App State celebrated its seventh annual Founders Day and 125th anniversary Thursday in the BB Dougherty Administration Building. The celebration continued later in the Summit Trail Solarium in the Plemmons Student Union where pizza was given to students and faculty.
Founders Day and the bell ringing have traditionally been held outside on Founders Plaza, but due to undesirable weather, it was moved inside the BB Dougherty building.
The event started with an introduction to special guests and the new inductees to the Bell Ringers Society, as well as an introduction to the history of the university starting from the founding of Watauga Academy.
“It’s always good, you know following something like what this region has been through, when we can come together at an event like this and celebrate milestones, accomplishments and achievements, as those still happen, even in the midst of destruction,” said Justin Somers, the regional director and representative for Senator Ted Budd, during the ceremony.
Interim Chancellor Heather Norris gave a speech that included appreciation for the university staff and students and a list of university achievements.
“The difference made by Appalachian staff has connected generations and made a lasting impact,” Norris said. “For 125 years, our faculty have applied their expertise, inspiring our students to have confidence in themselves, to step into the unknown with curiosity, and to become innovative leaders and problem solvers in their careers and communities.”
Recognition was also given to the people of Boone who stayed after Hurricane Helene and aided in the recovery process.
“This is the Appalachian community that came back to our campus in its darkest hour. Some never went home, those that mucked the mud, cleaned the ground and sidewalks, that cooked and served the meals, 80,000 meals after the storm and over 6,100 Tuesday night for community appreciation Thanksgiving,” Norris said. “The ones that gave the hugs, the smiles, dried the tears, and offered words of encouragement, and the ones that came together throughout the region with love and donations for our disaster relief.”
A following speech was given by Bettie Bond, an App State professor emerita of history.
“When I get to ring the bell later, please remember yourself, one of those people that made the difference for you in the last 20 to 25 years,” Bond said.
Following these speeches, the bell-ringing ceremony for the 2024 inductees began. The ceremony started with Norris ringing the bell three times. This was followed by the nine inductees ringing the bell individually, where they each received praise from Norris for their importance within the community.
After all the inductees rang the bell, the celebration was moved to the solarium where pizza, cookies and refreshments were served.
Another inductee, Kaaren Hayes, former Program Director of the Parent to Parent Support Network of the High Country, felt that Founders Day represented, “a lot of history, an institution that has been a part of my life and several of my children’s lives.”
One of the inductees, Kathryn Long, a senior communication sciences and disorders major and SGA president, had this to say about what the founders may have felt surrounding the historical impact of Helene and the recovery process of the university.
This was a Founders Day that had many reasons for celebration, not just for it being the 125th year of the university, but also for how despite the damage of Hurricane Helene, the community continues to grow even stronger, Long said.
“I think that leadership is a lot about service and I think that those three, the Doughertys, really embodied that and I think that they would look at how we’ve handled the things that we’ve gone through and be proud that our university was built on the idea of service and access and that we are still providing that even when we have things that have been difficult to overcome,” Long said.
