“Plus”-Size 50/60 Reunion Brings Alumni Back to the ’Dale

Written by Doug Goodnough

From Alaska to Florida they came. The annual 50/60-Year Reunion event again brought Hillsdale College alumni back to campus to celebrate their anniversaries.

This year, in addition to the classes of 1964 and 1974, we invited those who graduated in 1973 and before. This “Plus” crowd are people who may not have been able to attend in their anniversary year due to conflicts. And we were encouraged by the initial response. In fact, we had more than 70 people attend this year’s event, including three former alumni directors.

Here are some highlights:

Patricia Nash Miles, ’73, was one those “Plus” attendees. Unable to make last year’s 50-year anniversary celebration, she and her sister, Selena Jones, attended this year. Both are ordained ministers who travel around the world performing mission work for their church. They have been to locations including South Africa and Jamaica helping those in need. This summer, they plan to stay in the U.S., traveling to cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C., to help those less fortunate. Patricia, who lives in the Cleveland area, retired after more than 30 years as a counselor for the State of Ohio. She said she attended Hillsdale in part thanks to the Zelma May Oole Scholarship. Miles still has that 1972 letter informing her of the award. After the event, she included that detail in a thank-you letter, as well as this comment: “We are still telling family and friends about Hillsdale College and the warm welcome that we received. The food was great!”
Dorothy Leonard Ley, ’64, attended her 60th anniversary celebration with her husband, Larry. As Hillsdale’s longtime alumni director (from 1984 to 1995 and 1999 to 2002), she started the first 50-year reunion event in 1989. She also helped coordinate special events like Dr. Arnn’s presidential inauguration in 2000 and the Margaret Thatcher dinner in 1994. She was one of three former alumni directors in attendance. Grigor “Scotty” Hasted, ’74, and John Cervini, ’74, also attended to celebrate their class’s 50th anniversary.
Arlo and Judith Mears Straight, ’57, ’60, showed great enthusiasm for their alma mater, even after 65 years. The couple traveled from Illinois to participate in this year’s event. Arlo, a former cross country captain for Hillsdale, and Judy, a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, are retired teachers from Northlake in the western Chicago suburbs.
Darrel Morton, ’64, and Wendell Shiffler, ’65, were track and cross country friends and teammates during their college years. The 50/60 Reunion was an opportunity for them to reconnect and share some great memories. Morton, now retired, was a longtime teacher and coach at LakeVille (Otisville, Michigan) High School. He still has strong Hillsdale connections. His daughter, Darcy Morton Affholter, ’97, is a graduate and teaches at Mary Randall Preschool on campus, and Morton’s three grandsons, Ben, Nick, and Zac Affholter, currently attend Hillsdale and are members of the Chargers football team. Shiffler made the trip to campus from Fairbanks, Alaska, with his wife, Judy Mendenhall Shiffler, ’66. The retired teachers have lived in Alaska since 1968.

Finally, for those members of the Classes of 1965 and 1975, you are on the clock! We hope you will consider coming back to campus for your anniversary next year from April 9-11, 2025. And for those who graduated in 1974 and earlier, look for your invitations as well.

One attendee, Don Zimmerman, ’74, summed up the experience well: “Thanks for showing us a great time during our reunion. I thought everything was first class, and I will enjoy the memories for years to come.”

Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.

Published in April 2024