Carolyn Banner

Carolyn had a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Langston University and a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Development from the University of Minnesota. In 1959 Carolyn came to Lincoln as acting principal of the laboratory Elementary School and Supervisor of Elementary Student Teaching. She nurtured and taught hundreds of Lincoln’s students to be the finest, most qualified teachers in the country. Once retired she was able to enjoy the many awards that she received through out her years. The awards she received were citations, and honors: AAUW Woman of Achievement Award, and the MUATE Outstanding Teacher Educator Award. She was elected the first Black President of AAUW in 1965. She was appointed to the Mayor’s Census and Redistricting Committee in 1981. On June 21st, 1985 Mayor George Hartsfield declared that day as “Carolyn Banner Day” in Jefferson City. Carolyn Banner retired from Lincoln University in July 1985.

Edna Chavis

As an advocate for the elderly, Edna Chavis has made many improvements for matured people. She worked for the Social Security Administration for eleven years, where she recognized that “older people are the same as anyone else with the same wants and desires.” Since then, she gained educational experience to assist her in understanding the self-concept of older people. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science and a teaching certificate from Eastern Michigan University in 1972, a Master of Science Degree in Adult Education from Tuskegee Institute in 1975, and a PhD Degree in Social Gerontology and Adult Education from the University of Missouri in 1979. Some of her accomplishments include her position as the head of the Missouri Delegates to the White House Conference on Aging and her lobbying efforts toward Missouri’s first Governor’s Conference on Aging. She was also awarded the Lt. Governor’s Nursing Home Task Force Certificate of Appreciation. As an adjunct instructor at Lincoln University, Chavis emphasizes to her students that aging is a natural process. She has had a great impact on her students, several of whom have continued on related career paths. Following her own advice that “Aging successfully is to never sit down and do nothing,” Chavis continues to teach, work as a gerontologist, and serve on committees within the Department of Health and Senior Services.

2013-2017 Dr. Kevin D. Rome, Sr.

Dr. Kevin D. Rome, Sr. 19th President 2013-2017 Dr. Kevin D. Rome, Sr. earned the Bachelor of Art degree in English from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1989. He received the Master of Education in College Student Personnel with an emphasis in counseling from the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, in 1991, and the Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas in 2001. On June 1, 2013, Dr. Rome took over as the 19th President of Lincoln University in Missouri.