Pepperdine University celebrated the year of its founding by George Pepperdine on Sept. 18.
Founder’s Day is an annual celebration held to commemorate Pepperdine’s founding. This year, students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered in Firestone Fieldhouse on Sept. 18 to mark the occasion.
“I’m confident because the hand of God who has brought us this far will not abandon us,” President Jim Gash said.
Dee Anna Smith, chair of Pepperdine Board of Regents, gave the opening remarks at the ceremony.
“It never fails to make my heart beat a little faster when I see and feel the energy connected in this room,” Smith said.
Following Smith’s remarks, the Founder’s Day processional march began. The march was accompanied by the Pepperdine orchestra. First, came the alumni march, led by Hung Le, senior vice chancellor with representatives from the classes from 1930 to 2020.
The march of nations took place next with international students representing 20 different countries from around the world. To end the processional march, Pepperdine faculty members from each of its six schools marched in. Lee Kats, Interim Dean of Seaver College, led the faculty from Seaver College.
Following the march of nations, Myers Mentzer, Student Government Association president, took the stage to introduce Gash.
“Eighty-seven years ago, George Pepperdine dedicated a college and we’re only here to celebrate today because George Pepperdine had a vision for a place that we all know and love,” Gash said.
Gash spoke about the importance of letting God guide our work as well as the theme for this academic year — Freedom.
“Freedom is only valuable when oriented toward the true and the good,” Gash said. Gash said. “True freedom lies in being able to live out the purpose that you were made for.”
Gash said that he is confident when it comes to the future of Pepperdine.
“You have been called to something, that includes a calling to serve a family, to be a good friend, a calling to be a person of character created in God’s image,” Gash said.
Following Gash’s speech, junior Kinkade McMurray, introduced George Pepperdine’s 1937 Dedicatory Address. Four students, representing each of Pepperdine’s graduate schools, and nominated by their respective deans, read the address.
The featured musical presentation of the event was: “God of our Fathers,” by Daniel Crane Roberts. This was led by the Pepperdine Concert choir directed by Ryan Board, director of Choral Activities, and the Pepperdine Orchestra directed by Pierre Tang, director of the Pepperdine University Orchestra.
Jay Brewster, provost and chief academic officer of Pepperdine University, was the last speaker of the event.
“Through the reading of the George Pepperdine Dedicatory address we are reminded of the legacy of our academic home,” Brewster said.
Brewster used his speech to talk about the book George Pepperdine wrote titled, “Faith is my Fortune.”
In his book, George Pepperdine describes how his friend Hugh Tiner, encouraged his idea of starting a Christian university, Brewster said. Seeing as how neither had true experience in operating a university, Tiner suggested for Batsell Baxter, president of Abilene Christian University in Texas, to come and talk with them about their idea.
Throughout the course of their conversation, Baxter agreed that Pepperdine and Tiner should take next steps, said Brewster.
“On a blank piece of paper Baxter wrote a four year college of liberal arts and sciences,” Brewster said. “That is the beginning, now let’s fill in the page.”
Brewster used this analogy of filling in a blank page to ask the Pepperdine community how they are going to fill in their blank pages and to use their time wisely.
To close out the Founder’s Day Celebration the Pepperdine choir led the community in the Pepperdine Alma Mater, “We Will Climb.”
“Founder’s Day is important because remembering our history is such a great way of making sure we honor the past and remembering where we started,” first-year Guinevere Hesse said.
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Contact Alicia Dofelmier via email: alicia.dofelmier@pepperdine.edu
