Welcome to the Mount Holyoke College Class of 1968

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Dear Classmates,

The daffodils are beginning to bloom on campus — a sure sign Spring has arrived at Mount Holyoke. Much has happened since our last class letter, and we would like to share some highlights with you.

Your Class Leadership team has been busy since last Fall learning about the Alum Association's proposal to centralize class treasuries. On October 16, 2024, the Class Board approved the proposed Collaboration Agreement between the Association and the Class of 1968. Information about the proposed changes was sent in December and January to classmates who get email from the College and the Association. At a special Class Meeting held on Zoom on January 28, 2025, the Merger Agreement between the Association and the Class of 1968 and a new Class Charter replacing our old bylaws were approved unanimously by all classmates attending the meeting. Special thanks go to Linda Gross for her help with legal issues and to our Treasurer, Stephanie Whalen Cosgrove, for all the time she spent researching the new treasury system.

Stephanie reports that because the Alum Association is changing the way class funds are held, classes no longer need to hold individual bank accounts in local banks. Instead, the Association manages class funds, in separate class accounts, just like a bank. We have nearly completed our transition to the new system and believe it will make life simpler for class officers and class members. Reimbursement will be easier and faster, and class dues will still be reserved for use by the Class of 1968.

Two Ways to Pay Class Dues

We now have two ways to pay class dues. We continue to accept checks which should be sent to Stephanie Cosgrove at 56 Spruce Ridge Dr., Brentwood, NH 03833. The only change from the past is that classmates should make checks payable to Alumnae Association of MHC, with Class of 1968 in the memo line. Stephanie will send the checks monthly to the Association representative handling our class account. There's also a new method for paying class dues: You can use this link to the Class Treasury Gifts webpage to donate funds to our class treasury by credit card or debit card. Make sure you enter Class of 1968 in the box where you are asked for your class. This will ensure it goes to the right place.

Dues are $50 for the 2023-28 period. We have received about 85% of the class dues we budgeted, so we are hoping for a few more classmates to step up with $50 now that it is easier than ever to pay dues. We have more than $10,000 in our class treasury, with the expectation that maintaining our website will be our major expense over the next three years. We should therefore have a good treasury balance to help cover expenses for our 60th Reunion in May 2028. 

New Members of Class Leadership Team

The Nominating Committee now has five members: three who were elected at our 55th Reunion in May 2023 (Meg Boyd Meyer, chair, Nancie Fimbel and Nancy Stowe Inui) and two who were appointed when the Class Board met on October 16, 2024 (Debbie Dunn Rottenberg and Nancy Quad Cochran). 

Our new Class Charter allows for two classmates to fill the roles of Secretary and Scribe. After the Nominating Committee conducted a search for a Secretary, the Class Board elected Marnie Johnston Clark on March 4, 2025. Eloise Prescott Killeffer will continue as our loyal Class Scribe. Welcome, Debbie, Nancy and Marnie!

Giving Back Through March4MHC

Our class agents would like to thank all classmates who have participated in giving to Mount Holyoke. We have about three months to go before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2025. Our goals for this year’s Mount Holyoke Fund are a participation rate of 55% with $250,000 in donations. Through mid-March, 47% of our classmates had given $250,000 in gifts and pledges to the Mount Holyoke Fund and $25,500 to other College funds. Thank you for your continuing generosity! 

The College is still counting and locating gifts made during the March4MHC campaign held the first week in March. We won’t know until mid-April exactly how many of us participated and what extra challenge funds may be credited to our class, but so far we know 100 of us gave $62,862 — an excellent showing. The College exceeded its goal of 5,000 participants with 5,035 participants making donations or unleashing challenge funds totaling $2.4 million.  

The amazing Class of 1968 continues to leave its mark on MHC with the highest number of classmates in the Mary Lyon Society. The Mary Lyon Society honors alums who have named the College as a beneficiary (of a will, trust, retirement plan or life insurance policy) or have established a life income gift with the College. Thank you to those who have remembered MHC. Let's keep our enviable record going. Contact Gayle Gunderson Richardson for more information.

Changes are coming at the Alumnae Quarterly, which is slated to receive a new name and a new look in the near future. Class Notes now appear only three times a year. Please send your news for our Class Notes throughout the year to scribe68@mtholyoke.edu. 

Volunteering for Our 60th Reunion

Time seems to go faster than ever, and our next Reunion is only three years away. Mobby Brown Larson and Judy O’Connor Hayes, Vice Presidents/Reunion Chairs, have begun planning for the big weekend and welcome new volunteers as well as experienced ones. If you would like to volunteer, please email Mobby.

With warm wishes for a splendid Spring,

Sue and Carolyn

Sue Graham Simpson and Carolyn Dorais

Co-Presidents, Class of 1968

Please note: To find email addresses of our ’68 Class Leaders and any classmates and alums, log into the Mount Holyoke Alum Directory by CLICKING HERE; then click on Alum Search.

Dear Classmates,

Today is Founder’s Day, a time to reflect on Mount Holyoke’s history and values, and to reminisce about traditions like eating ice cream at Mary Lyon’s grave.

Your 2023-2028 Class Board/Leadership Team met for the first time on Zoom in October. Our goal for this year is to build upon the enthusiasm, camaraderie, and connections made during our 55th Reunion by focusing on communication.

Class Communications: Our loyal Scribe, Eloise Prescott Killeffer, continues to write her sparkling Class Notes for the Quarterly, but since space there is limited, you’ll find additional news of classmates right here on our class website. Nancy Huttemeyer Davis, our very capable, enthusiastic Communications/Website Coordinator, has revised the look of the site with the goal of updating and expanding the content.

Here are Nancy’s tips for exploring the website: under Class Info you’ll find the names of our class leaders. If you have questions or suggestions for them, follow the link to the MHC Alum Directory to find their email addresses. Check out Classmate News to read about some of our classmates’ recent accomplishments, honors, and awards. If you have such news about yourself or a classmate to share, please send it to Nancy. Visit the Reunions section to find photos of our 2023 Reunion, our Class Survey, and more. Then click on the 55th Reunion Book tab, type in the password included in the Nov. 8 E-Blast, and delight in turning the virtual pages of our magnificent Reunion Book.

Mini-Reunions: The Classmate News tab on the website also includes news of mini-reunions. Have you recently participated in a mini-reunion with one or more classmates, either in person or on Zoom? Email a brief description and photo to Susan Clark Iverson, who has graciously agreed to continue as our point person on mini-reunions.

Future Zoom Programs: The Zoom programs with our new class honoraries organized by Nancie Fimbel before our 55th Reunion were a great success, connecting us to the College as well as to classmates. We’d like to continue this initiative over the next five years and invite you to send your suggestions for speakers and topics to Carolyn Dorais or Sue Graham Simpson. Sue and Carolyn also welcome your questions and suggestions on all class-related matters.

Your Email Preferences: Make sure the Alumnae Association has your current email address, and that you’ve indicated your Email Preferences in the Alum Directory. To receive all Class of 1968 communications, be sure the box is checked for Class News & Events, along with any of the other 11 types of email communications that you choose to receive from Mount Holyoke.

Calling All Knitters and Crocheters : Inspired by the visit to the Fimbel Maker & Innovation Lab during our 55th Reunion, classmates Susan Shearer and Pat Simon have proposed that the parade costume for our 60th Reunion be something distinctive made by the knitters in our class. Co-Vice Presidents and Co-Reunion Chairs, Judy O’ Connor Hayes and Mobby Brown Larson, have approved their suggestion for the knitters among us to make simple quick-knit lace scarves in a warm weather fiber like linen or cotton for all of us to wear in the parade. The color of the scarves will, of course, be blue; but a wide range of blues will demonstrate our individuality and creativity. 

Susan has also found a crochet pattern which will result in a very similar product.

Our 60th Reunion will be here before we know it, and it’s not too early to prepare for another tremendous showing for the Class of 1968. If you would like to participate in this project by knitting or crocheting one or multiple scarves, contact Susan, and she will send you the pattern and creativity.

Class Dues: Some of you paid class dues for 2023-2028 at Reunion or soon after, but our Treasurer, Stephanie Whalen Cosgrove, observes that her mailbox has been very quiet recently. If we are to have a 60th Reunion as great as our 55th, we need more people to chip in with $50. These dues are a charitable contribution, and $50 covers the entire five years. Send a check made out to MHC Class of 1968, to Stephanie Cosgrove at 56 Spruce Ridge Dr., Brentwood, NH 03833. If you’d prefer to pay by PayPal instead, contact Stephanie. 

Mount Holyoke Fund: A big thank you from your Class Agents for meeting our 2022-2023 goal in support of the Mount Holyoke Fund! In fact, we exceeded our class goal of $275,000, with $301,362 in gifts plus $8,000 earned in challenge grants from our strong participation in the March4MHC campaign. At 58% participation, we nearly reached our goal of 60%. Also, a big shoutout to our 10 classmates who gave over $570,000 last year to other MHC funds such as the Art Museum and scholarships. We start the new fiscal year with goals for the Mount Holyoke Fund of $250,000 and 55% participation; already 11% of us have given or pledged $44,907. Remember, pledge or give now to avoid future solicitations, and maybe consider giving monthly to make your personal goal.

From Your Co-Presidents: We close with thanks to our wonderful Class Board/Leadership Team and to all of our classmates who give their time and talents as well as financial support to the class and the College.

With warm wishes for a happy Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season,

Carolyn and Sue 

Dear Classmates,

For our class whose graduation was moved indoors due to inclement weather 55 years ago and who needed umbrellas for both our 45th and 50threunions, we were thrilled to enjoy sunshine and glorious spring weather throughout our 55th Reunion Weekend. More than the weather, how wonderful to get together in comfortable and beautiful Mead Hall with seventy-two classmates and fourteen guests for a weekend full of animated conversation, inspiring programs, warm hospitality, special meals & a class reception, topped off by a fascinating tour of the Fimbel Innovation Lab and presentations by two of our new faculty Class Honoraries, Catherine Corson and Amy Martin. 

We were joined via Zoom by eight classmates for the stimulating discussion of Braiding Sweetgrass led Friday afternoon by Professor Martin, and then Saturday afternoon for the Class Meeting and the Memorial Service during which we remembered those classmates who are no longer with us. A copy of the Memorial Service program is attached to this email. 

To read a full summary of our 55th Reunion written by Class President Nancie Fimbel, click on the Reunions tab, then 2023 Reunion. Adjacent to this summary, click on View Photos to enjoy an array of spectacular photos depicting classmates and places all around campus posted by classmate photographers, Nancy Quad Cochran and Arin Edwards. 

While you are visiting the class website, remember to check out these special offerings:

• 55th Reunion Book -the link is located under the Reunions tab; the password was sent via Class E-Blast in June
• Class Survey Results -located right below the Reunion Summary
• MHC Class of ’68 Online Gallery, a slide show presentation that features class artisans who submitted photos of their work -- from sculpture to quilts, watercolors to knitting and everything in between. Click on the Talents tab, then Gallery  
• MHC Class of ’68 Digital Authors Gallery, a slide show presentation that highlights some of our class authors and their books, music, poetry and more. Click on the Talents tab, then Authors 
• “Never did I think I would…” - Many of us found time during the busy reunion weekend to reflect on this prompt suggested by our Program Committee co-chairs, “Never did I think I would….” Scroll down the 2023 Reunion webpage to see the compilation of classmates’ responses.

Congratulations to our newly elected and re-elected Class Officers: 

• Co-Presidents: Carolyn Dorais & Sue Graham Simpson
• Co-Vice Presidents and 60th Reunion Co-Chairs: 
• Judy O’Connor Hayes & Mobby Brown Larson
• Secretary/Scribe: Eloise Prescott Killeffer
• Treasurer: Stephanie Whalen Cosgrove
• Nominating Committee: Meg Boyd Meyer, Chair
• Nancy Stowe Inui, Nancie Fimbel. 

We will close with a tremendous thank you to the members of our 55thReunion Planning Team who worked so diligently and creatively to make all the moving parts come together into our memorable and fun 55th Reunion. Their names are printed below. 

We remain ‘68 PerSisters, 55 Years Strong,

Nancy Huttemeyer Davis and Sue Graham Simpson, 55th Reunion Co-Chairs

55th Reunion Planning Team – Class of 1968

• Art Gallery – Cornelia “Nonie” Davis & Suzanne Spaeth Marinell
• Class Survey - Betsey Huebenthal Johnson, Carolyn Dorais & Stephanie Whalen Cosgrove
• Connections 1968-2018 Classes – Meg Boyd Meyer & Cindy White Morrell 
• Hospitality– Judy O’Connor Hayes & Linda Graham McElroy
• Memorial Service – Holly Vincent Bean & Mobby Brown Larson
• Parade & Costume – Carol Foy Graham & Donna Machcinski Petersen
• Program– Gayle Gunderson Richardson & Chris Anderson Salmon
• Reunion Outreach - Linda Renasco Cadigan & Arin Edwards
• Reunion Book– Joy Camp, Linda Torlai Stauffer & Pam Daviau Joseph
• Saturday Dinner – Debbie Wolf Page & Liz Tannenbaum
• Saturday Class Reception -Nancie Fimbel & Karen Kunkel West
• Additional volunteers: Ann Bellanger, Nancy Quad Cochran, Linda Gross, Susan Clark Iverson, Laurie Trees Rodgers, Debbie Dunn Rottenberg, Ginny McNally Tang

Dear Classmates,

We’re going hybrid with our 55th Reunion this year to include more of our classmates in this quinquennial celebration. We’re happy that so many classmates and guests will be coming to campus May 26-28th. In addition, two of our Reunion events will be available via Zoom for classmates unable to attend Reunion in-person, and four exciting Reunion opportunities are available now on our class website.

Two 55th Reunion Zoom events (and in-person for Reunion Attendees):

1. Friday, May 26that 4:00 pm EDT, you are invited to join Professor Amy Martin, one of our new Class of 1968 honoraries, who will share thoughts about the book Braiding Sweetgrass, the 2022-23 MHC Common Read. https://guides.mtholyoke.edu/CommonRead2022 Braiding Sweetgrass has generated a lot of discussion and environmental action on campus. Many of our classmates may have read or are currently reading this nonfiction book written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, an indigenous scientist. Even if you haven’t read the book, you will find this program informative.
2. Saturday, May 27th at 1:30 pm EDT, join us for our Class Meeting and Memorial Service. Class President Nancie Fimbel will preside over the Class Meeting, and has emailed the meeting agenda to classmates.  Following the Class Meeting, beginning at about 2:15 pm, classmates Rev. Holly Vincent Bean and Rev. Dr. Mobby Brown Larson will lead the Memorial Service to remember classmates we have lost since our 50th Reunion.

The zoom link and details will be sent out in an E-Blast to all our classmates prior to Reunion II/Memorial Day Weekend.

Additionally, four special Reunion projects are available here on our class website for the enjoyment of all our classmates. Please note: for the two online slideshows, if you want to advance the slides more quickly, put your cursor over a slide; right and left arrows will appear; then left-click on either the right or left arrow. 

MHC Class of ’68 Online Gallery, a slide show presentation that features class artisans who submitted photos of their work -- from sculpture to quilts, watercolors to knitting and everything in between. Click on the Talents tab/Gallery.

MHC Class of ’68 Digital Authors Gallery, a slide show presentation that highlights some of our class authors and their books, music, poetry and more. Click on the Talents tab/Authors. 

Our 55th Reunion Book is available online with personal pages submitted by many of our classmates, stunning campus photographs, In Memoriam listing classmates we have lost, and other wonderful features. Information about password access and printing was sent to classmates in an 5/17/23 E-Blast. Click on the Reunions tab/55thReunion Book, then enter the case sensitive password (included in the most recent Class of 1968 E-Blast).

Enjoy reading our 55th Reunion Class Survey results from 202 classmates’ responses to the survey sent out in the fall, 2022. Click on the Reunions tab/2023 Reunion. Enter the case sensitive password Reunion68.

We appreciate the dedicated work of our 55th Reunion Planning Team members who are making this Reunion so special for all of us! 

55th Reunion Planning Team – Class of 1968

• Art Gallery – Cornelia “Nonie” Davis & Suzanne Spaeth Marinell
• Class Survey - Betsey Huebenthal Johnson, Carolyn Dorais & Stephanie Whalen Cosgrove
• Connections 1968-2018 Classes– Meg Boyd Meyer & Cindy White Morrell 
• Hospitality – Judy O’Connor Hayes & Linda Graham McElroy
• Memorial Service – Holly Vincent Bean & Mobby Brown Larson
• Parade & Costume – Carol Foy Graham & Donna Machcinski Petersen
• Program – Gayle Gunderson Richardson & Christine Anderson Salmon
• Reunion Outreach - Linda Renasco Cadigan & Arin Edwards
• Reunion Book – Joy Camp, Linda Torlai Stauffer & Pam Daviau Joseph
• Saturday Dinner – Debbie Wolf Page & Liz Tannenbaum
• Saturday Class Reception - Nancie Fimbel & Karen Kunkel West

Even more classmates will be volunteering during Reunion Weekend. Thank you all.

Nancy Huttemeyer Davis and Sue Graham Simpson,  55th Reunion Co-Chairs

January   2023

Dear Classmates, PerSisters,

Our parade costumes have been delivered, 202 of you   told us your favorite decade of life in the surveys you returned, and we’re   about to select the hors d’oeuvres for our Saturday night reception in the   Fimbel Maker & Innovation Lab.  Thanks to Reunion Co-Chairs Nancy   Huttemeyer Davis and Sue Graham Simpson, plus the   amazing co-chairs of their eleven committees, here comes our 55th  Reunion!  Expect emails requesting your personal update for the   online Reunion Book, describing the stimulating weekend planned for us, and   providing registration materials for the May 26-28 weekend.  Our   Class Agents will also be in touch to encourage you to give MHC a generous   donation, of course.   

Class Elections and Dues

An important ritual at our reunions is the election of new Class   Officers.  It’s important enough that we intend to broadcast it by Zoom   for those unable to attend reunion in person.  Our Nomination Committee,   chaired by Paula Braga Leidich, has been successful at   identifying a dynamic team to lead us from 2023 to 2028.  Here is the   slate to be voted on at our May business meeting:

• Co-Presidents: Carolyn Dorais and Sue   Graham Simpson
• VP/Reunion Co-Chairs: Judy O'Connor Hayes and Mobby   Brown Larson 
• Secretary/Scribe: Eloise Prescott Killeffer 
• Treasurer: Stephanie Whalen Cosgrove 
• Nominating Committee:  Nancie Fimbel, Nancy   Stowe Inui, and Meg Boyd Meyer, Chair 

Hearty thanks to Susan Inui, Susan Rieger,   Judy Parker Stone and Cynthia White   Morrell for working diligently with Paula to complete this slate of   capable, willing volunteers.  

In addition to selecting new Class Officers at our   business meeting, we need to approve the dues we will charge ourselves for   the next 5 years.  Your current officers are recommending that the dues   continue to be $50 for the five years, $10 per year.  This money pays   for mailings, down payments for reunion items, and little gifts we need now   and then.  It’s not too late to pay dues for the 50-55th  reunion cycle.  Class dues are tax deductible.  If you’re not sure whether you have already paid, you can   find the list of those who have paid since our last reunion at our class   website: https://mhc1968.com/class-dues   Send Treasurer Stephanie Whalen   Cosgrove a check for $50 payable to MHC Class of 1968 at 56 Spruce   Ridge Dr., Brentwood, NH 03833.  Thank you   to the 25% of you who have supported the class.    

We have a separate fund for grants   to help classmates with reunion weekend costs associated with lodging and   meals.  To keep the recipients confidential, the Alumnae Association   selects the awardees from the money we make available through our grant   account.  Donations to our grant account can also be sent to   Stephanie.  Please tell her specifically that your check is for grants. 

Save the Date: Class Zoom on Mary Lyon’s Birthday

You may recall that we added three honorary members   to our class last year, three current MHC faculty members.  Some of us   heard from Dr. Catherine Corson, the Miller Worley Professor of Environmental   Studies, on a class Zoom in October.  You are now invited to meet Dr.   Amy Martin, the Director of the Weissman Center for Leadership and a   Professor of English, at a Zoom on Tuesday, February 28 at 7 pm Eastern  time.  She will tell us about the programs offered by the Weissman   Center as well as her own research on Irish literature.  Watch for the   Zoom link in mid-February.   

Fund Raising

Our Head Class Agents Linda   Gross and Ellen Petrino report that between July 1 and   Dec. 31, 111 of us made donations to the MHFund totaling $204,159, well on   our way to meeting our goal of $275,000.  With another 94 donors, our   participation rate will shoot from the current 32% to our goal of 60%, an   achievable feat in a reunion year. Watch for the March4MHC campaign in the   first week in March; it focuses on participation and is intended to convince   you to attend reunion. 

The Mary Lyon Society honors women who   have named MHC as a beneficiary in their wills.  Our Mary Lyon Society   rep, Gayle Gunderson Richardson reports that as of   last count, the Class of 1968 has 62 members in the Society, more than any   other class!  To learn how to join, go to https://giftplanning.mtholyoke.edu.    Or contact Gayle Richardson at richardsongayleg@gmail.com.    

Personal Updates

Quarterly Scribe Eloise Prescott Killeffer  reminds you to send her your news at ehpk1@att.net.  Report a mini-reunion with classmates or a lifetime   achievement award: all news is welcome.  Read the “overflow” of notes from the magazine on our website at https//mhc1968.com.

See you on May 26!      What, you’re hesitating?  Then let me add one thing:

Reasons to Attend Reunion

Yes, of course, an important reason to attend reunion is to see   the gorgeous campus and reminisce about our four years there.  And   another is to renew friendships with favorite classmates and Faculty Honorary   Mr. Piper.  But come also to make new friendships.  Connect with   our class authors, for example, who will be recognized through the MHC Class   of ’68 Digital Authors Gallery.  Or talk to our ‘68 Class Artisans who   will have a digital slide presentation showcasing their work.  Hear from   our new Faculty Honoraries what successful academics think are the important   issues for young women to grapple with.  Experience how seriously the   campus takes environmental sustainability.  Come to learn as well as   remember.

See you in May!

Sincerely,

Nancie Fimbel, President

On behalf of all Class Officers