Editor’s note: Thanks to Tom Pierce for this report and the photos.
For the photo above, he provided this description:
Explaining that Elvis made an appearance at our 50th, and challenging ’69 to beat that, Bart awarded an Elvis bust—with its own carrying bag emblazoned with our own Elvis and Dolly—to the ’69 reunion co-chairs: the unfazed Sandy Smith and the fazed David Low.
Here’s Tom’s full report:
Twenty-six ’68 classmates and significants rallied for our final official Mini-Reunion (although ’68 is welcome to return every year.) The highlight was Saturday night’s traditional Pass the Baton dinner Here are excerpts from class president Bob Heiss’s remarks:
Unbeknownst to us in the Class of 1968, this tradition began in the fall of 1967—when we were in our own senior year at Williams. At that first ceremony the Class of 1917 passed the baton to the Class of 1918. Now today’s Williams seniors are the Class of 2019. We hope their reunion will be as enjoyable as ours was. And they’ll pass the baton in their own 50th reunion year—in the fall of…2069!—to the next class in line. By then the pass-the-baton tradition will have encompassed more than one fifty hundred years of the history of Williams College.
Now the time has come for the Class of 1968 to pass the baton to the Class of 1969. In so doing, we encourage you to run your segment of the relay race to the best of your ability. It is our hope that your efforts during the next eight months will connect your class more closely together, as it certainly and positively has brought our classmates and spouses closer than ever. And we hope that your efforts will produce a winning result, for your class and for Williams. Above all, we hope you’ll have as much fun planning and participating in your 50th as we have had in ours.
Friday’s Multi-class dinner at the Williams Inn. Arleen and president Bob Heiss, past president Ned Perry, and Lu Ann Dillon (photographer Tom Pierce’s wife), with Arthur Cambouris eavesdropping. Background: Williams’ 50th Reunion program director Mark Robertson getting ready to regale us as M.C.
Saturday morning, class secretary Paul Neely moderated a lively and informative conversations with Williams president Maud Mandel
Saturday night featured the Pass the Baton dinner at the Faculty/Alumni Center. Debby and Bart Jones, Susan Street and Paul Neely, Mandy and Bob Stanton, and Lu Ann Dillon. Background: Arthur Cambouris eavesdropping at his own table.
Bob Gault, Patti Dirlam, Arleen and Bob Heiss, Diana Budzanoski with the aforementioned Arthur.
President Heiss greeted president Mandel with these chilling words: “On behalf of the Class of 1968, I would like to welcome you, Maud Mandel, to these alumni rites. We wish you every success in guiding Williams through the coming years, and we look forward to working with you on alumni issues. The Class wishes to give you this welcoming present—just in time for you to enjoy your first brutal winter in the Berkshires!” Maud modeled her spotted scarf with pride.
Reunion co-chairs Bart Jones and Bob Stanton prep their curious audience for a special gift to the ’69 reunion co-chairs.
69ers Sandy Smith and Dave Low receive their “special gift” from the Class of 1968, courtesy of Bart Jones and Bob Stanton. Not shown: the blue suede shoes.
Presidents Heiss and Mandel react to the September 29, 2018 Elvis sighting.
For those of you missed our 50th – and for those who were there but don’t remember – here’s proof of the June 09 2018 Elvis (and Dolly) sighting. Flanked by some hippie who just kind of wandered in…
Bob delivers his presidential State-of-the-Reunion address…
…including Bob’s enthusiastic tribute to the enthusiastic Williams 50th reunion team: Mark Robertson, Chris Robare, and Darlene Alderman. Bob Stanton approves, enthusiastically.
Finally and finely, ’68 president Bob passed the baton to ’69 president Alan Dittrich.
Our work here is done. Our fun is not!