Francis Marion honors founding faculty and staff

Francis Marion University kicked off the celebration of its 50th anniversary year Wednesday, Oct. 23 with a dinner honoring its founding faculty and staff.

The Founders’ Dinner was held at the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence. 

More than 20 members of the original staff and faculty that shepherded FMU through its fledgling years attended the event. The honorees heard from former provost Dr. Richard Chapman and current FMU President Dr. Fred Carter, watched a video presentation, and received a handsome commemorative art piece depicting the campus plaque that bears their names. 

Of course, much of the evening was spent catching up on old times.

Click here for more photos from the event.

The 50th anniversary celebration will continue with Doug’s Day, a celebration of FMU’s founding president, Dr. Doug Smith and the university’s first founder’s day celebration, on Nov. 14 at the Griffin Athletic Complex. The event will feature food, fun, fellowship for the entire FMU community, and a concert by the one and only Edwin McCain.

Doug’s Day is free and open to the public.

Other upcoming events include the annual community Christmas party in early December; FMU’s homecoming on Feb. 1, featuring members of the University’s five national championship athletic teams; a special all-FMU concert by the Florence Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 10; and a grand gala on April 7 at the FMU Performing Arts Center.

The gala will honor FMU’s legacy of providing access to exemplary education in the region and the state, and will also help pave the way for its future. Proceeds from the event will support the University’s First Generation Fund initiative, which provides resources to support first generation college students attending FMU.