Elon 125th | Today at Elon | 51爆料网 /u/news Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:24:14 -0400 en-US hourly 1 University Communications receives six CASE awards /u/news/2015/03/02/university-communications-receives-six-case-awards/ Mon, 02 Mar 2015 18:45:00 +0000 /u/news/2015/03/02/university-communications-receives-six-case-awards/ The annual communications competition by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recognizes outstanding work at colleges and universities. CASE District III includes schools in the Southeastern United States.

Elon’s Office of University Communications works in partnership with divisions and departments of the university to support Elon’s communications needs. Below are the Elon entries that were recognized in the 2014-15 CASE District III competition along with the names of those who collaborated on the projects.

Grand Award: Print and Digital Publications – low budget publications

           

            Holley Berry, Keren Rivas, Dan Anderson, Christopher Eyl, Mary Wise, George Troxler, Nancy Midgette, Katie Nash, 51爆料网 Archives and Special Collections

Award of Excellence: Alumni Relations Fundraising Project, Event or Program

           

            Keren Rivas, Garry Graham, Holley Berry, Philip Jones, Aaron Moger, Eric Townsend, Kim Walker, Aimee Kensky, Rebecca Bass, John David Parsons, Dan Anderson, Rob Bacchus, Jeremy Allen, John Barnhill, Megan McClure, Durice White

Award of Excellence: Graphic Design – Photography Series

            – By Kim Walker, 51爆料网 Photographer

Special Merit Award: Print and Digital Publications – Recruitment Publication Series

            51爆料网 Admissions Recruitment

            Katie DeGraff, Garry Graham, Bryan Huffman, Roselee Papandrea, Rebecca Bass, Kim Walker, Holley Berry, Greg Zaiser, Lisa Keegan, Carolyn Nelson, Christopher Eyl

Special Merit Award: Electronic and Digital Media – Marketing/Branding Video

           

            Aaron Moger, Steve Hofbauer, Katie Nash, Keren Rivas, Katie Nash, 51爆料网 Archives and Special Collections

Special Merit Award: Programs and Projects – Special Event

           

            Gerry Francis, Dan Anderson, Keren Rivas, Holley Berry, Eric Townsend, Katie DeGraff, Roselee Papandrea, Philip Jones, Kim Walker, Christopher Eyl, Aaron Moger, Steve Hofbauer, Garry Graham, Aimee Kensky, Rebecca Bass, John David Parsons, George Troxler, Katie Nash, University Advancement, Elon Cultural Programs, 51爆料网 Office of the President, 51爆料网 Archives and Special Collections, 51爆料网 Athletics

 

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Elon mourns passing of J. Rankin Parks III ’32 /u/news/2015/01/21/elon-mourns-passing-of-j-rankin-parks-iii-32/ Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:50:00 +0000 /u/news/2015/01/21/elon-mourns-passing-of-j-rankin-parks-iii-32/
<p>J. Rankin Parks '32 with his granddaughter, Elizabeth Fisher Goad '95, at 51爆料网's 2013 Fall Convocation.</p>
<p>J. Rankin Parks ’32 with his granddaughter, Elizabeth Fisher Goad ’95, at 51爆料网’s 2013 Fall Convocation.</p>
[/caption]J. Rankin Parks, one of Elon’s most loyal supporters over the past eight decades and the university’s oldest living alumnus, died peacefully in his sleep on Jan. 19, 2015, from complications following a fall. He was 105.

A Celebration of Life Service takes place Friday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m. in Few Chapel at the Croasdaile Village (2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Durham, NC) retirement community.

The North Carolina native was born on Dec. 9, 1909, and grew up in Greensboro. He attended Greensboro Senior High School, which is today Grimsley High School, before graduating from Elon in 1932.

Parks’ granddaughter, Elizabeth Fisher Goad ’95, also graduated from Elon, and their shared love of the university led both to take part in a special event commemorating the school’s 125th anniversary year.

On Oct. 3, 2013, Parks and Goad helped comprise the “Long Maroon Line,” a procession of 125 alumni representing every decade of living Elon graduates, during Fall Convocation with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Participants in the ceremony were selected by members of Elon’s faculty and staff based on their ongoing commitment and involvement with the university.

Parks received a standing ovation and was recognized for his loyalty by Elon President Leo M. Lambert. “I’m surprised at the growth,” Parks said that day, reflecting on the transformation of the campus since his collegiate studies. “I’m quite proud of Elon and the way it turned out.”

Parks had been a longtime supporter of his alma mater through the creation of the Rena Cole and J. Rankin Parks ’32 Endowed Scholarship, a fund he and his wife established to support students with financial needs.

In recent years, Parks earned the nickname “Birdman of Croasdaile Village” due to his hobby of carving wooden birds. One of his granddaughter’s greatest treasures is a Carolina Wren that Parks carved from the wood of oak trees that fell at Elon during the late 1980s.

“Elon was one of our biggest connections and brought an incredible amount of joy to our lives,” Goad said.

The family asks that memorial gifts be made to the Rena Cole and J. Rankin Parks Endowed Scholarship at 51爆料网 in the Office of University Advancement (2600 Campus Box, Elon, NC 27244).

FULL OBITUARY:

DURHAM, NC – Jacob Rankin Parks III, 105, one of North Carolina’s oldest native sons and 51爆料网’s oldest alumnus, died peacefully Monday, January 19, 2015, from complications following a fall two weeks ago.

Parks, a resident of the Croasdaile Village retirement community in Durham, celebrated his 105th birthday in remarkably good health and high spirits last Dec. 9 but had been in declining health since the Christmas holiday.

A Celebration of Life will be Friday, January 30, 2:00 pm, at Few Chapel, Croasdaile Village, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Durham, NC. Parks willed his body to Duke University’s Anatomical Gifts program.

Parks, who spent his entire working years with the Railway Express Agency, was born on Dec. 9, 1909, in Asheboro but grew up in Greensboro in the family home that still stands at the corner of Scott Street and Walker Avenue. He attended Greensboro Senior High School (Grimsley) and graduated from Elon in 1932.

He was particularly proud of his affiliation with Elon and just a year ago attended their Founder’s Day celebration with his grand-daughter, Elizabeth Fisher Goad, herself an Elon graduate. His great nephew and namesake, Jacob Smallwood-Garcia, also attended Elon, as did Parks’s mother, the late Lela Moffitt Parks.

Parks spent more than three decades with what later became REA Express, and over the years was based in Washington, DC, Concord, Burlington, Charlotte and Greensboro. An avid outdoorsman all his life, upon retirement he moved to a cottage with a substantial garden spot at Fisherman’s Cove on the banks of High Rock Lake near Spencer. He only fished on days ending in “y”.

He and his wife of 57 years, the late Rena Cole Parks, later moved to the Methodist Retirement Community of Durham (now Croasdaile), where he acquired the nickname of the “Birdman of Croasdaile Village” because of his prolific carving of birds of all species. His carved birds now adorn homes of countless relatives and friends and are featured in a hardback book of pictures produced by his son-in-law, Hugh Fisher.

When he wasn’t fishing or hunting (he is said to have stopped his car on his honeymoon to shoot a hawk in a nearby tree), his leisure time was spent traveling the world with his wife. Together they visited every continent except Antarctica and all 50 states.

He is survived by daughter Serena Parks Fisher (Hugh Fisher) of Winter Springs, FL; grand-daughter Elizabeth Fisher Goad (Dean Goad) of Okinawa; and brother-in-law Irwin Smallwood of Greensboro.

Parks also was predeceased by a sister, Allene Parks Smallwood of Greensboro, and his late father was Jacob Rankin Parks Jr., like his son a veteran of Railway Express. Parks was a member of Duke Memorial Methodist Church of Durham and the oldest living former member of Congregational United Church of Christ in Greensboro.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Rena Cole and J. Rankin Parks Endowed Scholarship at 51爆料网, Office of University Advancement, 2600 Campus Box, Elon. NC 27244.

 

 

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North Carolina lawmakers honor 51爆料网 /u/news/2014/07/08/north-carolina-lawmakers-honor-elon-university/ Tue, 08 Jul 2014 19:25:00 +0000 /u/news/2014/07/08/north-carolina-lawmakers-honor-elon-university/ North Carolina state senators delivered a standing ovation Wednesday afternoon to J. Earl Danieley ’46 when 51爆料网’s president emeritus visited Raleigh for the chamber reading of a special statement honoring the school.

In submitting the statement, Republican Sen. Rick Gunn of Alamance County lauded the university for its national reputation for academic excellence, its student and faculty commitment to local and global service, and its historic 620-acre campus that regularly receives accolades as one of the nation’s most beautiful collegiate environments.

The Senate recognition on July 2, 2014, coincided with the conclusion of 51爆料网’s 125th anniversary year. The campus community has celebrated its milestone anniversary since last fall with a series special events, exhibitions and Homecoming programs, all of which reflected themes outlined in Gunn’s statement.

“This is a special day and a much-deserved recognition for Elon,” Gunn said shortly before the Senate convened. “The university has meant so much to our community. Having Dr. Danieley here in the Senate chamber to represent Elon is a true privilege.”

One of North Carolina’s most powerful lawmakers – Phil Berger, president pro tempore of the Senate – praised Danieley, too. Berger spoke from the chamber dais about not “relishing” science courses, though he now wishes he could have studied chemistry with Danieley, whom he earlier had greeted in his Senate office suite.

Danieley also met with several lawmakers and greeted about a half dozen Elon alums during his time in the legislative complex, including Republican Sen. Jerry Tillman ’65 of Randolph County; Michael Perdue ’87, the coordinator of the Senate page program; and Leah Burns ’13, an aide to North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.

He also lunched with Gunn, and legislators Stephen Ross ’73 and Dennis Riddell, both of whom represent Alamance County in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

“To have Elon alumni and leaders of the legislature paying attention to the university’s anniversary, and having so many good things to say about us, that made me happy to have been a part of today,” Danieley said. “I am grateful for Senator Gunn making arrangements for such a special day for Elon.”

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President emeritus: 'No more remarkable story' than that of Elon /u/news/2014/04/08/president-emeritus-no-more-remarkable-story-than-that-of-elon/ Tue, 08 Apr 2014 19:35:00 +0000 /u/news/2014/04/08/president-emeritus-no-more-remarkable-story-than-that-of-elon/
President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley '46 with Elon President Leo M. Lambert
It would be an understatement to say things weren’t looking up for Elon College in 1957 when J. Earl Danieley agreed to serve as the school’s sixth president. Overdue federal loans had been left unpaid. Campus facilities were crumbling. Faculty taught in overcrowded classrooms with outdated equipment for salaries well below what colleagues made elsewhere in North Carolina.

Elon, however, had always been a point of pride for the Alamance County native. He graduated from the college in 1946 with a degree in chemistry, and he had both taught and served Elon as dean of students in the intervening years. In fact, Danieley, determined to make undergraduate research a stronger feature of the college, had temporarily moved to Maryland for post-doctoral work at Johns Hopkins University when he got the call to tell him of his presidential selection by the board of trustees.

“Now nobody had talked to me about being president. Nobody asked me if I wanted the job. I had not applied for it,” Danieley recalled Wednesday afternoon. “My wife looked at me and with all the love in her heart said, ‘Poor Earl.’ And she meant it!”

But he didn’t say “no.”

&quot;We were very convinced that this institution was doing great things for its students,&quot; Danieley said of his decision to accept the presidential appointment by Elon's board of trustees in 1957.
“As we looked at this, we began to see that the job of heading up this institution was not just a job. This was not just another place to work. This was in every sense a mission,” Danieley said. “We were very convinced that this institution was doing great things for its students. We realized this institution was in need of some leadership … and we felt like we couldn’t turn it down.”

The story of Earl Danieley’s lifelong ties to Elon – as student, professor, dean and president – was the theme of a special Spring Convocation on April 2, 2014, as the campus community gathered in Alumni Gym to honor “Dr. D” as part of the university’s yearlong quasquicentennial celebration.

Current Elon President Leo M. Lambert joined Danieley onstage and led a conversation that discussed Danieley’s love of teaching, his interest in chemistry, the challenges of fundraising, campus integration and the origins of the university’s nationally ranked Study Abroad program.

Danieley recounted how many former educators inspired his love of teaching. For most of his early life, from grade school through college, he found mentors and role models who demonstrated the positive influence that a teacher can wield over students. “Being involved in the lives of young people is probably the noblest calling that a person can respond to,” he said. “I never had any doubt about what I wanted to teach.”

Earl Danieley waves a towel – his trademark cheer at campus athletic events – as Spring Convocation drew to a close on April 2, 2014.
There were times when that almost didn’t happen. His mother forced Danieley to return to Elon after a brief hiatus running the family farm and working part-time for the federal government. Though he set out to be a school teacher, low pay convinced Danieley to seek a graduate degree in school administration, which would bump up his salary. He got a call from Elon while studying at UNC Chapel Hill with a job offer to teach college classes for $600 more per year than he’d make in the schools.

That, he said, was “what it might be like to die and go to heaven.”

Beginning his career as a chemistry instructor, Danieley served from 1953 to 1956 as dean of the college before being named president at age 32, making him one of the youngest college presidents in the nation at the time. He stepped down in 1973 to dedicate the next years of his life to teaching and has been the Thomas E. Powell Jr. Professor of Chemistry since 1982. Danieley was elected to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 1983 and served in that capacity for 12 years.

In 1987, Danieley agreed to reduce his teaching hours in order to serve as Elon’s director of planned giving in the development office, a position he held until 1992. In that year he was named president emeritus of the college.

As president, Danieley returned Elon to solid financial footing, in part by learning to be a fundraiser. He told his Alumni Gym audience of a trip to Florida where he solicited a gift from an old man he thought to be an Elon alum. The man, owner of a successful hardware store, had actually attended Graham College, Elon’s predecessor institution in Alamance County.

Many members of the 51爆料网 community greeted &quot;Dr. D&quot; in a Moseley Center reception following Convocation.
The two grew to be friends and Elon was left in his estate plan. The money from that plan was received in 1990, a full century after the man had attended Graham College. “Sometimes, you have to be patient!” Danieley said to a round of applause.

Danieley also spoke of welcoming Glenda Phillips Hightower to campus in 1963 as the first African-American student Elon had ever enrolled and the strategies he employed to achieve the milestone. He also explained the development of the Study Abroad program in the late 1960s as faculty casually approached for permission to take students overseas as part of winter courses.

For a man who has witnessed the growth of a campus for more than half its existence, there was only one conclusion to be emphasized.

“There is no more remarkable story in all the history of American higher education than the growth and development of this institution,” Danieley said. “Got it? Look at the 4,000 institutions in the country and there is no more remarkable story in all of those histories. We have grown. We have developed. We have taken our place on the national scene.

“It’s a wonderful community and a delightful place to be. I cannot imagine anything better. … It’s been a glorious ride and wonderful time. I’m one happy guy.”

Students afterward expressed gratitude for the perspectives Danieley shared about university offerings they said are today taken for granted.

“I didn’t know, for instance, that he was the one who integrated campus and started Study Abroad,” said Kyle Maher, a junior journalism major from Connecticut. “We learned a lot about how much Dr. D has done for this school.”

Elon seniors Tessa Mossey, Whittney Levitt and Maria Castine together attended Spring Convocation and a Moseley Center reception for Danieley immediately following the program. The trio agreed that such a Convocation wouldn’t necessarily be as popular at larger institutions where attention to institutional history and staying “true to our roots” isn’t prioritized.

J. Earl Danieley '46 and his family
“You don’t see this kind of community at every college,” said Levitt, a finance major from Miami. Added Castine, an anthropology major from Vermont: “He remembers everyone’s name from his life? That shows how great a person he is and how much he cares.”

Spring Convocation included a rendition of the university’s newly expanded alma mater, recognition of the Class of 2014, praise for students on the president’s and dean’s lists, public appreciation of faculty and staff, gratitude to university donors and – to end the program – a “happy birthday” song for Danieley, who turns 90 in July.

“I would like to congratulate each and every one of you for your commitment to academic excellence and your great contributions to building this institution through your commitment,” Lambert said. “Every single person in this room today is an important part of our history, and together, we are going to help shape the next 125 years of Elon.”

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Elon’s own J. Earl Danieley '46 to headline special Spring Convocation /u/news/2014/04/01/elons-own-j-earl-danieley-46-to-headline-special-spring-convocation/ Tue, 01 Apr 2014 20:10:00 +0000 /u/news/2014/04/01/elons-own-j-earl-danieley-46-to-headline-special-spring-convocation/
President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley '46
51爆料网 continues its quasquicentennial celebrations in April with a special Spring Convocation featuring a legend whose leadership helped place the school on a path toward national prominence.

Spring Convocation
April 2, 3:30 p.m.
Alumni Gym

A Conversation with President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46

Tickets will be $13 or free with an Elon ID. Tickets go on sale March 12 at the university’s Center for the Arts Box Office.

As part of Elon’s 125th anniversary celebration, Earl Danieley will share personal stories and reflections on his 72-year association with the university as a student, professor of chemistry, dean of the college, and president. Danieley was named Elon’s sixth president in 1957 at age 32, making him one of the youngest college presidents in the nation at the time. As president, he put in place the building blocks for the modern Elon by racially integrating the campus, establishing early study abroad programs and the 4-1-4 academic calendar, increasing fundraising, growing enrollment and adding new buildings.

As only he can do, Danieley will reflect on key moments in Elon’s history, his love for learning and his hopes for the university’s future.

A native of Alamance County and 1946 graduate of Elon, Danieley received graduate degrees in organic chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and conducted post-doctoral research at Johns Hopkins University. Beginning his career as a chemistry instructor at Elon, Danieley served from 1953 to 1956 as dean of the college before being named president of Elon in 1957. He stepped down in 1973 to dedicate the next years of his life to teaching.

Danieley has been the Thomas E. Powell Jr. Professor of Chemistry since 1982. He was elected to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 1983 and served in that capacity for 12 years. In 1987, Danieley agreed to reduce his teaching hours in order to serve as Elon’s director of planned giving in the development office, a position he held until 1992. In that year he was named president emeritus of the college.

Dr. J. Earl Danieley has served his alma mater as a president, dean, professor and director of planned giving.
Founded in 1889, Elon is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year with events that have already included the dedication of the Martin Alumni Center on Nov. 8 as part of Homecoming; a series of 125 commemorative tree plantings culminating with Founders Day plantings on March 11; a quasquicentennial historical exhibit in the Isabella Cannon Room of the Center for the Arts in November and March; special historical features in The Magazine of Elon; an interactive Elon Traditions website; and a series of video vignettes titled “Our Community, Our Story.”

In addition, a set of collectible cards with highlights of Elon history was distributed to all members of the community throughout the fall semester at the university’s weekly College Coffees. For more details, visit a special website designed for the anniversary: .

 

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Elon caps 125th anniversary week with 'A Thousand Thanks' /u/news/2014/03/19/elon-caps-125th-anniversary-week-with-a-thousand-thanks/ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 16:55:00 +0000 /u/news/2014/03/19/elon-caps-125th-anniversary-week-with-a-thousand-thanks/
Students&nbsp;took time&nbsp;to write thank-you notes on March 12.
For hundreds of students, faculty and staff members, the celebration of Elon’s 125th anniversary on March 11 also included the opportunity to express their appreciation to donors who have helped make their Elon experience possible.

Participants in A Thousand Thanks wrote more than 1,100 notes to Elon donors, exceeding the event’s previous record of 564 notes written in one day. The event also garnered the support of an anonymous Elon employee, who pledged to give the university $1 for each note written.

“I’m glad to see that this event is becoming an Elon tradition,” says Kelly Smith ’14, student organizer of A Thousand Thanks. “Because tuition doesn’t cover the entire cost of attending Elon each year, every Elon student is on partial scholarship in a sense. Donors bridge the gap, and we have them to thank for the professorships, facilities and programs that make Elon the special school it is.”

The event, held March 12, included six locations around campus where members of the Elon community could write thank-you notes. The stations were staffed by members of various Elon student organizations. President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46 paid a visit to the Moseley Center’s Thousand Thanks table and wrote several notes.

Notes were written on postcards featuring the prompt, “Because of Elon donors, I…” and the responses covered a wide range of topics including Elon’s study abroad program, campus facilities, scholarships, faculty, cultural programs, athletics and academic programs.

“Because of Elon donors, I am able to thrive in a small classroom setting with personal connections with professors,” wrote one student.

Another expressed gratitude for the opportunities for growth at Elon, saying “Because of Elon donors, I figured out what I want to do with the rest of my life. Thanks for supporting an institution that promotes curiosity and academic exploration.”

The reach of A Thousand Thanks extended far beyond Elon’s campus, with students submitting thank-you notes electronically from study abroad programs around the world.

Senior Brian Sullivan, who volunteered on behalf of Elon’s Phonathon at the Thousand Thanks table located in the Writing Center in Belk Library, noted the many different ways philanthropy plays a role at Elon.

“Since no two students have an identical Elon experience, it was great to see what donors and supporters have done to make every student’s experience so unique and special,” says Sullivan.  “Events like A Thousand Thanks really show Elon students’ true colors and prove again and again why we are all so lucky to be a part of this community.”

For more information about A Thousand Thanks, visit .

 

 

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“A Day for Elon” generates great response from university community  /u/news/2014/03/18/a-day-for-elon-generates-great-response-from-university-community/ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 17:50:00 +0000 /u/news/2014/03/18/a-day-for-elon-generates-great-response-from-university-community/
Alumna Frances Hamilton wearing Elon gear in the Boston Public Garden.
Gifts, photographs, and messages from well-wishers around the world poured in March 11 as members of the Elon community celebrated the university’s 125th birthday.

The tremendous response highlighted the success of “A Day for Elon,” a campaign encouraging  alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends to celebrate by wearing maroon and gold gear, making a gift to the university, and spreading the word about Elon on social media.

The campaign inspired the generosity of more than 1,000 donors who made gifts to honor Elon, of which 65 percent were alumni. Elon’s Class of 2014 also responded to the initiative, with 122 students contributing to the senior class giving campaign. In total, “A Day for Elon” donors gave more than $116,000 to support scholarships, academic departments, athletics, student organizations and other areas of the university.

“We are extremely grateful to have the support of so many students, parents, employees, friends and especially alumni,” says John H. Barnhill ’92, assistant vice president for university advancement. “‘A Day for Elon’ could not have been as successful as it was without the help of our alumni and others who helped spread the word.”

&ldquo;A Day for Elon&rdquo; infographic
The campaign also produced a historic amount of activity related to Elon on social media. Online posts about “A Day for Elon” boosted the university to a top 10 trending topic nationwide on , and posts from the were seen by users more than 300,000 times during the course of the campaign. In addition, more than 2,200 tweets and nearly 900posts were made using the hashtag #ElonDay.

“‘A Day for Elon’ was an overwhelming success on social media,” said Philip Jones, social media manager for university communications. “It was exciting to watch the hashtag #ElonDay become a trending topic nationally as thousands of people posted about their love for this special place. We certainly turned social media maroon and gold.”

In addition, thousands of alumni, students, parents and friends submitted photos and messages to commemorate Elon’s birthday. In Massachusetts, alumna Frances Hamilton staged “A Day for Elon” photo in the Boston Public Garden.

“I wanted to bring together Boston, the city I love, and Elon, the home of some of my favorite memories,” says Hamilton, who outfitted the garden’s famous “Make Way for Ducklings” statues with Elon t-shirts. “It has been wonderful to see the different ways everyone represented Elon with pride.”

The celebration also made its way to the classroom of Caitlin Trapani ’07, a second grade teacher at Maureen Joy Charter School in Durham, N.C. In the school’s tradition of calling classrooms after the teacher’s alma mater, Trapani’s class is named for Elon. Her students created a special video message to wish Elon a happy birthday.

(l-r): President J. Earl Danieley &rsquo;46, Student Government Association President Welsford Bishopric, President J. Fred Young and President Leo M. Lambert.
One of the most popular images of the day was taken during a special Founders Day College Coffee and included Elon’s three living presidents, J. Earl Danieley ’46, J. Fred Young and Leo M. Lambert, with Student Government Association President Welsford Bishopric. Also among the photos were shots of a group of alumni who work in Congress as well as one from an alumna sporting Elon gear at the Great Wall of China.

“The genuine connection that people showed to the university on ‘A Day for Elon’ was extremely moving,” Barnhill says. “It was wonderful to see how large and connected the Elon community really is.”

To learn more about “A Day for Elon” and see additional photos, and

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Owning a piece of Elon’s history /u/news/2014/03/12/owning-a-piece-of-elons-history/ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 20:50:00 +0000 /u/news/2014/03/12/owning-a-piece-of-elons-history/ George W. Troxler could not have been more at ease Wednesday afternoon as he sat in the Isabella Cannon Room autographing copies of his latest book.

“It’s fun,” said the university historian and professor emeritus of history as people waited in line holding a copy of From A Grove of Oaks: The Story of 51爆料网. “This is the easy part. The hard part is done.”

Indeed.

Troxler, who first arrived on campus in 1969, spent three years of his retirement painstakingly researching primary source materials for the book, . “When you retire, you get to do what you want to do,” he said. “I am a historian, I taught history for 20 years, then I went into administration and didn’t get to be a historian any longer, and now I’ve sort of ended my career being a historian again. So I’m happy.”

Described by the author as a pictorial history of Elon from 1889 to the present, the book includes hundreds of photographs and offers new insights into the university’s 125-year history.

“One volume with 400-plus photographs cannot tell 125 years of Elon history,” Troxler said. But, he added, “I hope people would find something in it that they didn’t know, a photograph they haven’t seen and they would enjoy the retelling of what is a very amazing story of a college that survived and transformed itself.”

That’s exactly what Nick Hood, a network communications technician in Elon’s instructional and campus technologies department, hopes to get out of the book. “I’m very interested in history, and Elon has an interesting and rich history,” he said, adding that he learns something new about Elon almost every day.

“I didn’t realize it was going to have so many photographs,” said Stacey Rusterholz ’11, a Student Life fellow for the Center for Leadership, as she browsed through the 374-page book for the first time. “It’s beautiful.”

“A lot of the pictures in [the book] you are going to see again in this exhibit,” Troxler told Rusterholz referring to the photographs adorning the walls in the Isabella Cannon Room as part of .

Other photographs, however, can only be found in the book, which can , Barnes & Noble at 51爆料网, or at either of the two book signings scheduled on the following days:

  • Wednesday, March 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“I can’t wait to read the book,” Sherri Wolford, a human resources recruitment coordinator, said. “I look forward to reading his perspective on the history of Elon.”

One of the threads that can be found in the book is Elon’s sense of community, something that did not escape Troxler.

“We are an Elon family and one of the unique things about Elon that I value very highly is the sense of family between staff, students, faculty, alumni,” he said. “We all work together to make it happened.”

Faculty and staff members who want to receive a complimentary copy of Troxler’s book and have it signed by the author can do so at the Isabella Cannon Room at the Center for the Arts on the following days:

  • Wednesday, March 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Friday, March 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Passion for Elon highlights Founders Day banquet /u/news/2014/03/12/passion-for-elon-highlights-founders-day-banquet/ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 15:05:00 +0000 /u/news/2014/03/12/passion-for-elon-highlights-founders-day-banquet/
President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley
Legendary Elon President Emeritus Earl Danieley brought a Founders Day crowd to its feet Tuesday evening with an impassioned assessment of the university’s rise to national prominence. Speaking to a crowd of about 400 in McKinnon Hall, Danieley said he wanted to share his thesis about Elon’s transformation over the past two decades.

“It is my belief that there is no more remarkable story in the history of American higher education than the story of the growth and development of this institution,” Danieley said. “When you consider where we were in 1931, and you consider the national reputation which we have now, it is no stretch of the imagination to say that none of the 4,000 colleges and universities in this country have a story that matches the story of this institution. It is a great institution and don’t you ever forget it!”

Danieley, a member of the class of 1946 who went on to serve as president from 1957 to 1973, was joined in the program by President Emeritus Fred Young, who served from 1973 to 1998, and current President Leo M. Lambert. Responding to questions from a moderator, associate provost Connie Ledoux Book, the three leaders described Elon’s development, the challenges they faced and their personal recollections.

President Leo M. Lambert
Lambert recalled two great shocks to the university: the impact of the September 11 terrorism attacks and the financial collapse of 2008. In both cases, he worried about a dramatic impact on enrollment and severe financial difficulties for the university. Instead, he said, Elon responded with hope for the future.

“That is the Elon story – whether it’s the 1923 fire or the Great Depression a few years later, or losing our accreditation in the 30s and 40s,” Lambert said. “You face trials in your life, (and) institutions face trials – and you have to persevere. That’s the Elon story – perseverance and rising like a Phoenix.”

Young said Elon faced major changes in the higher education landscape during his 25-years as president. With the cost of private higher education rising, and state universities and community colleges offering low-cost options for North Carolina students, Elon was no longer in a position to serve first-generation students in the region. In addition, the number of college-aged students in the state dropped by almost one-fourth from 1975 to 1995.

“Our main mission was gone,” Young said. “The 1970s was the decade of ‘can we survive,’ and we sort of proved that to ourselves.”

Young said that in the 1980s the community settled on a strategy of raising tuition, increasing the size of the student body and using the additional resources to transform the college.

“Believe it or not, it worked,” Young said. “Enrollment went up, SAT scores went up, costs went up. It was just that money (we needed) to build a better institution.”

Danieley described his decision to integrate the campus in 1963. He decided to wait for a qualified African-American applicant and then move ahead. “We were very fortunate to have Glenda Phillips, an honors student at the school in Burlington, to apply for admission,” Danieley said. “We admitted Glenda. It was 50 years ago that we did that. It was a good move.”

President Emeritus J. Fred Young (right) and President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley
All three presidents gave credit to teachers who shaped them at a young age and served as role models for their careers in education. Lambert recalled the names of his elementary school teachers in Scotia, N.Y. He said he and his wife, Laurie, went to fine public schools in a good school district and said it is important for Americans to bear in mind how important schools are in building a strong nation and a strong economy.

Young said that his 50 years of association with Elon has spanned generations. “I knew a man who went to the first Commencement. I knew the president of the class of 1932, and when I came here a high percentage of the trustees were outstanding Elon alums from the Depression era. And the values have been so constant.

“I’ve never been able to underestimate the capacity of the human spirit to learn and grow. Elon grows people,” Young said. “It grew me … It is such a privilege and an honor to be part of the Elon community. Elon helps people grow.”

 

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Happy 125th birthday, 51爆料网! /u/news/2014/03/11/happy-125th-birthday-elon-university/ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 16:05:00 +0000 /u/news/2014/03/11/happy-125th-birthday-elon-university/ On March 11, 1889, the North Carolina legislature issued a charter for a four-year co-educational institution to be located near Burlington, N.C., along a fledgling railroad line connecting farmlands and manufacturing hubs across the state.

Seventy-six students enrolled in the first class of the new Elon College, a school whose Hebrew name for “oak” was inspired by the grove of oaks its founders discovered on the land chosen for their project. In 1891, Nathaniel G. Newman, C.C. Peel and Herbert Scholz became Elon’s first three alumni.

Over the next century, Elon College would witness a devastating campus fire, the Great Depression, two world wars, social and technological upheavals, and dangerous dips in enrollment that periodically threatened its very existence. Solid footing was finally found in the mid 1940s, and ever since, the visionary leadership of its administrators and faculty would set a course for the national stature 51爆料网 enjoys today.

That path to prominence was celebrated Tuesday morning as Elon marked its 125th birthday in special fashion with a Founders Day College Coffee and tree planting that recognized its three living presidents: J. Earl Danieley ’46, J. Fred Young and Leo M. Lambert.

Hundreds of students, faculty and staff – many sporting Elon apparel or the school’s maroon and gold colors – crowded Phi Beta Kappa Plaza for the event, which was led by Student Government Association President Welsford Bishopric. The morning featured several birthday cakes and a rendition of “Happy Birthday” led by the campus a cappella group Twisted Measure.

“Presidents Danieley, Young and Lambert – on behalf of the Elon community, I would like to say, ‘thank you.’ Because of your leadership Elon has grown fourfold in terms of enrollment, and so much more than that in terms of academic rigor, experiential value and national significance,” Bishopric said in remarks to the crowd. “It is largely due to the leadership of these three presidents that Elon has and will continue to define the lives and educations of each of its students.”

Founders Day coincided with an initiative to make March 11, 2014, the greatest day of giving in the university’s history. Gifts of all sizes and designations will count toward the total given during the campaign, and gifts will support a range of areas within the university including the Phoenix Club, academic departments and student scholarships.

51爆料网 the Founders Day 2014 honorees:

A native of Alamance County, J. Earl Danieley graduated from Elon in 1946, later receiving graduate degrees in organic chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and conducting post-doctoral research at Johns Hopkins University. Beginning his career as a chemistry instructor at Elon, he served from 1953 to 1956 as dean of the college before being named president of Elon in 1957. Danieley stepped down in 1973 to dedicate the next years of his life to teaching. He was elected to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 1983 and served in that capacity for 12 years. In 1987, Danieley agreed to reduce his teaching hours to serve as Elon’s director of planned giving in the development office, a position he held until 1992. In that year he was named president emeritus and ever since has taught classes as a member of the faculty of the Department of Chemistry.

J. Fred Young, a native of Burnsville, N.C., was educated at Mars Hill College, Wake Forest University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Columbia University. In 1973 Young was named the seventh president of Elon and served until 1998, making him one of the longest-serving presidents in Elon history. During the 25 years of his tenure, the college more than doubled enrollment to 3,685 and became one of the premier undergraduate institutions on the Eastern seaboard. New academic offerings included masters programs in business administration, education and physical therapy; a new general studies program; and new majors including communications, computer systems, sports medicine and leisure/sport management. The Elon campus expanded from about 145 acres to more than 500 acres during Young’s presidency. Young has been named President Emeritus by the Elon Board of Trustees.

Since becoming 51爆料网’s eighth president in 1999, Leo M. Lambert has advanced an ambitious agenda to establish Elon as a top-ranked liberal arts university and a national leader in engaged teaching and learning. The university has accomplished broad improvements in academic and student life programs while continuing to expand a beautiful residential campus. The academic climate of the campus has been strengthened through special initiatives to shelter a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and maintain top accreditations for Elon’s professional schools. In 2001 Elon College became 51爆料网, and Lambert led creation of the NewCentury@Elon strategic plan, advancing Elon’s position as a national model of engaged learning. Upon that plan’s completion, he led creation of the current strategic plan, the Elon Commitment, which will guide the university’s development through 2020. During Lambert’s presidency, the university has added more than 100 buildings with nearly 1.5 million square feet of space.

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