​After reading the classic children's book to the students of Tia Wilson's second-grade class, Book also presented a check for $10,000 to ABSS Superintendent Bruce Benson. The donation represented the generosity of nearly 1,000 donors who contributed to the Honor President Book Drive that led up to Book's installation as Elon's ninth president. 

​"I'm very proud of the Elon community for raising $10,000 to make more books available to Alamance Burlington School System," Book said. 

Talking to the students as she made her way through "The Giving Tree," Book explained the importance of reading, noting that "If you can read, you can learn anything."

Book explained to the students that as a child, she spent hours and hours in the local library, seeking out books about "people who do exciting things," such as Amelia Earhart.

"Reading is magical," she said.  

The drive was just one of the many partnerships between the university and local schools. Elon students in the School of Education work with local students as part of their coursework and student teaching assignments, and programs such as the Elon Academy and The Village Project provide resources to help local students succeed in K-12 as well as in higher education. 

Halftime during Saturday’s Elon football game against the University of Richmond offered an opportunity for student-athletes and the Phoenix Club to show their appreciation for President Connie Ledoux Book, who was inaugurated at Elon’s ninth president on Thursday. 

The drive, launched in the days leading up to President Book’s inauguration, was an opportunity for donors to support the university and in turn local schools, with students of all ages benefitting from the generosity of the Elon community. Each of the books that will be donated will include a sticker noting that the gift was made in honor of President Book’s inauguration. 

During halftime, President Book took the field to applause as the Elon community continued its celebration of her official installation as Elon’s first female president. She was presented with a framed football jersey bearing her name and the number 9 as well as a custom Elon necklace. 

In a special video from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, student-athletes from across a range of sports offered words of welcome and congratulations to President Book.

Each athlete talked about why they are proud to be Elon student-athletes. Among the reasons were the bonds they form with teammates, the chance to be part of a rich athletic tradition at Elon and the opportunity to take part in programs such as study abroad. 

For its halftime show, Elon’s Fire of the Carolinas marching band performed songs picked out by President Book — “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, “Freezeframe” by the J. Geils Band, “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield and the theme to the movie “Rocky.”

Earthwork for the project, which is located next to the Koury Business Center, served as the backdrop for the celebration that offered a “thank you” for the 12 individuals and families who have contributed to make the Inn at Elon possible. 

“We firmly believe that the Inn at Elon will make a difference — a big difference — and will further advance Elon in its rise to national and, yes, world prominence,” said Elon parent and trustee Mark Mahaffey, who with his wife, Marianne, made the lead gift for the project. “We are so proud of this effort and look forward to the opening of this wonderful facility a year from now.”

An on-campus hotel and conference center is an idea Elon has been considering for close to two decades. The goal is to create a place that will attract alumni, parents and friends who come back for Elon for a wide variety of events including Homecoming, Family Weekend, Commencement, athletics events and performances. Having an inn on campus allows the university to offer nearby lodging for visiting scholars and speakers, prospective students, business recruiters and travelers. 

“Today represents the advancement of a very big idea that has been around for some time,” said Jim Piatt, vice president for university advancement, during the ceremony. “It represents inspired leadership, a great strategic plan and strategic thinking, some creative and integrative financing, and most importantly, the generosity of our university community.”

“This will position us to be able to share Elon’s story across higher education,” Book said. 

The Inn at Elon will be owned by the university and operated by Charlestowne Hotels. Revenue above operating expenses will be used to fund student scholarships, an innovative approach to expanding educational access and a model that adds to the Inn’s appeal, Book said. 

“That will give people a real sense of meaning when they stay there and are engaged with the students on this campus,” Book said. 

Donors honored at Saturday’s groundbreaking

Mark and Marianne Mahaffey P’97, P’01

Chris Martin ’78 and Nicolette Martin P’13

Jeanne and Jerry Robertson P’89, GP’17, GP’22

Connie Ledoux Book

Paul and Mindee Blanco P’19

Tom and Lynn Chandler

Michael and Marie DeStefano P’21

Sam and Vicky Hunt

Dave and Jen Porter P’11, P’19

John and Kristin Replogle P’18

Hal and Jackie Hawkey P’18, P’21

Gordon and Erin Kapes P’19 

Whitley Auditorium, which opened in 1924, served as the perfect setting for an event honoring Elon’s storied history and its modern achievements. Lauren Kearns, professor of dance and chair of the Department of Performing Arts, was the program’s artistic director and J McMerty ’00, director of Elon in Los Angeles and assistant professor of communications, served as producing director and film editor.

Attendees were greeted by the sounds of Ciara Graves ’20, aka DJ Graveheart, before hosts Claire Lord ’19 and Trés McMichael ’19 kicked off the program. The showcase included musical selections across a variety of genres and eras, including a rendition of “Amazing Grace” by Elon Gospel Choir Director Lana Logan, an original song by Lily Hain ’20 and vocal performances by music theatre majors McMichael, Kyra Gerber ’19, Gianni Palmerini ’22 and Skyler Reed Sajewski ’22.

Twisted Measure represented Elon’s a cappella groups, members of Delta Sigma Theta sorority demonstrated a step routine and Brandon Atwell ’19 performed a composition by Jon Metzger, professor of music and chair of the Department of Music.

The event was grounded in the performing arts but included plenty of history lessons throughout – like, for example, that the university’s original name was Bon Air College and was changed to Elon to avoid confusion with the Bon Air railroad stop in Virginia. Readings from “From a Grove of Oaks: The Story of ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ·,” written by Professor Emeritus of History and University Historian George Troxler, chronicled Elon’s founding, its first extracurricular organizations, the fire of 1923 and the transition from college to university.

The selections were narrated by Jo Watts Williams ’55, vice president emerita and professor of education emerita; Jana Lynn Patterson, associate vice president for student life and dean of students; Kim Shively, assistant professor of acting; and Jill Hollis ’13 G’17, assistant director of regional alumni engagement. Each reader also shared heartfelt messages of thanks to President Book – even a special guest representing Elon’s future.

McMerty said he and Kearns involved five generations of Elon women in the program in recognition of Book’s historic role as the university’s first female president. “We know that the opportunities we benefit from today are on the shoulders of those who came before us, who walked these bricks,” he said. “Tonight, we honor those from the past, celebrate where we are in the present and help dream of what our future holds.”

The nearly 30 families, individuals and businesses who helped make the 161,000-square-foot, 5,100-seat Schar Center a reality gathered on the arena floor for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to recognize their transformative gifts.

In her remarks to open the event, President Book recalled the origins of the Schar Center when work on Elon’s strategic plan was underway a decade ago. At that time, the vision was to create a facility where the entire Elon family could gather for convocations, commencement and athletic events. 

She recalled how at her inauguration on Thursday how powerful it was to walk up to the podium in the Schar Center, a place that had been just been a vision years ago. “I felt overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for our community’s vision and ability to execute,” Book said. “How powerful for our community to be gathered in one space yesterday celebrating Elon.”

Ed Doherty, chair of the Board of Trustees, also emphasized how impressive the Schar Center is and the impact it has on visitors who walk through its doors for the first time. “You cannot walk into this building without being awestruck,” Doherty said.

Book offered a specific thanks to Dwight and Martha Schar and their sons, Stuart ’16 and Spencer ’19, whose support was integral to the construction of Schar Hall, an expansion of the School of Communications that opened in 2016, and to Schar Center. “Because of their generosity and vision, we are standing today in a beautiful convocation center that bears their name,” Book said. “We are deeply grateful for your generosity and your outstanding commitment to the Elon community.”

The Schar Center will serve as a venue for convocations, speakers and other major campus events. It is the new home court for Elon’s basketball and volleyball teams, with triple the space of Alumni Memorial Gymnasium, and include a practice facility with two full courts, hospitality room, club-level seating and high-definition video boards.

Schar Center is also home to a video production suite that allows broadcasts of athletics events from venues around campus to be produced in one central location.

Along with serving as the venue of President Book’s inauguration on Thursday, an event that drew thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members, Schar Center will host the Harlem Globetrotters on Nov. 1. Elon’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will play their first home games in Schar Center next month, with each team hosting the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A “top-notch facility,” the Schar Center will forever have an impact on student-athletes and the entire Elon community by providing a common space for visitors to cheer on sports teams, listen to speakers, celebrate student accomplishments at commencement and a whole host of other types of events, Book said.

“What a stunning facility you’ve given us,” Book said to the donors.

Dave Blank, director of athletics, also offered his thanks to the donors, whose lead gift was crucial to building broader support for the project.

“With the Schars’ generosity, the project gathered momentum for many of you who are here today that allowed this to become a reality for us,” Blank said. “Today is our day. The impact of the Schar Center on our university and on our athletic department will be tremendous for years to come.”

Donors honored at Friday’s event

Dwight & Martha Schar

Howard & Beverly Arner

Reid & Suzanne Campbell

Tom & Lynn Chandler

Chandler Concrete

Sue Chinworth

Chip & Meg Clark

Mike & Mary Ellen Cross

The Curry Family

Jim & Joan Drummond

Wes & Cathy Elingburg

Allen & Denise Gant

Ken & Malinda Gill

Glen Raven, Inc.

Sam & Vicky Hunt

R. Samuel Hunt IV

Burney & Dina Jennings

Maurice Jennings, Sr.

Rich & Laurie Johnson

The Koury Family

Mark & Kelly McDonald

John & Emily McDonald

Furman & Susan Moseley

C. Ashton Newhall & Family

Zack & Britten Pund

Jeanne & Jerry Robertson

Michael & Angie Simon

Chris & Fran Teter

Grayson & Connie Whitt 

Encouraged by a drum line and welcomed to the Great Hall of the Global Commons building and the surrounding plaza by Elon’s cheerleading squad, those who attended the reception were optimistic about Elon’s future after attending President Book’s inauguration and listening to her address. “It was an honor to be a part of such a great event in Elon’s history,” said senior Diego Pineda. He added that while the event highlighted President Book’s journey, it also resonated with him as he prepares to embark on his own professional journey. 

Witnessing the inauguration of Elon’s first female president was particularly poignant for first-year Missy Sturtz. “I went to the inauguration today because it was the first female president in Elon’s history,” she said. “I’m very excited about what she will do.” 

”It’s a groundbreaking moment,” said alumnus David Campbell ’13, who serves as vice president of the Young Alumni Council. “It’s cool to be here and be part of the history of Elon in the flesh.” 

Senior Deirdre Kronschnabel enjoyed listening to the stories President Book shared about her upbringing and time at The Citadel. “They were a testimony to her ability to make connections and build relationships,” she said. 

For junior Liam Collins, the event was a perfect way to seal Book’s full transition as Elon’s ninth president. “This is an exciting time to be an Elon student,” he said. “I’m very excited for what’s to come.” 

Sophomore Jewel Tillman agreed. She said the event tied many of Book’s strengths to the history and values of the institution, something that gave her reassurance.

“What a day to be a Phoenix,” she said. 

The following address was delivered by Elon President Connie Ledoux Book during her inauguration ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018.

—

My heart is so full of thanks today in this beautiful new Schar Center, exactly as we had imagined as a gathering space. Just beautiful.

I have a deep appreciation for each of you, for this great university and its student-centered mission. ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ·’s story is one of aspiration, of reaching, of always becoming.

In 2015 I went on a professional journey of my own – an always-becoming journey – and left Elon to become the provost at The Citadel. While there, a faculty member shared the book, “Small Craft Advisory,” with me. “A must-read for any transplant Charlestonian,” he told me. 

The autobiography is by Charleston native Louis D. Rubin, an English professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who was considered one of the great scholars of Southern literature.

Rubin loved sailing. In 1937, at age 13, he got it in his head to build a boat and sail into the dangerous confluence of the Ashley River and the Atlantic Ocean. He didn’t have much money, so he rounded up discarded wood, nails, tar, and in just a few months, crafted a sailboat. 

The day he tested the waters, his mother watched, hands on her head, worried about her son, but not intervening. As he courageously navigated the rough waters and guided his boat to the calmer sea, he felt an overwhelming sense of power. At 13, he had learned the valuable lesson of having an idea, a dream, grabbing hold, not letting the naysayers or his own poverty stop him. He called it his Liberating Act.

He even capitalized that term in the book. A Liberating Act. 

As I read, I felt the strength of a dream realized, through hard work and effort – a lesson so powerful this young man would write about it more than 50 years later. I was so excited by what I had read that I stepped across the hall to General Rosa’s office to share the story.

When I explained Rubin’s concept of a Liberating Act, General Rosa pointed to the model of the stealth fighter, the F-117 Nighthawk, that he kept on a stand, and said, “Like the day I first climbed into that, leaving my wife and two sons behind.”

And I said, “Yes—like that.”

I was so moved by these moments of human courage, when people followed their minds and hearts that I started asking everyone, “what was your moment? What was your Liberating Act?”

This state of always becoming, where we grow to understand that our lives are a continual process of reaching ever higher, of learning and growing, our personal power, our choices, how we see the world and, ultimately, how we then decide to change it. 

Always becoming is Elon’s story – this great institution recognizing the strength of setting our own course, our own sails, a perpetual state of always becoming more, better, stronger.

Today, many of my colleagues from The Citadel are here and I am so grateful for the lessons about leadership I learned from them – for their constant guidance and support. 

I think of Ms. Eartha Brown, seamstress supervisor in the tailor shop, who on my first day measured me for my uniform, a 1954 Women’s Army Corps uniform. And trust me when I say this is a no-nonsense, no-frills, skirt and blouse.

So in an effort to modernize just a little, I asked Ms. Brown if I could have my skirt two inches above the knee. Without missing a beat she said, “No ma’am.” How about a little tighter here in the hips? “No ma’am.” Ms. Brown was taking the time to set me up for success. She knew that if I reported to my new duties wearing the general’s uniform incorrectly that my credibility would be diminished. She didn’t want that for me, for her or The Citadel. She was leading from her position. She was my teacher and I listened as I became. 

In fact, wearing my uniform correctly became a group activity. Everyone invested in my success so that nothing I was wearing could distract from the work we were trying to accomplish together. 

So thank you General Rosa, Ms. Brown, who is here today, all my uniform checkers. 

My own father and mother left impoverished Opelousas, Louisiana, in a Liberating Act, when they packed up the family station wagon in 1970. All nine children were in the car, including my newborn brother Paul, and we headed to Corvallis, Oregon, so my Dad could continue his education. That Liberating Act would change all nine of their children’s lives, forever better, forever richer, and all of our children’s lives. I am enormously proud and grateful that my parents faced their fear and in an act of courage pulled out of that driveway and pulled our futures forward. 

My father, who passed away in 2015, would have been so excited to be here today and be a part of these events. In fact, he’d be telling us all what to do at this very moment, wouldn’t he Mom? Please join me in welcoming my mother and all eight of my brothers and sisters who made that station wagon journey with me and have joined us today.

You see, I believe Liberating Acts break us out of the status quo. They do away with the expected and open wide the horizon to a bolder future that we hadn’t previously imagined. And yes, this state of always becoming helps us understand that the most meaningful part of our lives is not about the finish line.

The richness of life is in the next, the hope of becoming better, brighter, stronger, wiser. As F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in his first novel, “This Side of Paradise,” “It was always the becoming he dreamed of, never the being.” 

My own dreams of becoming started when my mom would pile us all into that same station wagon and head to the public library. The back bookshelf, lower third to the left in the children’s section, was my favorite. There were the biographies of courageous women: Amelia Earhart, Annie Oakley and Louisa May Alcott. Each had their own story of moving beyond the expected. 

Amelia Earhart, whose father’s alcoholism created fear and anxiety, so much so that flying into the unknown felt comfortable. As a result, she had the courage to do what no one had done before – fly the Atlantic and the Pacific. 

Annie Oakley’s father died young. Left in poverty, she began hunting at age six to feed her sisters and brothers. She became such a sharpshooter she would earn enough money to pay off her mother’s mortgage at age 15. And Louisa May Alcott, who taught herself to write with both hands so she could write for longer periods of time, publish more, feed and educate her family. From that service to her family sprang one of the world’s greatest literary accomplishments, “Little Women.” Not because she loved to write, but because she had to write.

And I have found those same inspiring stories here at Elon.

Many of you remember Isabella Cannon, Elon class of 1924. At age 96, she gave Elon’s Commencement address in 2000. 

During her long life, Isabella Cannon was always becoming. Born in Scotland, her family traveled to Alamance County so her father could work in the textile mills. The Great Depression changed her life and in a series of unexpected events her husband would enter diplomatic service that led them around the globe, to Liberia and Iraq. She was even in China when the Tiananmen Square uprising took place.

Then in her own story of always becoming, at age 73, widowed and without children, she aimed to be elected the first woman to serve as mayor of Raleigh. Her campaign slogan — “the little old lady in tennis shoes.” Against all odds, she won that election.

It was a grassroots effort, built on her strong belief that the community power of welcoming neighborhoods was the best ingredient for a successful city. In her Commencement address, Isabella Cannon told Elon graduates to embrace the unexpected opportunities in their lives. A great message.

Jump ahead to 2005, to Trustee Jeanne Robertson’s remarks to the graduating class, one of my favorite Commencement addresses. Prince Hussein of Jordan was scheduled to speak and a conflict arose. Jeanne embraced being the stand-in. She told the crowd that instead of a prince, they had a queen – 1963 Miss North Carolina. 

For those of you who don’t know Jeanne, she makes her living as a humorist, has a popular show on SIRIUS/XM radio and travels the world sharing her stories. She told Elon students that she had spent her life searching for good material, humor, the positive in everyday life. And she said when you go looking for good things, you find good things.

I still chuckle when I remember Jeanne describing her son Beaver’s time as an Elon student as “the six best four years of his life.” 

Earnest and striving, these are the stories of becoming that inspire me and this is ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ·’s story as well. 

Elon was established by the Christian Church in 1889, and you can still feel the legacy of our founders’ faith and principles here on campus. A faith that describes itself as united and uniting. Dynamic – always becoming and evolving, with greater understanding from life lessons.

Elon’s historian and professor of history, George Troxler, summed it up beautifully in his work, “From a Grove of Oaks: The Story of ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ·,” when he wrote that Elon’s powerful trajectory in higher education had not been from a single act or a single transformative financial gift. Instead Elon’s “commitment to community, openness to new approaches and a penchant for planning … have been essential…”

The broader effort of “we” versus “me”, the firmer foundation of collective action and change, advancing a new model of teaching and learning that celebrates engagement and relationships as the essential ingredients. This is Elon. A community of courageous and determined educators, dedicated to liberating acts and always becoming better.

One of the things I have so admired about each of you and Elon is, when faced with challenges, we get to it and work to improve, to listen to each other, and with our new understanding advance our community.

I was moved this semester when Don Chaplin and Andy Hunt, of Burlington, North Carolina, shared with me how they had witnessed firsthand that Elon commitment to our LGBTQIA students. That experience led them to make two generous gifts to support the students in those programs. In making this gift, Don remarked on not only the academic quality of the students and their Elon education but on their hearts as well and said, “These students are people who will make the world a better place.” I couldn’t agree more Don and Andy. Thank you for your inspired gift.

Dr. Earl Danieley, Elon’s sixth president, wrote about these Elon constant values and their intersection with teaching and learning in his inaugural address in 1958. He said, “great teaching is our high calling, and that “A liberal education must help a student to FIND themselves in concerns, causes and ideas which are more important than individual gain.”

In 1973, Dr. Fred Young, Elon’s seventh president, here with us with his wife Phyllis, also arrived on campus in a station wagon and through his 25 years as president, Dr. Young understood the importance of always becoming. He loved to say he had been president of “four different Elons.”

He led the effort to expand Elon’s admissions footprint, reimagine the campus master plan and invest in foundational buildings such as McMichael Science Center. He famously turned the parking lot in front of Alamance Building into Fonville Fountain. And he personally took a sledgehammer to start demolition of the power plant where Belk Library now stands. 

Now I’m sure that was a Liberating Act. 

In 1999, Dr. Leo Lambert, Elon’s eighth president, with his wife Laurie, here today, and two daughters, arrived in – you guessed it – a tried and true station wagon. Are we sensing a theme here? 

In his inaugural address a few months later, Leo reminded us that, “Elon is not a place of polar opposites, of either-ors. It is a place with a can-do spirit that seeks integration rather than separation.” President Lambert invested in academic excellence, establishing professional schools, expanding facilities, and sheltering a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa to advance Elon nationally. Critically, he also led growth in scholarships to create greater access to Elon for students of all backgrounds.

Presidents Danieley, Young and Lambert built this university on the foundation prepared by their predecessors and on the power of a committed community, a vision realized by Elon’s founder William Samuel Long, a college for the world, “firmly established in the hearts of the people.”

The trustees have provided remarkable leadership, challenging Elon to reach and then to reach again. You only have to spend a day on campus – their names appear on buildings and centers, programs and scholarships. They represent generations of families who believe so strongly in Elon that they invested personally their time and resources.

In truth, I can’t stop smiling when I think of each of you here today — trustees, faculty, staff, students and friends – of the enormous gifts you all contribute to Elon’s community.

And today, on this historic occasion for the university, I am pleased to announce a new gift: the establishment by Trustee Louis DeJoy and his wife Aldona Wos of a new series of scholarships that will open doors to an Elon education to students from Title I schools in neighboring Greensboro. 

This generous gift will establish the DeJoy-Wos Scholars in our Odyssey Program, and will grow to 12 full scholarships in a few short years. This dedication of personal resources by the DeJoy-Wos family represents the hope and confidence in an Elon education and in the future of our local communities. 

Louis and Aldona are creating opportunity where little was imagined through the power of education. Louis and Aldona – please stand so that we can thank you for this remarkable commitment in endowing new scholarships for our collective future.  

For 129 years, young men and women have come to this place to gain the education, experience, determination and spirit they need for a lifetime of growth. Elon graduates stand out. They are humble, hardworking, resilient and inspired to make an impact in the world.

I could tell you more than 33,000 stories of Elon alumni always becoming and achieving. But let’s settle on just one example. With us at the head of the Long Maroon Line today is Dr. Charles Kernodle. Dr. Kernodle, could you please stand?

Now Dr. Kernodle, Class of 1938 and 100 years young – Dr. Kernodle’s lifetime of becoming has included service as the U.S. Army chief surgeon in Germany during World War II. After the war, he returned to Burlington to establish Kernodle Clinic with his brother and cousin and he was always on call, providing family health care for generations. And that includes being the football team physician for our local Williams High School for nearly seven decades.

Dr. Kernodle continues to be always becoming. Thank you, Dr. Kernodle. 

On the strength of the mighty oaks for which Elon is named, and the people who stood in that grove and determined that a new college be built on this spot, I stand before you today as ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ·’s ninth president. Our strength for tomorrow depends on each of us – our dedication and our talents in support of Elon’s future – and our students’ futures. 

We will hold tight to our student-centered mission —to develop the mind, body and spirit—understanding that this is Elon’s foundational strength, captured in our motto, Numen Lumen.

We will deepen and advance our curricular and experiential offerings here at Elon and around the world – the mastery of powerful and ethical teaching against a backdrop of vibrant and innovative engagement; the teacher-scholar-mentor model that leads our nation in student success.

We will expand our facilities and programs in science, technology, engineering and math to advance entrepreneurial graduates prepared to solve the world’s most challenging problems. We will build upon our residential success and advance our relationship-driven model that transforms lives.

We will deepen our commitment to the Town of Elon, Alamance County and Greensboro.

From this diversity of people, from all walks of life, the collective energy and inspired wisdom of our community will be our powerful guiding lights. Elon, we are the people who will do the work with passion and compassion.

Today, we boldly embrace Elon’s future, knowing there is no endpoint to this journey of always becoming – each of us, always becoming. Elon, always becoming.

That’s who we are.

That’s why we soar. 

Long Live Elon!

Selected based on their ongoing commitment and involvement with the university, the alumni spent much of the day attending inauguration events held around campus, including an alumni luncheon, a special campus tour, a pop-up history display and community reception.

Many met President Book for the first time on Thursday and were excited to take part in such an important day in Elon’s history. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about Dr. Book,” said Renita Leak Webb ’04. “I am so happy to be a part of the inauguration of Elon’s first female president and such a phenomenal woman.”

Elon is where Meredith Citty ’14 grew into the teacher she is today, so participating in the Long Maroon Line means a lot to her.  

“I believe that being a part of the Long Maroon Line is a way that we can all celebrate the accomplishments that are achieved on this campus,” Citty said. “I’m excited to see how President Book continues to move Elon in a positive direction throughout her presidency.”

At age 100, Dr. Charles Kernodle, a member of the Class of 1938, led the line of alumni. After graduating, he served as a U.S. Army chief surgeon in Frankfurt, Germany, during World War II and then returned to Burlington, North Carolina, and established the Kernodle Clinic with his brother and cousin. For 35 years, he provided family health care. He also served as the football team physician for Williams High School in Burlington for nearly seven decades.

Kernodle, who began offering free physicals to Elon football players in 1949, was proud to be chosen to lead his fellow alums. “It’s an honor to be here at Elon,” he said. “I have always had a long association with Elon, especially athletics.”

Kernodle was the first person that Richard McGeorge ’71 warmly greeted when he arrived at Elon Thursday afternoon. McGeorge, a former Elon football and basketball player, was the 16th overall pick of the 1970 NFL draft and had a nine-year career with the Green Bay Packers. He’s come back to Elon several times since he graduated but supporting President Book at her inauguration was a definite highlight. “I’m excited and very proud for my family, for my friends and for Elon,” McGeorge said.

When Nolan Elingburg ’11 G’12 was a student at Elon, he was able to experience a class with Book, who was associate provost of academic affairs at the time. “Dr. Book taught me at Elon and I could not be happier to see her become the first female president in school history,” he said. “Today is a great day for our Elon community and university, and I know there will be many more to come during Dr. Book’s tenure.”

Brian Feeley, director of alumni engagement, thanked the 69 alumni at a luncheon prior to the inauguration. “In all of the diverse ways we seek to better ourselves in concert with others, we are Elon,” Feeley said, quoting Chaplin Emeritus Richard McBride who retired in 2009. “Each of us honoring each other’s contributions to create and recreate the Elon that will live long.”

Members of the “Long Maroon Line of Alumni”

Charlie Kernodle ’38 P’72
Mildred Johnson Erlacher ’49
Jim Drummond ’50
George Shackelford ’51
Phil Mann ’54
Mary Sue Colclough Mann ’55
George Nall ’56
Dick Simpson ’57
Don DeSarro ’58
Jim McCauley ’59
Don Blalock ’60 P’92
Glenda Isley Blalock ’61 P’92
Della Marie Vickers McKinnon ’62
Linda Clark Kelley ’63
Gail Hettel LaRose ’64
Bill Maness ’65
Nancy Turner Watson ’66
Sam Troy ’67
Bobbie Ippolito Morrison ’68
Sam W. Story, Jr. ’69
Wade Williamson ’70
Rich McGeorge ’71 P’00
David Moore ’72
Kathy Streeter Morgan ’73
Mark Smith ’74 P’07
Raymond Beck ’75
Daryl Ingold ’76
Dana Miller Hester ’77
Doug Cox ’78
Grayson Whitt ’79 P’08 P’09
King White ’80
Leon Proffitt ’81
Hunt Ward ’82 P’11
Ike Credle ’83
Tracey Walser Nugent ’84 P’15
Sue Hoggard Rich ’85
Darryl Smith ’86 P’21
Rick Barnes ’87
Patricia McDowell Brewer ’88 P’16
David Hibbard ’89
Karen Cain-Henderson ’90
Kathryn Frith Richardson ’91
Sallie Hutton Sistare ’92
John Denning ’93
Thad Gulliford ’94
Priscilla Awkard ’95
Trey Foy ’96
Rich Nowalk ’97
Lee Leckie ’98
Jenn Bonnell Nowalk ’99
Kristen Nastasia ’00
Charlie Cooper ’01
Joe Keener ’02
Christian Wiggins ’03
Renita Leak Webb ’04
Zack Pund ’05
Britten Ginsburg Pund ’06
Jeremy Allen ’07
Webb Bond ’08
Dorian Wanzer ’09
Brandon Helton ’10
Nolan Elingburg ’11 G’12
Hannah Wachtmeister ’12
Leslie Johnson ’13
Meredith Citty ’14
Allison Fox ’15
Sophie Ritter ’16
Philip Rodriguez ’17
Arielle Watkins ’18

¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ· officially installed Connie Ledoux Book as its ninth president on Thursday during a ceremony in the new Schar Center that spoke to Elon’s past and the future that lies ahead.

The inauguration ceremony followed the start of Book’s tenure on March 1 and is the focal point of a multiday celebration highlighting Elon’s academic excellence, alumni engagement and continued growth. Schar Center was filled with thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, community leaders and delegates from a broad range of colleges and universities as Elon marked the installation of the first female president in the institution’s 129-year history.

>> More information on Elon’s Inauguration website

In her inaugural address, Book described the importance of “always becoming” — as a student, as a professional, as a higher education leader and as a university. Drawing examples from her own life and from history, Book said that living a life marked by growth and always reaching higher can change how we see the world, and how we seek to change it.

“’Always becoming’ is Elon’s story — this great institution recognizing the strength of setting our own course, our own sails, a perpetual state of always becoming more, better, stronger,” Book said.

Joining in the 90-minute inauguration program were voices from Elon students, trustees, long-time leaders, faculty and staff. Processing with university leaders and faculty was the “Long Maroon Line of Alumni,” with representatives from 69 Elon graduating classes dating back to the 1930s. Eighty-four delegates representing 81 colleges, universities and organizations joined in the celebration in a show of support for Book as she undertakes the work ahead.

The presidential inauguration — Elon’s first since Leo M. Lambert was installed as Elon’s eighth president in 1999 — has provided the opportunity for members of the expansive Elon community to reflect on the institution’s values and assets, reconnect with one another and celebrate what the future holds as Book begins to leave her mark on the university.

Following an invocation by the Rev. Jessica Patchett ’05 and a performance of the national anthem by Josh Carswell ’11, Trustee Noel Allen ’69 offered a welcome to the crowded Schar Center, looking back on Elon’s history to the “men and women who dreamed when others doubted, and imagined a Phi Beta Kappa chapter when others just saw kudzu.”

“Today the baton is officially being passed from a legacy of great college presidents to a person whom I believe can be the greatest ever,” Allen said.

Faculty, staff and student representatives spoke to the values and spirit that the Elon community holds common. Elon is a diverse intellectual community made up of a “rich fabric of cultures, backgrounds and perspectives,” said Prudence Layne, associate professor of English and chair of the Academic Council.

“It is a time for us to recommit as a community to our shared values and to celebrate our unique and affirming community,” said Janet Rauhe, manager of Phoenix Card Services and chair of the Staff Advisory Council. “Those of us who walk these red bricks under mighty oaks aspire to create the finest learning community in the country.”

Student Government Association President Kenneth Brown Jr. challenged the crowd to express their excitement and support for the Elon community and for Book with their applause, noting that “as we look forward to a bright tomorrow, we the students, faculty and staff of ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ· say to you, President Book, that we stand with you.”

Offering Book’s introduction was retired Lt. General John W. Rosa Jr., president emeritus of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, who in 2015 brought Book, then associate provost at Elon, to the Charleston, S.C., institution to serve as its first female provost. He called hiring Book “one of our greatest achievements,” noting that she set the gold standard for her position and had a profound impact on The Citadel during her short tenure there.

Book stood out during her three years at The Citadel because of the way she grew as a leader, particularly as a person without a military background who stepped into the No. 2 position at a military college, Rosa said. As provost, she developed new academic programs including a nursing school, helped move faculty toward shared governance of the institution and expanded study abroad opportunities, he said.

That’s why, he said, when he thinks back on Book and her time at The Citadel, he is always drawn to the word “leadership.” He recounted how she overcame crisis and challenges during her tenure there with her unique insights and willingness to innovate, always eager to get her team on board.

“Connie Book made The Citadel a better place to work and live,” Rosa told the crowd. “She made me a better president. She loves students and is passionate about making their experience all that it can be. She embraced our faculty and our staff and built a dynamic team. I commend Elon on her selection and I am certain she will lead this wonderful institution with great skill for many, many years.”

In her remarks, President Book drew from her own personal and professional history, noting how throughout her life she has experienced or witnessed “liberating acts” that often propel people or institutions to strive higher. Book explained the phrase “liberating act” is drawn from “Small Craft Advisory,” a 1991 memoir by Charleston native Louis D. Rubin, that encapsulates those moments of bravery and courage when people follow their minds and hearts.

There was the decision by her parents to uproot their family of 11 to move from Louisiana to Corvallis, Ore., so her father could continue his education. “That liberating act would change all nine of their children’s lives, forever better, forever richer, and all of our children’s lives,” Book said.

Book explained that as a child, she read about others throughout history whose lives were changed by liberating acts, such as aviator Amelia Earhart, sharpshooter Annie Oakley and author Louisa May Alcott. These stories inspired her to seek her to strive to be more.

“You see, I believe liberating acts break us out of the status quo,” Book said. “They do away with the expected and open wide the horizon to a bolder future that we hadn’t previously imagined.

“And yes, liberating acts help us understand that the most meaningful part of our lives is not the finish line. The richness of life is in the next, the hope of becoming better, brighter stronger and wiser.”

The impact of these liberating acts are intertwined into Elon’s history, she said. There is Isabella Cannon ’24, whose life took her around the world as she explored various professions before being elected the first female mayor of Raleigh, N.C., at the age of 73. Cannon, whose Bible Book used as she was sworn in as Elon’s president, delivered Elon’s Commencement address in 2000 at the age of 96 and encouraged graduates to embrace the unexpected opportunities that come their way.

These stories continue to inspire, Book said, and reflect Elon’s own story. Consider the impact that Elon’s recent presidents — J. Earl Danieley, Fred Young and Leo M. Lambert — have had on the institution as it has deepened its commitment to teaching and learning, expanded its student body and campus and taken Elon to a higher plane of academic excellence while increasing access to what Elon has to offer, she said.

“This is Elon — a community of courageous and determined educators dedicated to liberating acts and always becoming better,” Book said. “One of the things I have so admired about each of you and Elon is when faced with challenges, we get to it and work to improve, to listen to each other, and with our new understand, advance our community.”

During her address, Book announced new gifts to Elon that will expanding access to an Elon education and allow students to take advantage of opportunities they may encounter during their time at Elon. A gift from Trustee Louis DeJoy and his wife, Dr. Aldona Wos, of Greensboro, N.C. for students from Guilford County. Don Chaplin and Andy Hunt of Burlington, N.C., that opened in 2013.

Looking ahead, Book believes the university must hold tight to its student-centered mission to develop the mind body and spirit. Elon will deepen and advance curricular and experiential offerings on its own campus and in locations around the world, she said.

“Our strength for tomorrow depends on each of us — our dedication and our talents in support of Elon’s future, and of our students’ futures,” Book said.

Elon will expand its facilities and programs in science, technology, engineering and math to create graduates who tackle the world’s most challenging problems with an entrepreneurial spirit, she said.

​

“From this diversity of people, from all walks of life, the collective energy and inspired wisdom of our community will be our powerful guiding lights,” Book said. “Today, we boldly embrace Elon’s future, knowing there is no endpoint to this journey, with each of us always becoming. Elon — always becoming.”

Preceding her remarks, Book was joined her children, Joe and Bella, as she took the oath of office using the Bible given to Isabella Cannon at her commencement by Elon’s fourth president, William A Harper. Ed Doherty, chair of the Elon Board of Trustees, delivered the oath, noting that “your first responsibility is always to students, that they may engage deeply in an Elon education and prepare to be changemakers.”

Sworn in, Book was presented with the presidential medallion that she will wear at formal academic and ceremonial occasions by trustees Lauren Brown ’17 and Ed Moriarty P’15, P’18. The medallion was crafted for Book by Graham Newton, a gemologist and designer in Louisville, Kentucky. The large medallion is plated in 18-karat gold over bronze and features Elon’s seal surrounded by 44 Mozambique garnets. The chain contains rectangular plates with the names of each of Elon’s previous eight presidents, two discs with the four values of Elon’s Honor Code — honesty, integrity, responsibility and respect — and four discs with the all-seeing eye and lamp symbols from the seal along with the words of Elon’s motto, Numen Lumen.

During the ceremony, Schar Center was filled with the voice of Elon alumnus Josh Carswell, a member of the Class of 2011, who led the crowd in the singing of the National Anthem and the Elon Alma Mater, while also delivering a rendition of “What a Wonderful World,” accompanied on piano by Tyson Hankins, university accompanist and instructor in music.

Representing Elon’s 33,500 alumni, Michelle Wideman Snavely ’00 presented Book with a copy of the original, handwritten charter of Elon College. “This historic document reminds us of our deep roots and our founders’ vision to grow the branches of this mighty oak ever higher,” said Snavely, who serves as alumni president. “In offering this gift of Elon’s charter, we place in your hands our trust and the future of this institution that we love.”

Following a performance of Elon’s alma mater, Jo Watts Williams ’55, vice president and professor emerita, and Brown offered a closing, looking ahead at what is to come as Elon moves forward with a new president at the helm.

“President Book, we look forward to doing great things along with you in the years ahead,” Brown said. “Today, our hearts are bursting with pride and optimism about the future to come.”

Williams explained that so much has changed about Elon’s campus since she began her studies in 1945, but the people and the core principles that guide them have remained constant. They are humble, hardworking, generous kind, take care of each other and love Elon, she said. 

“After witnessing more than seven decades of growth and change at Elon, I feel a great sense of pride and anticipation as we begin this next chapter in Elon’s unique story,” Williams said. “Open your minds and dream big, Elon. We are just gettings started.”

Visitors to Moseley Center perused 129 years of Elon’s unique and transformative history during the exhibit, which is open again from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday. Portraits of each of the university’s nine presidents are on display, along with photographs, writings and other artifacts from their periods of leadership.

The exhibit charts Elon’s growth in academic excellence, athletics and campus development, featuring archived items such as a course catalog from founding president William S. Long’s tenure, minutes from an 1893 faculty meeting under William W. Staley, a football from a winning game against Guilford College in 1941 and a press release announcing the presidency of J. Earl Danieley in 1957.

Chrystal Carpenter, coordinator of university archives and special collections and assistant librarian, and other library staff are on hand to answer questions. “The pop-up exhibit features a brief history of each presidency highlighting key events that shaped Elon from its founding, to the [1923] fire, to World War II to the exciting growth and transformation of Elon under Presidents Danieley, Young, Lambert and the historic nature of Dr. Book’s presidency,” Carpenter said.

​Alumni and delegates from other colleges and universities also had the opportunity to join student guides on walking tours of the campus. Bob Patterson, a delegate representing the University of Pittsburgh, and wife Trish have lived in Graham, North Carolina, for 21 years and have watched Elon grow tremendously in that time.

“When we moved here we thought it was quaint and beautiful, but it’s really transformed into a striking campus,” Bob Patterson said. “The programs have also achieved national recognition, so the prominence of the university has grown with the campus.”

Elon has evolved significantly since Lauren Ridgway graduated in 2000, when the university was Elon College. She’s visited a few times since then, but said she’s particularly happy to be back for today’s historic inauguration.

“My class was [President Emeritus] Fred Young’s last graduation, so the campus has changed a lot since then,” Ridgway said. “I’m excited for what’s next. I can’t wait to hear what President Book has to say this afternoon.”