RIT’s Minett Professorship-Celebrating 30 Years of Connections | September 2021
The late Wyoma Best was appointed as the first Minett Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology in 1991. Best was always a trailblazer. She was the first Black woman to serve on the Rochester City School Board. In the 1970’s she joined WHEC-TV as the first Black woman to work as a reporter in local TV news and was later named a vice president with the Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce.
The Minett Professorship is celebrating its 30th anniversary this academic year. It is named after Frederick Minett, an RIT benefactor who owned a tool and die company in downtown Rochester during the 1920s. He would often employ students from RIT, then called the Mechanics Institute. When Minett died in 1971, he left an endowment of over $5 million to RIT to support career education efforts.
The Minett Professorship brings distinguished Rochester-area multicultural professionals to the RIT campus to share their expertise with students, faculty and staff for one academic year. With Best leading the way, many others from business executives and educators to judges and journalists- even a former Mayor- have served as Minett Professors.
This year esteemed Native American storyteller Perry Ground was appointed to the position.
Minett Professor’s Emeritus
Wyoma Best 1991-1992
Matthew Augustine 1992-1993
Mayor William Johnson 1993-1994
Mary Frances Winters 1994-1995
Liz Vega & Carlos Carballada 1995-1996
Walter Cooper 1996-1997
Honorable Ruben Davis 1997-1998
Maurice Holmes 1998-2000
Clifford Janey 2000-2001
Essie Calhoun 2001-2002
Clay Osbourne 2002-2003
Gladys Santiago 2003-2004
Michael Finney 2004-2005
Bobby Colon 2005-2006
A. Melendez 2006-2007
G. Jemison 2007-2008
Dr. Hoffman Moka Lantum 2008-2009
Emerson Fullwood 2009-2010
James Norman & Antoinette P. McCorvey 2010-2011
Teresa Johnson 2011-2012
Kevin Williams 2012-2013
Emeterio Otero 2013-2014
Randy Henderson 2014-2015
Jerome Underwood 2015-2016
Melisza Campos 2016-2017
Brenda Lee 2018
Janet Lomax 2018-2019
William Clark 2019-2020
Orlando Ortiz 2020-2021
Perry Ground 2021-2022