New residence halls to honor prominent Marylanders

TOWSON, Md. (Sept. 1, 2010)—TU's new West Village residence halls will be named Barton House and Douglass House, honoring Clara Barton (1821-1912 ) and Frederick Douglass (1818-1895). Barton House is across from Paca House; Douglass House, is across from Tubman House. The namings continue the theme of featuring prominent Marylanders in the names of residence halls in the university’s West Village.

“Their importance in the history of Maryland in particular, and the nation as a whole, made Barton and Douglass obvious choices for recognition,” said Janes Sheehan, vice president for Administration and Finance.

Born in Talbot County, Frederick Douglass was a prominent orator, writer, and statesman who led the abolitionist movement after escaping slavery. Clara Barton was a teacher, nurse and humanitarian who cared for wounded soldiers during the Civil War and later helped to found and lead the American Red Cross. Douglass was a staunch proponent of education, stating that knowledge was “the pathway from slavery to freedom.” He and Barton worked together in support of abolition and women’s suffrage.

The residence halls will house more than 650 students upon opening in August 2011. For more information on the residence hall naming, contact Jerry Dieringer, director of Housing and Residence Life, x42516, or jdieringer@towson.edu. To see photos of ongoing campus construction projects, go to TU's Architechture, Engineering and Contruction website.