Boston & New York Reunions

The Warden, Robert Hannigan CMG, and Director of Development, Julie Hage, travelled across the atlantic to warmly reunite with alumni at two receptions. The first, in Boston, was hosted by George Davitt (Law, 1980, Worcester) and generously sponsored by Foundation Fellow John McCall MacBain (Law, 1980). The second, in New York, was generously hosted by Fiona Schaeffer (Law, 1993).

Robert and Julie were delighted to see so many alumni attend who continue to speak of the enduring impact of the College on their lives - in some cases, decades after leaving. And as the receptions demonstrated, the impact is not merely the legacy of a world-class education but in the current, living reality of a Wadham that continues to bring people together and change the world for the better.

As well as catching up with dear friends, the reunions provided an opportunity for the Warden to thank our US alumni for their extraordinary generosity to the College, and to share Wadham's vision for the years ahead. In a time of great challenge for institutions in higher education, the Warden spoke of the need for new thinking and a willingness to break with the status quo - an attitude traceable to our foundress herself. Dorothy Wadham walked unpopular paths, finding nuance in her religious views when the world wanted to box her into simple labels, and showing leadership discouraged by her gender.

If we can tap into the strength sown within Wadham's DNA, the College should be well equipped to safeguard our unique but costly tutorial teaching model. As AI and misinformation threaten our societies, the Oxford teaching model has something vital to offer, and the Warden presented the College’s ambitious plans to secure the financial foundations to protect this unique educational model for future generations.

Robert and Julie extend a heatfelt thank you to all who attended and hope that despite the ocean inbetween, many will be able to make it to Wadham for events in the future.