Knox College's 180th anniversary included a student scavenger hunt, celebratory toast and singing of Happy Birthday to the College, and culminated in reaching—and surpassing—the goal for the College's 180 #forKnox campaign.

The 180-hour campaign began at noon on February 8 and ended at midnight on Founders Day, February 15. During that time, any gift made to the College was matched with an extra $180, courtesy of an alliance of donors. The goal for the campaign was 800 donors.

Knox met the 800-donor goal on Founders Day at 7:15 p.m. By the time the campaign ended at midnight, 925 people had made a gift to Knox. Thanks to the matching gifts, the campaign raised nearly $240,000 for the College.

"As the College prepares students to meet the global and technological challenges of the coming decades, donor support matters more right now than it ever has," said President Teresa Amott. "I want to sincerely thank all of our donors who celebrated the 180th anniversary of Knox's founding by investing so generously in its future."

On campus, students got involved in the celebration with a scavenger hunt to learn about the College's history and philanthropy. Sixteen teams traversed campus, posting photos of themselves completing 19 tasks. "I learned that we have a Career Closet in the basement of Seymour Union," said sophomore Hannah Lee. The new service provides professional attire to students, thanks to the generosity of donor Ellie Hartog '66.

Sophomore Alex Kellogg learned more about 1859 Knox aluma Ellen Browning Scripps. "She was the first woman pictured on the cover of Time magazine."

After classes on Founders Day, students and staff gathered in Taylor Lounge to celebrate. "Exactly 180 years ago on this very date, Knox College was officially chartered by the state legislature of Illinois," said Amott. "And here is a wonderful fun fact—at the time, serving in that legislature, was a 28-year-old Abraham Lincoln. He was one of the people who signed that charter that made Knox College what it is today. So as we look to our past and plan for our future, there is a lot to celebrate."

Amott noted that since the celebration of the College's 175th Anniversary soon after her arrival on campus, the College has experienced many transformative moments, from the opening of Alumni Hall and the Whitcomb Art Center to many faculty and student achievements.

"To our dedicated faculty and staff, to our promising students, our extraordinary and loyal alumni, and our dear friends," Amott said in her toast to the College. "To our illustrious past and our bright future, hail to alma mater."