45th Reunion: June 4 – 7, 2026 in Cambridge!

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Dan Scherlis

We’ll again be in the Cambridge dorms for a real-life, face-to-face HR1981 reunion, our first since 2016. Planning is progressing, and you’re invited:

Join us at the next planning meetings: Reunion committee (Jan. 20, Feb. 24, Mar. 24). Programming (Jan. 25, Feb 21). Sign up below, under Upcoming Events.

Calls for volunteers:

  • Zoom House Social: To help recruit housemates, contact Barbara Watson
  • Lead a regional event: Host a dinner, or anything. Contact Barbara Watson
  • Glimpses: To speak, or to add your creations to our slideshow, contact Kate Scherlis.
  • Class Survey: Please help evaluate the questions! Contact Hilary or Todd Morrison.

Call for singers: Memorial Service Choir
Missing your days in the UChoir, Collegium, Choral Society, Kuumba, Glee Club, Dins, Kroks or Pitches, or are you a singer now? Join the choir for the 45th Reunion Memorial Service. Our conductor will be classmate Andy Clarkson. Interested? Contact Caroline Cunningham Young or Susie Kendall.

HOUSING INFO: You can stay in the dorms, but space will be limited, so watch your inbox for the “late winter” email! The HAA has a housing FAQ, or contact collegereunions_haa@harvard.edu. (Harvard has ADDED reserved hotel blocks. Otherwise, try AirBnB.)

The schedule is being formed. Roughly:

  • Thursday the 4th: informal events (Harvard tours & field trips) and check into your housing. Dinner at Leverett House.
  • Friday: Programming, including Alumni Day. Evening dinner celebration at Harvard’s new Treehouse.
  • Saturday: Glimpses, our Memorial Service, and more. Dinner in the Smith Campus Center (the renovated Holyoke Center).
  • Sunday: Brunch & survey in the morning. Informal afternoon gatherings TBD.

Stay connected, with these quick actions:

  1. Check your communication preferences.  Under Harvard College, enable Reunion Invitations.
  2. Edit your profile. Correct your address (for Harvard) and update your vitals (for classmates).

Your Reunion Co-Chairs:  Barbara Watson (Chair), Steven Clark, Dan Scherlis, Kate Scherlis, and Patric Verrone.

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Upcoming Events: HR1981 Community

Posted on January 25, 2026 by HR1981 CoChairs

All our events are on the HR1981 class calendar.

January

Sunday, Jan. 25, 1:30-3:00pm ET, Drop-In Social NEW DATE & TIME
Register now. Drop-in socializing, hosted by Jeanne Heifetz. Join us at any time. Contact: Jeanne Heifetz

Sunday, Jan. 25, 3:00-4:00pm ET, 45th Reunion Programming
Register now. All classmates are invited to discuss and brainstorm the programming. We’re looking for classmates to organize reunion-weekend panels, tours, & informal gatherings. We also want leaders for pre-reunion Zoom & live events. Contact: Kate Scherlis

February

Sunday, Feb. 15, 3:30-5:00pm ET, Drop-In Social
Register now. Drop-in socializing, hosted by Jeanne Heifetz. Join us at any time. Contact: Jeanne Heifetz

Saturday, Feb. 21, 3:00-4:00pm ET, 45th Reunion Programming
Register now. All classmates are invited to discuss and brainstorm the programming. We’re looking for classmates to organize reunion-weekend panels, tours, & informal gatherings. We also want leaders for pre-reunion Zoom & live events. Contact: Kate Scherlis

Sunday, Feb. 22, 3:30-5:00pm ET, House Socials!
Register now. Catch up with the old gang at your house, connect with housemates you’d wanted more time with, or meet housemates who hadn’t crossed your path. We’ll have Zoom rooms for each house, a general gathering place, and other rooms by request. We’ll help get you into the room for your house, but you are free to move about.

If you’d like to help recruit housemates, or to be an informal host for a House break-out room, please contact Mark Spitz

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 3:30-4:30pm ET, 45th Reunion Committee
Register now. We want to include you in our 45th Reunion Planning, so please join your Reunion Committee. We are looking for volunteers for pre-reunion events, including Zoom events and local/regional in-person events. And we’ll hear from the various teams. (See also the Reunion Programming meetings, below.) Contact: Barbara Watson

March

Sunday, Mar. 1, 3:30-5:00 ET, Book Club, Discussion with Helen Elaine Lee ’81, Author of Pomegranate: A Novel
Register now. We’ll talk with classmate, author, and MIT Professor in Comparative Media Studies/Writing Helen Elaine Lee about Pomegranate: A Novel. Contact: Daphne de Marneffe

Tuesday, Mar. 24, 3:30-4:30pm ET, 45th Reunion Committee
Register now. We want to include you in our 45th Reunion Planning, so please join your Reunion Committee. We are looking for volunteers for pre-reunion events, including Zoom events and local/regional in-person events. And we’ll hear from the various teams. (See also the Reunion Programming meetings, below.) Contact: Barbara Watson

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Upcoming Events: HR1981 Community

Past HR1981 Events

Posted on December 29, 2025 by HR1981 CoChairs

(Archived here for your reference, for your fond memories, and for your proof that, yes, the list is this long.)

See the list of our future events, also visible on our front page, and in our Calendar.

Continue reading →

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Past HR1981 Events

Recording available for poetry reading

Posted on September 14, 2025 by Dan Scherlis

In case you missed today’s poetry reading & discussion with classmate Elise Paschen, you can enjoy the recording (for classmates only).

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Recording available for poetry reading

Bay Area Mini-Reunion: May 2 – 5, 2025

Posted on February 23, 2025 by HR1981 CoChairs

An unofficial mini-reunion in the San Francisco Bay Area is being planned by a committee of your classmates.

The program is filling out rapidly, and includes receptions at classmate homes and visits to some beautiful Bay Area spots.

Check out the agenda (still in progress).

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Bay Area Mini-Reunion: May 2 – 5, 2025

HR1981 and the Los Angeles Fires

Posted on January 11, 2025 by HR1981 CoChairs

Our hearts go out to the many classmates who have been caught up in the unfolding disaster in the greater Los Angeles area. We do not yet know the extent of their losses, nor what form of help they may need in the coming weeks and months, but as a class we stand ready to offer support. If anyone knows of classmates with specific needs, please contact Joe McDonough so we can get the word out.

In the meantime, to offer immediate help to the affected communities, you can donate to any of the charities suggested and vetted by NBC Los Angeles.

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HR1981 and the Los Angeles Fires

HR1981 Cambridge Gathering! (May 3–5, 2024)

Posted on April 19, 2024 by HR1981 CoChairs

We can’t believe it’s almost here! Please CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE by paying today, via the below links. The cut off for the Harvard Club is Wednesday, May 1. We need to confirm all venues, so please purchase tickets to all events now. Thanks!

We have new events, so do check out the weekend’s events and other details.

Two steps to sign up:
Step 1:  Fill out the survey.
Step 2:  Pay the special event fees on Eventbrite:

There’s no fee for the (many) other events!
Some events have limited capacity, so don’t snooze.
Much gratitude to our generous hosts and organizers!!

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HR1981 Cambridge Gathering! (May 3–5, 2024)

Recording available for The Good Life

Posted on October 19, 2023 by HR1981 CoChairs

If you missed the Oct. 14 author discussion with Marc Schultz, co-author of The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness (The Harvard Study), or simply want to revisit the event, the recording is now in our collection.

(Harvard Key required, so that this can be restricted to classmates only. If that’s a problem for you, let me know.)

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Recording available for The Good Life