150 years has all led to today, our Founder’s Day celebration.
To commemorate UToledo’s sesquicentennial for Toledo Rockets and the entire city, we have scheduled a full day of activities, food and a free concert at Savage Arena headlined by T-Pain.
T-Pain
The celebration kicks off with the Founder’s Day BBQ on Main Campus and Health Science Campus. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Chartwells will serve free hamburgers — regular and veggie — hot dogs, chips and birthday cake, and SuperGames will provide the outdoor activities on both campuses.
From 3 to 4 p.m., join us for the “Founder’s Day Lecture: Ten Events That Shaped 150 Years” at Carlson Library 5th floor. Barbara Floyd, retired university archivist and author of the upcoming book “An Institution for the Promoting of Knowledge: The University of Toledo at 150,” will discuss UToledo’s history. The lecture will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Following the lecture, the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections will open its sesquicentennial exhibition, “Vision, Faith and Hard Work,” which will explore the events that shaped UToledo since its founding in 1872 with photographs, correspondence, newspaper clippings, ephemera and artifacts. The exhibition will be on display in the Canaday Center through Aug. 1, 2023.
The lecture and exhibition are free and open to the campus and public.
A lineup of performances by national and local acts will take place from 5 to 10:20 p.m. in Savage Arena. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with a maximum capacity of 4,000 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Concessions in Savage Arena will be open.
The free concert, open to the campus and public, begins with local bands Distant Cousinz at 5 p.m. and the Skittle Bots at 5:50 p.m., followed by national acts country-rapper David Morris at 6:50 p.m. and country singer Nate Smith at 7:55 p.m. T-Pain will take the stage at 9:10 p.m.
Parking permits are not required on the University’s Main Campus from 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, through 7 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 13. Exclusions include handicap, reserved, patient and metered parking.
The Founder’s Day celebration is supported by generous sponsors, including Kripke Enterprises and ParkUToledo.
Established in 1872, The University of Toledo has a storied history with more than 168,000 alumni around the world. A year-long sesquicentennial celebration will recognize the historic milestones, achievements and the positive impact the University has had since its founding 150 years ago.
