No Place Like Home

With the Arboretum in full bloom and bright blue skies stretching over Founders Green, Haverford welcomed back nearly 1,000 alumni and their guests from May 28 to 31 for Alumni Weekend 2026. It was the highest turnout since 2019.

Alums arrived from across the country and the world, eager to represent classes spanning more than seven decades, from John Bell ’51 and Ed Steele ’54 claiming their place as the most senior Fords on campus, to members of the Class of 2025 who marked their very first return to campus.

The weekend moved at a rapid but joyful pace. Friday kicked off the celebration with morning lectures and talks, including a bioart session led by Professor of Chemistry Lou Charkoudian that invited alumni to paint with bacteria on agar plates. The annual welcome dinner under tents on Founders Green capped the day, and, as evening fell, decade-specific gatherings drew groups to Zubrow Commons and Merion Field, where alums gathered to reconnect around a massive bonfire.

Three alumni wearing reunion name tags smile and pose together outdoors during an evening reception.

Alumni from the 90s reconnect.

A smiling alum wearing sunglasses holds up a red sign with the number 86 while talking with two other attendees.

An alum helps classmates find one another with.

An alum in a suit laughs and gestures with a drink in hand while a crowd of attendees smiles behind him at an outdoor reception.

Laughter and toasts marked the Athletics Alumni gathering.

A large bonfire burns on the lawn at night as people gather nearby under a bright moon.

Alumni and guests gather around the bonfire for a festive night under the moonlight.

Two alumni lean against a tall red cocktail table while talking in a garden setting at dusk.

Two alums reconnect during an evening reception.

A man stands in a lab-like workspace holding and pointing to a printed sheet as visitors gather around to listen.

Alums get a closer look at the College's preservation work during the Conservation Lab open house.

A small group of alumni stands in conversation outdoors, smiling and talking in the late-day sun.

Alumni reconnect across class years during an outdoor reception.

Reunion attendees sit around a large table in a glass-walled meeting room, listening as one woman stands and speaks to the group.

Members of the 55th reunion class gather for conversation in the library.

A man seated in an armchair gestures while speaking during a panel discussion, with two audience members visible in the foreground.

Alan Klein '81 speaks during a special live edition of Fords Forum.

Six alumni sit together on a red-and-white picnic blanket on the lawn, smiling at the camera with trees and campus buildings behind them.

Relaxing on Founders Green on a sunny Saturday.

An attendee leans over a table examining an open archival volume in a room set with red chairs and display materials, while another person stands in the background.

Archival items were on view during the Quaker & Special Collections open house.

A group of honorees and presenters stand together in a bright room with tall windows during an Alumni Awards gathering.

The Alumni Award recipients gather for a photo with Haverford President Wendy Raymond.

Saturday was the heart of Alumni Weekend. After getting limber in a morning yoga session led by Dana Miller ’86, alums raced to the starting line for the always-popular All Alumni Walk/Run on the Fran Rizzo Cross Country Course. Saturday also included the Rainbow Quorum Brunch and a special live edition of Fords Forum with Haverford President Wendy Raymond and the College’s Board of Managers.

The afternoon saw alums and their families spread out for class photos on Founders Porch, while others explored the Conservation Lab and the Music Library. One of the weekend’s most poignant moments came when members of the Class of 1981 finally got their chance to ring the bell atop Founders Hall, a tradition that had begun after their graduation.

Saturday afternoon brought the Alumni Association Awards Ceremony in the Michael Jaharis Recital Hall, where President Raymond and Alumni Association Executive Committee President Scott Burau ’02 honored an exceptional group of Fords. Robert C. Bollinger Jr. ’79, Steve Schmitt ’82, and Stacey Rizza ’91 shared the Kannerstein Award for their leadership on the Tri-College COVID Advisory Council. Randee J. Waldman ’94 and Shamir A. Khan ’96 each received the Haverford Award, Waldman for her work directing the Juvenile Defender Clinic at Emory Law, and Khan for his decades of contributions to psychology and ethics. Jon Delano ’71 received the Distinguished Achievement Award in recognition of his 30-year career at KDKA-TV and his many years of public service.

A wide overhead view shows large white event tents on the lawn as alumni and guests gather on brick walkways and grass beneath a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Alums and guests gather on Founders Green beneath reunion tents during the festivities.

Members of the Class of 1976 pose together on the steps outside a campus building during their reunion.

The Class of 1976 gathers for a photo.

Two people embrace warmly outdoors in front of a campus building while other reunion guests mingle in the background.

The weekend was marked with too many hugs to count.

Four runners move down a shaded wooded path while other walkers follow behind among tall trees.

Alums take to the nature trail for the weekend’s run-walk along Haverford’s Nature Trail.

Alumni fill plates from a buffet table outdoors beneath leafy trees during a cocktail reception.

Alumni enjoy food and conversation at an outdoor cocktail reception.

Two alumni stand talking closely beneath trees during an outdoor reception while other guests mingle nearby.

Alumni enjoy food and conversation at an outdoor cocktail reception.

Alumni and guests gather around a ping-pong table in a lounge as two people play a game and others watch from the sidelines beneath a colorful wall sign reading “Squirrels Just Wanna Have Fun!”

Alums unwind at the Late-Night Coffeehouse, where a little friendly competition kept the evening going.

Alumni reconnect across class years during an outdoor reception.

An alum in a blue top looks through a handheld stereoscope viewer at an old stereographic image inside a library or archive space.

Exploring historical images through a stereoscope during the Quaker & Special Collections open house.

Five alumni stand arm in arm smiling for a group photo on the lawn in front of a flowering tree.

Friends pause for a photo.

A person holding a microphone stands among tables of reunion attendees as many participants raise their hands during a lively trivia event.

Alums test their knowledge during an evening of trivia in the Dining Center.

An alum in a striped shirt dances with both arms raised inside a wood-paneled room as others mingle nearby.

The dance floor came alive as alumni celebrated late into the night.

Audience members seated in a tiered lecture hall smile and listen during a forum session.

Alumni and guests fill the audience for a lively Fords Forum discussion.

Stephen Klineberg ’61 was honored with the Lawrence Forman Award for a lifetime of sociological scholarship and civic engagement at Rice University. Paul Zoidis ’81 received the Charles Perry Award for decades of alumni volunteer service, and Max Hjelm ’11 was presented the William E. Sheppard Award for his leadership in alumni and athletics engagement. Becca M. Varon ’10 received the Archibald MacIntosh Award for her more than 15 years of dedicated service to the Office of Admission. Tsion Syoum ’21 received the Young Alumni Award for her work on global water access and environmental equity.

The evening closed with an All Alumni Cocktail Reception on Founders Green, followed by dinner and a dance party in the Dining Center. Vince Warren ’86, celebrating his 40th reunion, summed up the weekend for many when he concluded, “You go around the world, you meet people from Haverford, and you feel like you’re home.” He ended with a promise to keep coming back, “and they can’t kick me out because I already graduated.”

Mark your calendars! Alumni Weekend 2027 will be celebrated from June 3 to 6, 2027. It will be here before you know it!

Photos by Ava Mendelsohn, Patrick Montero, Ryan Murray, Paola Nogueras, Mac Sanders ’24, and Raphael Swingley.

Shortlink: https://hav.to/12gn