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Founders Week

Celebrating the Anniversary of the Founding of Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥

Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ and Theological Seminary is an institution founded by women and was the first to educate women. Join us in celebrating our alumnae, students, and the generations to come.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating Founders Week 2024! Mark your calendars for next year—Founders Week 2025 will be held Friday, March 7 through Saturday, March 8.

Schedule

Friday, March 22, 2024

Morning Tea with First Lady Lea Grigsby P’22, P’26 (invitation only)
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location: Peter Hall, Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus of Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥

Join First Lady Lea Grigsby P’22, P’26 for morning tea and refreshments, plus a presentation by local author Anne Supsic on the history behind her book, The Bookmark, which tells the story of Marquis de Lafayette and his relationship with a Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ single sister.

Exhibit Tour with Cory Dieterly
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Location: Payne Gallery, Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus of Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥
Who: All are welcome, no registration is necessary.

Alumni are invited on a tour of the exhibit "Three Hundred Years: The Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Legacy of Education, Community, and Tradition (1724-2024)," which commemorates the Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥s' 300-year commitment to education, beginning with the renewed Church’s first school for children, established in Herrnhut, Germany in 1724, to present-day Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ in Bethlehem, PA. The exhibition will feature a variety of objects and artifacts illustrating Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥'s dedication to education and tradition, including antiquities, books, manuscripts, musical instruments, artwork, and rarely-seen archival photographs. The exhibition will also feature didactic material allowing visitors to learn more about the Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Church's educational philosophy and various traditions (expressed through music, food, and festivities) that unite the spirits of persons from globally disparate Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ communities. This exhibit was curated by Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ and Seminary Archivist and Assistant to the Library Director, Cory Dieterly.

Anna Nitschmann Society Reception hosted by President Bryon and Lea Grigsby ’90, P’22, P’26  (invitation only)
Time: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Location: Frueauff House
Who: Members of the Anna Nitschmann Society

President Bryon and Mrs. Lea Grigsby ’90, P’22, P’26 will host a meet-and-greet reception with our two scholarship recipients.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Founders Forum
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Center for Health Sciences

Join us for our inaugural symposium celebrating Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ women and providing continuing professional development for students, alumnae, and friends of Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ who identify as women.

• 9 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
• 10 a.m. Keynote Address with Q&A
• 11 a.m. First Professional Development Breakout Session
• 12 p.m. Lunch and Networking
• 1:30 p.m. Second Professional Development Breakout Session
• 2:45 p.m. Ending Celebration and Book Signing

Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ the Founders Week Graphic

The Founders Week graphic represents select women who have helped shape our beloved Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ throughout the years. From left to right, the women pictured are:

Benigna Von Zinzendorf

Von Zinzendorf is the founder of the girl’s school in Germantown, PA on May 4, 1742. It moved to Bethlehem seven weeks later, relocated to Nazareth in 1745, then returned permanently to Bethlehem in 1749. There were 25 pupils at the school, and they were taught reading, writing, religion, and household arts. The girl's school, which is now Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥, was the first boarding school for girls in the 13 British American colonies.

Caroline Cameron Lockhart

Enrolled at Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ in 1888, Lockhart's diversified career included work as an investigative reporter, journalist, editor, newspaper owner, novelist, activist, historian, horsewoman, rancher, and homesteader. While at Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥, she was caught dangling out of a second-story window in a harness designed for a fire escape that she tried on as a dare!

A. Kathrine Miller ’34

Miller taught biology at Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ from 1936-1941 before receiving her Ph.D. in bacteriology from Cornell University. In the late 1940s, she developed the drug Caronomide, which led to the development of antibiotics and other drugs used in chemotherapy. The A. Kathrine Miller Super Lab on Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥'s campus was dedicated in her honor in 2015.

Jennifer Jimenez ’14

Jimenez is a lifelong learner. She completed her degree as a single mom working 50+ hours a week. Embracing the Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ community, Jiminez has continued to stay involved by volunteering for the Career Center, attending alumni events, being a part of the Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Alumni and Parent Program, and serving as secretary of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

Â鶹ÊÓƵֱ²¥ encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have any questions regarding physical accessibility, please contact the Alumni Engagement Office at 610 861-1366 at least one week prior to this event.