Online registration opens for 2019 Black Alumni Reunion
It was 190 years ago that Ohio University’s rich history of and commitment to diversity began with the graduation of John Newton Templeton, OHIO’s first black alumnus and only the fourth black college graduate in the United States. That history and commitment continues Sept. 12-15 on the Athens Campus during the 2019 Black Alumni Reunion (BAR).
Online registration for the 2019 Black Alumni Reunion has officially begun and will continue through Friday, Sept. 6.
A signature OHIO alumni event held every three years, BAR welcomes home the University’s black alumni and friends with a weekend full of opportunities to reconnect with one another, with Ohio University and with Bobcats following in their footsteps.
The 2019 Black Alumni Reunion registration is underway and continues through Friday, Sept. 6.
A growing list of BAR events is available here and includes activities hosted by the OHIO Alumni Association, individual colleges and units, student organizations and alumni groups. While registration for most of the weekend’s festivities is not required, it is encouraged in order to adequately plan. Those who register for any BAR event will be eligible for free OHIO-themed giveaways and will receive an official BAR nametag.
Many of the weekend’s events will be provided free of charge, but some activities do have an admissions fee. The most notable of those is the Black Alumni Reunion Gala, scheduled for the evening of Saturday, Sept. 14. One of the weekend’s most-popular activities and its signature fundraising event, the Black Alumni Reunion Gala is a formal event during which black alumni who have passed are remembered and the accomplishments of distinguished black alumni are celebrated. This year’s gala will include the presentation of two Ebony Bobcat Network Trailblazer Awards. The 2019 awardees are:
- The late Alvin C. Adams, BSJ ’59. One of the first African Americans to earn a journalism degree from Ohio University, Adams is known for his journalism career and his dedication to the local community. He wrote for The Chicago Defender and Jet magazine, covering the civil rights movement, including the 1963 March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. After returning to the Athens area, Adams co-founded the Multicultural Genealogical Center in Chesterhill, Ohio, and served as the inspiration behind OHIO’s African American Research and Service Institute. OHIO’s Adam Hall, which opened in 2007, is named in his honor.
- The late William “Bill” Allen, MED ’69, PhD ’77. An outstanding OHIO alumnus and administrator, Allen worked for Ohio University from 1969 to 2006, serving within University College as an academic advisor, director of advising, coordinator of the bachelor of general studies program, assistant dean and associate dean. Among his accomplishments, Allen launched LINKS, the University’s first mentoring program focused on improving retention of students from underrepresented groups, and created a nationally recognized faculty advising program to help students who have not decided a major. OHIO’s Allen Student Advising Center, founded in 2007, is named in his honor.
Tickets for the Black Alumni Reunion Gala sell quickly and are available on first-come, first-served basis.
Ohio University’s Black Alumni Reunion welcomes all members of the Bobcat family, past, present and future, and is an opportunity for the entire community to join together to acknowledge and celebrate the legacy of diversity rooted in the spirit of this singular place. More than 1,000 alumni and friends participated in the 2016 BAR, a record turnout for this OHIO tradition that dates back more than three decades.
Questions regarding the 2019 event may be directed to Tyrone Carr, special assistant to the vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Interlink Alliance, at carrt@ohio.edu or to the OHIO Alumni Association at (740) 593-4300.
For more information on the 2019 Black Alumni Reunion, visit the event’s official website and follow #OHIOBAR2019 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Bobcat Store is offering BAR merchandise in honor of this special weekend and will be hosting a pop-up store, offering BAR apparel while supplies last, on the first floor of Baker University Center from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, and 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Sept. 13. Check out the official BAR T-shirt and this limited-edition BAR hat. Orders placed by Sunday, Aug. 25, will be available for pick-up during BAR registration. Orders placed after Aug. 25 will be shipped to the buyer.
The Bobcat Store is also selling an EBN polo shirt and EBN button-down shirt.