News & Events

The motto for Homecoming 2024 was “Once a Bulldog, Always a Bulldog,” and never has that statement been more true. Bulldog alums have been attending their reunions in record numbers and rallying their classmates to celebrate their 50th reunions and beyond! In September 2024, the Norfolk Academy Alumni Association hosted the 50th high school reunion for the Class of 1974. The party boasted record-breaking attendance because of the tremendous efforts of the Reunion Chairs, led by Susan Lampert Smith ‘74. More than 60 alums and attendees enjoyed dining together and perusing memorabilia pulled from the Norfolk Academy archives. 

The Alumni Association also celebrated a 65th Reunion party on campus for the first time since 1728. The Class of 1959, led by Reunion Chairs Beau Walker ‘59 and Zack Glasser ‘59, enjoyed a fabulous evening on the stage of Price Auditorium with a seated dinner, a slideshow of photos from their time at Norfolk Academy, and an impromptu piano performance of “Great Balls of Fire” and other 1950s and 1960s pop favorites played by Glasser. Walker shared that he started organizing class reunions because, “More than anything, my classmates wanted to reunite with fellow classmates and I wanted to reconnect with classmates I had not seen since 1959.” After being hired by John Tucker to work in Development, Walker organized the 40th reunion in 1999, and he has been the lead organizer of their class reunions ever since.

This October, the Classes of 1960 and 1965 both plan to hold dinners on campus as part of the larger 0’s and 5’s Reunions celebration. Norfolk Academy is enjoying the larger national trend of reunion classes celebrating together well beyond their 50th high school reunion. 

The Alumni Association has always celebrated Cornerstone Society classes - those classes that have celebrated a 50th reunion - with special events, luncheons, and lectures throughout the year. Most recently, the Cornerstone Society hosted a Lecture and Luncheon with New York Times best-selling author Andrew Lawler ‘79 in the spring of 2025, attracting a full house of interested, life-long learners. 

Dr. Larry F. Waldman wrote about the psychology of reunions in an article for Psychology Today, observing, “From age 65 on, we slow down, retire, and contemplate: ‘Did we love? Did we live? and Did we matter?’” Reunions offer the opportunity to answer those questions with a resounding, “Yes!”

The strength of Norfolk Academy reunions and Cornerstone events points to the powerful friendships that Bulldogs form during their time together. Our Cornerstone classes may have attended the Academy building on Newport Avenue and may not have gone to co-educational classes, but they still feel a deep connection to the modern Academy and to each other.

As Class of 2025 valedictorian Olivia Reid reminded everyone in her commencement speech, lasting friendships are the defining characteristic of the Norfolk Academy experience.

- Charlotte Zito '99, Director of Alumni Relations