Recognizing the 150th anniversary of Bowie State University.

Recognizing the 150th anniversary of Bowie State University. Whereas on January 9, 2015, Bowie State University, located in Bowie, Maryland, will celebrate the founding of the university on January 9, 1865; Whereas Bowie State University is the oldest historically black institution of higher education in the State of Maryland, and 1 of the 10 oldest in the United States; Whereas in 1864 the Baltimore Association began fundraising to open and support schools for African-Americans, and established 7 schools, the second of which, known as the Normal School School Whereas the School began by educating approximately 370 students in the African Baptist Church in the Cranes Building on the northeast corner of Calvert and Saratoga Streets in Baltimore, Maryland; Whereas in 1867 the School purchased the Friends Meeting House at the corner of Courtland and Saratoga Streets in Baltimore, Maryland, to use for the School; Whereas during the earliest years of the School, the school received financial support from the City Council of Baltimore, the Freedmens Bureau, several northern relief societies, and the estate of Nelson Wells; Whereas in 1893 the name of the School was changed to the Baltimore Colored Normal School Whereas in 1908 the General Assembly of Maryland approved legislation that allowed the trustees of the School to donate assets of the trustees to the State of Maryland in return for a $5,000 annual appropriation to maintain a permanent normal school for the training of black teachers; Whereas in 1908 the General Assembly of Maryland changed the name of the School to Baltimore Normal School No. 3 Whereas in 1910 the State of Maryland purchased 187 acres of land formerly known as Jericho Farms Whereas in September 1911 the new location of the School opened with 50 students enrolled; Whereas in 1935 the School began operating as a 4-year program for training elementary school teachers and was renamed the Maryland Teachers College at Bowie Whereas in 1954, when the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education was formed, the education program of the School was among the first to receive national accreditation and that distinction has been continuously reaffirmed; Whereas in 1963 the School began a liberal arts and teacher training program for secondary education and the institution was renamed Bowie State College Whereas in 1988 the School, which offered several masters degree programs, joined the University System of Maryland and was finally renamed Bowie State University Whereas in 1995 Bowie State University became 1 of only 6 Model Institutions for Excellence in science, engineering, and mathematics in the United States with support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Whereas as of January 2015, Bowie State University serves approximately 5,600 students annually with challenging and rewarding academic programs and individual support to prepare attendees with the skills needed to compete and succeed in a changing world; Whereas Bowie State University was listed as 1 of Americas Top Colleges Whereas Bowie State University has been recognized as a leader in training African-American professionals in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ( STEM Whereas Bowie State University was named a National Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security; and Whereas Bowie State University continues to be committed to enhancing academic opportunities for students at the university, many of whom may be the first in their families attending college, and producing graduates who better strengthen the entire State of Maryland and the modern technology-driven economy of the United States: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate (1) congratulates Bowie State University on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the university; (2) recognizes the achievements of all the administrators, professors, students, and various staff who have contributed to the success of Bowie State University; and (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to (A) the president of Bowie State University; and (B) the provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Summary: Congratulates Bowie State University, located in Bowie, Maryland, on the 150th anniversary of its founding.