DEREE 1965-80 Reunion Fills
College Library With Joyful Alumni

A balmy October evening and the spectacular views of northern Athens and the mountains beyond was the setting of the joyous reunion of DEREE - The American College of Greece’s classes of 1965-80, which took place on October 20 on the upper level of the College’s John S. Bailey Library.

Over 200 alumni showed up, some of whom stepped foot on the campus for the first time since their graduation and joined members of the administration as well as current and former faculty. Some alumni came from all over Greece, while a few traveled from abroad just for the occasion.

They were welcomed by Dr. David G. Horner, president of the American College of Greece, and by Executive Director of Alumni Relations & Development, Claudia Carydis (PC ’81, DC’84). Ms. Carydis presented an overview of the dynamic alumni activity taking place throughout this year, both in Greece and abroad, in celebration of the 135-year anniversary since the founding of the College in Smyrna, in 1875. President Horner seized the opportunity to bring the visiting alumni up to date with recent developments in the College and to sketch a broad outline of the College’s plans for the future.

In her welcoming speech, Sophia Leoussis (DC’77), president of the Alumni Association of The American College of Greece, reminisced about her years at DEREE.

Painter Kyriakos Lazarides (DC’80) exhibited some of his works, with 50% of all sales slated to benefit the ACG Alumni Scholarship Fund. George Eliakopoulos sponsored the delicious brownies that were offered during the cocktail that followed.

But the bulk of the evening belonged to the visitors themselves: old friendships were renewed and new ones forged as happy voices and exclamations of recognition filled the cavernous conference hall and the Library’s spectacular patio.

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