By Shaka Lias
NYT Institute

When the spring semester at Dillard University ended in 2004, students weren’t the only ones packing their bags. Dr. Michael Lomax, then president of Dillard, was also getting ready to leave the university where he had worked for seven years.

Since then, Lomax, 57, has found a new home as chief executive and president of the United Negro College Fund in Fairfax, Va.

At UNCF, Lomax’s primary job is raising money to support the nation’s historically black colleges and universities. In his first year, he exceeded his goal of raising $93 million in scholarships. Instead, he raised $97.5 million.

When Lomax first got on the job, he joked about having to walk around with a tin cup asking for money. Now, he says, “It’s kind of hard to fit $97.5 million in a tin cup.”

Plus, the tin cup is really not needed, thanks to major fund-raising events the UNCF holds annually such as the Black and White Ball held every June in Chicago, the Mayor’s Mask Ball held in December in Atlanta and the UNCF anniversary dinner held in New York in March. The New York dinner is the most successful, raising $2.5 million a year.

Lomax said he loves his new position, but admits that he misses Dillard.

“Walking to the office, living and working on a college campus was convenient,” Lomax said.

Nowadays, Lomax’s schedule is hectic. He travels three to five times a week and is rarely at home in Fairfax, where UNCF has its headquarters. His wife, three daughters and granddaughters live in Atlanta, where he commutes every weekend.

Lomax said he still considers Atlanta home. After all, he served 12 years as chairman of the Board of Commissioners in Fulton County, Ga., and graduated from Morehouse College in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He followed with a master’s in 16th century literature from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from Emory University in African-American literature.

UNCF was founded 61 years ago by presidents of private historically black colleges and universities. Currently, 38 HBCUs receive support from UNCF to help keep their tuitions down.

In his spare time, Lomax said he enjoys reading fiction and history books. He is an avid book collector and has more than 500 first-edition African-American books. His oldest is a book of slave narratives written in 1850.

Lomax also works out four to five days a week.

“It’s my entertainment and health,” he said.

Lomax said UNCF keeps him busy, but he’s not complaining.

“As long as I have breath, a beating heart and working mind I’ll be doing it, because after all a mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

Michael Lomax