Kalends June 1904
The class of 1903 held its first reunion on June 6, at 1 o'clock, in the Romance Language room in Goucher Hall. Covers were laid for thirty-nine girls. Dr. Goucher and Mrs. Shefloe were the guests of honor. The tables were beautifully decorated with the class colors, green and white. Alice Dunning, the class president, was toastmistress, and the toasts were: "Babes," Martha Enochs; "Belles," Frances Doherty; "Bachelors,"Frances Hopkins; "Baltimore, 1903," Dr. Shefloe; "Blue and Gold," Dr. Goucher. After the luncheon, Dr. Goucher was presented with a gold fob.
Kalends June 1905
No regular reunion had been planned for the class of Nineteen Three this year. But so many of our girls were in town that it was decided to hold an informal luncheon. So at twelve-thirty on Saturday, June third, we met at Mt. Holly Inn to have a delightful social time talking over old collge days. Dr. and Mrs. Shefloe were with us, bringing our number up to nineteen.
Eda Briggs, from her high school in Washington, Nancy Nulton, from Cumberland, and Frances Doherty, from New Jersey, brought stories of their experiences as "school marms" We were very much interested in what Nina Caspari, who has been teaching in Birmingham, told us about the wedding of our first bride, Mollie Cullom. Nineteen Three seems to be doing better recently in the matrimonial line, as we are to have four weddings within a few weeks.
Other girls from out of town were Carrie Fehr, from Easton, Pa.; Mary Taylor, from Alabama, and of course, Alice Dunning, from Iowa, who still keeps a watchful eye over all the interests of Nineteen Three.
As we had so many of our girls at this impromptu luncheon, we are hoping to have a most successful time at our regular reunion next year.
Kalends June 1906
The class of 1903 held its second reunion at I PM on June 2 in Goucher Hall. Covers were laid for twenty-two. The guests of honor were Dr. Gpucher, Dr. Metcalf, Mrs. Shefloe, and Dr. Shefloe, the honorary member of the class. The decorations were of green and white, the class colors. The class felt it a great privilege and honor to have Dr. Goucher present, and as always, he gave them one of his bright and charming after-dinner talks. In the absence of the president, Alice J. Dunning, the vice-president, Frances Doherty, acted as toastmistress. Elizabeth Debow spoke of the "Real" in our everyday lives; Emilie Doetsch of the "Ideal"; and Lottie Magee of the blending of the two into the perfect life of every true woman. Dr. Metcalf and Dr. Shefloe spoke informally and were heartily toasted by the class. An interesting feature was the announcement of the birth of Mabel Day Parker's son, and the class sent a silver cup to the class baby, Edwin Day Parker.
Kalends June 1908
The class of 1903 held its fifth reunion in Goucher Hall, June 2. The guests were Dr. Goucher and Dr. and Mrs. Shefloe. Miss Emilie Doetsch was toastmistress.
Mary Taylor Abercrombie, Florence May Carmine Bankard, Sabina Claire Ackerman Vliet, Miriam Alice Belt Soper, Amelia Dodson Bennett, Esther D. Bixler, Elizabeth A. Brown, EMilie A. Doestch, Helen Frances Doherty, Alice Dunning Flick, Carrie Fehr, Clara Robinson Hand, Ruth Haslup, Charlotte Abbott Jones, Louise Lawrence, Sara Lentz Key, Nancy Milton, Edith Powell Pringle, Hattie Taylor.
June 1913
THe calss of 1903, with Dr. Shefloe, its honorary member, held its tenth reunion in Goucher Hall on the evening of June 2, with twenty girls present out of a total membership of fifty-three, Dr. Goucher being our guest of honor. No formal toast scheme had been prepared. Letters from many of the absent girls were read and class songs sung between courses. After the last course had been served a novel feature was introduced which had been arranged by Dr. Shefloe and was a surprise to all except one or two of those present. At our class day exercises ten years before, stereopticon views of the girls had been given, showing, supposedly, the pursuits in which each girl would be engaged some years after her graduation. These same pictures were now shown, and after each one had been presented we learned from the girl herself or from her letter or from her special friends in the class what she really is doing now. In some cases the prophecy and the reality were surprisingly alike; in more cases, decidedly unlike.
A birthday cake, with twenty-five lighted candles was brought in to Dr. GOucher, and some of us were interested to learn that it celebrated not only the birthday of the college, but Dr. Goucher's own birthday, which was to come just five days later.
In Dr. Goucher's informal speech near the close of the evening he presented some interesting statistics gleaned from the girls in the course of the banquet. Twenty-seven members of our class are married - or one-half of the total number- while we have forty-two class babies, of whom twenty-four are girls and eighteen boys. So that fifteen or twenty years hence we hope to make a goodly contribution to the incoming classes at Goucher.
July 1928 Goucher Alumnae Quarterly:
Those who Came Back (out-of-town alumnae only): Nanne Weakley Barth, Hattie Taylor Chanell, Alice Dunning Flick, Jane Hyde, Nancy Nulton Larrick, Lottie P. Magee, Louise Lawrence Miller, Mabel Day Parker, Olive Mast Pennegar, Edith Powell Pringle, Anna M. Slease, Marion Dibert Suppes, Margaret Hukill Taylor.
July 1929 Goucher Alumnae Quarterly:
Those Who Came Back:
Nancy Nulton Larrick, Hattie Taylor Channell.
Esther Bixler, Quarterly Representative: 1903 will have a formal reunion in 1930, when it will be the oldest class having a reunion that year. Five members of the class will have daughters graduating from Goucher - they are Rosalie Pendleton Scully, Eda Briggs Frost, Claire Ackerman Vliet, Edith Powell Pringle and Nancy Nulton Larrick.
January 1930:
The class of 1903 will hold a formal reunion in June of this year. We want every member to make a New Year's resolution to attend this reunion. It is to be a big occasion in our class history; we need every member back at Goucher. As we will be the oldest class holding a reunion free entertainment will be given in one of the halls.
Our class has nine daughters enrolled at Goucher, more than any other class! Five of these daughters will graduate in June, so you must return both for our reunion and graduation.
You will receive from the committee, plans and details. Please answer all such letters promptly.
Nancy Nulton Larrick
Chairman, 1903 Reunion Committee
403 West Clifford Street, Winchester, Virginia.
July 1931 Alumnae Quarterly:
We did it!
We won the cup!!
Twenty four of our members returned for the 1903 reunion.
Twenty participated in the informal dinner at Vingolf Hall, which had been assigned as 1903's official headquarters. The delight at seeing those who were returning for the first time since graduation could not be equalled even by the pride and pleasure of seeing so many daughters among the graduates and also among the udnergraduates and the younger hopes-to-be. A joyous class meeting followed, in Alice DUnning Flick's room, where letters were read from the absent ones. Just ask any of the Vingolf residents about the fine example of quiet decorum we set for them. Alas! they cannot know what heroic efforts we made at self-restraint.
The afternoon on the campus remains as a happy dream. The delicious lunch, the group photograph, the lost regalia (located only after a frantic search for the holder of the box), the parade, the pageant- all in the clear sunshine of a perfect breezy day - leave memories not easily to be erased; no, not even tho' we must needs wash from the white clothes we wore all the oil stains we got from the grass.
The banquet Saturday night was a brilliant affair, with our beloved president at the head of the table and Dr. Shefloe, our honorary member, beaming impartially upon us all. Nancy Nulton Larrick presented our "class gift" to the college- the five 1930 girls who were our guests for the evening. Rosalie Pendleton Scully welcomed them, and Janet Frost's reply in their behalf both charmed and warmed our hearts. But "Shef" told tales on us to our daughters - he did! Most embarassing to some of us, really.
Oh, yes, we held a regular class meeting, election and all. But when a class is as small and compact as 1903, no one need expect that it will want to swap horses, whether in mid-stream or not. Alice has deftly led us through deep water and shallow, evading the rocks, treading warily the shoals, and we trust her fine spirit, her sense of justice, and her tactful good sense. Therefore, the class expects to go forward to even more "cupful" reuinions under the leadership of our newly-elected old officers.
Not all who attended the banquet could stay over for the commencement exercises on Monday, but those who did experienced the old thrill of cap and gown and hood as they marched in under the class banner. The fact that five of the graduates were 1903 daughters only added to the flavor of the occasion as we sang the old College Hymn that brought memories of Dr. Hopkins, and watched with sympathetic interest the turning of undergraduate tassels.
Are we coming again! Well, I guess! CLAIRE ACKERMAN VLIET.
July 1932 Alumnae Quarterly:
1903's Commencement Register: Claire Ackerman Vliet, Thyra Crawford Rees, Emilie A. Doetsch, Hattie Taylor Channell.
Dear Classmates: It was my privilege this year to attend once more the Commencement festivities at Goucher. At the banquet our class was presented with a lily, a token that our class had the alrgest precentage of contributors to the Alumnae Fund, 83% having contributed. Claire Ackerman Vliet had a daughter in teh graduating class and I have a daughter in the Junior Class. We felt very proud after the lapse of yeears to walk in the Commencement procession with our own daughters. My youngest daughter is a student at Mt. Holyoke College. HATTIE TAYLOR CHANNELL
July 1939 Alumnae Quarterly:
THe 1903 reunion committee, with Emillie Doetsch as chairman, did a fine job in arousing enthusiasm over a June reunion, when we had ahd such a large return in OCtober. Sixteen class members and two daughters attended our reunion banquet. Ten members sent in letters, so we felt pleased that so many had shown a great desire to return to our Alma Mater.
Claire Ackerman VLiet, Esther Bixler, Mabel Day Parker, Alice Dunning Flick, Carrie Fehr, Olive Mast Pennegar, Edith Powell Pringle, Nancy Nulton Larrick, Jessie Parker, Sally Parker, Florence Carmine Bankard, Emilie Doetsch, Charlotte Jones, Lottie Magee, Letitia Ricaud, Clara Robinson Hand, Hattie Taylor Channell, and our honorary member, Dr. Shefloe attended the banquet at the Lord Baltimore Hotel. This was a lovely affair in every way. Eda Briggs Frost could not attend, but sent very artistic place cards, which she had painted. Flowers from Emilie Doetsch's garden decorated our banquet table. Mabel Day Parker's two lovely daughters, Jessie and Sally, were our guests. Sally was graduated this June, so we felt we had a real share in Commencement this year. Of course it was a joy to have Dr. Shefloe with us. He looks perfectly fine, and in his own quiet way, enjoyed it all.
1903 recieved the silver cup for the class having the largest attendance at the reunion. This is the second time we have won this cup.
As we were the oldest class holding a reunion, the out-of-town girls were entertained in Fensal Hall. The first ten mentioned above were located on the fifth floor of Fensal, with Anna Edmunds Rutledge as our chaperone. Many of us had lived in Fensal when Anna was a student with us, so she knew how to join us and laugh over the same things. She did much to make our stay a happy one.
We all sat at the same table in a private alcove off the main dining room. Never were college meals enjoyed so much. No touch of dormitory life was omitted. There was even a register for the alumnae to sign out and in. Most of us signed out once and then forgot the rest. Baltimore gave us a truly warm reception, with the thermometer at least 90 in the shade all the time.
Friday night we all attended the reception at Alumnae Lodge and Mardal Garden. Here we could meet the Faculty and Dr. Clara Bacon, the one Faculty member of our time.
Saturday morning we attended the Annual Meeting at Alumnae Lodge. At 1:30 we all took the boat ride. After luncheon, on board, we had our class meeting, with Alice Dunning Flick, our president, presiding. Alice had brought with her the same flow of conversation and gestures, so this all made it seem like old times. The same officers were re-elected. Letters were read from ten absent members, sending greetings, regrets at not returning. Bertha Kramer Kirschner of California sent a nice letter and $5.00 for class funds.
Rosalie Pendleton Scully was elected Fund Representative. Nancy Nulton Larrick was elected Quarterly Representative and she begs all to send her some personals at once.
Sunday morning many attended baccalaureate sermon. Sunday evening Emilie Doetsch entertained the class and Mabel Day's two daughters at a class supper at Emilie's home in Roland Park. Emilie's home has a charm that reflects her personality and that of her lovely sisters. We enjoyed the delicious supper, the flowers, and the 'gab-fest.' Florence Carmine Bankard, the class traveler, entertained us with accounts of her latest trip to Mexico and of her plans to return to Mexico in August.
As one looked around at the 1903 reunion one could return home quite buoyed up by the pep of the class. True, we were a bit past "fair, fat and forty," but we were still able to "Bob-up" as Claire Ackerman used to say. Few had bobbed hair. Of course Claire had, as way back in 1899, she talked of "always bobbing up." No one was smoking, no one was drinking cocktails, so it looked as though we were still going strong on our old 1903 pep, and needed no artificial stimulants.
Hark Ye! every member and ex-member of 1903! We will have another reunion in 1944 and you must be there even if you have a stiff knee. Begin a savings fund now, so that neither finances nor gout can prevent your returning.
February 1947 Alumnae Quarterly:
It has been definitely decided that 1903 will hold a formal and large reunion in 1948. Every member must attend this 45th celebration. Begin now to save for this.
We want to emphasize the Alumnae Gift Building Fund, and we want to contribute liberally. This is a great opportunity for us to express our appreciation of Goucher. All that is contributed by the class to this building fund will count on our anniversary gift. So give now, and give libearlly. And plan to be with us in 1948.
August 1948 Alumnae Quarterly:
Our 15th reunion is now only a memory. But what a memory! Twenty-one of us, assembled round our luncheon table at the Lord Baltimore Hotel! Alice Dunning Flick, Mabel Day Parker, Emilie Doetsch, Anna Slease, Jane Hyde, Frances Doherty, Charlotte Jones, Mary Beavers, Louise Lawrence Miller, Mary Bunting, Edith Powell Pringle, Olive Mast Pennegar, Nancy Nulton Larrick, Daisy Murphy Mathews, Millie Benson Bielaski, Florence Carmine Bankard, Thyra Crawford Rees, Lottie Magee Mary Taylor Reynolds, Clara Robinson Hand and Claire Ackerman Vliet. Although Eda Briggs Frost could not be there, she was present in spirit by token of the beautiful hand-decorated program cards she provided.
In the evening, in "our own" Humanities Building, we held our class meeting. All the old officers were reelected. The only changes made were that Clara Robinson Hand was elected
Alumnae Food Representative to relieve Emilie
Doetsch and Claire Ackerman Vliet was elected
to relieve Nancy Nulton Larrick as GOUCHER QUARTERLY Representative. Nancy felt that after
nine years someone else ought to take over, so
it was wished on me. Therefore, girls of '03, if
you expect me to write literary gems for the
QUARTERLY you'll have to come across with the
material. Have you any children in college?
Any grandchildren in kindergarten, or even in
diapers? Have you found methods of helping
reach our goal of $3, 200 for a Faculty Room in the Humanities Building? Anna Slease is waiting to hear from some of you.
There were letters also from some who could not be present. But these were mostly to be read at the dinner given Sunday afternoon by Florence Carmine Bankard at the Baltimore Country Club in Roland Park and will have to be reported by someone who was able to attend both that dinner and the informal get-together at Emilie's afterward.
Amelia Benson Bielaski wrote "The high spot I am asked to tell of, is the lovely luncheon Florence Carmine Bankard gave for us Sunday. After the Baccalaurate Service, we drove out to the Baltimore Country Club where Florence received us. We had time for lots of talk before going out to the dining room. Florence had decorated the long table in the center of the room herself. It was exquisite-the larkspur, carnations, ragged robins, and small flowers were beautifully arranged. The entire luncheon was perfect, but when the cake appeared, all of us were thrilled. It was a large one with white icing decorated with white roses and green leaves (our flower), and in green letters-Goucher. 1903. It tasted just as good as it looked, too.
We wandered around the terrace and did more talking before we went out to Emilie Doetsch's for supper. Florence had invited the daughters who were in town to luncheon with us.
That made the party extra nice. They were Sally
Parker Tiger, Virginia Slease Costine, Florence
Flick, and Isobel Miller. Miss Florence Hooper was a special guest. It was so nice to have her."
One of the keen delights of this year's return-
ing was to see the evidence of growth on the
campus. It should give every one of us deep
joy as well as pride that WE had a share in purchasing the campus, that WE had a share in starting the building fund, and that now WE may have a share in helping, "our very own building" rise to its full height. It is a rare privilege thus to project ourselves into the future training of college women.
Alice writes me that there were letters of
greeting from the following: Mary Abercrombie
Verner, Eda Briggs Frost, Helen Buoy Burrows,
Helen Davenport, Nancy Catching Shields, Martha Land, Laura Hutchins Brown, Laura Washington Turner, Luella Eakins Merry, Helen Hendrix Mohr, Mabel Wiant, Rosalie Pendleton Scully, and Octavia Nelson Long. Sara Leutz
Key sent a telegram.
November 1948 Alumnae Quarterly:
Did you see Alice's picture in the July Quarterly? Our 1903 table was directly back of the 1898 table pictured on page 40. There you wil see facing you Nancy Nulton Larrick on the right end and our class president next to her. And who are those with their backs to us? Left to right are Mary Taylor Reynolds, Jane Hyde, Claire Ackerman Vliet, and Olive Mast Pennegar. Was I ever deflated when I saw that rear view! Those ears! So those are what our church members have to look at, since our family pew is one of the frontest of the front! - Claire Ackerman Vliet.
50th Reunion as Recorded in Summer 1953 Quarterly
55th Reunion as Recorded in Summer 1958 Quarterly
Summer 1961 Alumnae Quarterly:
Four of our class were at Goucher for reunion: Anna Slease, Charlotte Jones, Clara Robinson Hand, and I. Lottie Magee developed an infection in her mouth so had to give up the jaunt to Baltimore. Emilie Doetsch didn't feel up to the trip out to the campus, but Charlotte and I had lunch with her in town on Sunday. At the restaurant we met the Misses Caspari, Nina's cousins, who told us that Nina's daughter, Ottilie, was married and living in Rochester where her parents had lived so long. Florence Carmine Bankard began a vacation in Pennsylvania on Friday. Alice Dunning Flick has her mind on 1963 and so should the rest of us, for at least one reason: we should be thinking about our 60th anniversary gift. Any ideas? She sent her love and best wishes to all the 'reuners'. -Eda Briggs Frost
Eda Briggs Frost and Anna Slease after classes in Van Meter, Summer 1961
Summer 1962 Alumnae Quarterly:
Graduates returning to Goucher for reunions were welcomed by 325 mockingbirds, 300 robins, 23 cardinals, 10 vireos, 1 wren, 1 full moon, and 4 new structures abuilding. This does not include the gallant group at Anna Heubeck Hall that settled us all so comfortably during our stay.
Clara Robinson Hand and I were there all the time, but three others - Charlotte Jones, Florence Carmine Bankard, and Emilie Doetsch from town showed up, though the five of us were all together for only a brief chat after the Alumnae meeting. We could not do better than folow the plans for reunion followed by the class of 1902, which, with eleven reuners, seemed to be having the best time of all the comers-back; we're to hear all about it later.
We had thought it possible that Anna Slease would join us, but the friend with whom she was to come down, couldn't make the trip, and Anna thought that she would not attempt the bus trip. House repairs and the uncertainty of getting things done at any specified time kept Lottie Magee at home. -Eda Briggs Frost
Photograph at 60th Reunion
60th Reunion as Recorded in Summer 1963 Quarterly
