On Feb. 25, Princeton welcomed more than 1,100 alumni back to campus for the 108th Alumni Day, the University's mid-winter celebration. In addition to reconnecting with friends and classmates, alumni celebrated student and alumni award winners; heard inspirational lectures; attended the Service of Remembrance, a memorial to honor Princetonians; listened to informative sessions about campus expansion, engineering and community outreach; and the best thing of all, they were back on campus!
After checking in at Nassau Presbyterian Church, alumni headed to Richardson Auditorium for the morning award program that began at 9:15 a.m. with welcoming remarks by Mary Newburn ’97, chair of the Alumni Council and president of the Alumni Association. Gen. Christopher Cavoli ’87, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Robert Kahn *64, co-inventor of communication protocols at the heart of the internet, were presented with the Woodrow Wilson Award and James Madison Medal, respectively, and gave inspirational lectures. President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83 introduced and awarded the winners of the undergraduate Pyne Prize and graduate Jacobus Fellowship.
The Alumni Day Luncheon, which also serves as the annual meeting of the Alumni Council, returned to Jadwin Gym after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. Newburn shared updates about alumni activities and announce the slates for Alumni Trustee. Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science Andrea Goldsmith provided updates about engineering; University architect Ron McCoy *80 discussed campus expansion and growth; and Lou Chen ’19, program manager of Trenton Arts at Princeton, shared about his organization’s impact and welcomed the Trenton Youth Singers for a performance.
The entire Princeton community was then invited to the University Chapel for the Service of Remembrance at 3 p.m., honoring Princeton alumni, students, faculty and staff whose deaths were recorded in the last year. President Eisgruber offered special remarks, and Rabbi Eric Yanoff ’98 delivered the memorial address.
Alumni Day concluded with an all-alumni reception at 4 p.m. in Chancellor Green Rotunda, where Eric Plummer ’10, president of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni (ABPA), delivered a special toast to honor the 50th anniversary of the ABPA. Throughout the weekend, there were athletic events, family activities, special exhibits and a panel discussion and dinner celebrating the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding titled, “50 Years of the Third World Center: A Reflection.”
A complete recap of Alumni Day activities is coming soon.
