From “What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman” by Lerita Coleman Brown
As high school valedictorian, Thurman qualified for a tuition fellowship to Morehouse College. In 1919, he began his studies at Morehouse, exploring a wide array of subjects but focusing primarily on economics and sociology. During the summer prior to his senior year, he took courses in philosophy at Columbia University in New York. He again graduated as valedictorian. A rumor circulated that he had read every book in the college’s library. Thurman was the admitted to Colgate Rochester Theological Seminary and again graduated as the valedictorian of his seminary class.
In seminary, he heard a message about what his future role might hold from his beloved seminary professor, George Cross. With a most somber tone, Cross, who was white, shared that while he had no idea what it was like to be a Negro, he recommended Thurman focus his energies on feeing the spiritual hunger of the masses. Cross said he’d understand if Thurman felt like he needed to devote his efforts to the racial struggle, but such social issues are ephemeral, he told him. With his keen intellect, Thurman could make a significant contribution to the field of spirituality.