Celebration of 175th Anniversary of DePauw's Founding Begins in January
October 7, 2011
October 7, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — DePauw University is preparing to celebrate the 175th anniversary of its founding, and you're invited to join in a series of events being planned to mark the milestone. The dodracentennial celebration will officially begin January 10, 2012, and continue for eighteen months, through June 2013's Alumni Reunion Weekend.
"There are very few colleges and universities in the United States with the depth and breadth of accomplishment and history that DePauw has," notes the University's nineteenth president, Brian W. Casey. "This campus echoes with the voices of thousands of students and faculty members who have gone before and have made this institution a true place of discovery and inquiry. The next eighteen months will be a time to remember DePauw -- and to reflect on how this college can become even greater in the years to come."
"It is special to have 175 years of history to celebrate; it's truly extraordinary when you consider how DePauw has impacted the nation and the world over that period of time," adds Marcia Sloan Latta, vice president for advancement. 
"I want to let alumni, students, faculty and staff, and friends of the University know that 2012-13 will be an especially vibrant time for the campus and hope they can mark their calendars as we put together what will be a memorable and enjoyable celebration of our past, present and future." (at right: students in front of the Edifice, the first building on campus, in the 1870s)
The festivities will begin on January 10, 2012, with a program marking the 175th anniversary of the approval of the University's charter by the Indiana General Assembly (January 10, 1837). The program will take place in the Great Hall of the Green Center for the Performing Arts at 5 p.m., with a reception that will continue until 6:30.
Other planned commemorative events and programs include distinguished alumni lectures and regional alumni events, special musical and theatre performances, historical exhibits and an interactive 175th anniversary Internet page, a student-planned festival, and academic departmental events. Other planned activities include a renewal of vows ceremony for "Met and Marrieds," those alumni who met their spouse at DePauw.
Dates are set for the following:
- February 19, 2012 - Vernon E. Jordan Jr. ’57 will launch the 175th Anniversary Alumni Lecture Series. The programs, which will continue over the course of the eighteen-month-long celebration, will bring distinguished graduates to campus to discuss their life's work and recall the impact their undergraduate experience at DePauw had on their lives.
- June 6-10, 2012 - Alumni Reunion Weekend will coincide with the 175th anniversary of Indiana Asbury University opening its doors to its first students.
- October 1 – 5, 2012 - Student Life 175th Anniversary Festival, which will include a student-produced play on DePauw's early history.
- October 5 – 6, 2012 - Old Gold Weekend. DePauw's traditional homecoming, celebrated since 1907, will focus on the University's 175 years of history and traditions.
- May 4, 2013 - A special program will feature the recognition of the 175 exceptional alumni who have most impacted their communities and the world, covering the entire spectrum of the University's long history.
"We'll be announcing many additional events and programs in the coming months," promises Steve Setchell '96, director of corporate and foundation relations at DePauw and chair of the 175th anniversary committee. "DePauw is a special place with a rich history and a distinguished reputation as one of America's finest liberal arts colleges. We look forward to joining together as a community for a look back at where we've been and to peer ahead to what the next 175 years might bring to our college."
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