The College celebrated Founders Day Thursday by recounting its role during the abolitionist movement and honoring one of the campus’s notable historical figures.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author James M. McPherson delivered the keynote address. During the hour-long ceremony in Memorial Chapel, the College unveiled a portrait of Moses Viney, a runaway slave from Maryland who escaped to Schenectady on the Underground Railroad. Viney was a coachman, messenger and constant companion of longtime Union President Eliphalet Nott, who eventually secured his freedom.
Viney’s portrait was painted by Simmie Knox, a renowned African-American artist.
To read the Daily Gazette of Schenectady's story about the events, click here (registration may be required).
The newspaper also wrote a preview about Founders Day, focusing on the life of Viney. To read the story, click here.