The History of Founder's Week

Founder’s Week is a long-standing tradition that connects the university community with its origins. First known as Founder’s Day, the purpose of the occasion is to commemorate the institution’s first day on September 15, 1886. On that date, which a local newspaper reported marked “an epoch in the educational history, not only of Chattanooga, but of the surrounding country,” Chattanooga University (as the school was named at the time), held its opening exercises inside of the original campus building on McCallie Avenue known as Old Main. Attendees included the 118-member student body, the faculty, and others affiliated with the university.

The original university structure, Old Main. Opening exercises for Chattanooga University (a former name for UTC), were held in the chapel of this building in September 1886.

Old Main exterior view, undated. UA-00-03-01-05-001. Courtesy of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Special Collections.

In 1950, many of the individuals involved in establishing the university in 1886 were memorialized on campus in a building name change. The structure known today as Founders Hall was completed 1916 and was called the Administration Building until 1950, when the Board of Trustees voted on a new name, recommended by then president David A. Lockmiller. Shortly afterwards, a plaque listing 36 of these early leaders, including university presidents, trustees, faculty, and benefactors was installed in the eastern entrance.

University of Chattanooga Board of Trustees meeting minutes, June 5, 1950. Courtesy of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Special Collections.

Since the 1950s, the observation of Founder’s Day has varied in name and consistency but has always been recognized as an opportunity to celebrate the university and those who are a part of it. A speech from the early 1960s explains, “Founder’s Day could be thought of as the University’s birthday party, a ceremony celebrating the official opening of the institution. It could also be thought of as a day set aside to recognize the founding fathers of the University.” Elsewhere, the purpose of Founder’s Day is given as a time “to recognize those who have labored to make the university what it is today.” In 1999, University Relations news coordinator Barbara Kennedy told the University Echo that the objective of Founder’s Day was “to bring everyone together – faculty, students, the administration, staff, alumni, and friends of the university…to celebrate our common purposes and renew our sense of community.”

“Why Founders’ Day, Anyway?”, circa 1961, University of Chattanooga founding documents, administrative records, and other materials, UA-00-01-08. Courtesy of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Special Collections.

Beginning in the mid-2010s, Founder’s Day evolved into Founder’s Week, a multi-day affair with programming celebrating the university and its engagement with the larger Chattanooga community. Recurring events from past years include university participation in the United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s Day of Caring, a campus-wide food drive for Scrappy’s Cupboard, the Annual Service Awards Luncheon, and the Chancellor’s State of the University address. With such activities, Founder’s Week connects the university to its longstanding mission of achieving excellence and engaging with the surrounding metropolitan community.