Rev. Calvin O. Butts, III, Ph.D.

As both president of SUNY Old Westbury and pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, Reverend Butts splits his time between guiding one of the most culturally diverse student populations in the region and leading his congregation as one of the nation’s most outspoken civil rights leaders. He is also credited with ushering in a $600 million commercial and residential Harlem redevelopment plan by founding a church-based not-for-profit development corporation. As a man of the cloth, he is careful how he wields his power, aiming his energy at organizing boycotts on evil corporations and raising the social conscience and ethical standards of the world at large. And to simply be in his presence, as one observer recently put it, gives a feeling of having one’s soul lifted. But don’t take our word for it. Listen to his bi-weekly sermon on 98.7 KISS-FM Radio at 7 a.m. on Sundays.

Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2011