Founder’s Day

For a 177-year-old university, Founder’s Day is bound to be special. At Mercer, while the annual celebration has a checkered evolution, the tradition is as strong as ever today. Founder’s Day began in 1891, 20 years after the University moved from Penfield to Macon. At that time, Founder’s Day was a celebration centered on Jesse Mercer’s birthday. Mercer’s two competing literary societies, Phi Delta and Ciceronian, each brought in a speaker to honor the heritage of Mercer and its founder.

Founder’s Day remained a significant annual event for Mercer for the next 40 or 50 years, said Dr. Doug Pearson, vice president and dean of students. The occasion had different formats during this period, ranging from political events attended by state governors to all-day historic celebrations.

While this tradition remained strong during the early- to mid-1900s, interest began to wane in the 1950s and 1960s, Dr. Pearson said. By the end of the 1960s, the tradition had been completely removed from the University calendar. The absence of Founder’s Day lasted until the mid-1990s, Dr. Pearson said. At that time, the Student Government Association brought the event back to the Macon campus.

“Now, it has morphed into an event where we bring back prominent alumni to talk about their experiences at Mercer,” Dr. Pearson said. “And it has once again become a great tradition at the University.“

Recent alumni speakers have included Georgia State Representative Brooks Coleman Jr., Bill Yoast, subject of the Disney movie “Remember the Titans,” and former Olympic track and field coach and Georgia Sports Hall of Fame member Jimmy Carnes.

In 2008, as part of the University’s 175th anniversary observance, five Mercer “legends” were invited to speak as part of the Founder’s Day celebration. The “legends” were author Dr. Ferrol Sams Jr.; Sam Oni, Mercer’s first black student; longtime English professor Dr. Mary Wilder; attorney and author Robert Steed; and former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell.
The next Founder’s Day will be celebrated Feb. 16, 2011. The speaker will be chosen this fall in collaboration between the Student Government Association and President William D. Underwood.

“We provide two to three names to President Underwood,” said Jordan Locke, SGA member and co-chair of the Heritage Life Committee. “He (Underwood) provides us his recommendation, we ratify the choice, and then President Underwood issues the invitation.”

Locke and Dr. Pearson both agree the event is an effective method for current students to honor the heritage of the University, as well as understand the impact the Mercer experience can have on their lives.