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Founders Day 2025

Commemorating 126 years
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025
Founders Plaza, Boone Campus

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

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Founders Day Bell Ringers Ceremony

10 – 11 a.m.
Founders Plaza

New Bell Ringers Society inductees for 2025 are:

  • Dr. Leslie Alexander ’11 ’18
  • David Jackson ’00
  • Nicole Tran, App State senior
  • Pam Walker ’89
  • Dr. Anthony Wilson ’97 ’06
  • Brad Wilson ’75
  • Carole Wilson ’75
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Campus Celebration

Noon – 2 p.m.
Sanford Mall

Celebrate with friends and colleagues on Sanford Mall with free pizza, games and activities.

Previous Founders Days

Appalachian State University celebrated 125 years of education leadership in 2024. A thriving institution, App State honors its founding commitment to educational access and excellence and its rural mountain heritage through teaching, research and service.

2024: 125 years: App State Founders Day commemorates university’s legacy of education access, innovation and excellence
2024: 125 years: App State Founders Day commemorates university’s legacy of education access, innovation and excellence

With the Founders Bell ringing, 9 new members were inducted into App State’s Bell Ringers Society

Nov. 22, 2024

App State celebrated its seventh annual Founders Day on Nov. 21 to commemorate its founders, B.B., D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty, and the first day of classes held at Watauga Academy in 1899. Nine new members were inducted into the university’s Bell Ringers Society as part of the day’s events.

Read the recap of Founders Day 2024
2023: App State celebrates 124 years of history with Founders Day festivities
2023: App State celebrates 124 years of history with Founders Day festivities
Sept. 21, 2023

Appalachian State University celebrated its sixth annual Founders Day on Sept. 7 to commemorate the first day of classes held in 1899 at Watauga Academy — the predecessor of App State — and honor App State’s founders, B.B. Dougherty, D.D. Dougherty and Lillie Shull Dougherty.

Read the recap of Founders Day 2023
2022: App State celebrates Founders Day with ‘Year of the Woman’ theme
2022: App State celebrates Founders Day with ‘Year of the Woman’ theme

Statue of D.D. Dougherty dedicated at Founders Plaza

Sept. 30, 2022

App State celebrated its fifth annual Founders Day on Sept. 6 in honor of the first day of classes held at Watauga Academy in 1899. Events included a poster exhibition, panel discussion, statue dedication, ceremony and cemetery tour.

Read the recap of Founders Day 2022
2021: History and tradition — App State’s 4th annual Founders Day celebration
2021: History and tradition — App State’s 4th annual Founders Day celebration
Oct. 8, 2021

App State celebrated its history and traditions during the fourth annual Founders Day, Sept. 17. The day’s events included a Bell Ringers Society ceremony and a lecture and tour of the historic Boone Cemetery, along with AppalFest on Sanford Mall.

Read the recap of Founders Day 2021
2020: The tradition continues — App State celebrates a hybrid Founders Day
2020: The tradition continues — App State celebrates a hybrid Founders Day
Sept. 8, 2020

App State’s third annual Founders Day commemorates a 121-year history. Ceremonies include Bell Ringers Society induction and ribbon-cutting ceremony for two new residence halls.

Read the recap of Founders Day 2020
2019: App State celebrates Founders Day and 120 years of education leadership
2019: App State celebrates Founders Day and 120 years of education leadership
Sept. 5, 2019

This year marked the second annual Founders Day celebration. It included dedication of Lillie Shull Dougherty’s statue, ringing of the Founders Bell and more.

Read the recap of Founders Day 2019

About the Bell Ringers Society

The ringing of the Founders Bell, an iconic symbol of Appalachian State University’s history, has been a time-honored tradition. App State students ring the bell when they arrive on campus to start their higher education journey — and then again following commencement.

Beginning on Sept. 5, 2019, in recognition of the university’s 120th anniversary, the Bell Ringers Society was established during the second annual Founders Day ceremony. This new society began with the selection of 12 members of the App State Community 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. Each year, new members are inducted into the society and ring the bell on Founders Day.

Learn more about Appalachian State University, its foundation of support to the High Country and its leaders through the years by exploring the university’s history website.

Bell Ringers Society Members

2024 Inductees

  • Dr. Bettie Bond
  • Hank Foreman '95
  • Len Hagaman '78 '82
  • Kaaren Hayes '96
  • Kathryn Long ’25
  • Ellen Otterbourg
  • Rosanne Peacock
  • Dr. Melba Spooner
  • Tommy Sofield '76

2023 Inductees

  • Dr. Harvey Durham
  • Judge Rebecca Eggers-Gryder ’83
  • Bruce Guy
  • Linda Guy
  • Juan Pablo “J.P.” Neri ’25
  • Bob Snead ’55 ’57

2022 Inductees

  • Deanna Ballard
  • Sean Gaillard
  • Dr. Brandy Hadley ’09 ’11
  • Emma Hatfield-Sidden ’08 ’19 ’25
  • Oval Jaynes ’62
  • Larry Nance ’62 ’63
  • Anna Boyce Phillips ’58
  • MaKaylia Ray ’23
  • Denise Ringler
  • Nancy Schaffel
  • Neil Schaffel
  • Kim Shepherd ’97

2021 Inductees

  • Sam Cheatham ’22
  • Bo Henderson ’79
  • Roberta Jackson ’91
  • Maxine McCall ’60 ’65
  • Lynn Patterson ’89
  • Mike Steinback
  • Jim Whittington ’52

2020 Inductees

  • Dr. Karl Campbell
  • Dr. Baker Perry ’98

2019 Inductees

  • Dr. John E. Thomas
  • Julia Adams ’56
  • John Blackburn
  • Penn Broyhill
  • C. Philip Byers ’85
  • Dr. Sheri Everts
  • DeJon Milbourne ’20
  • Jerry Moore
  • Reba Moretz ’52 ’53
  • Dr. Rennie Brantz
  • Sammy Hartley ’72 ’73
  • Doris Stam
  • Jeannine Underdown Collins ’79 ’81

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The App State Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. One of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, App State enrolls more than 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and 80 graduate programs through its Boone and Hickory campuses and App State Online.

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