Planning Trinity’s Bicentennial
March 16, 2021
Dear Trinity College Community Members,
On May 16, 1823, the Connecticut General Assembly granted a charter to Bishop Thomas Church Brownell and a committee charged with incorporation of a new college. First Washington College, and now our beloved Trinity, the institution has endured through domestic and global conflict, the Great Depression, and not one, but two pandemics. All the while, our college community has evolved to reflect the wider world, and the education we provide has remained true to its liberal arts core while adapting to serve the public good amid a constantly changing society. The story of Trinity College’s past and its lasting strength is one of resilience and innovation in service to our mission and our values as an educational institution.
Today, we write to invite you to join a collaborative effort to plan the Trinity College Bicentennial Celebration. A bicentennial is a prodigious milestone that affords us an opportunity to understand our history, honor those who have come before us, and look forward to our shared future.
We will kick off the Bicentennial Celebration in September 2022. Events in Hartford, across the country, and around the world will shine a light on the remarkable college and those whose belief in a singular mission propelled our esteemed college into the present moment.
Who better to shape this commemoration but you, our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and families, who are the single most important element of any college—its people?
We hope you will help us by joining a Bicentennial planning committee. Philip Khoury ’71, former vice chair of the Board of Trustees, and current trustee Kelli Harrington Tomlinson ’94 will lead a Celebration Group that will meet quarterly to provide oversight and guidance to the Bicentennial Steering Committee, chaired by Kate McGlew, director of major college events, and subcommittees devoted to specific themes or events. These groups will be made up of volunteers from every part of the Trinity community.
We invite you to use this form to volunteer, to nominate someone whose experience or talents will provide a unique perspective, or to share your ideas. What does Trinity’s Bicentennial mean to you? What specific aspects of the past or people should we highlight, and how? What successes should we celebrate, and what lessons can we learn?
We are early in the planning stages of the Bicentennial, and we know that to do right by it will require a great deal of time and energy by many in our community. We hope you’ll join us and help in celebrating this singular occasion and honoring Trinity.
Sincerely,
Joanne Berger-Sweeney
President and Trinity College Professor of Neuroscience
Cornelia P. Thornburgh ’80
Chair, Board of Trustees
