Alumni Enjoy a Delightful Reunion Weekend
The arrival of over 200 hundred Worcester State College alumni and guests for a weekend of reminiscing and revelry with classmates was the reward enjoyed by reunion committees for the classes of 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, and 1974.
Festivities began on Friday, May 29 with the 16th annual Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament and a cocktail party for the Classes of 1954 and 1959 at the home of President Ashley.
The annual champagne brunch was held at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, located in downtown Worcester, on May 30. Class of ’69 member Margaret Madaus’ husband, Ed, M.Ed. ’72, and Paul Demoga ’67 are co-founders of the new theatre.
The class dinners on May 30 began with a cocktail hour in the Exhibit Area of the Student Center before alumni and their guests dispersed to join classmates for dinner and more conversation.
The dinners featured presentations of class gifts, which totaled nearly $40,000.
The Class of 1959, the largest class in attendance, raised $13,980 through the efforts of the College’s very first reunion gift committee, which was led by Shirley Steele. Since this was combined with the amount raised for their 45th reunion, the class has amassed over $25,000 in scholarship aid.
According to Shirley, these scholarships “will open the doors of higher education to students of every background…especially those who have overcome monumental obstacles and challenges.” The gift committee hopes “that the strategy we used and the program itself will serve as a model for future class reunion gift-giving,” she added.
Shirley praised her fellow committee members, Tom ’59, M.Ed. ’63, and Rachel (Dumas) ’59, M.S. ’88 Costello, Martha (Tavlas) Iazzetti ’59, Barbara (Lyons) Levesque ’59, Dianne (Helow) Payne ’59 and Joan Trainor ’59, M.Ed. ’62, “for their time, cooperation, and generous financial support,” and thanked classmates in attendance for their “unprecedented generosity during these very, very difficult economic times.”
Thomas McNamara ’94 also recognized Dianne Payne and her husband, Bob, for their $10,000 gift to the Opportunity for a Lifetime campaign and Barbara Levesque and her husband, Allen, for their gift of over $18,000 to their textbook fund.
At the Class of 1974’s dinner, Tom announced that Sharen (Cutting) Shipley would present President Ashley with a gift of $25,000 to endow a scholarship. “Tonight, she is making a very generous and thoughtful gift to Worcester State College that will help our students for years to come,” he said.
Margaret “Peggy” Curran ’54, M.Ed. ’56, and Dorothy “Dottie” McLoughlin ’54, M.Ed. ’56, presented President Ashley with the Class of 1954’s class gift of $6,285. Then Dottie learned about the surprise gift to her scholarship fund by her sister, Mary McLoughlin, in honor of her 55th reunion. Dottie was overwhelmed with emotion.
Tom also recognized Richard ’54, Ed.D., and Dolores (Manning) ’55 Greene for making a generous pledge to establish an endowed scholarship in honor of his 55th reunion. The scholarship will be for international students from countries with documented human rights violations.
At the Class of 1969 dinner, Maryanne Hammond ’69, M.Ed.’72, Margaret Madaus ’69, M.Ed. ’73, and Beth Sannella ’69, M.Ed. ’73, presented the class gift of $10,502 to President Ashley. The class’ goal is to endow a fund, Maryanne said. “There will be more to come.”
Jo-Anne Cronin ’64, M.Ed. ’68, presented the Class of 1964’s reunion gift of $4,515 to President Ashley. She joked that it “would be an excellent start for an alumni suite” at the College.
Members of the classes of 1959, 1954, 1949, 1944, 1939, and 1934 were honored at the Golden Grads Luncheon on May 31. They are considered the alumni who laid the foundation for the College’s present-day success and paved the way for future generations of Worcester State students.
To see photos of Reunion Weekend 2009, click here.