Denison is not just four years — it’s a lifetime.
The Denison experience does not end at Commencement. Across generations and around the world, alums remain connected through friendships, professional relationships, volunteer service, and shared experiences. By strengthening opportunities for engagement, mentorship, and networking, Denison is cultivating a community that continues to enrich lives long after students leave The Hill.
Lifelong bonds
The French family’s lasting Denison connection
It’s a fact among Denison alums that the relationships they form on The Hill endure long after Commencement. And sometimes, those Big Red bonds spread across families, welcoming everyone into the fold.
For Bon French Pʼ11, the enduring ties between his family and Denison can be traced back to the friendships that his late wife, Holly French ʼ76, had with her classmates and sorority sisters.
“The students here form very close bonds, closer than at most other colleges and universities,” he said.
A half century later, the French family’s connection to Denison remains as strong as ever. Their new $7.5 million gift establishes the French Family Fund for Unrestricted Support, providing flexible resources that will help Denison invest in its highest priorities for years to come.
“Denison has been an important part of our family’s story for many years,” French said. “The experiences Holly had as a student shaped so much of what came afterward. We have seen firsthand the impact Denison can have on young people.”
It’s a commitment that reflects Holly’s lasting affection for the college, which she shared with Bon and others throughout her life. Their son, Taylor French ’11, followed in her footsteps, and the family’s involvement with Denison continued to grow through decades of engagement, friendship, volunteerism, and philanthropy.
“This gift is an extraordinary vote of trust in Denison and in our future,” said President Adam Weinberg. “Bon and the French family have been steadfast partners for many years, supporting not only facilities, scholarships, and programs, but the people who make this university so special.”
The French family’s latest gift is a powerful reminder that Denison is much more than four years on a college campus. It is a community that continues to shape lives, relationships, and opportunities across generations.
“Denison has been an important part of our family's story for many years. The experiences Holly had as a student shaped so much of what came afterward. We have seen firsthand the impact Denison can have on young people.”
Bon French Pʼ11
“Watching this group encourage participation, inspire generosity, and bring classmates back together has been a wonderful reminder that the Denison experience doesn’t end at graduation — it continues throughout a lifetime.”
Brandi Davis
Senior Associate Director of Volunteer Engagement
The long way home
An alumni network in action, 50 years later
For members of the Class of 1976, the journey back to Denison began well before Reunion.
Months before returning to campus this past June, Reunion committee co-chairs Doug Black ’76, Jill Goubeaux Clark ’76, Bill Mulligan ’76, and Jan Roller ’76 spent countless hours reconnecting with classmates, planning events, encouraging attendance, and rallying support for a class gift. Along the way, they discovered something unexpected: the work of bringing classmates together strengthened their own connections to one another and to Denison.
“We’ve had a ball as part of the Reunion committee putting this event together,” Black said. Their efforts reflected one of Denison’s greatest strengths: a community that remains in touch long after graduation. Through phone calls, emails, virtual meetings, and shared memories, classmates rekindled friendships and renewed their engagement with the university and each other.
As the committee’s conversations evolved, many found themselves reflecting on the role Denison played in shaping their lives and the importance of creating similar opportunities for future generations.
“I’m one of those who can definitely say that Denison changed my life,” Roller said. “I am forever indebted.”
That gratitude inspired extraordinary generosity: the Class of 1976 exceeded its original fundraising goal of $10 million, announcing a remarkable $17.7 million class gift during Reunion. The effort included support for the Annual Fund and the Class of 1976 Endowed Scholarship Fund, providing both immediate resources and long-term opportunities for future students.
For Brandi Davis, senior associate director of volunteer engagement, the committee exemplifies the power of lifelong connection.
“Watching this group encourage participation, inspire generosity, and bring classmates back together has been a wonderful reminder that the Denison experience doesn’t end at graduation,” Davis said. “It continues throughout a lifetime.”
Five decades after leaving The Hill, the Class of 1976 demonstrated exactly what an alumni network for life can accomplish when people show up for one another — and for Denison.
A “win-win-win”
Laying a lasting foundation of support
For Rick Fenstermacher ʼ73, supporting Denison comes down to trust — in the university’s mission, leadership, and ability to prepare students not only for rewarding careers, but for meaningful lives.
A psychology major who worked in the insurance and risk management field, Fenstermacher remained connected to his alma mater over the decades. His commitment deepened after conversations with President Adam Weinberg and observing Denison’s emergence as a leader in the liberal arts. “It would be difficult to leave Denison and not come out as a better person,” Fenstermacher says, citing the college’s enduring emphasis on ethics and good citizenship.
When he began thinking more intentionally about philanthropy later in life, Fenstermacher wanted a way to support Denison that aligned with both his values and his financial plans. With guidance from Denison’s gift planning team, he created a charitable gift annuity with an IRA qualified charitable distribution (QCD). “It was a way to demonstrate support, reduce my required minimum distribution (RMD), and get a little bit of income,” he says, calling the option a “win-win-win.”
His generosity extends beyond giving. Through the Ask a Denisonian platform, Fenstermacher has mentored students and recent graduates, helping them navigate career paths and leverage Denison’s lifelong alumni network.
Confident in Denison’s leadership and direction, Fenstermacher chose to leave his gift unrestricted. “I felt comfortable letting the wise folks at Denison use the funding where it means the most,” he says — an expression of trust in a place that has meant so much.
President Adam Weinberg with Rick Fenstermacher ʼ73
“It would be difficult to leave Denison and not come out as a better person.”
Rick Fenstermacher ʼ73
“Community happens when you put in the work to be together.”
Claire Monahan ’09
The power of showing up
Denison Everywhere warmed hearts in 2026
Despite frigid temperatures and winter storms across much of the United States, Denisonians showed up for one another this January.
The 21st annual Denison Everywhere brought together alums, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends in a record 105 locations across 13 countries and five continents, demonstrating the strength and reach of the Denison community around the world.
“When people are willing to venture out in the middle of a deep freeze just to be together, it says everything about this community,” said Gary Fleisner ’13, former associate director of regional engagement. “Denison Everywhere shows that connection matters — no matter the weather.”
From intimate dinners to lively city gatherings, participants came together to reconnect, share memories, and build new relationships rooted in their shared Denison experience.
In Toledo, Ohio, Emily Kapela ’13 hosted for the second consecutive year. “We came together for delicious food, making new connections, seeing friendly faces, and reminiscing about our time on The Hill,” she said.
That same spirit was evident across generations and geographies. In Charleston, S.C., attendees from the Class of 1961 through the Class of 2025 gathered alongside parents of current students. In Vancouver, Canada, Raghav Daswani ’15 described meeting fellow Denisonians for the first time as “like catching up with longtime friends.”
Now in its third decade, Denison Everywhere has become a cornerstone of the university’s alumni engagement efforts, powered by dedicated volunteers who help strengthen the network that connects Denisonians wherever they live.
“Show up,” said Claire Monahan ’09. “Only you can find your people. Community happens when you put in the work to be together.”
As conversations concluded at the end of the night, one thing was clear: snow, cold, and winter storms aside, the Denison spirit endures.