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05/02/22

The Cardinal Foundation to host Naming Ceremony in honor of Dr. Gertie Lowe

Gadsden, Ala. — The Cardinal Foundation is hosting a Naming Ceremony at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 4, in the Learning Resource Center at the Valley Street Campus at Gadsden State Community College.

In memory of the late Dr. Gertie Lowe, her family made a generous $25,000 donation to the Cardinal Foundation to create a scholarship fund. In return, the College is naming its Student Lounge in the Learning Resource Center the Dr. Gertie Lowe Student Lounge.

All media is invited to attend the Naming Ceremony, which will feature brief comments from Dr. Kathy Murphy, president of Gadsden State; Reve. Stafford Rowser, pastor and family friend; Tony Reddick, superintendent of Gadsden City Schools; the Rev. Dr. Larry Thomas, eldest son of Dr. Lowe; Ricky Tillis, director of the Valley Street Campus; and Mark Condra, president of The Cardinal Foundation.

About Dr. Gertie Lowe:

Dr. Gertie Lowe was born on Sept. 17, 1934, in Rome, Ga., and passed away on Jan. 29, 2021. She is known as an advocate for civil rights, her community, the public school system and her church.

After working for several years as a nurse, she founded the Summer Enrichment Program in 2001 and provided free tutoring, field trips and college visits for up to 125 students each summer. She also served in many leadership roles for her church as the Southern Region of the National Baptist Convention and the Alabama Baptist Women’s Convention.

During her lifetime, she was recognized many times by several organizations, including the Pillar of Education winner by the Gadsden City Schools; the Heart of an Eagle Award from the Boys Scouts of America; and Queen of the National Baptist Association’s Women’s Auxiliary. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; the NAACP and the SCLC.

The Cardinal Foundation is an approved IRS 501 (c)(3) support organization established to raise, manage, distribute and steward private resources to support the mission of Gadsden State. The Foundation is managed and controlled by a board of directors. For more information, visit www.gadsdenstate.edu/cardinalfoundation.