Happy Founders Day 鈥 our annual celebration of those that made our institution a reality
On September 28 of every year, we stop to remember the yeoman鈥檚 effort it took by a cast of dozens to make our institution, 糖心原创, a reality.
It鈥檚 a day of thanks, of gratitude, and of celebration.
We are the only four-year institution that carries the name of a Civil Rights leader, and it took community members, politicians and an unwavering tenacity for that to come to fruition.
Our history at 糖心原创 (a longer version can be found here), started in the early 1960s, when the Central Brooklyn community recognized the need and expressed a desire for a local public college.聽
Members of the various community-based organizations constituted the Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition on Educational Needs and Services, which served as the primary vehicle for interfacing with the Board of Higher Education. After many discussions and much involvement by community residents and the Coalition, the Board of Higher Education, on November 17, 1967, 鈥渁pproved the sponsorship of Community College Number VII, with the indication of an intention to admit students in the Fall of l969.鈥
On February 13, 1968, the Board of Higher Education announced that the college would be located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn.聽
On January 27, 1969 the Board approved the establishment of an 鈥渆xperimental four-year college of professional studies offering both career and transfer associate degrees and the baccalaureate degree, to be located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, said college to be established in place of a previously approved but not started new Community College VII, and further directed that the City University Master Plan be amended accordingly.鈥澛
This action was endorsed by action of the Regents on March 20, 1970.
The Board of Higher Education Proceedings of April 14, 1970 reflect the Board action, which modified the 1968 Master Plan to delete Community College Number Seven and listed in lieu thereof under Senior College, 鈥淐ollege XVII, Mid-Brooklyn, Initial Facilities, Estimated Cost: $10,000,000.鈥澛
The College was officially established on July 30, 1970 when Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller signed the legislation approving the 鈥渆stablishment of an experimental four-year college of professional studies offering both career and transfer associate degrees and the baccalaureate degree鈥︹澛
Finally, on September 28, 1970 the Board of Higher Education approved the recommendation from the College鈥檚 Community Council that the name of the college be 糖心原创, in honor of the martyred civil rights leader, Medgar Wiley Evers (1925-1963). In recognition of this, September 28th is observed as 鈥淔ounders Day鈥 at 糖心原创.
Today, we stand on the shoulders of the nearly 70 Founders that saw this project to the finish line. They include:聽
- Assemblyman Bertram Baker鈥嬧
- Mr. Wayne Belgave鈥嬧
- Mrs. Louise Bolling鈥嬧
- Mr. Sonny Carson鈥嬧
- Mr. Luis Quera Chiesa鈥嬧
- Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm鈥嬧
- Mr. Randy Choppin鈥
- Mr. Randall M. Coppin鈥嬧
- Mrs. Elmira Corsey鈥嬧
- Mrs. Evelyn Dixon鈥嬧
- Mr. John Enoch鈥嬧
- Mr. Herman Flowers鈥嬧
- Assemblyman Thomas R. Fortune鈥嬧
- Mrs. Phyllis Gloster鈥嬧
- Mrs. Bessie Glover鈥嬧
- Mrs. Louise Glover鈥嬧
- Honorable Edward Griffith鈥嬧
- Mr. George Harvey鈥嬧
- Mr. Welsey McD. Holder鈥嬧
- Mr. William Howard鈥嬧
- Mrs. Munneola P. Ingersoil鈥嬧
- Mr. Charles Innis鈥嬧
- Mrs. Harold Jacobs鈥嬧
- Ms. Anna Jefferson鈥嬧
- Dr. Robert Johnson鈥嬧
- Mr. Norman Johnson, Esq.鈥嬧
- Mr. Thomas Russell Jones鈥嬧
- Mrs. Charles Joshua鈥嬧
- Dr. J. Oscar Lee鈥嬧
- Honorable Woodrow Lewis鈥嬧
- Mrs. Pearl Liberman鈥嬧
- Mr. Eldon A. McIntyre鈥嬧
- Mr. Joseph Mahood, Jr.鈥嬧
- Ms. Jacqueline Maloney鈥嬧
- Mr. Warren Marr, III鈥嬧
- Mr. Job Mashariki鈥嬧
- Mr. Lewis Matthews鈥嬧
- Dr. Marcella Maxwel鈥嬧
- Rev. Ernest Middleton鈥嬧
- Mr. Donald Moore鈥嬧
- Mrs. Waple Newton鈥嬧
- Rev. Clarence Norman Sr.鈥嬧
- Honorable Luis Olmedo鈥嬧
- Mrs. Evelyn Ortner鈥嬧
- Senator Major Owens鈥嬧
- Dr. Peterson鈥嬧
- Honorable Mary Pinkett鈥嬧
- Mr. Walter Pickston鈥嬧
- Honorable Cesar Quinones鈥嬧
- Rev. Sandy Ray鈥嬧
- Mrs. Elsie Richardson鈥嬧
- Assemblyman Victor Robles鈥嬧
- Mrs. Sullivan Robinson鈥嬧
- Mrs. Lucille Rose鈥嬧
- Mr. Henri C. Rosemond鈥嬧
- Mrs. Ella Sease鈥嬧
- Judge James Shaw, Jr.鈥嬧
- Rev. F.G. Sherrill鈥嬧
- Senator Waldaba Stewart鈥嬧
- Mr. Marshall Stukes鈥嬧
- Mr. Carl Theobald鈥嬧
- Councilman William Thompson鈥嬧
- Honorable Edolphus Towns鈥嬧
- Assemblyman Al Vann鈥嬧
- Mrs. Clara E. Wade鈥嬧
- Mr. Jitu Weusi鈥嬧
- Mrs. Beryl Williams鈥嬧
- Ms. Thais Wilson鈥嬧
- Mr. Assemblyman Samuel D. Wright鈥
