Sesquicentennial Celebration collection

Founded in 1850, the University of Rochester marked its 150th anniversary in the year 2000. The occasion "represented a once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of the University and its faculty and, in the process, to enhance its image among its many constituents." The year-long commemoration was the result of the most comprehensive and creative marketing campaign in University of Rochester history. Key elements included the limited edition pictorial history book Beside the Genesee and a day-by-day desk calendar sent to over 43,000 alumni and friends. A special logo featuring a birthday candle and the University's motto Meliora ("Ever Better") adorned many posters, publications, mailings, and other ephemeral items.

The highlight of the anniversary year was the first Meliora Weekend, held from October 12-15, 2000. Also called Sesquicentennial Weekend, the four-day festivities included class reunions, discussion panels, lectures, home games, luncheons, musical performances, department open houses, and a twenty-minute fireworks display over the River Campus. Prominent guests and speakers included political satirist Mark Russell, actor Robert Duvall, NASA chief Dan Goldin, and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Also present were many prominent alumni such as Harvard Law professor and ABC news commentator Arthur Miller '56, Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Barry Miller '64, and Nobel Laureate Stephen Chu '70, who went on to become Secretary of Energy under President Obama. Altogether, some 7,800 people attended over 109 programs and activities carefully balanced between academia and entertainment.

In addition to the main Sesquicentennial Weekend, twenty-two smaller celebrations were held throughout the country from November 1999 to September 2000 for those unable to visit Rochester in October. The total attendance of 2,600 exceeded all regional goals and marked a 119% increase in participation from all past events.

By all accounts, the Sesquicentennial was a momentous turning point in the history of the University of Rochester. Two years of intense planning and preparation left behind a large pool of volunteers happy to take on future events and created new fundraising offices targeting different groups within the UR community. Most importantly, Meliora Weekend - an incorporation of Reunion, Family Weekend, Homecoming, and Regatta - was established as a new annual tradition that keeps alumni connected with their alma mater and promotes school pride. Overall, the Sesquicentennial raised the bar and set a new standard for all future celebrations at the University of Rochester.