Statements

"John Hope Franklin lived for nearly a century and helped define that century. A towering historian, he led the recognition that African-American history and American history are one. With his grasp of the past, he spent a lifetime building a future of inclusiveness, fairness and equality. Duke has lost a great citizen and a great friend."

Richard H. Brodhead
President, Duke University

 

"Because of the life John Hope Franklin lived, the public service he rendered and the scholarship that was the mark of his distinguished career, we all have a richer understanding of who we are as Americans and our journey as a people. Dr. Franklin will be deeply missed, but his legacy is one that will surely endure. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones, as our nation mourns his loss."

Barack Obama
President of the United States

 

"John Hope Franklin was one of the most important American historians of the 20th century and one of the people I most admired. I was honored he agreed to be the head of the President's Initiative on Race. He led his committee all over America to listen to people of all races, faiths, cultures and classes. And he produced a remarkable report on the ways in which we remain divided along color lines and what we can do about it. During the process, we became friends and I learned a lot from him about history, politics and life. He graced our country with his life, his scholarship and his citizenship. Hillary and I will miss him very much. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends."

Bill Clinton
Former President of the United States

 

"Dr. John Hope Franklin was an integral part of North Carolina Central University, having been hired personally by our founder, Dr. James E. Shepard. I cannot think of anyone whose scholarly work and passion has enlightened America with more impact on issues related to equity, excellence and diversity. The legacy he leaves is immeasurable."

Charlie Nelms
Chancellor, North Carolina Central University

 

"He was truly an outstanding American who not only taught history but made history himself, someone who will be remembered not only in North Carolina but throughout the country."

N.C. Sen. Malcolm Graham, D-Mecklenburg

 

"John Hope Franklin personified the dignity, empowerment and faith of a generation of African-Americans who persisted, and succeeded, in making their country live up to its promise as a land of equal opportunity. He never permitted anyone to take away his dignity or sense of self. … He was a wonderful mentor, a dear friend and a colleague who loved to celebrate the achievements of his fellow scholars. He will be sorely missed."

William Chafe
Alice Mary Baldwin Professor of History, Duke University

 

"I worked with John Hope Franklin and was inspired by him. His values were infectious. Through his example and his writings, he helped me to see more clearly the struggles of African-Americans and the continuing obligation we all have to bring about true equal opportunity for all Americans. He was a great, great man."

Erskine Bowles
President, University of North Carolina system

 

"John Hope Franklin was my mentor, friend and client. I learned our history through him. The 1921 Tulsa Race Riots caused his father, Buck Colbert Franklin, a lawyer in Tulsa, to have his office destroyed. Dr. Franklin overcame this setback. He is a legend."

Charles Ogletree
Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, Harvard University

 

"On behalf of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, we mourn the loss of our brother and historian John Hope Franklin and celebrate his rich legacy as a distinguished scholar and historian."

Skip Mason
President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

 

"We have lost one of the most distinguished historians of our time. No one — no scholar, no social scientist, no other historian — knew more about the plight, the struggle, and the contributions of African-Americans than John Hope Franklin. … John Hope Franklin was a gentleman and a supreme scholar. America has lost one of its most honorable and capable sons. He will be deeply missed."

U.S. Rep. John Lewis
D-Georgia

 

"On behalf of the students, faculty, and friends of the Department of History at North Carolina Central University, I offer condolences to Professor Franklin's family. His scholarship and teaching inspired so many of us to pursue the study of history as an avenue to improve humankind."

Carlton Wilson
Associate professor/dean, N.C. Central University

 

"John Hope Franklin, an eminent historian and a great American, will be remembered at the National Humanities Center as a Senior Fellow, a trustee and a dear friend."

Kent Mullikin
Vice president/deputy director, National Humanities Center

 

"Dr. Franklin was a worldwide figure, a seminal author and a man of immeasurable insight. We were privileged in North Carolina for so long to have near immediate access to such a rich mind. We will all miss his lessons and we mourn for his loss."

N.C. Rep. Joe Hackney
North Carolina House Speaker

 

"The ties between the nation's most distinguished historian and UNC Press go back a very long way. In 1943, UNC Press published John Hope Franklin's first book – The Free Negro in North Carolina.While everyone who respects history and the power of the written word is the poorer for this enormous loss, we also can remain inspired by his brilliant scholarship and his exceptional courage and humanity. His influence has been profound and will continue to be felt for decades to come."

Kate Douglas Torrey
Director, UNC Press

 

"Dr. Franklin made a profound and permanent impact on the black community in America and he will be greatly missed. His legacy as a witness and preserver of history have made his message integral not just to black journalists, but to all journalists today and for centuries."

Barbara Ciara
President, National Association of Black Journalists

 

"We are extremely fortunate to have had John Hope as a life long member of the ASALH. We will miss our dear friend."

John Fleming
Director Emeritus, Association for the Study of African American Life and History

 

"John Hope Franklin was a tremendous leader, historian and friend to North Carolina and to the nation. He personified giving and his work to advance the understanding of African-American contributions was unmatched by any other. He will be sadly missed."

Gov. Beverly Perdue
North Carolina

 

"Today we mourn the passing of one of our nation's most distinguished scholars, historian John Hope Franklin. … His academic and civic contributions helped integrate the African-American narrative into American history – reflecting one of our nation's most cherished goals of creating a stronger and more united America. … Let us honor the lasting legacy of John Hope Franklin by maintaining the vibrancy of our nation through our commitment to progress and equality for all."

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
D-Calif.

 

"One of the joys of coming to Duke was the chance to re-connect with John Hope Franklin. Professor Franklin had been a part of my growing up in Chicago. My younger brother and Professor Franklin shared a love of orchids and frequently gave one another cuttings and visited one another's greenhouses. Not long ago, at his greenhouse in Durham, Dr. Franklin proudly showed my brother and me the 'Levi orchid' in bloom – the very same orchid that my brother and father had given to him some 40 years ago! Dr. Franklin meant a great deal to the students and faculty of Duke Law School. Our John Hope Franklin Chair in American Legal History pays tribute to this extraordinary, principled, lovely person, scholar and friend."

David Levi
Dean, Duke Law School

 

"John Hope Franklin, a former member of NEH's National Council on the Humanities, was not only a great historian, but also a great American and exemplary citizen who richly deserved the numerous high honors he received, among them NEH's Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities in 1976 and the Charles Frankel Prize in 1993. John Hope Franklin's life and work both helped to change the course of our nation's history and illuminated our understanding of it. Those whose lives he touched through his teaching, writing, and public speaking, as well as the nation at large, will always be indebted to him."

Carole M. Watson
Acting Chair, National Endowment for the Humanities

 

"John Hope Franklin was a powerful teacher of mine at the University of Chicago and my work in research on issues of racial justice was strongly motivated by his teaching and deep insights about the role of intellectuals working on issues of justice."

Gary Orfield
Co-Founder, The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles

 

"Phi Beta Kappa will always celebrate the remarkable life of John Hope
Franklin. Among the Society's most illustrious presidents (1973-1976), he
was also an extraordinary exemplar of its motto, "love of learning is the
guide of life," and its core principles symbolized by the three stars on
its gold key: 'friendship, morality, and learning.' John Hope Franklin was
truly a Phi Beta Kappan for all seasons, and I feel privileged to have
known him personally as a mentor and friend."

Allison Blakely
President, Phi Beta Kappa Society

 

"I have been struck rather speechless by the passing of John Hope, caught between celebrating that we were able to spend so many special hours in his company (and in the world he helped to create) and mourning the fact that we will never again see him stop to ask us how we are doing, to smile, to warm us with his generosity. John Hope Franklin's whole life and work proves the extraordinary power that an intellectual can have on the world, the mere fact of thinking it over, researching the past, dreaming the future in a different way, all of this, done rigorously, can change the course of human events, bend the wheel of justice in the right direction. …"
Professor Ariel Dorfman
Duke University

 

"The preeminent voice and witness for America's sojourn from slavery to freedom has been silenced physically; but his writings, research, interpretation and legacy will live forever. I talked with him as a student and walked the University of Chicago campus with him. He was who I went to first for advice and counsel. All of his students felt that we were his prize possession. He made us feel that way. In the family of American historians he sits in a high seat and occupies a high place."

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
Founder/President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition

 

"Beyond question, Dr. John Hope Franklin's commitment to telling the story of the African American experience set a standard of excellence for generations of new scholars from all walks of life not only in America, but around the world. His legacy exemplifies his life-long passion for ensuring the whole history of America is understood by all. He personified the essence of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and we are extremely proud to have had him among our ranks. I had the pleasure of knowing him and adoring his brilliance which will shine brightly for generations yet unborn."

Robert L. Harris
Grand Sire Archon, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity

 

"This is what I remember about John. He said: 'I will always come for my students.' And he did. He would visit any campus and give his all. This is what I most admire about John. He never wavered in his love of the great history of our people. This is what I love about John. He had a passion for truth, for life, for love of Aurelia."

Nikki Giovanni
University Distinguished Professor, Virginia Tech

 

"John Hope Franklin, a man full of hope, envisioned a future unclouded by the darkness he experienced in his past. He saw a world that embraced civility and valued respect for everyone, regardless of race or culture. I am very pleased that the City of Tulsa is honoring his life and legacy with the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation."

Mayor Kathy Taylor
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Franklin has been the president of the American Historical Association, the American Studies Association, the Southern Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians.