Ronald Mason Jr. facts for kids

Ronald Francis Mason Jr. (born January 15, 1953) is an American lawyer and university administrator. He has led several universities throughout his career. He was the ninth president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) from July 2015 until June 2023.

Before leading UDC, Mason was the chief executive officer of the Southern University System in Louisiana from 2010 to 2015. He also served as president of Jackson State University from 2000 to 2010. Earlier in his career, he worked at Tulane University for 17 years. There, he held important roles like general counsel, which means he was the main lawyer for the university.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in New Orleans

Ronald Mason Jr. was born on January 15, 1953. He was the oldest of six children. He grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, where his family had lived for many generations.

College and Law School

Mason attended Columbia College at Columbia University. He earned his first degree there in 1974. Later, he went to Columbia Law School and became a lawyer in 1977.

Career Highlights

Starting as a Lawyer

After finishing law school, Mason returned to Louisiana. He began his career as a lawyer for the Southern Cooperative Development Fund (SCDF). This organization helped to create and fund cooperatives in 17 southern states. These cooperatives helped people work together to own and manage businesses.

Working at Tulane University

In 1982, Mason joined Tulane University. He was the first in-house lawyer for the university. He was also the first African American to hold a senior leadership position at Tulane. He eventually became the senior vice president and general counsel. This meant he was in charge of the university's business operations and legal matters.

Mason helped bring the Amistad Research Center to Tulane University. This center has one of the largest collections of writings and art about the experiences of African Americans and other minority groups. He also worked on a project to study racism in higher education.

Helping the Community in New Orleans

From 1996 to 2000, Mason played a big role in improving public housing in New Orleans. He helped Tulane University manage the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO). During this time, he also started a program that connected Tulane students and teachers with public housing residents. They worked together to improve the community.

In 1998, Mason helped create the Tulane-Xavier National Center for the Urban Community (NCUC). This center was a partnership between Tulane and Xavier Universities. It worked with low-income residents in New Orleans.

Leading Universities

Jackson State University (2000-2010)

In February 2000, Mason became the president of Jackson State University. In 2010, President Barack Obama asked him to join the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Southern University System (2010-2015)

From 2010 to 2015, Mason served as the president of the Southern University and A&M College System. This is the only system of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States. He helped the system through financial challenges and reorganized its structure.

While at Southern, Mason started a national project called the 'Five-Fifths Agenda for America'. This project focused on helping Black men succeed. It created Centers for Undergraduate Student Achievement. These centers aimed to help young men avoid violence and the "school-to-prison pipeline."

University of the District of Columbia (2015-2023)

In July 2015, Mason became the ninth president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). He was the longest-serving president in the school's history. He worked to strengthen UDC's unique role as the only public university in Washington, D.C. It is also the only urban land-grant university.

Under his leadership, UDC improved its technology and worked to build its reputation among D.C. Public Schools. In 2021, the university received a large gift of $2.3 million to support its plans for fairness and equality. Mason announced in July 2022 that he would step down as president on June 30, 2023.

Mason also serves on the boards of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs. He is also the vice-chair of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.

Awards and Recognition

• 1999: Tulane/Xavier/Loyola Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2000: City of New Orleans Medal of Honor
• 2008: Columbia University John Jay Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement
• 2008: TMCF Educator of the Year
• 2009: Benjamin E. Mays Educator of the Year
• 2013: Southern Christian Leadership Conference Award for Educational Leadership