For once, Mother Nature cooperated during Reunion, welcoming record crowds of alumni and guests to campus with sunny skies, cool breezes, and just a little rain. In addition to the Reunion standards were such events as an Iroquois social, a “Romp and Stomp” revival, a lecture by a prominent Indian industrialist, and 100th birthday greetings for beloved alumnus and Reunion stalwart Bill Vanneman ’31.
Photographs by Dede Hatch
Reunion 2009 brought a record-setting 4,726 Cornellians back to campus, with 6,698 total in attendance counting family and guests. The Class of '59 had the highest return rate, at 25.6 percent. Four classes—1944, 1959, 1974, and 1989—set Reunion attendance records. The oldest Cornellian on campus was Bill Vanneman '31, a longtime member of the Continuous Reunion Club who turned 100 in April. He was feted with a private party at the Statler Hotel (guests included three Cornell presidents) and the singing of "Happy Birthday" during Cornelliana Night in Bailey Hall. Reunion campaigns raised some $112 million—a record—from 7,312 donors and 590 Tower Club members.
In addition to the Reunion standards—canoeing on Beebe Lake, the Olin Lecture, tours of the Johnson Museum and the Plantations—this year's gathering included some new events. Folk singer Peter Yarrow '59 of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame led a "Romp and Stomp" retrospective; the Cornell Native American Alumni Association held a traditional Iroquois social; and the University Library gave alumni of all ages lessons in how to Twitter.
Reports of the Reunion classes will appear in the Class Notes section in September/ October 2009.
Learning the ropes (left): Deena Berton '88, MBA '89, and son Ezra Odio at Cornell Outdoor Education's Hoffman Challenge Course. On your mark (top right): Competitors prepare for the Reunion Run outside Barton Hall. Just folks (bottom right): Ellen Stekert '57 and Peter Yarrow '59 at the "Romp and Stomp" revival.
Tribal rhythms: The Cornell Native American Alumni Association hosts a traditional Iroquois social on Bailey Plaza.
Memory books (top left): Jacquelyn Browne '87, Anthony Browne '88, and Carl Marshall '88 flip through photo albums at the Cornell Black Alumni Association gathering. Captain of industry (bottom left): President David Skorton (left) discusses corporate social responsibility with Indian business magnate Ratan Tata '59, BArch '62, at the annual Olin Lecture. Tree of knowledge (right): Alumni enjoy a tour of Cornell Plantations.
{mov}Reunion09{/mov}