Milestone: Medgar Evers College Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Medgar Evers College was named in honor of the martyred civil rights leader. The days surrounding this 40th Founders’ day represent a unique opportunity to celebrate vital years of tradition and continuity, of links to the past and the present, and most importantly, of new beginnings and a bright future.

 [Education News]

Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York celebrates its 40th Anniversary this fall with a series of educational, cultural, commemorative and entertainment events on campus and nearby.

Myrlie Evers, widow of Medgar Wiley Evers and a powerful civil rights activist in her own right, will serve as honorary chair of the 40th Anniversary celebration. “The College’s great strength is in its legacy of providing a way where there was no way,” said Medgar Evers College President William L.Pollard. “It has been a beacon for those who strive for excellence even as their circumstances deem otherwise. This year, we celebrate that legacy and our rich history of educating one student at a time in the leading student centered college in CUNY.”

The College was named in honor of the martyred civil rights leader–he was murdered on June 12, 1963. The days surrounding this 40th Founders’ day represent a unique opportunity to celebrate vital years of tradition and continuity, of links to the past and the present, and most importantly, of new beginnings and a bright future.

Over the past four decades, Medgar Evers has made enormous strides: growing exponentially from an initial enrollment of 1,000 students in 1970 to over 7,000 students registered today. When the College initially opened in 1970, faculty and students moved between a number of venues for classes before settling in its first permanent home in a former High School in 1972. Today, Medgar Evers College is a fast-growing urban campus set to open a $247 million-dollar, state-of-the-art, School of Science, Health and Technology this fall.

The College offers a burgeoning array of degree programs including a new Accelerated BPS in Business Management Services as part of its continuing mission the College intends to link the curriculum closely to positive employment outcomes. Its accomplished faculty corps includes some of the best and brightest in academia boasting several Fulbright scholars, a Guggenheim fellow and respected researchers working in collaboration with entities such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Its student scholars have captured first place prizes in prestigious competitions like the Wharton Undergraduate Marketing Conference case competition and presented their original research at conferences across the globe.

For more information please visit www.mec.cuny.edu/MEC40  or contact Beverly Davis (718) 270-6903 [email protected]  

The celebration will commemorate the College’s inspirational heritage of community involvement, intellectual achievement, and abiding commitment to social change with several events:  

Saturday, August 28, 2010:  Block Party: Super Wings at Union and Nostrand Avenue

Wednesday, September 01, 2010: 9:00am-6:00pm: Enhanced “Welcome Back”

Monday, September 06, 2010: West Indian Day Parade

Friday, September 10, 2010: 5:00pm-8:00pm: Art Show Reception

Tuesday, September 14, 2010: 11:30am: Convocation
Thomas N. Todd, Esq., Keynote Speaker

Wednesday, September 15, 2010: College and Community Day
Freshman Year Address, Student Clubs, Block Party

Monday, September 20, 2010: Golf Tournament – Dyker Heights Golf Course

Wednesday, September 22, 2010: Student Day
Fashion Show, Dining Etiquette, Panel Discussion

Tuesday, September 28, 2010: Founders Day, Alumni and Visionaries Dinner

Monday, October 04, 2010: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Academic Building I

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *