On April 25, 1944, Dr. Frederick D. Patterson, president of Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), published an open letter in the Pittsburgh Courier—one of the most widely read Black newspapers of the time. In this powerful message, he urged the presidents of America’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to combine their limited resources and launch a joint fundraising effort: a united appeal to the national conscience. His call to action became the foundation of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), officially established later that same year. Its motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” has since become one of the most iconic educational slogans in history, helping to raise over $5 billion for Black students and institutions.