When Penn State Erie alumni gather Friday, Sept. 30, and Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and 2, for their 2005 reunion, the college will honor the group it has dubbed "the Pioneers." "This is a very special selection of alumni who attended the college from 1948 to 1958 and gave it a really strong start," said Rebecca Grimaldi, director of Alumni Relations at Penn State Erie. "We found the names of 260 people who were students in the first decade, and we're looking forward to bringing them together to share some wonderful memories. They blazed the path for others, and they are truly the college's 'Pioneers.'"
Alumni from the first decade will be pleased to learn that Benjamin A. Lane, former dean of students, director of admissions and professor of English during those early years, will serve as honorary chair of the Pioneer Reunion. Committee members for the Pioneer Reunion include Joe Benacci, '57, who chairs the group; Jim Benson, '57; Gary Lyons, '56; Dick Mytinger, '57; and John and Jeanne Lloyd, '62.
The Pioneers will gather for a special dinner on Saturday, Oct. 1, to give the group a chance to reminisce.
"We're thinking about a pool-cleaning party," joked Grimaldi, referring to the early days when students took a hand in the upkeep of campus. "Or maybe poker night in the basement of Glenhill, as we've heard they did back then."
An invitation and addition information will be sent by mail throughout the summer. For more information about the Pioneer Reunion at Penn State Erie, call Grimaldi at (814) 898-6367.