Bernard W. Harleston facts for kids

Bernard Warren Harleston (born January 22, 1930) is a former college leader. In 1981, he became the first African-American president of City College of New York. Dr. Harleston was born in New York City and grew up in Hempstead.

He earned his bachelor's degree from Howard University in 1951. Later, he received his psychology doctorate from the University of Rochester in 1955.

Early Career and Education

Bernard Harleston began his journey in higher education after earning his doctorate. In 1956, he became an assistant professor of psychology. This was at Tufts University. He worked there for 35 years.

Rising Through the Ranks

Dr. Harleston showed great leadership skills. He moved up to become a dean at Tufts University in 1970. Before that, from 1968 to 1970, he also served as provost. He was also the acting president of Lincoln University for a short time.

Leading City College of New York

In 1981, Dr. Harleston was chosen to lead the City College of New York. He was selected over other important candidates. These included Shirley Chisholm and Homer Neal.

Impact on Student Diversity

During his time as president, the college had a policy called "open admissions." This policy allowed more students to attend. As a result, the engineering school became very diverse. It had the largest number of Black and Hispanic students.

Challenges During His Presidency

However, Dr. Harleston's time at City College also faced challenges. The college's reputation saw some changes. There were also student protests. Students took over parts of the campus in 1989 and 1991.

A sad event happened in the gymnasium stairwell. This was outside a celebrity basketball game. There were also some disagreements among professors. These issues caused a lot of discussion and concern.

Amid these challenges, Dr. Harleston decided to resign. He wanted to find a calmer environment. He sought a more peaceful campus setting.