By Margaret LeRoux

When 100 black alumni got together this past September at the New Jersey home of Ted Wells ’72, it was more than just a reunion; for many, the event marked a turning point in their relationship with the College.

Though there have been informal get-togethers over the years, the reunion last fall was the first time in over a decade that black alumni from all over the country came together to share memories, congratulate each other on their successes, and even do some serious networking. Black alumni flew in from as far away as Oakland, Calif., Tampa, Fla. and Atlanta, Ga. Attending the event were lawyers, teachers and business owners; among the younger alumni was a Holy Cross graduate who is currently attending law school at the University of Georgia.

“Our hope was that the gathering would rekindle the Holy Cross spirit among black alumni,” says Patrick L. McCarthy, ’63, director, alumni relations. He points out that prior to the reunion, some of the alumni had not seen each other for 25 years.

Stanley E. Grayson, ’72, an investment banker in New York, noted that the reunion was a wonderful opportunity to bring together recent graduates with some of the older graduates.

“When you get together it’s easy to remember the good times, and what made Holy Cross so meaningful,” Grayson notes. “I’ve often said I like who I am and enjoy what I’m doing, and I wouldn’t be doing it if I hadn’t gone to Holy Cross.”

Grayson, who serves on the College’s Board of Trustees, notes that the reunion served as a reminder that black alumni “need to be more active in recruitment of black students and more aggressive in our giving to support things we feel are important.”

The event grew out of a conversation at Holy Cross between Grayson and McCarthy. Earlier this year, when they asked Ted Wells, ’72, a former member of the College’s Board of Trustees, to host a reunion of black alumni, Wells enthusiastically agreed.

“Holy Cross is near and dear to Ted,” says his wife, Nina. “The College made such a big impact on his life.”

Margaret LeRoux is a free-lance writer from Worcester.