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45th Reunion Reports

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39 Rickert Drive
Yardley, PA
June 12, 2006

Dear Classmates,

What a great reunion! Our 45th was one for the books, and I’d better let you in on it before I forget what happened.

The big story is who was there June 1 - 4. 168 of us – 25% of the class, including first timers Gotten, Falconer, Horner, Lomas, Rose and Odo. And long distance winners Ben and Jaye Turnbull from Mongolia! Add 216 guests, and you’ve got a party! The food was delicious; beer was cold, and entertainment perfect – featuring our own JJ Keyser Trio, and the Cool Kevin Henry piano bar. No wonder everyone was smiling, and the dancing continued till the wee hours.

Once you get to a reunion you can go non-stop for three days, there’s so much to do in addition to socializing at our reunion site. For example – the golf tournament started at 8 AM Friday, and ’61-ers Pasalis, the Walkers (Rob and Kathy), Tim Mygatt, Higgins, Tuffnell, Leisring and O’Neill playing. John shot a 75 (despite an 8 on the last hole) and tied for first place with two others. Our tennis contingent of Finch, Swan, Omenn, Norton, Brakeley, Vance Finch and yours truly played doubles at 10:30 at the Lenz tennis center. Swan and Finch won the imaginary trophy. This time. The Alumni-Faculty forums went on from 9 AM Friday to noon on Saturday, and ’61 was well represented by Hitz, Hlafter, Zschau, Atkiss, Wisner and Iseman. For lunch on Friday Evie Prather and Mary Pickens had arranged a side trip to a nice restaurant and sculpture garden in nearby Hamilton, N.J. Some 20 wives and classmates enjoyed a fine meal and the gardens in full bloom.

And the reunion weekend was just starting! There were church services for all denominations, art and photography exhibits, an ROTC alumni luncheon, book signings by alumni authors at the U-store, open house at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center, etc., etc. Decisions, decisions!

That evening President Tilghman visited us during dinner. She thanked us for our continued support of Princeton and told us that the Class of 2006 was the second class to graduate free of student loans, thanks to alumni generosity.

Later on, Brakeley and Berton announced election results. John Graham took top honors and will be class president for the next 5 years. Patrick Davidson will be VP. Graham was gracious in victory, and will surely bring some Southern charm to class affairs! Congratulations, John and Pat.

Saturday was equally fast and furious, beginning with the class photograph on the steps of Blair Arch. In our reunion finery we gathered on the steps, trying to ignore the rumble of thunder approaching. Alas, as the photographer said "smile", the heavens opened up and it poured! See ’61 in the rain – check out Rachel Manning’s photo on our class website. Fortunately, the rain stopped by the 2 PM P-rade – colorful and exuberant, especially as we passed through the graduating seniors of 2006. As we passed the President’s reviewing stand the announcer read Brakeley’s profile of our class including:

"In this topsy-turvy world, ’61 has an inherent advantage – class numerals that read the same right side up as upside down. Only the class of 1881 can say the same thing, and there aren’t too many of them here today, so ’61 is truly unique among Princeton classes!

The class of 1961 is especially proud of the subtle, laid-back reunion blazer you see before you. Rumor has it that they are visible from the moon."

Along the way, Bill Rudell handed me a "tiger-eye" marble as a reminder that we have our HUGE 50th reunion coming in 2011!

At 5 the Alumni Council presented their annual Award for Service to University Architect Jon Hlafter (who had also converted several golf carts to locomotives for our "Clear the Track" theme.) We held our ’61 Memorial Service for 99 deceased classmates in Alexander Hall at 5:30 PM. Organized and led by Jim Adams, readers included McReynolds, Oestreich, Iseman, Manning, Davidson, Epsen, Graham, Carol Wojciechowicz, Norman Brown, Monty Davis, and Maureen and Joe McGinity.  The service ended with the singing of the Memorial Class song, written by Jim.

We dined that night on fresh lobster and mussels, fine wines and seriously good desserts. For Maureen and me, it was wonderful being able to visit with friends, roommates, classmates and their families – some very familiar, and others less so. We were all back at Old Nassau, where the journey began for us in 1957, sharing the experience. May it continue! Lets meet again next year, or at the 50th in 2011!

Warm regards,

Joe

To: Executive Committee

Re: Minutes of Class Meeting, June 2, 2006, at Holder Courtyard

Date: June 12, 2006

From: Joe McGinity

I called the meeting to order at about 9 PM, following dinner and an address by University President Shirley Tilghman. (President Tilghman thanked the class for its support, and noted that the Class of 2006 graduated free of debt, the second Princeton class to do so, thanks to the generosity of alumni.)

Upon a motion from Cookie Krongard, seconded and approved, we waived reading of the minutes of the last meeting.

Old Business:

  1. Treasurer’s report – Mike Burton, dressed in a strange hat and tie, reported that our class treasury balance is $29,022. This fiscal year (July 1 to June 30, 2006) we received $13,950 in class dues from 280 payers. There were 89 contributors and $5830 for the class scholarship fund, which now stands at a market value of $2,084,055. The income available from the '61 fund for scholarships this year was $74,530. In addition to our class scholarship fund, at least 10 of our classmates have established scholarships and academic studies funds at Princeton, in aggregate exceeding $2 million. He thanked classmates for supporting the class through their dues and scholarship donations.
  2. Annual Giving – McGinity reported that the class had collected over $500,000 so far in this AG campaign, but had set a target of $700,000. Classmates were urged to continue their support of AG.

New Business:

  1. Recognition of class officers and members of the reunion committee – McGinity, with Joe and Evie Prather presented "Clear the Track" reunion mementoes to all officers and reunion committee members present.
  2. Recognition of Annual Giving Agents and regional section chairs – Mementoes were also presented to agents and section chairs present.
  3. Announcement of election results – George Brakeley and Len Berton announced the winners of our election for class president and vice president – John Graham and Patrick Davidson, respectively. 216 votes were cast and the election was very close. Graham thanked the class for its support.

Adjournment: In the absence of other new business the meeting was adjourned.

© 2006 The Princeton University Class of 1961, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
Created by Len Berton '61

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