Published on March 9, 2015  

Jeanna and I joined with hundreds of friends of Dr. Gene Black on Saturday morning for a service at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, in celebration of his life with us and his new life in a place far beyond our comprehension.  Dr. Black served as a member of Samford’s music faculty for 35 years, becoming Dean of the School of Music in 1980.  He retired in 2000.  The music for the service, offered by former members of our A Cappella Choir, was heavenly.  Dr. Black was a primary actor in shaping the legendary A Cappella Choir, but the influence of Dr. and Mrs. Black on the men and women who sang and spoke on Saturday morning transcends the development of a program, school, or university.  It was his soul, I think, that pointed thousands of young people to Christ.  Along the way, they found their competence, their calling, their profession, their voice.   

The world is better because of Gene Black.  We shall see him again.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.