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Relive our Commencement Address by Pete Seeger

We have finally gotten hold of this wonderful audio recording of the songs and lessons Pete bestowed on us that day. The issues he raised are still problems 50 years later.

Our 50th Reunion Class Gift Came in at $7.1 Million

Thank you to everyone who donated. The three combined classes—’70, ’71, and ’72—gave $25 million at our 50th, and have given a total of $39.9 million since graduation. Any donations between now and June 30th will also be counted as part of the 50th reunion gift.

Post Your Reunion Photos

Go to the new gallery "Photos from the Reunion" in the left sidebar and post your pictures. 

(It's not too late to create your profile on this website—click “First Time Visitors” for instructions. Once you have a profile you will be able to read other classmates’ profiles and contact them through the site; your real-world contact information will not be visible.)


Videos of Reunion Programs

June 4, 2022: Political Polarization & the Future of Democracy

June 4, 2022: How Can I Make a Difference!? Climate Change & Sustainability

June 5, 2022: Oberlin’s Quest for Social Justice & Racial Equality: The legacy and its lessons. What’s next?

June 5, 2022: Mozart's Requiem Performance at First Church

 

A Message from our 50th Reunion Committee Chair

The swirl of events and gatherings from the reunion weekend has calmed.

     ­—For those of you who could not attend, we missed you and hope you were able to attend the streamed events. You can find links to recordings of those events elsewhere on this home page.

     —For those of us who were able to attend, it was a rich and meaningful time together.

          The campus was beautiful,

          The days were filled with the music in which Oberlin excels—in Warner Concert Hall, Finney Chapel, First Church, Wilder Bowl, and Tappan Square.

          It was wonderful reconnecting with so many of our classmates and those from the Classes of '70 and '71. It was fascinating and a hoot to track the trajectories of post-Oberlin lives. Sure, there were luminaries whose accomplishments we could marvel at, but I most enjoyed following the lives and careers of us (extra-) ordinary Obies whose lives so often reflected that deeply embedded Oberlin mandate of "doing Good, not just Well" with the talents honed here.

          Our many Class of '72 events were well organized and meaningful, from the "Civil War to Civil Rights" History Walk, to the private tour of the fabulous Allen Memorial Art Museum, to the events on Politics, Climate Change, and Oberlin's History of Race Relations. 

          The Memorial Service for our fallen ’72 classmates was around a newly planted flowering tree under a perfect blue sky and was itself memorable and touching.

          The food and fellowship were outstanding.

          The three classes combined raised a total in Class Gifts of $25 million—WOW!

          President Ambar spent an hour discussing the state of the college with us. I hope you get a chance to listen to her remarks.

          Finally, the reprise 52 years later of Oberlin’s Mozart's Requiem at the National Cathedral by voices and instruments of alumni (many of whom had performed in D.C.) and current students, in the intimate sanctuary of historic First Church, was a powerful and poignant tribute to our fallen classmates as well as to the tragic losses of so many in Ukraine and to gun violence in our country. It was impossible not to be deeply moved.

                                                                                                                             Dave Tempest

Pre- and Post-Reunion Programs

The combined classes of ’70, ’71, and ’72 organized a series of monthly Zoom events that preceded the June reunion and are continuing beyond it. Below are recordings of the events.

Jan '22—The Road to Social Justice Activism: Oberlin and Beyond

 https://youtu.be/4-KFWb-5Ve8

Feb '22—bell hooks: unlikely lotus flower

 https://youtu.be/cWPVyayaL2A

Mar '22—Mental Health in the Time of COVID

https://youtu.be/MvZZ3Cu4CcM

Apr '22—The State of Democracy in U.S. Politics

https://youtu.be/orVrMusQYWs

Apr '22—What to Do About Climate Change

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkJVCgU0Jdg

May '22—Writers’ Roundtable

https://youtu.be/C_kt04nN4HM

May '22—The Underground Railroad New Orleans to Oberlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-lFq8SlCiw

Oct '22—Arc of Power: Inside Nancy Pelosi's Speakership 2005–2010

https://t.e2ma.net/click//5cjje8/p0qwys

Dec ’22—What’s Next?  Criminal Justice, Refugees and Reproductive Rights 

https://youtu.be/GEika1LFCxI

Jan ’23—Oberlin: Asia—A Road Well-Travelled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p1Ymm8RpU8&authuser=0

Mar '23—‘Con’ Makers & Players: Obies Who Make and Play Their Own Instruments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT8C0mq5fOQ&authuser=0

 

PROFILE UPDATES


•   Charles Ainsworth  8/5
•   Stephen C. Brown  8/3
•   Kenneth Bannerman  6/12
•   Delia Pitts  6/11
•   Maura Saltzman (Berman)  2/2
•   Roscoe Stanyon  10/21
•   Tom Lehman  8/1
•   Suzanne Bernstein  6/11
•   Charles Talley  2/19
•   Lynn Gilchrist  2/17
Show More

WHERE ARE THEY NOW


WHERE WE LIVE


Who lives where - click links below to find out.

2 live in Alaska
5 live in Arizona
1 lives in Arkansas
67 live in California
13 live in Colorado
17 live in Connecticut
1 lives in Delaware
11 live in District Of Columbia
23 live in Florida
5 live in Georgia
5 live in Hawaii
2 live in Idaho
23 live in Illinois
7 live in Indiana
3 live in Iowa
3 live in Kentucky
2 live in Louisiana
7 live in Maine
27 live in Maryland
39 live in Massachusetts
14 live in Michigan
7 live in Minnesota
1 lives in Mississippi
6 live in Missouri
4 live in Montana
3 live in Nevada
6 live in New Hampshire
17 live in New Jersey
6 live in New Mexico
68 live in New York
15 live in North Carolina
47 live in Ohio
9 live in Oregon
22 live in Pennsylvania
1 lives in Puerto Rico
1 lives in Rhode Island
6 live in South Carolina
3 live in Tennessee
12 live in Texas
3 live in Utah
12 live in Vermont
18 live in Virginia
27 live in Washington
5 live in West Virginia
12 live in Wisconsin
1 lives in Wyoming
3 live in British Columbia
1 lives in Nova Scotia
1 lives in Ontario
1 lives in Argentina
1 lives in Australia
2 live in Belgium
1 lives in Ecuador
1 lives in France
1 lives in India
2 live in Italy
3 live in Japan
1 lives in South Korea
1 lives in Netherlands
1 lives in New Zealand
1 lives in Spain
2 live in Sweden
4 live in United Kingdom
1 lives in Viet Nam
103 location unknown

MISSING CLASSMATES


Know the email address of a missing Classmate? Click here to contact them!