Dr. John Hope Franklin
Historian, Scholar And Educator, Dr. John Hope Franklin, Was Born January 2, 1915.
He Died Today (March 26, 2009) At The Age of 94.
Considered One Of The Foremost Authorities On American And African American History, Dr. Franklin Compiled An Impressive List Of Achievements During His Distinguished Career.
He Was The James B. Duke Professor Emeritus Of History, And For Seven Years, Professor Of Legal History In The School Of Law At Duke University. He Has Also Taught At The Historically Black North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC), St. Augustine's College (Raleigh, NC) Fisk University ( Nashville, TN) And Howard University (Washington, DC).
Dr. Franklin Is A Native Of Oklahoma And A Graduate Of Fisk University (1935). He Received His A.M. And Ph.D. Degrees In History, From Harvard (1941).
In The Early 1950's, He Served On The NAACP's Legal Defense Team, Led By Thurgood Marshall, This Group Helped Develop The Case (Brown v. Board Of Education), That Led To The 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decision, Ending Segregated Schools.
Dr. Franklin Has Written Numerous Publications, But His Best Known Is The Book, From Slavery To Freedom: A History Of African Americans.This Is Considered By Many Scholars, The Definitive Work On Black History.
In Addition To The NACCP Spingarn Medal, Dr. Franklin Has Received The 1990 Encyclopedia Britannica Gold Medal For Dissemination Of Information, The 1994 Trumpet Award From Turner Broadcasting Corporation, The Alpha Phi Alpha Award Of Merit And The Presidential Medal Of Freedom, The Nation's Highest Civilian Honor, In 1996.
During The Clinton Administration, Dr. Franklin Was Appointed To Serve On One America: The President's Initiative On Race.
On November 15, 2006, He Received The John W. Kluge Prize For Lifetime Achievement In The Study Of Humanity.
Personal Note:
I interviewed Dr. Franklin for research papers when I was a student at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina Central University.. He was teaching at Duke.
I had an original copy of his book, From Slavery To Freedom, which he autographed. Many believe it's the definitive work on Black American History,
I remember Dr. Franklin as a brilliant scholar and a humble man.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
