Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine…

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Thank you, Seals & Crofts. (I played this 1972 song when I was a WVBR DJ.)  Hope your summer is proving equally enjoyable.

Just thought I’d interrupt briefly to recap what our [Notable] Class accomplished this past academic year. Coming off our 50th Reunion, we offered two more RED Talks.  These were live webinars, hosted by classmate John Foote, with the first one featuring Corey Earle ’07 with an updated version of our time on the hill from ‘70-’74, and the second one featuring classmate John Williams of Frog’s Leap Winery in California. Together, these webinars were viewed by more than 100 of you, so look for this series to continue this fall. If you missed these talks, you can watch the recordings here.

Also, nearly 100 of you participated in Cornell’s Giving Day in March to support our undergraduate scholarship recipients.  And several hundred of you paid your Class dues between last July and this past June.  Thank you!

Our pre-game event at Fall 2024 Homecoming, hosted by classmates Lou and Roberta Bandel Walcer, featured great food and a tour of the Center for Life Science Ventures in Weill Hall.  Lou just retired last month as Director and Founder of that Center.  (A life-long entrepreneur, Lou launched Cornell’s first on-campus incubator in 2011.)

We continue to follow the success of our Scholarship recipients, both of whom graduated in May. Our Class of 1974 scholar, Summer Parker-Hall ‘25, majored in Communication, served as one of our Reunion student clerks, and led the Big Red women’s basketball team.  Our Christopher Reeve ’74 scholar, Ashley Alexander ’25, double-majored in Government and Performing Arts and contributed to both on-stage and backstage roles in productions at Cornell’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

And many of you (classmates) continued to work on completing your Memory Book page.  The Memory Book is a feature we introduced in our 50th Reunion year.  Nearly 700 classmates completed a page in the Book.

Coming this fall! More Class activities!  Stay tuned!

Cornell’s President Elizabeth Garrett Dies at Age 52.

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Cornell University President Elizabeth Garrett died March 6 from colon cancer. She was 52.  Read more here.

Why we give to Cornell…

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Class of 1974 Class Scholarship winner sends this beautiful letter of gratitude. Read it here and learn more about Garret Guillen and our Class Scholarship.

Academic Year 2015 — 2016
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Oelschlager and the entire Class of 1974,
As I approach my final semester at Cornell University I realize that there is no way I could have adequately expressed appreciation when I first received your gift that allowed me to enter this amazing campus over 3 years ago. I still remember having the discussion with my parents, after the initial elation of being admitted, about whether or not attending this renowned institution was financially feasible. After receiving aid coupled with scholarship funds from your donations I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy every minute of my time at Cornell. Reflecting on all the experiences, the people, the classes, the campus, and all other aspects of the Cornell community I realize that it is time so valuable I couldn’t have known its worth as an incoming freshman and time that I hope to provide for another incoming freshman someday. As my brother goes through his freshman year at Cornell I try and explain to him the unique significance that his time at school will offer him because I am so excited that someone so close to me now has the same opportunity that I have enjoyed so greatly. Yet I experience difficulty trying to express my immense appreciation of my Cornell experience to him as I realize that his experience will also be unique and that he must find it on his own. I experience the same difficulty while trying to express my immeasurable gratitude to you and your colleagues who have made this experience possible for me. I now realize in my closing year that you have all sought to provide a student with such an incredible education because you all have received a similarly valuable gift in all of your own unique experiences at Cornell; and I now also carry that desire to share our Cornell community with others in need. I would like to thank you all again for allowing me to become a part of this amazing campus for the past 3 years; and I want to express my desire to continue to share this Cornell experience long past graduation.
With gratitude,
Garrett Guillen
Gmg83@cornell.edu

 

New College of Business

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President Garrett and Provost Michael Kotlikoff announced in December a proposal to create a new College of Business at Cornell.  This College would include the current Johnson Graduate School of Management, the undergraduate business program (called “Ag Ec” in our day, now called “Applied Economics and Management (AEM)”) which is now in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the School of Hotel Administration.  To learn more about this proposal, which would require a change in the university by-laws, you may want to read both the official university announcement here and the Cornell Daily Sun articles and comments here.

Inauguration for President Elizabeth Garrett

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The Inaugural Address of the 13th President of Cornell, Elizabeth Garrett, can be read or viewed here.  You may learn more about President Garrett on her Office of the President web page.

West Coast Cornellians

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The Cover Story of the Summer 2015 edition of Ezra Magazine highlights Cornellians on the West Coast. Three members of the Class of 1974 are featured:  John Williams ’74, who founded Frog’s Leap Winery; Mort Bishop ’74, President of Pendleton Woolen Mills, and entrepreneurs Bill McAleer ’73, MBA ’75 and his wife, Colleen McAleer ’74.

Highlights of the Sesquicentennial

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Charter Weekend in Ithaca culminated a year of celebration for Cornell’s 150th Birthday.

For a full recap, see Cornell’s website.

See this video tribute that sums up the learning and living experience that is Cornell.

150 year timeline, compiled by Cornell.

The once-in-a-Sesquicentennial group, the Cronell Global Choir, is the first collegiat organization in the world to perform its school’s Alma Mater virtually, during Charter Weekend.  See it here.

A Sesquicentennial?

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Randee Mia Berman ’74 honors Cornell in her Huff Post Blog.  This blog focuses on Cornell’s 150th Anniversary. 

Chapter House Fire

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A recent fire has destroyed two buildings, although, thankfully, no deaths nor serious injuries have been reported. The fire broke out in the early morning hours at the site of the well known Chapter House on Stewart Avenue.  Read about the fire in the Cornell Chronicle.  Two Class of 1974 alumni are quoted in an article about Alumni reactions, in the Cornell Daily Sun.  Finally, give support for efforts to rebuild the Chapter House in an online forum.

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