About 1,000 people expected to attend memorial service for Morehouse College president

William “Bill” Taggart at a news conference in April to discuss the school’s path going forward. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

William “Bill” Taggart at a news conference in April to discuss the school’s path going forward. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

An estimated 1,000 family members, friends, business, political and civil rights leaders and others are expected to attend Friday’s memorial service for Morehouse College’s interim president William “Bill” Taggart.

The public memorial service is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, located on the college’s campus, 830 Westview Dr. in Atlanta. A private service for members of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Shirley A. Massey Executive Conference Center, also on Morehouse’s campus.

Taggart, 55, died in his home on June 8 from an aneurysm, Morehouse officials said. He was named interim president in April. The Atlanta native was involved in several civic organizations in the city.

Michael Hodge, a sociology professor and Morehouse administrator, has been named acting president.

In lieu of flowers, Taggart’s family has asked that donations be made to Morehouse and designated to the William J. Taggart Scholarship Fund.