After a two year hiatus of in-person reunions, 2022 brought a record number of Ephs to campus to celebrate. Several classes broke record attendance for the percentage and/or number of classmates that returned for their reunions. Congrats on the record-breaking turnout! Mother Nature cooperated and the Annual Meeting was held outdoors under sunny skies on Sawyer Quad, now also the location of each year’s Commencement. Many thanks to the nearly 4,000 Ephs and their friends and family who joined us in Williamstown this weekend!
View, download and share Reunion 2022 photos.
Watch alumni presentations from the Reunion 2022 seminars.
200th Annual Meeting of The Society of Alumni
The following awards and announcements were presented at the 197th annual meeting of The Society of Alumni on Saturday, June 8, 2019
Oldest alumnus in attendance was Doug Coleman from the class of 1950 celebrating his 72nd Reunion! Also in attendance were five members of the Class of 1952 celebrating their 70th reunion.
Major Awards
Williams proudly bestowed its highest recognition for alumni service to the recipient of the Rogerson Cup, Kate Boyle Ramsdell ’97.
Jim Kolesar ’72 received the Kellogg Award for Career Achievement.
Sandy Lambert ’77 won the Thurston Award for his excellent work as Class Secretary.
The Joseph’s Coat, in recognition of a highly esteemed member of a post-50th Reunion class, went to Charlie and Kathie Berry ’57.
New Members of the Executive Committee of the Society of Alumni
- Jacqueline Laughlin ’75, Detroit, MI
- Adrena Ifill Blagburn ’91, Washington, DC
- Jason A. Poling ’94, Reisterstown, MD
- Monserrat Munoz-Lopez, ’09, Dallas TX
- Haley M. Brooks ’12, Morganton, NC
- Landon Marchant, ’20, Williamstown, MA
- David Willmott, Class of 1992 and Melissa Dresselhuys, Class of 1990, Alumni Fund Co-Chair, ex-officio
Class Attendance Awards
The Reunion Trophy, awarded to the class with the highest percentage of registered and present classmates, went to the Class of 2014 with 47.7% in attendance. The Reunion Bowl, for the class with the greatest number of members registered and present, also went to the Class of 2014 with 254 members attending.
Milestone Philanthropy–Fiftieth Reunions
In June, Class President & 50th Reunion Fund Chair John LaPann ’72, Gift Purpose Chair Harry Kangis ’72, and Class Vice President Wendy Hopkins ’72 presented a total class gift of $22.5M to President Mandel at the annual meeting. That gift included $3.2M raised for their 50th class gift purpose, the Class of 1972 Fund for Engaged Scholarship to promote experiential learning opportunities. It also included $2.4M raised in gifts and pledges to the Alumni Fund. Overall class participation in the total gift was 82%.
In August, 50th Reunion Fund Chair John Burns ’70 presented the Class of 1970’s 50th Reunion gift to Dean of the Faculty Safa Zaki. The total gift came to $9.9M, of which $4.6M will endow the Class of 1970 Funds for Curricular Innovation and Curricular Excellence. The latter will support Winter Study, Tutorials, and Summer Opportunities. Another $2M was raised in Alumni Fund gifts and pledges. 92% of classmates made a gift that counted toward the overall total, and over 65% of classmates gave to the class gift purposes, establishing a new participation record.
A week later, 50th Reunion Fund Co-Chairs Kennedy Richardson ’71 and Geo Estes ’71 announced the Class of 1971’s 50th Reunion gift at their 50th celebration. They raised a total class gift $18.5M, a number that included $4.4 M raised for three class gift purposes: the Class of 1971 Fund for Summer Science Research, the Class of 1971 Fund for Careers in Public Service, and an expansion of the 1971 Scholarship established at their 25th Reunion. The class also raised $3.7M in gifts and pledges to the Alumni Fund. Over 78% of classmates participated in the overall campaign.
Milestone Philanthropy–Twenty-fifth Reunions
In early June Leadership Giving Co-Chairs Susan Costanzo ’97 and Chris Sweeney ’97 presented the college with the 1997 25th Reunion gift of $8.6 million, the fifth largest 25th Reunion gift since the beginning of the program in 1982. Of this overall gift, $1.2 million supports their 25th reunion class gift purpose, Data Science and Digital Humanities, and $3.5 million supports financial aid. The class also supported the Alumni Fund with $2.1 million in gifts and pledges. In addition, the number of women in the class making an Alumni Fund leadership gift more than doubled from nine to 23. Overall about 67% of the class contributed gifts towards these efforts.
A few weeks later at the rescheduled 25th Reunion for 1996 and 1996, Class President and past Head Agent Mitch Howell ’96 presented the college with the ’96 25th Reunion gift of $8 million, the sixth largest 25th Reunion gift since the beginning of the program in 1982. Of this overall gift, $718,000 supports their 25th reunion class gift purpose, the ’96 Fund for Equity and Access. The class also supported the Alumni Fund with $1.3 million in gifts and pledges. In addition, several women in the class have joined The W, making $100,000 Alumni Fund gifts as part of their total contribution. Overall roughly 70% of the class contributed gifts towards these efforts.
For Class of 1995 Leadership Giving Co-Chair John Werwaiss ’95 presented the college with the ’95 25th Reunion gift of $5.3 million, with $1.4 million supporting their 25th reunion class gift purpose, the ’96 Fund for Window on Williams. The class also supported the Alumni Fund with $1.2 million in gifts and pledges. Over 67% of the class contributed gifts towards these efforts.