Reunion Report: Class of 1985

By Davies Bisset / July / August 2000
May 3rd, 2007

Sun, fun, friends, families…and Bill Cosby! What more could the class of ’85 have wanted for our most excellent 15th reunion? It was great to see so many classmates back on campus. And for those of you who couldn’t make it, you missed quite a party!

Highlights included the usual revelry on Friday night. Campus Dance is the world’s greatest party! On Saturday afternoon the warm sun, great food, and activities galore helped make Field Day the best ever. Where did all those kids come from?

On Saturday night, some of us grooved with the Temptations at the Commencement concert. With white lanterns adorning the Green and candlesticks flickering in the windows of University Hall, it was truly a special evening. The rest of us had a blast with the class of ’90 at a party in Andrews Hall.

Sunday ushered in a new class tradition – the alumni waterfront festival. Near downtown on the banks of the Providence River, we experienced the Providence renaissance with our own eyes via WaterFire. (A few cocktails at the Union Station Brewery didn’t hurt, either.) We can now attest that the opening scenes of NBC’s Providence were not created on a Hollywood set. Our old, dowdy Providence has become a beautiful little city.

A sizable crowd of ’85ers stayed in town through Monday to march down College Hill with the many happy and boisterous graduating seniors, not to mention the many equally happy and boisterous alumni. Our Commencement march is such a wonderful Brown tradition! Many of our spouses and children joined in, making the whole thing even more special. Our surprise guest marcher – honorary classmate Bill Cosby, who received an honorary degree in 1985 – led us through the Van Wickle Gates with his great smile, effervescent personality, and memorable one-liners. Thank you, Bill, for making our walk even more memorable than usual.

Finally, a very special thank-you to all who attended the reunion. You made a great weekend even better. And to those who couldn’t be with us, we really missed you! On that note, we invite you – and Bill Cosby – to join us again in five years. –Davies Bisset, on behalf of the reunion committee

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Related Issue
July / August 2000