As promised, the College's Bicentennial Weekend was a party the likes of which the College has never seen.
Delegates from fifty colleges, universities, and learned societies joined hundreds of faculty members, students, and guests at the Founders Day convocation of Saturday morning. In addition to music and speeches, seven alumni were honored.
William G. Burns '54, retired vice chairman and director of NYNEX and a life trustee of the College, received the Founders Medal, which is
given on special occasions to recognize unusual and distinguished service to Union.
President Roger Hull then presented Eliphalet Nott Medals, recognizing the perseverance of alumni who have gained distinction in their fields, to:
Robert I. Chartoff '55,
president of Chartoff Productions, whose films include The Right Stuff and Raging Bull, –
A. Lee Fritschler '59, president of Dickinson College;
Michael J. Fuchs '67, chairman and chief executive officer of Home Box Office;
Robert A. Laudise '52, adjunct research director for chemistry at AT&T Bell Laboratories;
Kathleen White '72, editor-in-chief of Redbook magazine; and
Baruch S. Blumberg '46, Fox Chase Distinguished Scientist at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and a Nobel laureate.
That afternoon, historian and Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough delighted a large audience with his remarks at the rededication of the
restored Nott Memorial. On Sunday, when the building opened to the public for the first time, more than 1,000 visitors came to admire the building and enjoy an exhibit about Union's first 200 years.
Later on Saturday, more than 2,000 hockey fans packed Achilles Rink to cheer the Dutchmen to a 5-3 win over Harvard-Union's first hockey victory over the Crimson. After two Bicentennial dinners, the day ended with the Bicentennial Gala Ball in Memorial Fieldhouse-generally believed to have been the largest gathering of members of the campus community in the College's history.
For those who couldn't come to campus, the day's events were videotaped and edited into a one
hour satellite broadcast that was seen by more than 1,000 alumni at twenty-six events throughout the country.