Though most famous for his role as a mentor for Martin Luther King, Jr., Benjamin Mays (ca.1894- 1984) was a leading advocate of civil rights before and after the modern Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. Born to former slaves and sharecroppers in South Carolina, Mays focused on education throughout his life. Through overwhelming odds Mays earned a Bachelor’s degree from Bates College and a Master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Before completing his Ph.D., Mays served as a teacher and dean. In 1936, Mays traveled to India and met with Mahatma Gandhi where they discussed many of the passive resistance strategies that Gandhi was using against the British. Many of these strategies would be adopted by the civil rights leaders in America.
In 1940, Mays became president of Morehouse College. Four years later Martin Luther King Jr. entered Morehouse and the two formed a mentor/mentee relationship that would last until King’s murder in 1968. In his time as president Mays strengthened the school’s academic rigor and was a successful fundraiser. Mays retired in 1967, though he continued to be involved with organizations such as the NAACP and the YMCA. Additionally, he was an active writer and speaker until his death in 1984.
Interview with Dr. Mays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OIHdloPyYY