Brenau University will be closed on Friday, July 4, for the Independence Day holiday, giving us a three-day weekend. It’s a well-earned break for Brenau students and employees, but I want to pause to remember why we celebrate the holiday.
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to adopt the final wording of the Declaration of Independence following days of revisions and heated debate in a stifling Philadelphia courthouse. Some 56 delegates signed the document nearly a month later, including Georgia delegates George Walton, Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett. As a side note, all three have Georgia counties named for them, and Brenau has campuses in both Hall and Gwinnett counties.
The document severed the American colonies from Great Britain and created the United States as an independent nation. The declaration was a bold action delegates knew could cost them their livelihoods, if not their lives. It changed our country and the world forever.
When I think about freedom, I’m also reminded of the words of Dr. H.J. Pearce, one of Brenau’s earliest presidents.
The Brenau Ideal states, “to enjoy that freedom which comes from knowledge of the Truth.” Pearce believed that freedom is only fully experienced through knowing truth. He was convinced that knowing truth was the prerequisite for ultimately experiencing freedom — the freedom to enjoy all the benefits that come from cooperation and association with humankind.
Thank you for all you do for the university, and I hope you enjoy the holiday safely with family and friends.
