Tech Day Lunch 2009
Alumni Give $152M at Tech Reunions
New Honorary Members pose with President Hockfield. From left: Cheryl N. Vossmer, MIT Campus Police Sergeant; Joanne Cummings, former MIT Admissions staff; and Dr. Clarence G. Williams, adjunct professor emeritus of urban studies.
A standing ovation greeted the announcement of the Class of 1959's reunion giving total during the Technology Day Luncheon in Johnson Athletic Center, June 6. The 50th reunion class had given more than $100 million, a new class record thanks to gifts from 68 percent of the class. The reunion giving total to date—from graduating seniors through the 80th reunion class—reached more than $152 million.
The senior class gift broke new ground with a record 65 percent of the class contributing nearly $12,000. Other new records included the 25th reunion class gift of $12.4 million coming from two-thirds of the Class of '84, and the 10th reunion class set a dollar record with $167,479. Find reunion giving progress for all the classes.
This year's Alumni Association President Toni Schuman '58 thanked alumni for their volunteer efforts and their generosity, then passed the gavel to incoming president Kenneth Wang '71, a New Yorker who is president of US Summit. In a time of economic turmoil, alumni can count on their connection to MIT and its unshakable commitment to educating the best students and solving the world's pressing problems, he said. "We need to help each other, help MIT, and help the world."
Honorary membership in the Association was awarded to three MIT staff members. Joanne Cummings recently retired as senior associate director of admissions after 40 years in the department. Schuman noted that Cummings' contributions helped ensure the quality of each new class and contributed to MIT's extraordinary 98 percent freshman retention rate—the highest in the country.
Sergeant Cheryl Vossmer, a community police officer, has worked closely with students and served as instructor of Rape Aggression Defense training. "Cheryl is not only the face of Campus Police for many, she is also the smile of Campus Police," Schuman noted. Vossmer is a 23-year police veteran.
Clarence Williams, adjunct professor emeritus of urban studies, has held high-level positions supporting diversity and academic life since 1972 and has taught a course on race and diversity since 1992. He is the author of Technology and the Dream: Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, 1941-1999, based on oral histories of 75 MIT alumni, faculty, and administrators, including former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan SM '72.
This year's Technology Day program, the Mind's Eye, included introductory remarks by President Susan Hockfield and presentations by MIT Professors Rebecca Saxe PhD '03 on how the brain invents the mind; Pawan Sinha '92, PhD '95 on learning to see; and Patrick Henry Winston '65, SM '67, PhD '70 on computers with commonsense. View the Mind's Eye Webcast online.
The oldest attendees were honored at the Technology Day Luncheon: Paul Stanton '39 of Framingham, MA; James Baird '40, Concord, MA; Fred Schaller '39, SM '40, Wellesley, MA; and Richard Leghorn '39, Osterville, MA. Learn more about Tech Reunions 2009 and view photos.
