Class of 1976

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the United States In 1932, wheelchair-bound Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first (and only) United States president to hold the top office with a severe disability. While the public was well aware of his paralysis, Roosevelt never let his illness hinder…

All Wesleyan alumni and families were invited to participate in Virtual Reunion 2021: A Week of Wes! from May 10-15. The week's worth of events celebrated the classes of 1s and 6s. A sampling of the virtual reunion events are below: Other reunion events included an Alumni of Color (AOC)/Students of Color (SOC) Reception moderated by Kimberly King ’97, with remarks by Professor Theodore M. Shaw '76; "Pie Pops" with pastry chef Candace Nelson '96 and "Sugar Rush" winner Jennifer Low '06; a Cardinal Family Fun Hour; a book talk with Wesleyan Professor of History Ronald Schatz; a Christina Crosby…

Several Wesleyan faculty and alumni have been featured in national media outlets recently. They include: The New York Times—Christina Crosby, 67, Dies; Feminist Scholar Wrote of Becoming Disabled NBC News—Biden Picks Jessica Rosenworcel [’93] as Acting FCC Chief NBC Think—Trump’s ‘1776 Commission’ Tried to Rewrite U.S. History. Biden Had Other Ideas.; by Robyn Autry Inside Higher Ed—Everything Won’t Be Different; by Michael Roth ’78 NPR’s Short Wave—Let’s Go Back to Venus!; features Martha Gilmore MyRecordJournal.com—WRESTLING: Paint It, Black! Wesleyan Coach Drew Black of Cheshire Tabbed for National Hall of Fame The New York Times Magazine—Poem: Variation on a Theme by Elizabeth Bishop; poem by John…

In honor of the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, when women won the right to vote, New York City will welcome a Women's Rights Pioneers Monument to its grounds on Aug. 26. Designed and sculpted by nationally-known artist Meredith Bergmann '76, the statue depicts and honors women’s rights pioneers Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The statue will be located in Central Park and will be the first statue depicting real women in the park’s 166-year history. Currently, there are 23 statues of real men in Central Park; women are "represented" through fictional…

The recent death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man killed while being forcibly detained by police, has ignited the United States and brought issues of inequality and violence against black people to the forefront of the national consciousness. Alison Williams ’81, vice president for equity and inclusion/Title IX officer, and Wesleyan President Michael Roth '78 hosted a panel discussion on Thursday, June 11, titled “Toward an Anti-Racist Community,” featuring six alumni of color who discussed how to move beyond the pain and trauma of the current cultural moment toward constructive action. “What I hope is that this will be…

FDR Memorial by Bergmann ’76 Is a Tribute to Overcoming Physical Barriers

Virtual Reunion 2021: A Week of Wes!

Wesleyan in the News

Bergmann ’76 Designs Monumental Women Statue for Central Park

Alumni of Color Help Wesleyan Plot a Path ‘Toward an Anti-Racist Community’