For months, they made phone calls, sent e-mails, and gathered on Zoom. They rallied their classmates, debated programming and schedules, encouraged Reunion attendance, and championed an ambitious class gift. They shared stories, swapped memories, and, at times, felt as though they were right back on The Hill despite the decades that separated them from their days as Denison students.
When the four co-chairs of the Class of 1976 50th Reunion Committee arrived on campus this past June, they saw their many hours of volunteer work come to life. But while the weekend itself was certainly one to remember, something else happened along the way. In working tirelessly to bring their classmates back together, Doug Black ’76, Jill Goubeaux Clark ’76, Bill Mulligan ’76, and Jan Roller ’76 had strengthened their own connections — to one another and to “the home we love so well.”
Turns out that planning Reunion can be just as meaningful as attending Reunion.
“We’ve had a ball as part of the Reunion committee putting this event together,” Black said. “A bunch of us came back in November [2025] to plan some of the programming, and we’ve had an absolute blast.”
That enthusiasm became contagious. Committee members found creative ways to reach classmates, including producing a lighthearted video featuring members of the Class of 1976 singing a customized version of “Sweet Caroline” inviting the class to Reunion. “Our goal was to extend the warmest embrace we possibly could to our classmates,” said Clark.
The Class of 1976’s efforts exemplify one of Denison’s greatest strengths: a community that remains connected long after graduation.
“The 50th is an opportunity to celebrate everything that your class has done for Denison throughout the decades, but also a way to encourage people to continue to stay connected to the college,” said President Adam Weinberg. Seeing the 50th class gather each spring has been an annual highlight of his presidency. “There are just certain life events that are really special,” he said, “but until you go through them, you don’t realize how special they are.”
Conversations during the planning process soon morphed into larger discussions. The classmates began reflecting on the impact Denison had on their lives and the importance of creating those same opportunities for future students.
“I’m one of those who can definitely say that Denison changed my life, that it opened the world to me,” Roller said. “I am forever indebted.”
Both she and her twin sister, Joy Roller ʼ76, would not have been able to attend “but for the generosity of Denison,” Jan said. Her husband, Dave Abbott ʼ74, also benefited from financial assistance that made a Denison education possible. “He would not have been able to go, period.”
As the co-chairs reflected on their own experiences, they also rallied around an ambitious fundraising effort. “The 50th Reunion class gift includes donations across a variety of methods and purposes,” said Jason James Shuba ʼ02, Denison’s director of gift planning. “With an eye toward our What We Can Be campaign priorities, the co-chairs decided to emphasize gifts to both the Annual Fund and the Class of 1976 Endowed Scholarship Fund, providing immediate support for Denison’s most pressing needs while ensuring access and affordability for talented students of all backgrounds.”
The committee blew past its original goal of $10 million, proudly announcing a $17.7 million class gift during Reunion’s Alumni Convocation ceremony.
“Denison has had an amazing influence on the lives of most of us,” said Black. “Supporting scholarships is a way to afford others the opportunity to have that experience,” he said, without the restriction or limitation of a family’s finances. More than that, expanding access benefits everyone on campus by creating a richer educational community for all students.
Mulligan emphasized the importance of continuing the class’s legacy through a substantial fundraising goal. “The need is great. The cause is important,” he said. “At 50 years, I think it’s worth celebrating that and recognizing that celebration with a large class gift.”
For Brandi Davis, Denison’s senior associate director of volunteer engagement, the Class of 1976 committee demonstrates the power of alumni leadership at its best.
“Working with this committee has been incredibly rewarding because their outreach comes from a place of genuine care for one another and for Denison,” Davis said. “Watching this group encourage participation, inspire generosity, and bring classmates back together — and with such attention to detail — has been a wonderful reminder that the Denison experience doesn’t end at graduation. It continues throughout a lifetime.”
That idea is a central tenet of Denison’s vision for What We Can Be: an alumni network – truly – for life. For the members of the Class of 1976 Reunion Committee, that vision already feels real, embodied in a community that continues to show up for each other 50 years later.