Herman Hodge Long

Dr. Herman Hodge Long president of the United Negro College Fund from 1970-1975, adopted the tagline “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”, one of the most famous and apropos mottos created for any institution. Dr. Long was a scholar, researcher, college administrator, and author of several pioneering studies dealing with race relations. Research used in Long’s book “People vs. Property: Race Restrictive Covenants in Housing”, co-authored with Charles S. Johnson in 1947, was a pivotal component in the movement that led to the US Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw a state’s ability to enforce racially restrictive housing covenants. These neighborhood covenants were contractual agreements between property owners that prohibited occupying, leasing, and selling a piece of property to a particular group of people.

Long was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1912. During his childhood, his family moved to Chicago, where he grew up in the racially segregated Southside. He returned to Alabama in 1931 to attend Talladega College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1935. He later earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Long’s journey toward becoming a leading researcher in sociology began when he went to Fisk University, which was considered the leading center for training African Americans in the field of sociological research. There, he worked with Dr. Charles S. Johnson, the most acclaimed African American sociologist in the United States. Long went on to become the head of the university’s Race Relations Institute and produced several pieces that were published nationally and referenced in many sociological texts.

Long was not shy about voicing his opinions and challenging the status quo. Dr. Vivian W. Henderson, Long’s colleague at Fisk, wrote about Long’s impact upon race relations: “In spite of the fact that you are stubborn as hell, you have been a tower of strength in this land. Your participation in race relations was crucial in some of the most difficult times this nation faced.”

In 1964, Talladega College’s Board of Trustees offered Dr. Long the prestigious position of president. He served as president until his death on August 8, 1976 and was considered one of Talladega’s greatest leaders. Long is credited for improving campus morale and securing funding from state and national organizations for the institution.