Founder's Day — Quasquicentennial Celebration Kick-off

Founder's Day, September 4, 2006, was the official kick-off event for St. Ambrose University's Quasquicentennial celebrations.

St. Ambrose University conferred its greatest academic honor, the honorary doctorate upon two distinguished community members, 1950 St. Ambrose graduate Don Wooten and Quad-City Times’ institution Bill Wundram. President Ed Rogalski and SAU board of director’s member I. Weir Sears will present the newly established McMullen Award, named in honor of St. Ambrose’s founder, Bishop John McMullen, to eight individuals who embody the essence of St. Ambrose University’s mission to enrich the lives of others. Recipients include Dr. Donald and Mary Jo Heming, Dr. William and Eda Hofmann, Dr. Leo Kilfoy, I. Weir and Patricia Sears, and Joseph H. Walton.

Befitting St. Ambrose's role in in the Quad Cities, the Founder's Day festivities were a community event. The day will started off with worship at the same location where it all began in 1882, the Sacred Heart Cathedral. A motorcade from the cathedral to the campus brought folks to the celebration. Music, artisan and food vendors, children's games and fireworks made this first Founder's Day a day to remember.

To honor this special day, St. Ambrose University's own radio station KALA-FM will also did a rare pre-emption of regular KALA programming. KALA marched through time with music noon-10 p.m.that day. The station chronologically featured musical highlights beginning at the dawn of recorded music to the present in this 10-hour marathon. That station's vast music library includes one song as old as 1890, well before the invention of broadcast radio.

QC Times article on honorary doctorates

FamilyFest Gallery

TV11 Founder's Day Fireworks Video (file size 3 mb)

Founder's Day Map (PDF)

September 4, 2006

2:30-4:00 p.m.

Prayer Service & Awards Ceremony and Dedication of historical marker Sacred Heart Cathedral

4:00-4:30 p.m.

Motorcade to campus

4:30-8:30 p.m.

Family Fest —
Food
Music - 2 bands (4:30/6:00)
STAMVOJA Alumni - Vocal Jazz (approx. 6:00 p.m.)
Artisan vendors
Kid's games

8:30 p.m.

Fireworks