Elon will host two events commemoration this fire of 1923 this week — a special College Coffee on Tuesday, Jan. 31 and a Campus Conversations event on Friday, Feb. 3.
This year, Ʒ is commemorating the resilience and rebuilding of the institution after the 1923 fire destroyed its Administration Building and threatened the young college’s future. Themed “Rising from the Ashes: A Century of Innovation,” Elon is planning a series of commemorative events for the university and local community to learn more about the legacy of the 1923 fire.
On Tuesday, Jan. 31, a commemorative College Coffee will be held in McKinnon Hall at 9:40 a.m. Guests can enjoy fun giveaways along with commemorative breakfast items. Activities such as a spinning wheel, raffle and trivia will also be at the College Coffee.
On Friday, Feb. 3, a Campus Conversation on “Developing Individual and Community Resilience” will be held at McKinnon Hall at 2 p.m. The discussion will use the Elon fire and the Rosewood Massacre — both occurred in January 1923 — to spark a conversation about building resilience on our campus and in our communities. Elon faculty and staff Lorraine Ahearn, Heather Barker, Jessica Carew, Rod Clare, Naeemah Clark, Vanessa Drew-Branch and Randy Williams will be featured in the session.
On Wednesday, Jan. 28, the 100th anniversary of the fire, Elon kicked off the yearlong commemoration with a community breakfast honoring firefighters and Alamance County leaders.
For the full list of 1923 Fire Centennial Observances, visit the 1923 Commemoration webpage.