BOONE, N.C. — On Oct. 2, Appalachian State University held its eighth annual Founders Day, commemorating the university’s 126th year as a leader and innovator in higher education. The annual event honors the university’s founders — B.B., D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty — and the first day of classes at Watauga Academy, the predecessor to App State, in 1899. This year’s celebration included the induction of seven new members into App State’s Bell Ringers Society, who participated in the traditional ringing of the Founders Bell.

“The path from our simple founding as a teachers college to our current status as a research institution has been guided by a singular purpose: Preparing students to make meaningful impacts in service to their communities,” said App State Chancellor Heather Norris.

Norris also highlighted the 126-year partnership between the university and the Boone community — one that has endured through both prosperity and extreme challenge: “Continued collaboration with our home communities will ensure we are stronger and better prepared for challenges ahead. Together, we will build new ways to become even stronger and more resilient — while seeding a strong economic future for our region.”

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university gathered on the Boone campus to take part in the Founders Day celebrations, which began with the Founders Day ceremony. The ceremony was attended by App State Chancellor Heather Norris and other university leaders, as well as past members of the Bell Ringers Society, including University of North Carolina System Board of Governors member and App State alumnus C. Philip Byers ’85, and Doris Stam, great-granddaughter of App State founders D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty.

Norris, along with Appalachian State University Foundation Board member and former App State Board of Trustees Chair Jeannine Underdown Collins ’79 ’81 and Boone Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO David Jackson ’00, delivered remarks, and A.J. Cox, a junior music performance major from Centreville, Virginia, opened the ceremony with a vocal performance of App State’s alma mater. Underdown Collins presided over the induction of the Bell Ringers Society’s newest members.

Jackson, a 2025 Bell Ringers Society member, reflected on the events of the past year for the Boone community and the university — including Hurricane Helene and how the Town of Boone, Watauga County and App State worked together, uniting to “help our community respond, recover and begin healing.”

"As we pass the year milestone of Hurricane Helene’s impact on our community, we gather here today to recognize a renewed vision — and an important part of what makes the High Country so special: our connection to service,” Jackson said. “When campus, community and those who deeply care about this place unite, we are much stronger together.”

This year’s class of bell ringers represented Mountaineers — faculty, staff, students and alumni — who have and continue to make an impact on the university, as well as the valued partnership between the university and the Boone community. The society now comprises 56 members.

After the ceremony, Founders Day continued on Sanford Mall, where App State students, faculty and staff were served a celebratory pizza lunch and enjoyed games and activities.

Meet the 2025 Bell Ringers Society members

Leslie Alexander ’11 ’18

Alexander is a two-time graduate of App State’s Reich College of Education and superintendent of Watauga County Schools. Her extensive career has included positions as teacher, principal and chief human resources officer, among other roles as an educator. She demonstrated remarkable leadership in the wake of Hurricane Helene — overcoming tremendous challenges to ensure that Watauga County children could continue their educations. Alexander represented the university’s history as a teachers college and its legacy of providing educational access across the Northwestern North Carolina region.

David Jackson ’00

Jackson, a Class of 2000 App State graduate, is president and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Before joining the chamber, he was a member of the App State Athletics staff, known for many years as the “Voice of the Mountaineers” and twice winning the honor of North Carolina’s Sportscaster of the Year. Earlier this year, the NC Rural Center recognized Jackson as a Community Advocate of the Year, highlighting his leadership and support for local business, improving access to child care and community recovery after Hurricane Helene. Jackson represented the valued partnership between the university and the Boone community — App State’s home for 126 years.

Nicole Tran

Tran, from Charlotte, is a senior political science major with a concentration in international and comparative politics and a minor in leadership studies. She is the university’s 59th student body president, a member of the Honors College, and an Impact Scholar. Tran’s leadership roles at App State also include serving as an Appalachian Student Ambassador, a Student Orientation Undergraduate Leader and a resident assistant in Thunder Hill Hall. Tran represented App State students and their great potential to make the university, and the world, a better place for all who follow.

Pam Walker ’89

Walker, a 1989 App State graduate, is director of App State’s Campus Store, overseeing all store operations — including the university’s textbook rental program. Walker will begin her 35th year of service to the university in October. In 2024, she was named a member of An Appalachian Summer’s Founders Society, recognizing her more than two decades of volunteer support for the university’s annual celebration of the performing and visual arts. Walker is known for always going above and beyond and for being a friend to everyone at the university. Walker represented the collective efforts of App State staff, both past and present, and the vital community outreach that is at the heart of the university.

Dr. Anthony Wilson ’97 ’06

Wilson is a two-time App State alumnus and associate professor of apparel design and merchandising in App State’s Department of Applied Design. He has more than 20 years of experience in designing and constructing apparel and is dedicated to sharing his industry knowledge and skills with his students. Wilson has held numerous positions in the apparel industry in New York, Florida and North Carolina, and his designs have been featured in magazine and book publications, exhibited at international conferences and museums and worn by celebrities. He also designed App State Chancellor Heather Norris’ attire for the Founders Day ceremony and for her installation ceremony on Oct. 3. Wilson represented the App State faculty, who bring their experience and expertise, along with a passion for teaching, to the university’s classrooms.

Brad Wilson ’75

Wilson, a Class of 1975 App State graduate, and his wife, Carole, have given back to their alma mater in numerous ways, providing support for academics, athletics, the arts and scholarships at App State. Wilson’s service to App State includes membership on many athletics and academic boards and councils. He and Carole co-chaired the Campaign for Appalachian that raised more than $200 million in support of academics, the arts and athletics at the university. Wilson’s more than 40-year career in the practice of law, governmental service and health care included serving as president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and acting as general counsel to N.C. Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. He served 16 years on the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors, including four years as board chair. Wilson represented a long history of service to the university and lasting alumni engagement with the institution.

Carole Wilson ’75

Wilson is a Class of 1975 App State graduate who, after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history, went on to work in public schools, teaching history and special education in addition to providing private tutoring for students with learning disabilities. In addition to co-chairing the Campaign for Appalachian, her service to App State includes support for the Appalachian Fund, Yosef Club, Alumni Council, Department of History and College of Arts and Sciences, and she has continued to be engaged with her sorority, Kappa Delta. Additionally, she completed two terms as a member of App State’s Board of Trustees, chairing several subcommittees. In 2018, Wilson was honored with the university’s Outstanding Service Award. Wilson represented — and embodies — the sentiment of so many Mountaineers: That once you come to App State, you never really leave — a part of this university always remains with you.

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Founders Day 2025

Founders Day is a fall tradition to honor Appalachian State University’s founders and the first day of classes held in 1899.

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Our History

Appalachian State University

Learn the history of Appalachian State University, from its founding in 1899 as a rural academy to its growth into a destination of choice for high-achieving students.

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About Founders Day

Appalachian State University celebrates Founders Day each fall to honor the university’s founders — B.B. Dougherty, D.D. Dougherty and Lillie Shull Dougherty — and the first day of classes at Watauga Academy, held Sept. 5, 1899. App State began this annual tradition in 2018 with the dedication of Founders Plaza, a touchstone to the university’s early days that is located at the campus entrance on Hardin Street.

About the Bell Ringers Society

A new tradition at Appalachian State University — the ringing of the Founders Bell, an iconic symbol of App State’s history — was established Sept. 5, 2019, as the university celebrated its second annual Founders Day. Twelve members of the App State Community were selected to ring the bell 10 times each to signify the university’s 120th anniversary as an innovator and leader in higher education. These 12 bell ringers are the inaugural members of App State’s Bell Ringers Society. New members are inducted into the society each year to ring the bell on Founders Day.

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, cost-effective education. 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.