Michael J. Sorrell is the president of Paul Quinn College, the historically Black college in southern Dallas. He took the job in 2007, and the college says he is the longest-serving president in its history.
Career
Sorrell grew up in Chicago and graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, a master’s degree in public policy and a law degree from Duke University, and a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Before Paul Quinn, he practiced law at Dallas firms, served as a special assistant in the executive office of the president during the Clinton administration, and worked as a public affairs consultant. He joined Paul Quinn’s board before becoming its president.
At Paul Quinn College
Sorrell created what the college calls the Urban Work College Model, in which students work as part of their education, gaining experience and graduating with less debt. Under his leadership, Paul Quinn turned its former football field into the WE Over Me Farm, a working farm in a part of southern Dallas with limited access to fresh food. The college reports that it achieved full accreditation from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) during his tenure.
Outside the college, Sorrell is a trustee of College Track and of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, a corporate director of Mainstay, and a former chair of the Board of Governors of The Dallas Foundation.
He also serves on the advisory boards of Advancing Black Pathways at JPMorgan Chase, GSV and Amegy Bank, co-chairs the Aspen Prize and is a former trustee of the American Council on Education.
Recognition
Fortune has named Sorrell one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, and Time included him among 31 people changing the South. He has received the George W. Bush Institute’s Trailblazer Citation and is the only three-time recipient of the HBCU Male President of the Year Award. He was named to D CEO’s 2027 Dallas 500 in the colleges and universities category.