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From the Projects to the Presidencies
My Journey to Higher Education Leadership
Introduction
The compelling story of a self‑made,
driven, and industrious
higher education professional
Raised in a public housing project in New Haven, Connecticut, James E. Lyons Sr. overcame the difficult circumstances of his childhood to flourish academically, eventually becoming president of six universities—Bowie State University, Jackson State University, California State University Dominguez Hills, Dillard University, the University of the District of Columbia, and Concordia College Alabama. From the Projects to the Presidencies: My Journey to Higher Education Leadership charts Lyons's personal and educational journey, from saving money for college by shining shoes in front of Yale University at fifteen to returning to the same building thirty-seven years later as president of Jackson State.
Though his mother never graduated high school, she worked hard to provide opportunities for him. Championing his desire to escape what experts considered one of the worst areas of Connecticut, she helped him dodge pitfalls, change course when necessary, and reach his goal of achieving a successful career in higher education.
Throughout his journey, there were as many friends supporting him as there were adversaries attempting to hold him back. He successfully navigated both the positive and negative influences in his life. A Jewish mother took him to college and wrote a personal check for his registration. Yet neighborhood "friends" stole all of his clothes so that he could not return to the university after the Thanksgiving recess. Classmates laughed at him because he could not afford to be on the university meal plan. But a track coach invited him over for dinner whenever he was in the neighborhood. Mistaken for a student by the board chair at one presidential interview, he was later embraced by a different board chair who told him, "We know you did a great job at that university, and we would like you to come and do the same for us."
Overcoming his difficult socioeconomic background and the institutional racism that denied educational opportunities to many young Black men, Lyons prevailed despite the odds. His inspiring story illuminates the success and hard work that lead him to dedicate his life to education and bettering the lives of students across the country.
A Life in Leadership
President of
six universities
- 01Bowie State University
- 02Jackson State University
- 03California State University, Dominguez Hills
- 04Dillard University
- 05University of the District of Columbia
- 06Concordia College Alabama
As I look back over my life, I sometimes try and count the number of students to whom I have spoken. If you consider the number of university commencement events, the number of commencement addresses I have given at other institutions and high schools, the number of honors programs, back-to-school convocations, career days, and the like, I probably have spoken to tens of thousands of students and young people during my fifty-plus years in education.
That is quite an audience. Each time I spoke I challenged them to use the talent they had been given, to set goals for themselves, to work hard to achieve those goals, and as Rev. Jesse Jackson used to say, "Don't let your attitude determine your altitude." This may very well have been my purpose, and God equipped me for that challenge.
The Archive
Fifty‑plus years,
in photographs
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From the Projects
to the Presidencies
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