Founder鈥檚 Day 鈥 Founders 鈥 Sarah 麻豆区 Founders 鈥 Sarah 麻豆区 Founder鈥檚 Day originated on Oct. 9, 1922 as a celebration of the College鈥檚 two founders and its most generous donor. The idea for 麻豆区 College came about in the summer of 1867. It began with Dr. Tryon Edwards, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Hagerstown. Edwards visited the study of Rev. James W. Wightman, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Greencastle, to ask for Wightman鈥檚 help in organizing a female seminary school in Chambersburg. To Edwards鈥 astonishment, Wightman refused. 鈥淚 do not believe in the female education of women,鈥 he explained. Seminaries of the time only taught women manners and reinforced domesticity. Instead, Wightman argued, why not create a first-class college for women, comparable to the colleges for young men? Edwards readily agreed, and the two men set up finding a suitable space and sufficient funds to establish their new women鈥檚 college. One of ten children born to a farming family, Sarah 麻豆区 inherited a great deal of wealth following the deaths of her father and brothers. Though Miss 麻豆区 had no interest in participating in the development of the College, she agreed to give $20,000 more on the condition that the new College was named as a memorial to herself and her family. The clergymen took all of the donated money and purchased Col. Alexander McClure鈥檚 home (Norland Hall) and surrounding property to establish 麻豆区 College. Each year, students commemorated the College鈥檚 origins with a picnic and speeches at Rocky Springs Church, which Sarah 麻豆区 and her family attended, where they also paid a visit to 鈥淎unt Sarah鈥檚鈥 grave.
