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“For those of you who recognized me,” Tony Arturi said with a laugh, as he welcomed more than 70 of his classmates and their spouses to the reunion festivities, “I wish you well.”
The Class of ’59 celebration was the highlight of Alumni Weekend, which also included the Alumni Luncheon, where the Class of ’59 received their Old Guard pins and the Stevens Alumni Award was presented; the Stevens Supper Club; and the popular Beer Seminar, as well as seminars on the economy and job market. Several new activities were also a hit, including a wine seminar, a make-your-own ice cream sundae event and, for kids, The Lizard Guys and an inflatable rock-climbing wall.
At the ’59 dinner, Stevens President Harold Raveché applauded the class for its terrific turnout and thanked the alumni for establishing an endowed scholarship fund, which started with a modest goal of $20,000 but had reached $73,000 by Alumni Weekend. The class’s new goal is to raise $200,000.
“This is a great testimony to the spirit of the Class of 1959 and a testimony to the dedication to your alma mater,” Raveché said, after receiving a giant-sized check from the class. “This scholarship will attract students who could impact the world and turn around the economy with entrepreneurial ventures. They could help rebuild the country.”
“I’m thankful for your commitment,” he added. “We can’t do it without alumni support, and this will help secure our place in the world for innovation and technology advancement.”
And, with that, the class was ready to get the party started. “Here’s to the Class of 1959, all of our experiences, and all of our lives,” Arturi said during a tender toast. “Have a good time tonight, folks.”
The memories – and some good-natured ribbing – flowed throughout the night as alumni greeted each other with handshakes and warm hugs, and recalled their Stevens days.
Some classmates have kept in touch through Christmas cards, Class Logs in The Stevens Indicator, summertime backyard barbecues and shared family vacations; others haven’t seen each other since graduation day. Yet, the reunion felt like “old times,” according to the alumni, who joked about having to occasionally peek at each other’s picture nametags to jog their memories.
“It’s funny, some people you remember right away and some people you have to look at their picture,” said Edward Ranuska, a retired Air Force lieutenant and county engineer. “I came to the 25th and the 40th (reunions), but there is something special about the 50th.”
Ranuska, who met his wife of 46 years, Diane, at a Friday night campus party, remembered commuting to school – with six guys crammed into one car. “We were all in the same boat. We had school six days a week, including a half day on Saturday,” he said. “Tuition was $900, so we could work during the summer and save up.”
The Ranuskas weren’t the only ones from the Class of 1959 to find love on campus. Leo Collins and his wife, Camille, who was a student at St. Mary’s School of Nursing in Passaic at the time, met during a dance at the Delta House in 1958. The couple married in 1961. “We spent our entire courtship at Stevens,” Camille Collins said. “It was great. We could take the ferry over to New York City for a nickel, and on nice days, we could come to Castle Point and look at the view. It worked out for us, so Stevens was definitely worth the price of admission.”
Following dinner, the men continued with their stories, each one taking a turn at the microphone to share their Stevens story. Several recalled their most recent reunion on a ferry boat in 2004, and their affection for the slide rule and the Stevens Honor System. Others remembered hanging out at the frat houses, and the smell of coffee, from the now defunct Maxwell House factory, in the morning.
“I remember all of you with fond memories, and I don’t think there was a better time in my life than my four years at Stevens, and that includes my senior year, when I met my wife,” Edward Allen said.
“Did she tell you to say that?” a voice from the rear of the room yelled out, as the classmates erupted in laughter. “No, that was voluntary,” Allen said, adding that he and his wife, Carol, have 12 children and four grandchildren.
Then, there were the trouble-making tales about getting pulled over by cops and impounded cars, goldfish being dumped into water tanks meant for experiments, the making of a master key that worked for every door on campus and the Volkswagen that ended up in a dorm lounge.
There were also heartfelt thank-yous to fellow classmates and updates about careers, children and grandchildren.
Paulson, who said he came from Greece with “45 bucks and a little scholarship,” recalled having to work his way through school with campus jobs in the library, cafeteria and labs. After graduation, he and his roommate had $7 to live on for two weeks, so when he saw an engineering job in East Rutherford, N.J., listed on an index card posted on campus, he jumped on the opportunity to interview for the position. Little did he know how much Stevens would benefit him until meeting his interviewer, Wesley “Jack” Howe ’43, who hired him.
“I’m very attached to Stevens for many things,” Paulson said. “What I remember most is really a great amount of respect. Everybody was so concentrated and focused on what they were doing. This is you guys. This is how I felt. I just wanted to let you all know, it’s been great.”
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