Bow Tie Bash Celebrates Durdens
Durden greets guests during the bash's cocktail reception.
More than 400 Dickinsonians from around the globe gathered on campus to celebrate William G. ’71 and Elke Durden’s 14 years of leadership, service and dedication to Dickinson at the Bow Tie Bash, Saturday, May 4. Featuring a video tribute; a poetry reading; speeches from alumni, students and staff; and even a sing-along, the event celebrated the college’s “revolutionary rise” during Durden’s tenure, highlighting significant gains in admissions, academics, finance, alumni engagement, national stature and sustainability.
“Bill’s unending energy, focus and passion for the college are in evidence everywhere you look,” said Board of Trustees Chair Jennifer Ward Reynolds ’77, who served as emcee for the festivities. “Our school is now recognized as one of the best liberal-arts schools in the country.”
Other speakers included Sam Rose ’58, whose generous support of Dickinson during Durden’s tenure includes roughly $10 million in scholarships aimed at increasing diversity and the lead gift to establish the Durden Athletic Training Center; Andrew Chesley '13, Student Senate president; and Neil Weissman, provost and dean of the college.
Kendra Kopelke, who penned the poem "Striding Across the Diagonal" for Durden's inauguration, honored Durden with a second poem to celebrate his tenure. Recalling how he'd told her he never wanted to be memorialized in a presidential portrait, Koepelke delivered a reading of "Unportrait of a Sitting President," which playfully struggled to capture Durden's essence in a series of dynamic images before finally settling on a "white, white wall."
The evening closed with a surprise performance by members of the Dickinson Collegium, who invited the audience to sing along on a modified version of "Danke Schoen." The performance gave the audience the opportunity to thank the Durdens for their service the college, while setting memorable moments from the last 14 years to the tune of the Wayne Newton classic.
Honored by all the adulation, the Durdens thanked the crowd and stressed that Dickinson's accomplishments have resulted not from their leadership but rather from the efforts of an engaged community of Dickinsonians working to move the college forward. "For Elke and me," Durden said, "this is most properly a celebration of you and all that you have done to bring our college to yet another level of engagement, recognition and energy—sheer energy."
Published May 7, 2013