April 1, 2022
As published in the Chaffey College President's Update - March 2022
Chaffey College Dean’s Family Full of Black History Firsts
Chaffey College Dean Dr. Michael McClellan comes from a long line of Black history trailblazers at the college, with relatives including the first Black athletic coach, a co-founder of the Black Student Union and a student government vice president.
In all, McClellan has more than 15 relatives who have attended the college since the 1960s—and six were prominent leaders on campus.
“I think it’s very humbling,” McClellan said. “I’m very proud of the family legacy we have here. It just really shows the significance and impact Chaffey College has had on three generations of my family. Chaffey really embraces folks who wouldn’t otherwise have other opportunities to advance in life.”
McClellan’s grandparents came to California from Texas in 1957 in search of better opportunities. Their children and grandchildren who are Chaffey alumni include:
- Theophilus “T.C.” McClellan – All-American football and track star; named “Man of the Month”
- Harold Lynn McClellan – first Black athletics coach and first Black football team captain
- Shirley McClellan – co-founder of the Chaffey Black Student Union; served on the hiring committee that brought Chaffey’s first black professor to campus; helped develop the “Actuation Center”— a predecessor of the CCSJ where students of all backgrounds could gather
- Robert Leonard Spratt – Associated Student Body vice president and “Bachelor of the Year”
- Linda Spratt – served on the dance color guard team
- Sylvester McClellan – played Chaffey basketball and was accepted to Claremont Men’s College
McClellan, a Fontana High School graduate and four-sport athlete with six educational degrees and more than 20 years’ experience in higher education, has also brought a number of “firsts” to Chaffey. Since his tenure began at Chaffey in 2018, he helped launch the college’s academic and career communities, as well as Chaffey’s program maps—two key initiatives developed to help students navigate their college paths. He serves as dean for counseling, instructional support, and kinesiology, nutrition and athletics departments.
He requested an archive search at Chaffey’s library in 2018 so he could learn more about his family’s connections to Chaffey.
“We were in the library archives looking at photos, newspapers and yearbooks. It really solidified why I needed to be at Chaffey College,” he said. “It just let me know that I was at home.”