Langston University honors longtime dean with legacy wall

By AI, Created 10:41 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Langston University School of Business unveiled a Leadership Legacy Wall in April 2026 to honor former dean Dr. Solomon Smith and other leaders who helped build the program. The project underscores how recognition, not just pay, can affect retention, burnout and institutional memory in higher education.

Why it matters: - Recognition can affect whether employees stay engaged or quietly disengage. - Higher education is dealing with burnout, leadership turnover and fading institutional memory at the same time. - Langston University’s tribute turns that problem into a visible example of how organizations can honor the people who do the invisible work.

What happened: - Langston University School of Business unveiled a Leadership Legacy Wall in April 2026. - The wall honors Dr. Solomon Smith, the school’s longest-serving dean in its modern history, along with other former leaders. - Mrs. Smith became emotional when she saw her late husband’s name permanently displayed. - Dr. Daryl D. Green became dean of the School of Business in January 2024 and led the project.

The details: - The wall documents the lineage of deans, division directors and chairs who shaped the School of Business since its founding. - The project took more than two years to complete. - Alumni, library archivists and a work-study student helped rebuild historical timelines. - The wall captures 10 leaders across more than six decades. - The timeline begins with Mrs. Mizura C. Allen, an early chair who helped lay the program’s foundation before 1966. - Green said recognition is often informal, inconsistent or delayed until it is too late. - Green also wrote The Dean’s Devotional: 21 Proverbs for Academic Leadership, a book aimed at academic leaders facing burnout, personnel problems and internal politics. - Dr. David W. Whitlock called the book “a timely reminder that leadership is sacred work, and that God walks with us through every challenge.”

Between the lines: - The wall is a response to a broader leadership crisis in higher education and beyond. - The source cites data showing 79% of employees who quit felt undervalued, U.S. engagement fell to 31% in 2024, and global engagement dropped to 20% in 2025. - The source also cites 82% of middle managers reporting the highest daily stress levels, 53% of workers saying they feel valued, and 64% of university faculty reporting work-related burnout. - A 2025 review of more than 43,600 academic staff found excessive workload, weak institutional support and workplace conflict as major burnout drivers. - The project also reflects a stewardship mindset: build for the people who are here now and the people who come next. - Langston’s School of Business students ranked in the top 1% nationally on the 2025 Peregrine Business Exam and outperformed PWIs and peer HBCUs in 13 core business areas.

What’s next: - Dr. Green is available for interviews on employee recognition, HBCU leadership, AI workforce transformation and career-ready education. - Langston University Public Relations listed Ms. Ellie Melero as the media contact. - The university shared links to its LinkedIn page and Facebook page.

The bottom line: - Langston University turned a memorial tribute into a leadership lesson: people who build institutions need visible recognition, or those institutions risk losing them.