WITH its 60th anniversary celebration in full swing, the University of Guam held its Founders Day Gala over the weekend with more than 600 attendees filling in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Guam.
The Saturday black-and-white affair brought in an array of guests including the institution's founders, island leaders, sponsors, students, and alumni.
The gala was a culmination of Friday's Founders Day event held at the Mangilao campus, which honored the founders who contributed to the growth and success of UOG.
“We've had the opportunity to look back to honor the founders whose vision in the Guam of 1950 and 1951 was not bounded by the destruction of World War II, the founders who didn't hesitate to invest in a future that few could imagine, the founders who didn't hesitate to see the potential of islanders,” UOG President Dr. Robert Underwood said in delivering remarks at the gala.
As he spoke, Dr. Underwood urged those in the room – the 21st-century leaders and guardians of the institution – not just to follow the work of the original founders, but to also dream beyond and invest in the university so the opportunities that were given to them can be passed along to future Tritons.
“It is our challenge at this point in the 21st century – it is the meaning of this gala and it is central, essential, to our prosperity and success as an island people in this century,” he said. “Who we will be as a people is made possible by the kinds of investment we make in our educational institutions today.”
