Reunion Report: 1953

By John M. Andrews, Gloria Villany Holland, and Barbara Kemalian Stone / July / August 2003
June 22nd, 2007
They came from as far away as Israel with umbrellas and raincoats in hand to participate in the 50th reunion of the class of ’53. Alumni who have attended numerous Commencements over the years said it was the worst weather they’d ever encountered! Despite a weekend of cloudy skies, the 162 alumni and ninety-four guests appeared to be upbeat all weekend.

After a welcoming reception at our class headquarters, we journeyed to the recently renovated Andrews Dining Hall on the Pembroke Campus for a buffet dinner. At 8:30, a few hearty souls traveled back to the College Green to attend Campus Dance.

On Saturday the men’s lunch, which included the significant others of both male and female alumni, was held at the private Squantum Club in East Providence. The ladies, meanwhile, held a delightful lunch at the renowned Hope Club. We ate dinner that night in the beautifully restored Garden Room of the Biltmore Hotel. Later we ventured over to the Providence Performing Arts Center to enjoy Harry Connick Jr. and his Big Band. The event was driven inside because of the above-mentioned rain!

On Sunday morning we had breakfast with President Ruth Simmons and then attended a gathering in Sayles Hall to remember deceased members of all the reunion classes. Sunday afternoon saw us cruising down Narragansett Bay in a brand-new catamaran thanks to the generosity of Dale Strand. We had the honor, we believe, of being the first class in the Ivy League to have the exclusive use of a vessel of this type for our cruise. Later that night we had dinner at the beautiful Bella Vista restaurant, located at Waterplace Park in downtown Providence. We were delighted to be able to view WaterFire from our tables.

Monday morning, with the rain coming down, our brave classmates processed down College Hill with the graduating seniors and the other reunion classes. The weekend concluded with a lunch for 50+ reunion year classes in the Sharpe Refectory. We look forward to our 55th!

John M. Andrews, Gloria Villany Holland, and Barbara Kemalian Stone

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July / August 2003