Do You Have a Favorite Founder?

[honeychile]

In light of our Founders Day yesterday, I realized that I have a favorite Founder. Yes, I love the wisdom of Eugenia Tucker Fitzgerald, who got the ball rolling for the Adelphean Society, and also love the photograph of Mary Evans Glass. Yet I've always been drawn to Octavia Andrew Rush.

"Little Occie," as she was known, was only 13 when she was deemed ready for Georgia Wesleyan. Maybe it's her age that draws me to her, but I was wondering - does anyone else have a Favorite Founder?


"Only 13 years old when she made the journey to Wesleyan, Octavia was the daughter of Bishop James Andrew who was the ranking member on the original Board of Trustees that started Wesleyan. After graduating, Octavia married John Wesley Rush, an Emory law student. They had ten children and John abandoned his law studies to become a Methodist preacher. During the Civil War, Reverend Rush went to defend the South and was captured in battle. Octavia remained a scholar and continued her involvement with Alpha Delta Pi until her death in 1917. Like Ella, many of Octavia's descendents are Alpha Delta Pi sisters."