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Sarbanes, Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announce $500,000 for Morgan State University Historical Preservation

May 7, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, along with Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.), to announce $500,000 for Morgan State University to preserve its University Memorial Chapel Window through the National Parks Service (NPS) Historic Preservation Fund (HPF).

Nationwide, NPS will allocate $7.7 million in competitive grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the preservation of historic structures.

"Morgan State University is part of the bedrock of Baltimore's community," the Members said. "Its rich, 153-year history must be preserved. We are committed to working with Morgan State leadership to continue providing important resources for the university."

On Tuesday, the delegation announced $19,040,779 for Morgan State through the U.S. Department of Education Higher Education and Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

"We are very thankful to receive this National Park Service award. The resources provided will be instrumental in preserving our National Treasure status as we utilize it to restore our University Memorial Chapel, a symbol of spiritual guidance and a safe place for reflection at Morgan," said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. "Morgan has been long-committed to preserving its iconic buildings and spaces and receiving this aid will support the efforts of students and staff to ensure that University Memorial Chapel will be a source of inspiration for future generations."

The Secretary of the Interior's Historic Preservation Initiative for HBCUs was established to identify and restore historically significant and physically threatened structures on HBCU campuses. It was also established in direct response to the needs of many historically black colleges and universities, which faced critical rehabilitation needs, but lacked the resources to repair these buildings. Since the 1990s, the National Park Service has awarded more than $60 million in grants to more than 80 HBCUs. See here for more information about the program.

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Issues:Education