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Campus Review
May 7, 2013
Page 16
Clayton State Awards Posthumous
Graduate Degree to Marteace Lockhart
For only the second time in recent memo-
ry, Clayton State University has awarded
a posthumous degree.
The family of the late Scharlie-Marteace
Lockhart, one of the University’s best-
known alumni and student workers, was
present at the noon ceremony of the
Saturday, May 4 spring Commencement
ceremonies – May 4 also marking the
anniversary of his birth -- to receive his
posthumous Masters of Arts in Liberal
Studies (MALS) from Clayton State
President Dr. Thomas J. Hynes. Lockhart,
who previously earned a B.S. in
Sociology from Clayton State, passed
away unexpectedly on Mar. 1, 2013. A
frequent visitor and worker at the Clayton
State Disability Resource Center (DRC)
during his undergraduate days, Lockhart
was working for the DRC, and Director
Louise Bedrossian, as well as completing
his MALS degree, at the time of his death.
“Marteace was well-known and well-
loved throughout the campus,” says
Bedrossian. “It seems that he never met a
stranger and truly seemed to know every-
one. He was always helping people. He
flew into action whenever he could see
that someone needed assistance and
delighted in being able to provide support,
information and resources. The last two
Christmases, he was so excited to be part
of a large project to provide new bicycles
to needy children and couldn’t stop talk-
ing about the delight it brought to the fam-
ilies.
“He thrived on spreading happiness.
Marteace will be sorely missed by his
friends, family and colleagues. He was the
embodiment of the spirit of Clayton State,
of dreams made real.”
“Many of us had Marteace in class or
interacted with him in disability services
or the student conduct board,” added
Clayton State Associate Professor of
Biology Dr. Jacqueline Jordan in an email
to her colleagues in the College of Arts &
Sciences at the time of Lockhart’s pass-
ing. “This is such a sad event for a student
that worked so hard to reach his goals
despite his health to obtain his B.S. degree
and now was finishing up his MALS
degree here at Clayton State. I just wanted
to send out an email to all faculty and staff
that had not heard of the passing of this
wonderful student.”
In addition to his work for the DRC,
Lockhart served the University in numer-
Lockhart, cont’d. p. 28
Hynes presented the posthumous degree to
Lockhart’s mother, Meirley N. Lockhart. Also in
attendance on Saturday was Marteace
Lockhart’s sister, Dr. Sharbrenia Lockhart-
Thompson.
Spring 2013 Hooding Ceremony for the School of Graduate Studies