Dear Classmates & Milne Alumni,

The recent sad news of the passing of the University at Albany's president, Kermit Hall, has an impact on us through our connection with Page Hall and the Milne buildings. We will have to see what happens as time goes on. The University calls what we knew as Milne "The Downtown Campus," but for alumni, it's what many of us knew only as Milne for each of our six years, and it still remains the location of good memories.

We know Page Hall and the Milne buildings factor into the University's overall plan, but at a meeting on August 3rd with Judy Koblintz Madnick, 1961, Faith Meyer Sandles, 1959, Michael Boots, and Mary Johnson from the University, our Milne interests were specifically discussed.

According to Judy, here are the topics that were covered: The University mailing list, which no longer includes Milne alumni; the renovation of Page Hall; a Milne Scholarship award to a UAlbany School of Education student; display cases for Milne memorabilia; locating still-living former Milne supervisors; direct informational mailings to Milne alumni without e-mail addresses; public relations; and tours of the former Milne School buildings.

In response to this meeting, which I did not attend, I suggested we have a name for our interests and proposed The Milne Heritage Project as the name of the organization by our loosely organized Milne Alumni that will represent all University- and Milne-related activities. I also suggested a reframed wish list of projects and activities.

These unprioritized-as-yet activities include:

1) The future renovation of Page Hall and other Milne buildings.
2) A Milne School memorial plaque in the back of Page Hall, honoring the dates of the school and its mission.
3) Milne memorabila display cases, the location, as yet undecided.
4) An annual Milne Scholarship to the UAlbany School of Education.
5) A presentation event of the scholarship award at the next All-Milne Reunion Gala in 2010.
6) Honoring former Milne supervisors and teachers.
7) Honoring Milne Alumni of accomplishment and inspiration in a Hall of Fame presentation, also at the 2010 All Milne Reunion.
8) A direct mail program for those without e-mail addresses.
9) Tours of the Milne and Page Hall Buildings.
10) A public relations, promotion, and marketing plan coordinated with the University

This list is different than the Milne Alumni plans that developed the directories, the website, monthly newsletter, and ongoing enhancements and completion in these areas. If you are interested in additional information about the Milne Heritage Project, please contact me.

Judy asked me to ask you if you want a link attached to your name as it is listed in the Milne website directories. If someone wishing to contact you sees your name and clicks on it, a link to a blank e-mail with your e-mail address would automatically come up. All the class contacts that have agreed to be listed already have this working link. Judy can make it available to any Milne alumni with a working e-mail address. Please let her know through the website https://www.albany.edu/~milne/.

Judy has also added a message board to the website and also she is listing Milne alumni businesses with links.

We have been hearing from formerly lost alumni who have come across the Milne website through search engines and have contacted us.

After my 35th class reunion last month, where it was so wonderful to see so many of my old classmates again, I am back to completing the unpublished contact directory, which will have as much comprehensive and updated alumni contact information as possible. Please let me know if you have any change of address or know of missing classmates.

Best wishes to everyone in the Class of 1946 at their 60th Reunion in Albany next month. Jack Underwood and Ann Graham Carter are the organizers of this reunion.

I hope you are having a good summer.

Thank you for your responses to the newsletters.

Best wishes,

Mary Welch, '71

For contact information, see the Milne Alumni homepage: www.albany.edu/~milne/