Spelman College is marking its 140-year anniversary through a series of events designed to celebrate its rich history and legacy.
This year’s theme, Undaunted: Founders Day @ Spelman, will allow alumnae and friends of the institution to celebrate the College’s long-standing commitment to academic excellence and service to others through a series of virtual events.
“Founded in 1881, in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church, one of the largest and most influential Black congregations in Atlanta, Spelman College has a long-standing commitment to creating pathways for women through education,” said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. “Although circumstances require that we spend this landmark year at a distance, we are looking forward to celebrating the legacy, established by our founders, Sophia B. Packard, Harriet B. Giles, and the 10 women and one girl, who placed their faith in a school that would change their lives and change the world.”
The week-long event officially kicks off at 11 a.m. EDT, Thursday, April 8, on the Zoom platform with the annual Founders Day History and Traditions Convocation, featuring editor, author, and public speaker Wanda Smalls Lloyd, C’71, in conversation with her classmate and best-selling author, Tina McElroy Ansa, C’71. During the event, the alumnae will discuss their co-authored anthology, “Meeting at the Table: African-American Women Write on Race, Culture, and Community.”
“While we mainly remain physically distant, we are bringing the ceremonies and events to our community globally through virtual formats, while upholding our traditions,” said Alyson Shumpert Dorsey, C’2002, senior alumnae programs manager in the Office of Alumnae Engagement. “This year’s theme, Undaunted: Founders Day @ Spelman, is a testament to the spirit in which Spelman was founded.”
In the spring of 1879, New England teachers and missionaries, Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles, journeyed south to study living conditions among the recently enslaved. Appalled by what they found, particularly the lack of educational opportunities for women, they pledged to return to the South to open a school for Black women and girls. Packard and Giles returned to Georgia, and with an offer to use the basement of Friendship Baptist Church, opened the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary on April 11, 1881.
In addition to traditional events like Convocation, The Blue Record, the official podcast of the College, will host a conversation on Spelman’s YouTube channel at 3 p.m., EDT, Friday, April 9, focused on what Founders Day means to a new generation of Spelman students dedicated to sisterhood and social justice.
Also on Friday, the College will also host a virtual Alumnae Celebration. During the event, the College will recognize Judge Brenda Hill Cole, C’63, as an honorary degree recipient; Gwendolyn Harris Middlebrooks, Ph.D., C’61, as the Founders Spirit awardee, and Nettie Ware, a housekeeper on Spelman’s Facilities Management team, will receive the True Blue Award.
The week will close out at 1 p.m. EDT, Sunday, April 11, with the 140th Founders Day Convocation. The event will be streamed live on Spelman.edu, Facebook, and YouTube.
For more information and to register for the week of events, visit Spelman.edu.
