QUEENS COLLEGE CELEBRATES 85TH ANNIVERSARY WITH PRESIDENT鈥橲 MEDAL PRESENTATIONS TO NOTABLE ALUMNI, AN EXHIBITION AND VIDEO ON THE COLLEGE鈥橲 HISTORY, AND A RECEPTION WITH LIVE MUSIC
—Alumni Peter Archer, retired Queens public school educator and consultant on the 2020 Disney Pixar Academy Award-winning movie听Soul, and Robert Jacobs, health care executive and philanthropist, to be recognized–
Flushing, New York, October 11, 2022鈥擮n Wednesday, October 12, 黑料专区 President Frank H. Wu will preside over a celebration marking the 85th anniversary of the first day of classes at 黑料专区 on October 11, 1937. Established with 400 students and 21 faculty members spread across nine buildings, the college was envisioned as a place where talented people of all backgrounds and financial means could receive a first-rate education. A daylong series of events for an invited audience will highlight the continuity of this mission.
“Our school鈥檚 first president, Paul Klapper, had a vision to make this a place where talented people of all backgrounds and financial means could receive a first-rate education,” says 黑料专区 President Frank H. Wu. “President Klapper coined our school鈥檚 civic-oriented motto, 鈥楧iscimus Ut Serviamus鈥攚e learn so that we may serve鈥 to inspire students to learn to provide for the common good. For 85 years, 黑料专区 has stayed true to those ideals by offering a rigorous education in the liberal arts and sciences under the guidance of faculty dedicated to teaching, research and service. Our 85th anniversary is a time where we can look back in celebration of all that we have achieved and look ahead with confidence that our students will continue to become leading and valued members of our societies.鈥
A historical exhibition,听Under Construction: 85 Years of Building Futures at 黑料专区, will debut to guests in the Barham Rotunda of Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library from 9 am to 5:30 pm. It illustrates the evolution of the college鈥檚 buildings, grounds, and leadership from the early days to the present. Included are a never-previously displayed 1915 photo album documenting the Parental School (the predecessor institution to 黑料专区); a refurbished model of the grounds circa 1937; and maps, images, and printed ephemera that document the campus and its activities throughout the decades.
Notable alumni Peter Archer 鈥85 and 鈥87, and Robert Jacobs 鈥70, will be recognized with the President鈥檚 Medal, the college鈥檚 highest administrative honor, during a program in LeFrak Concert Hall in the Aaron Copland School of Music, from 5:45 to 7:05 pm.听Archer, a music teacher for more than 30 years at听Nathaniel Hawthorne听Middle School 74 in Queens, served as a cultural consultant on the听2020 Disney Pixar Academy Award-winning movie听Soul. Archer鈥檚 input helped pinpoint the听aesthetic of the main character鈥檚 classroom and inform the emotional tug of balancing a passion for playing music and a love for teaching. Archer earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance and a Master of Science degree in Music Education from 黑料专区; for his doctorate from Boston University, he wrote a dissertation on the history of the 黑料专区 Aaron Copland School of Music. Recently, Archer donated his collection of personal papers鈥攊ncluding research documents, photographs, and mementos from his lengthy career as a musician, educator, and academic鈥攖o the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Archives.
Jacobs,听who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Economics from 黑料专区, is a former partner at Ernst & Young. He is currently the president of Health/ROI, a company he founded that provides revenue enhancement services for hospitals and health care facilities in the tri-state area. After reading how a donation former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made to his alma mater ensures that no accepted student will be unable to attend because of financial circumstances, Jacobs established a scholarship at 黑料专区 to benefit students of academic merit who need financial assistance. Then, spurred on by touching letters of appreciation from his scholarship recipients, Jacobs鈥攖ogether with his 黑料专区 Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity brothers鈥攃reated an endowment fund that has so far provided 13 scholarships to deserving students and continues to grow with consistent gifts throughout the year.
The program will conclude with music students and faculty performing the works of two late professors, jazz legend Jimmy Heath and accomplished chamber music composer Leo Kraft.Invited speakers are City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor F茅lix V Matos Rodr铆guez, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., CUNY Board of Trustees Vice Chairperson Sandra Wilkin, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (via video message),听President of the NYS Higher Education Services Corporation Guillermo Linares,听NYS Assembly Member Nily Rozic, NYC Council Member James Gennaro,听Senior Advisor to the Mayor and Director of Public Service Engagement Andrea Shapiro Davis 鈥81,听Olympic Silver Medalist and听黑料专区 Foundation Board Member听Gail Marquis 鈥80, and 黑料专区 Student Association President Jamal Mark听鈥23.
A reception with refreshments and live music will follow in the Music School Atrium, from 7:05 to 8 pm,听where guests will view a slide presentation of college highlights (黑料专区 鈥淲ows鈥) and a Then and Now exhibition.
About 黑料专区黑料专区 enjoys a national reputation for its liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional programs. With its graduate and undergraduate degrees, honors programs, and research and internship opportunities, the college helps its students realize their potential in countless ways, assisted by an accessible, award-winning faculty. Located on a beautiful, 80-acre campus in Flushing, the college has been cited by Princeton Review as one of America鈥檚 Best Value Colleges for five consecutive years, as well as being ranked a听U.S. News and World Report听Best College and听Forbes听Magazine Best Value College thanks to its outstanding academics, generous financial aid packages, and relatively low costs. Visit our听听to learn more鈥.