“It was best for us to stay the course,” says Love Collins, executive vice president for institutional advancement. “We would only hurt ourselves otherwise.”

Since becoming Benedict president in 1994, Dr. David Swinton has earned alumni and community confidence. He initiated federally financed redevelopment projects in the surrounding neighborhood to replace drug dens with new and renovated single-family homes. On campus, he long ago insisted that broken window screens be removed and that the grounds be mowed regularly.

“Once folks saw we were serious about improving appearances, it was easier for them to believe we would advance academics too,” he says.

Swinton and his counterparts also step onto a higher-profile stage from time to time. At Huston-Tillotson, Earvin hosts his President’s MASKED Ball. MASKED is short for Mankind Assisting Students Kindle Educational Dreams. The event features dinner, entertainment, student testimonials and an auction. All proceeds from the auction finance scholarships.

This year, basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson was a celebrity guest. He astounded the audience and HT officials by unexpectedly auctioning some courtside Los Angeles Lakers tickets that fetched winning bids of $7,000, $8,000 and $10,000. The crowd was still reeling in excitement from Johnson’s gesture when he chipped in a $25,000 matching donation himself.

Earvin, who assumed the Huston-Tillotson presidency in 2000, attributes the ball’s growth and success to the fact “we’re emphasizing education.”

“As long as we convey that to alumni and other funders, I think we’ll continue to engage them.” Frank Matthews contributed to this report..