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One Hundred Years


The Mount Holyoke Class of 2022 


My fiftieth Mount Holyoke reunion is now slipping into history. I've been home for almost three weeks and all that's left are memories, photographs and renewed and new friendships, which is more than enough for one weekend. But before it slips totally into memory I'm doing one more post with reflections on our sister classes of 1922 and 2022. Traditionally we are linked with the 50 year class at our graduation, which is a wonderful thread of sisterhood and education. Unfortunately I didn't get to spend time with members of our sister class of 1922 during my graduation weekend. But it was very different at this reunion where we had a great afternoon to get to know the class of 2022, and what a thoughtful and impressive group. 

I'm going to share reflections on our sister class of 1922 that I put together before my 50th.   

 I was chatting on line this week with a classmate about reunion and the conversation turned to the Class of 1922, the fiftieth reunion class at our graduation. We both remembered thinking how "old" they appeared to us in our callow youth.


But now I am that "old" and I have boundless respect for the women of '22. I did a little research and found that the lifespan in 1972 was 71.5 years. so the women who came back to celebrate were among the hardy. They'd grown up in an era without antibiotics, when childhood diseases were the norm and polio and tuberculosis were commonplace. They had just lived through a world-wide epidemic and a devastating war.

The Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote was only two years old and the opportunity for women to attend college was an immense opportunity. The Class of 1922 lived through the Depression and a second devastating World War.

They left us a tremendous legacy of courage and determination. When I wear my whites on Saturday morning, my thoughts will turn to the graduates of 1922, who blazed a trail for us to follow.


Tomorrow I'm off for my 50th reunion at Dartmouth, where I spent my junior year. The decision to grant undergraduate degrees to women was made in 1972. It was too late for me to get my degree there, but it opened opportunities for women for the last fifty years, and we'll be commemorating fifty years of co-education. I haven't been in touch with my Dartmouth classmates as much as I have with my classmates at Mount Holyoke, so I'm expecting a different experience than I had a few weeks ago, where there were many friends of long standing to catch up with.

I'll try and share photographs, especially on Instagram and I hope to do a post or two as well. I'll be sure to catch up with all of Buttercupland when I'm back from New Hampshire next week.

As ever, thanks for visiting and see you soon!

8 comments

Linda said...

Wow! So many changes in such a short time when you think about it!

Marcia said...

When we went to our daughter's graduations (2003 and 2008) at Dartmouth we were impressed with the messages that came through from the class 50 years before them. Quite an interesting tradition. Hope you enjoy your weekend there. Lots of tents have been set up and new grass was sown this spring on the green.

Billie Jo said...

This is wonderful! What a great tradition. And how very quickly do these years go by??

Lynda said...

So thankful you got to to the reunion and have maintained many friendships over these years that have Rapidly gone from our youth!

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

There have been many changes in 50 years and many more since 1922. Woman and education have definitely changed a lot. I have some grandchildren graduating from college this year and am looking forward to seeing how they do in the years ahead. It such an exciting time of life!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

What a fun time you are having! I'm glad we are blessed to live longer and make even more memories! Enjoy your week!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Thanks for sharing the memories of your college reunion, Carol. I have never attended any of my own and lost contact with anyone I knew during those years, so you memories are indeed very special.

Sandy said...

Wonderful reflections about the class of 22. Times were indeed very different than, and often younger people of today don't realize how lucky they are or what all transpired before their time. Many of my recent books are about WWII and it's been very enlightening, especially so to learn how much woman did and never got credit for. Popped in from a mutual friends blog. It's always fun to meet new bloggers. Hope you'll swing by for a visit.