"I tried hard not to twist his arm or pinch his leg too hard, but I was glad when he made his decision," said Wallace Easter II ’69 of his son, Wallace Easter III, who enrolled this year. "I remember Oberlin being more gray and rainy—it looks so distinguished now."

"I’m walking around campus, and I don’t recognize any of it," agreed Rebecca Rose ’77, whose son, Benjamin Purdon, is the first in a long line of Oberlin family members to enroll in the College instead of the Conservatory. "He said, ‘I’m not going to anyone’s alma mater,’" she recalled laughingly. "But he flew out here and loved it. I was pleasantly surprised."

Louise Wilkinson ’70, mother of Jennifer Wilkinson, shared Rose’s sentiments. "It would have been OK wherever she went, but I am just so proud that she chose Oberlin."

Alexander and Louise Cherry Wilkinson '70, with daughter Jennifer.
Wallace '69 and Margo Easter with son Wallace III
Marta Braiterman-Tanenbaum '72 and Rabbi Irwin Tanenbaum '69
Sylvia Berger and Richard Horvath '64 with daughter Stephanie Horvath
Photos: Rebecca Lammons '06

Following some words of welcome by Alumni Association Executive Director Midge Wood Brittingham ’60 and an overview of the Lewis Center by biology professor David Benzing, the audience was greeted by President Nancy S. Dye. "We’re delighted to have your children—and in some cases, your grandchildren—share in the Oberlin College experience," she said. "Sometimes I feel like I could walk into a crowded room and be able to identify the Oberlin graduates. There is an enormous amount of continuity in the values and outlooks of Oberlin alumni. To our new students, we’re so glad that you chose Oberlin, and parents, that you’ve entrusted us with your child’s education."

This year’s legacies increased by nine from last year. Joining the Class of 2007 are: Lauren Abendschein (Edward ’70 and Deborah Marcus Abendschein ’70); Gregory Anderson (Paula Shilton ’74 and Douglas Anderson ’72); David Arnold (David Arnold ’54); Nicholas Aszling (Sheila Weber ’66 and Philip Aszling ’65); Maya Bajak (Frank Bajak ’79); Joseph Broadus (James Broadus ’69); Bruce Comings (Prudence Turner Richards ’70, Sidney Comings ’69, and Richard Richards ’65); Anthony Contrada (Amy Mann Contrada ’72); Wallace Easter III (Wallace Easter II ’69); Mika and Saya Ebbesen (Thomas Ebbesen ’76 and Masako Hayashi-Ebbesen ’76); Emily Feingold (Nancy Titler ’74); Lee Fogel (Ethan ’76 and Sari Nussbaum Fogel ’75); Jared Glenn (Jacqueline Bradley ’76 and Everett Glenn ’74); Hannah Godlove (Terry Godlove, Jr. ’77 and Gail Rubin ’77); Rachel Greenberg (William Greenberg ’64); Dina Hadziselimovic (Omer Hadziselimovic ’72); Adam Hanig (David Hanig ’76); Stephanie Horvath (Richard Horvath ’64); Wesley John-Alder (Kathleen John-Alder ’75); Maxine Laplan (Fred Kaplan ’76); Caribeth Klemundt (John Klemundt ’76 and Deborah Horowitz ’75); Sarah Klinkenberg (Wendy Tompkins ’70); Daniel Koehler (Laurie Hardwig Koehler ’76); Diana Leitner (Yoram Leitner ’73 and Cathy Woodring ’73); Montgomery Lobe (Robert Lobe ’67); Sara Maguire (Gene Maguire ’60); Etienne Manderscheid (Robert Manderscheid ’77); Kimberley Meinert (Georgia Yuan ’75); Katharine Mellman (Ira Mellman ’73); Amy Oelsner (Leslie Berman ’73 and Geoffrey Oelsner ’71); Emily Palmer (Henry Palmer ’66); Micah Peterson (Vanessa Jinwright ’79); Kamala Puligandla (Linda Okahara ’78 and Balaram Puligandla ’76); Benjamin Purdon (Rebecca Rose ’77); Jacob Rinaldi (Matthew Rinaldi ’69); Benjamin Rowland (Julia Howe Rowland ’71); Seth Samuel (Donald Samuel ’75 and Melissa Greene ’75); John Shaw (Frank ’76 and Ruth Geyer Shaw ’75); Leora Tanenbaum (Marta Braiterman-Tanenbaum ’72 and Irwin Tanenbaum ’69); Jonah Teitelbaum (Jessica Weiss ’73); Jocelyn Thomas (Brian Thomas ’63); Samuel Vanderpol (Dolph Vanderpol ’72); Maya Walton (David Walton ’77); David Wessels (Michael Wessels ’74); Jennifer Wilkinson (Louise Cherry Wilkinson ’70); Malik Woods (Clyde Woods ’79); Haley Zernich (Milas ’72 and Judith Haskell Zernich ’72).