03/21/2026
A well-deserved salute to Dr. Price!! From the Marygrove College website:
In 1998 the Marygrove College Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Glenda D. Price, former provost of Spelman College, Atlanta, as Marygrove's seventh president. Dr. Price was the first African-American woman to hold the Marygrove presidency.
Dr. Price immediately implemented the Griots program, an initiative to increase the number of African-American male teachers in metro Detroit school systems, an idea that had been proposed in Dr. Shay's administration. With significant increased funding from major local and regional foundations, she also initiated, in rapid order, study abroad, honors, and research assistant programs; Onstage!, an arts education outreach effort directed to Detroit children and youth; "Defining Detroit," an acclaimed series of multidisciplinary presentations in honor of Detroit's 300th anniversary, which evolved into the Institute for Detroit Studies; an annual Academic Colloquium; affiliation with the Faculty Resource Network at NYU and the National Science Foundation's Project Kaleidoscope; and two additional institutes: the Institute of Music and Dance and the Women's Leadership Institute. Because of President Price's deep involvement in the Detroit civic and corporate communities, the College was able to establish new programmatic partnerships with the Detroit Public Schools, The Skillman Foundation, University of Detroit Mercy, and Lawrence Technological University. Men's and women's basketball teams took to the courts, and new strategies to strengthen Marygrove's relationship with alumni won national foundation support.
During her administration, Marygrove set new strategic goals, developed a campus master plan, and began implementing an ambitious information technology plan. The College won support for the $3 million renovation and full upgrade of the Marygrove Theatre, which re-opened on Founders Day, November 10, 2002, the 75th anniversary of Marygrove College in the City of Detroit. A large federal grant allowed the mathematics and science division to begin the complete modernization of its facilities, including new faculty-student research labs, state-of-the-art smart classrooms, and first-rate teaching laboratories. Renewal of the campus infrastructure, particularly in the area of technology, was matched by an equally strong record of faculty research and publications, each positioning Marygrove for growth in the 21st century.
A distinguished educator and academic leader, Dr. Glenda Price became president of Marygrove College in 1998, making history as the first African American woman to lead the institution. During her eight-year tenure, she guided the college through a period of growth while strengthening its commitment to academic excellence and service. Today, she continues to support the legacy of the institution as a member of the Marygrove Conservancy Board.
