John Hope

John Hope (June 2, 1868 - February 20, 1936), born in Augusta, Georgia, was an African-American educator and political activist. He was the son of a white father, who was a farmer, and a black mother.

In 1894 he graduated from Brown University, before teaching at Roger Williams University. In 1898, he left Roger Williams to become professor of classics at Atlanta Baptist College, and in 1906, he was appointed the first black president of Morehouse. He became the president of Atlanta University and helped to found the Niagara Movement.

Hope served as a YMCA secretary with black soldiers in France from 1918 until 1919 and organized the Commission on Interracial Cooperation of which he became the first president. After Morehouse and Spelman became affiliated with Atlanta University, in 1929, Hope was unanimously chosen to be president of the institution. Hope held this position until his death.