Generations of Denisonians came home to The Hill for Reunion 2025, joining in dozens of events, rekindling old friendships, forging new ones, and retracing their undergraduate footsteps from East Quad to the Eisner Center.
Members of the Class of 1975 had Denison all to themselves as they kicked off celebrations on Thursday, June 5, then were joined on Friday and Saturday by hundreds of Denisonians from other classes.
President Adam Weinberg headlined Saturday’s Alumni Convocation with his State of the College presentation, telling the gathered alums that Denison is thriving, thanks in large part to their continued commitment to each other and the college.
At the convocation, 2025 Alumni Citation Award recipients representing remarkable achievements in an array of careers were honored, and representatives from each reunion class presented their class gifts.
The weekend was capped Sunday by a service for beloved Professor David O. Woodyard ’54, whose connection to Denison spanned 13 U.S. presidents and whose devotion to his alma mater and its students saw him work into his 90s. Woodyard died on March 27, 2025, at 92.
Sad to see Reunion 2025 come to an end? Stay connected!
- Volunteer by giving career advice, becoming an admission ambassador, or hosting a gathering.
- Join a ReMix event.
- Attend Big Red Weekend in October 2025.
- Come to Denison Everywhere in January 2026.
Reunion 2025 by the numbers
- More than 750 attendees, with more than 130 from the Class of 1975.
- Total gifts from all classes: $14.5 million.
- Class of 1975 gift: $9.6 million.
Highlights from Reunion 2025
- Megan Hancock, director of the Denison Museum, and Nannette Maciejunes ’75, executive director emeriti of the Columbus Museum of Art, shared their many professional insights with attendees, who learned to look closer, uncover hidden stories behind the label, and explore how art moves from collectors to museums.
- Carol Bruggers ’75, a retired pediatric oncologist; Terry Orr ’75, an associate professor at Fordham University; and Judy Patterson ’75, a retired business executive; reflected on what it was like for women who came to college at the awakening of the feminist movement.
- The Big Red 1975 scavenger hunt, a journey that took alums across campus and back through time.
- Morning yoga sessions at the Ann & Thomas Hoaglin Wellness Center.
- An inside look at the development of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, courtesy of Paul Clark ’75, who began work with the hallowed hall in 1993.
- An opportunity to learn about the region’s remarkable ancient history, most notably the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, Ohio’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site that is located in nearby Newark.
- Tours of the Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts and van tours of the many ongoing campus building and renovation projects, including the transformation of Doane Hall.
- A roommate happy hour for the Class of 2020, who missed their roommate dinner due to the emergence of Covid that spring.
- The 1975 50th Reunion Celebration dinner, complete with a 50th Reunion Signature Cocktail crafted by celebrated Washington, D.C., bartender Jim Hewes ’75.
- A special State of the College address from President Adam Weinberg.
- The traditional Parade of Classes.
- A lecture exploring the life, death, disability, and cultural legacy of King Richard III that was led by Professor Fred Porcheddu-Engel ’87, chair of the English department, and Professor David Goodwin of Earth and Environmental Sciences department. The pair have teamed up to lead overseas trips in which Denison students explore the history surrounding Shakespeare’s most notorious malevolent monarch.
