Purdue Alumni connects graduates, advances students
The life and legacy of Roger Blalock (HHS’69) was a major inspiration for Toyinda Smith (HHS’98). It wasn’t just his outstanding athletic career, averaging more than 12 points a game on the men’s basketball team. And it wasn’t just his ongoing leadership within Purdue Athletics, coaching men’s basketball from 1974–79 and rising to the level of senior associate director.
What stood out for Smith was Blalock’s commitment to community and creating a more inclusive and diverse campus.
“The late Roger Blalock encouraged me to stay involved with the Purdue community because it was the right thing to do,” Smith says. “He was a model leader — a real trailblazer.”
One way that she stays involved is through the Purdue Black Alumni Organization (PBAO).
“Alumni networks like PBAO are important because they create opportunities for alumni to stay involved,” Smith explains. “We can give back through financial support and returning to campus to visit, mentor, and volunteer. These opportunities help us build a stronger community among current students, faculty, and staff.”
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Staying Connected
PBAO is positioned in a unique manner within the University. The Purdue Alumni Association serves as its umbrella organization. One of PBAO’s strategic priorities is to support the Black Cultural Center, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019.
“Our alumni play a critical role in the legacy of the Black Cultural Center,” says director Renee Thomas. “We often call on alumni to come back to be speakers, performers, and mentors.”
PBAO president Curtis Baylor (IE’72) echoes Thomas’s assertion that alumni have an important role to play. Not just to support students, but also to facilitate stronger connections between graduates.
“When you are talking about such a small community on Purdue’s campus, it’s only natural that people gravitate together and form strong relationships,” Baylor explains. “Having a network that allows us to stay in close contact after graduation means that we have an opportunity to continue supporting each another.”
Other affinity networks, such as the Purdue Women’s Network, play a similar role connecting graduates.
“Purdue is one of the most diverse universities in the world,” notes Ralph Amos, president and CEO of the Purdue Alumni Association. “As the alumni association for a university that’s truly global, our responsibility is to help unite graduates from all corners of the world — all backgrounds and cultures. We want to make certain that alumni have a place where they can come together and bond over their memories and shared experience.”
Working Toward a Legacy
One of the most memorable PBAO events Smith attended was the result of a collaboration between PBAO and the Black Cultural Center.
The two organizations partnered to produce BLACKPurdue. The documentary highlights the history of Purdue’s black students and faculty starting with David Robert Lewis (CE’1894), Purdue’s first known black alumnus.
Smith remembers when the documentary premiered, and what a meaningful moment it was to join with hundreds of other alumni for the film’s release.
“PBAO provides an opportunity for me to have a continued sense of belonging.”
–Toyinda Smith (HHS’98)
“Many alumni who paved the way for me to attend the University were in the auditorium. They gathered to remember the past and in expectation of continued progress,” Smith says.
“This event impacted me greatly. It fueled my desire to grow and create a legacy. In my heart-of-hearts, I wanted others to succeed at Purdue.”