Hartwick College to Dedicate Belonging Center in Honor of Harry Bradshaw Matthews

Ceremony set for Saturday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m. during True Blue Weekend

Hartwick College will dedicate its Belonging Center in honor of Harry Bradshaw Matthews, retired associate dean, founding director of theDr., Harry Bradshaw Matthews speaking at Hartwick College 2024 Commencement Office of Intercultural Affairs and the U.S. Pluralism Center, and recipient of the College’s Doctor of Humane Letters in 2024.

The dedication ceremony will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m. in the Belonging Center, located on the 4th floor of Yager Hall, as part of the College’s annual True Blue Weekend. The program will include remarks, the unveiling of commemorative signage and light refreshments.

Following the dedication, guests are invited to the main gallery of the Yager Museum of Art & Culture, located on the ground floor of Yager Hall, to view the exhibition Memorializing the Underground Railroad: The Harry Bradshaw Matthews Collection, on display through Dec. 12, 2025.

Matthews is a nationally recognized scholar and advocate whose work has advanced the understanding of African American military history and broadened access to higher education. At Hartwick, he founded the Office of Intercultural Affairs and the U.S. Pluralism Center, and led the United States Colored Troops Institute, mentoring students and engaging scholars across the country. His vision and leadership shaped Hartwick’s student community and contributed to national scholarship.

Guests are asked to RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 16, at [email protected].

September 9, 2025

Learn More About Hartwick

New Graduate Programs in Business and Education

New MBA and three education master’s programs will create one-year pathways for students, recent graduates

Award-Winning Author Sonali Deraniyagala to Deliver Hartwick’s 2026 Babcock Lecture

Deraniyagala is the author of “Wave,” her memoir about losing her husband, two sons and parents in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami while the family was vacationing in Sri Lanka. The lecture takes place on Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. at the SUNY Oneonta Welcome Center, and is free and open to the public.