Ronald Mason Jr.
Ronald Mason Jr. | |
|---|---|
| President of University of the District of Columbia | |
| Assumed office 2015 | |
| President of Southern University | |
| In office 2010–2015 | |
| Preceded by | Ralph Slaughter |
| Succeeded by | Ray Belton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Residence | Washington, D.C. |
| Alma mater | Columbia University |
| Profession | Academic administrator |
Ronald Francis Mason Jr. is an African American lawyer and university administrator, serving as the ninth president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He took office in July 2015. This is Mason's third presidential appointment. He was previously chief executive officer at the Southern University System of Louisiana (2010-2015) and Jackson State University (2000-2010). Before his administration at Jackson State, Mason held several executive appointments over a 17-year tenure at Tulane University, including general counsel, vice president for Finance and Operations and senior vice president and general counsel.
Early life
Mason was born the eldest of six children in Los Angeles, California, on January 15, 1953. He grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, where his family has lived for at least six generations.
From kindergarten through sixth grade, he attended the St. Catherine Catholic School, operated by the Sisters of the Holy Family, an order of African American nuns. The school closed in 1963 when the property was sold to Tulane University as the site of its future hospital. Mason's education continued for one year at St. Joseph's School as part of the first group to integrate the previously all-white school.
Career
Mason was the executive director of the National Center for the Urban Community at Xavier University.[1] He worked at Tulane University for 18 years, where he was also the executive director of the National Center for the Urban Community and later served as senior vice president and general counsel and as vice president for finance and operations.[1]
Mason served as the president of Jackson State University from 2000 to 2010.[1][2] In 2010, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.[3]
He served as the president of Southern University. Since 2015, he has served as the president of the University of the District of Columbia.[2][4]
Mason serves on the boards of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the President's Board of Advisors (PBA) on HBCUs of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.[5]
References
- ^ a b c "Ronald Mason, Jr". White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ a b Svrluga, Susan (May 12, 2015). "An Ivy-League-educated president for Washington, D.C.'s public university". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ "Statement by the Press Secretary: President Obama Re-establishes President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Announces Members | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
- ^ Clabaugh, Jeff (May 12, 2015). "UDC names new president". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ LaTortue, Imani (December 8, 2017). "Ronald Mason, Jr.: From law student to UDC President". Howard University News Service. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  | This biography of an American academic administrator is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |