On a warm Saturday afternoon, the College officially dedicated Messa House in honor of a gift from Frank L. Messa ’73 and his wife, Colleen, to highlight ReUnion 2010.
More than 2,000 visitors descended on campus for the annual celebration of Union’s graduates, which began Thursday and continued through Sunday.
Together, they enjoyed traditional favorites like the Alumni Parade, fireworks show and Gala Dinner. There were also presentations from notable alumni in a variety of fields and to mark the Memorial Day weekend, a celebration to honor the College’s service men and women.
Click here for more images from throughout the weekend in our photo gallery.
Members of the Messa family joined College officials, including President Stephen C. Ainlay and Stephen Dare, vice president for College Relations, to rename Blue House, one of the College’s seven Minervas. The Messas, longtime benefactors to the College, recently gave an unrestricted gift of $2 million.
Recalling the day when he first stepped onto the Union campus in 1969, Messa said there was no doubt where he would go to college.
“I just knew, as many students do, when you are home," said Messa, who is chairman of Union’s Board of Trustees. “And I was home."
Calling Union a special place, Messa thanked a number of his former faculty and staff members in attendance whom he now calls friends; his college roommates who remain his "three best friends in the whole world"; and his family, including his mother and his wife, Colleen. The Saratoga Springs couple has three children: Christopher, Peter and Keri ’08, who was a member of Blue House when she was a student.
"I'm 59 and I still get goosebumps when I come up Library Lane and walk up to the Nott Memorial."
At Union, Messa earned a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in political science. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was a finalist for the Albert C. Ingham Prize, given to the student in social sciences judged to have done the most outstanding scholarly work.
Following graduation from Albany Law School in 1976, Messa joined the Ayco Company, a local tax and financial consulting firm. He retired in 2006 after 30 years with the firm.
Messa and his family have provided funds for the renovation of Frank L. Messa Rink at Achilles Center, renovation of Schaffer Library, and establishment of the Frank Messa ’73 Endowed Scholarship and the Steinway Piano Fund for the Taylor Music Center. Messa also has created endowments for the hockey program and women’s athletics.
"This gift shows the Messa family's underlying commitment to academic programs at Union," said President Ainlay. "They have asked everytime, 'what is it I can do for you.' I will tell their story as long as I am president of this college. We're deeply grateful for all you have done."
To read about Messa's gift in the Daily Gazette, click here.
Also Saturday at Alumni Convocation in Memorial Chapel, the College presented Alumni Gold Medals, the Faculty Meritorious Award, parade trophies and class gifts. The ceremony closed with the traditional Senior Handshake between the Class of 2010 and the 50th ReUnion Class, welcoming the senior class into the alumni body.
Dr. Ronald Weinstein ’60, a medical researcher and scholar known as a pioneer in the field of telepathology, received the Eliphalet Nott Medal. Weinstein is a native of Schenectady with a long association with the University of Arizona. Named for the president of Union College from 1804 to 1866, the award recognizes the perseverance of alumni who have attained great distinction in their fields.
Three received Alumni Gold Medals from Union’s Alumni Council in recognition of distinguished service to the College: Charles Snow ’50, retired president of a surety investigation and appraisal firm; Stephen Ciesinski ’70, a Schenectady native living in Palo Alto, Calif., technology investor and former chairman of Union’s Board of Trustees; and Nancy Eppler Wolff ’75 of New York City, a child psychologist, author and trustee.
Therese McCarty, vice president for Academic Affairs, received the Faculty Meritorious Service Award.
The College also honored outstanding engineering alumni at the Engineering Awards Reception.
For more on the award winners click here.
Other highlights of the weekend included talks by Kathy Magliato ’85, a cardiothoracic and heart transplant surgeon, and author of “Healing Hearts: The Memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon”; Marisa Silveri ’95, a Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital neuroscientist; Nancy Eppler-Wolff ’75, author of “Raising Children Who Soar”; and Ira Rutkow ’70, a surgeon and author of “Seeking the Cure: A History of Medicine in America.”
The annual Garnet Blades Golf Tournament to support the men’s ice hockey team was held at the Mohawk Club Friday. The sponsor of this year’s event was the Boyd family, whose two sons, Scott '96, past president of Garnet Blades, and Ryan '99, both played hockey during their four years at Union. The family sponsored the event in memory of their mother, Pam Boyd, a founding member of the Garnet Blades, who passed away suddenly last year. The successful tournament was sold out.