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Founders Day

Thursday, February 15, 2024

By Wake Forest University

February 16^th, 2024

Founders Day

Each year the University marks its founding in February of 1834 by coming together to celebrate and reflect on our traditions, our history and our people. Founders Day is also a moment to affirm the University’s motto — Pro Humanitate. This year’s program featured the annual senior oration by Austin Torain, musical selections, a celebration of Wake Forest milestones, and reflections from Vice President for Campus Life Shea Kidd Brown on the distinctive values that inspired our founding and continue to shape our vision for the future. President Susan R. Wente also provided remarks.

During this year’s ceremony, the Medallion of Merit — the highest honor bestowed by Wake Forest for service to the University — was awarded to retired women’s golf coach Dianne Dailey and Professor Emeritus of English Claudia Kairoff. Dailey was Wake Forest women’s golf coach for 30 years before retiring in 2018. The four-time ACC Coach of the Year led the Demon Deacons to 30 team titles and 38 individual titles. During Dailey’s tenure, women’s golf won four ACC championships and qualified in 15 NCAA championships. Kairoff taught English at Wake Forest from 1986 to 2022 and received the 1993 Reid-Doyle Prize for Excellence in Teaching. A gifted teacher-scholar, she directed semesters abroad at Casa Artom in Venice and Worrell House in London. Kairoff is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking scholarship on 18th-century British women poets.

Reception

A reception followed the ceremony in the Green Room at Reynolda Hall.

Footnotes

Photos by Lyndsie Schlink

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FootNotes

Photos by Lyndsie Schlink