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Stanford University Founders' Day Collection
SC1085
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Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Stanford University Founders' Day collection
Identifier/Call Number: SC1085
Physical Description:
8.75 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1931-2007
Summary: Speakers at the 2006
event, held in Memorial Church, were Reverend Scotty McLennan, President John Hennessy, and
two student speakers, Clayton Brown and Dana Craig; music was provided by Talisman A
Cappella.
Physical Description: Special Collections and University
Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 48 hours in advance. For more
information on paging collections, see the department's website:
http://library.stanford.edu/spc.
Language of Material:
Undetermined .
This collection is open for research.
Biographical/Historical Sketch
Founders' Day celebration commemorates the founding of the University and the legacy of the
Stanford family.
The first public event sponsored by the newly fonned Stanfond Historical Society in 1976
was a Founders' Day celebration held at the mausoleum on Tuesdar, March 9, in joint
sponsorship with the Alumni Association. Reacting to the neglect of recent senior classes of
the long-standing custom of maintaining flowers at the mausoleum, a large basket of flowers
was placed in tribute. Prof. James T. Watkins IV, first president of the society, told those
attending, that the society and the Alumni Association did not intend to usurp the
University's traditional observance, which was part of the regular service in Memorial
Church on the Sunday closest to Leland Stanford Sr.' s March birthday.
Through 1979, the Historical Society and Alumni Association Continued their custom of
observing Founders' Day at the mausoleum on March 9, hearing speeches by Rosamond Bacon,
David Jacobson (secretary to the university emeritas), and other campus figures.
In 1980, Founders' Day fell on a Sunday and the first joint celebiation with the University
was organized with the help of Dean of the Chapel Robert Hamenon-Kelly. Following the
traditional Sunday service, the Historical Society and Alunini Associauon sponsored a
reenactment of the Founders' Day pilgrimage that once had been a traditional activity of the
senior class. At the mausoleum, remarks were made by a senior class president and presidents
of the Historical Society and Alumni Association.
The joint Sunday celebration was a great success and has been the custom ever since with a
faculty marshal leading senior class members carrying flags, followed by the church choir
and anyone else who is interested in walking a mile. The Alumni Association provides the
floral wreath and refreshments and the Historical Society arranges for a keynote speaker who
gives brief remarks at the mausoleum that relate in some way to the founders. After the
ceremony, participants ale permitted to go inside the mausoleum to view the crypts.
Speakers for the Historical Society have included Don Kennedy (several times), Jim Rosse,
Condoleezza. Rice, Gerhard Casper, and JimGibbons. As a courtesy, the dean of the chapel
traditionally consults the Historical Society about the selection of a church speaker for
Founders' Day, but that choice ultimately is theirs.
Over the years, rounders' Day has provided an opportunity for special celebrations. In
1984, those gathered at the mausoleum also recognized the 100th anniversary of Leland Jr.' s
death. In 1985, the centennial celebration was launched on March 9 with a joint Historical
Society/Cenrcnnial Committee program marking the 100th anniversary of the Enabling Act that
provided the legal basis for the University's founding. The next day drew a
larger-than-usual crowd to Founders' Day, where Don Kennedy discussed the skepticism and
ridicule the Stanfords faced in 1885. (As occasionally happens, the procession that year was
rained out and the mausoleum ceremony was held in the church.)
The largest commemomion was held in 1991, when a capacity audience of 1,700 gathered in
Memorial Auditorium to hear Wallace Stegner talk at a special centennial edition of
Founders' Day. (Memorial Church would have been used but was closed because of the 1989
earthquake.) Other speakers in 1991 were Richard Lyman, Don Kennedy, Don Winbigler, and
Senior Oass President Jacqueline Yau. The 1993 Founders' Day, with Gerhard Casper speaking
both in ihe pulpit and at the mausoleum, included tributes to the mausoleum's large dying
heritage oak tree, which was scheduled for removal a few months later. Occasionally, the
same person speaks both at the church service and the mausoleumy but Historical Society
members generally prefer two different speakers.
Stanford University Founders' Day Collection (SC1085). Dept. of Special Collections and
University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Speakers at the 2006 event, held in Memorial Church, were Reverend Scotty McLennan,
President John Hennessy, and two student speakers, Clayton Brown and Dana Craig; music was
provided by Talisman A Cappella.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must
be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford
University Libraries, Stanford, California 94304-6064. Consent is given on behalf of Special
Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright
owner, heir(s) or assigns. See:
http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of
digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Stanford University -- History.