The Doane Family Association of America, Inc. (DFA) plans to hold its 48th Biennial reunion at Denison University August 2-7, 2004. Doane/Doan/Done cousins from throughout the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. will gather together to renew family ties. The weeklong celebration will include tours to local attractions, educational presentations on family history, social gatherings, and recreational activities -- with a special effort to accommodate young families and their children. The theme of this year's reunion is "The Westward Migration" and focuses on the family's movement to and through the Ohio River Valley. All Doan(e) Cousins are invited to attend!

Denison University has a special relationship to the Doane Family. William Howard Doane, a world-renowned industrialist and gospel-hymn composer from Cincinnati, was an early benefactor of Denison. There are four Doane memorial buildings at Denison, and in 1875 the University bestowed upon him the degree of Doctor of Music. William Howard also presided over the first DFA reunion in 1907.

The DFA was conceived at a meeting of descendants of Deacon John Doane on Cape Cod in 1907 to dedicate a memorial stone in the Town Cove Cemetery in Eastham. At that meeting it was voted to meet again in 1909. The tradition of a biennial reunion was thus begun and has continued to the present.

Deacon John came to the Plymouth colony in 1629. He was a community leader, holding various elected offices. In 1645 he was one of the seven founders of Eastham, Mass. Deacon John is the patriarch of a diverse family whose lives typify the experience of all immigrants. Today, the family is a very diverse group with members from all walks of life, but their common heritage continues to bond them together.

Vicki Sussman, conference and event coordinator, is managing the Doane reunion for Denison. For information on reunion registration or the Doane Family Association, contact Wayne Doane, DFA Reunion Chairman. He can be reached by e-mail at wdoane@tampabay.rr.com or telephone 727-895-5277.

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