Albany State celebrates Founder’s Day with a week of activities

ALBANY – More than 120 years ago, a son of former slaves inspired by W.E.B. Dubois’ account of the lives of black people in southwest Georgia made Albany his home and launched an educational institution.

The Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute, founded by Joseph Winthrop Holley, began offering religious and basic education classes in 1903 and also trained black teachers. In 1917 the school gained two-year status through the state of Georgia and added training in agriculture, with a new name: Georgia Normal and Agricultural College.

Today, as Albany State University, the institution offers everything from certificate programs to undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Next week, the university will celebrate Holley’s accomplishments as well as the history that has unfolded over 123 years.

“This observance honors ASU’s founder, Dr. Joseph Winthrop Holley, whose vision in 1903 established an institution grounded in faith, discipline, scholarship and opportunity,” Albany State officials said in an announcement of the week’s activities. “Throughout the week, ASU invites the community to gather in reflection and celebration, honoring our past while shaping the future we are called to build together.”

This year, for the first time, the general public is being specifically invited to a new Community Day: “A Taste of ASU” event from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday at the West Campus J-Building parking lot.

The initiative rolled out by university President Robert Scott will include performances by visual arts students and an assortment of food trucks. The objective is to build relationships between Albany State and the community as well as to highlight all of the various programs that are available.

Other events open to the public during the week include the Friday convocation at 9 a.m. at the Billy C. Black Auditorium on the East Campus, followed by the gravesite memorial service at 10:30 a.m. and the president’s investiture at 2 p.m. at the auditorium. The welcome mat is also out for the Alice Coachman Track Invitational, which starts at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Hampton Smith Athletic Field on the East Campus.

The speaker for the convocation, one of the highlights of the week, will be Ontario S. Wooden, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at North Carolina Central University, whom Albany State officials described as a “respected leader in higher education who has more than two decades’ experience at multiple public university systems.”

Other events during the week, which are open to faculty, students and alumni, include Literacy Day on Thursday at select pre-K campuses and the Blue and Gold Scholarship Gala on Saturday.

For more information and a full list of events, visit https://www.asurams.edu/university-operations/founders-day.php#:~:text=Albany%20State%20.