Since 2009, the Emory Veterans Day Ceremony has honored those who have valiantly served in the United States Uniformed Services with a solemn ceremony on the Quad. This year, the 17th annual ceremony will be held Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. All faculty, staff, students, alumni and Emory community members are invited to attend.
The idea for a ceremony began in 2008. Andrew West, executive center administrator for Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance within the School of Medicine, was walking through campus around Veterans Day and realized that Emory needed a ceremony to honor those who have served.
A year later, on a drizzly November morning, campus leaders, West and a small group — including the Emory ROTC cadets — created an enduring university tradition. “It’s important that we take a moment each year to acknowledge our fellow citizen veterans who have served and sacrificed for all of us,” West says.
After West graduated from Emory College of Arts and Sciences in 1993, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves for 20 years. He now serves as the administrative committee lead of the Emory Veterans Employee Network (EVEN), an organization aimed at increasing the visibility of Emory’s veterans and helping connect them with resources.
Matt Smith, Army major general and Emory Executive Director of Veterans Initiatives, will serve as this year’s emcee.
“It’s important to remember that Veterans Day is to celebrate all our living veterans, especially those still serving,” says Smith. “Since joining Emory, I’ve been very impressed by the university’s commitment to veterans… we just need to do a better job of letting the community know just how much Emory does!”
This year’s keynote address will be given by Hurl Taylor, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam and holds degrees from Emory’s School of Law, Candler School of Theology and Goizueta Business School. Taylor was the oldest graduate in Emory’s Class of 2025, when he graduated with a master’s in business for military veterans (MBV) through a new program offered by the business school. He is part of its inaugural graduating cohort.
In addition to Taylor’s address, Interim Emory University President Justice Sears will offer remarks and the Emory Honor Guard will be present.
Emory’s resources for veterans
Many resources are available to veterans across Emory University.
The Yellow Ribbon program supports post-9/11 veterans by providing funding to supplement educational expenses beyond what is covered by the G.I. Bill.
Army or Air Force ROTC are options for Emory undergraduate students interested in military careers. The cross-enrollment agreement with Georgia Tech allows students to complete their undergraduate degrees at Emory and military training at Georgia Tech.
Emory’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing was selected to participate in the Veteran Affairs Nursing Academic Partnership, an elite program through which undergraduate and graduate nursing students gain valuable training in providing quality healthcare for our nation’s veterans.
Goizueta Business School offers an MBA program designed for veterans, which recently celebrated its first graduating class.
Veteran employees across Emory University are welcome to participate in the Emory Veterans Employee Network (EVEN), designed to promote a sense of belonging by Emory veterans through organization, recognition, networking and resources.
The Emory Healthcare Veterans Program offers free, confidential mental health care to eligible post-9/11 veterans and service members across the United States, regardless of discharge status, deployment history or length of service. The program, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, features a two-week intensive outpatient treatment program addressing post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, anxiety and depression.