Q: Can you tell me more about Benjamin Mays, the former president of Morehouse?
A: Mays made a huge impact as an educator and as a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. He was born in South Carolina, earned his doctorate at the University of Chicago and gained teaching experience at Howard University. He became president of Morehouse in 1940 and mentored King during his time at the school. Mays authored several books and took a leading role in the Civil Rights movement before retiring from Morehouse in 1967. He was a speaker and lecturer until his death in 1984, and he was buried on the Morehouse campus. Atlanta’s Mays High School – on Benjamin E. Mays Drive — is among the schools and buildings named for him.
Q: I have always wanted to know how Mt. Vernon Highway got its name. I know a lot of early highways were named for what they connected to. So did it connect to George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon or Mount Vernon, Ga.?
—Seth Walker, Atlanta
A: Sorry, but it's not that simple. It's thought that the road that became Mt. Vernon originally might have been a trail used by Native Americans. Later, it was mentioned as being named Lawrenceville Highway – it follows a high ridge in the Sandy Springs area – because it was the main road from Lawrenceville to Marietta. In the Johns Creek area, it was called Alabama Highway because it was the main road from Augusta to Alabama, but the trail runs cold there. Kimberly Brigance, the director of Historic Resources and Programs at Heritage Sandy Springs, told me she's not sure when and why the road's name was changed to Mt. Vernon Highway. "It doesn't show up as Mt. Vernon until the late 1800s," she wrote in an email. "I have wondered if it was renamed for the centennial, but have found no documentation for it. I have also wondered if it were named for a church – again, I have no documentation for it." This doesn't fully answer your question, but maybe our readers can provide some information that can lead to a new path and can be included in a future Actual Factual Georgia.
If you’re new in town or have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail Andy Johnston at q&a@ajc.com or call 404-222-2002.
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