Bulletin showcases, celebrates more than 100 years of alumni history in print! A
s the Bulletin transitions from a print product to a digital format in 2021, we thought it would be appropriate to look back at the magazine’s remarkable history and showcase some of the many memorable moments and wonderful editions that have characterized the publication as the official voice of Acadia’s Alumni Association. What started as a small leaflet in 1912 has grown over the past 108 years into a 48-page magazine that illustrates campus life and acknowledges outstanding alumni achievement. The world was different when the first edition was produced in 1912. Poet Irving Layton, folk singer Woody Guthrie, Pope John Paul I, dancer Gene Kelly and TV chef Julia Child were born during this leap year. Irish novelist Bram Stoker, Canadian strongman Louis Cyr and Swedish playwright August Strindberg died. The Titanic took its illfated maiden voyage and the Olympic Games were contested in Stockholm, Sweden. Acadia was 74 years old and the Associated Alumni of Acadia College had been in place for more than two decades, having been duly incorporated in June 1860. The Bulletin arrived with little fanfare: no editor or editorial board was identified, and it was only five-by-eight inches in size. No matter: it was chock-full of information “useful to many” and expected to be welcomed monthly by the University’s alumni. Indeed, Acadia’s alumni cohort was growing, with 800 members by 1923. We now number more than 31,000 in 60 countries around the world. Ever aware of its audience, the Bulletin responded by increasing in size from eight to 16 pages, publishing on better paper and offering larger type. In June 1931, English Professor Harold Sipprell (’27) became the first officially appointed editor and the Bulletin was published jointly by the University and the Associated Alumni.
30
ACADIA BULLETIN FALL 2020
Sipprell guided the publication until 1945 and was succeeded by Dr. R. S. Longley on an interim basis. Rev. Dr. George E. Levy (’27), a professor of English Bible, was editor from 1947-64. Political Science Professor Duncan Fraser took over from 1964-68, followed by Bill Parker (1968-72) and then Levy’s niece, Linda Cann (1973 to late 1990s). Other editors have included Sue Cox Roberts (’83), Jim Prime (’69), Kathleen Martin (’03), Jill Wagner (’99), Oonagh Proudfoot (’93, ’06) and Kristen Loyst (’02) to name a few. I have had the privilege of editing the magazine since 2011. According to library records, the Bulletin has changed names twice. It started originally as the Acadia Bulletin, changed to the Acadia University Alumni Bulletin in 1985 and then back to Acadia Bulletin in 2002. Each iteration has detailed the University’s successes and challenges and provided remarkable insight into not only the rare educational experience Acadia offers, but the people and personalities that have distinguished it both on and off campus. Our goal in presenting a series of cover photos and context to commemorate the publication’s 108 years of service as a print product is to illustrate some of Acadia’s milestone moments and look ahead with great anticipation to continuing the fine storytelling tradition that has long celebrated the outstanding achievements of our alumni and the remarkable institution they represent. It’s a fond look back at Acadia and its alumni through the Bulletin’s unblinking eye, and a look ahead toward a new era of promise and achievement that we hope to represent with the same verve, accuracy and ambition as our predecessors. Stand Up and Cheer! Fred Sgambati (’83) Editor
