On May 23, 1953, Dr. Rufus E. Clement, then president of Atlanta University, was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education, becoming the first African American to hold public office in Atlanta since Reconstruction. ?
Dr. Clement was a distinguished educator and administrator. Born on June 26, 1900, in Salisbury, North Carolina, he earned his Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University. He served as the first dean of Louisville Municipal College before becoming the sixth and longest-serving president of Atlanta University, holding the position from 1937 until his death in 1967. ?
His election to the school board marked a significant milestone in Atlanta’s history, reflecting progress in African American political representation during that era.
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