DePauw 175th anniversary celebration begins Tuesday

Banners marking the 175th anniversary of DePauw University's founding went up in downtown Greencastle recently.

A celebration of the 175th anniversary of DePauw University's founding will begin Tuesday, Jan. 10 with a reception in the Great Hall of the Judson and Joyce Green Center for Performing Arts at DPU.

The 90-minute event will begin at 5 p.m., marking the 175th anniversary of the approval of the university's charter by the Indiana General Assembly (occurring Jan. 10, 1837).

"The DePauw community and its many friends will gather on the very day this institution's rich history began being written," Steve Setchell, chairman of the 175th anniversary committee and director of corporate and foundation relations at DePauw, said.

"This will be a time for us to get together to remember and reflect on our origins and to celebrate what DePauw is today and how the college continues to positively impact the nation and the world."

Created as Indiana Asbury and named in honor of Bishop Francis Asbury (1745-1816), the first American bishop of the Episcopal Methodist Church, the "seminary of learning" was founded "for the benefit of the youth of every class of citizens, and of every denomination, who shall be freely admitted to equal advantages and privileges of education," according to the charter approved by the Indiana General Assembly.

The document also refers to "an extensive university or college institution ... to be conducted on most liberal principles, accessible to all religious denominations and designed for the benefits of the citizens in general."

Tuesday's program will feature remarks from President Brian W. Casey, the presentation of a proclamation by Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray, and a performance by the DePauw Choir.

The public is invited to the program, and refreshments will be served.

"There are very few colleges and universities in the United States with the depth and breadth of accomplishment and history that DePauw has," Casey, the university's 19th president, noted.

"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 18 months will be a time to remember DePauw -- and to reflect on how this college can become even greater in the years to come."

The 175th anniversary celebration will continue for 18 months, through the June 2013 Alumni Reunion Weekend.

Other planned festivities include an Alumni Lecture Series, regional alumni events, special musical and theater performances, historical exhibits and an interactive 175th anniversary Internet page, a student-planned festival and academic departmental events.

Additional 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 events:

Feb. 19 -- Vernon E. Jordan Jr. (Class of 1957) will launch the 175th Anniversary Alumni Lecture Series. The programs, which will continue over the course of the 18-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 -- Alumni Reunion Weekend will coincide with the 175th anniversary of Indiana Asbury University opening its doors to its first students.

Oct. 1-5 -- Student Life 175th Anniversary Festival, which will include a student-produced play on DePauw's early history.

Oct. 5-6 -- Old Gold Weekend. DePauw's traditional homecoming, celebrated since 1907, will focus on 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.