January 23, 2021
Spanning Generations
By Jill Spotz
Lauren Cunningham ’24 receives her legacy pin from parents John Cunningham ’90 and Christine Prete Cunningham ’87.
Every Lafayette legacy family has their own unique story of when their connection to College Hill began. Whether it started with the enrollment of a great grandfather, a parent, or a sibling, the most rewarding chapter is when the story comes full circle with the enrollment of a new generation.
Typically, incoming legacy families are invited to a special annual reception and pinning ceremony hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations as an official welcome to campus each fall. The event is an opportunity to meet other incoming legacy students and families, leadership, and staff. However, due to social distancing restrictions this year, legacy families participated virtually by pinning their family members at home and sharing photos of this milestone. We couldn’t be more proud of these alumni families who pass their ’Pard Pride from generation to generation.
For families like the Noxons, whose connection to Lafayette began nearly 100 years ago in 1923, the pinning moment was very special. Jared ’24, Stephen ’94, and Elwood Jr. ’63 celebrated the milestone virtually and shared photos of their Lafayette memorabilia that has been in their family for decades including a 1932 Lafayette centennial banner, Reunion pins, a uniform, and much more. “Lafayette has been a very special place for our family that started with my great grandfather stepping on campus nearly 100 years ago in the fall of 1923,” says Stephen Noxon ’94 P’24.
Below is a snapshot of some of the 29 first-year legacy students who participated in virtual pinning ceremonies this academic year.
2 Comments
Good to see all the stories of Lafayette Legacy. My military career took me out of the Northeast and my children ended up going to Northwest colleges as they viewed that as home base when I retired in 1995 from the Army. Now I have to work on the Grandchildren.
My Grandfather Mark G Stern Sr ’19, and my father, Mark G Stern Jr ’51 preceded me. As with Nancy Devries, I matriculated in 1976. Great School, hope we can send a Westerner there in the future.
Robert “Bob” Stern ’76
Great photos of legacy members of the class of 2024.
My great niece (Katarina Benson) who was just accepted early decision, will be the fourth member of my family to attend Lafayette with me being the first. (Nancy De Vries Nicholas 1976)
In 1972, my mom had to convince my dad that it was a good idea to send his daughter to Lafayette College for her education. Unfortunately he believed it was not worth spending that much money on a woman’s education. (My 2 older siblings had attended the state university in New Jersey–Rutgers and Douglass) Luckily my Mom won and I was accepted early decision to the class of 1976.
Shortly after that, my brother, (Kenneth De Vries), having returned from serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, enrolled in the engineering program at Lafayette to finish his college education that he had started at Rutgers University. One of his daugthers, Ingrid De Vries, also decided to attend Lafayette.
Now the fourth member of my family–my sister’s oldest granddaughter will be attending Lafayette in the Fall.
It appears that Lafayette continues to flow through our family’s blood!
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