Dr. Clarence G. Newsome
13th President of Shaw University

Dr. Clarence Newsome, a native of Ahoskie, North Carolina, has been called “one of the nation’s most profound, insightful, engaging and sensitive thinkers of our day.” He is a man of eternal vision with an unyielding determination to excel. His leadership as dean of Howard University’s Divinity School from 1992 - 2003 has catapulted the theological institution to a level of national prominence and respect. His commitment to the study of religion and to excellence in scholarship coincides with Shaw University’s Motto: Pro Christo Et Humanitate – For Christ and Humanity that Religion and Learning would go hand in hand and Character grow with Knowledge.

Dr. Newsome, whose career with the Howard University Divinity School spanned some 16 years, has a pioneering spirit. He has many “first’s” to his credit, having been named the first associate Dean in the history of the Divinity School, a position he held for 4 years after which time he was appointed the school’s 14th Dean. Under his leadership, the first Office of Student Services and the first Office of Institutional Development was created. The dynamic impact of his strategic leadership is evident in the school’s increase in applications by 40% and by the School’s receipt of four major awards from the University’s Academic Affairs Division for fund raising and alumni support between 1992 and 1995. There was also an increase in registration by 59% and an increase in fund raising by nearly 100% since 1992.

In addition, he successfully guided the School through two ten year reaccredidation reviews, 1992 and 2002. A highlight of his administration has been to have the School reaccredited without notation for the first time in history. The self-study document that was created in 1992 at the Howard University Divinity School was subsequently used by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) to assist other institutions in preparing for their reaccredidation visits. The School also received an invitation to join the “Big Eight,” an organization of theological school development officers from such institutions as Harvard, Yale, and Duke, due in large part to Dr. Newsome’s efforts.

In 1996, Dr. Newsome established an international component to the School by negotiating an agreement to collaborate with Honam University and Theological School in Kwanju, South Korea. In 1997, he oversaw the transformation of the School’s facility into a “smart building” through the development and installation of one of the most comprehensive and cost effective videoconferencing systems in higher education. With the support of Computer Solutions of Newport News, VA, and Hughes Electronics, Inc., of Gaithersburg, MD, the School created a unique, multifaceted two-way audio video communications resource.

Dr. Newsome’s collegiate career echoes the same pioneering spirit. While lettering in football at Duke University, this Dean’s List student was twice named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic Team, making him among the first Black athletes to be so honored. Dr. Newsome was also the commencement speaker at his graduation, sharing the stage with retired CBS News Anchor Walter Cronkite. That honor made him the first Black student commencement speaker in the University’s history.

In addition to receiving his undergraduate degree from Duke University, he also received his Master of Divinity (magna cum laude) and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Duke University. He interrupted his theological school studies for a year to serve as Acting Dean of the Office of Black Affairs (later Minority Affairs) and Director of the University’s Summer Transitional Program. During his doctoral studies, he received a number of awards and fellowships, including the prestigious James B. Duke Dissertation Year Fellowship.

For eight years, Dr. Newsome served on the Duke Divinity School faculty, teaching in the areas of American Christianity and Black Church History. In 1982, the graduating class honored him by selecting him to be their baccalaureate speaker. During a portion of the time he served on the Divinity School faculty, Dr. Newsome was the pastor of Mt. Level Baptist Church in Durham, NC. He also served as an officer in the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, the largest African American Baptist state convention in the nation.

Dr. Newsome has held several positions in national organizations, among them President of the Society for the Study of Black Religion, a nationwide think tank of scholars engaged in studying the religious experience of African Americans. He has served on the Advisory Committee of the North American-European Theological Seminar of the American Academy of Religion, and on the Board of Directors of the Duke University National Alumni Association. He has also served as the Chairman of the Duke Divinity School Board of Visitors. Moreover, he has served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Washington Theological Consortium, an organization of twelve theological schools in the Washington, DC and Richmond, VA metropolitan areas. In addition, he has served on several major committees of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS). In 2002, he was re-elected to the Executive Committee of the ATS, and in that capacity serves as “Secretary of the Corporation.”

In February 1998, Dr. Newsome was honored by the United States Senate. His name was “read” into the Congressional Record as one of the nation’s outstanding religious leaders. A year later, he was invited by the Honorable William Cohen, then Secretary of Defense, to participate in the highly selective Joint Civilian Orientation Conference.

Dr. Newsome is the recipient of many awards and honors. They include the Distinguished Service in Education Award from the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., in 2000, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Duke Divinity School in 2001. His board memberships include the Aiban Institute of Bethesda, MD, and the Duke University Board of Trustees.

Dr. Newsome is the General Editor of the acclaimed Directory of African American Religious Bodies, Volume 2, and the author of several scholarly articles, two of which are regarded as noteworthy contributions in the area of religious biography.

He is married to Lynne Platt of Charlotte, North Carolina. They have two daughters: Gina Lynn, and Brittany Ann.