Montevallo celebrates 130th Founders’ Day with presidential inauguration: ‘Together we soar’

Story By: Julia Marshall

MONTEVALLO, Ala. — On Oct. 12, 1896, around 150 young women arrived in Montevallo to attend the Alabama Girls’ Industrial School for its opening year. This past Thursday, Oct. 8, the University of Montevallo revisited that moment as it celebrated 130 years of history and welcomed its first woman president.

The university’s annual Founders’ Day ceremony began at 11 a.m. in Palmer Auditorium with the seniors marching across Main Quad, holding their graduation robes in preparation for the investiture of the senior class.

In her inaugural address, President Michelle R. Johnston made a connection between the school’s founding mission and its work ahead, challenging the campus community to build a future worthy of every student who will make their way onto the bricks.

“Everything this university has become started there,” Johnston said, referencing the young women who arrived on campus to see founders like Julia Tutwiler waiting to greet them.

Together, we will build the greatest era in the history of the University of Montevallo.

Dr. Michelle Johnston, 16th President of the University of Montevallo

The ceremony, themed “Together We Soar,” notably marked Johnston’s formal inauguration as the university’s 16th president. In her address, she announced a new plan built on input from students, faculty, staff and alumni, and marked by what many are calling a “new era’” for the UM.

“Our students deserve a university that is ambitious. So together, we will soar to those new heights,” she said. “Together, we will build the greatest era in the history of the University of Montevallo.”

In his remarks, Tim Lupinacci, chairman of the board of trustees called it “an era where together we soar, united in vision, united in purpose and united in focus.”

Johnston expressed how important it is that the university keep pursuing academic excellence while continuing to expand access to its programs and manage its resources. She also referenced Montevallo’s recognition as Alabama’s top school in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Value category, a distinction the university has held for six consecutive years as the state’s only institution ranked in the Top 10 for that category.

To Johnston, however, the university’s success ultimately comes down to its students, and she encouraged faculty to help cement students’ bond to UM.

“Let’s be the person that a graduate is still talking about in 50 years,” Johnston said, calling on faculty and staff to recognize and utilize the lasting impact they can have.

That commitment to students also influenced her fundraising goals. The university’s 130th anniversary campaign includes a $1.5 million matching pledge from the University of Montevallo Foundation, if the university raises $1 million during Johnston’s first year. 

She said the campaign was well on its way toward that goal.

Johnston’s connection to the university was a recurring theme throughout the ceremony. 

Student Government Association President Kendall Miller said students had noticed Johnston’s efforts to attend campus events and make herself available to them. In their meetings, Miller added, Johnston was “quick to listen to student concerns.”

The president’s daughters, Rae Johnston and Abi Wilcoxson, offered a more personal view of that commitment, describing a mother whose attention to students reflects the way she has always treated the people in her life.

“The person who will show up for you is the same person who has always shown up for us,” they said in their joint remarks.

They also called the day a homecoming for their family, highlighting the significance of a woman leading an institution founded to educate women at a time when educational opportunities were more limited.

The ceremony also recognized members of the university community for their contributions and accomplishments:

• Mathematics professor, Dr. Benton Tyler was named the 2026-27 University Scholar for his research, publications and work with undergraduate students.
• Dr. Laura Bloom, a professor of family and consumer sciences, was honored as this year’s Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award recipient. 
• Rusty Dulaney, a mechanical supervisor who has worked in the university’s Physical Plant for 20 years, was recognized as the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Staff Service Award.
• Alum Diane Ray (Class of 1968) received the Mary Lou Elder Williams Alumni Loyalty Award.

Additionally, the annual crook-hiding tradition was recognized for marking its 100th anniversary, with this year’s six crook finders called to the stage to receive prize bags.

As she closed her address, Johnston returned to the idea that the university’s future cannot be left for someone else to build. Quoting Eleanor Roosevelt, she urged the audience to act in the present rather than wait for a better moment.

“The greatest era is ours to build,” Johnston said, “to build together.”

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