Pepperdine University Honors George Pepperdine's Courageous Vision at Founder's Day

The Pepperdine University community gathered to celebrate Founder’s Day, an annual tradition to honor George Pepperdine, the University’s founder, and the fruits of his vision now 89 years later. Held Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at Firestone Fieldhouse, the event welcomed a full crowd of students, faculty, alumni, staff, and friends of Pepperdine to also commemorate the start of a new academic year. 

Dee Anna Smith (’86), Board of Regents chair, opened the proceedings by sharing George Pepperdine’s life story. From Kansas City farmlands, at just 23 years old Pepperdine founded the Western Auto Supply Company. Soon the intial five-dollar investment Pepperdine placed in his mail-order car parts venture rose into a million dollar business. He took this unprecedented success and selflessly dedicated it to founding the origional George Pepperdine college in 1937, an institution committed to providing students with a top-tier education and a firm foundation of Christian values. 

Dee Anna Smith

“No matter how much this university grows, we are determined to never forget who we are, where we come from, and the courage it took to begin it,” said Smith. “Instead, Pepperdine staked [his fortune] on something that did not yet exist—a University guided by faith, rich with opportunity, and committed to educating not just leaders, but servant leaders, men and women who would follow in his footsteps and use their wisdom, their skill, and their success to lift up others. My friends, that takes courage.” 

Smith then highlighted key University developments, including the opening of the brand-new Student Center at the Mountain at Mullin Park, the launch of the Kyoto international program, and the installation of an on-campus Golf Clubhouse for Waves golfers to refine their athletic craft. She also celebrated the launch of the For Greater Purpose campaign, which continues George Pepperdine’s vision of equipping students to uncover their God-given callings and preparing them to make lasting impacts thereafter. 

Introduced by Emily Espinosa, Pepperdine Student Government Association (SGA) president, Jim Gash (JD ’93), Pepperdine president and CEO, paid homage to the University’s enduring legacy. Gash observed that George Pepperdine traveled from the Midwest to the golden coast of California “to follow the call,” displaying significant courage in investing in such an ambitious dream. 

Gash then announced “Courage” as the presidential theme of the academic year. Acknowledging the courage required to follow a greater purpose, Gash referenced the late poet, Wendell Berry, who famously wrote that a good life often involves investing in what will outlast us: “a life well lived often looks like planting sequoias.” 

Pepperdine faculty

“My hope is that today we would not only celebrate and remember the legacy of George Pepperdine, but through that legacy, looking around us, recognize how immense it is,” Gash said. “My hope is that we would answer the call his life leaves for us—a call to selfless service, a call to courage, to do the right thing even when, and especially when it is a costly thing, a call to live lives of greater purpose. If we are courageous enough to answer that call, perhaps generations from now, others will look back at what we chose to plant right here and be grateful that we did.”

Continuing a treasured tradition, following Gash’s remarks, a reading of George Pepperdine’s original dedicatory address from September, 1937, was performed by five student representatives from the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, the Graziadio Business School, the Caruso School of Law, the School of Public Policy, and the College of Health Science at Pepperdine.

Attending members of George Pepperdine’s family were recognized during the event, including granddaughter, Nancy Pepperdine Batanides ('92, MA '93), and her husband, Jason; and great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Pepperdine Post, along with her husband, Adam, and their son, Dylan. 

Distinguished guests in attendance, including the Board of Regents, the University Board, distinguished faculty emeriti, and the Crest Advisory Board, among many others, were also celebrated for their dedication to advancing the University's founding mission. Ceremonial marches by alumni from each decade since the 1930s took place, as well as by international student representatives from the 20 different nations with students currently enrolled at the institution. Moving musical performances were provided by the Pepperdine Concert Choir and Orchestra.  

The event closed with words from Jay Brewster, provost and chief academic officer, who encouraged students to walk boldly ahead in the greater purposes God has bestowed upon each of them. As the University begins its 89th year in a world that has changed drastically since 1937, Brewster remarked that the Pepperdine community can still find the vision of our founder as both enduring and compelling. 

“Each academic year brings a new season, new opportunities, and a new chapter in the life of this university and your story, and it begins today,” Brewster said. “May God bless the work we do together as a university, shining a bright light on His truth, which guides our steps forward.”

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Photo Credit:

All images courtesy of Ron Hall, University photographer