Celebrating Founders' Day at Towson University in 2021

January 13, 2021

For about 50 years, Towson celebrated a now little-known anniversary, the very first day of classes at the Maryland State Normal School in January 15, 1866.

The celebration, called Founders’ Day, is first in evidence in the school calendar for 1919/1920 when the Maryland State Normal School principal was Henry Skinner West. By that time, the school was at its Towson location, and West was working to build up enrollment. Part of his efforts included engaging more with the outside community, and perhaps this celebration did that as well as underscored the importance of the school’s history to its members.

Under West’s successor, Lida Lee Tall, the Founders’ Day events reached their heyday. The first record of how the school celebrated can be found in a Towerlight article from 1924.

Find the full story about Founder's Day at the TU Special Collections and University Archives site.