Hundreds of alumni at Wheaton College this weekend

Haiti Ambassador Raymond Joseph and his class of 1960 classmates aren't the only alumni visiting Wheaton College this weekend.

In fact, hundreds of alumni are on campus along with thousands of parents and students for a variety of graduation and class reunion activities. It's all part of the college's longtime "Alumni Weekend" tradition.

"The young people can see the alumni walking around and the alumni can get a feeling for student life," said Cindra Stackhouse Taetzsch, the college's director of alumni relations. "I think there's something about those generations connecting. It's really inspiring for everybody."

Alumni Weekend kicked off Friday night with a "Festival of Faith" concert at Edman Memorial Chapel.

Saturday's festivities include the Sesquicentennial Luncheon at King Arena. Wayne Gordon, the founding pastor of Lawndale Community Church in Chicago, will be honored by the school with its Alumnus of the Year award during the event.

Gordon, who graduated from Wheaton College in 1975, was founding president of the Lawndale Christian Development Corp., which has rehabbed more than 400 units of abandoned housing and helps low-income families buy homes.

While commencement services are planned for Saturday and Sunday, about 800 past alumni and their families are hosting eight reunions at the Wheaton campus. Classes celebrating reunions range from the class of 1945 to the class of 1980, including a 50-year anniversary for the class of 1960.

Ambassador Joseph and other members of Wheaton College's "Centennial Class" graduated from the school when it turned 100 years old. Many went on to become authors, missionaries, physicians and college professors. Notable members of the class include Bill Pollard, a former chairman and CEO of ServiceMaster, and Bob Ralston, who was the principal keyboardist for TV band leader Lawrence Welk.

Ray Carlsen, a member of the class of 1960, credits the quality of the education Wheaton College provides.

"The college is an amazingly competitive school," Carlsen said. "It's a Christian college, but it's also one that has very high academic standards."