Alumni Association 135 Years

1990s - 2000s

"Quality Education or Bust!"

The last decade leading up to the 135th anniversary of the Alumni Association is marked by many initiatives that set the tone for our organization today. Adapting yet again to changing economic, social and communication trends, the Alumni Association challenged itself to be a leader in alumni relations and in serving the best interests of the university.

Following years of budget cuts, the Alumni Association helped mobilize alumni to advocate for increased funding from state legislators. The groundswell of alumni support resulted in a 337.1 million dollar allocation to the university in 1994. Jack Leader, president of the Alumni Association said, "The mission that binds us together now is to keep public higher education on course for our children, for our future and for our commonwealth. We need to remind everyone what a great place UMass is, was and will be."

That same year the Alumni Association took a major step in instituting a dues-paying membership program. The aim of the program, in keeping with many alumni associations around the country, was to provide a stable financial base from which to provide services, such as grants for academic, cultural and athletic programs, career development and networking services, and scholarships. Within a year membership grew to 4,600.

In 1998, the Alumni Association put forth an aggressive strategic plan called UMass Matters. The plan, developed by the Futures Committee of the Board of Directors, outlined the goals and objectives for the Association for the next 20 years. Among those goals were the construction of an alumni and career center, expansion of the membership program, and increased initiatives to strengthen the lifelong connection between alumni and their alma mater.

Perhaps the best symbol of this era of reaching for new heights was the UMass Hot Air Balloon. The Alumni Association was a sponsor of the balloon, which represented the university at many community events and offered alumni rides over the Pioneer Valley.

Staying true to its strategic plan, the Alumni Association increased benefits and discounts to help expand the membership program. Thousands of dollars were also provided to campus initiatives, from new computers for the Daily Collegian, to laptops for traveling athletic teams, to sponsoring the Minuteman Marching Band’s performance in the 2001 Presidential Inaugural Parade, to name only a few.

An online community, the predecessor of today’s MaroonCentral, was launched to give alumni a new tool to stay connected through an online alumni directory, yellow pages, and career center. The Student Alumni Association was started to provide programs of direct benefit to students, alumni, parents and faculty as well as the campus in general. There was also a resurgence of campus traditions—some new, some old—such as Freshman Week, Homecoming, and Commencement Ball.

Throughout its 135 year history, the Alumni Association has continually worked to represent alumni needs and interests and to promote pride and affinity for UMass Amherst. Today you can turn to your Alumni Association for a host of services and programs:

Year-round Events
MaroonCentral
Alumni Clubs
Career Connections
Student Programs
Volunteer Opportunities
Membership Support

We thank the university and our alumni who have helped define our mission and supported our efforts. Here’s to the next 135 years!

You were. You are. UMASS.

Read about the Alumni Association’s beginnings as we celebrate 135 years of service to students, alumni and the university.
1874 - 1920s
1930s - 1950s
1960s – 1970s
1970s - 1980s

Special thanks to the Special Collections & University Archives