Together still

When the Class of 1970’s 50th reunion was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reunion committee co-chairs Jerry Williams, R’70, and Rin Barkdull, W’70, wondered whether the milestone would pass largely unmarked. But in 2022, with their encouragement, the university hosted a special combined reunion for three classes, treating the delayed celebration with all the honor of a traditional 50th.

While Westhampton College and Richmond College classes had historically held separate reunions, Williams and Barkdull united to bring everyone together throughout the reunion weekend. Events included the Boatwright Society dinner—where 50-year graduates are formally inducted—and a social hour in the Gottwald Science Center atrium.

For Barkdull, who has served on every reunion committee since her two-year reunion, the bond with Westhampton runs deep. “It was the happiest time in my life,” she says, recalling traditions like singing the Westhampton blessing before meals, a tradition the alumni revived at their reunion dinner.

Now the co-chairs are looking ahead to their 55th reunion this summer. “We’re scattered far and wide,” Williams says, “but [we all enjoy] our time there and having the opportunity to see how the campus has changed.”