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What is Founder's Day? The 26th annual celebration kicks off on Tuesday, November 13th

November 09, 2018

Celebrating Founder's Day in period attire

On Tuesday, November 13th, you may notice groups of people around campus in various costumes from decades past.

Since 1993, the history department has annually celebrated the first president of Roanoke College, David F. Bittle, with a Founder’s Day celebration on or around his birthday on November 19th.

Bittle was a founder of the initial iteration of Roanoke College in 1842, then called the Virginia Institute. He left for a stint in Maryland in 1845 but returned in 1853 to serve as the first president of the newly chartered Roanoke College, presiding until his sudden death in 1876. He expanded campus considerably and oversaw enrollment growth from 38 to 171 students during his tenure.

Founder's Day is a student-focused tradition and participation from the entire campus is welcomed. There are three events that take place on Founder’s Day:

  • The first is a bonfire that is hosted on the Back Quad. Students and faculty sing the Alma Mater and enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides. The bonfire will begin at 6:45 p.m.
  • After the bonfire, President Maxey will lead a torch lit parade from the horse-drawn carriage to the founder's grave. Prof. Mark Miller will give a brief history of Bittle and those who are buried in the cemetery. The procession will leave from the Back Quad for the cemetery promptly at 7:30 p.m.
  • Following the procession is the celebration! This year, the Bittle Bash will take place in the Logan Gallery of the Bank Building, where everyone will gather to sing karaoke and celebrate David Bittle's birthday from 9 until 11 p.m.

The event is open to everyone and it continually builds a deep understanding of the history of Roanoke College. Please visit the event page for this year's Founder's Day for information.