For 84 year-old alumnus Mr. Don Streett ’53, last weekend was his 13^th time returning to the School for a reunion. As always, he arrived from St. Louis, Missouri, looking forward to seeing his classmates.

From last Friday through last Sunday, Mr. Streett, along with his peers from the Classes of 1953 and 1968, was invited to join the Fall Reunion and celebrate the classes’ 65th and 50th reunions, respectively. Twelve alumni from the class of 1953 and and 29 alumni from the class of 1968 attended reunion events, accompanied by spouses, children, and guests. Among attendees were Mr. Rusty Chandler ’53, who served as the tenth head of school, Mr. Phil Pillsbury ’53, a long-time former member of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Larry Flinn ’53, who sponsored the construction of Flinn dormitory, and Mr. Chris Redlich ’68, who funded Redlich dormitory.

Throughout the weekend, visiting alumni and families attended two classes and Auditorium with current students; they also toured the Teaching and Learning Center, the EFX Lab, and Fairfield Farm. They attended panels with members of the faculty and students  in order to learn about the experience of teaching, learning, and living at the School today. In addition, alumni from the Class of 1968 reviewed files from their time as students, which included hand-written comments from their teachers. Ms. Kamaren Suwijn, associate director of alumni relations, said, “It always brings up a lot of memories for them – sometimes really positive and sometimes negative. But they always come away, saying, ‘Wow, it was a struggle to get through the academics here, but I’m so glad I did it.’”

After immersing themselves in life with current students, the alumni reflected upon how their experiences at the school helped shape their future paths. Mr. William McMorran ’68 said, “The School lifted me up with a broader vision of service [and] a larger understanding of society and the challenges we always face.”

Guests noticed the numerous changes made to the school over the years, including the presence of female students, who were first admitted in 1971 (after both visiting classes graduated). Recalling social life during his time as a student, Mr. Streett said, “The one biggest difference would be co-education. In our days, we invited the girls from elsewhere to come to the school dance.”