Plan to return to campus
and be a part of this year's ReUnion Celebration. ReUnion is an ideal time to reconnect with friends, revisit memories of your college days and explore the new additions to campus.
ReUnion 2003 Highlights
Thursday, May 29
Campus Tours
Student Theater Performance of “Caucasian Chalk Circle”
Friday, May 30
Alumni Golf Outing
at the Edison Club
Guided Tour of
Proctor's Theater
Presentations:
“Forecasting the 2004
Presidential Election”
–Professor of Political Science
Richard Fox
“Everything You Wanted
to Ask About Bioethics But Never Could”
–Professor of Philosophy Robert Baker
“The American Locomotive Company-A Centennial Remembrance”
–Dick Steinbrenner '58
“Union Goes to Spain: art, architecture, religion, politics, history, music, literature, anthropology, aching backs and blisters…,”
–Professor of Visual Arts Louisa Matthew
Minerva's Foot Race
Lobster/Clambake
Saturday, May 31
Class Photos
Alumni Parade
Kids Carnival
Family Picnic
Presentations
“What Students Learn
from Study Abroad: From Immersion to Sightseeing”
–Professor of Anthropology
Sharon Gmelch
“Entertainment Today:
Live from Union College”
–Larry Lieberman '83, Axel Baumann '88,
Sara Friedman '98, Ilene Landress '83,
Bob Bernhardt '73.
Dedication of Civil
War Memorial
ReUnion Candlelight
Dinner Dance
Fireworks by Steve Ente '75
Performance of the Union College Blues Brothers Band
Sunday, June 1
Bon Voyage Brunch
Friends of Union Rowing
–ReUnion Row and New Shell Christening
Please join us for a fantastic weekend filled with fun for the whole family! Visit a class, attend a faculty presentation, enjoy a picnic lunch, and cheer for the many athletic teams competing during the weekend! More information will be available in the upcoming weeks. We hope
to see you in October!
On March 6, the Naples Alumni Club gathered on a beautiful afternoon at the Cedar Hammock Golf and Country Club for a lunch and to hear from Director of Athletics Val Belmonte. Alumni Club President Fred Brandt, Jr. ,'47 welcomed more than 20 alumni and guests. Belmonte highlighted the recent renovations made to some of the athletic facilities. In addition, alumni were excited to learn about the latest success of some of the men's and women's athletic teams.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Staples Center, center ice, skybox seating-the stage was set for Dec. 30, 2002, when 17 alumni and friends attended an L.A. Kings/Chicago Black Hawks hockey game from a private skybox generously donated by a friend of the College. Alumni from four different decades watched intently. Between periods, the alumni were able to catch up on the latest Union news and relive College experiences with one another. Everyone had a wonderful time; the only wish was that the Kings had been as fortunate as the 17 alumni and friends.
New York City
The Union spirit is going strong in New York City! Approximately 170 young alumni from the classes of 1998-2002 gathered for happy hour at Joshua Tree in Manhattan on Feb. 27. Alumni enjoyed food and drinks while catching up with old friends and classmates. We would like to thank Kristen Zadourian '01 for organizing the event. Much more is in store for the Alumni Club of New York City. If you would like to get involved, please
e-mail Kate Stefanik '01 at stefanik@union.edu
San Francisco
On Feb. 19, the Northern
California Chapter held its 2nd Annual President's Day Celebration in honor of Chester Arthur. The club felt it was important to recognize the 23rd president of the United States in addition to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The alumni who attended enjoyed tasty appetizers and Union-worthy drinks, while sharing in some fun trivia about President Arthur.
Sarasota
On March 5, the Sarasota Alumni Club met at Michael's On East for a wonderful luncheon. Director of Athletics Val Belmonte spoke about the recent athletic renovations on campus as well as the success of Union's athletic teams. Everyone had a terrific time.
A special thank you goes to Norm Kreisman '47 and wife, Dorothy, for organizing another fabulous event.
Schenectady
The Schenectady Union College Club gathered on Jan. 18 to see Union triumph over
Colgate in men's ice hockey. Before the game, more than 80 alumni, families, and friends had a delicious winter supper with local Colgate alums and their families. The group had a wonderful time at Reamer Campus Center, and the kids received hockey sticks signed by our own hockey stars.
The club again met on March 2 to hear the world-renowned and award-winning Emerson String Quartet perform in Memorial Chapel. Again, more than 80 people attended. Following the concert, the group reconvened at Hale House for cocktails and dinner. Associate Professor of Music Dianne McMullen gave a fascinating talk about composer Bedrich Smetana and his music. The group appreciated the insightful commentary on
the music that they had just heard performed.
Washington, D.C.
On March 6, the Alumni Club of D.C. and Union trustee Dr. Estelle Cooke-Sampson '74 hosted a presentation by Prof. Robert Baker. Approximately 30 alumni gathered at Dr. Cooke-Sampson's home to hear Baker answer questions about bioethics and issues ranging from cloning to managed health care. The club would like to thank Dr. Cooke-Sampson for opening her home for the event.
Please join us for a fantastic weekend filled with fun for the whole family! Visit a class, attend a faculty presentation, enjoy a picnic lunch, and cheer for the many athletic teams competing during the weekend! More information will be available in the upcoming weeks. We hope
to see you in October!
The article “The tradition of traditions” brought back many fond memories of my undergraduate days. There are, however, some random comments:
In listing the various names the alumni magazine has had, you include the Union College Symposium. My recollection is that the Symposium began around 1960 and was a sister publication to the alumni magazine but was not another name for it.
In discussing hazing you did not include the Sophomore Discipline Comittee. This was the most feared (and hated) group every freshman class was to encounter.
Later in the issue you mention the Betty Wemple Scholarship. Betty was well known to students as she worked with Bill Ketz as coordinator of student activities. He had his office in Washburn Hall. I was disappointed that no mention was made of Bill nor Betty, since the two of them had an impact on just about every student and are remembered with a great deal of fondness.
Ed O'Meally '54
Westminster, Md.
The Symposium began in 1962 and was published four times a year until 1970. It contained little news about the College, but was more an attempt at a literary magazine. For part of the 60s the alumni news appeared in the Review, an eight-page combination of campus news and class notes. In the late 60s, those items moved to the Chronicle, a tabloid-sized
publication that also seemed
to serve as an on-campus newspaper. In 1974, everything moved again, this time to the magazine still called Union
College.-Editor
More traditions
AFROTC Military Ball
Your feature on Union traditions was most interesting, but there are a couple of
references to photos that need correction.
The first concerns the photo on page five which you call the 1915 Prom. This is the same photo, somewhat differently cropped, that appears on page 134 of the 1955 Garnet, where it is described as the AFROTC Military Ball, which took place on November 5, 1954. Having attended that dance and knowing some of the people in the picture, I can assure you that it is not 1915. The photo on page
nine shows Carter Davidson awarding a prize “circa 1950.” I believe the recipient is Chauncey Wood '57, in which case the photo dates from the spring of that year.
Ted Smith '57
Reston, Va.
Patterson was next to last
There is a minor error on page five of the Garnet and Gray section of the winter issue. Kenneth C. Royall, rather than Robert Porter Patterson '12, was the last secretary of war. Patterson served in that office from Sept. 7, 1945 until July 18, 1947. Royall's tenure was from July 19, 1947 until Sept. 17, 1947, when he became the first secretary of the Army.
William B. Fisher '47
Washington, D.C.
Remembering
Betty Wemple
I noticed the announcement on the next to last page of the Winter 2003 issue of Union College of a Mary E. “Betty” Wemple Memorial Scholarship Fund.
I wish to remind alumni/alumnae that after a first few years as a secretary in the Admissions Office, Betty moved in the mid-1940s to the newly created Office of Student Activities and Veterans Affairs. There she had contact with numerous students who were participating in out-of-class activities as well, of course, with veterans of World War II. I am certain Betty will be well remembered by those who came by the office.
After some fifteen years,
Betty was appointed assistant registrar on July 1, 1960,
succeeding Frances Travis, who had had the title recorder. From then until her retirement in 1985, Betty was responsible for student permanent records. Again, an untold number of students, including foreign students,
for Betty handled INS matters, were in contact with her as they checked their progress toward a degree and processed transcript requests. Betty was always helpful and concerned.
I encourage alumni/ alumnae to assist in the establishment of this lasting memorial.
Calvin G. Schmidt '51
Amsterdam, N.Y.
The writer is Registrar Emeritus of the College.-Editor
