Colorado State University is celebrating its 146th anniversary on Thursday with an on-campus celebration and Founders Day Ceremony, featuring cookies and CAM the Ram.

The celebration with CAM the Ram, the CSU Pep Band and CSU cheerleaders on the plaza at 1:46 p.m. Commemorative bookmarks and free cookies will be distributed. 

The public Founders Day Ceremony will honor Stephen Withrow, founding director of the Flint Animal Cancer Center. The center sees 6,000 patients per year, according to SOURCE article.

Withrow is a veterinary surgical oncologist and a CSU Distinguished Professor. According to SOURCE, he has worked with cancer patients around the world to advance treatment and research in the field. He also has worked with the surgical treatment of pets with cancer.

When it comes to human treatment, his work often benefits children with different bone cancers. He views cancer research as important opportunities to collaborate with both human and animal doctors.

“No matter how he tries to deflect the spotlight, there is no denying that Steve is at the heart of all of the events that shaped the creation of arguably one of the finest cancer centers in the world, and he’s done it with courage, compassion, and a boldness grounded in a firm understanding of the why,” CSU President and Chancellor Tony Frank said in the SOURCE article. 

Withrow will be the 7th recipient of the Founders Day Medal. It has been presented annually since 2010.

The Founders Day Ceremony is free and open to the public, but online registration is highly encouraged. Registration is available through a link in the SOURCE article.

There will also be a breakfast reception in Denver prior to the legislative session at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

Frank, Executive Vice Chancellor Amy Parsons, CSU Global President Becky Takeda-Tinker and CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare will host the breakfast for legislators outside the Old Supreme Court Chambers on the second floor of the capital.

CSU legislative interns will join the reception, and the CSU Chamber Choir will perform between 8:20 and 8:50 a.m, prior to the legislative session starting at 9 a.m. 

Collegian News Editor Sady Swanson can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan.