AAMU Alumnus Dr. Mark S. Berry Inspires with Stories of Boldness and Legacy

Alabama A&M University marked a historic milestone Friday as it celebrated its 150th Founder’s Day Convocation, with keynote speaker Dr. Mark S. Berry delivering a heartfelt and visionary address that honored the institution’s storied legacy while casting an ambitious gaze toward its future.

Standing before a packed Bradford Auditorium, Berry – a double alumnus and Senior Vice President of Research, Environment, and Sustainability for Southern Company – opened with deep gratitude for the faculty, administrators, alumni, students, and his family who shaped his life’s path.

“I stand before you today not because of my own merit, but because of the people who poured into me while I was here,” he said, naming several professors who reignited his academic journey. “I arrived at Alabama A&M in 1987 with no scholarship or accolades – just a directive from my father. Let me say this, AAMU was instrumental in getting my life back on track.”

Berry’s central theme flipped the traditional Founder’s Day phrase - “Rich Heritage and Bold Future” – on its head. He proposed: “Boldness is required before heritage can be established.” That boldness, he said, defined the legacy of founder Dr. William Hooper Councill, who, born into slavery, rose to become a lawyer, educator, and university president.

“He carried with him an unshakable conviction that education was the key to freedom, dignity, and advancement for us,” Berry said. “His life’s purpose was first and foremost to uplift a race through the transformative power of education.”

To further illustrate the power of boldness and legacy, Berry engaged the audience with three stories, each introduced by the rhetorical prompt: “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Boldest of Them All?” The first, of course, was Councill himself. The second was Berry’s own aunt, an Alabama A&M graduate who paid for his father’s education at the University. The third was a fictional tale of a young woman named Symone from Atmore, Alabama, who launched a chip company and became Alabama A&M's first billionaire alumnus. The audience thought it was true, until Berry said, “Now Symone’s story is fiction, but I put it before you that with bold vision at this University, it can become a reality.”

Berry emphasized that the bold actions of past generations are what created the rich heritage of Alabama A&M – and today’s community has a responsibility to extend that legacy with courage, vision, and investment. To that end, Berry has established an Endowed Scholarship to support deserving students in STEM fields. He also made a donation toward the University’s ongoing $150 million capital campaign, part of the sesquicentennial celebration.

“In honor of the 22 graduates from my family and helping you deliver the bold vision,” Berry said, “I have a $25,000 check.”

The Convocation concluded with recognition of excellence within the University, as members of the President’s Cabinet presented Employee of the Year awards to outstanding faculty and staff from each college and major administrative unit.

Guests then proceeded to the historic gravesite of Dr. William Hooper Councill for the traditional wreath-laying ceremony. As part of the yearlong celebration, the Eternal Flame will be ceremonially lit during Homecoming 2025, symbolizing 150 years of enduring legacy and a bold future ahead.