Education

Judge Marvin Arrington donates $50K to CAU for books

May 31, 2016

Former Fulton County Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington Sr. just wrote a check to his alma mater to the tune of $50,000.

The 1963 Clark College graduate’s gift will establish the Judge Marvin Arrington Book Fund for African-American students pursuing an undergraduate degree from the Clark Atlanta University’s Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work or an undergraduate degree in political science.

“My years at Clark College proved a very rich experience. So many professors and coaches, legends like Raymond “Tweet” Williams and L. S. Epps, encouraged me to work hard, overcome obstacles and move forward,” said Arrington, who grew up in Atlanta in the area known as The Bluff.

“I’ve asked myself many times where I would be had it not been for Clark. If I had to do it all over again, there is no doubt I would make the same choice. So, it is my obligation to give to an institution that has given so much to a poor boy from The Bluff. I don’t have a problem investing in CAU, because it happens to be one of the finest institutions in this country.”

Arrington left The Bluff to attend Clark College in a football scholarship. He graduated from the Emory University Law School and in 1969 was elected to the Atlanta City Council. He spent his last 17 years on the council as the president.

“Alumni like Judge Marvin Arrington Sr are exemplars of service, advocacy, mentorship and philanthropy,” said CAU President Ronald A. Johnson.

About the Author

Ernie Suggs is an enterprise reporter covering race and culture for the AJC since 1997. A 1990 graduate of N.C. Central University and a 2009 Harvard University Nieman Fellow, he is also the former vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. His obsession with Prince, Spike Lee movies, Hamilton and the New York Yankees is odd.

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