Rainy weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the nearly 1,900 Wellesley alums who returned to campus from May 22 to 24 for their reunions. It was the first time in a decade that the classes ending in 6 and 1 and the Continuing Education/Davis Scholar (CE/DS) alums had a chance to come together officially, as Reunion 2021 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alums of all ages attended—including seven members of the class of 1951, celebrating their 75th reunion—representing 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 26 countries.
Reunion 2026 also marked the conclusion of Wellesley’s yearlong 150th anniversary festivities, launched at Reunion 2025. During her remarks at the annual meeting and College update on Saturday morning, President Paula A. Johnson said Wellesley’s sesquicentennial was “a year truly befitting Wellesley’s radical founding ideals and its legacy of impact.” She noted that cherished traditions had been “reinvigorated and renewed,” with record numbers of students participating in activities like Hooprolling and Stepsinging, and she named the many different elements of the celebratory year, including the 150th Community Fund projects and events both on and off campus.
“We also began planning for a new and powerful archive to help us tell the story of a Wellesley education through the impact of our alumnae,” Johnson said, referring to the findings of the report The Wellesley Effect: Career Outcomes and Professional Achievement of Wellesley Alumnae. “And throughout the year, we did just that. We showed—with data and storytelling—how the liberal arts prepare students to contribute to society … something Wellesley alumnae do every single day.”
Over the course of the weekend, alums carried blue and white anniversary tote bags as they strolled across campus to take part in sesquicentennial-themed activities. They collected special limited-edition lamppost pins, given to students during the 2025–26 academic year, and after the traditional alum parade Sunday morning, they enjoyed a cupcake version of the famous Wellesley fudge cake.
“This year has been such a special moment to celebrate 150 years of Wellesley,” said Erin Corcoran ’13, assistant vice president for alumnae relations and global engagement, on behalf of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. “I love seeing how our alums have embodied the festivities on campus with celebrations like reunion and Friends and Family Weekend, but also across our alumnae groups’ regional gatherings, the New York City event in March, and by wearing Wellesley swag out in the world!”
The capstone event for the 150th anniversary was a panel on the Saturday afternoon of reunion weekend, “Shaping the Future: Presidents Reflect on Higher Education.” Before a standing-room-only audience, Johnson and three renowned alum leaders in higher education—Alecia A. DeCoudreaux ’76, Diana Chapman Walsh ’66, and Nannerl “Nan” Overholser Keohane ’61—discussed the challenges facing liberal arts colleges in 2026.
Throughout the weekend, many alums also reminisced about the 150th events they had participated in during the year, such as the 35,000-plus service hours logged as part of the Sed Ministrare Service Challenge.
Samantha Kulok ’11, an Emmy-winning producer at CBS News, reflected on how much she had enjoyed “Wellesley at 150: Women Leading the Way” at Lincoln Center in March. She said she was struck by hearing Pamela A. Melroy ’83, former astronaut and former NASA deputy administrator, talk about how women in tech are working to make sure artificial intelligence systems avoid racist and sexist biases.
“It was so inspiring to be among this group of Wellesley alums, listening to why it’s so important to have women taking up space in all fields,” said Kulok. “When I’m back in the Wellesley community, it always gives me hope for the future.”
Celebration
Photos by Kelly Davidson
