Allyn Lawrence is a Student Researcher for the Unearthing Towson’s History Project, a collaboration between the History Department and the Special Collections and University Archives. A senior History major, Allyn worked over the summer of 2021 to research and investigate Towson’s history of diversity. Her research focuses on the African American Studies Major that once
The November 17, 1961 edition of the Tower Light included a letter to the editor written by a student named Bettina V. Monroe. This letter, entitled “Agitation Necessary Before Integration,” outlines Monroe’s assessment of social agitation and its ability to bring about legislative reform during the civil rights movement. In her writing, Monroe argued that
The history page of the Towson University Marching Band (TUMB) begins “In 1979, Dr. Marchand, the Towson State Music Department, and the Towson State administration brought Mr. Robert Doster to Towson State to create a marching band.” Prior to establishing the band that would become known as TUMB, the school often hired high school bands
In 2016, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Towson University, the book Towson University: The First 150 Years was created. This blog post is based on the section about the history of school colors as well as the alma mater from that publication. The first official school song, or alma mater, drew its inspiration from
A lot has changed since the coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China in late 2019. In just a few months, the virus has dramatically altered daily life for those around the world – including students. This timeline chronicles TU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the spring 2020 semester and includes commentary from several students regarding
While COVID-19 is certainly one of the most extreme health crises that have affected Towson University, it is by no means the first. In its almost 155-year history, Towson University has witnessed a number of pandemics¹. When we look back at past pandemics that affected Maryland and the school that would become Towson University, there
The first indication we have of an active alumni body comes from the Maryland School Journal of 1877, edited by M. A. Newell, who served as the Maryland State Normal School (MSNS) principal from the day it opened in 1866 until 1890. From that one sentence, we can gather that this reunion was not the
We want students and faculty to look on their library with pleasure, and to know that it is theirs to build and to use with our help. -Dorothy Reeder, 1955 Report from the Librarian. When Towson University’s predecessor, the Maryland State Normal School, opened its doors in 1866, little thought had gone into the creation
In 1922, rather than printing a yearbook, the graduating class elected to create a “Senior Yearbook” in the brand new student newspaper, then called The Oriole. In that issue are the first photos of the Maryland State Normal School’s (MSNS) athletic teams, namely the “basket ball teams” for that year. None of the players are identified in the
In November, 89.7 WTMD, held a party to commemorate 15 years of its current iteration as Towson University’s FM radio station. However, TU’s exploration and experimentation with radio has been a story almost 50 years in the making and encompasses many more call letters than WTMD. An Idea In October 1970, a committee made up