Bowie State University News April 18, 2011 Founder's Day - Bowie State University Celebrates 146 years By Angela Swinson Lee It was in 1865 that the Baltimore Association for the Moral and Educational Improvement of Colored People opened a school in Baltimore. The Baltimore Normal School trained black teachers. Years later, the school would purchase a 187-acre tract in Prince George's County for what is known today as Bowie State University. The school will celebrate its 146th anniversary as one of the oldest HBCU's in the nation during its annual Founders Day at 10 a.m. April 18 at the Samuel L. Myers Auditorium in the Martin Luther King Jr. Communications Art Center on the campus. The event will commemorate the key beliefs and traditions upon which the University was established. "Voices of the Past Speak to the Future," is the theme of this year's event. "The purpose of celebrating Founders' Day is to highlight the connection between the historic foundation of Bowie State University and the current campus community," said Mickey L. Burnim, president of the university. "By understanding the vision of our founders, we are better equipped to guide the University forward by incorporating those same values into our goals and objectives." Organizers are hoping the event will increase awareness of the history and tradition of Bowie State University by educating the students and community about the beliefs and accomplishments of the founders. Robert M. Franklin, president of Morehouse College will be the keynote speaker. "I am exceptionally pleased to be a part of Bowie State University's 146th Founders' Day," Franklin said. "I have always been inspired by the University's values, its alumni, and President Burnim's commitment to ensuring that education empower people to lead and serve. At this critical time, we share a commitment to enabling more African American[s] to attend and graduate from college." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.