Cornell Class of '79 20th Reunion

A beautiful Ithaca weekend was waiting for the 561 individuals attending our 20th Reunion. 235 classmates, along with other guests and almost 200 children, enjoyed a warm and sunny June 10-13 at Cornell. It was truly a weekend to remember.

The weekend began Thursday at noon some people didn't want to miss a single moment of Reunion and were there as soon as we officially opened. A leisurely buffet dinner at our class headquarters, Class of '28 Hall (U-Hall 2), gave returning classmates a chance to catch up and reminisce. Some classmates had not seen each other since the 15th Reunion five years ago; others had not been back since graduation.

Each morning started with a Continental Breakfast at class headquarters. Most of Friday was available for visiting campus and Ithaca at one's own pace. Many were amazed by the changes on campus in the past 20 years. Friday evening brought our first special event. President Emeritus Frank Rhodes and his wife Rosa joined us for our cocktail reception in Minn's Garden adjacent to the Ag Quad. Also joining us were several faculty guests invited by request of various classmates. All were thrilled to be there and touched that their students from 20 years ago wanted to see them again. At dinner, we were joined by Chairman of the Board of Trustees Harold Tanner where we presented him with a check that was larger than any other Cornell 20th Reunion class in history. A 20th Reunion record $2,299,641 was given by 1013 donors. The dollar amount breaks the record previously held by the Class of 1976 and the number of donors enables us to be the first class to win the Class of '74 Cup for having over 1000 donors in their reunion year.

During and following the dinner, we were entertained by our own David Stocker and his band, One Durm:World Tour. On a northeast tour from his home in Rockford, IL, David was able to work an Ithaca stop into the trip to provide our Reunion that special touch. David and the band performed again for the children at Saturday's barbecue and then at a local Ithaca nightclub Saturday evening.

Saturday noon found us at the Cornell Plantations Arboretum for lunch and our class photo. Special events aimed at our children included a soccer clinic and a trained dog exhibition. The barbecue lunch under the tent was the perfect accompaniment to another great day of weather.

The highlight of the weekend was our Saturday evening reception and dinner at the Johnson Art Museum. The museum was open for our private use with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on the front patio and in the sixth floor conference room with its gorgeous view of Cayuga Lake. During the reception, the a cappella Hangovers entertained us with a short performance of Cornell songs and other favorites in the Museum lobby. Dinner followed in the tent next to the Museum with a DJ and dance floor for after dinner entertainment. After dinner, we adjourned to class headquarters for a special dessert and coffee hour. Conversation and quiet partying continued well into the night.

Reunion concluded with our farewell brunch at class headquarters. We talked of the weekend, said our good-byes and spoke of our plans to meet again in 2004. A big thanks to all who helped plan and organize our 20th Reunion. It was a great time to relax, see old friends, make new friends, and enjoy time with our families all while enjoying all that Cornell has to offer. See you in 2004 for our 25th!

Final report: For the 12-month reunion period ending June 30, 1999, 1023 donors have given $2,305,451. Our goal for the 20th was $2,355,000. We have officially won the Class of '74 bowl for having 1000+ donors, and just missed the reunion donor mark of 1059 set by the Class of '74.

'79 set a new 20th-reunion dollar record, previously held by the Class of '76.