CRC
The year was 1906. Teddy Roosevelt was in the White House. The Wrights had taken flight in Kitty Hawk. Henry Ford's Model T "Tin Lizzie" was on Detroit drawing boards. Jacob Gould Schurman was Cornell's president and Pop Warner its football coach. Rym Berry 1904 had of late coined a name for Pop's boys: the Big Red team. Speaking of innovators, a dozen young alums found themselves bound together, dedicated to the proposition that Cornell reunions were too good to be limited to five-year intervals. So they founded an institution whose object was "to have each and every member (signed below) attend every reunion of Cornell University for five (5) years from June 1907."
Thus was created the Continuous Reunion Club (CRC). It has been highly continuous ever since except in some war years. Last June, scores returned for its 105th Reunion. The hottest ticket was the climax of the weekend, Cornelliana Night, at an overflowing Bailey Hall, from which some 600 were diverted to the nearby Call Auditorium simulcast. Second was President David Skorton's Olin Lecture interview of Chuck Feeney '56, the man who donated billions—in secret.
Our gang met at CRC's Reunion home, an international living center on the North Campus named for football All-America/college president/ambassador to Sweden/SEC head Jerome "Brud" Holland '39, MS '41. They moved out quickly from the friendly North Campus confines to reunion lectures, tours, and revels. The members and guests from the Athletics department jammed the Statler ballroom for CRC's traditional Friday lunch. Jack Brophy '53 and the Cayuga's Waiters (approximately) triple-quartet of the Fifties, appropriately, led the program off with "The Old Songs" (as in "the good old songs for me"). They followed with signature songs we loved so well in the Fifties—Waiters favorites like "The Day Isn't Long Enough," "The Fiji Isles," and "Good Night, Little Girl."
CRC comes back for the pleasure of each other's company, but the joy was diminished this year by the loss of several members, particularly Bill Vanneman '31 (who had planned to attend an unprecedented 80th Reunion), and our senior (and honorary) member, longtime baseball and football coach Ted Thoren. The assemblage warmly welcomed Jeanne, Ted's wife of 64 years. Bill V. celebrated his 102nd birthday in April, but did not long survive. Gerry Grady '53 called for a silent pause in memory of the year's fallen: Vanneman, Thoren, Col. Don Spittler '40, Domenic Mazza '41, Dorothy Kleine Van Reed '45, BS '44, Davis Cutting '48, Richard Jackson '56, Ernie Hardy '53, PhD '69, and Kevin Seits '60, JD '63.
CRC had a gift for the swimming team, graciously accepted by assistant coach Wes Newman '09, a three-time Eastern swimming champ, holder of many Red records, and a dean's list scholar. David Eldredge '81, coach of both men's and women's polo teams these many years, told of his women's undefeated national championship team (his daughter, Kailey '14, is one of its leaders) and his men's team, which finished second nationally. Both teams are powerhouses, year in and year out.
Athletic director Andy Noel praised his staff of superb coaches, which have won 68 Ivy League titles and 14 national championships during his dozen-year tenure, and thanked the alumni who, he said, have made it possible. He introduced our new member: Cari Hills '98, a Cornell Athletic Hall of Famer, All-America in women's lacrosse and field hockey, and all-time leading Cornell scorer in both sports. He also hailed as giants in their sports oarsman Bob Staley '57, MBA '59, present for the dedication of the renovated John Collyer Boathouse, and basketball's Chuck Rolles '56. Football coach Kent Austin reported impressive progress in building a better Big Red machine, in no small part due to a newly leveled playing field in the area of financial aid.
Tom MacLeod '70, MBA '71, escorted Jeanne Thoren to the mound and, at her request, threw the traditional first pitch of the Ted Thoren Memorial Alumni Baseball Game Saturday morning. Rich Booth '82 and Dan Dwyer '76 played. Art Kesten '44 and the undersigned were designated coaches. Honorary member David Wohlhueter manned the P.A. Coordinator of Cornell Football Alumni Relations Pete Noyes, speaking at a post-game gathering to honor Thoren's memory, noted that "behind every great man there is a great woman. Jeanne Thoren is that woman." Old players and friends gave her another standing O. A session of recollected Thoren-esque wit and wisdom followed.
Another vintage a cappella group, Jon Wardner '79 and his Alumni Hangovers, serenaded CRC diners Saturday evening at the Country Club of Ithaca.
Cornelliana Night, the final reunion event, was dedicated to Bill Vanneman's memory. There were buttons for all with his picture at a Cornelliana Night. It was an evening of recognitions and Cornell music. CRC was cited as loyalists to whom Cornell is held so dear—and reunions are so much fun—that we return every year.
For CRC, it was mostly agreed that this was one of the finest reunions ever. For that, we thank Cathy Hogan '70 and Christine Rumsey of Alumni Affairs, John Webster and Kathleen Bolton of Athletics, Connie Santagato Hosterman '57, and superclerks Carlie Ann Brown '11 and Randall Pharr Jr. '12. May their futures flourish.
And hardly anyone parked on the grass—unless it was absolutely necessary. Jim Hanchett '53, 300 First Ave., #8B, NYC 10009; e-mail, jch46@cornell.edu.