As the sound of the Swoope carillon echoed across campus on Tuesday, Oct. 13, Mercersburg Academy celebrated its third annual Founder’s Day, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Irvine Memorial Chapel. The day balanced solemn reflection on the school’s historic legacy in the morning with high-energy class spirit competitions in the afternoon.
Before the service, chapel history was on display, and school archivist Doug Smith was available to answer questions. All present were welcomed by Jacob Cherry, who became school chaplain at the start of the academic year.
Head of school Quentin McDowell shared the purpose of the celebration, a nod to the original dedication service on Oct. 13, 1926. The chapel was a crowning achievement for Mercersburg’s founding headmaster, Dr. William Mann Irvine, who pursued its construction for three decades and was on hand for the dedication ceremony, which occurred on his 61st birthday.
Students, faculty, and special guests heard from former head of school and regent emeritus Walter Burgin and former U.S. Ambassador and Regents President Nicholas Taubman.
“All of us have benefited greatly from what Dr. Irvine did in Mercersburg and from time spent in this chapel. Both the man and the building are good cause for celebration,” Burgin noted, emphasizing that Irvine’s focus was on building character. “He had a simple mantra that he repeated everywhere, and that everyone here has heard over and over — hard work, clean life and fair play.”
Taubman reflected on the personal impact of the space: “For me, sitting right where you are, students, this place taught me how to make good decisions.”
The commemoration featured performances by Alan Morrison, an organist from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and Dr. John Pursell, lecturer at Mount St. Mary’s University and former senior ceremonial trumpeter with the United States Air Force Band, who was the featured bugler. During the service, student speakers shared readings, the Chorale performed, and the congregation sang the Alma Mater.
Student participants included Shubhlean Kaur, Sofiia Harkava, Ariana Gog Drimbea, Finn Mauro, Alexa Zagury and academy organist and carillonneur James Brinson.
Those gathered heard the sound of the recently restored chapel organ, a project made possible through Taubman’s generosity. Audience members were particularly delighted by the antiphonal tones that could be heard from the back of the chapel.
“We are both relieved and grateful to have our chapel organ back in pristine working condition, as well as to have such a tremendous guest artist on campus to be among the first to play it,” McDowell said.
The service also honored the chapel’s solemn origin as a memorial. In 1923, three years before the chapel was completed, the board of regents decided that the chapel would be dedicated to the memory of the 55 Mercersburg alumni who died in World War I, and to the 6,000 Mercersburg mothers who sent their sons to the academy. At the ceremony in 1926, a bugler was present in memory of the fallen and to honor the 1,700 Mercersburg boys who served. Since then, the school learned that an additional student, Harry Boorn, also perished in France one day before the Armistice was signed. In honor of the young men’s sacrifice, the chapel bells were tolled 56 times, with an additional toll added for Dr. Irvine. At the conclusion of the service, Pursell performed “Taps.”
Following the morning’s reflective service, the campus shifted from honoring history to making new memories during the afternoon class competitions. Students competed in a variety of challenges, including a lip sync competition, inflatable costume race, trivia contest, relay races and tug-of-war.
The 12th-grade class was named the overall winner, earning a mini Head’s Holiday, while the 11th-grade class received the second-place award of a dress down day. The Founder’s Day Spirit Award went to the 9th-grade class, which will receive a cash gift for class fun/treats. New this year, the Spirit Award was chosen by which class was the loudest — as determined by a decibel meter — best sportsmanship, best class chant/cheer and best spirit dress for those sporting their class colors.
Meanwhile, alumni celebrated Founder’s Day at a variety of gatherings across the United States and internationally.
