{"id":20,"date":"2023-09-29T09:40:28","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T13:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/diversity-equity-inclusion\/founders-celebration\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T10:31:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T15:31:21","slug":"founders-week","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/diversity-equity-inclusion\/founders-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Founder&#8217;s Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"hero-standard hero-standard--hasImage alignfull\" >\n\t<div class=\"container hero-standard__container\">\n\t\t<h1 class=\"headline-highlight\">\n\t<span \n\t\tclass=\"headline-highlight__text  headline-h1\"\n\t\tstyle=\"--highlight-color: var(--color-theme-);\"\n\t>\n\t\tFounder&#8217;s Week\t<\/span>\n<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"hero-standard__extraContent\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"359\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/22113534\/Image-1-22-26-at-11.34-AM-1920x415.jpeg\" class=\"hero-standard__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/22113534\/Image-1-22-26-at-11.34-AM-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/22113534\/Image-1-22-26-at-11.34-AM-300x67.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/22113534\/Image-1-22-26-at-11.34-AM-1024x230.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/22113534\/Image-1-22-26-at-11.34-AM-768x173.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/22113534\/Image-1-22-26-at-11.34-AM-1536x345.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/22113534\/Image-1-22-26-at-11.34-AM-2048x460.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 960px) 75vw, 100vw\" \/>\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"wysiwyg wysiwyg-primary-block alignfull has-background has-theme-white-background-color\" >\n\t<div class=\"container grid-default wysiwyg__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"sidebar-menu sidebar-menu--hasHero\" aria-label=\"Site Menu\" id=\"page-nav\">\n\t\t<div class=\"sidebar-menu__wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<header class=\"sidebar-menu__header\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sidebar-menu__headerLabel\">Founder&#8217;s Week Menu<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"sidebar-menu__mobileToggle\" title=\"Toggle Menu\" :aria-expanded=\"mobileOpen\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/header>\n\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"sidebar-menu__list\" v-show=\"mobileOpen\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sidebar-menu__listItem initial-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/diversity-equity-inclusion\/founders-week\/get-involved\/\" class=\"sidebar-menu__listLink\" target=\"_blank\">Get Involved<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"sidebar-menu__listItem initial-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"mailto:%20foundersweek@butler.edu\" class=\"sidebar-menu__listLink\" >Contact Us<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/nav>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg__wrapper wysiwyg__wrapper--hasSidebar\">\n\t\t\t<!-- content from editor -->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wysiwyg__content wysiwyg__contentContainer\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-celebrating-170-years-of-butler-university\">Celebrating 170 years of Butler University <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-february-2-6-2026\">February 2-6, 2026<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Founder\u2019s Week is an opportunity for those who call Butler home to honor our powerful founder, Ovid Butler, and his vision while celebrating our progress in living out that vision, and acknowledging the progress to come. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/09093705\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/09093705\/image-1.png 1000w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/09093705\/image-1-300x118.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/09093705\/image-1-768x303.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 960px) 75vw, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-about-ovid-butler\">About Ovid Butler<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Ovid Butler was an Indianapolis lawyer, philanthropist, and founder of Northwestern Christian University (today&#8217;s Butler University). Born February 7, 1801, in Augusta, New York, Butler moved with his family to Indiana in 1817. After practicing law in Shelbyville from 1825 to 1836, Butler moved to Indianapolis, where he practiced law until 1849.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, Butler was a leader in education. His desire to found and maintain a university dedicated to non-sectarian Christianity was a driving force in the creation of North Western Christian University. Following the Indiana General Assembly&#8217;s approval of the school&#8217;s charter on 15 January 1850, Butler was among those who worked to raise the $75,000 in stocks necessary for the opening of the school. Five years later, North Western Christian University opened its doors, and in 1856 graduated its first class. Butler served as the president of the school&#8217;s board of directors until 1871, when he retired due to poor health and advanced age. Check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/press.palni.org\/omeka-s\/s\/ButlerUniversityFoundersCelebration\/page\/Introduction\">Founder&#8217;s Week digital exhibit<\/a> prepared by the Department of&nbsp;<em>Special Collections, Rare Books, and University Archives<\/em>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<em>Butler University Libraries<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/09093632\/image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/09093632\/image.png 900w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/09093632\/image-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.butler.edu\/www\/sites\/31\/2026\/01\/09093632\/image-768x427.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 960px) 75vw, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-theme-primary-color has-theme-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-regular-font-size wp-elements-01777c6415ed19df65547f12fa434b58\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">&#8220;Without Ovid Butler, there would be no Butler University today. The history of the man and the university are intimately and inextricably entwined; without Ovid Butler&#8217;s vision, leadership, and financial support, the university may not have come into being, or survived its early years.&#8221; &#8211; by Sally Childs-Helton, PhD in <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalcommons.butler.edu\/librarian_papers\/50\/\"><em>Ovid Butler and the Founding of Butler University <\/em>article<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-watch-founder-s-history\">Watch: Founder\u2019s History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Want the quick version before you dive into the events? This short video highlights key moments from Butler\u2019s founding and the legacy we\u2019re recognizing throughout Founder\u2019s Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Legacy in Motion\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bY5qXvURT9o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-please-click-all-events-or-view-this-link-to-see-the-complete-list-of-founder-s-week-programming\">Please click &#8220;All Events&#8221; or view this <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1U7xYmUi0JdrSOgrx0mbjXcdO9GdEZZJuko4tMqZXz-8\/edit?usp=sharing\">link<\/a> to see the complete list of Founder&#8217;s Week programming. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Please click &#8220;All Events&#8221; or view this link to see the complete list of Founder&#8217;s Week programming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-20","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"revision_note":"","acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v26.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Founder&#039;s Week | Butler University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Founder\u2019s Celebration provides an opportunity for all members of the Butler community to collectively recognize our university\u2019s history, traditions and the pursuit of change sparked by Ovid Butler\u2019s vision to create educational opportunities for all regardless of gender, race, or circumstance.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/diversity-equity-inclusion\/founders-week\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Founder&#039;s Week\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Founder\u2019s Celebration provides an opportunity for all members of the Butler community to collectively recognize our university\u2019s history, traditions and the pursuit of change sparked by Ovid Butler\u2019s vision to create educational opportunities for all regardless of gender, race, or circumstance.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/diversity-equity-inclusion\/founders-week\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Diversity, Equity &amp; 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