Lindsey Sobkowski

From Sept. 28 to 29, members of Oakland University’s first graduating class gathered on campus grounds to celebrate their 60th class reunion. The Charter Class members were invited to take part in numerous festivities organized in their honor.

The festivities began on the evening of Sept. 28, with a reunion dinner hosted at the historical Meadow Brook Hall. Upon arrival, the Charter Class members mingled with their former classmates. Together, the classmates browsed through photos and yearbooks from their college days, gleefully sharing memories.

“It was survival of the fittest once we began classes,” Charter Class member Susan Hubbard said. “Matilda Dodge Wilson wanted to make our school the ‘Harvard of the Midwest.’ One could say we were the strongest-willed students out of the bunch.”

Hubbard recounted the atmosphere of the campus back in her time, recognizing the OU campus has long since expanded beyond its infancy. The university was a mere three buildings large when it first opened.

“When I began as a student, there was nothing to do besides classes and homework,” Hubbard said. “So, we had to build the culture [of the school] ourselves.”

Beverly Miller, another Charter Class member, remembers having many wonderful experiences throughout her college career.

“We had a grand time, even though the university was quite young,” Miller said. “For our last year, we had a Senior Prom at Meadow Brook Hall. We wore fancy dresses for the evening and ate breakfast on the lawn of the mansion the next morning.”

Miller recalls how her son, also an OU graduate, was able to experience her favorite memory for himself.

“I was so pleased that my son was also able to spend the evening at Meadow Brook Hall when he was an OU student,” Miller said. “He entered a lottery to win tickets to the ball. He ended up winning two tickets and was able to enjoy the night with his girlfriend.”

Miller was delighted when informed OU hosts a ball at Meadow Brook Hall each year.

“It is such a unique opportunity that Oakland University is able to provide,” Miller said. “The students will cherish their memories at the ball for a lifetime.”

Mary Jo Ahern, a Charter Class member, assisted the Charter Class Committee in planning the night’s festivities. The tenacious alumnus has built quite an extensive legacy.

“Both my daughters went to Oakland, and my granddaughter is now a junior at the school,” Ahern said. “I reside close by the school, right in Auburn Hills.”

According to the Charter Class yearbook, OU’s philosophy was grounded in hard work and scholarship. Students were expected to dedicate one-half of their time to liberal arts studies. This rigorous curriculum was intended to equip students with the capacity for lifelong learning.

The intentions of OU’s founders — Alfred Wilson and Matilda Dodge Wilson — were undoubtedly engrained in the spirits of the Charter Class members. The alumni enjoyed fruitful careers, ranging from teaching to legal work. 

As the evening progressed, Charter Class members were invited to the mansion’s ballroom to prepare for dinner. Preceding the meal, OU President Ora Pescovitz provided welcoming remarks. Pescovitz began by recapping the State of the University address she gave earlier in the day. 

“If you take the chance to walk around campus this weekend, you will be blown away by how much it has changed,” Pescovitz said.

President Pescovitz informed the attendees about recent projects completed on campus, the thriving OU Athletics department and the wide array of organizations available to students. She reminded the Charter Class they were the pioneers that made the OU’s successes of today possible.

“Today, Oakland University is no longer a hidden gem,” Pescovitz said. “We are just a gem. Oakland University is proudly a pillar institution in Michigan.”

Pescovitz asked the crowd to spend the weekend taking in the beauty of the current state of the university. She thanked the Charter Class for returning to OU for the weekend and invited the alumni to her home at Sunset Terrace for their 65th class reunion.

Following President Pescovitz’s remarks, the crowd enjoyed dinner as Dominque Daniel, an archivist at OU’s Kresge Library, provided the feature presentation, “Preserving Your Legacy.” 

Daniel displayed photos and documents for the Charter Class, encouraging the members to reminisce their memories about their college years.

Following the reunion dinner, Charter Class members were invited back to campus on the morning of Sept. 29 to enjoy a continental breakfast and campus tour. The hour-long tour guided the alumni around campus, allowing them to experience the current state of the much-evolved university.

Following the tour, Susan Hubbard made one last stop at the life-sized statue of Matilda Dodge Wilson.

“She [Wilson] sure made it hard on us, but it was a really rewarding experience,” Hubbard said. “I am proud to have contributed to Oakland University’s legacy as a first-class graduate.”

The Charter Class members and all other OU alumni will be invited back to OU’s campus from Oct. 13 to 14 to celebrate OU Alumni Reunion Weekend.