Reunion classes give back

Reunion classes have contributed critical unrestricted funds for Harvard College and funded three professorships, two junior professorships, and some 15 scholarships. To date, four campaigns have exceeded $20 million, with a little less than a month remaining in the fundraising year.

The 30th reunion Class of 1977, at $21.8 million and counting, has the potential to set a record under the leadership of co-chairs Steven A. Ballmer, Zoe Cruz, Glenn H. Hutchins, G. Bradford Jones, Robert H. Lessin, Robert D. Lindsay, E. Scott Mead, David B. Poor, and Theodore R. Samuels II.

The Class of 1982 has raised $22.8 million for the 25th reunion. Co-chairs Andrew L. Farkas, Edward C. Forst, Laurence S. Grafstein, Cynthia Crowley McClintock, Sanjeev K. Mehra, and Daniel L. Skaff are galvanizing the effort, and hoping to reach 60 percent participation.

The Class of 1957 has generated $20.7 million with 67 percent participation for the 50th reunion, much to the credit of Harvard co-chairs Michael F. Butler, Lawrence S. Huntington, David W. Scudder, and Samuel H. Wolcott III, and Radcliffe co-chairs Ann Rand Eldridge, Frances Byers Schloss, Mari De Costa Terman, and Sheila Tobias. The Radcliffe portion is a 50th reunion record for a gift to the Schlesinger Library.

Thomas L.P. O’Donnell Jr. took charge of the 60th reunion Class of 1947, which reports a total of $20.4 million.

The Class of 1992 15th reunion class is pacing younger classes with $2.81 million. Co-chairs Hazem Ben-Gacem, Trisha Pérez Kennealy, and Charles M. Linehan succeeded in engaging new classmates in the fundraising effort this year.