ATHENS, WV (WOAY) – Founded in 1872, Concord University turned 150 years old on Monday, Feb. 28.
To celebrate, the school hosted its Founder’s Day event. The focus of the ceremony reflected back on the past and looked ahead to the future.
“Really, I think for all of us, this will be about kind of immersing ourselves into the history more–looking back at some of the old pictures, hearing some of the old stories, and thinking about what the founders of Concord really did to put this school here and to make sure that it started as a very small little teacher’s college and how it has grown and evolved over the last 150 years,” says Vice President of Advancement Sarah Turner.
The event included video greetings from West Virginia’s U.S. representatives, a greeting and proclamation from Gov. Jim Justice’s office, and special remarks from Concord President Kendra Boggess. A birthday cake followed the ceremony.
Turner feels confident of the school’s success in taking on another 150 years.
“It’s just a really exciting time, and we know we have a really good education that we offer here, we’ve got thousands upon thousands of graduates that are out there doing great things and proving how good a Concord education is, and so we’re excited to see where that goes and where it takes us in the future.”
Concord had been hosting events leading up to the special day all week. The annual President’s Ball Saturday evening will be the last major event before Monday’s presentation.
The Founder’s Day event will begin at 3 p.m. on Monday in the Fine Art’s main auditorium on Concord’s campus. Parking will be available in the lot in front of the Fine Art’s building.