Class of 1966

Class of 1966's 50th Reunion Archive

When we walked across the stage on the East College Lawn on May 29, 1966, we’re quite confident that no one among us ever thought we would be in this position--away from DePauw for 50 years, with a lifetime of accomplishments behind us and endless tales to tell about how our lives unfolded.

On June 8-12, 2016, the Class of 1966 gathered on campus to celebrate those 50 years, to renew old acquaintances, to see how the University had changed, and perhaps most importantly, to reflect upon how DePauw prepared us for “real” life.  Six of our classmates formed a Steering Committee to plan this event and brought us together for a wonderful four days of lookbacks at those remarkable, eventful, hopeful, and formative four undergraduate years.

It's was a fun ride! Thank you for being with us at every pit stop along the way!

"If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, the highway that's the best.
Get your kicks on Route 66!"

More than 40 classmates volunteered for our 50th reunion celebration.

Class of 1966 | 50th Reunion Giving

The 50th Reunion Class historically plays a vital role in the University’s fundraising plan each year. It is our opportunity to collectively make a significant gift to DePauw to honor its legacy and to commemorate the benefits which the University has conferred upon us through the years.

Gifts from the 50th Reunion Class are calculated as 1.) The aggregate of our gifts  to The Fund for DePauw (unrestricted annual gifts made between July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016) and 2.) The 50th Reunion Class Gift (which combines all giving since our 45th reunion including planned gifts, foundation gifts, matching gifts and this year’s gift to The Fund for DePauw).

A number of our classmates and members of the Steering Committee and the Fundraising Committee for the 50th Reunion joined together to offer a matching gift challenge of $200,000 to our class for our gift to the Fund for DePauw. Such giving encouraged us to set a total goal of raising $400,000 for The Fund for DePauw. As you may know, gifts to The Fund for DePauw support the ongoing operations of the university. The impact of this support touches every student and faculty member across campus. Thank you to all who made gift to the University in support of The Fund for DePauw.

The second area of goal setting is the percentage of the class making a gift in this Reunion Year. The Class of 1966 reached its best giving percentage at our 40th Reunion when we hit 44 percent. This encouraged us to consider a goal of at least 66 percent in our 50th!

Final Giving Totals from Class of 1966's 50th Reunion

A Look Back at Our 50th Reunion

View Sally Smerz Grooms Cowal's presentation at the convocation here.

Some other videos of the weekend that you might enjoy:

• 'A Toast to DePauw' at Alumni Convocation
• President-Elect Mark McCoy Addresses Alumni at Annual Reunion Convocation
• Nadia Mitchem '98 Receives DePauw University's Young Alumni Award
• Jay Bennett '91 Addresses Fellow Members of DePauw University's 25th Reunion Class
• Class of 1966 Unveils 50th Reunion Gift to DePauw University

"I Remember" Statements from the Class of 1966

• I remember hearing the creaky door open to the Double Decker, hearing "Green Onions" on the juke box and having a seat at a booth for a 75 cent burger, fries and chocolate malt. I remember chem lab in ancient Minchell lab with the smells of sulfuric acid and hydrogen sulfide, presided over by Mrs. Fulmer, who you dared not cross. I remember coffee breaks at the Duck, the music annex sounds at 10 p.m., and the sound of East College Bells. (Phil Roper)

•  I remember the clear, crisp air and the lovely fall leaves crunching underfoot while strolling across the campus past Meharry Hall. And I remember having to feel the bones hidden in bags that the anatomy class had to identify for a test, one bag eliciting student groans of "Oh, ugh!" (Lindsey Wiepking Zink)

• I remember the excitement of arriving on campus the first day, watching the upperclassmen gentlemen eyeing all of the newcomers, scrambling to the window to see the serenading frat guys, chapel dates, the frantic rush week, and learning about boulder runs and the hooting owl. However, most of all I remember spending special moments with the beautiful people who would become my lifetime friends. (Carolyn Mugge)

• I also remember dancing with Marta, although the memory is not as sweet as Paul's. Marta and I were in Miss Dietz's Modern Dance class, and after a few unsuccessful weeks of attempting to teach me modern dance, Miss Dietz understandably began ignoring awkward me and focused her energies on graceful Marta. (Alice Weyeneth O'Brien)

• I remember the unheated/cooled attic dorm in the Lambda Chi Alpha house and one morning when it was 9 degrees when I woke up. (Jerry Allen)

• I remember living in Locust Manor as a freshman advisor in the fall of 1964 - doling out sage advice from my vaulted position, listening to sad and funny stories, sleeping in the sleeping dorm which offered up some odd behaviors, making lifelong friendships, working with Nelle Barnhart. It was wonderful. (Margaret Muse)

• I remember dancing with Marta in West Side Story. If I close my eyes, we are still dancing. (Paul Bancel)

• I remember during finals week in January 1965 it was so cold that President Kerstetter issued an executive order that women could wear slacks to Roy O. West library during Reading Week, instead of the customarily required skirts. (Max Hittle)

• I remember the frequent, pop quizzes in Professor Allen's accounting class. But Allen made me study hard and I remember the principles of accounting! (Dennis Himan)

• I remember on weekends, the fraternities and sororities had to open up their house parties to the rest of the campus after a certain hour. It was great dancing away the evening, going from house to house, from one party to another. (Dennis Himan)

• I remember Professor Elmer Klemke’s P&R final exam – I was perplexed by the fact that everyone seated in front of me started giggling when they read the handout with the questions. Turns out Professor Klemke had concocted a fake exam as a joke, just to lighten the mood - which worked, but the real exam, which he passed out later, was no laughing matter. (Melville Webster)

• I also remember that when we were at DePauw, the Roy O. West Library didn’t have air conditioning, and on warm days the doors were propped open. The Sigma Nu St. Bernard took that as an invitation to come in and visit, and it wasn’t unusual to see him to amble on by while you were studying, although the librarians usually shooed him outside fairly quickly. (Melville Webster)

• I remember when Liz Weidman Zuercher and I bid on a dinner in Indianapolis with Professors Roberts and Listerman. We were successful, had a wonderful dinner at King Cole's in nap town and then they brought us home after hours and we were grounded for the next month!! (Sherry Bockstanz Hughes)

• I remember being fearful Dr. Compton would call on me during Basic Beliefs discussion groups and I would be tongue tied and not able to produce a relevant or intellectual thought. (Bobbie Hendricks Bahler)

• I remember when Jim Thompson sang with the Lettermen at their campus concert. (Max Hittle)

• I remember cramped, sometimes snowy rides back to a deserted campus after away basketball games.  Those university station wagons weren’t meant for basketball teams. (Stan Bahler)