Kirkland College

For many of us, Kirkland was the right place at the right time in our lives. Our unique college education gave us the tools to become leaders, creators, builders, and makers. But the Charter Class, of course, paved the way for the rest of Kirkland’s alumnae—they literally watched the campus come into being. That’s why each of these intrepid pioneers was presented with a personalized green hard hat on which Natalie Babbitt had written her first initial and last name. (I confess I get choked up whenever I hear bagpipes or see a green hard hat like the one in a display case in McEwen’s lobby.)

To welcome all Kirkland classes back to campus in Hamilton’s bicentennial year, everyone was gifted with a plastic version of the hardhat – so those of us who had lost theirs along the way could envy our sisters with originals! The alumni parade that year featured a sea of green.

On the occasion of their 50th reunion, let’s celebrate and thank the Charter Class.

Here is Donna Kerner’s recollection of her hard hat:

My hard hat hung in my home office next to my laminated Kirkland Diploma “First Lot Inspected and Passed” for many years while I was in graduate school, during two years of fieldwork in Africa, and later during my period as an itinerant adjunct faculty member at a number of different institutions in the greater New York area. When I relocated to New England (first New Hampshire to teach at U of New Hampshire and then Boston (Tufts) I was on a full time, but contingent contract. My hard hat and diploma remained in storage (along with most of my belongings) until I landed the tenure track job at Wheaton College (MA). While I moved my belongings from New York to my new home in Providence, Rhode Island (a short commute from work), my hard hat and diplomas did not emerge from storage and find pride of place in my office until I received tenure six years later. Similarly I did not purchase my academic gown or PhD hood until that time. I think I didn’t want to jinx my chances of finding a permanent academic home. When I finally unpacked them they adorned my office for the next 27 years. 

However, the Kirkland chair lived a very different life. Awarded to me by the Hamilton Alumni Council for service following the end of my time as the first woman VP, it was in great demand by friends during my days as an academic itinerant, serving as a side and desk chair in a number of different homes. Now that I have retired it is reunited with its beloved hard hat in my sunny dining room, though it sometimes enjoys a stint on my porch in the good weather.

The decades go by, and memories get hard to retrieve. Was there a 5th-year reunion in 1977, I wondered, or only the one I could vaguely recall: our 10th, in 1982? My first child had been born the year before, and I had photographic evidence of him playing in the dorms. I wanted to know more: what really took place then? How did the Charter Class deal with the dissolution of our unique alma mater?

This is when cross-class alumnae connections, and our access to the Hamilton College Archives proved their value to me. The current archivist, Jeremy Katz, quickly responded to questions, saying “… it looks like Reunion Weekend changed from fall to summer in 1981.” While a fifth-year cycle is somewhat established, it’s clear that the College gives special attention to the 10th, 25th, and 50th year anniversaries. So there was no gathering five years after Kirkland’s first class graduated.

The first Charter Class reunion was not only its 10th – it was a gathering for all classes, organized by a dedicated cohort whose names have become ever more familiar to those of use who pitched in later on. A video of the 1982 Reunion Dinner, was captured and ultimately digitized in the archives. It runs a full hour and a half, but for the impatient among us, here are some highlights:

00:05:37 Dean Inez Nelbach takes the mike

00:21.35 Elaine Weiss ’72 reads a letter from Sam Babbitt, who calls us “….gifted, fortunate deviants, with a role to play….”

00:40:58 Jane Whitney ’71 introduces and interviews facilities manager Joe (“Man on the Hall”) Mason.

00:45:30: Nancy Gay Bargar introduces a tribute to Comfort Richardson, who then gets up to speak.

There’s a ton more: Ann Baker Pepe ’77 reported on a data from a survey of Charter Class members; Constance Stellas ’72 elaborates on the “qualitative” insights; Jane Whitney returns to prompt and provoke stories from other alumnae (including this author, but you’ll have to hunt for that).

Was it a unique moment? The beginning of a tradition – or the extension of a long-hallowed one? This portrait probably only includes the ’71 and ’72 graduates, reflecting Hamilton’s tradition of class year affiliation. But over time the feeling that Kirkland alumnae are all one cohort has grown. I look forward to 2022 as another moment to reinforce that.

It must be noted that some of those in the video, and listed above, have since passed away. But please also note those who are, once again, are working to coordinate a landmark Kirkland Reunion (looking at you, Prof. Kerner!). And we can all remember what committees could be like at a school that encouraged independent thought. Fortitude recommended!