Class of 1969 Reunions
30th Reunion -- 1999
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Many thanks go to Kathy Cragan, here with her husband Steve ('68) for her work as our 30th-Reunion Chair! | 
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| Click on thumbnail photos to see full-sized versions and scroll through each set |
Welcome to High-Rise 1, the Class of 1969 Headquarters and our home for our 30th Reunion. Our Class Clerks (current Cornell students) were friendly, and helped us check in for the weekend -- resolving problems became their specialty!
Jay Noyes, Class of 1969 Reunion Gift Chair, has good reason to smile, standing by the Class Gift poster at our Friday evening reception in the Johnson Art Museum lobby. We smashed the all time Cornell record for donors to a 30th reunion! With 817 donors, we far outclassed the 685 donor record set by the Class of 1960 in 1990. By raising $3,835,904, we also far surpassed our own goal of $2.5 million. Contributing to this total were 47 class members who gave at the Tower Club level. On the Gift Committee with Jay were Stephen Treadway, John Slapp, and Leland Pillsbury.
Our Reunion was off to a great start as we took a cocktail cruise aboard the M/V Manhattan up and down Lake Cayuga. The weather cooperated, with a cool breeze on the return trip -- a dramatic change from the heat wave earlier in the week. Kathy Cragan and her husband Steve on the cruise with Cornell on East Hill in the background (you have to look VERY hard). Our evening Ice Cream Social in the class lounge featured wine, Coors® beer, and of course ice cream with all the trimmings. Breakfast (with plentiful food) on the balcony of High Rise 1 was highlighted by an awesome view of the campus.
In the Campus Store, President Emeritus Frank Rhodes autographed copies of a book of beautiful Cornell photographs for which he wrote the introduction. We had two ' 69 tables at Friday lunch in Barton Hall -- a large-scale buffet while surrounded by exhibits from many of Cornell's schools and programs. And this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the McGraw Tower bells at ground level. Just back from refurbishing, they were played in front of Sage Chapel before being reinstalled.
Friday evening began with a reception in the lobby of the Johnson Art Museum, which we knew better as the giant sewing machine on the Arts Quad. Framed by the building, we looked like a picture on display. A great instrumental band welcomed us to the entrance, and accompanied our dinner. Inside, conversation reached such a pitch that you could hardly hear yourself speak. Dinner was under a tent with the McGraw Tower visible in the background, topped off by a visit from the Hangovers. And remember Larry and Nancy Krablin? They chaired our reunion a decade ago.
Saturday morning, President Hunter Rawlings gave a state of the University address that assured us that Cornell is moving solidly into the new millennium, and he surprised us with his sharp sense of humor! Saturday had begun with school breakfasts, such as this one for Chemical Engineers. Our veteran professors were there, and the two Chem.E.'s from ' 69 to attend enjoyed seeing them once again.
Saturday brought more perfect weather (wasn't it always, in Ithaca?). The Class Picnic at Cornell Plantations, under a tent of course, again featured fine food, and a visit from the Sherwoods. The large group of smiling folks includes some of our old and new class officers.
Saturday's cocktail reception was held outside the Big Red Barn. We then filled the barn and the outside pavillion for dinner. Afterwards it was just a short walk to Bailey Hall for Cornelliana Night, an evening of nostalgic songs.
What trip to Cornell would be complete with a visit to the gorge -- the view of students from far above, and the falls from down below. And of course there's the traditional photo in front of Libe Tower.
Two ' 69 Legacies, the Krablins and the Shinemans. And here, WWW stands for more than World Wide Web...
We were honored to have President Emeritus Frank Rhodes join us for our farewell breakfast Sunday morning (in a tent, of course!), and he refreshed our memories as to why he is known as such a spellbinding orator. After days of perfect weather, it could be that Ithaca has used its quota for the year!
