A Timeline of the Center’s History

1983	An informal Howard Thurman Fellowship was created by Dean Emeritus George Makechnie. It presented commemorative programs to the University and the Boston community at large.
1984	The Howard Thurman Archive was given to Boston University by his widow, Sue Bailey Thurman.
1986	The Howard Thurman Center was established. It adopted the Fellowship and coordinated Thurman-related activities on campus. It also offered outreach programs for inmates at Norfolk State Prison for men (MCI-Norfolk) and Framingham State Prison for women (MCI-Framingham). The center provided these institutions with books and audio and video equipment.
1993	Student leaders in the Thurman Center proposed the creation of a student organization that would reflect the Thurman legacy and deal with contemporary issues affecting group relations. They were called Associates in the Search for Common Ground.
2000	The Thurman Center was made a department of the Office of the Dean of Students and the first paid director was appointed.
2003	The center moved to the George Sherman Student Union.
2004	Design plans for a new, state-of-the-art Thurman Center were developed.
2004	An assistant director and administrative secretary were hired.