As Dartmouth College approaches its 250th anniversary next year in the midst of an unprecedented $3-billion fundraising campaign, three Black alumnae are making history as the first African-American women to hold their top leadership positions.
Dr. Adrienne “Tee” Lotson is president of the Dartmouth College Alumni Council, Cheryl Bascomb is vice president for alumni relations and Laurel J. Richie is chair of the university board of trustees. They are instrumental in rallying support for the school in general and for “The Call to Lead” drive in particular.
“All three of these women are truly remarkable leaders, and I couldn’t be more proud to have them in these respective roles,” said Dartmouth’s president Dr. Philip J. Hanlon. “Dartmouth has long believed that a diversity of perspectives leads to the best outcomes, and having these three powerful voices at the table will be instrumental in helping to shape the future of our institution as an ongoing force for good in the world.”
Dr. Adrienne “Tee” Lotson
After skipping the first and eighth grades, the 16-year-old Queens high school graduate had plans to attend UCLA or USC, study performing arts and wow the world as an actress.
Instead, like her big brother, she ended up at Dartmouth. And she remembers the shock she felt when a White instructor told her class on the first day that Black students do not get an A in his class.
It wasn’t the only such challenge Lotson would face at the renowned Ivy League institution, but as she matriculated she found much that she loved, including good friends, sincere advocates, an ethnically diverse range of nurturing faculty and administrators, talent for acting and opportunities to lead.
