On April 25, 1944, one of the nation’s most vital philanthropic institutions, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), was incorporated. Founded by Frederick D. Patterson, then president of Tuskegee University, along with Mary McLeod Bethune and others, the UNCF has awarded hundreds of millions in scholarships to help Black students attend private historically Black colleges and universities.

In 1972, it adopted the iconic motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” one of the most recognized slogans in advertising. For 25 years, its fundraising was boosted by the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars, a televised telethon hosted by the late singer.

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