Evening star., 1932-02-28
HOWARD i. TO NOTE
| CHARTER BIRTHDAY
e5th Anniversary of Grant by
Congress Will Be Marked
Wednesday.
Howard University will celebrate the

Howard University will ceIebrate The
sixty fifth anniversary of the Grant
ing Of its charter at 10 O'Clock wednes-
day morning when members of the
subcommittee of the House Annronria-
ti9nS Committee will be guests of honor
at elaborate exercises in Andrew Rank
in Chapel.
The House Subcommittee now Is
handling the Interior Department ap-
preparations estimates which include
funds for Howard University itself.
The committee members who already
have accepted the university's invita-
ton to attend the exercises and who
probably Will speak include Representa-
tives Edward T. Taylor of Colorado,
chairman; Burton l.. French of Idaho,
Frank Murphy of Ohio, William w.
Hastings OF Oklahoma and William j.
Granf1eld OF Massachusetts.
Choir viii Sing.
Music for the morning exercises will
be provided by the Howard University
Choir, the Mems Glee Club and the
Women's Glee Club.
The charter-granting anniversary
will be marked also by the annual
alumni senior charter day dinner at
G:15 pm. in the university dining hall:
nr. MOrdecai w job, president OF
the university, will speak.
Others who will take active part in
TIE evening program include w. Justin
Carter of Harrisburg. Pa. representing
the board Of trustees; Assistant Prof.
J. P. Murchison, representing the
faculty; Nathan o. Dobbins, president
of the Law School Alumni Association,
representing the alumni; Miss May
Miller, representing the university
alumnae, and Mrs. Alma j. Scott,
president of the local alunnae associa-
tion.
Charles williams, son of the former
librarian of the university, Will De
master Of ceremonies.
Dinner Committee.
The committee sponsoring the Char
ter day dinner includes Mrs: Scott
chairman; Mrs E. H. Grubb, MIS-.
Aletha P. Anderson, Mrs. Bertha bo-
max, Mrs. Isadore Letcher, Mrs. George
S. Johnson Miss Beatrice Catlett. MISS
Kittie c. Bruce, Miss Edna E. Bowie,
Miss Helen S. Jones, Miss Ollie M.
Cooper. Miss r. Arliner Young, Dean
Lucy D. Slowe, D. McC. Harper. j. 5
Bright, Emory B. Smith and DR.. n.
Frank Jones.
Although Wednesday will be the
sixty-f1fth anniversary of the granting
of the charter to Howard university
on March 2, 1867, there Is some doupt
as to the date on which the INSTITUTION
actually had its beginning. A meeting
of three Washington clergymen at the
First CONGREGATIONAL Church on No
vember II, 1866, generally is accepted
as marking the beginnings of the uni
versity which has grown to become the
citadel of Negro education In America.
It was at that gathering that the idea
of an institution of higher learning
for the then recently freed colored peo-
pie was proposed and elaborated.
Sought U. S. Aid.
Originally the university was to train
colored men for the ministry. but va
rious departments were opened ana
maintained almost from the beginning
of Howard as a university, AT sunSe-
ouent meetings of the little group OF
ministers it was decided to seek the aid
of the Freedmen's Bureau of the Fed
eral Government in launching the IN
stitution. Gen. Oliver Otis Howard,
Union officer, had been placed IN
charge of the bureau by President Lin
coin and he was extremely sympathetic
with the work he was doing.
Gen. Howard seized the opportunity
suggested by the ministers and when
the university was launched it was
given his name. Congress granted
charter to the Howard University" on
March 2, 1867, and the instrument was
signed by President Johnson. The in
corporators named in the charter we're
Samuel C. Pomeroy, Charles B. Boyn-
ton, Oliver Otis Howard, Burton G.
Cook, Charles H. Howard, James B.
Hutchinson, Henry A. Brewster, Benla-
min F. Morris, Danforth Nichols. VIII
liam T. Finney. R. H. Stevens, E. M.
Cushman. Hiram Barber, F. w. Robin
son, James B. johnson and S1las t.
Loonlis.