A Celebration of 50 Years…

ALUMNI NEWS

JOY TO THE WORLD … the day finally arrived to CELEBRATE the 50th reunion of the Classes of 1970 and 1971 together, in person, on October 15, 2021! It had been a LONG TIME COMIN’!

A fun-filled weekend of activities, food and friendship connected the two classes for a supercharged Homecoming Weekend, complete with traditional Homecoming activities on campus, including campus tours, a current and former faculty/staff reception, and special recognition at the Homecoming pregame festivities.

WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN … The Classes then shifted to Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine to TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME for a superb meal and camaraderie after nearly two years of waiting to celebrate together because of COVID-19 protocols and restrictions. Spearheaded by Martha Schutts Williams ’70 and Terry Siegel ’71, the party drew Class of 1970 alumni Janie Beggs, Margaret Thompson, Kirk Henckels, Carol Garvey Sweat, Randy Rodgers, Bill Summers, Jeffrey Siegel, Susy Laughlin Weaver, Kit Tennison Moncrief, and Class of 1971 alumni Michelle Naham Johnson, Cynthia Courtney Siegel, Pamela Purvis Harris, Harry Harris, Betty McBride Alcorn, Carter Bowden, and Josephine Garrett.

Evelyn Siegel H’99

Former faculty members Sharon Foster H’05, Evelyn Siegel H’99, Tad Sanders H’18, and Claire-Lise Knecht H’06 joined the fun as well. Terry made sure everyone from afar could enjoy the festivities: He had five 1971 classmates all “Zooming” in on his iPad: Susan Gilbert da Fonseca, David Krakower, Jon Krakower, Cita Mason Riley, and Denny Gordon.

Susy Laughlin Weaver, Tad Sanders H’18, Sharon Foster H’05

This was almost the reunion that wasn’t, and it was hard for some classmates to believe that the celebration of their time at FWCD would even happen. “It was pretty strange that we, the Class of 1970, had to wait until 2021 to have the 50th reunion that was supposed to be in 2020. I had gotten to the point of wondering if we ought to have it at all since it was now 51 years, not 50. And I wondered how it would work to celebrate with the Class of 1971 at its 50th,” noted Sweat. “Well, it turns out it was great fun to see my classmates and so many friends from the Class of ’71. It is amazing how easy it is to pick up ‘where you left off’ with people you haven’t seen in years. I suppose that is because of all the time we spent together growing up and all the memories we shared from the early days of the School.”

Terry Siegel ’71

Rodgers was so happy to connect with fellow classmates and friends at the event. “The reunion was very well organized and executed,” he said. “It was great to visit with old classmates and see the School’s impressive facilities. It was such a wonderful experience!”

Terry, who was involved in the reunion planning, was overjoyed to bring his classmates together. “Of course, one of the great things about having a reunion is seeing classmates and teachers that you hadn’t seen in quite some time. I think the best part of this reunion was the ability to FaceTime classmates that couldn’t come in for the event,” he noted. “We were almost able to create an environment of all being together by walking around and visiting with teachers and classmates and setting the device in a location where people could just walk up and talk to one another.”

Foster enjoyed the reunion display put together by the Siegels. “They are just gems,” she said. “They are truly committed to the School and keeping people connected. It was nice to be in a room with all these former students.”

50th Reunion Brunch and FWCD Archives Tour

The morning after a fantastic 50th Reunion Party, a few members of the Classes of 1970 and 1971 join Head of School Eric Lombardi for a high-class brunch in the Moncrief Library. Former Head Librarian and now Lead Archives Volunteer Debby Jennings joined the group. After the meal, she led alumni through the FWCD Archives to teach them how to access old records, find pictures, and locate Falcon Quill issues. Attendees included Martha Schutts Williams ’70, Margaret Thompson ’70, Bill Summers ’70, and Michelle Naham Johnson ’71.

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