Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

The 2013 Founder's Day and Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage Events

March 13 & April 4
 

Greetings from Dean Jacqueline Jones Royster

This is a landmark year in our celebration of the college’s ongoing work to further Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr.’s legacies of visionary urban leadership, social courage, social justice, and ethical action. 

We highlight the anniversaries of seminal events in the evolution of social justice: the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation order by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and the 50th anniversaries of momentous events in 1963, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and others, that turned public opinion against the old social order of the South and led to the passage of federal laws to protect civil rights of all Americans.

Mayor Allen was among those leaders who risked everything to advance civil rights. Our Founder’s Day program “From Witness to Action” on March 13th will remember his courageous testimony before Congress on behalf of what became the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We will celebrate achievements of those who stood tall for equality during the Allen era and the work of our faculty and students today who continue to further the cause of social justice around the globe. On April 4th we will present the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage to The Honorable John Lewis and have the privilege of celebrating his longstanding courage and activism. 

Please enjoy exploring our Founder’s Day history on these webpages and do join us on March 13th and April 4th for these very special events. 

Sincerely,
Jacqueline Jones Royster
Ivan Allen Jr. Dean's Chair in Liberal Arts and Technology
Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
Georgia Institute of Technology