On January 28, 1986, the world watched in horror as the Challenger space shuttle exploded in the sky, killing all seven astronauts on board.

On Sunday, January 28, 2001, fifteen years after the explosion, Framingham State College remembered Christa McAuliffe, the FSC alumna who was on that ship, in a commemorative ceremony attended by McAuliffe's family and friends and FSC administrators, staff, faculty, and students.

McAuliffe, a 1970 graduate of FSC with a bachelor's degree in history and education, became a middle-school teacher, and was selected from over 11,000 applicants to become the first teacher in space. FSC President Helen Heineman, in her introductory , said that her selection is "an enduring sense of pride for our college."

Heineman used the day to celebrate McAuliffe's dedication to teaching, what Heineman considers "the noblest profession," She said, "Our society needs to respect anew the profession that prepares people for all other professions in the world."

She noted FSC's continuing mission to strengthen and ennoble the discipline of education, citing the school's 80% pass rate for the teacher test, as well as the increasing number of students enrolling in the education department, the college's largest major.

"It is the task of those of us left behind to complete her [McAuliffe's] mission," said Heineman. "I wish to use this event to rededicate FSC to its original mission."

Grace Corrigan, McAuliffe's mother, also spoke at the ceremony, stating that she is "thrilled that the archives are here at FSC." In January, Corrigan donated 2000 letters, artifacts, and other documents that were catalogued by then Special Collections Librarian Danielle Kovacs. A selection of the McAuliffe collection is on display in the lobby of the Whittemore Library.

Corrigan also unveiled a mural painted by Mel Bolden, in memory of McAuliffe and the Challenger disaster. She stated that McAuliffe lives on today, citing the many schools, centers and scholarships that are in her name.

Musical selections were performed in McAuliffe's honor. Mark Evans, FSC Artist-in-Residence, sang "She Was Flying For Me," a John Denver song dedicated to McAuliffe, and "You Touch The Future" by Caroline McIntyre. The FSC United Voices of Praise sang two traditional gospel selections.

There were also several readings during the ceremony, including an original poem by FSC English Professor Alan Feldman, and excerpts from McAuliffe's diary, in which she coined the phrase, "I touch the future; I teach," read by junior education major Shauna Dickey.

Ray Griffin, the Director of the McAuliffe Center and organizer of the ceremony, emphasized that the spirit of teaching and education was at the heart of the event. He said, "If you think about every element of the program, they all centered on teachers and teaching. That's the common theme, and that's what we get from Christa."

Griffin added, "These are the roots of the college. It was started as a radical experiment - an experiment in educating women."

According to FSC Vice President of Administration and Finance John Horrigan, over 13,000 students in Massachusetts visit the McAuliffe Center annually. "It's a living memorial today," he said. The McAuliffe center hosts a space shuttle simulator designed specifically for the purpose of educating young students.

Mary Beth Heffernan, FSC alumna and new trustee member, said of the ceremony, "It really showcases how important the education department is here. I think the world of this school, and am delighted to be back."

Aimee Seavey, a sophomore at FSC who attended the event, worked in the Special Collections department last year with Kovacs cataloguing the letters. "It was the most fulfilling thing I've ever done," she said. "Everyone shared this moment in history. It affected everybody because she was a teacher."