyhound Corporation after retiring from baseball.

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a coeducational institution offering more than 60 academic programs leading to bachelor's degrees as well as programs at the master's and doctoral levels. As Maryland's public urban university, Morgan serves a multi-ethnic and multi-racial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information on Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

Tickets for this stellar event are on sale now at Ticketmaster, through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 410-481-SEAT.