Golden Grads Sparkle at Reunion

Alumni from the 1950s to 1975 gathered in Boston to celebrate their continued connection and love of alma mater.

Imagine Boston in 1975.

Fenway Park witnesses Carlton Fisk’s legendary homerun in Game 6 of the Red Sox–Cincinnati Reds World Series. “Jaws” is the must-see movie of the year, the Vietnam War is ending, and CAT scan technology is just finding its way into hospitals.

Students wear bell bottoms and platform shoes, and their college tuition averages under $2,000 per year. A textbook costs little more than today’s venti latte at Starbucks.

On Saturday, October 18, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) welcomed back its Class of 1975 to reminisce on their days in the Longwood neighborhood. For many, this Reunion was their first time returning to the Boston campus since graduation.

Amid the laughter and stories, the evening highlighted how far both the University, and its alumni, have come. The campus they once knew is now a university with 12 schools, more than 100 academic programs, and three campuses enrolling more than 6,000 students.

Richard Harold BS ’75 stopped in his tracks when he arrived, awed by the changes to White Hall since his student days.

“These steps used to come all the way out onto Longwood,” he remembered. “I spent a lot of hours sitting on those steps.”

After snapping a picture of the hall’s iconic pillars, he made his way across the Matricaria lobby to embrace Pharmacy classmate Robert Genesius BS ’75 and his wife, Nadine, who had traveled from Connecticut.

During the evening’s program, Ernie Gates, BS ’67, spoke on behalf of the Golden Graduate Society to welcome the Class of 1975 into its ranks. The Society includes nearly 4,000 alumni who earned their degree 50 or more years ago.

“When you graduated, the world was grooving to disco, gas cost 50 cents a gallon, and you used typewriters to get your papers done,” he said. “And now, here you are 50 years later, using GPS or an Uber to arrive to campus while taking photos of this evening from a phone that fits in the palm of your hand. The world has changed immeasurably in the last 50 years, and undoubtedly, so have you.”

Among the evening’s most senior attendees was 93-year-old Forsyth grad Rosalyn (Hozid) Komins, CT ’52, who received a thunderous welcome from the crowd. The alum who traveled the farthest was another Forsyth alum, Karen Zinner, CT ’73, from Salt Lake City, Utah, who extended a family visit on the East Coast in order to attend.

MCPHS Board Chair Chris Flynn spoke to the crowd about the enduring impact of the University’s alumni.

“This Reunion is not only a celebration of your milestones, but also a reminder of the lifelong bonds you formed here. The traditions and values you helped to shape decades ago continue to inspire a new generation of students,” said the 1983 Pharmacy grad. “Thank you for paving the way then and for returning to us tonight to honor that legacy.”