Alumni Friends, Fun, and Fond Memories: Reunion 2026, in Photos Stories You May Like Hospitality Sweet: Hotel Ezra Cornell Celebrates a Century In Asheville, Chef Katie Button ’05 Serves Up Hope After Helene Campus Memorials Pay Tribute to Cornellians Lost in Wartime Some 7,500 alumni and their guests returned to the Hill for a weekend of reveling and reminiscing, Big Red style By Beth Saulnier For multi-generational Cornellian families, it's always nice when the math works out such that their five-year Reunion cycles fall at the same time. That's not only the case for Jeff Weintraub ’91, MD ’95, and his son, Bryan Weintraub ’21—whose undergraduate Commencements were spaced a convenient 30 years apart—but in 2026, each chaired his respective class's Reunion. NBC News anchor Kate Snow ’91 joined CALS Dean Benjamin Houlton for a Reunion chat. And on top of that, both of those gatherings broke attendance records, with (per preliminary numbers) 1991 drawing 438 class members for its 35th, and ’21 seeing a whopping 1,020 for its 5th. All told, some 7,500 alumni, family members, and guests came back to the Hill for Reunion 2026—which, despite forecasts of possible thunderstorms, enjoyed fairly dry weather beyond some Saturday morning rain. President Kotlikoff gives his State of the University address in Bailey. At least one Cornellian clan had a remarkable three generations in attendance: Bob Felton ’61, BME ’62, Todd Felton ’91, and Tim Felton ’21 came back for (respectively) their 65th, 35th, and 5th Reunions. Grads hailed from 48 U.S. states—all but Mississippi and Nebraska—plus Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. Those traveling internationally came from as far away as Australia and Hong Kong. Grads hailed from 48 U.S. states—all but Mississippi and Nebraska—plus Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. Those traveling internationally came from as far away as Australia and Hong Kong. Among the traditional activities they enjoyed were Cornelliana Night in Bailey Hall; the Reunion 5K in the Botanic Gardens; class meals, from casual picnics to formal dinners; fraternity and sorority gatherings; tours and lectures; outdoor fun including canoeing on Beebe Lake and hiking in Cascadilla Gorge; and (of course) late-night parties in the Arts Quad tents. Reunion fundraising totaled nearly $159 million, with numerous classes setting records. Cornellians reconnected ... ... from across generations. At the annual Spirit of ’31 Passing the Banner Ceremony, the Class of ’56 gave a Reunion banner to the Class of ’21, celebrating its 5th. Also, since 2016 grads missed their own 5th due to COVID, they received a banner from the Class of ’61 during their 10th. In other revelry, the Class of 1966 dedicated the ’66 Overlook—a new seating area near McGraw Tower that boasts panoramic views of the Slope. The Class of 1966 dedicated the ’66 Overlook—a new seating area near McGraw Tower that boasts panoramic views of the Slope. And Dan Mansoor ’79, MBA ’80, received the William “Bill” Vanneman ’31 Outstanding Class Leader Award for his dedicated service to the Class of ’79. The annual Olin Lecture took the form of a panel discussion, "The Future of the American University." Moderated by Provost Kavita Bala, it brought together three alums who are past, current, or future leaders of institutions of higher learning. The A.D. White statue surveys the Arts Quad tents. Steven Knapp, PhD ’81, served as president of George Washington University from 2007–17; Eduardo Peñalver ’94, a former dean of Cornell Law School, is outgoing president of Seattle University and incoming president of Georgetown; and Wendy Raymond ’82, is president of Haverford College. The annual Olin Lecture took the form of a panel discussion, “The Future of the American University.” In his State of the University address, President Mike Kotlikoff discussed such topics as student recruitment and financial aid, federal research funding challenges, the University's thematic connections to the U.S.'s 250th birthday, and the importance of hosting outside speakers with wide-ranging opinions. Olin Lecture participants (from left) Bala, Knapp, Peñalver, and Raymond. "Educating capable citizens and leaders ready to take on every new challenge and carry democracy forward is part of Cornell’s mission," he said. "And in an era of identity politics, that means working thoughtfully to ensure that our institutional culture, at every level, is a culture of curiosity: that our students listen respectfully, think critically, and come to every new interaction with a willingness to learn." Here's a photographic sampling of Reunion 2026! Big Red Spirit Stories You May Like Hospitality Sweet: Hotel Ezra Cornell Celebrates a Century In Asheville, Chef Katie Button ’05 Serves Up Hope After Helene Back on the Slope Outdoor Adventures Family Fun Late-Night Delights (All images by Cornell University photographers Alex Bayer, Devin Flores, Sreang Hok, and Jason Koski.) Published June 8, 2026 Comments Barbarra Potter Sperry, Class of 1961 9 Jun, 2026 Love the photo passing the banner with Class of ’16 banner that includes Class of 2061 co-chairs Pat Laux Richards and Rosanna Roamanelli Frank. Reply Hadley Harper Witcher, Class of 1987 9 Jun, 2026 Great Reunion. Love the Big Red! Reply Perry Ground, Class of 1991 10 Jun, 2026 Correction to the article – At Cornelliana Night, an alum from Nebraska was identified in the audience!! So only Mississippi was not represented this past weekend. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni For this Researcher and CALS Alum, Everything’s Fishy (in a Good Way) Campus & Beyond From Halting Cancer to Protecting Soldiers, Big Red Research Is at Risk Alumni Meet the New Chair of the University’s Board of Trustees