Nine distinguished Denison University alumni, including prominent leaders in law, medicine, advertising, banking and the arts, will be honored in Swasey Chapel on Friday (May 31) for their contributions to their professions, their communities and their alma mater. Among the recipients will be Hal Holbrook, a 1948 Denison graduate who gained international recognition for his portrayal of Mark Twain. This is the 53rd year in which Alumni Citations have been conferred by Denison. The first ceremony was in 1949.

The ceremony will take place amid Reunion Weekend ( link to Denison's Reunion Website here) festivities on campus May 30 to June 2. "The Greatest Generation," Denison alumni who attended school during the World War II era, are among the honored classes this Reunion Weekend. The classes holding regular reunions are: 1927 (75th), 1932 (70th), 1937 (65th), 1952 (50th), 1962 (40th), 1971, 72, & 73 (triple 30th), and 1977 (25th).

Classes from 1942 through 1949 will celebrate together as "The Greatest Generation." Interrupted by World War II, the Denison experiences of many of these alumni were intermingled as in no other era. Also invited to this special reunion are members of the Army Air Cadets and the Navy and Marine V-5 and V-12 units who studied at Denison during the war years as well.

Each of the nine Alumni Citation recipients will receive the highest award bestowed by Denison's Society of the Alumni "in recognition of outstanding achievements and services that reflect honor upon the University," according to Alumni Director Lyn B. Boone.

Those being honored are:

Close to a thousand visitors are expected to participate in this year's Alumni Reunion Weekend, which kicks off with a picnic and "Denison Goes to the Movies" on Thursday evening(May 30). A golf outing, Alumni College classes, receptions and class dinners precede the traditional Friday evening "Parade of the Classes" led by emeriti faculty members enroute to the 8 p.m. Reunion Convocation in Swasey Chapel. During those ceremonies, Denison President Dale T. Knobel and President of the Society of the Alumni Bradley Turner will award the Alumni Citations.

Other Reunion Weekend activities include tours, class photo sessions and an All-Alumni Memorial Chapel Service. A special breakfast reception is planned by Tina Knobel from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at Monomoy House for alumni who lived there as students.

To obtain more information or to register for Alumni Reunion events, contact Coordinator of Homecoming and Reunions Tammy Stout at 740-587-6576.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575