{"id":70753,"date":"2025-09-14T09:53:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T13:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=70753"},"modified":"2025-09-28T12:29:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T16:29:21","slug":"founders-week-2025-celebrates-139-years-of-history-and-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/09\/founders-week-2025-celebrates-139-years-of-history-and-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Founder\u2019s Week 2025 celebrates 139 years of history and community"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Exterior of Old Main, circa 1900s. Photo courtesy of the UTC Library.<\/p><\/div>\n

Every September, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga commemorates its beginning with Founder\u2019s Week\u2014a campuswide celebration of the first day in the University\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

On Sept. 15, 1886, Chattanooga University opened its doors with seven faculty members and 118 students. The University became the Chattanooga campus of Grant Memorial University in 1889 and adopted the name University of Chattanooga in 1907. That name remained until 1969, when the private University of Chattanooga merged with Chattanooga City College and joined the University of Tennessee system to become the institution known today as UTC.<\/p>\n

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Click here to learn more about Founder\u2019s Week 2025<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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This year\u2019s Founder\u2019s Week takes place Sept. 15-19, marking UTC\u2019s 139th anniversary with a calendar of events focused on celebration, reflection and service.<\/p>\n

A centerpiece of the week is the Annual Service Awards Luncheon, taking place Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Wolford Family Athletic Center. A total of 194 employees will be recognized for career milestones, with awards presented in five-year increments starting with the fifth year of service.<\/p>\n

Among this year\u2019s honorees are 42 employees who have reached at least 25 years of service with the University.<\/p>\n

Chancellor Lori Bruce, who is experiencing her first Founder\u2019s Week at UTC, described the luncheon as an opportunity to recognize the people who define the University.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat truly defines UTC? It\u2019s the faculty and staff whose hard work, passion and commitment shape the experiences of our students every single day,\u201d Bruce wrote in a recent C-Note to campus. \u201cI am grateful for all you do to make this University such a special place.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Founder\u2019s Week schedule offers events that bring together students, faculty, staff and alums:<\/p>\n