Whereas the United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF) was created on April 25, 1944, by Dr. Frederick D. Patterson who served as the president of Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University, from 1935 to 1953 with 27 member colleges and a combined enrollment of 14,000 students to make a united appeal to the national conscience; Whereas since the creation of the UNCF, the nonprofit organization has grown to become the Nation’s oldest African-American higher education assistance organization with the famous slogan A mind is a terrible thing to waste and a mission to build a robust and nationally recognized pipeline of underrepresented students who, because of UNCF support, become highly qualified college graduates, and to ensure that our current network of 37 total member historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is a respected model of best practice in moving students to and through college; Whereas UNCF advocates on behalf of the following member HBCUs and the students they serve: Allen University, Benedict College, Bennett College, Bethune-Cookman University, Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Dillard University, Edward Waters College, Fisk University, Florida Memorial University, Huston-Tillotson University, Interdenominational Theological Center, Jarvis Christian College, Johnson C. Smith University, Lane College, Le Moyne-Owen College, Livingstone College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Morris College, Oakwood University, Paine College, Philander Smith College, Rust College, Saint Augustine’s University, Shaw University, Spelman College, Stillman College, Talladega College, Texas College, Tougaloo College, Tuskegee University, Virginia Union University, Voorhees College, Wilberforce University, Wiley College, and Xavier University of Louisiana