Lincoln University Commemorates 160 Years of Educational Excellence at 2026 Founders’ Day Convocation

Valerie Daniels-Carter, Lincoln University Class of 1978, delivers the keynote address during the University’s Founders’ Day Convocation.

Lincoln University of Missouri (LU) kicked off its year-long 160th anniversary celebration with the annual Founders’ Day Convocation on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Mitchell Auditorium. The event honored the visionary legacy of the enlisted men and officers of the 62nd and 65th United States Colored Infantries, who in 1866 founded the institution to ensure the right to education for freed African Americans and challenged today’s students to carry that vision forward with purpose and confidence.

The celebration featured keynote speaker Valerie Daniels-Carter, Lincoln University Class of 1978, president and CEO of V&J Holding Companies, the largest female-owned restaurant franchise organization in the United States. She is also a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and a board member of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. A graduate of Lincoln’s business program, Daniels-Carter reflected on her decision to attend the University as one of the most important choices of her life and highlighted how the foundation built at Lincoln prepares alumni for leadership at the highest levels.

Daniels-Carter urged students to embrace the belief that “vision has no boundaries,” encouraging them to pursue their goals with confidence and purpose. She noted that Lincoln’s founders began with no blueprint or guarantee of success, but with a vision grounded in hope, justice and the belief that education could transform lives and shape the future of a nation.

She encouraged students to remember Founders’ Day as more than the past. “It's about being a 2026 Blue Tiger who looks forward with the same boldness that defined our beginning,” she said, reminding students that those founders gave them a gift.

“The question before you now is — how will you honor what they sacrificed?” Daniels-Carter asked. “You honor it by learning. You honor it by leading. You honor it by serving. You honor it by daring to imagine a future as bold as the ones that imagined it in 1866.”

Tina Shannon, presiding for the first time as president of the Lincoln University Board of Curators, reaffirmed the board’s commitment to the school’s founding mission and to supporting today’s students’ dreams.

"Today, we stand on sacred ground, honoring a bold and courageous dream that began in 1866 and continues to shape lives today," Shannon stated. “May we continue to honor that dream by advancing together — united in purpose, grounded in history, and confident in Lincoln University’s future."

In his remarks, President John B. Moseley highlighted a period of significant institutional momentum, noting that the University enters this anniversary year with record-breaking achievements.

"From expanding enrollment and record retention to rising GPAs, we are seeing powerful results. Our Blue Tigers are thriving," Dr. Moseley said. He specifically noted that the university’s first-to-second-year retention rate has reached its highest point in more than 30 years.

Moseley also highlighted the campus's physical transformation as a symbol of growth, including the recent renovation of Dawson Hall and the Health & Security Sciences Institute, slated for opening in fall 2026, a center that will play a vital role in preparing the next generation of leaders in health care, public safety and crisis response across Missouri and the nation.

The University also recognized the Cooper Family of East St. Louis, Illinois, as the 2026 Family of the Year, recognizing a multi-generational legacy that includes six graduates and two current student leaders.