Founders Day Brings Clarke Community Together
On Monday, October 5th, 2026, Clarke celebrated Founders Day. Students, faculty, and staff came together to honor Clarke’s history. Founders Day celebrated the university's core values and recognized the legacy of Clarke’s original founder, Mary Frances Clarke. Everyone was seen enjoying cupcakes, taking photos, and celebrating together. The day offered the Clarke community a chance to reflect on where the university came from and the values that have continued to shape it for more than 180 years.
The celebration highlighted the history of The Five Women of Vision, Mary Francis Clarke, Margaret Mann, Eliza Kelly, Catherine Bryne, and Rose O’Toole. Clarke has built its identity around four Core Values: Freedom, Education, Charity, and Justice. Those values continue to influence the way Clarke approaches education and community life today.
For Clarke, Founders Day is more than a celebration of the university’s history. It is an opportunity to consider how the values set by the Five Women continue to influence students today. As Clarke looks to move forward, Founders Day serves as a reminder that the university’s future is connected to its past. The celebration looks at the people who helped establish Clarke while also looking at the students, faculty, staff, and alumni who continue to shape Clarke today. Ultimately, Founders Day is about more than remembering the founders or celebrating another year of Clarke history; it is about asking what the Clarke community will do with the legacy it has been given.
With Freedom, Education, Charity, and Justice, Clarke still encourages its students to look outside themselves and consider how their knowledge, talents, and experiences can help others. That is the common good at the heart of Clarke, and it is a tradition that lives long after the cupcakes are gone and the photos have been taken.
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