Red, Black, and Back: Record Crowds Celebrate Alumni Weekend

It was another Alumni Reunion Weekend for the record books. More than 1,500 alumni and guests representing the classes of 1946 through 2021 gathered on campus over the final weekend in May to celebrate, reconnect, and forge new bonds. Traditional reunion weekend activities like the Red & Black Soiree, Grand March, the Service of Remembrance, and Class Dinners were augmented by a mix of new events and fresh takes on the tried and true.

 

The Class of 1963 joined the reunion festivities in an off year, continuing their practice of regular mini-reunions. At a special reception in Foundation House, they welcomed Sarah Murray H’63 P’16 ’21, wife of Head of School Steve Murray H’54 ’55 ’63 ’65 ’66 ’16 P’16 ’21, as an honorary classmate.

 

Alumni Weekend kicked off with a Harkness-style lunch led by Director of Harkness Learning and English teacher Pier Kooistra H’14 ’16 P’20 and sponsored by the Office of Planned Giving. Open to all reunion attendees, participants reflected a growing age range of John Cleve Green Society members, often accompanied by alumni children and grandchildren.

A new activity took alumni and guests behind the scenes of Kirby Arts Center (KAC) for a backstage tour, with deep dives into technical theater, the dance program, the costume shop, and theater operations. Led by student volunteers from the Periwig Club, the tour gave alumni the chance to compare notes with students and each other on long past and more recent productions. During a well-attended early morning tour Tim Griswold ’63 reminisced about the first year in the KAC with Periwig. “The musical was South Pacific, and the female parts were played by faculty wives and students from local girls’ schools,” he said.

 

While not a new activity, the State of the School report is different every year by definition. In front of a packed house in KAC, Head of School Steve Murray covered the year on campus, from preseason practices through Commencement, provided an update on the status of current projects, and outlined the success of initiatives promised in the 2016 strategic and campus master plans and the 2024 strategic plan, “House, Harkness, Heart: A New Era for Community Wellbeing.” He highlighted the growth of hands-on learning; student initiatives in artificial intelligence; spaces such as Tsai Field House, GCAD, and Big Red Park; the revised academic schedule; the ring road and Gaw Entrance, and plans to create a carless core around the Bowl.

 

Like the State of the School, the Alumni Awards Ceremony is a reunion weekend stalwart with a unique story every year. Alumni Association President Greg Melconian ’87 P’25 ’27 congratulated new Selectors Elizabeth Anathan ’95 and Philip “Flip” Romanelli ’88, new Alumni Trustee and recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award Heather Elliott Hoover ’91 P’20 ’23 ’24, Big Red Award recipients Leeann Passaro ’16 and Jeremy Perlman ’06, and Harkness Award recipient Emilie Kosoff H’88 ’94 ’96 ’00 ’16 ’18 ’20 P’19. Hoover holds the distinction of being the first alumna to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. Click here to read more about Hoover’s and Kosoff’s awards and remarks.

 

“We are here to honor both the contributions of alumni and your commitment to the mission and values of Lawrenceville,” said Steve Murray in his welcome to Lawrentians during the awards proceedings.

Those contributions were fully evident in the dollar amounts raised by reunion volunteers from the Classes of 1951 through 2021 – $2,903,563, and the five-year total for the 50th reunion Class of 1976 – $3,246,943. Maria Bolis, Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving, acknowledged these important contributions and led the applause for alumni participation and support.

 

A highlight of the weekend was the spirited participation of Larry Leeds ’46, the sole member of his class in attendance, celebrating his 80th reunion. Leeds and his wife, Ginger, were acknowledged during the Alumni Awards ceremony, and later led the Grand March from KAC to Abbott Dining Hall for the Legends barbecue and to the Circle for the food truck lunch and Beer Garden. The 1946 grad was also lauded during the Class of 1976 50th reunion dinner on Saturday night, where Trustee and 50th reunion committee member Joe Frumkin ’76 P’11 invited Leeds to share a few words of wisdom with the class.

 

A wide range of individual class events on Saturday afternoon made for an especially robust addition to this year’s programming. From an organized chat with current students to a field goal kicking contest, two pickleball tournaments, and a gathering around the mural in Battle-Fitzgerald Atrium, the classes of 1963, 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996, 2001, 2011, and 2016 created their own complements to the class dinners.

Guests at the Hutchins Galleries reception were treated to a collection of vivid color photos illustrating life in Japan, including spotlights from Tokyo, Nara, Kyoto, and Osaka, and the magnificence of Mount Fuji, shot by Nils Huehnergarth ’76, on campus to celebrate his 50th reunion. “I first went to Japan in the early 2000s for a business conference in Tokyo, and I promised myself I’d return,” said Huehnergarth. “I was overwhelmed by this colorful, frenetic, noisy place, and I was so enamored by the people and the culture.”

 

Photography had always been an avocation, and he saw the potential for an exhibit. “I set out to capture images that might inspire students to undertake their own travel to Japan,” said Huehnergarth.

From artificial intelligence to the Trees of Lawrenceville, tours of Tsai Field House, Back to Class sessions with science teacher Dr. Carrie Fyler P’27 and history teacher Regan Kerney H’49 ’95 ’96 ’98 ’99 ’03 ’06 ’11, House visits, alumni athletic competitions, food trucks and fun inflatables on the Circle, and an archives exhibit exploring U.S. and Lawrenceville history through postage stamps, Alumni Reunion Weekend offered something for everyone. Check out all the highlights in the Flickr photo album, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year!