Class of ’61 65^th Reunion Review

June 4 – 7, 2026

Of the 82 participants who registered, 42 were ’61 classmates. However several never signed in due to unexpected illness or other circumstances. So the final numbers were 77 participants of which 37 were classmates.

Activities began Thursday evening with dinner at the Statler hotel where most of the attendees were staying and where we were entertained by the Sherwoods.

Our class had also arranged for a separate relaxation room where memorabilia from previous class reunions were displayed including many of the class souvenirs handed out to attendees of previous Reunions, as well as our ’61 graduation Yearbook, along with the Yearbooks printed for our 25^th and 50^th reunions. Attendees were able to spend time and socialize between specific class and Reunion events in our Class’s relaxation room.

Friday started with a buffet breakfast for our class in a separate Statler Hotel private room. At our Friday luncheon in the Statler Ballroom, we were entertained by Corey Earle, Cornell’s historian who gave a most informative and enjoyable presentation on changes to the Cornell campus from 1957 when we were enrolled to the present. The Cornell campus has more than doubled in size with significant additions of new living spaces especially on the North campus as well as many new school buildings. Of particular enjoyment at our Friday luncheon were the Make-it-Yourself ice cream sundaes provided with four different ice cream flavors and a multitude of available toppings inspired by the invention of the ice cream sundae in Ithaca.

On Friday afternoon, we had a reception in Olin Library in the Meinig Reading Room on the 3^rd floor, which our Class had funded as part of our 60^th reunion campaign to the memory of our classmate, Peter Meinig. Due to the covid epidemic and corresponding shutdown of the Cornell campus, our 60^th Reunion was held via Zoom which prevented us from officially dedicating the room at that time. At this reception, Professor David Putnam, of the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, told us in a most entertaining manner about several near or soon to be commercialized accomplishments of the Meinig school.

Our Friday evening dinner was at the Big Red Barn, which many of us had never even known existed during our Undergraduate days. An excellent meal and service was provided by Cornell Catering and the location was convenient for those who planned to attend the Cornell Glee Club’s performance in the adjacent Bailey Hall.

Saturday’s buffet breakfast for classmates not attending their specific School’s Reunion breakfasts was in the same separate Statler room specifically for our Class. Following breakfasts, many of us attended the State of the University address by President Michael Kotlikoff in Bailey Hall.

Our next class activity was a wine tasting reception in the Marha Van Rennesaler Human Ecology Commons Room. This was presented by Anthony Hansen, a manager at Skulnick Wineries. We sampled three different wines, a champagne, a white and a red, from the Finger Lakes versus those of France. Anthony also provided an interesting history of the growth of the Finger Lakes wine regions to today’s 2^nd largest wine producing area in the US second only to California.

This was followed with a Class picture and then a sumptuous final evening dinner provided by Serendipity Catering. After dinner, most of us walked across the street to Bailey Hall for what many of us most enjoy at Reunions; Cornelliana Night, singing along with alumni members of Cornell Glee Clubs to our most memorable Cornell songs and hearing about record attendance from several reunion classes as well as the generosity of Reunion Classes in their respective Reunion campaigns.

Our final Sunday breakfast at the Statler ended with the “election” of Class officers for the next five years. Doug Uhler and Sue Lewis will continue as Co-Presidents. Ed Goldman and Gerrit White will serve as Vice Presidents, Doug Fuss and Dale Adams as Class Correspondents, Diane Meakem as Class Treasurer and Rosanna Frank and Judy Mandell as 70^th Reunion co-chairs.