Class of 1975: A Standout Class

In an alumni community with many classes full of big personalities, the class of 1975 has always stood out. After graduating from Woodberry during an interesting — some may even say tumultuous — period in the life of the school and nation that saw many in the class study under three headmasters, these Tigers have gone on to a wide range of personal and professional accomplishments.

They’ve served on the board of trustees and been mainstays of Woodberry’s regional chapters. As they celebrated their fiftieth reunion in April, class members once again went big. During their class dinner, they announced that they had committed more than $2.1 million in gifts and pledges in honor of their milestone year — a new fiftieth reunion giving record.

They made the gifts in memory of the thirteen members of the class who have died. Most of the new funds will go into the R. Lee Stephens, Jr. ’75 Scholarship Fund — established by Lee’s classmates after his death in 2017 — and the newly established Class of 1975 Scholarship Fund. Both funds provide tuition-assistance scholarships as part of Woodberry’s endowment. “Woodberry is an important part of my life,” said Walter Smith, who co-chaired the class’s reunion committee and helped lead fundraising efforts.

“I want boys in future generations to have the same opportunities I had. All of the classmates we have lost would be proud of what we are doing in their honor.” The class also made generous pledges toward the Amici Fund in this and future years, reaching at least 90 percent participation for the sixth year in a row. Many individuals in the class are already supporting the school with gifts of cash or appreciated stock while also making plans to help Woodberry in the future. More than a dozen of them are members of the Walker Society.

The class of 1975 enjoyed a memorable Fiftieth Reunion Weekend filled with opportunities to reconnect and explore campus. Their celebration began Thursday evening at Towhee — the historic home across the Rapidan with longstanding ties to the Walker family — where current owner Carter Hotchkiss ‘75 and his wife, Gina Pitrone, graciously hosted a reception. On Friday, the headmaster welcomed the class to The Residence for a luncheon in honor of their fiftieth. That evening, classmates gathered again for a cocktail party followed by a special seated dinner. The weekend also included a lively roundtable discussion with current sixth formers, where the ‘75 alums enjoyed sharing memories and comparing experiences.

This year’s fiftieth reunion class embraced the chance to reconnect with a place that shaped their lives. And, thanks to the generosity of their gifts supporting tuition assistance, future generations will continue to have access to the same transformational experience these alumni enjoyed more than half a century ago.

COMMITTEE CHAIRS:
Sandy Finch
Massie Meredith
Walter Smith

George Berry
Marvin Bush
Biery Davis
Tom Edwards
Vernon Geddy

Carter Hotchkiss
Rich King
John Letz
Henry Maclin
Chip Mark

Jim Moyler
Will Nixon
Massie Valentine
Jim Whitton
Tim Wilkins