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, Elon University 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.