DU bestows three Founders Medals at March celebration

John Evans signed the charter for the Colorado Seminary in 1864

At its annual Founders Day event in early March, the University of Denver gave three Founders Medals to individuals and entities that have contributed significantly to DU’s success. Chancellor Jeremy Haefner presented the medals, one of DU’s highest honors for transformative leadership and philanthropy. 

The honorees all have decades-long associations with DU:  

Former DU trustee Joseph W. Saunders (BSBA ’67, MBA ’68, PhD ’09) and Sharon Saunders long have supported DU, initially investing in a Daniels College of Business global education fund. In 2018, they established the Saunders Leadership Academy, providing money for need-based scholarships and programming support for undergraduates. The first students in the Saunders Leadership Academy, known as Denver Promise Scholars, will graduate from DU in June.

The Boettcher Foundation has supported DU for more than 80 years, donating to scholarships, infrastructure and campus programs. It’s the first foundation to receive the Founders Medal. DU is a top-five all-time recipient of Boettcher support, receiving more than $50 million in scholarship and grant support over the years.

The late Joy Burns was a champion of students, particularly female student-athletes, and the first woman to chair the DU Board of Trustees. She and her husband, DU alumnus Franklin Burns, established the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management at DU in 1997. When Joy Burns died in 2021, DU received a gift from her estate, enhancing the Burns School and Knoebel School of Hospitality Management in the Daniels College of Business. 

More news

DU’s signature experiences prepare students for rewarding lives and careers

The University of Denver has a bold vision for how we can build upon our 159-year history to do even bigger, better...

Shifting the conversation from problems to possibilities

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the spring/summer issue of the University of Denver Magazine. Just as this time of...

Groundbreaking study finds links between long COVID and brain injury

For one in five Americans who experienced COVID-19, the disease never went away. The symptoms of long COVID—brain fog, fatigue, headaches, chest...

Law students design app to help drivers know their rights when towed

Colorado has a predatory towing problem—residents are often towed for no reason, typically in the middle of the night, and then have...

Professor to study the night sky as the Grand Canyon’s Astronomer in Residence

The Grand Canyon offers one of the most pristine night skies in the United States. This spring, astronomy professor Jennifer Hoffman will...

Questions? Comments?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

More stories

DU’s signature experiences prepare students for rewarding lives and careers

The University of Denver has a bold vision for how we can build upon our 159-year history to do even bigger, better...

Shifting the conversation from problems to possibilities

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the spring/summer issue of the University of Denver Magazine. Just as this time of...

Groundbreaking study finds links between long COVID and brain injury

For one in five Americans who experienced COVID-19, the disease never went away. The symptoms of long COVID—brain fog, fatigue, headaches, chest...