Benedictine University (BenU) hosted a weekend of events for its Black Alumni Network (BAN). Among those in attendance was Warrington Parker, PhD, (’62). Dr. Parker is an alum of Saint Procopius College (now Benedictine University) and is also the first black graduate of BenU.
“First, I was honored to be even asked to attend the inaugural launch of the Black Alumni Network event. I was also pleased for being honored as the first African American to graduate from Saint Procopius College in 1962,” said Dr. Parker. “They were like family to me. It was like attending a family reunion. I felt the warmth and graciousness of everyone, especially Kenneth Carruthers and Maurice Bell.”
This gathering of alumni saw representation that spanned all name changes for the University. There were graduates from St. Procopius College, Illinois Benedictine College, and Benedictine University.
The events began with a mixer at Coal Ben to kickoff the weekend. This represented the first opportunity for many alumni to gather and reminisce about their time at BenU.
On Saturday, BAN had a private stadium suite to watch the Eagles versus the Green Knights. The weekend of events concluded that evening with a “Reflections” dinner.
This dinner included a formal presentation of the purpose of BAN and featured Dr. Parker as the keynote speaker. BenU hopes the success and attendance of this evening serves as a launch point for more alumni networks within the University in the future.
“Their time here is a testament to our university, as I learned that they have gone on to do (and still are doing) some amazing things,” said BenU Chief Diversity Officer Julie Dockery, EdD. “It was also nice to hear the shared stories of their struggles as well, which will serve as a catalyst for how the Black Alumni Network will be able to support our current Black students.”
