On April 10, approximately 150 members of the Charter Class of
1969 returned to Park Square, decked out in their party best. But
instead of returning to the old Boston Gas Building, their
destination was the Park Plaza Hotel, where they and over 130
founding faculty members who taught and mentored them, and close to
40 founding staff members who worked to make it all possible, were
guests of honor at UMass Boston's 35th Gala Anniversary celebration.
Nearly 400 faculty, staff, and friends of the University joined the
guests of honor for an evening full of reacquainting and reminiscing,
as well as fine dining and dancing.
Chancellor Sherry Penney hosted the formal program of the evening, and greetings of the University were brought by UMass President William Bulger. Special guests included UMass Boston's first chancellor, John W. Ryan, now Chancellor of the State University of New York system, and James Smith '69, president of the student council, and now a partner in the Boston law firm of Smith, Segal and Sowalsky. Retired Professors Ruth Butler and Joel Blair took to the podium to announce the establishment of the University's first endowed faculty career development fund in support of pre-tenured faculty, and English Professor Duncan Nelson grabbed a chair and provided an epic poem penned especially for the occasion.
The formal portion of the evening ended after dinner when each member
of the Class of 1969 and founding faculty and staff stepped to the
front of the ballroom, and announced their names into the microphone
while their images were reflected on a large screen behind the stage.
They were each then presented with a forged brass clock engraved for
the occasion, from Vice Chancellor for University Advancement
Michael Luck and his staff.
The evening was a success as a reunion, as evidenced by the fact that it was hard to distract the crowd from their conversations during the formal portion of the program. Yet everyone present recognized that the gala celebration was more than just a reunion -- it was also a celebration of the University's founding -- and of the spirit which in those early years overcame many obstacles to incubate and nurture the University that exists today. It was this historic aspect that gave the gala celebration special meaning.
"Think about it," said recently retired CPCS Professor Richard
Hogarty, a founding faculty member who served on the steering
committee for the gala. "How many other universities can produce
their founding faculty, staff, and charter class? Seldom have I seen
the UMass Boston community come together quite the way it did at the
35th Birthday celebration. As the songwriter said, 'it was a lovely
way to spend an evening.'"
The seeds of this event were planted nearly one year ago by the
Office for University Advancement. Steering Committee member Don
Costello, UMass Boston's first director of admissions, got the call
to join the planning. He credits Joe O'Brien, associate vice
chancellor for University Advancement, and Judy Byrne Ariel,
director of Donor Relations, for moving the process along from
beginning to end. Along the way, many others -- former and present
faculty, staff, and alums -- gave time, energy, and expertise to make
this event a success. Especially instrumental were first Dean of
Faculty Paul Gagnon, and Class of '69 alum Jim Smith.
Costello adds that Chancellor Penney's support was critical. "We had all kinds of plans, but when Chancellor Penney got involved, she lent her support and invested in a very strong celebration. That's when things really took off," he says.
It was, all in all, a spectacular evening honoring the founding of a
great university, says University Advancement's Luck.
"The gala was unprecedented," he says. "Dozens of volunteers produced
the largest event in the institution's history. The evening provided
the opportunity for all who attended to relive history for a brief
moment, while recognizing all the people who helped make UMass Boston
possible."