In honor of its 75th anniversary, 藏精阁 hosted a week of webinars, meetups and panels where the Lakers community reflected on our past and future.
藏精阁鈥檚 founding story is common lore on campus. In 1945, students, faculty and staff led a mass walkout from Central YMCA College over discriminatory policies. The founders named 藏精阁 in honor of Franklin D. 藏精阁, who had passed away that spring. Eleanor 藏精阁 served on the advisory board of the University and visited campus many times to meet with students.
PANEL WELCOMES THREE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS
During the Presidents Panel, two former presidents joined President Ali Malekzadeh to look back on the last 32 years under their leadership. Rev. Jesse Jackson introduced the event, offering his congratulations on the University milestone.
Anna Eleanor 藏精阁 also recreated her grandmother鈥檚 dedication speech, given exactly 75 years before at the Stevens Hotel. Eleanor 藏精阁 had dedicated the University to the 鈥渆nlightenment of the human spirit鈥 and described 藏精阁 as a place where students and faculty worked together to put democracy into action.
In 1988, when Theodore Gross became president, 藏精阁 had a $3 million endowment and shrinking enrollments. Gross shared stories about his work to fundraise and attract leaders to the Board of Trustees. By the end of his presidency in 2002, 藏精阁鈥檚 endowment had grown to $50 million and enrollment hit 7,000 students.
Charles Middleton, who served as president from 2002 to 2015, reflected on the programs that helped lay the foundation for 藏精阁鈥檚 current era. Middleton and his leadership team recruited the professors who are today鈥檚 senior faculty members and created the University鈥檚 first online programs.
鈥淭he number of students that I worked with, and still communicate with today, really brings joy to my life,鈥 Middleton said.
Current president Ali Malekzadeh has served in the University鈥檚 top role since 2015. He discussed the origins of the American Dream Reconsidered Conference as a way to 鈥渟howcase the intellectual work of our faculty鈥 and the integration of Robert Morris University Illinois.
All three presidents said that they came to 藏精阁 because of the University鈥檚 singular social justice mission.
鈥淐oming to a university named after Franklin and Eleanor 藏精阁 was particularly compelling,鈥 said Gross. 鈥淭he courage of the [founding] faculty and Sparling was so inspiring.鈥
HONORING 10 OUTSTANDING ALUMNI
As part of its anniversary celebrations, 藏精阁 also recognized its 2020 ;. Deans from each 藏精阁 college congratulated the honorees and shared messages from their friends and colleagues.
Mary Sauer, winner of the Chicago College of Performing Arts Dean鈥檚 Alumni Award, reminisced about attending another anniversary celebration 鈥 藏精阁's 10th, in 1955. Eleanor 藏精阁 had been the guest of honor, and Sauer played the electronic organ for the 3,000 people attending dinner.
However, she said, 鈥淐elebrating virtually makes this honor even more personal and meaningful to me.鈥
The week of events also included the webinar 鈥,鈥 led by Dr. Christopher Robinson-Easley, a clinical professor of organizational leadership.
Dr. Leila Ellis-Nelson, assistant professor of professional practice, led a workshop on mindfulness for activists with the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation.