Bradley University Provost Walter Zakahi speaks while two members of the university’s STARS student group place a wreath on the Springdale Cemetery gravesite of founder Lydia Moss Bradley during a special event in late July that kicked off a semester-long celebration of her bicentennial birthday. (Photo courtesy Bradley University).

Bradley University has launched a semester-long celebration of founder Lydia Moss Bradley’s bicentennial birthday complete with a special ice cream flavor created in her honor.

The celebration began in late July will include a Founder’s Day ceremony, a public book discussion of her biography and holiday festivities in December.

It all kicked off in late July with a special event at her gravesite in Springdale Cemetery.

More than 50 campus representatives, alumni and community members were on hand as several speakers lauded the myriad contributions the university’s founder made to the Peoria community.

“The kick off to our celebration at her graveside was very meaningful to the community of not only Bradley but the entire Peoria area, because we started opening that dialogue of what Mrs. Bradley did, not only for the university, but for the whole region,” Charles said.

City councilman Chuck Grayeb, a Bradley alumnus who represents the second district in which Bradley University sits, delivered a proclamation from the city of Peoria honoring the Indiana native who founded the Bradley Polytechnic Institute in 1897.

The legacy of Lydia Moss Bradley, who was born 200 years ago on July 31, is being celebrated this semester at Bradley University. A city proclamation notes that while founding Bradley University was her “crowning achievement,” she was also a generous philanthropist who was instrumental in the formation of many long-standing community organizations, churches and the Peoria Park District. (Photo courtesy Bradley University).

Signed by Mayor Jim Ardis on her birth date, July 31, the proclamation credits Lydia Moss Bradley with being an industrious, progressive and independent visionary. It also notes that while “Bradley University may be her crowning achievement,” she also donated land and funds that led to the creation of the Children’s Home, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, the Universalist Unitarian Church, the Grand Opera House and the Peoria Park district, among others.

Lydia Moss Bradley, who died in 1908 at the age of 91, also was the first woman in the United States to serve on the board of a national bank.

A display highlighting her contributions to the Peoria area community will be on display at City Hall through October. Another display will go up at the Peoria Riverfront Museum in October.

This year’s annual Founder’s Day Convocation on Sept. 16 at the Dingledine Music Center will focus on reminding students, faculty and staff why it’s important to remember Lydia Moss Bradley’s legacy, Charles said.

“I believe the students are very aware of who she is and absolutely feel a sense of pride for her, but I’m not sure they are as knowledgeable about her dedication to the entire region,” Charles said. “So that’s something we will be talking about throughout the semester and in the freshmen courses, just in case they don’t know.”

Student Body President Jenna Dellaria also believes most students know Lydia Moss Bradley’s name.

“I remember attending campus tours and hearing a lot about who she is and how she founded our institution. Our university does a fantastic job portraying Mrs. Bradley. Whether at the Alumni Center, on campus tours or throughout academic buildings, her presence is all around us,” said Dellaria, a junior from Cary, Ill., majoring in elementary/special education.

“Her legacy was to strive for the betterment of all who attend her university and to encourage them to live an intellectual life,” she added. “I personally believe this is truly found at Bradley University. Every day, faculty, administration and students inspire each other to achieve their true potential as learners, innovators and Bradley Braves.”

This cut-out of Bradley University founder Lydia Moss Bradley has been sent to university alumni with instructions to take a selfie with it and share the image on social media using #celebratelydia as part of a semester-long celebration of her 200th birthday. (Photo by Elise Zwicky / for Chronicle Media).

Charles said she thinks Lydia Moss Bradley would be pleased with today’s Bradley University and the caliber of graduates the school turns out.

“I think she’d especially be pleased with how we’ve adapted. For instance, we now have five nursing degrees and three counseling degrees offered online. We now have five colleges and a graduate school. We continue to try to expand what we do to reach new audiences, and we have a 16 percent increase in incoming freshmen this year,” Charles said.

While the Founder’s Day Convocation is not typically open to the public, Charles said anyone who wants to attend should contact her office at (309) 677-3260 to make arrangements.

“We’d love for them to see and hear the Bradley story,” she said.

The public is invited to a book discussion led by Bradley faculty and staff member Barb Kerns on Lydia Moss Bradley’s biography, “Forgotten Angel,” at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at the North Branch of the Peoria Public Library. The book was written by Allen A. Upton, a 1948 Bradley graduate.

Throughout it all, the public can help honor the university’s founder by indulging in “Mrs. Bradley’s Birthday Blend” at the Spotted Cow, 718 W. Glen Ave. The unique vanilla ice cream treat with a ribbon of red velvet was unveiled at the iconic Peoria eatery last week.

“The red represents Bradley red, and the rich flavor of red velvet signifies the rich history of Bradley University,” said Renee Charles, the university’s executive director of public relations. “Red velvet is considered an exquisite flavor, so we thought that encompasses all that Mrs. Bradley stood for.”

The flavor was created by Spotted Cow owner Frank Abnour, whose long affiliation with Bradley University began when he started selling ice cream out of a pushcart on the Bradley campus in 1983.

“They wanted to do something fun with Lydia Moss Bradley’s 200th birthday, and ice cream is pretty fun,” Abnour said. “We kicked around some ideas and came up with the red velvet. It’s gooey and awesome.”

“Mrs. Bradley’s Birthday Blend” will be available at the Spotted Cow through the end of the year.

The bicentennial birthday celebration will culminate on Dec. 1 with a holiday gathering for faculty, staff and students.

For more information, visit www.bradley.edu.

— Bradley University holds a birthday party —