Record heat and humidity for Central New York in early June didn't stop 1,289 alumni and guests from participating in Hamilton's Reunions '08, held on June 5-8. Alumni were able to reconnect with former classmates at activities ranging from the annual parade and cookout to class dinners, arts events and for the athletically inclined, a bicycle ride through the Mohawk Valley, the Long Run and the annual Winton Tolles golf tournament. Many of this year's 16 Alumni Colleges featured alumni talking about an area of their expertise or interest.
Sixty-nine members of the class of 1958 club along with 55 guests were on hand to celebrate their half-century reunion. Among the weekend's events:
The Bell Ringer
Clarence Aldridge '45 and Ralph Hansmann '40, P'72
were honored with Hamilton's Bell Ringer Award during the annual meeting of the Alumni Association in the Chapel. Ralph Hansmann's son, Robert Hansmann '72, accepted the award on his father's behalf. The Bell Ringer Award is presented each year at Reunions to a member of the Hamilton family in recognition of contributions made to the College, its alumni and the community.
During his time at Hamilton, Aldridge was a student bell ringer who lived upstairs in the Chapel near the belfry and rang the bells on schedule before the Chapel was renovated and electronic bell ringing began. Aldridge worked for the General Electric Company in Utica, and resided in Clinton, serving as president of the Clinton Historical Society, and as a volunteer and a participant in alumni affairs. Aldridge funded a future endowment for the Chapel's maintenance and most recently, has undertaken to recover the Chapel's past by locating and seeking to preserve the stained glass windows that once graced it before renovation.
Hansmann was recognized for his service on Hamilton's board, beginning as a charter trustee in 1969. He made a career as a private professional investment manager and served as chairman of the board's investment committee for 16 years. Under him, the endowment more than quintupled. Hansmann has been a life trustee since 1988.
Alumni College, Riverkeepers: Guardians of the Environment
Bob Boyle '58 and Doug Chapman '58 discussed their roles in the environmental movement to a Kennedy Auditorium packed with alumni. Boyle spoke about the path to establishing the Hudson River Fisherman's Association, an environmental group that protected the quality of the Hudson River and later grew to the larger Waterkeeper Alliance, a collection of conservation groups which now protect around 200 bodies of water worldwide. Chapman spoke about his role as an environmental prosecutor and the legal battles for environmental issues in the present day.
Alumni College, Media Violence and the Next Generation: What our Children Really Learn
Stephen Fuchs '68, rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Conn., presented an Alumni College about his campaign against violence in media. Tragic events like the shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, are, Fuchs believes, the direct result of the growing and ever more graphic depictions of violence that children grow up with in television programs, movies and video games. "I'm not interested in censorship," Fuchs said, "but I do want to see some self-discipline in those industries. I'd like to exert our influence to tone down this stuff."
Fuchs cited statistics that found that by the time children turn 18, they will have witnessed 200,000 actions of violence and 16,000 murders. While mild westerns were the rage in the '50s when Fuchs was growing up, today's media highlights "a proliferation of acts of graphic violence. Technology has multiplied the concerns we have," Fuchs said. He cited examples of recent violent acts that were "copied" from television shows. A 5-year-old child set his baby sister's bed on fire with a lighter after getting the idea from MTV's Beavis & Butthead whose characters say "fires are cool." In another example, Fuchs said a 14-year old boy killed three men, including two police officers in an attempt to mirror the violent acts in the popular Grant Theft Auto videogames series.
Fuchs said he would like to see Congress hold hearings on the impact of violence in media. He urged audience members to write to three influential CEOs in the media industry to ask them to exhibit some restraint in their entertainment offerings.
Alumni College, Free Fall or Recovery: The American Housing Market
David DeSantis '88, broker and owner of Tuft, Taylor & Rankin Sotheby's International Realty recounted the recent ups and downs of the American housing market in the Alumni College, Free Fall or Recovery: The American Housing Market.
Alumni College, Analyzing the 2008 Election
"Analyzing the 2008 Election" session drew a near overflow crowd to the Science Center's Kennedy Auditorium. Perhaps the timing of the session accounted for some of its popularity. It was held a little more than an hour after Senator Hillary Clinton formally announced the suspension of her campaign for the presidency and just days after the public acknowledgment that Senators Barack Obama and John McCain would be the respective Democratic and Republican presidential candidates,
There was plenty of material for James S. Sherman Professor of Government Philip Klinkner, Professor of Government Ted Eismeier and more than 100 engaged alumni to discuss, refute, criticize, analyze and embrace. Klinkner and Eismeier began the session with brief remarks and then took questions for the balance of the hour.
Eismeier discussed Clinton's strategic miscalculations, pointing out that the 2008 election will go down in history as the election in which the use of Internet technology blossomed. He opined that just viewing Obama's videos on YouTube followed by Clinton's "You and I" video provides a visual demonstration of what went wrong with the Clinton campaign. Eismeier predicted that this might be the year that "super delegates go the dustbin of political history." He also bemoaned what he described as a fairly issue-less campaign to this point.
Klinkner began with a discussion of the damaging effect that the weak economy and very unpopular Bush presidency might have on McCain. He pointed out, however, that because McCain is the Republican least identified with Bush that he may be relatively unscathed by any association. Klinkner, co-author of The Unsteady March: The Rise and Decline of America's Commitment to Racial Equality, also emphasized that we are not a "post-racial society" and that "race matters in American politics." He also said that "race is not as trivial as Catholicism might be today." Klinkner predicted that the blue/red divide won't look very different than 2004 and that the 2008 election will be a "replay of 2000 and 2004 with minor differences."
Alumni questions ranged from Ron Paul's campaign, "black knuckle" or "swift boat" politics, the Iraq War vote, the implications in the selection of vice presidential candidates, the use of social networking, the youth vote and the effect of polls and the media on the election outcome. Following the hour-long session both professors were deluged with even more questions from energized alumni participants.
Alumni College, A Nature Walk in the Root Glen
"A Nature Walk in the Root Glen," an Alumni College led by Professor of Biology Ernest Williams, was far more than a nature lesson. Williams' fascinating hour-long tour touched on many areas of study including geology, history and math as well as biology. Reflective of the glen's frequent community usage, the Utica Tramp and Trail Club and a Kirkland Art Center painting class were also enjoying the Root Glen. Several members of those groups joined alumni for the informative tour.
Alumni College, Giants in the Earth, A Guided Tour of Hamilton's Cemetery
Stories abounded from stone to stone on the historic Hamilton cemetery tour with Frank Lorenz. Lorenz, editor emeritus of the Hamilton Alumni Review, made the cemetery come alive with an appreciation for the people behind the early growth of Hamilton College.
Calling the cemetery the "last dormitory" for those who are buried there, Lorenz pointed out Samuel Kirkland's monument (founder of original Hamilton-Oneida Academy) and described how he befriended the Oneida Chieftain Skenandoa and converted him to Christianity. A long friendship was cemented in eternity when Skenandoa lived to an age well beyond Kirkland's and asked to be buried next to him in order to be able to grab hold of his hem when he ascended into eternity.
The story of the Root family was another offered by Lorenz on the tour. The family lived in two houses that are today's Anderson-Connell Alumni Center and the Dean of Students' offices. Lorenz recounted that it was former U.S. Secretary of State Elihu Root, Hamilton alumnus and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, who planted the trees and started the gardens in what became the Root Glen with his father Oren, a Hamilton math professor. Elihu's daughter, Edith Root, married the grandson of the famous Civil War general and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. The watchful lion next to Elihu Root's resting place conveys a sense of importance and esteem reflective of his many achievements.
Alumni College, Assessing the Quality of Education
In 1999, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded Hamilton a grant to assess student learning in a liberal arts setting. At the time of the initial award, Hamilton's proposal read, "The public deserves greater accountability, and we are prepared to demonstrate the effectiveness of our educational program to students, current and prospective parents, alumni and higher education opinion leaders."
The assessment project has been renewed by the foundation three times and continues today with its longitudinal study led by Daniel Chambliss, the Eugene M. Tobin Distinguished Professor of Sociology. In "Assessing the Quality of Education," Chambliss joined Eric Hasselstine '58, chairman of the board of regents of the John F. Kennedy University, and Haskell Rhett '58, former chairman of The College of New Jersey, in a discussion of institutional accountability.
Alumni College, Eve: The Mother of All Evil?
In the Alumni College, "Eve: The Mother of All Evil?," Julie Faith Parker '83, a doctoral candidate in the field of Old Testament and Hebrew Bible studies at Yale University, discussed the enduring importance of the biblical character Eve.
Related Links:
Sixty-nine members of the class of 1958 club along with 55 guests were on hand to celebrate their half-century reunion. Among the weekend's events:
The Bell Ringer
 |
| Bell Ringer Clarence Aldridge '45 and Robert Hansmann '72, who accepted the award for his father, Ralph Hansmann '40. |
were honored with Hamilton's Bell Ringer Award during the annual meeting of the Alumni Association in the Chapel. Ralph Hansmann's son, Robert Hansmann '72, accepted the award on his father's behalf. The Bell Ringer Award is presented each year at Reunions to a member of the Hamilton family in recognition of contributions made to the College, its alumni and the community.
During his time at Hamilton, Aldridge was a student bell ringer who lived upstairs in the Chapel near the belfry and rang the bells on schedule before the Chapel was renovated and electronic bell ringing began. Aldridge worked for the General Electric Company in Utica, and resided in Clinton, serving as president of the Clinton Historical Society, and as a volunteer and a participant in alumni affairs. Aldridge funded a future endowment for the Chapel's maintenance and most recently, has undertaken to recover the Chapel's past by locating and seeking to preserve the stained glass windows that once graced it before renovation.
Hansmann was recognized for his service on Hamilton's board, beginning as a charter trustee in 1969. He made a career as a private professional investment manager and served as chairman of the board's investment committee for 16 years. Under him, the endowment more than quintupled. Hansmann has been a life trustee since 1988.
Alumni College, Riverkeepers: Guardians of the Environment
Bob Boyle '58 and Doug Chapman '58 discussed their roles in the environmental movement to a Kennedy Auditorium packed with alumni. Boyle spoke about the path to establishing the Hudson River Fisherman's Association, an environmental group that protected the quality of the Hudson River and later grew to the larger Waterkeeper Alliance, a collection of conservation groups which now protect around 200 bodies of water worldwide. Chapman spoke about his role as an environmental prosecutor and the legal battles for environmental issues in the present day.
Alumni College, Media Violence and the Next Generation: What our Children Really Learn
Stephen Fuchs '68, rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Conn., presented an Alumni College about his campaign against violence in media. Tragic events like the shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, are, Fuchs believes, the direct result of the growing and ever more graphic depictions of violence that children grow up with in television programs, movies and video games. "I'm not interested in censorship," Fuchs said, "but I do want to see some self-discipline in those industries. I'd like to exert our influence to tone down this stuff."
Fuchs cited statistics that found that by the time children turn 18, they will have witnessed 200,000 actions of violence and 16,000 murders. While mild westerns were the rage in the '50s when Fuchs was growing up, today's media highlights "a proliferation of acts of graphic violence. Technology has multiplied the concerns we have," Fuchs said. He cited examples of recent violent acts that were "copied" from television shows. A 5-year-old child set his baby sister's bed on fire with a lighter after getting the idea from MTV's Beavis & Butthead whose characters say "fires are cool." In another example, Fuchs said a 14-year old boy killed three men, including two police officers in an attempt to mirror the violent acts in the popular Grant Theft Auto videogames series.
Fuchs said he would like to see Congress hold hearings on the impact of violence in media. He urged audience members to write to three influential CEOs in the media industry to ask them to exhibit some restraint in their entertainment offerings.
Alumni College, Free Fall or Recovery: The American Housing Market
David DeSantis '88, broker and owner of Tuft, Taylor & Rankin Sotheby's International Realty recounted the recent ups and downs of the American housing market in the Alumni College, Free Fall or Recovery: The American Housing Market.
Alumni College, Analyzing the 2008 Election
"Analyzing the 2008 Election" session drew a near overflow crowd to the Science Center's Kennedy Auditorium. Perhaps the timing of the session accounted for some of its popularity. It was held a little more than an hour after Senator Hillary Clinton formally announced the suspension of her campaign for the presidency and just days after the public acknowledgment that Senators Barack Obama and John McCain would be the respective Democratic and Republican presidential candidates,
There was plenty of material for James S. Sherman Professor of Government Philip Klinkner, Professor of Government Ted Eismeier and more than 100 engaged alumni to discuss, refute, criticize, analyze and embrace. Klinkner and Eismeier began the session with brief remarks and then took questions for the balance of the hour.
Eismeier discussed Clinton's strategic miscalculations, pointing out that the 2008 election will go down in history as the election in which the use of Internet technology blossomed. He opined that just viewing Obama's videos on YouTube followed by Clinton's "You and I" video provides a visual demonstration of what went wrong with the Clinton campaign. Eismeier predicted that this might be the year that "super delegates go the dustbin of political history." He also bemoaned what he described as a fairly issue-less campaign to this point.
Klinkner began with a discussion of the damaging effect that the weak economy and very unpopular Bush presidency might have on McCain. He pointed out, however, that because McCain is the Republican least identified with Bush that he may be relatively unscathed by any association. Klinkner, co-author of The Unsteady March: The Rise and Decline of America's Commitment to Racial Equality, also emphasized that we are not a "post-racial society" and that "race matters in American politics." He also said that "race is not as trivial as Catholicism might be today." Klinkner predicted that the blue/red divide won't look very different than 2004 and that the 2008 election will be a "replay of 2000 and 2004 with minor differences."
Alumni questions ranged from Ron Paul's campaign, "black knuckle" or "swift boat" politics, the Iraq War vote, the implications in the selection of vice presidential candidates, the use of social networking, the youth vote and the effect of polls and the media on the election outcome. Following the hour-long session both professors were deluged with even more questions from energized alumni participants.
Alumni College, A Nature Walk in the Root Glen
 |
| Root Glen |
Alumni College, Giants in the Earth, A Guided Tour of Hamilton's Cemetery
Stories abounded from stone to stone on the historic Hamilton cemetery tour with Frank Lorenz. Lorenz, editor emeritus of the Hamilton Alumni Review, made the cemetery come alive with an appreciation for the people behind the early growth of Hamilton College.
Calling the cemetery the "last dormitory" for those who are buried there, Lorenz pointed out Samuel Kirkland's monument (founder of original Hamilton-Oneida Academy) and described how he befriended the Oneida Chieftain Skenandoa and converted him to Christianity. A long friendship was cemented in eternity when Skenandoa lived to an age well beyond Kirkland's and asked to be buried next to him in order to be able to grab hold of his hem when he ascended into eternity.
The story of the Root family was another offered by Lorenz on the tour. The family lived in two houses that are today's Anderson-Connell Alumni Center and the Dean of Students' offices. Lorenz recounted that it was former U.S. Secretary of State Elihu Root, Hamilton alumnus and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, who planted the trees and started the gardens in what became the Root Glen with his father Oren, a Hamilton math professor. Elihu's daughter, Edith Root, married the grandson of the famous Civil War general and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. The watchful lion next to Elihu Root's resting place conveys a sense of importance and esteem reflective of his many achievements.
Alumni College, Assessing the Quality of Education
In 1999, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded Hamilton a grant to assess student learning in a liberal arts setting. At the time of the initial award, Hamilton's proposal read, "The public deserves greater accountability, and we are prepared to demonstrate the effectiveness of our educational program to students, current and prospective parents, alumni and higher education opinion leaders."
The assessment project has been renewed by the foundation three times and continues today with its longitudinal study led by Daniel Chambliss, the Eugene M. Tobin Distinguished Professor of Sociology. In "Assessing the Quality of Education," Chambliss joined Eric Hasselstine '58, chairman of the board of regents of the John F. Kennedy University, and Haskell Rhett '58, former chairman of The College of New Jersey, in a discussion of institutional accountability.
Alumni College, Eve: The Mother of All Evil?
In the Alumni College, "Eve: The Mother of All Evil?," Julie Faith Parker '83, a doctoral candidate in the field of Old Testament and Hebrew Bible studies at Yale University, discussed the enduring importance of the biblical character Eve.
Related Links:
