1821: The first alumni association in the world is formed at Williams College. |
1839: the Oberlin College Alumni Association is formed. It is one of the first seven such associations founded worldwide. It almost closes the same year it is founded, due to a national financial panic, but is saved by two alumni who raise $30,000 from abolitionists in England. |
1845: Membership in the Association becomes automatic for all graduates of the Collegiate Department. But the By-laws provide that “if any member shall become decidedly immoral, he shall be expelled by the Association.” |
1904: In October, the Volume 1, No. 1 issue of the Oberlin Alumni Magazine is published by the Union Library Association, which is separate from the Alumni Association and the College. |
1919: A committee of 15 is appointed to plan the reorganization of the Alumni Association. Proposals for the reorganization demand a complete divorcing of the Alumni Association from resident College control. |
1920: President King approves of the reorganization in the May issue of the Oberlin Alumni Magazine. The modern Alumni Association begins with the Annual Meeting on June 15, when the Constitution presented by the committee of 15 is adopted unanimously.
|
1921: The Alumni Association takes over publication of the Alumni Magazine from the Union Library Association and the Oberlin Alumni Magazine Publishing Company. The magazine has 1,500 subscribers.
|
1923: The idea of annual giving for needy students is adopted – Oberlin is one of the first colleges to establish an annual fund to benefit needy students.
|
1933: The Distinguished Alumni Award is approved, and will be represented by a moderately sized medallion, designed by Frank Jerouch of Cleveland.
|
1938: The Alumni Association of Oberlin College is incorporated as a not-for-profit Ohio corporation. |
1957: The first Alumni Day is held April 18, to acquaint undergraduates with the existence and functions of the Association.
|
1971: The Alumni Association’s first woman President is elected.
|
1972: The first Association-sponsored tour is planned to countries of Western Europe. However, it’s later cancelled due to only six registrations. Fifteen departments of the College recommend 178 people for the new Academic Alumni in Service to Oberlin College (AASOC) Program, which had been in development for about two years. |
1974: The cluster reunion system is instituted. |
1984: The Oberlin Alumni Magazine is transferred from the Alumni Association to the Office of Communications. A Magazine Committee, composed of alumni with journalism backgrounds, is appointed to advise the editors.
|
1989: Oberlin Lambda Alumni is officially chartered by the Alumni Association of Oberlin College in 1989 as its first self-defined Affiliate Group. It is one of the oldest and largest such recognized groups in the United States. |
1998: A Distinguished Service Award is established by the Alumni Association to recognize exceptional service to the Alumni Association. OBIEWeb, the online alumni community, is launched.
|
2000: A Distinguished Achievement Award is established by the Alumni Association to recognize outstanding contributions and achievements that reflect Oberlin's values in a career field.
|
2004: The first ObieAdventures! Trip – a Colorado canoe trip on the Gunnison River – is organized by the Alumni Association. ObieAdventures! provides shorter, lower-cost and more rustic trips in North America for Oberlin alumni. |
2008: The Outstanding Young Alumni Award is established to recognize alumni who are 35 years or younger who have distinguished themselves in one or more of the following areas: professional career, service to humanity, and service to Oberlin College. |
