The Reinhardt College reunion was a fun one and it was just for one day (Oct 3, 2009 to be exact). Though every alumni is invited they have special ones for different groups of alumni. I hung around the group from 1946-1973 during the James Burgess presidency. Doesn't say I have to but I did. Truthfully, I enjoyed being around them than my own group when I went to my 10th reunion. Truth be known, I don't like to hang around one group too much. Funny thing, these old-timers didn't want to hang around each other as well because they didn't hang out with each other during their college years. Yet, they talked about how everybody knew each other and blah, blah when they went to school.
One alumni worked three jobs just to stay in school before the president told him to just work two because the school would have to owe him money. I tell you that dude can still move at 80 years old. He was jumping out of his seat and taking pictures during the talent show like a little kid jumping in front of the TV at every chance when somebody new was on stage. He said he did typing and bookeeping. I noticed his thick glasses. One thing he mentioned about a plane crash in the North Georgia mountains that occurred during the late 40's when he was a student. The plane crashed during the summer but the plane couldn't be found due to the thick forest so he and classmates went to look for it during the winter not to find the body but to collect the airplane parts.
Another alumni was this lady who said she graduated in 1950. Remember, Reinhardt was a two year college then but still this lady didn't look a day over 52 years old. No wrinkles or gray hair. Finally, this alumni became a preacher at a Lutheran church in Snellville. He went to a high school in Savannah that graduated only 4 people but they all went and graduated from college.
The reunion tour started outside (didn't rain on this water season in Georgia) with some directors and alumni presidents talking about the legacy of Dr. James Rowland Burgess. One of the legacy was these trees that he got from travels Asia, Europe and the United States. He would care for the seeds in his lab and then plant them on or in the campus area. Most of them were from the late 1940's through the 1960's with some in the 70's. There was tour guide who had a job as a horticulturist at some college or company, I'm not sure. He didn't go to Reinhardt; yet, he knew the campus like it was the back of his hand. Very talented, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic.
That tour was ardous. Walking around campus that long to spot trees and identify what each one of them are, my hip bone was hurting. I don't know how the ladies who were walking with heels, came? The weather got hot as well. The tour started around 11 a.m. and ended about 1 p.m. One thing I learned about the tour was the meticulous care of Dr. Burgess for these trees which otherwise left in the wild would have easily dissolved or gone away from disease or lack of nutrients. He kept incredible notes and files on every tree that he planted like it was his own child. He put them in areas where they could grow, mature, and age gracefully. Unbelievable, that an acorn grew up to be 60 feet high due to his care.
Likewise, he put the same care into his students by creating an environment where they can grow, mature, and age. He refused his college to be under a public system of Georgia despite large monetary offerings by the Lane family. I do believe he planted trees with nice aromas into these pathways surrounded by the street lamps so that a certain romantical effect would occur (Just my observation).
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