In Memory of Julian Bond

We at the University of Virginia’s Alumni & Parent Engagement grieve with you as we remember the Civil Rights Legend, Julian Bond, in light of his passing on August 15, 2015.

We remember Julian Bond as a passionate teacher and leader here at the University of Virginia, always willing to give back by sharing his knowledge, experience, and memories of the struggle for civil rights in the South. Julian Bond led the Civil Rights South Seminar (Civil Rights Tour) for nearly a decade, and made this learning experience an overwhelming success. We were constantly impressed and honored by his attention to detail on these seminars and the rare glimpse he gave us of a difficult time in history. Julian made certain that each excursion consisted of stops at museums, houses, churches and monuments that drove home the stories of the Civil Rights Movement. Participants relished these close encounters with those that worked both on the frontlines and behind the scenes of the American Civil Rights Movement and the demonstrative walks over the Edmund Pettus Memorial Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

We will miss Julian’s smile, calm demeanor, and, most of all, his passion for history and human rights, as we remember the man who was, as said by U.Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan, “a mentor and role model for all of us.” (U.Va. Today)

In honoring Julian, you may find solace in following the suggestions of his family.  Julian’s wife, Pam Horowitz, his sons Horace Mann Bond II, Jeffrey, and Michael, his daughters Phyllis Jane Bond McMillan and Julia Louis Bond, his sister Jane, brother James, and his eight grandchildren will be holding a private, family-only service to commit his ashes to the Gulf of Mexico. This service will take place at sea on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 2:00 PM Central Daylight Time. The family “invite[s] you to gather at a body of water near your home and precisely at 2:00 PM CDT, spread flower petals on the water and join us in bidding farewell to Horace Julian Bond.” (USA Today)

The University seeks to keep Julian’s legacy alive by establishing a professorship in his name: the Julian Bond Professorship in Civil Rights and Social Justice, a permanent position within the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences that will continue Julian’s scholarly legacy.  You can learn more about the professorship here.