History

The Burma-Bucknell Award

The rich heritage of intercultural links between Burma and Bucknell began in 1846 when Eugenio Kincaid, Baptist missionary on leave from his post in Burma, became a charter trustee of the University at Lewisburg (renamed Bucknell University in 1886). When Kincaid returned to Moulmein, he encouraged Maung Shaw Loo, the university's first international student, to study in Lewisburg.

Shaw Loo arrived in 1858 to study at the Academy, preparatory division for young men, and graduated from the university in 1864, thus beginning the long Burma-Bucknell connection which culminated in a series of international Weekends held from 1948 through 1965.

During the Tenth Anniversary Burma-Bucknell Weekend, his Excellency U Win, Ambassador from the Union of Burma to the United States, presented a beautifully hand-crafted silver bowl from the President of the Union of Burma and Mrs. Win Maung, "symbolizing 100 years of friendly relationship between the people of Burma and Bucknell University."

A number of voices, some through translators, have told and retold the Burma-Bucknell story. Whenever possible, the facts presented in the historical notes linked to this page have been verified. The notes were excerpted from the complete history of the Burma-Bucknell connection researched and compiled by David Barneda, Fremont Intern, University Archives, 1994-1995.