Jun 04, 2019

More than 1,000 St. Bonaventure University alumni and friends of the university will reconnect with their campus and classmates this weekend, June 7-9, at the annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.

The three-day event recognizes classes going back in five-year increments, from the Class of 2014 to the class of 1954, with special recognition given members of the 50-year Class of 1969. Alumni from all classes, however, are welcome to attend the reunion.

“This is one of the first things that our alumni put on their personal calendars each year,” said Joe Flanagan, ’74, director of Alumni Services. “We are fortunate to have very loyal and devoted alumni who love coming back to their alma mater to renew old friendships and to learn about some of the exciting new things happening on campus.”

Friday’s opening day activities include class dinners at venues on and off campus, followed by a social for all classes at the campus Rathskeller. 

Saturday is packed with events from morning till night, including open houses across campus, talks and presentations, and campus tours. University President Dr. Dennis R. DePerro will give a university update and take questions from alumni in a presentation at 11:15 a.m. in the main reading room of Friedsam Library. The event will be live streamed on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bonaventure.

The annual Alumni Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. Saturday in the University Chapel, which will be followed by an all-alumni social from 6 to 9 p.m. on Bob Lanier Court in Reilly Center Arena, where alumni will be introduced to this year’s alumni of the year. 

The alumna of the year is Mary Beth Vigneron of New York. A 1984 graduate, Vigneron is the business continuity manager for the New York Stock Exchange. A former member of the university’s National Alumni Association Board, she is a longtime supporter of university and alumni events.

The alumnus of the year is Jim Satalin of Syracuse, Class of 1969, a standout Bonnies basketball player who coached the team from 1973 to 1982, winning a National Invitational Tournament championship in 1977. He coached at Duquesne University from 1982 to 1989 and was twice named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year. Satalin later served as a basketball commentator for Empire Sports Network, as coordinator of A-10 men’s basketball officials, and as national director of Coaches vs. Cancer. He is now the color commentator for Syracuse University men’s basketball broadcasts.

The weekend concludes Sunday, June 9, with a breakfast in Hickey Dining Hall and a 10:30 a.m. Mass in the University Chapel.

 ______________

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things. St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #1 regional university value in New York and #2 in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition.