First and foremost: don't miss our reunion video--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN_EtpixW4g
Just as predicted in this space prior to reunion, June 8-10, 2018 was a wonderful weekend that brought back old memories and created new ones. The College provided the usual array of interesting faculty lectures, tours of changes on campus, and, of course, the Alumnae Parade (yes, we are definitely getting closer to riding in those antique autos, ladies).
Our Saturday class meeting in Stone-Davis included a beautiful and moving memorial service created by Toni Harding
Gordon. The names of 1958’s 129 deceased classmates were read by Susan Duncan Dana, Mary Van Alstyne Lenihan, Tilly-Jo Beatty Emerson, Renata (Ronnie) Bowman Selig, Mary Hessel Dodge, and Ann Eisenberg Cooper. Phyllis Beck Katz read her poem, “Reflections on Faure’s Requiem”
and Dorothee Von Huene Greenberg read the wonderful “A Litany of Remembrance” by Rabbis Sylvan Kamens and Jack Riemer. The responsive reading and Phyllis’s poem are included in the order of service.
Later, Myra Isenhart Warren’s array of discussion topics became the
focus for many classmates and led to some intriguing conversations. Other 1958ers revisited favorite campus spots or sat with longtime friends to catch up on each other’s news. A Saturday afternoon tea with President Johnson was held in Pendleton.
Saturday’s social hour and class dinner were held in the library but no photos of those events have surfaced. We are expecting a video or two that we hope will include them.
Next up, after a Sunday Celebration at Houghton Chapel, was the Alumnae Parade, and 1958 was definitely one of the hits of that particular show! In addition to our sparkly purple caps from a previous reunion, many of our classmates had donned hand-knit purple pussy hats. There had been much discussion starting back in January, on the Sister List, 1958’s listserv, about whether or not those knit hats should be included. In fact, the hats ended up being one of the highlights of the parade!
I’m sharing a few comments sent to the List by some hat-wearing ’58 marchers:
“…just played tennis with an alum from ’83 and she said her favorite inspiring moment of reunion was seeing some of [our]classmates marching with purple pussy hats”
“our group in the hats got specially loud cheers, I think, and many younger alums did thumbs up and other gestures.”
“It was amazing...every class along the way gave us a yell (appreciation of our longevity?)
and then scream of joy when they saw the purple knit caps. It was like being in the Wellesley “scream tunnel”(for Boston Marathon). I wasn’t going to wear one...so glad I did! Great fun!
The day’s program and the reunion itself ended with stepsinging at the Hay Outdoor Theatre followed by lunch.
Don’t forget to spend some time with this site’s photo album for our 60th.