Dr. Ernest McNealey
COLUMBIA, SC -- The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) inducted its 2023 SIAC Hall of Fame Class at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
The SIAC Hall of Fame was established to preserve the history and celebrate the accomplishments of former student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and contributors that have excelled on the playing fields, while pioneering integrity, sportsmanship, and character off the field. Since its inception in 1992, the SIAC Hall of Fame has welcomed 155 distinguished honorees.
The 2023 SIAC Hall of Fame Honorees includes Dr. Ernest McNealey, President, Allen University, the 1993 Alabama A&M Women’s Track and Field Team, Calvin Smyre (Fort Valley State University), Drayton Florence (Tuskegee University), Jeffrey Henderson (Stillman College), Arthur McAfee Jr.** (Morehouse College), and Alex Percival (Morehouse College).
Dr. Ernest McNealey is the 30th President of Allen University. He was integral in restarting the Yellow Jacket football and softball programs and introducing women’s soccer to the university. Dr. McNealey also ensured Allen’s transition from NAIA into NCAA Division II, re-joining the SIAC in 2020.
During his tenure, the University achieved unparalleled success with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools including reaffirmation of accreditation, level change from II to III to offer the first graduate program, a Master of Divinity, approval to offer online degree programs, and approval to offer associate degrees. New undergraduate programs in Sports Management, Criminal Justice, and Elementary Education were launched, as well as a Master of Arts in Religious. The aesthetic quotient of the campus was significantly elevated via renovations, repairs, and landscaping. University students were relieved of buying textbooks and received free e-textbooks, telemedicine insurance w/prescription drugs, and received Apple MacBooks. The first marching band since the 1960s was launched along with a symphonic band. The University’s financial stability grew under his leadership, including a perfect 3.0 on the financial responsibility score from the US Department of Education.
As a result of early advocacy and activism in higher education, McNealey was elected/appointed a member, director, and/or chair of many educational and professional organizations. He served as a member of the HBCU Capital Financing Program Board, the Southern Education HBCU Foundation Advisory Board, the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Advisory Board, the Paul R. Jones Art Collection Board, and the NCAA D-II Presidents’ Council. He was a member of the Commission on Colleges and served on the Executive Committee of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and a member of the ETS/HBCU Advisory Board. He also served as chair of the boards of the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.
McNealey holds a bachelor’s degree from Alabama State University, a master’s from Indiana University, and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Management Institute, a charter member of 100 Black Men of West Alabama, a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and was inducted into Beta Kappa Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.
Dr. McNealey is married to Dr. Earnestine Green McNealey, an author; and he has two adult sons.
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