Founders’ Day; Annual celebration of the founding of Meredith College
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- Legacies Classification
- Memorial Type
- Memorialized Subject
- Title
- Background and Context
- Creator/Participating Person(s)
- Date created, installed or dedicated
- Historical Period
- Location: Institution, City, State
- Wikidata
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Memorial Event
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Commemorative Events
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Founders’ Day; Annual celebration of the founding of Meredith College
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Founders’ Day is an annual event at Meredith College that celebrates the founding of the college, and previously had a focus on the founders of the institution. The event was created at the suggestion of R.T. Vann for the establishment of a Founders’ Day, which would be scheduled for sometime in January. The first Founders’ Day event took place in 1909 and has taken place every year since, though the date of celebration varied until it was set in stone as February 27th in 1966. Celebrations often had associates of the university or major figures in North Carolina give speeches that would often commemorate the college’s founders: Thomas Meredith, Oliver Stringfield, and Leonidas Polk. Meredith, who suggested the creation of a Baptist women’s college in the early 19th century and became the college’s namesake, was a pro-slavery antebellum minister and slaveholder. Stringfield, who helped fund the college, supported the North Carolina White Supremacy Campaign of 1898. Polk, who reintroduced the idea of establishing a Baptist college for women, was a slaveowner and had ties to the Confederacy. Founders’ Day 1910 gave special attention to Thomas Meredith; a memorial wreath was placed on his grave located in City Cemetery, and similar memorials were done sporadically. Celebrations also often saw the dedication of buildings, such as the dormitories and the auditorium. In recent years, celebrations have shifted away from the founders and now resemble a birthday party or fundraising opportunity for the college .
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January 28, 1909
- Media
Letter discussing the establishment of Founders' Day at the suggestion of President Vann- The Twig, September 30th 1965. Highlighted section about the future date of Founders' Day.
- Discussion on the 1910 Founders' Day from the March 1910 Quarterly Bulletin. Has copies of speeches given.
- Discussion on the first Founders' Day Celebration from a 1909 The Acorn.
- Page 130 from "History of Meredith College" by Mary Lynch Johnson talking about the first Founders' Day.
- February 5th, 1932 copy of The Twig discussing the dedication of the campus dormitories.
- February 20th, 1969 copy of The Twig discussing the dedication of the library.
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