Johnetta Cole, OC '57, greatly effected by Oberlin

Dr. Johnnetta Cole, current president of Spelman College, said that experiencing Oberlin's liberal attitudes as a student is what enabled her to develop a personal set of world views different from those she experienced during her childhood in the South.

An OC '57 sociology major, Cole grew up in the racist and segregated southern city of Jacksonville, Fla. during the 1930's.

The 15-year-old Cole (Betsch at the time) first attended Fisk, a traditionally African-American college in Nashville, Tenn., after her junior year of high school.

Upon her father's death during her first year in college, Cole transferred to Oberlin so that she could be closer to her sister who was, at the time, attending Oberlin. Even though Fisk was geared to black students, Cole said that because the institution was located in the south, racial conflict was common.

When Cole first arrived at Oberlin, her impression of the school was that "it was a different world, a place where people were from a range of different races, religions and national origins."

Coming from the Jim Crow south and a traditional black family, Oberlin's liberal views were "a mind expanding experience," Cole said.

While attending Oberlin, Cole quickly became aware that throughout her life she had been living in an environment dominated by whites. As a result, she spent a large amount of time working with faculty and students to create an interracial organization that would make Oberlin's multiracial environment warmer and more welcoming.

Cole said that one of her most memorable Oberlin experiences occurred while taking an anthropology class with Professor George Eaton Simpson. In addition to swaying Cole from a pre-med to social science major, Cole said that it was in Simpson's classroom where she first began to see the "possible explanations as to why there is diversity in the world and to some extent, why bigotry and prejudice continue."

After receiving her B.A. from Oberlin, Cole entered Northwestern University. She completed a Masters Degree in 1959 and a Ph.D. in 1967, both in the study of anthropology. More recently, Cole was a professor of anthropology and headed the Latin- American and Caribbean Studies Department at Hunter College, a branch of New York City College. President of Spelman since 1987, Cole said her experience at the school can best be described as a "passionate and successful love affair."

Having addressed Oberlin students and faculty at last year's graduation, Cole said that the experience was most exciting because it allowed her the opportunity to speak at President Nancy Dye's first Oberlin commencement.

Even though she has not visited Oberlin for some time, Cole said that she is "still very very hot on my alma mater."