Daemen President Gary Olson and his wife,
Dr. Lynn Worsham, participate in the ceremonial ringing of Founders Bell.
Daemen College’s annual Founders Celebration brought together the campus community for several exciting events to mark the college’s rich history of academic excellence and to pay tribute to its founding.
The celebration officially started with the ceremonial ringing of Founders Bell that included a symbolic ring for each decade since the college was founded in 1947 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity.
At the ringing ceremony, Daemen President Gary Olson said, “This two-day festival celebrates our origin, our heritage, and, most importantly, our long tradition of academic excellence. Daemen’s excellence is rooted in the vision of our founders and has been nurtured in the quality of our programs and the personal attention each and every student has received by a succession of talented and dedicated faculty.”
Pictured (L-R) are Founders Bell ringers: Daemen President Gary Olson; Dr. Lynn Worsham; Mikayla Otero, Student Association president; Dr. Lynda Cessario, emeritus faculty member; Edith Wyss, O.S.F. ‘66, of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity; Catherine LePage-Campbell ’84, board trustee; Dr. Thomas Stewart ‘74, chair of the Daemen Board of Trustees; and Dr. Matthew Ward, director of the Honors Program and associate professor of chemistry.
Dr. Michael Brogan, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, noted, “Over the last 71 years, we have come a long way from a small liberal arts institution to a large master’s and doctorate degree granting college that is respected and recognized regionally, nationally, and internationally.”
Shown in the memorabilia exhibit are antique items found on Daemen’s campus.
The first day of activities also included an exhibition that highlighted Daemen’s history and several antique pieces discovered on campus during a metal detecting endeavor by a former Daemen student.
New for this year’s celebration was a Daemen-themed door decorating challenge for college departments. Winners selected for their creativity in showing their Daemen pride were: first place – Daemen Athletics, second place – Office of Financial Aid, and third place – Office of Enrollment Management.
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- Athletics Door
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- Financial Aid Door
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- Enrollment Management Door
In addition, faculty and staff celebrating a range of milestone years of service to Daemen were recognized at a special reception. The day wrapped up with a bonfire for the campus community.
The college celebrated its annual
Daemen Day in Amherst.
Founders Celebration’s second day kicked off with the fourth annual Daemen Day in Amherst, a celebration to connect the college community with Main Street’s thriving business district. A trolley took faculty, staff, and students up and down Main Street, where they had the opportunity to shop, dine, and visit various establishments.
Daemen Day in Amherst activities also included a wellness walking challenge for Daemen employees, a student organization and community fair, and other campus events.
Founders Celebration concluded with the annual Scholarship Gala, the college’s signature fundraising event for student scholarships. Look in next week’s Voice issue for more on the gala.