Class of '59 regroups for 50th reunion
Sarah Billian
Issue date: 5/14/09 Section: News
The year was 1959. Alaska joined the country as the 49th state, Charles de Gaulle was elected president of France and the Soviets successfully launched the Luna 1 spacecraft - and all that just in January. In the town of Northampton, Massachusetts, the 466 women of the Smith College Class of '59 were busy pursuing Sophia Smith's dream of an education replete with the "means and facilities for the education equal to those which are afforded now in our Colleges to young men."
As New Zealand politician, lawyer and journalist Sir Leslie Munro urged the class onward at their May commencement, the graduating seniors no doubt had little idea what the future would hold for them. Certainly they could not imagine returning to the now-bustling city of Northampton for their 50th reunion, pictures of grandchildren in tow.
Of her vision of her future at graduation, Ruth Bibby Bonn '59 said that "my plan was to marry and live a life like my mother's. The life I had was quite different, pushing me to grown and develop in ways I could never have foreseen." Bonn is not alone in this sentiment.
Indeed, many of the class of '59 could not imagine how their world, and their lives, would change in the next fifty years. Of her classmates today, class president Sally Murray Crissman '59 said, "We have many published authors, we are leaders in our communities locally, nationally and overseas, we are politically active, we have survived ups and downs of all kinds, some of them quite unthinkable in 1959."
The prospect of returning to the Grécourt Gates after a prolonged absence inspired much emotion and excitement for many of the class of '59. For Janie Brashares Parker, "a 50th reunion is an appropriate moment to assess this journey of ours. My Smith experience was more than formative, it was truly life-changing."
Their 50th reunion also inspired the women of '59 to reflect on their experiences at Smith. "My Smith education was a precious gift that has nurtured me through the years. In retrospect, I wish I had been more adventuresome in my studies," said Liz Cherney Gordon. She added, however, that she was "grateful for the course requirements that did lead me in new directions. Smith certainly helped me to develop confidence, poise, good posture, and wonderful friendships. I could not have asked for more." Joan Damoto Macri '59 shared that she looks "back at my Smith years with gratitude for what I learned there, for the challenges posed and met, the friendships made, and for the gift of having to define myself both as an individual and as a contributing member of the larger world around me." For Macri, "Smith taught me how to think independently and to value my conclusions."
Murray Crissman added, "We treasure our Smith education and friendships made there. We love our families. We read like crazy and enjoy the arts."
Although the campus might look far different than that of 1959, it is clear that the heart of the Smith experience has remained the same. Nancy Cook Steeper, a longtime director of the Alumnae Association of Smith, shared that "through all of my experiences, I have retained my initial awe about being a Smith girl. Now one of my happiest surprises is the delight of being seventy-something and still seeking new adventures."
As New Zealand politician, lawyer and journalist Sir Leslie Munro urged the class onward at their May commencement, the graduating seniors no doubt had little idea what the future would hold for them. Certainly they could not imagine returning to the now-bustling city of Northampton for their 50th reunion, pictures of grandchildren in tow.
Of her vision of her future at graduation, Ruth Bibby Bonn '59 said that "my plan was to marry and live a life like my mother's. The life I had was quite different, pushing me to grown and develop in ways I could never have foreseen." Bonn is not alone in this sentiment.
Indeed, many of the class of '59 could not imagine how their world, and their lives, would change in the next fifty years. Of her classmates today, class president Sally Murray Crissman '59 said, "We have many published authors, we are leaders in our communities locally, nationally and overseas, we are politically active, we have survived ups and downs of all kinds, some of them quite unthinkable in 1959."
The prospect of returning to the Grécourt Gates after a prolonged absence inspired much emotion and excitement for many of the class of '59. For Janie Brashares Parker, "a 50th reunion is an appropriate moment to assess this journey of ours. My Smith experience was more than formative, it was truly life-changing."
Their 50th reunion also inspired the women of '59 to reflect on their experiences at Smith. "My Smith education was a precious gift that has nurtured me through the years. In retrospect, I wish I had been more adventuresome in my studies," said Liz Cherney Gordon. She added, however, that she was "grateful for the course requirements that did lead me in new directions. Smith certainly helped me to develop confidence, poise, good posture, and wonderful friendships. I could not have asked for more." Joan Damoto Macri '59 shared that she looks "back at my Smith years with gratitude for what I learned there, for the challenges posed and met, the friendships made, and for the gift of having to define myself both as an individual and as a contributing member of the larger world around me." For Macri, "Smith taught me how to think independently and to value my conclusions."
Murray Crissman added, "We treasure our Smith education and friendships made there. We love our families. We read like crazy and enjoy the arts."
Although the campus might look far different than that of 1959, it is clear that the heart of the Smith experience has remained the same. Nancy Cook Steeper, a longtime director of the Alumnae Association of Smith, shared that "through all of my experiences, I have retained my initial awe about being a Smith girl. Now one of my happiest surprises is the delight of being seventy-something and still seeking new adventures."
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