Sister Thea Bowman Foundation

News

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Sister Thea Bowman Black Catholic Educational Foundation started with Thea's input and blessing by Dr. Len and Mary Lou Jennings. The purpose of the foundation is to provide full scholarships at Catholic universities for African-American students. Over 100 Thea scholars have graduated. To celebrate, Pittsburgh bishop David Zukik presided at a noon liturgy at Duquesne University, Monday October 19, 2009. Members of the foundation board and Thea scholars attended.

A public anniversary celebration is scheduled for April 22, 2010, Heinz Field, Pittsburgh. Sister Charlene Smith serves on the foundation board and will attend.

History

The Sister Thea Bowman Foundation began with two people who had a passion for both Catholic education and helping African American students, Dr. Leonard and Mary Lou Jennings. "Most of our help went to elementary schools," says Mary Lou. "We saw a need to help students go to college."

But how? They weren't sure. Someone said to them, "Meet Sister Thea Bowman." They did, in 1984. Sister Thea encouraged them to go national. With that, the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation was born. Thea was then with Len and Mary Lou at St. Michael's College, Winooski, Vt., on Oct. 19, 1989, when several Catholic university presidents and bishops joined with them to officially launch the Foundation.

To learn more, please visit the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation Web site.

A Foundation for Learning

The winter 2009 edition of Duquesne University Magazine (Pittsburgh, Penn.) featured an article on Sister Thea Bowman. A Foundation for Learning talks of the Sister Thea Bowman Black Catholic Educational Foundation Scholarship. Duquesne University has played a large role in the foundation’s history—approximately 40 of the nearly 100 students who have received the scholarship funding have gotten their undergraduate or graduate college education at Duquesne. Read the full article courtesy of Duquesne University.