Reunions collection

Reunions at the University of Rochester began with a small alumni get-together to discuss the graduate organization in 1854, just four years after the University was established, and a dinner and formal toast the following year. Reunions have grown ever since with alumni themselves continuing to act as ”prime movers” in the success of the event.

Traditions such as competitions and class gifts emerged over time. For example, Frank Cubley of the Class of 1897 created a sense of friendly competition between reunion classes by donating a silver trophy cup and presenting it to the class with the best attendance at their reunion. In 1963, the Class of 1938’s gift was a tree that was planted in memory of those in their class who had passed away.

The University of Rochester first admitted women in the year 1900, and the earliest alumnae materials present in this collection are from 1908. Until 1955, when the College for Women and College for Men merged at the River Campus, reunions of alumnae and alumni were typically planned separately, with the occasional “mixer.”

Gatherings of specific groups have often been organized within or outside the overall reunion. For example, alumnae worked with the Alumni Association to develop a Women’s 50th Co-op Dormitory Reunion in 1986. In 1996, a Late-Forties 50th Reunion was organized for classes attending during World War II. (Reunions and commencement activities had been suspended during the war.) The Slater Society was established in 1966: named after the well-known professor John Rothwell Slater (and previously referred to as “Post-50th”), its members were alumni who had already celebrated their 50th reunion. In addition to celebrating during Meliora Weekend, the Slater Society gathers at an annual luncheon and for other events during the year.

Reunions originally took place at the time of Commencement. During the mid-1970s, they came to be held during Homecoming, typically the first week of October. In 1990, Alumni Relations developed a festival called UR Spectacular, which featured reunion celebrations, sports, and other traditions.

Ten years later, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the University marked a turning point in the commemoration of class reunions. Sesquicentennial Weekend, held 12-15 October 2000, was also the first ever Meliora Weekend. This annual event combined the previously separate occasions of homecoming, reunion, family weekend, and regatta into a single cohesive celebration of the University of Rochester.

Meliora Weekend activities have included lectures, discussions, concerts, tours, and dedications. In October 2001, the University focused on the theme of freedom, and events included group discussions about 9/11. Speakers have included Drew Carey, Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, Jon Stewart, and Barbara Walters. Events have included the Rochester Revue, a dinner featuring a variety of student performances, and Mystic Midnight Madness, with tarot card readings, fortune tellers, art activities, and a dessert bar. During the annual A Capella Jam, at the end of each group’s performance, it is customary for alumni members to join current members in singing that group’s special alumni song . For example, the Midnight Ramblers invite their alumni to sing their version of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam, the Yellowjackets sing the Supremes’ “Up the Ladder to Heaven,” and Vocal Point covers the Andrews Sisters’ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Meliora Weekend has also been a time to showcase new buildings and renovated spaces to alumni and their guests.