At a recent school meeting, Andy Brown, the Dean of Students for Community Life, made an exciting announcement to the Mercersburg community: Founder’s Day, previously known as Field Day, will make a comeback. This tradition, originally centered around athleticism and competitive spirit, will be revived with some changes.
Head of School Quentin McDowell, who proposed reinvigorating this tradition, explained that his inspiration came from his passion for Mercersburg's history. “There's a part of me that really enjoys our history and understanding our history,” McDowell remarked. He said he learned about other schools celebrating Founder’s Days and saw value in people sharing their Mercersburg stories through this tradition. McDowell added, “I realized that Dr. [William Mann] Irvine had a Field Day in the fall, and I thought how cool it would be to have a Founder’s Day similar to Field Day that would honor him and what he used to do, as well as have this really important message about how our community has been built over a century-plus.”
School Archivist Doug Smith explained, “The original Field Day was an athletic competition in the morning. But at another point, it became an interschool track meet, and the whole school would come down and watch this track meet.” Ultimately, the Williams Cup Champion, awarded to the top performer in a series of athletic competitions, emerged as a highlight of each school year.
However, the tradition's legacy is complex. “The idea and effect of Field Day, historically, was to bring the community together and make everybody feel like part of Mercersburg. Unfortunately, it led to some unsavory community building practices that the school did not promote,” Smith noted. Such practices eventually led to the discontinuation of the tradition.
In reviving the event, this year's Founder’s Day celebration will feature a school meeting with Mercersburg benefactor and former Board of Regents Chair Deborah Simon ’74, who will share her Mercersburg story and contributions to the school.
Many minds have been working to plan the fun lineup of activities for the afternoon. Madeline Chu ’27 noted, “In the Student Council meetings, we discussed Founder’s Day and voted on the events that will be held.” Jessica Dang ’26 added, “We're going to have events around the track such as holding a spoon with an egg. It's not just sports activities; everyone will be included.” The complete list of events was kept secret and sent out on October 1, 2024.
Adding to the excitement, the winning grade will receive a miniature Heads Holiday and something truly special – a unique token of achievement designed by Head of School Quentin McDowell. “It’s very ridiculous,” he teased, hinting, “Everybody wants to do a silver bowl or a little trophy, and I'm like, no, I think we can get weirder than that.” He kept the specifics under wraps but promised it will be something memorable.
The response to the prospect of Founder’s Day has been overwhelmingly positive. Paxton Diana ’26 said, “I think it should be really fun.” Shubhlean Kaur ’27 added, “I think it's interesting that the school wants to spread awareness about it, and I appreciate the school trying to inform people about the history of Mercersburg.”
Smith captured the essence of this “new tradition,” saying, “As a school archivist and a coach, I like any events we can do that build pride in our school and link us to the past and hopefully to the future. I think this event is something that we can build upon, that will grow in our community, and that the kids will like.”