A.C. Reynolds

UNC Asheville will celebrate its annual Founders Day and Family Weekend festivities with a range of campus events September 18-21. Highlights this year include a dedication ceremony of A.C. Reynolds Green, cultural events, and "Back-to-Class" lectures by some of the University's most distinguished professors. Events are open to the public.

Founders Day will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, on the lawn behind Ramsey Library. The grassy campus crossroads will be dedicated as the A.C. Reynolds Green, in honor of one of the University's founders. Speakers during the brief program will include Erskine Bowles, UNC president; Anne Ponder, UNC Asheville chancellor; and Al Whitesides, UNC Asheville Board of Trustees chair. Refreshments will follow.

Reynolds, a Buncombe County native, began a 53-year career in education as a teacher at a one-room schoolhouse in Sandy Mush. After graduating from college, Reynolds taught for more than 12 years until he was appointed president of the former Rutherford College (1902-1905). He then became the superintendent of Buncombe County Schools (1905-1912) until he was tapped as president of Cullowhee Normal and Industrial School (1905-1912), now Western Carolina University. In 1920, he began service as the superintendent of Haywood County Schools (1920-1924) and later served a second term as superintendent of Buncombe County Schools (1926-1933).

Seeing a need in the local community for higher education, Reynolds set out to create a junior college as part of the county school system. With the support of Asheville civic leaders, Reynolds opened Buncombe County Junior College in the fall of 1927. The faculty elected Reynolds the first president of the college and during the next three years he led the school's first relocation and its transition to being part of the Asheville City School system. In 1936, Biltmore College was re-chartered as Asheville-Biltmore College, the name the college held until 1969 when it joined the UNC system as the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

UNC Asheville's Family Weekend events will be held September 19-21. Campus tours, community outings and special events are planned for parents and siblings. Friday highlights include an afternoon reception for families and their students to meet and chat with faculty and staff. The University's Distinguished Speaker Series will present "The Land of the Lightning Brothers," authentic Aboriginal storytelling, rock art, native percussion and didjeridoo music on Friday evening.

On Saturday morning, families will have a chance to meet and have coffee with Chancellor Anne Ponder. She will discuss her vision for the University. Later Saturday morning, parents will have the opportunity go back to class to hear award-winning faculty and talented staff lecture on a variety of topics. Sessions will include talks on the presidential election, the immigration debate, biodiversity, liberal arts, service-learning, the Smoky Mountain National Park and more.

On Sunday morning, UNC Asheville's Center for Jewish Studies Director Rick Chess will host a Jewish Affinity Brunch in the Dining Hall.

For more information about Founders Day or Family Weekend, call 828/232-5000.