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TACOMA – AV���� Tacoma will hold its annual Founder’s Day celebration on Tuesday, March 4 from 1-4 p.m. at 1210 6th Avenue in Tacoma. All current AV���� Tacoma students and alumni are invited to gather to share art and poetry and hear speeches from graduating seniors. The program will open with a keynote address by faculty emeritus Dr. Joye Hardiman and close with remarks by Dr. Dexter Gordon, Executive Vice President for AV����. 

Over the years, this event has doubled as a birthday celebration for AV���� Tacoma founder Dr. Maxine Mimms, who was born on March 4, 1928. The late Dr. Mimms, a longtime Tacoma resident and AV���� faculty member, founded the Tacoma program in her home in the Hilltop neighborhood in 1972, teaching working adults college-level coursework at her kitchen table. Dr. Mimms developed the Tacoma program with a deliberate mission to provide a college education to working and adult learners, especially those living in the inner city. The program was formally established at 12th and MLK in 1982. In 2001 it moved to its current location on 6th Avenue. Dr. Mimms passed away peacefully last fall on October 8, 2024. 

"This is the first time we will celebrate Dr. Maxine Mimms as our founder at a time when we are still mourning her passing,” shared Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga, Dean of AV���� Tacoma. “We are grateful for the clear instructions that she left about how to move forward as a higher educational institution. What an honor to have been chosen as the leader that steps into her shoes.” “Founder’s Day pays tribute to the early group of educators and leaders whose initiative, creativity, resourcefulness, and drive built the college we know today: Maxine Mimms, Betsy Diffendal, Joye Hardiman, and others,” added Dr. Gordon. “To celebrate Founder’s Day is to celebrate the life and work of Maxine Mimms.” 

Continuing Dr. Mimms’ legacy, AV���� Tacoma offers a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that celebrates diversity, innovation, and community engagement. To learn more about AV���� Tacoma’s history and programs, visit its website.

Photo of the late Dr. Maxine Mimms with Dr. Joye Hardiman from 2019

TACOMA – AV���� will continue celebrating the long life of its Tacoma campus founder, Dr. Maxine Mimms, who passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

AV����’s Tacoma campus will be hosting a, “Give Back,” event on Saturday, Oct. 26 to honor Dr. Mimms and to help carry out her legacy of providing community to those often left behind. Community members are invited to come to the campus and remember the legacy of Dr. Mimms and celebrate the community that is AV���� Tacoma from 3 to 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Mimms became a member of the faculty at AV���� in 1972. She started teaching working adults college-level coursework at her kitchen table in the historic Hilltop neighborhood and it was at that table where AV����’s Tacoma Campus was born.

AV����-Tacoma became an official campus for AV���� in 1982 and in 2001, it moved to its current location at 1210 6th Avenue.

Dr. Mimms developed the Tacoma program with a deliberate mission to provide a college education to working and adult learners – especially those living in the inner city.

“This is a historic moment and pivotal loss for the AV���� community,” said Dr. John Carmichael, AV���� President. “If you know or have known AV���� in the past over 50 years, you know about Dr. Maxine Mimms. We were so lucky to have had her as an inspiration and leader. She built a strong foundation for not just the college but for her community and we will continue as a college to build upon that, especially at AV���� Tacoma.”

"While we deeply mourn the loss of Dr. Mimms, she truly embodied the spirit of community. Her vision to transform the lives of those around her is inspiring, and our sorrow turns to joy as we celebrate her life and legacy," said Dr. Dexter Gordon, Executive Vice President of AV����. "Her life’s mission was to break down educational and economic barriers, making college accessible to learners who have historically been left behind."

“Her work has resulted in college degrees for thousands who have walked through the doors of AV����, Tacoma,” shared Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga, Dean for AV����, Tacoma. “The faculty and staff strive daily to continue her legacy to the students of AV����’s Tacoma campus and the Hilltop community.”

In 2020, The Dr. Maxine Buie Mimms Scholarship was established to support students at AV���� Tacoma, with an emphasis on non-traditional, low-income students. This

scholarship continues Dr. Mimms’ work of making a college education accessible to all. This scholarship is endowed and will continue in perpetuity, ensuring that Dr. Mimms’ legacy lives on. If you are interested in giving to the scholarship or to learn more, please visit AV����’s website.

A celebration honoring Dr. Mimms is planned as part of AV���� Tacoma’s Founder’s Day celebration in March 2025.