Nearly 250 alumni and friends of Brenau University celebrated the school’s 145th anniversary during the annual Alumni Reunion Weekend and May Day held April 11-13 on the historic Gainesville campus.
Brenau also celebrated the 95th anniversary of Brenau Academy and honored alumni throughout the weekend.
“It is a special year for Brenau as we mark our 145th anniversary. I thank you all for joining us to celebrate this important milestone, connect with fellow alumni and remember your time here,” Brenau President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., told alumni on April 13. “Your legacy with Brenau continues; you are not just a part of our history, you are a vital part of our future. You will always be part of the Brenau community.”
The annual weekend kicked off Thursday with a reunion dinner celebrating alumni celebrating 50 years since their graduation. Michelle Gray Haywood, WC ‘75, was one of the first Black students admitted to Brenau and attended the reunion for the first time.
“Coming back is an emotional experience for me. It took 50 years to come back to Brenau. It is so surreal being here,” Gray Haywood said. “There were only four Black women when I attended school here, and now, I look around in awe at all the young and inspiring Black women here today.”
Friday, alums and the community attended the annual Research Symposium at the Downtown Campus and ended the evening with the annual Alumni Association Awards ceremony. Alumni recognized were:
- Ken Blair, BU ‘16, Community Service Award
- Melinda Cassiday Jacques, WC ‘17, Young Alumna Award
- Kay McMaster, WC ‘87, Alumni Hall of Fame
- Shannon Morris, A ‘84, WC ‘88, Academy Alumna of the Year
- Jessie Southerland, WC ‘99, Professional Achievement Award
- Daisy Goodnight Waldrep, WC ‘61, Service to Brenau Award
Saturday morning, hundreds of alumni, faculty, staff and students came together on the historic Gainesville campus to celebrate the 145th with a champagne brunch, sorority open houses, a paint and sip event, and the traditional presentation of the May Court and wrapping of the May Pole. Before the champagne brunch, students participated in the annual Class Day, which signifies the changing of ranks among classes, and rising seniors climbed the Crow’s Nest for the first time in a decades-old tradition.
“I loved watching the current students enjoy Class Day,” Patrice King, WC ‘86, said. “I have loved everything about Alumni Weekend, from the cocktail hour to the paint and sip, it is really just a joyous time on the campus.”
On Saturday evening, Academy alumnae celebrated the 95th anniversary of the former all-girls boarding school. Also that evening, the 2024 class of the Athletics Hall of Fame was presented by the Ernest Ledford Grindle Athletics Department. The former student-athletes, including one who also served as a coach, who were recognized were:
- Marilyn Anderson, WC ‘09, coach 2010-16, soccer
- Lillian Futrell Genova, WC ‘10, soccer
- Sydney Koon Johnson, WC ‘15, volleyball
- Brittney Wiley, WC ‘14, basketball
Read more about the Athletics Hall of Fame on the Ernest Ledford Grindle Athletics Department website.
Former SGA President Tiffany Kovash, WC ‘23, said she felt like she was coming home on Alumni Reunion Weekend.
“May Day is a nostalgic experience, it feels amazing that in the one year I’ve been pursuing my next degree that I’ve had somewhere to go, somewhere where I feel home again,” Kovash, also a Delta Delta Delta alumna, said. “Sisters, friends, and mentors who embrace you with open arms and celebrate our traditions. To me, May Day means coming back to your roots and seeing where you were and where you’ve been.”
