KEANmag
45
alumni news
Over 100 alumni attendees from the classes of 1944 to 1965, now known
as the newest “50 Plus” class, spent a memorable afternoon at the STEM
Building last October, celebrating the 2015 50-Plus Reunion. At the event,
guests enjoyed speaking with honors students and faculty from the
History Department, and listening to their presentations. Specifically,
the students presented their research on a collection of letters written
to Newark State Teachers College librarian Nancy Thompson from
students serving in World War II, and the scrapbook she created to detail
their stories. Posters and scrapbook paraphernalia that Ms. Thompson
kept from the war were transcribed and analyzed by the students, with
the help of University archivist Erin Alghandoor, and were displayed
throughout the room. Also at the event, student performers from the
College of Visual and Performing Arts sang a selection from “College
Daze,” a variety musical which was performed by students in March 1943,
right before many of them had to report for WWII basic training camp.
Provost JeffToney also spoke to the attendees at theevent about themany
great things happening on campus today, showing videos to highlight
the accomplishments of Kean students, both locally and internationally.
He then invited guests to share what was most memorable to themabout
their college experience and the most important things they learned
during their time as students. Many remarked that it was the “quality of
their teachers” and how they truly showed they cared for their students
that inspired them to become better educators in their own careers; a trait
that still holds true for Kean University faculty today.
50 Plus
Reunion
Graduates from the 1940s!
Graduates from the 1950s!
Graduates from the 1960s!
