On March 9, 2017 Southern University celebrated its 137th Founders Day. From my personal experience, I really enjoyed the program and I was surprised to see the amount of students that attended. My Freshman Seminar class made it mandatory for its students to attend. I was hesitant about going, but I am glad that I did.
Southern University was founded on April of the year 1880 in New Orleans, Louisiana with many years of accomplishments to share. A group of black politicians by the names of Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, Theophile T. Allain, T.B. Stamps, and Henry Demas founded the University. Together they petitioned the Louisiana State Constitutional Convention to establish a school of higher learning for colored people. By the passing of Act 87 of the Louisiana Assembly, Southern University was chartered. The University opened on March 17, 1881 on Calliope Street in New Orleans with only 12 students enrolled and a mere hundred thousand dollar budget. The budget allowed the school to establish faculty of “arts and letters.” In 1912, the Legislative Act 188 ordered the school to close and relocate to Scotlandville and reopen on March 9, 1914 under the presidency of J.S Clark.
I know about the history of the university because of my Freshman Seminar class, but I did not know that the founders were politicians. From my experience of going to Founder’s Day, I learned one lesson and that is to not bend and break for someone else that won’t do the same for you; meaning don’t do for others that are not willing to help you.
Southern University has taught me that, and the more that I stay here the more I learn that it is true. With the history of our school, unchanging there is always the students that do so.
Our school is evolving and changing for the better. I enjoyed the convocation because it taught me that it wasn’t always easy then and it isn’t easy now. I learned that many graduates of the university went on to become doctors, lawyers, and elected officials.
Over the years, Southern University has had the number one Nursing Program in the State and it still is today. Southern University might not have always been my first choice, but it was never my last choice. In learning the history and realizing that the buildings were named after the founders, I have decided to research more in depth about the history of this university and learn more about the past.
The convocation opened up my mind and made me realize that if it was not for our five founders Southern would not be here. If Southern wasn’t here, then where would we be?
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My First Founders’Day
March 22, 2017
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