University of Hartford to Celebrate its 55th Birthday with Mardi Gras Theme

It’s all about “letting the good times roll” at the University of Hartford on Tuesday, Feb. 21 as Mardi Gras falls on the 55th anniversary of the founding of the University. The University’s birthday celebration, known as Founders Day, will include lunch hour Mardi Gras-themed events, such as free beads, New Orleans style food and music and the first-ever “Founders Day Float Contest.” Floats created by various student organizations will be displayed and awarded prizes by a panel of judges led by University President Walter Harrison.

The Founders Day celebration will continue at the men’s basketball game at 7 p.m. at which the first 1,000 people at the University's Sports Center wearing Mardi Gras beads will receive free t-shirts. Fans will have the opportunity to participate in a paper airplane contest at halftime. The maker of the airplane that lands closest to center court will win “Beats by Dre” headphones.

This Founders Day is the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the University of Hartford. The community is welcome to campus for the celebration.

The University of Hartford was chartered on February 21, 1957 as a university for the Greater Hartford community. It merged three existing schools, the Hartford Art School, the Hartt School of Music, and Hillyer College. Since its founding 55 years ago, the University has grown to seven schools and colleges and has been transformed from a commuter school to a comprehensive residential campus that offers 84 undergraduate majors and more than 30 graduate degree programs. The University’s student population of about 7,200 comes from 48 states and more than 60 countries.