As part of its 250th anniversary, Salem Academy and College is welcoming the community to the unveiling of a historic plaque honoring the 13 Cherokee girls who attended Salem in the 19th century. The plaque will be dedicated in the courtyard of South Residence Hall, the original Salem girls’ Boarding School building where the Cherokee girls lived, during a public event that will take place on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Joining Salem Academy and College’s community for the plaque dedication and unveiling ceremony will be Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chuck Hoskin Jr., Jack Baker, President of the National Trail of Tears Association, the Rev. Dr. Neil Routh, President of the Southern Province Provincial Elders’ Conference, representatives of the Cherokee Nation and descendants of the Cherokee students who attended Salem.
The highlight of the commemoration event will be the unveiling of the plaque by Elizabeth Wheeler A’24. The event will conclude with remarks by Salem College alumna Anna McCoy C’98, who has been on a journey to discover more about Salem’s Cherokee bonds.
The commemoration day begins earlier and includes exhibits of relevant historic documents and artifacts throughout the campus of Salem Academy and College, Old Salem Museums and Gardens, the Moravian Archives and God’s Acre. Lunch will be available for purchase in the Corrin Refectory, Salem Academy and College’s dining hall. In addition, light refreshments will be available in the Single Sisters House.
Copies of Sallie Jane and the Wonderful Stories, a children’s book about a fictitious Cherokee student at Salem, will be a gift for visitors from Salem Academy and College. They will be available in the Single Sisters House. The book’s author and illustrator, John Hutton, Ph.D. will be on hand to autograph copies. Copies of the 2021 reprint of Less Time for Meddling: A History of Salem Academy and College, 1772-1866 will also be available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Single Sisters House. The new edition includes an addendum with the history of the Cherokee students.
In addition, the following exhibits will be open for visitors on October 22:
Open 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Open 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Open 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
For additional information please visit: 250.Salem.edu/Cherokee-Commemoration.