Today we’d like to wish all of Tiger Nation a very Happy Fourth of July! We’re very proud of our association with a major part of Americana and one you will hear a lot this weekend – Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
As any history class will tell you, the Baltimore lawyer was inspired to compose the poem while trapped on a British ship in the port of Baltimore and watching the bombardment of Fort McHenry. He was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag flying over the fort after the assault had ceased. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson decreed the song should be played at all official events. 
Maryland State Normal School (later Towson University) graduate J. Charles Linthicum (Class of 1886) believed it should be more. A U.S. Congressman from 1911-32 and part of the building commission that moved TU to its present location, he campaigned for 13 years and collected five million signatures to have the song declared America’s national anthem on March 3, 1931 – 117 years after it was first written.
In 2015, we are sponsoring the Towson Fourth of July parade as part of our #TU150 celebrations. Over 200 TU students, faculty, staff and alumni will show their tiger pride in this year’s parade featuring a one-of-a-kind float modeled after the famous campus landmark–Stephens Hall–and include TU’s world famous marching band, mascot Doc and the football team.
Whether you watch the parade, settle in for some fireworks, or spend the day at the grill, we hope you have a wonderful and safe July 4th!
