HOUSTON (June 11, 2019) – On June 29, 2019, a 100th Birthday Brunch will be held in honor of legendary Texas Southern University Debate Coach Dr. Thomas F. Freeman’s 100th Birthday. The event, “A Legend in His Own Time,” will occur at 11 a.m. on the campus of Texas Southern University in the Ernest S. Sterling Student Life Center. This event will recognize Dr. Freeman for his 70 years of extraordinary and outstanding service to the university and the community. The Birthday Brunch is hosted by Texas Southern University Debate Team alumni (1949-2019) and members of the “A Legend in His Own Time” 100th Birthday committee. All white attire is requested.

Interested persons can participate by:

· Purchasing a table for ten (10) at $750.00 per table.

· Purchasing an individual ticket at $75.00 per person.

· Selling tickets to friends and acquaintances.

· Purchasing an ad in the souvenir journal.

· Making a contribution and encouraging others to make a contribution to the Debate Travel Fund.

Checks can be made payable to: TSU Foundation/The Debate Travel Fund, 3100 Cleburne, P.O. Box 1047 Houston, Texas 77004. Credit cards payments can be made by visiting https://giving.tsu.edu/dr-thomas-f-freeman-100th-birthday. Should you have any questions, or need additional information, please call Dr. Gloria Batiste-Roberts at (713) 313-7205 (day) and (713) 858-4733 (evening) or Wendell King at (832) 888-9281.

Esteemed debate coach, orator and minister at Mount Horem Baptist Church, Freeman has been a staple at Texas Southern University since 1949. In 2007, Freeman was sought out as an advisor to actor Denzel Washington for the Golden Globe-nominated film The Great Debaters, and in 2009 the Thomas F. Freeman Honors College was established at TSU.

ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

Texas Southern University (TSU) honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. TSU is a comprehensive university providing higher education access to the nation’s underserved communities. TSU’s academic and research programs address critical urban issues, and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. The University’s enrollment has a population of more than 9,700 undergraduate and graduate-school academic candidates. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their family to attend college.