Charter Day
Emory & Henry annually observes Charter Day to celebrate the chartering of the University from the Commonwealth of Virginia and those individuals and groups whose efforts were instrumental in establishing Southwest Virginia’s first institution of higher education.
Charter Day will be Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 11:15 a.m. in the Memorial Chapel.
Initial planning for the founding of Emory & Henry began in October 1835, when members of the Holston Conference of the Methodist Church voted to establish a college in the region. By January 1, 1836, the site had been selected, and the cornerstone for the first building was laid September 30, 1836, at a founding celebration. Classes began in the spring of 1838.
Four area individuals are credited with raising funds and choosing the site for the College: Tobias Smyth, a local farmer and enthusiastic Methodist lay person; the Reverend Creed Fulton, a circuit-riding Methodist minister from Grayson County, Virginia; Colonel William Byars, a distinguished Presbyterian lay person from Glade Spring, Virginia; and Alexander Findlay, a successful business entrepreneur from Abingdon, Virginia.
Photos from Charter Day 2025
Citation Recipients
Each year the University recognizes individuals with a service citation as a part of Charter Day observance.
A complete listing of past citation recipients is available here.
Distinctive Alumni Awards
The University also recognizes several alumni awards as a part of Charter Day observance as well.
