Cornell Matters! It Matters to Me! I Hope it Does to You!

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As the immediate Past President of our Class and just one year after our 50th Reunion, I was asked to provide some reflections as we end this school year.

Very moved by President Kotlikoff’s Reunion State of the University Address and his words that “Cornell is not perfect” but how extraordinary and important it is, I joined the new Cornell Matters Campaign.

Cornell Matters–That got me thinking.  How does Cornell matter to me?  How does it matter to you?  And how can our [Notable] Class of ’74 help it matter more?

At our 50th Reunion our class gave me the most wonderful gift–a beautiful watercolor, Cornell Oak.  I look at it every day and it brings me joy as I think about my time on campus, the friends I made then and the many more since then through our work together and shared love of Cornell and our Class of ’74.

So yes, Cornell matters to me!

If Cornell matters to you, consider joining Cornell Matters.

If our Class of 1974 matters to you, consider paying class dues.  Paid or unpaid, you are forever a member of our class but a little extra cash helps our class do good things.

If your Cornell friends matter to you, check out their pages in our Cornell Class of ’74 50th Reunion Memory Book–hard copy options will be available later this year.

And, because we want to know what matters to you, stay tuned for a class survey coming this Fall.

Like the Cornell Oak, Cornell University and our [Notable] Class of 1974 have deep roots and branches that reach wide.  This matters!

Please be well!

PS: It’s not too late to make a year-end gift to Cornell.  Click here before June 30th.

Spring Check In from Membership Chair Bill Walker

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First, thank you to those who completed the mini survey mentioned in my March message. The information that you provided gives us additional insight into the types of class activities that you would like our class to sponsor or conduct.

So, Spring has sprung, now what?? Are you planning (more) vacations, registering for courses at CAU, making plans to meet up with friends and former classmates, or something else? Whatever it is, be sure to relax and have some fun!!

With the myriad of communications that you receive from Cornell, you may wonder which are from your [Notable] Class and which are from other areas of the University. You can always identify our Class of 1974 communications – both electronic and printed – by the unique class logo at the top. So, if you see the logo, read away! The exception is those who have opted for email messages to be sent in plain text format which, by definition, contains no photos, logos or other graphics.

Regarding communications sent from various areas of the University, as far as I can determine, there is currently no university-wide communication schedule or coordination. Our class, however, has developed a preliminary communication schedule for the purpose of coordinating the distribution of all of the messages (printed and electronic) that come to you from our class. We are working toward a more comprehensive schedule that will avoid overloading your inbox with messages from us at any given time – unless, of course you don’t read your email on a regular basis!

I made reference to issues with the renewal and auto-renewal processes in my March message. As a result of my discussions with Alumni Affairs and Development on that topic, the process to address questions and resolve issues has been simplified. All questions pertaining to renewal or auto-renewal, such as your status (e.g., Is it active?) or related problems, should be directed to Kate Freyer via e-mail (kate.freyer@cornell.edu). Questions regarding class membership plans or strategy should continue to come to me.

A list of class members who are ahead of the game by already renewing their 2025-26 class dues can be found here. This list is current as of 4/30/25. If you have subscribed to the auto-renewal process, your name is not yet on this list as this process does not charge your credit card until after the new fiscal year begins on July 1. A few weeks ago, you should have received my April membership letter via postal mail. If you do not wish to use the online process to renew, you may mail in the dues card that was included with the April letter.

Bill Walker Clears Up Membership Questions

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Happy Spring (though for some the temperature may not quite feel like it yet!!).

For those who are not in the warmer climes, I hope that you successfully weathered the severe chills. Although with all of the snow and cold weather in the southern states recently, it is not quite clear where those warmer climes might be!!

As promised in my last message, I am providing some additional clarity regarding class membership to ensure that everyone is at the same level of understanding.

Am I a class member? I entered Cornell University as a freshman in the fall of 1970, so I am a class member, right? Yes, that qualifies you as a member of the Class of 1974. The same for some transfer students.

So, what is the purpose of membership dues? Membership dues underwrite the costs associated with activities that our class sponsors (or co-sponsors), communications that we send to you, the maintenance of our class website and some other class expenses, but not the Ithaca reunions that occur on every 5-year anniversary of our graduation. These reunions are planned and budgeted to be self-funding (i.e., the registration fees cover all of the associated costs that are incurred including any meals that are included in the registration packages). Our class did, however, subsidize the cost of the 50th Reunion to help minimize any cost inflation.

A number of you have raised questions or indicated issues with auto-renewal. I am working with Alumni Affairs and Development to address and correct those issues, and to minimize problems going forward. I will keep you apprised of any progress in that area.

So, with that cleared up, we need as many class members as possible to pay their class dues so that we can continue to expand the activities that we offer. The membership year runs concurrent with the University’s fiscal year, July 1 through June 30. If you are ready to renew for the 2025-26 membership year, you may do so at this link as we already have some activities planned and more in the works, including some that stem from your suggestions and feedback.

We will be distributing a class survey, currently planned for April, to hear more of your ideas.

Who am I? Some have inquired, so a little about me: As most of you did, I entered Cornell as a freshman in the fall of 1970, which according to the September 9, 1970 edition of the Cornell Daily Sun comprised 2650 members (1850 men and 800 women). I was one of the 250 Black students who were a part of the class, the highest number ever at that time and for decades thereafter. I completed my degree requirements (AB, Mathematics) in the College of Arts and Sciences in August of 1974. During my freshman year I lived in University Halls #4, and for the remaining years on North Campus – in Clara Dickson for sophomore year, and in Ujamaa Residential College for my junior and senior years.  See my Memory Book page for more information.

Thank you to all of those who have provided feedback to us. For those who are waiting for the right time to offer suggestions, the time is now, so to all –- Keep the feedback coming. In that vein, you can provide some suggestions on desired activities to us here.

A New Class of ’74 Voice–Meet Bill Walker

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Happy New Year!

For those who were able to attend, I hope that you enjoyed (and still vividly remember) our 50th Reunion in Ithaca with all of the attendant activities.  Events such as the RED Talks and opportunities to connect or reconnect with classmates including John Williams, founder, owner and winemaker of Frog’s Leap Winery (hopefully you also tasted some of his wines that were being poured) and other myriad choices for involvement kept us entertained all weekend.

In the event that you are wondering, yes, this is a new “voice” that you have not previously heard from on this channel.  You also may not have heard that I have accepted the request to fill the VP of Membership role, responsible for leading the membership related activities for our class.  Just like Costco has done with the price of their hot dogs, we continue to hold the annual membership dues at the same level year after year – $30 for an individual and $35 for a couple (both in the Class of ’74). More on that in another message.

Here is a list of current class dues payers.   If your name is not on the list but you think that it should be, please reply to this message and let us know and we will check the records.  And if you want to pay your dues for this year (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025) right now while you are thinking about it,  just click here.

In past years we have sponsored or co-sponsored many events for Class of ’74 members and are now in the process of developing plans for more activities involving our class including some that will encompass some of the surrounding classes (’72, ’73, ’75, etc.).  You should soon be receiving a survey that is being sent to all of our class members.  We hope that you will respond so that you can let us know what types of activities that you would like to see going forward as this will assist us in the planning process.

If you did not receive this message directly, it is likely that we do not have your current contact information.  Please send a message to me that  includes your name, preferred email address and contact information so that we can update the records.

We endeavor to keep the lines of communication open so we hope that you will stay in touch – and be on the lookout for the upcoming survey.

Class Membership

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You should have received a letter in the mail from us a few weeks ago, encouraging you to join/rejoin our [Notable] Class of 1974 for this coming year.  Thank you to the many who responded so quickly!   It’s heartening to have your support.  (If you didn’t get our letter, you may need to update your profile information at CornellConnect.)

Membership Mailing

For those of you who have not responded because:

 

(a)  You’ve “misplaced” the mailing → that’s OK, you can use the links or options in this email instead.

(b)  You haven’t joined in years (or you’ve never done this before) → we welcome you with open arms.

(c)  You have it on your to-do list for tomorrow → Great!  Thanks in advance!

(d)  You are not sure you want to join → Well, we hope you do decide to join.  One of the things that has become apparent after a year of relative isolation during the pandemic is the importance of staying connected and engaged.  Although we’re not completely back to normal, we do have a number of virtual events in the works, and we’ll certainly add in-person events as we can. 

 

Class Dues for the year 2021-22 are just $30 (or $35 for a couple).  The easiest way to pay your dues is online.  Go to alumni.cornell.edu/classes and scroll down to “Pay class dues.”  Alternatively, you can mail in your dues (make checks payable to “Class of 1974”) to Cornell University, Box 37333, Boone, IA, 50037-0333, or you can pay by phone at (607) 255-3021. 

 

Stay well, and stay in touch by visiting our class website at cornell74.org, joining our Facebook group Cornell Class of 1974, sharing your news with your classmates in Cornell Class Notes, or stopping by (virtually) at the Class of ‘74 Party Suite before the Cornell Global Mixers that are held every two weeks. 

 

 

Best wishes, and remember to keep June 2024 open for our 50th Reunion!

Stay Engaged with Our Class and Pay Class Dues for ’21/22

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What a year it’s been! The COVID-19 pandemic touched each of our lives in some way, and most of us felt the concomitant increase in isolation—not seeing family and friends as much or at all, missing our 50th high school reunions, canceling trips, dealing with health care issues alone, not being able to be there for others. But, with vaccines becoming more available, there is hope for an end to all of this.

The uptick of virtual gatherings during the pandemic certainly helped combat the isolation, but it’s so nice to actually be with people, isn’t it? Luckily, our Cornell 50th Reunion is a little over three years away, and we should be able to have large, in-person events by then. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have record-breaking attendance on campus? We think so.

Along those lines, we’d like to encourage you to join/rejoin our Class of 1974 for this coming year and to get active with our class. We have a number of virtual events planned, and it won’t be long before we’ll be able to add back in some in-person get-togethers.

Class dues are just $30 (or $35 for a couple). Note that there is no extra charge for the magazine this year because Cornell is launching a new alumni communications hub this summer (read all about it online) and the Cornell Alumni Magazine (CAM) is publishing its nal issue in May 2021.

Last year we asked you to help us make it to the #1 position for class membership. Well, we did it—we had more dues payers in the Class of 1974 than in any other class, from the Class of 1945 through to the Class of 2019 (well, we only squeaked by the Class of 1969 by 6 points and the Class of 1964 by 2 points, but it’s still good). Let’s keep our record going!

The easiest way to pay your dues is to pay online. Go to alumni.cornell.edu/classes, and scroll down to “Pay class dues.” Alternatively, you can complete the enclosed dues card and pay via check (made payable to “Class of 1974”) or credit card. Mail it to Cornell University, Box 37333 Boone, IA, 50037-0333. You may also pay by phone at (607) 255-3021.

If you are accustomed to having your class dues paid by automatic renewal (AR), please note that you will have to sign up for that again because Cornell recently changed their dues system and canceled all ARs. Don’t worry. It’s easy to get back on the AR list. Just pay your dues as outlined above, then check off the box saying you want to renew annually to the same credit card number provided. You will be set for future years.

Don’t forget to stay in touch with our Class by visiting our website , or join our Facebook group, “Cornell Class of 1974.”

Stay healthy, and see you at the 50th in 2024!

Patty von Reyn
Membership Co-Chair [Notable] Class of ’74 pbvonr@gmail.com

Dennis Langley
Membership Co-Chair [Notable] Class of ‘74 dennis81652@gmail.com

Introducing our new Membership Chairs–Patty von Reyn and Dennis Langley

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Earlier, in our “middle years,” many of us found ourselves laden with heavy work and family commitments that often kept us from being as connected to Cornell as we may have wanted. Retiring from full-time work can be accompanied by a certain pull to reconnect with the people and places that have been a part of our lives. Retired or not, you may yourself have felt this more keenly during the coronavirus pandemic these past few months. For those of you who were able to make it to our 45th Reunion this past June, you know how nice it was to come back to Ithaca, to breathe in that fresh air, to attend lectures without the dread of a prelim hanging overhead, to reminisce with classmates, and to meet new friends. There is something comforting about finding others who share many of the same formative experiences as we, and it’s delightful to connect with those who have followed wildly different paths since then.

We’re devoted to helping you in your efforts to forge stronger ties to your classmates and to Cornell. As a means of introduction, we are Patty von Reyn and Dennis Langley, the new Membership Co-Chairs for the Class of 1974. We’re humbly following in the worthy footsteps of Jodi Sielschott Stechschulte, who did a superb job as Membership Chair for the last five plus years.

Class membership is an indicator of the vibrancy of an alumni group. Did you know that the [Notable] Class of ‘74 is consistently near the top of the yearly membership list that tracks the 75 most-recent Classes at Cornell? In 2018, the Class of 1974 made it to the #1 position—we had more dues-paying members than any Cornell class from 1943 to 2017! We’re so fortunate to be part of an active and welcoming alumni class. Please help our Class make it to the #1 position for 2020-21 by joining now and paying your dues.

When you pay your dues, it supports Class of ‘74 alumni activities like reunions, Homecoming tailgates, receptions, and other functions around the country. It also makes class communication possible—class website, class photo gallery, monthly emails—keeping us up to date with each other, the Cornell campus, and upcoming events. In addition, dues-paying members have access to the Cornell Big Red Marketplace, where there are great discounts on everything from restaurants to movie tickets to travel. Dues payers also have access to reduced-price subscriptions to the award-winning Cornell Alumni Magazine.

Please take a moment to join our Class and pay your dues. Our [Notable] Class of ’74 dues remain the same as last year:

Individual — $60 with magazine or $30 Dues only
Class Couple — $65 with magazine or $35 Dues only
You may also sign up for Auto-Renewal, and Cornell will charge your credit card on July 1 each year. (This is the best if you, like me, are never quite sure if you are current!)

The easiest way to pay your dues is online, click here or search for Cornell Alumni Dues—it’ll get you there, and under the Class Dues paragraph, select pay online. Alternatively, you can send a check for $60 per individual, $65 per couple, or $30/$35 for no magazine, payable to Cornell Class of 1974, to Box 37333, Boone, IA 50037-0333.  You may also pay by phone at (607) 255-3021.

If you are unsure whether or not you have paid your dues for this year, you can ask either of us to check for you, or you can check the status of payment yourself by following these directions:

Go to https://cornellconnect.cornell.edu/
Click “Update my Profile.”
On the left side of the screen, click “Transaction History.” If you are using an Android mobile device, go to “Membership.” Your dues status will appear.

Please feel free to reach out to either one of us with any questions you may have regarding membership or dues. Again, please join.

We look forward to hearing from you. See you at our 50th and at any events before then! Go Big Red!

Patty von Reyn
Membership Co-Chair [Notable] Class of ’74 pbvonr@gmail.com

Dennis Langley
Membership Co-Chair [Notable] Class of ‘74 dlangley@hillsdaleinterests.com

Pay Class Dues by June 30, 2019

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Now is the time to pay your class dues for 2019-20.  Due payers receive the award-winning Cornell Alumni Magazine and help support class activities.  TheMagazine is a great way to stay in touch with what’s going on at Cornell and with our class.  Pay dues on-line here, or mail a check made payable to our class to Box 37333, Boone, IA 50037-0333.  Dues are $60, $65 for a couple, or $30/$35 with no Magazine.

Class Dues for 2018-2019

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Dear Classmates,

Since my daughter graduated from Cornell last year, I miss the frequent Ithaca visits to see the beautiful views and enjoy the memories they evoke. I am so thankful to be a part of the [Notable] Class of ’74. I met such amazing people during our years on the hill and through our reunions have made more friends with classmates who never crossed my path in the ‘70s.

That’s what makes our class dues so important. They support our class initiatives providing opportunities to get classmates together at events like reunions, Homecoming tailgates, receptions, and other functions around the country.
They make class communication—class website and monthly emails—possible, keeping us up to date with each other, the Cornell campus, and upcoming events. They provide the funds for our photo gallery and our greatest perk, reduced-price subscriptions to the award-winning Cornell Alumni Magazine.

Our [Notable] Class of ’74 dues remain the same as last year:

Individual — $60 with magazine or $30 Dues only

Class Couple — $65 with magazine or $35 Dues only

You may also sign up for Auto-Renewal and Cornell will charge your credit card on July 1 each year.

To pay by check, please fill out the dues card enclosed in your recent mailing and send your dues check to Cornell University, Box 37333, Boone, IA 50037-0333. Also consider a donation to our class scholarship, which makes it possible for a current student to afford the Cornell experience. You may also pay dues on-line here.

Plan to attend reunion in June 2019. I look forward to renewing friendships and building new ones! Send us suggestions for class activities throughout the year and for reunion. Hope to see you in June 2019 if not before!

Sincerely,

Jodi Sielschott Stechschulte ’74 Membership Chair

jodisteck@gmail.com

Class Dues

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As I write this, the Cornell campus is covered in a thick blanket of snow – enough to provide two snow days in a row (to the delight of my youngest child who is now a senior!)  Despite the winter weather, spring is just around the corner and it is time to think of renewing or paying your class dues.

Class dues support class activities, communications, and the award-winning Cornell Alumni Magazine, winner this year of a National Magazine award, which keeps us up to date on campus news and fellow alumni.  Dues help us connect with Cornell, our friends from our days on the hill and classmates we never met while we were in Ithaca.  Please consider renewing your dues now, and even joining those classmates who have selected auto renewal to enjoy the ease and simplicity of having your dues paid automatically.

Your dues costs remain the same this year:

Dues are $60 and include Cornell Alumni Magazine or $30 with no magazine.  For a class couple dues are $65 or $35 respectively.

Paying dues is easy:

To pay on-line go here.

This is where you will find the option to sign up automatically renew your dues each year if you like. If you are on dues auto-renewal, you should have recently received an email from Cornell reminding you that your credit card will be charged on July 1, 2017.

To pay your dues by check:  Make checks out to Cornell Class of 1974, and mail to: Cornell Class Dues, PO Box 25841, Lehigh Valley, PA, 18003-9695. (Make sure to not  class year and/or Cornell ID.)

Our class remains strong because we never give up on making and keeping Cornell and Class of ’74 connections. Thank you for being a part of that effort.   Thanks in advance for supporting our class!

If you have any questions about paying dues, please let me know!

Sincerely,

Jodi Sielschott Stechschulte ’74

Membership Chair