Dear Classmates,
Did you make it to reunion? For over one quarter of our class, it was amazing, even in the rain. For those who couldn’t join in, we are very grateful to our class secretary for giving us such an all singing, all dancing re-cap. A fabulous photo montage, plus the Doctors via You Tube? Thirty years felt like yesterday on reading through the weekend’s play list.
While on campus we learned some new Williams related trivia. For example, did you know that the night before homecoming one year, Amherst painted a large A on Williams’ football field? We returned the favour by painting a large B+ on theirs.
Here are some more stats, many of which surprised us:
- Number of molecules represented at a recent chemistry department Halloween party – 5
- Number of pizza parlors within 15 minutes of campus – 8
- Chances that an American adult over 55 has eaten pizza for breakfast – 1 in 4
- Number of math professors who recently taught modern dance during Winter study – 2
- Percent of Americans who believe that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife – 12
- Tuition, fees, room and board costs for 2013-14 – $58,900
(According to a receipt I found in my parent’s files, it was closer to $6,000 in 1983) - Average financial aid package for the Class of 2017 – $45,700
- Percent of students receiving Williams aid – 53
- Percent of students with demonstrated need who were awarded aid – 100
- Total need-based aid awarded as of May 8th for incoming freshman – $11,948,484
(You read that right, almost 12 million dollars … and that is just for one year for one class) - Ratio of Americans who can name the Three Stooges to those who can name three Supreme Court Justices – 3:1
- Percent of Williams alumni who have made an Alumni Fund gift in their lifetime – over 85
We weren’t sure which was more staggering, the 3 Stooges fact, or the 12 million dollars per class.
Let’s make a dent in both – supporting excellent education is not just for those lucky enough to attend Williams (including the 73 members of the Class of 2017 who are the first in their family to attend college). Williams alumni exert a powerful, positive and educative influence, whether on the world stage or in their individual communities. And the only way they can do this so very well is with your support.
In the next month or so, one of the Class of ’83’s class agents will invite you to make a gift – please do what you can. If every one of us who has made a gift at some point in the past 30 years makes a gift this year, we might just exceed that 85% – and you will be making a vital contribution to the world today, at Williams and beyond.
Many thanks,
Class of 1983 Head Agents
Megamenu Social