Forrest Pritchett Honored at Men's Basketball Game  

Reverend Forrest Pritchett and student athlete Alexis Lewis were honored as the Great Minds of the Game on Sunday.

Reverend Forrest Pritchett, a longtime civil rights activist and mentor was honored as a Great Mind of the Game at Seton Hall's men's basketball game on February 23. Reverend Pritchett, who currently serves as the director of the University's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program, was welcomed on to the court at the Prudential Arena with applause from Pirate fans.

An esteemed activist and career servant leader, Reverend Pritchett has inspired generations of students through his role as a instructor, faculty mentor and adviser to numerous campus organizations in addition to more than 40 years of service to the Seton Hall University community. His career in higher education spans 50 years.

Reverend Pritchett, who also directs special projects for Freshman Studies, received the President's Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama in 2016. He was recognized by the president for dedicating his life's work to fighting discrimination against African Americans. From participating in sit-ins as a Delaware State University student during the 1960s to organizing MLK Day symposiums that attract hundreds of students, educators and activists to Seton Hall annually, Pritchett said on a recent WSOU interview that he has invested "50-plus years of my life working with many others – inch by inch – to help this country to move forward to a better place. A place that God would have us be."

Sunday's Great Minds of the Game recognition follows a long list of awards Reverend Pritchett has received from the University, among them: the McQuaid Medal in 2003, Employee of the Year in 2008, the Faculty Pirate Pride Award in 1999-2000 and the University Human Relations Citation in 1997.

In 2019, Pritchett was recognized for his lifetime of leadership in the community and for his dedication to combatting racial injustice with three awards. He was the recipient of the American Conference on Diversity's Humanitarian Award, which recognized Pritchett's commitment to inclusivity and advocacy for meaningful social change. The New Jersey Black Issues Convention celebrated Pritchett's work with the Community Change Award for Education, Alpha Phi Alpha presented him with its Faculty Achievement Award, and Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education selected him for its Educator Impact Award.

"Dr. Rev. Pritchett has been an incredible servant leader at Seton Hall University," said Karen Boroff, interim provost. "We have been blessed by his wisdom and nurtured by his spiritual guidance. He has been a mentor and teacher to thousands of Setonians, and we are a better institution because of him."

Categories: Arts and Culture, Athletics