With the wonderful weather arranged by Colby's director of alumni relations and fellow classmate Susan Conant Cook as well as the hard work by the reunion committee, the Class of '75 was treated to a spectacular Maine weekend for their 20th reunion. More than 70 members of the
class plus spouses, children and guests renewed old friendships. After parading to the football field in the T-shirts designed by Janet Hansen --the College has a supply of adult and youth Reunion 1995 T-shirts still available, so please call the Alumni Relations Office if you would like to purchase one-- classmates applauded class agent (and chief arm twister) Susan Staples-Smith as she helped kick off the College's new capital campaign by
presenting President Cotter with the third largest check from all of the reunion classes.Lunch on the Foss-Woodman lawn (complete with make-your-own-sundaes) also featured faculty emeriti Peter Ré, Archille Biron, Bob Kany, Ed Turner and Miriam Bennett and former President and Mrs. Strider. The afternoon included guided tours of the new Winslow Homer and Oriental carpet exhibits at Bixler, a congregation of beer coolers and cocktails on the front lawn of Foss, sports activities (including the famed Jim Cousins-Don Buckley tennis match) and general catching up on memories.Paul Hatton orchestrated an impressive turnout by the DKE contingent, who together managed a quiet reminiscence from a familiar vantage point.
Likewise, the old Basement Woodman crowd reconvened atop the water tower.
Diane Billington Stronach ably kept reunion headquarters staffed and
provisioned while also providing before-and-after pictures using Polaroid
candids mounted against vintage "Faces and Places" photos.
The class dinner featured talks from faculty guests Miriam Bennett, Jim Meehan
and Charles Bassett. Because outgoing president Gene DeLorenzo was
unable to attend, incoming class president Boyd "Byrd" Allen emceed the
dinner. He also revisited last reunion's award winners. The California
contingent of Libby Piper Deschenes and Kevin "Onions" Manion
tied for distance traveled, since Maj. Peter Coz is pulling a staff
assignment in the Washington, D.C., area. Otherwise, the former winners
maintained their standings: John Allan still has his old truck running,
Doug Schwarz is rumored to still have his pet snake, and Binky
Cammack Closmore broke her own record by having another child, raising the
total to six. Dancing and hanging out with classmates rounded out the
evening.
Eleanor "Woofie" Fleming Amidon takes over as class vice president and
Alumni Council representative from John Orefice, and Nan Weidmann
Anderson will follow up on the excellent work of Susan Gearhart
Wuest as class correspondent. The new class officers, along with the
promised help of Rick Drake, will form the nucleus of the next reunion
planning committee. So be there for the 25th and be part of the reunion that
closes out the century. In the meantime, keep the news coming in to Nan.
--Boyd Allen
| Class of 1970 Reunion | Table of Contents | 1980s Alumni Notes |