The Lake So Blue sixth and fairmont streets nw
The body of water that inspired the line in Howard University’s alma mater, “far above the lake so blue stands old Howard firm and true,” is McMillan Reservoir, which opened in 1902 to supply water to the city. The reservoir and the Old Soldiers’ Home grounds nearby created a green oasis for Howard and the surrounding community. On summer nights before World War II, families fled their hot rowhouses to sleep on blankets near the cooling water. Howard’s neighbors, long uplifted by the uni- versity’s intellectual life, have enjoyed its tradi- tions, especially Homecoming. In 1926 a crowd of 16,000 dedicated Howard’s new stadium, and cheered as the Bisons crushed Lincoln University’s Lions, 32-0. The annual Thanksgiving Day football game was the centerpiece of Classic Week’s concerts, receptions, and dinner dances. Among the speakers at the 1926 stadium dedica- tion was its designer, Professor Albert Cassell. The architect oversaw Howard’s expansion in the 1930s, designing 16 campus buildings. Lynn C. French, who grew up near the campus, remembered attending Howard commencements with her family beginning in the 1940s — not only to cheer graduating friends and relatives, but also to hear the inspirational speeches. Just a year after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Lyndon Johnson addressed the graduates, pledging to enforce equal rights for all Americans: “It is not enough to open the gates of opportunity. All our citizens must have the ability to walk through those gates.” More recently Colin Powell and Oprah Winfrey have addressed the graduating class.
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