Harvard alumni reunion leaders offer advice on planning successful gatherings.

Alumni tips on organizing fall reunions

Return to main article:

Tap into the spirit of the class by involving classmates during, before, and after the reunion in planning or brainstorming about ideas for new events and activities. “Get people involved early, even while they are at the current reunion, while they are saying that everything is great,” says Eva Kampits ’68. And follow up after the reunion to solicit feedback while experiences are still fresh.

  • Don’t be afraid to copy great ideas from other classes.
  • Find a unifying event that will draw people to Cambridge, starting on Thursday or at least Friday night, says Anne Holtzworth ’84. “You want people coming in for the whole long weekend, not just showing up on Saturday morning.”
  • Centralize the planning and plan in consistent, incremental ways during the prior 18 months. Having an “on-site reunion committee able to meet frequently with the HAA is essential,” says Kampits. “The HAA staff is key to making reunion activities work—or not.”
  • Find opportunities to meet with students, or attend student events focused on the arts, sports, or academics, enabling alumni to connect with life on campus life and see firsthand all the changes at Harvard.
  • Be flexible and inclusive. Solicit volunteers and be prepared to hear ideas. “Over 70 classmates participated in the reunion committees,” reports Kampits, including fundraising, attendance, and programming. “And, for good or for ill, the ideas kept coming into September!”

You might also like

A New Narrative of Civil Rights

Political philosopher Brandon Terry’s vision of racial progress

Being Undocumented in America

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s writing aims to challenge assumptions. 

Most popular

How MAGA Went Mainstream at Harvard

Trump, TikTok, and the pandemic are reshaping Gen Z politics.

Harvard Panel Debunks the Population Implosion Myth

Public health professors parse the evidence surrounding falling U.S. birth rates.

Harvard’s New Online Orientation Emphasizes Intellectual Paths

A summer course for first-years focuses on academic success, diverse viewpoints.

Explore More From Current Issue

Colorful illustration of woman multitasking with laptop, baby bottle, toy, and checklist.

Motherhood and Ambition in a Pronatalist World

Gen Z is confronting the age-old question of balance—with a new twist.

Will Makris in blue checkered suit and red patterned tie standing outdoors by stone column.

A New HAA President at a Tumultuous Time

A career in higher ed inspired Will Makris to give back.

Man in gray sweater standing in hallway with colorful abstract art on wall.

How Do Single-Celled Organisms Learn and Remember?

A Harvard neuroscientist’s quest to model memory