Beaufort, S.C – The Technical College of the Lowcountry will host its annual Mather School alumni reception and bell-ringing ceremony at 1:00 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26 in MacLean Hall on the Beaufort campus at 921 Ribaut Road. Mather alumni and their guests who are interested in attending the TCL ceremony are asked to RSVP to 843-525-8294 or rsvp@tcl.edu.

The Mather School Coastal/Lowcountry Alumni and Associates Chapter is sponsoring its fifth annual Founder’s Day Luncheon Observance at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 27, at the Marine Corps Air Station Officer’s Club. Featured speakers are Mayor Billy Keyserling and John W. Gadson Sr., chair of the Historic District Review Board. A $35.00 donation is appreciated; proceeds will go toward the student scholarship fund. To reserve a luncheon ticket or for more information, please contact Irene Hicks at 843.525.1388, Floretta Glover at 843.522.0984 or Alvesta Robertson at 843.524.6123.

The Mather School, which was located on what is now a part of TCL’s campus, was established by Rachel Crane Mather in 1868 to educate the daughters of freed slaves and to prepare young black women teachers. In 1881, the school became part of the New England Baptist Missionary Association and continued educating area African-Americans until 1968, when it opened to all races. In 1972, the school became part of the South Carolina Technical College System.