Calvin O Butts III

President of State University of New York College at Old Westbury and Pastor of the nationally renowned Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York. A native of New York City, Dr. Butts earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He returned to New York and earned a Master of Divinity Degree in Church History from the Union Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in Church and Public Policy from Drew University. He has taught Urban Affairs and served as an Adjunct Professor in the African Studies Department at City College, New York. He has also taught Black Church History at Fordham University. Sought after internationally for his comments on social, religious, educational and ethical issues, Dr. Butts has conducted speaking engagements before a vast array of colleges and universities, business and professional organizations, religious congregations, and governmental agencies throughout his career. Along with his Presidency at the College at Old Westbury, Dr. Butts continues as pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York - among the most historic churches in the nation. In addition to his professional and religious avocations, Dr. Butts serves as President of the Council of Churches of the City of New York and as Chairman of the Board of North General Hospital, Abyssinian Development Corporation, Youth On the Move, and Blue Nile Passage, Inc. He also serves as Vice-Chair of The Board of Directors of United Way of New York City, and as a member of the leadership boards of The Long Island Association, the Boy Scouts of America-Theodore Roosevelt Council, The Long Island Housing Partnership, the American Baptist College in Nashville, Tenn., New Visions for Public Schools, New York Blood Center, the Long Island Regional Advisory Council on Higher Education, and the Community Development Corporation of Long Island. He is the Chairman of the Board of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA) and a founding member of the organization's Board of Commissioners. He is also co-chair of the African American Men and Boys Initiative (AAMB), a special initiative being supported by the Board of Trustees of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and housed at Morgan State University. He has served as President of Africare NYC, an independent organization dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life in rural Africa. He has also served as a member of the board of the September 11th Fund. Dr. Butts has been presented with honorary degrees from the City University of New York/The City College of New York, New York City; Claflin College, Orangeburg, South Carolina; Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana; Hartwick College, Oneonta, New York; Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania; Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut; and Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama.