Anderson University celebrated its ninety-sixth Founders Day February 19 in the Henderson Auditorium of the Rainey Fine Arts Center. Founders Day has become a time when alumni, friends, faculty and students pause to remember the dedication of the friends and founders of Anderson University. Annie Dove Denmark, Anderson’s fifth president, began the tradition of celebrating Founders Day in 1929 to honor those who founded Anderson in 1911.
Dr. Jeff Iorg, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and longtime president of Gateway Seminary in California, delivered the convocation message.
“Foundations matter. They provide a reference point for institutional and personal alignment or realignment when needed without constraining us from pursuing a productive future,” Iorg said. “Anderson was birthed by a community, people who came together because they believed creating a school would both express and enhance their community. These same people wanted a Christian school, distinctively committed to advancing God’s Kingdom through the sanctifying influence of education. Your founders recognized the importance of education as a Christian ministry and a means of strengthening communities by enhancing quality of life for everyone.”
Outstanding alumni honored during the 2025 Founders Day Convocation were 2010 graduate Luis Martinez, receiving the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award; 1983 graduate Kelley Davis, receiving the Alumni Service Award; and 1974 graduate Rajiv Kapur, receiving the Alumni Achievement Award.
Martinez is commercial relationship manager at South State Bank, a member of the Anderson City Council, and serves on numerous boards in the community and Anderson University. He has received numerous recognitions in the Upstate, including the Anderson Chamber’s Rising Young Professional Award.
Davis has served as director of children and preschool ministry at Brushy Creek Baptist Church in Taylors. She also leads a weekly Bible study for young women through Radiance, a citywide ministry. Davis has served Anderson University in several roles, including the Christian Ministry Foundation board and the AU Parent Leadership Council.
As founder and president of Configurations in Hollywood, Florida, Kapur successfully led efforts in experimental branding, marketing and communications to establish his firm as a leader in developing concepts related to branding and interactions at trade shows. As a student, he helped the Men’s Tennis program at Anderson achieve national ranking.
Additional Founders Day attendees included members of the Anderson University Board of Trust, Board of Regents, Board of Visitors, friends of Anderson University, and various community leaders.
