BOONE, N.C. — Some people sat in wooden chairs, others perched on hay bales; baskets were filled to the brim with apples for the taking; attendees congregated on a stone plaza as if it were the first day of classes. It might well have been a scene at Watauga Academy in 1899, but the B.B. Dougherty proudly presiding over the proceedings was only a statue, and next to the plaza wasn’t farmland but a vibrant campus.
Sept. 5 marked Founders Day at Appalachian State University — a day recognizing and commemorating the history of the university.
Appalachian Chancellor Sheri Everts was joined by more than 25 members of the Dougherty family, former chancellors and the Appalachian Community past and present on Wednesday for Founders Day, which featured a dedication and ribbon-cutting for Appalachian’s new Founders Plaza.
“We’ve come a long way from the 53 students enrolled in the Watauga Academy in 1899,” Everts said to the crowd of around 250 people, many of whom were dressed in black and gold.
“Today, Appalachian enrolls more than 19,000 students, and many Appalachian values have lasted over time: a life-changing educational experience, an appreciation of our surroundings, preservation of our resources and the enduring qualities of generosity and mutual respect that bind the Appalachian Community.”
At the Founders Day luncheon, Dr. Karl Campbell, associate professor in Appalachian’s Department of History, holds up a historic photo of D.D. Dougherty and his wife, Lillie Shull Dougherty — part of the display located in the B.B. Dougherty Administration Building. To Campbell’s right are Dr. Dane Ward, dean of university libraries at Appalachian, and Dr. Andrea Burns, associate professor in Appalachian’s Department of History. Photo by Marie Freeman
Chancellors Dr. Kenneth E. Peacock, Dr. Sheri Everts, Dr. Harvey R. Durham, Dr. Francis T. Borkowski and Dr. John E. Thomas, seated, at Founders Day luncheon. Photo by Marie Freeman
William Brown, great-grandson of D.D. Dougherty and Lillie Shull Dougherty, holds his blazer as he looks on with the Appalachian Community at the Founders Plaza dedication. Brown was one of more than 25 Dougherty family members in attendance. Photo by Marie Freeman
Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts speaking at the Founders Plaza dedication as part of Founders Day at Appalachian. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian State University cheerleaders pose behind a Founders Day Celebration photo frame at the Founders Plaza dedication. At the event, attendees were invited to take photos behind the frame using historical Appalachian-themed props. Photo by Marie Freeman
DeJon Milbourne, president of Appalachian’s Student Government Association (SGA), speaks at the Founders Plaza dedication, thanking everyone in attendance for their dedication to the students of Appalachian. Photo by Marie Freeman
At the Founders Plaza dedication at Appalachian State University, Doris Stam, great-granddaughter of D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty and author of a book about the history of Appalachian, addresses the crowd which included Appalachian chancellors Dr. Sheri Everts, Dr. Harvey R. Durham and Dr. Francis T. Borkowski, more than 25 members of the Dougherty family, the Appalachian Community past and present and the statue of Stam’s great-great uncle B.B. Dougherty. Photo by Marie Freeman
Dr. Dane Ward, dean of university libraries at Appalachian, addresses attendees at the Founders Day luncheon. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts with Doris Stam, great-granddaughter of D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty, in front of the university’s sculpture of B.B. Dougherty, now prominently placed at the new Founders Plaza. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts with Reba Moretz ’52 ’53, co-owner of Appalachian Ski Mtn., former Board of Trustees member and recipient of the Appalachian Alumni Association’s 2015 Outstanding Service Award; and UNC Board of Governors member C. Philip Byers. Photo by Chase Reynolds
On Appalachian State University’s Founders Plaza, Appalachian Chancellor Sheri Everts, far left, engages with Susan and Harvey R. Durham, former Appalachian chancellor. In the foreground, former Alumni Association President John Rogers shakes hands with Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski as Glenn Wilcox and Boone Mayor Rennie Brantz look on. Photo by Marie Freeman
At Appalachian State University’s Founders Plaza dedication, Dr. Karl Campbell, associate professor in Appalachian’s Department of History, speaks in front of the statue of Appalachian cofounder B.B. Dougherty about the importance of the university’s history. The statue was created by the late sculptor Sherry Edwards, who taught in the Department of Art for many years. Since the early 1990s, it had stood outside Sanford Hall facing the B.B. Dougherty Administration Building. Photo by Marie Freeman.
Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts speaks at university’s Founders Plaza dedication. Photo by Chase Reynolds
The Founders Day tradition will be celebrated each fall to honor Appalachian’s founders — B.B. and D.D. Dougherty and Lillie Shull Dougherty — and the first day of classes at Appalachian in 1899, then known as Watauga Academy.
The new Founders Plaza, located at the campus entrance on Hardin Street, provides an outdoor setting for studying, small gatherings and scheduled campus events, as well as a prominent home for the university’s sculpture of B.B. Dougherty. The plaza features a new stone university sign that can be viewed from both sides of the plaza — making photograph-taking easier at the popular backdrop.
Four former chancellors returned to Appalachian for the Founders Day festivities. Dr. Francis T. Borkowski and Dr. Harvey R. Durham attended the Founders Plaza dedication, and they were joined by Dr. Kenneth E. Peacock and Dr. John E. Thomas at a Founders Day luncheon held prior to the dedication, which also included members of the Dougherty family.
Doris Stam, great-granddaughter of D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty and author of a book about the history of Appalachian, spoke at the dedication. She said the Founders Plaza “will help us all remember the humble beginnings and personal cost of three people that were the foundation for the magnificent and extensive Appalachian State University that we see today in 2018.”
Other speakers at the dedication were Dr. Karl Campbell, associate professor in Appalachian’s Department of History, Boone Mayor Rennie Brantz and DeJon Milbourne, president of Appalachian’s Student Government Association (SGA). Campbell spoke of the importance of Appalachian’s history and Milbourne thanked everyone at the event for their dedication to the students of Appalachian.
“The university’s continuing commitment to the town of Boone has strengthened and enriched our community,” Brantz said. “Students and faculty have contributed to the vibrant social, economic and cultural life of our town through membership on town boards and committees, and through student sponsored service activities. New ideas of sustainability, public service and adult learning have expanded community life. And the university’s commitment to international education has diversified our community in positive ways.”
Attendees enjoyed refreshments and desserts from Food Services, the singing of the alma mater by Enharmonix, an a cappella vocal ensemble of students from Appalachian, giveaways of Black-eyed Susan seed packets — Appalachian’s official flower — and music performances by Hayes School of Music students.
In addition to Founders Plaza, more Appalachian tradition and history is on display in the B.B. Dougherty Administration Building. Among the artifacts presented is the original academy bell, which was housed in the steeple of the Watauga Academy built in 1899. Hanging banners show the evolution of Appalachian’s name, and the Department of History has put together an exhibit of photos and documentation.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
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