Honoring Edward Bouchet, Class of 1870 HGS

On Monday, September 29, 2008 Hopkins School honored Dr. Edward Alexander Bouchet during a special morning assembly featuring a presentation about Bouchet's legacy made by C. Brandon Ogbunugafor; a visit by Dr. Curtis Paton, retired Professor and Head of the Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Disease at Yale University School of Medicine; and a performance by the New Haven based singing group, Salt and Pepper.

About Edward Bouchet
    Born in New Haven in 1852 and valedictorian of Hopkins Grammar School graduating class in 1870, Dr. Edward Bouchet went on to Yale College, graduating summa cum laude in 1874 as the first African American graduate from that institution, and then earned his Ph.D at Yale in Physics, becoming the first African American to earn a doctorate in any subject at any university in the United States. Dr. Bouchet had a long and distinguished career as an educator, retiring in 1916; he died in New Haven in 1918. A former student described Dr. Bouchet as follows: “…He was a fine Christian gentleman, a consummate scholar, one who seemed very knowledgeable in all areas and yet was extremely modest and a person who set a wonderful example of politeness and graciousness for the community. …Certainly it is impossible to assess the far reaching influence of Dr. Bouchet upon the hundreds of persons whose lives he touched.–Susan Robinson (excerpt from A Day in Black History)
    To honor Dr. Bouchet’s legacy, and with the invaluable help of Dr. Curtis Paton, retired Professor and Head of the Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Disease at Yale University School of Medicine, Hopkins established the Edward A. Bouchet Scholarship Fund in 1978 for students of color with strong academic profiles and demonstrated financial need.

Visit our news archives for more about the history of Bouchet Day at Hopkins:

• First-ever Bouchet Day including the dedication of the Bouchet Seminar Room in Malone Science Center - 10/01/05
• 2nd Annual Bouchet Day including speeches from Barbara Riley and Dr. Curtis Paton, student performances, and a mayoral proclamation about "Edward Alexander Bouchet Day" 09/29/06

About C. Brandon Ogbunugafor
C. Brandon Ogbunugafor, a New York City native, is currently an MD/PhD candidate in the Microbiology Program at the Yale University School of Medicine. His current research interests involve the evolution and ecology of infectious diseases, and his career interests are in the field of pediatric infectious diseases and child development. In 2002 he graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude (Chemistry). He is the 2002 recipient of a United States William J. Fulbright Fellowship, which funded his one-year study of malaria in western Kenya. At Yale, Brandon has been a past recipient of a Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies(YIBS) Field Ecology Fellowship, and most recently a UNCF-Merck Graduate Dissertation Fellowship. Brandon serves as the graduate assistant at the Afro American Cultural Center at Yale University, and as Regional Director(RD) of the Student National Medical Association(SNMA). Brandon engages his community in several capacities through mentoring and healthcare advocacy.

About gospel singing group Salt and Pepper
    In 1985 a unique and captivating group of singers made its debut at the First Annual Branford Festival in Branford, Connecticut. Since then, the group has been in constant demand at various venues such as prisons, elderly housing facilities, churches of all denominations, soup kitchens, rehabilitation facilities, and many public and independent schools. The Salt & Pepper Gospel Singers has also performed on the stages of celebrated theaters such as Alice Tulley Hall at Lincoln Center, the Apollo Theater, the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, NBC’s The Today Show, Yale’s Theological Seminary and Law School, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.
    In 1992, New York independent film-maker Gary Keys made a documentary film entitled Not Just Good Time Sunday about the choir. This film was featured on Cinemax in July of 1994, is now the permanent collection of the film archives of the Museum of Modern Art.
    In 1996, the choir received the 1996 Gospel Award for Excellence on behalf of the Connecticut Public Television Clearance Scott Prayer Hour. The choir has been proclaimed Connecticut’s “Ambassadors of Gospel Music” by the Connecticut State Senate and has frequently rated number one in the New Haven Advocate’s Best Gospel category. In 1989, CBS Radio recognized Salt & Pepper on its weekly A World of Difference program as “a significant force in the battle against bigotry and racism”. The choir has also been featured on Connecticut Public Radio. Yale University law professor (and member of the bass section) Harlon L. Dalton wrote about this gospel group in his 1995 New York Times reviewed book, “Racial Healing: Confronting the Fear Between Blacks and Whites.” Harlon called Salt & Pepper “a rare example of integration, African-American style”. In 1998, Salt & Pepper was featured in WTNH anchor Diane Smith’s book “Positively Connecticut”.
    Led by arranger and conductor Ronald Pollard, the Salt & Pepper Gospel Singers includes over 40 Connecticut residents of various denominations, ethnic, and social backgrounds. Choir members learn the traditional Black spirituals by ear via the heart and soul. Under Ron’s direction, the voices of this interracial and non-denominational choir blend to raise traditional Black gospel to new heights. This special blend of voices intertwined with the unique characteristics of gospel music compels our audiences to listen, clap, and swing along.