Pepperdine Celebrates 87 Years of Legacy and Vision at Founder's Day 2024
On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, Pepperdine University celebrated its annual Founder's Day, an event that not only honors the legacy of founder George Pepperdine but also serves as an empowering start to the academic year. Held at the Firestone Fieldhouse on the Malibu campus, the event was filled with inspiring speeches, musical performances, and moments of reflection on the University’s history and future.
Dee Anna Smith
Alumna and chair of Pepperdine’s Board of Regents Dee Anna Smith (’86) opened the ceremony, acknowledging the alumni, special guests, and dignitaries filling the room, and gave special recognition to the students. "Founder's Day never fails to make my heart beat a little faster when I see the energy that’s collected in this room—our alumni, our special guests, but most of all, our students." Smith emphasized the importance of the event in renewing the Pepperdine spirit, reminding the audience of the values and vision that drove George Pepperdine to found this university 87 years ago. She also reflected on the enduring influence and the collective mission that drives the University forward. "Founder's Day inspires us to carry those timeless values into our classrooms, throughout campus, and into communities far and wide, all in service to our God and our neighbors," Smith said.
The event featured an alumni procession featuring alumni representatives from each decade spanning from the 1930s through the 2020s. The ceremony also included a march of nations, a display of Pepperdine’s international presence as student representatives from 20 different nations processed through the room, celebrating the University’s global reach.
March of Nations
Introduced by Seaver College student and president of Pepperdine’s Student Government Association Myers Mentzer, president Jim Gash (JD ’93) took the stage and remarked on the University’s bold future, sharing his optimism for the University’s development in the years to come. "I’m convinced that the next 87 years of Pepperdine will be years where we discover—in ways neither we, let alone George Pepperdine, could ever have imagined—just how beautiful and thriving a place Pepperdine can be.” He also reminded the audience that the University’s success relies on the choices made by every member of the community. "Your decision to live out your calling in your daily life on campus is what determines who we are as a university," explained Gash. “Whether you become a person of excellence and character shapes what Pepperdine will become.”
Four students took turns reading portions of George Pepperdine’s 1937 dedicatory address, one of the Pepperdine community’s most cherished Founder’s Day traditions. This was followed by a moving performance of “God of Our Fathers” by the Pepperdine Orchestra and Concert Choir.
Jay Brewster
Provost Jay Brewster brought attention to the University’s mission and reflected on what he believed would have been most important to Pepperdine’s founder. "Within all the accolades available to note for Pepperdine, I think what would be most important to George Pepperdine would be our embrace of a Christ-centered mission, our embrace of the big questions of meaning and purpose, and the example we offer the world," shared Brewster. He called on the Pepperdine community to carry this legacy and purpose into the world. “May your example shine brightly this year, and may God challenge you with good work,” he said.
The event concluded with a powerful rendition of the University’s alma mater performed by the Pepperdine Concert Choir.
Those who were unable to attend in person may view a recording of the livestream of the event on the Founder’s Day website.