Clancy Award and Trophy Presented to the Class of ’71!

By Jamie Pitney ’71, Class President

At the annual meeting of the Princeton Alumni Council during our recently concluded in-person major off-year 50th/51st Reunion, the Class was honored with a highly sought-after award, the Class of 1947 James Scott Clancy Memorial Reunion Trophy for 2021 in recognition of the best major reunion experience. In presenting the trophy to the Class, Liz Irwin ’04, Chair of the Reunions Committee of the Alumni Association said:

Congratulations to the extraordinary Class of 1971 for winning the Class of 1947 James Scott Clancy Memorial Reunion Trophy for the second time! The award is given to the class with the best planned and run major reunion and is considered the most coveted of all Reunions awards. For the history books, the silver Clancy bowl will be engraved with your class year once again.

According to the members of the On-Campus Committee and Alumni Council Committee on Reunions, choosing “The Wildlife Class” for the trophy was an easy decision, as they were impressed with the thoughtful details put into planning your milestone reunion. While the idea of a “Reunion Year” is not necessarily new, the cadence of events throughout the year showed tremendous forethought and planning. The committee was also impressed with the class’s great use of technology as it pivoted to online reunions, presenting a creative program that engaged the Class throughout Reunions and beyond.

Accepting for the Class of ’71 at the meeting and on behalf of all those whose efforts contributed to or attended the spectacular and diverse events ‘71 conceived, scripted, produced and presented were our immediate past officers President Podie Lynch, Reunions Co -Chairs, Jack and Ronnie h71 Hittson, Reunions Vice Chair Stu Rickerson, and our continuing Technology Chair Alan Usas, all of whom dedicated significant effort to the planning and execution of our very successful 2021 Virtual Reunion and all that went before it. 

Significant credit for this award goes to the Classmates who participated in the 2021 Virtual Reunion as well as the on and off-campus events of “1971’s 50th Reunion Year … Continued,” including last year’s Fall Retreat and Homecoming Reception at Tiger Inn, continuing with San Diego, The Whalers, the New Orleans gatherings and wrapping up with our now very well-attended major off-year 51st Reunion. Losing our in-person 50th Reunion to Covid was a disappointment on many levels, but ’71 stepped up and creatively planned and executed an outstanding series of events over the past two years that exceeded all others. To be sure, ’71 has some skilled and motivated event planners, but it is the participation of so many Classmates that made these events successful and also led to ‘71’s receipt of the coveted Clancy Award. 

This year’s Clancy is an award for every member of the Great Class of 1971!