Just under 265 Ivy Club members packed the dining rooms of the Princeton Club of New York on March 6 to celebrate Ivy’s 135th anniversary. A merry time was enjoyed by all as members had the chance to connect with friends from across the strata of active Ivy membership. “We really had a ball,” remarked Christine Miranda ’08. “The turnout for this event was amazing.” An outstanding 55 sections had representation at the event, ranging from the section of 1952 all the way up to the current undergraduate officers of the section of 2015.
“At Reunions I have a chance to connect with my section mates,” shared Paul Caminti ’89. “But this event created a great opportunity to connect with friends from sections above and below mine.” Encouraging the attendance of members from all sections was a major motivator for hosting the event in New York. In recent years the Alumni Dinner at the Club had become an event with almost exclusively undergrad and recent graduate attendance. More than a third of those in attendance at the March 6 dinner were from sections that graduated more than 15 years ago.
The characteristic draw of Ivy camaraderie was in full swing during the evening. “When I was at Princeton, Ivy provided a great source of community,” stated Wyatt Rockefeller, Undergraduate President of the Section of ’07. “This event again felt like a great point of connecting.”
Strong attendance and the chance to mix over cocktails both before and after dinner created opportunities for networking and new introductions.
For many this was a time to reminisced about the glory days spent on campus and the life-long friends made. “This kind of event reminds you of the lasting friendships that you made,” commented Caminti ’89. “The people that I met through Ivy are now doing really exciting things all over the world.” For Morris Cheston from the section of ’59 this event brought back memories of the grand 100th anniversary celebration of Ivy lawn and reminded him “what a great place that Ivy is.”
Graduate House Chair Regan Kerney served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, frequently bringing chuckles from the crowd with his anecdotes about Ivy and life on Prospect Street. Over dessert, Ivy Governor Charlie Lowrey took to the podium to honor Jim Griffin ‘55 and his countless contributions as Ivy’s long-standing Graduate Chairman. Lowrey unveiled a recently commission portrait of Jim which will be hung in the Great Hall to honor the depth of his imprint on Ivy. The membership was moved to a standing ovation in response to the presentation. “It was great to see Jim honored after so many years of dedication,” shared Rockefeller. Caminti further added “Jim has done an amazing job of retaining the Ivy spirit through all of these years.”
We thank all who could attend for joining us and apologize to those that wanted to attend but were unable to do so due to our capacity limitations. We will be looking for a larger venue next time!