Frances “Frankie” Supplitt Kramer ’47. Kramer was attending her 70th Reunion. She has never missed her Reunion weekends.
More than 270 alumni — particularly from the classes celebrating a milestone year — gathered on campus June 16 – 18, 2017, for a weekend of events including a welcome dinner, campus tour, Reunion Banquet, class meetings, a golden anniversary reception and remembrance ceremony for the class of 1967, luncheons and Mass.
Frances “Frankie” Supplitt Kramer ’47, traveled from the Chicago area to be at Reunion. The 91-year-old has attended Reunion every five years and wasn’t about to miss one. At first, she was hesitant to come because none of her classmates were attending, but she said she wanted to see the new Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center, a building named after SMWC’s 12th president, her close college friend.
Many were able to see the Knoerle Center, as well as all of the other buildings on campus during the annual Walk in The Woods. Cabinet members shared campus news and updated alumni on the happenings of each building and the mission of SMWC.
A highlight of the weekend was the Reunion Banquet held on Saturday evening, June 17, 2017. Cheers and applause opened the Reunion Banquet with a special entrance by the Class of 1967 celebrating its golden anniversary. Members used yearbook photos as masks as one-by-one they paraded into the dining hall to music of the era.
Later in the evening, the Class of 1967 presented President Dottie L. King, Ph.D., with its class gift, $145,640. King was thrilled to receive the gift and to announce more than $1 million had been raised for the Woods Fund, exceeding the goal of $975,000.
Also during the event, the 2017 Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Award was presented to Elizabeth Jacobi ’63 and the Frances Murphy Rumely Award for 2017 was received by Martha “Marti” Rumely Kuehn ’69. (See pages 10 & 11.) Attendees also took time to remember Marie Brendan Harvey, SP,’51, who had passed in December. Her friend, Kathryn A. Martin ’63, shared memories and highlights of her life and her leadership at The Woods.
Even though it wasn’t their Reunion year, about a dozen members of the Class of 1969 attended Reunion 2017 to celebrate together their 70th birthdays. They were presented a birthday cake during Friday’s welcome dinner, complete with the singing of “Happy Birthday.”