1968 – Fall ’21 Class Letter
1968 – Fall 2021 Class Letter
Class Agent:
PETER UHRIG ’68
(512) 762-1479 / [email protected]
Dear Classmates:
Here we are at the end of another summer, and I hope it has been a good one for each of you. It might have been good if you were not anywhere near the wildfires ravaging parts of the west and northwest. It might have been very nice if you were not in states now facing critical water shortages. And it certainly might have been very pleasant if you were not in the path of a hurricane like Ida.
I hope none of these things affected you but these days, even events far away from where we live seem to spill over into our lives through loved ones who did suffer.
School News
After what must surely be called an unusual and we hope unique academic year, 142 members of the Class of 2021 were graduated on May 16, at the 154th commencement. This was quite an achievement for Ripon, needing to adapt procedures for the students that chose an in-person on-campus experience as well as needing to accommodate those who opted to study from home.
Alumni Weekend: Aug. 6-8 saw attendees from 29 states and from classes of 1961 to 2023. This was the first-ever August Alumni Weekend to take place since COVID-19 paused on-campus events. Alumni Weekend 2022 will go back to the usual end-of-June time. Save the date, June 23-26, 2022.
Fundraising Success: Fund-raising is always of critical importance to Ripon. I am happy to report a record breaking 2,087 donors supported the April 28th #OneDayRally and 3,600 donors supported the College over the fiscal year, which included contributions to the Ripon Fund and other initiatives. It’s no wonder our endowment continues to grow allowing our school to continue its role as a leader and model for what a successful small liberal arts institution should be.
Campus upgrade: The McCullough Family Lounge in Farr Hall of Science recently received a thorough makeover with the intent of making the space more contemporary and technologically friendly. The renovations were made possible by a lead gift from Trustee PHILIP MCCULLOUGH ’69, and his wife, Pat.
Classmate News
GUY R. ’68 HENSHAW and SUSAN SIEGEL HENSHAW ’68 of Danville, California, received Ripon College’s Medal of Merit at the commencement ceremony on May 16, 2021. In his acceptance speech, GUY restated his firm belief in the necessity of a liberal arts education and the strong foundation he received by attending Ripon. Congratulations to GUY and SUSAN for your continuing generosity and service to our school.
STEVE HENIG ’68 and Kathy of Wake Forest, North Carolina, arranged a reconnection with fellow Theta Chi’s TED SEWALL ’66 and his wife BARBARA BRADFORD SEWALL ’65 of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, this past July. PETER UHRIG ’68 and Linda, who now spend summers in Palos Park, Illinois, joined them. TED, STEVE and PETER were Theta Chi’s together. While together, they paid a visit to the campus and received a mini tour from JOLENE RUEDEN SCHATZINGER ’07, Associate Director of Engagement.
We all remember Memorial Gymnasium but how many of us took note of the war memorial plaque, which used to be there? It contains the names of Ripon alumni who died in service to their country from World War I forward. It is now located along Seward Street, in the spot formally occupied by Memorial Gymnasium.
As mentioned in the last Class Letter, if you have not been to the campus for a while, here is a link to the virtual campus tour: tour.ripon.edu. It gives a great birds-eye view of what our campus looks like today.
Finally, if you are interested in hearing news about your classmates, start by sharing some news from your life. It’s an important connection with those we do not regularly see. What may seem like a small thing to you is still a nice tidbit to share as well as larger changes and accomplishments in your lives. Please let us hear from you. My contact information is included at the beginning of this Class Letter, or you may send news to [email protected].
Best Wishes
PETER UHRIG ’68