UNH Honors Founder Ben Thompson with Birthday Celebration and Campus Clean-up

Contact: Lori Wright
603-862-0574
UNH Media Relations

April 15, 2004



DURHAM, N.H. -- The University of New Hampshire community will honor Ben Thompson, on whose farmland the university sits, with a campus-wide birthday celebration and clean-up Wednesday, April 28, 2004.

This year, UNH has expanded Ben Thompson Day to include a showcase of UNH community service activities and a concert celebration. In 1890, Thompson left his 500-acre farm to the state for New Hampshire's public university.

Festivities begin at noon with student, faculty and staff volunteers picking up rakes and shovels to clean up the campus. The concert celebration will kick off at 3:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Building (MUB) where dozens of students will share their community service experiences. There also will be a display of Ben Thompson history and memorabilia, which will highlight the ongoing connection of Ben Thompson's legacy to today's civic-minded students. The afternoon events will also include a birthday party and award ceremony in the MUB at 4:15 p.m.

Ben Thompson Day is sponsored by the UNH Alumni Association, the Community Service and Leadership program, the Partnership for Social Action, UNH Facilities, the Office of Student Life, the Center for Academic Resources, Scan TV, WUNH, Eagle Productions, Hayden Sports and Kinko's.

For more information visit www.unh.edu/serve/.