Coppin State University’s Golden Graduates Reflect on Legacy, Lifelong Bonds, and the Transformative Power of the HBCU Experience
Highlights
Coppin State University will honor the Golden Graduate Class of 1976 during the 2026 Commencement Ceremony, celebrating 50 years of leadership, legacy, and Eagle pride.
Approximately 60 alumni representing milestone reunion years are expected to return to campus for commencement festivities and the annual alumni breakfast.
Members of the Class of 1976 are raising $25,000 to establish a Foundation Merit Scholarship that will support future Coppin students for generations to come.
BALTIMORE – For lifelong friends Ms. Gloria Anderson Gilliam and Dr. Nancy Lowe Connor, Coppin State University was never just a college campus. It was a place of transformation, purpose, opportunity, and community. More than 50 years later, the bonds they built at Coppin continue to shape their lives and reflect the lasting impact HBCUs have on generations of students, families, and communities.
As members of Coppin State University’s Golden Graduate Class of 1976, Gilliam and Connor represent a generation of students who helped strengthen the university’s legacy as a cornerstone of educational opportunity in Baltimore and across Maryland.
For decades, Coppin has served as an engine of access, economic mobility, and leadership development for students seeking not only a degree, but a pathway toward purpose and impact. Founded to educate African Americans at a time when opportunities were limited, Coppin State University has continued to stand as a powerful example of what HBCUs mean to cities, states, and the nation.
In Baltimore, Coppin has long been intertwined with the fabric of the community. The university has educated teachers, nurses, principals, public servants, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, and civic leaders who have gone on to shape neighborhoods, schools, institutions, and industries throughout the region and beyond. Across Maryland and the nation, Coppin graduates continue to lead in education, healthcare, government, business, and community advocacy.
But for many alumni, the true power of the HBCU experience extends far beyond academics.
HBCUs create environments where students are seen, supported, challenged, and inspired. They foster lifelong relationships and friendships grounded in shared experiences, resilience, culture, and pride. For Gilliam and Connor, their friendship is one of the many lasting gifts that emerged from their Coppin experience.
“In the words of Maya Angelou, ‘I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,’” said Gloria Anderson Gilliam, BS, M.Ed., CFCS. “Coppin State University played a significant role in my professional growth and development.”
Gilliam served 31 years as a Nutrition Educator at East Baltimore Medical Center, dedicating her career to health education and community wellness. She credits Coppin with helping prepare her both socially and academically for a lifetime of service.
Dr. Nancy Lowe Connor, DPA, M.Ed., BS, says Coppin shaped her journey in profound ways through her experiences as both a student and adjunct professor.
“Through the years I have given much thought to my achievements,” Connor said. “In doing so, I must give credit to Coppin State University. Both experiences have made a significant impact on my social and professional life.”
Connor earned her Doctor of Public Administration degree from Nova University and a Master of Education in Criminal Justice from Coppin State University. Her distinguished career in public service and civic leadership has earned numerous honors and recognitions throughout Maryland and beyond.
Their reflections are echoed by fellow Class of 1976 alumni Gregory S. Matthews and Gus Herrington, whose stories further illustrate the lasting bonds, mentorship, and transformational experiences that defined Coppin during that era.
Matthews described arriving at Coppin during the height of the civil rights movement, carrying with him the energy and determination of a generation shaped by social change and historic struggle. He recalled a campus culture filled with friendship, mentorship, student leadership, concerts, basketball games, and shared ambition among many first-generation college students.
“Everything I’ve accomplished I owe to Coppin,” Matthews reflected, pointing to a career that included earning a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, working in private industry, and serving 25 years as a teacher and school administrator.
Herrington reflected on the discipline, leadership, and lifelong brotherhood that shaped his Coppin experience. After graduating in 1976 with a degree in Special Education, he went on to dedicate 44 years to Baltimore City Public Schools as a teacher, coach, vice principal, and principal.
“My Coppin experience did a lot for me,” Herrington shared. “It taught me how to motivate, lead and teach people how to be successful.”
Fifty years later, the pride and commitment of the Class of 1976 remain stronger than ever. In celebration of their milestone anniversary, members of the class are raising $25,000 to establish a Foundation Merit Scholarship at Coppin State University. The endowed scholarship will support future Coppin Eagles for generations to come and reflects the class’s continued investment in the university that helped shape their lives.
The effort represents the enduring spirit of giving, service, and community that defines Coppin alumni. Even decades after graduation, members of the Class of 1976 continue to pour back into the institution and create opportunities for the next generation of students to succeed.
Together, these stories reflect the enduring spirit of Coppin State University and the broader HBCU tradition. They demonstrate how institutions like Coppin do more than educate students. They cultivate leaders, strengthen communities, preserve culture, and create lifelong networks of support and friendship that continue across generations.
As Coppin State University prepares to honor the Class of 1976 during its 2026 Commencement Ceremony, the university celebrates not only the accomplishments of its Golden Graduates, but the lasting legacy they continue to build through service, leadership, philanthropy, and community impact.
Their journeys are a reminder that the HBCU experience is not simply about earning a degree. It is about belonging, purpose, lifelong connection, and the shared responsibility of lifting others as you rise.
