Contact
Kathy M. Barnes • 336-917-5565 • kathym.barnes@salem.edu
or Katherine Knapp Watts • 336-917-5563 • katherine.watts@salem.edu
The Case for Investment in the 250th Anniversary Celebration of Salem Academy and College
Every historian discloses a new horizon. –George Sand
Distinguished historians have detailed the remarkable story of the nation’s oldest institution dedicated to the education of girls and women—Salem Academy and College. When tomorrow’s historians disclose new horizons that this venerable institution has opened, every account will no doubt describe a place that has honored its history by meeting each era’s needs, renewed generation by generation, for a quarter of a millennium.
In 2022, Salem will celebrate its 250th anniversary, a formidable achievement in the history of American education. Established even before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Salem has pushed boundaries for women at every juncture, empowering them to be leaders and to live their lives in ways that catalyze positive change.
We invite you to help us celebrate this singular milestone. Salem’s alumnae and friends have planned this anniversary for more than two years. The resulting series of events honor the institution’s history and point proudly to its next bright horizon as a leader in women’s education and with a new health leadership focus.
Spotlight Events and Funding Needed
Sponsors of each of these exciting events will receive appreciative publicity, not only at the event itself but also through associated print, broadcast, and social media. The extent of the publicity will match the sponsorship level. Sponsors also will receive seats at ticketed events, matching the sponsorship level.
The Investor Sponsorship for the entire historic year is set at $250,000. An Investor Sponsor will receive eight tickets to the Concert and Dinner & Dancing, recognition at each event, and tickets for eight to the Health Leadership Forum.
The 250th Society Sponsorship for the entire historic year is set at $100,000. A 250th Society Sponsor will receive four tickets to the Concert and Dinner & Dancing, recognitions at each event, and tickets for four to the Health Leadership Forum.
Programming Sponsored by the Anna Maria Samuel Project: Race, Remembrance, Reconciliation
September 13–17, 2021
Programming Sponsorship · $25,000: Sponsor will receive two tickets to the Dinner & Dancing and recognition at the events. Commissioned by Salem’s administration to research the relationship between the institution and slavery, the Anna Maria Samuel Project programming will be an important component of the 250th Celebration. There will be lectures about the discoveries from the research, a luncheon for further conversation about the research, and a walking tour to explain more of the history in conjunction with new signage that designates where enslaved people lived and worked.
Kick-off Concert and Dinner & Dancing
September 25, 2021
Concert Sponsorship · $35,000: Sponsor will receive two tickets to the Concert and Dinner & Dancing as well as recognition at the event and in the program. Dinner & Dancing Table for Eight Sponsorship · $10,000: Sponsors will receive eight tickets to Dinner & Dancing as well as recognition at the event and in the program. We will kick off our 250th year with a performance by the Winston-Salem Symphony in Hanes Auditorium. The program will feature “Gaudeamus,” a composition by beloved alumna and retired professor of music, Margaret Sandresky A’38, C’42, who will celebrate her 100th birthday in 2021. The concert will be live-streamed and will include a pre-recorded video interview with Mrs. Sandresky by Winston-Salem Symphony Music Director Tim Redmond, along with highlights of her life. Salem alumnae across the country will be encouraged to participate in the concert via livestreaming. Following the concert, guests will move to dinner and dancing in the Refectory.
Journey from Bethlehem to Salem
September 28–October 26, 2021
Journey Sponsorship · $25,000: Sponsor will receive two tickets to the Dinner & Dancing and recognition at the event. Walkers will recreate the journey of the Single Sisters from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to North Carolina. The Journey, covering 500 miles over 29 days, will follow the historic route as outlined in the 1766 journal of Salome Meurer. The route will trace the colonial migration trail, which passes through Maryland, continues east of the mountains in Virginia, and turns west in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Salem’s story will be shared with media in the communities through which the walkers pass, and the entire event will be shared with national media. Walkers will arrive in Bethabara, the Sisters’ original destination, on October 25. The final leg of the Journey will be from Bethabara to a celebratory Homecoming on Salem Square on the afternoon of October 26, which will be open to the community.
Cherokee Commemoration
October 4, 2021
Cherokee Commemoration Sponsorship · $10,000: Sponsor will receive recognition at the event and in the program. Salem’s leaders, faculty, staff, and students will dedicate a plaque honoring the Cherokee girls who attended Salem in the 1820s and 30s. The plaque will be located near South Residence Hall, the original Salem Girls’ Boarding School building where the Cherokee girls lived. Representatives of the Cherokee Nation and descendants of the students are being invited. The commemoration will include exhibits of relevant historic documents and artifacts in the Salem College Library, Moravian Archives, and Old Salem Museums & Gardens/MESDA. Salem Academy and College is working toward having Salem designated as a stop on the National Park Service Trail of Tears.
Health Leadership Forum
April 21, 2022
Health Leadership Forum Sponsorship · $100,000: Sponsor will receive two tickets to the Concert and Dinner & Dancing and 10 tickets to the Health Leadership Forum, as well as recognition at the Forum. As a key component of launching Salem’s new health leadership focus, this inaugural Health Leadership Forum will present a selection of women in health leadership roles who are widely recognized as experts and innovators in their fields. Panels focusing on diverse career options, emerging issues in health leadership, and collaboration across disciplines will offer students, educators, and community members an opportunity to consider holistic solutions to local and global health challenges. The day will culminate with a nationally known speaker who will both provoke and inspire the audience to consider their own roles in shaping the health of our communities.
Founders Day
April 22, 2022
Historic Founders Day Sponsorship · $50,000: Sponsor will receive two tickets to the Health Leadership Forum and recognition at the Founders Day event. The concluding event of Salem’s 250th year will be the Founders Day Convocation, featuring a nationally known speaker. A community celebration will follow.
Community Day
Fall, 2022
Community Day Sponsorship · $25,000: Sponsor will receive two tickets to the Health Leadership Forum and recognition at Community Day. Salem will welcome visitors—families, prospective students, community leaders—to campus for a day that highlights Salem Academy and College. Activities and demonstrations will showcase academics, athletics, fine arts, and civic engagement—and the impact that Salem has on the community beyond campus.