Fifty years after its founding, Morehouse School of Medicine on Thursday celebrated the opening of a $45 million building, named after the man who played a pivotal role in the Atlanta school’s creation.
Calvin Smyre, former dean of the Georgia House of Representatives and current trustee emeritus for the school, sat by Gov. Brian Kemp as a line of speakers, including Kemp, sung his praises at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Calvin Smyre Education Conference Center. Smyre helped secure critical funding to get the school running.
“For every student who walks through these halls, may they be reminded that they are walking in the footsteps of a giant,” said the medical school’s president, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice.
The 52,300-square-foot building contains an auditorium, conference and event rooms, group study areas and office space. And it is a significant investment for the private historically Black medical school which aims to improve health equity and bring primary care physicians to Georgia communities that need them most.
Thursday morning was as much a celebration of Smyre as it was of the new facility. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1974 as its youngest member, he served in the General Assembly until his retirement in 2022, earning a lauded reputation both within and beyond the statehouse.
“You can go anywhere, and I promise you they know the dean,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Kemp referred to Smyre an “institution in Georgia politics,” calling his near half-century tenure, “a testament to his deep commitment to making life better for our fellow Georgians.” He noted that Smyre served in the House alongside the late Bob Argo, father of first lady Marty Kemp, who was also in attendance.
Smyre’s fingerprints are all over the institution, said Art Collins, chair of the medical school’s board of trustees. If not for Smyre, “there may not be a Morehouse School of Medicine as we know it today,” said Collins.
Following stories of his accomplishments and long history in the House, Smyre stepped to the microphone. “After listening to all this, now I know who I am,” he joked.
He recalled that securing a crucial $1 million for the school back in 1977 was a “very, very difficult” task, noting that it was the first time the state of Georgia put public money into a private institution. As a proud Fort Valley State University alumni, Smyre expressed his passion for HBCU’s, calling for increased investment for all Black colleges.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Concluding his speech, Smyre said the ceremony was not merely to celebrate the opening of a building, but to celebrate the opening of a gateway to improve health care outcomes statewide.
“Morehouse School of Medicine is a bold, audacious mission to impact communities, locally, nationally and internationally,” Smyre said. “Stay on the journey with us. It is worth the mission.”
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