Which slogan did the United Negro College Fund launch in 1972 to promote scholarships and educational opportunity?

The United Negro College Fund launched the slogan “A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste” in 1972 to promote scholarships and educational opportunity.

The line was created by advertising executive Forest Long of the Young & Rubicam agency. It presented the loss of educational potential as a national problem, helping the organization communicate its scholarship mission to a broad American audience.

The campaign gave the United Negro College Fund a memorable public identity and encouraged donations to support historically Black colleges and universities. Its wording emphasized ability and opportunity rather than treating education as a private luxury.

The organization later shortened its name to UNCF, but the slogan remained strongly associated with it. It is sometimes incorrectly quoted as “A terrible thing to waste is a mind,” but the established wording places “A mind” first. The slogan became one of the most recognizable nonprofit advertising lines in the United States.