Reunions 2010: Celebrating the Year of the Tiger

The following class-by-class plans for this year's major reunions were compiled by Madeleine Bruml ’11 for PAW's 2010 Reunions Guide. Photos by T. Kevin Birch.

Class of 1945

Friday's class dinner will take place at the Present Day Club, preceded by the class photo at 5:45 p.m. Entertainment after dinner will feature classmate Rocky King, the Nassoons, and a slide show of old reunion photos. Saturday's activities include lunch in the tent and the P-rade for classmates and families. Dinner in the tent will be preceded and followed by the piano playing of Bob Egan, featuring songs of the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s. Sunday brunch will be in the Forbes dining room.

Class of 1950

The Class of 1950 is celebrating its 60th, beginning with a Thursday-night dinner at Frist Campus Center, featuring the Patty Cronheim Ensemble. On Friday, a lunch at Prospect House will honor Professor David Billington ’50's 50 years of service at the University. The Royal Palm Steel Band will play at dinner. Before Saturday's P-rade, class members and guests will meet for lunch at Rockefeller College with music by the Ancient Order of Hibernians Pipe Band. Saturday-night dinner features the Bobby Mansure Ensemble, followed by the University Orchestra concert and the annual fireworks display.

Class of 1955

The 55th reunion begins Thursday with a tour of the Trenton and Princeton battlefields, led by emeritus professor James McPherson. That evening, Princeton Project 55, founded by members of the Class of 1955, will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala at the Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village, featuring keynote speaker Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, N.J. At headquarters, Jerry Rife and his Dixieland band will perform. Friday starts with a panel discussion on "The Tectonic and Cyclonic Economic Events Since the 50th Reunion." Later, there is a reception at the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, followed by dinner at headquarters and a performance by the class's own Stan Rubin and his all-star jazz band. The Saturday reception will be held in the Lewis Science Library, with Peter Lewis ’55 serving as the class's guide.

Class of 1960

Two "Years of the Tiger" -- 1938 and 2010 -- have special meaning for the Class of 1960: The first is the birth year of most of the class, and the second marks its 50th-reunion year. To celebrate, a Chinese symbol for tiger joins ’60's classic class logo, a Janus tiger looking back to a rich past and ahead to new adventures. Thursday night's entertainment will feature classmate Tom Artin's Nassau Jazz Band. A memorial service for deceased classmates will be held in the Chapel Friday morning. The class dinner on Friday will be followed by a performance from the Midiri Brothers Orchestra. Taiko drummers will lead the class in the P-rade, bringing an Asian presence to the festivities. Saturday night, the Asian theme continues at dinner, followed by entertainment by the ever-popular DJ Joe Cool.

Class of 1965

The Great Class of 1965 returns for its 45th reunion at Holder Courtyard, ready to remind fellow Tigers why rock ’n' roll will never die. The class reception and dinner on Thursday is at headquarters. Friday evening will feature the official class dinner, followed by old-time rock ’n' roll with Liquid Pleasure. On Saturday, following breakfast and lunch at headquarters, the class will be led by the West Windsor-Plainsboro Pirate Marching Band in the P-rade, along with additional mystery entertainment. After Saturday dinner and the fireworks, the class will hit the dance floor again as the Party Dolls and Beatlemania Now alternate sets.

Class of 1970

In keeping with its motto "In Locusts Parentis," the legacy of its cacophonous 1970 Commencement in concert with millions of cicadas, the class will again bug the assembled masses in the P-rade with the world famous Seventypede, as well as a perennial favorite: the University's first female undergraduate-degree recipients. In the usual desperate attempt to re-create the '60s, the class will party down with the Party Dolls and the Fabulous Greaseband, presumably named in tribute to Commons cuisine. The class will cheer on the Saturday fireworks from its nearby insecti-site at the Boathouse. Eleven members of the class will participate in alumni-faculty forums. The class will hold its traditional memorial service in the rotunda of Chancellor Green on Saturday. In honor of its 40th reunion, the Class of 1970 has sponsored an exhibition to open Reunions weekend in Nassau Hall: "Inner Sanctum," a multifaceted project of the Princeton University Art Museum including extensive art restoration work and an exhibition in the Faculty Room, a related book, a freshman seminar, and a symposium examining the room's role as the symbolic center of the University.

Class of 1975

The Class of 1975 will celebrate "Good Times" (7x5=35) at its 35th reunion. Thursday night features dinner at the site, with a full evening of live rock ’n' roll with the ’75 alumni band with Hollis Russell and friends. The class continues with a busy Friday that includes a reception and class dinner at the Boathouse. A live DJ, Chris B., will have the site hopping after dinner, followed by a '75 reunion tradition: the 11-piece Alex Donner Orchestra, playing until 2 a.m. On Saturday, a special women's breakfast at Prospect kicks off the biggest day at Reunions. The Greater Trenton Pipes and Drums will join us for the P-rade. Saturday's reception and dinner will take place on Frist Lawn, followed by dancing with One Step Ahead back at headquarters. Several campus a cappella groups will be visiting, and the Princeton University Band will make a march through Saturday's lunch. This year, the class will donate used cell phones to benefit a local charity.

Class of 1980

The Class of 1980 comes "Together Again" at the new Butler College. The celebration begins on Thursday night with a dinner at headquarters and entertainment by DJ Too Kewl. Friday's festivities feature Triangle's "Ding" show and a lively performance of classic rock by the Strayz. On Saturday, post P-rade, the class will enjoy the mellifluous voices of the Tigertones prior to a class dinner. Afterward, class members and guests will dance to the always popular Total Soul.

On the cover: Vincent Naman ’82 greets his classmate Sandra Stites at the Thrive conference in October; photograph by Tori Repp/Fotobuddy

Class of 1985

At the Class of 1985's "Roarin' 25th," returning Tigers intersect with the flappers of the Roaring '20s -- think art deco, the Charleston, and of course, Fitzgerald -- at a speakeasy tent in Whitman College. The celebration begins Thursday night with dinner and dancing. On Friday, the class will gather for ’20s-style jazz and cocktails at the Graduate College, followed by a class dinner on the Graduate College lawn. Back at the headquarters, two bands, Rubix Kube and Unforgettable Fire, will provide music from the good old ’80s. On Saturday, hardy classmates will join other reuners in the first Princeton University Reunions Run (PURR), a 5-kilometer fun run organized by ’85 classmates and benefiting two charities: Princeton Young Achievers and Friends of the World Food Programme. After lunch on Saturday, the class will don its dapper new jackets and -- in Princeton tradition -- take its place at the head of the P-rade. The party will continue Saturday night with dinner and dancing to the Right On Band.

Class of 1990

The Class of 1990 returns to Old Nassau to remind all Tigers how to "Keep it Rio!" Famous for setting attendance records and for always innovating, the class will be mustering at Little-Edwards Courtyard. The class will briefly relocate the party to the Graduate College for a Brazilian-themed class dinner. In the P-rade, the class will samba its way down Elm Drive, showing off Carnival-themed threads. The 20th reunion also includes a service project, refurbishing a local shelter and landscaping its grounds.

Class of 1995

The Class of 1995 is donning flight jackets and dog tags and requesting a fly-by as class members return for their 15th reunion in the Dodge-Osborn Courtyard of Wilson College. The "Top Tiger" reunion will feature a Thursday-night DJ, Friday-night entertainment from the band Jersey Joint, and Saturday-night music from Milo Z. The Officer Training School on site will train top cubs in airplane running races, parachute games, paper plane making, and airplane story time. On Friday night, ’95ers will enjoy a cocktail hour with a nacho bar preceding a Mexican buffet dinner, with a kids' buffet earlier in the evening. On Saturday night, the class dinner will feature the Footnotes and the Tigerlilies in a joint performance. For its community-service project, the class is donating much-needed supplies to first-graders at Spoede Elementary School, in Missouri, supporting a project started by a recent recipient of the Class of ’95 Summer Service Fund.

Class of 2000

Surf's up as "’00 Hangs 10" at this year's 10th reunion, a surfing-themed celebration in the Pyne and 1901 courtyards. Dinner on Friday will be a big surfer buffet, followed by music from Christabel and the Jons. Saturday's program includes the P-rade and evening entertainment headlined by the Rhythm Shop. Enjoyment is not the only goal of this 10th reunion: the class has asked its members to perform 10 hours of community service before arriving at Reunions and to participate in a river cleanup with Princeton Water Watch on Friday. The class also will contribute to academic life at Reunions through participation in the alumni-faculty forums and sponsorship of the Millennial Lecture Series and various Millennial Precepts. This year's Millennial Lecture features Eliot Spitzer ’81 on Saturday morning.

Class of 2005

It's a bird ... it's a plane ... it's the fifth reunion! The Class of 2005 will don capes and masks and become a band of superheroes for the weekend as it celebrates "Truth, Justice, and the ’05 Way." On Thursday, the class will kick off Reunions by teaming up with the Class of 1950 on a Habitat for Humanity project in Trenton. Classmates and guests will dine at its secret hideout in the 1901-Dillon Courtyard. Meals at headquarters include Friday lunch, Saturday brunch, and a quick Sunday breakfast. Friday evening will feature a special catered, superhero-themed dinner. Three nights of great musical entertainment are planned, featuring the Giants of Science, the Spazmatics, the Blaire Reinhard Band, and DJ Bob.

Cover photo by Ricardo Barros

Graduate School

"PrinceTunes" is the theme of the APGA reunion, and graduate alumni will revel in the theme of music at Princeton. The logo shows musical Tigers having a great time on a keyboard and will be prominently displayed on banners and special commemorative T-shirts. The PrinceTunes weekend begins with a welcome reception on Friday evening for returning alumni and an expected visit from President Tilghman. Saturday lunch will consist of festive hoagies and a do-it-yourself ice cream sundae bar. There will be strolling music and entertainment for both alumni and children. The Riverside Bluegrass Band will lead the APGA contingent in the P-rade. The band will also perform afterward at dinner. Right after the P-rade, alumni will gather in the Icahn Laboratory atrium for a Tribute to Teaching reception, during which the Nassoons will perform. For this year's community-service projects, graduate alumni will work on a housing project in Trenton and collect musical instruments for local schools.