Reunion Weekend 2025
More Than 650 Bishops Come Home to Celebrate Relationships, History, and Momentum
It's always a great day to be a Bishop, but more than 650 alumni and friends made it a great weekend to be a Bishop when they returned to the Ohio Wesleyan University campus May 16-18 to celebrate Reunion Weekend.
Alumni in classes ending in '0 and '5 gathered to reconnect with lifelong friends, including 110 members of the Class of 1975, who celebrated their 50th class reunion.
A highlight of the weekend was the Alumni Award Recognition Breakfast, with award recipients honored by the Alumni Association, its president, Keith Rozanski '99, and university president, Matt vandenBerg.
The 2025 award recipients include:
Alumni Awards
- Andrew Morrison '85
- Anand Philip '00
- Annie Griffith Seiler '75
- Jonathon Woods '85
Young Alumni Awards
- Claire Everhart '10
- Ryan Haddad '15
- Brianna Robinson '15
- Ibrahim Saeed '15
Distinguished Alumni Citation
- Dr. Lindsey N. Godwin '00
- Dr. Jen Henretty '00
- William Marks '70 (posthumously)
- Vivianne Ngugi '85
- James G. Wallar '70
OWU will be announcing the 2026 Alumni Award recipients in the next month. Please visit owu.edu/nominate to nominate alumni for future awards, especially those from classes ending in '2 and '7. The Ohio Wesleyan alumni awards are a way to acknowledge the exceptional individuals that make up the tremendous OWU community.
During Reunion Weekend, the Bishop Rally was full of exciting moments as each class shared memories from their time at OWU and a chant that showcased their class personality. President vandenBerg gave an update on the exciting growth happening at OWU with a record-breaking $50 million raised to fund a visionary fine arts-infused library, marking the largest fundraising surge in school history. He also shared more about the launching of Ohio's largest on-site campus solar energy project, boldly advancing sustainability and innovation in higher education.
Andy Shackelford '95 reflected on the extraordinary impact of reunion classes—not only through their philanthropic support but also through the dedication of their time and talents. In celebration of milestone reunions, this year's classes have given $823,819 to the Annual Giving Program.
As a volunteer force, whether alumni are supporting admission recruitment, mentoring students, connecting with classmates, or bringing fresh energy to everything they touch, their efforts elevate OWU's reputation everywhere they go.
A few highlights that show how powerful the collective efforts of OWU's alumni and friends are:
- Reunion classes ending in '0 and '5 make up 30% of the university's overall volunteer population, with many alumni serving in multiple roles.
- 25% of these volunteers are admission ambassadors, opening doors for the next generation of Bishops.
- And younger alumni—those just starting their post-OWU journey—are leading the way with the highest percentage of volunteers represented.
Ann Groves '75 celebrated each alum, "It is at Ohio Wesleyan we gained a strong liberal arts education, went through periods of personal growth, and made lifelong friends. All of this laid a foundation for our lives ahead. Since graduation, each of us have faced a number of divergent roads. However, whether you chose the road to OWU nine years ago or 74 years ago, the roads we have chosen since graduation have led us back here today."
She then announced with excitement the 1975 class contribution of $5,178,155.97 to the Annual Giving Program.
Total Reunion giving for fiscal year 2025, as of May 19, is $6,001,974.97. Each contribution represents the support of alumni to the mission of OWU, and is a powerful testament to what we can achieve together.
Ohio Wesleyan also inducted the newest members into the Founders' Circle and Associate Founders' Circle. The university established the Founders' Circle to honor the renowned group of philanthropists who have made significant philanthropic investments in the future of Ohio Wesleyan, with lifetime giving of $1 million, or $500,000 for the Associate Founders' Circle.
Donors honored during the 2025 ceremony are:
Associate Founders' Circle Inductees
- Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Stafford Burley '56 (posthumously)
- Donald Hudler '56 (posthumously) and Dannielle Colliver Hudler
- Michelle Mulkern Kilkenney '99
- Ruth Connor Merkle '30 (posthumously)
- Carleton "Carl" P. Palmer, III '64, P '96, '99 and Rosanna "Zan" Palmer P '96, '99 (represented by their daughter, Elizabeth "Zibbi" Palmer Wentz-Cunningham '99)
- Charles W. Voskamp and N. Joan Weidel Voskamp '51 (posthumously)
- William C. White '48 and Lois "Gene" White (posthumously)
Founders' Circle Inductees
- Marie Eslinger '74 and Robert "Red" Horowitz '74
- Fred Newton '80 and Bridget Donnell Newton '80
- Dr. Richard Rowland '51 and LaVerne Rowland (posthumously, represented by their nephew, Edward Rowland)
- Al Theis '50 and Ruth Theis (posthumously)
- Liesel Traister '64