Campus Life

Oglethorpe Day 2014 welcomes Arthur Blank & Freddie the Falcon

One of the university’s most cherished annual traditions, Oglethorpe Day  honors our namesake, James Edward Oglethorpe. Usually held in February, Oglethorpe Day commemorates the anniversary of General Oglethorpe’s arrival in the new world in Savannah, Ga. In 2014, the scheduled Oglethorpe Day was snowed out, so the festivities were rescheduled for a bright and sunny day, April 2. (Not so bad, as it turned out!)

Each year, the celebration kicks off with the Petrels of Fire race—Oglethorpe students race around the quad in hopes of making a full lap before the carillon bells’ twelfth and final chime. Feel the thrill of this year’s race:

Then the crowds process down to the Conant Performing Arts Center to hear from a special guest speaker. This year, we welcomed Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. President Larry Schall’s conversation with Mr. Blank touched on business, family, philanthropy—and football, of course.

So, although Oglethorpe Day was a few months late, it was certainly no less exciting—just take a look at the photos below, including Petey’s special guest, Freddie, the Atlanta Falcons’ mascot:

2014 Oglethorpe Day

Print Friendly, PDF & Email