Dr. Richard McKinney ’31 issued a call in 1951 from his office at Morgan State College for all Men of Morehouse in the Baltimore area to gather and preserve the lessons learned at “The House.” The exact location of the first meeting is unknown. What remains clear is the spirit behind that call: unity, purpose, and fidelity to the ideals of Morehouse College. Because Dr. McKinney sounded the call, we honor that moment by recognizing his home as the symbolic starting place of our fellowship.

Those who answered Dr. McKinney’s call included T. Shelton Coles, Ed Holt, Rev. Alfred Vaughan ’46, Maurice Lee, Abner Lee, Joe Perches, Henry Goodman ’49, and Murray Schmoke ’49. Their early gatherings centered on memories, values, and the shared responsibility of living as educated men committed to service. The brothers formalized their efforts and became known as the Baltimore Morehouse Alumni Association. Whether or not a national charter existed at the time mattered little. What mattered was resolve. Brotherhood became the charter. Dr. McKinney served as the first president and set the tone for leadership anchored in integrity and purpose.

In the early years, the Association met faithfully, though progress was slow. Monthly meetings offered fellowship, but little work that advanced recruitment or strengthened the College. Over time, the group outgrew living rooms and began gathering at Wilson’s Restaurant on Baltimore’s Black Gold Coast. New energy arrived with Augustus “Gus” Adair ’54 and, later, Tim Wilson ’63. Adair encouraged civic engagement. Wilson urged the group to introduce Baltimore to the cultural excellence of Morehouse College. With their influence, the Association moved from memory to mission.

Responding to Wilson’s vision, the Association sponsored its first Glee Club concert in 1971 at Douglas Memorial Community Church. Tickets cost two dollars, yet the value of the moment far exceeded the price. The Glee Club rotated between Union Baptist Church and Douglas Memorial in alternating odd years. In 1986, at the request of Gus Adair, the Glee Club performed as part of his congressional campaign fundraiser, shifting the rotation. In 1998, a scheduling conflict with Region IV’s alumni conference led to a performance at St. James Episcopal Church, pastored by future Association President John “Ronnie John” Gardner. The success of that concert expanded the rotation and affirmed the power of sacred spaces as the natural home for this cultural tradition. Two attempts to move the concert outside of church venues proved less successful, and the rotation returned to the places that had always welcomed the music, the mission, and the Morehouse spirit.