GU Class of 1976 Turns 50-Year Reunion Into Lasting Gift

When members of Gonzaga University's Class of 1976 returned to campus last month, they came expecting a reunion. What they left with was a mission.

Gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation and their induction into the Gonzaga Gold Club, classmates reminisced about four years that unfolded during one of the most memorable eras in Gonzaga history. They shared stories about late-night adventures, lifelong friendships, concerts, campus traditions and the moments that defined an entire generation of Zags.

“The smiles and laughter were like we’d never left,” Sharon Cade said. “It was great to catch up on everyone’s stories, and we missed the folks who couldn’t make it.”

Then they decided to create something new.

During the reunion dinner program, members of the class challenged themselves to raise $3.5 million over the next five years, inviting every classmate to join them in a collective act of gratitude for the institution that helped shape their lives.

The pledge reflects something many in the class have believed for decades: Gonzaga gave them far more than a degree.

The goal includes every type of giving: annual gifts, retirement account distributions and planned estate gifts. Every donor chooses the Gonzaga program or priority that matters most to them. It's fitting for a class that has always done things together.

“Watching the Class of 1976 reunite was a beautiful reminder of what makes Gonzaga so special,” said Kara Hertz, AVP Alumni & External Relations. “The stories, laughter, and lifelong friendships shared during the reunion reflected the lasting impact of a Gonzaga education. Their ambitious commitment to support Gonzaga's future is truly a Zag effort! We are so grateful.”

A campus, and a world, that looked very different

When these students first arrived on campus in the fall of 1972, Gonzaga was a much smaller university. There were no smartphones. No laptops. No internet. Pay phones hung on every residence hall floor. Students walked across campus and between residence halls that felt much farther apart than they do today.

"There were very few bikes," classmates recalled at the reunion. "A few cars. We walked everywhere."

Those four years unfolded against a backdrop of enormous national change.

As freshmen in 1973, many of the men anxiously watched the last U.S. military draft lottery, wondering what their futures might hold. Residence halls even organized draft pools based on lottery numbers. One classmate won after drawing No. 4, a number that almost certainly would have meant military service only a few years earlier. In the end, no one from that lottery was called.

Spokane welcomed the world during Expo '74, transforming the city just steps from campus. Students watched their hometown become an international destination almost overnight.

Memories only Zags would understand

Ask members of the Class of 1976 what they remember most, and the stories come quickly.

• Freshman orientation featured a concert by John Denver, who performed on campus before going on to become one of America's biggest musical stars.
• Campus Ministry served as the spiritual heartbeat of student life, with many students participating in the annual overnight pilgrimage to Idaho's historic Cataldo Mission.
• Creative Arts Forums brought nationally recognized artists and speakers to campus several times each year.
• Students crowded into KZAG radio broadcasts, danced to performances by The Rancid Band, cheered on a nationally ranked debate team and celebrated an undefeated women's basketball team during their senior year.
• The newly established ceramics program—introduced during their junior year—would become the foundation for today's thriving visual arts offerings.

Some traditions were a little less official. There were legendary streakers. A handful of adventurous classmates climbed to the tops of St. Aloysius Church's towering crosses more than once. Students searched endlessly for coveted Waikiki housing assignments. Many still remember Packie's onion rings, the calzones served near the Bulldog Tavern and gathering in the open chapel inside College Hall. Spring meant mushball tournaments featuring faculty and students. The Hawaiian Club was one of campus's most active student organizations.

And everyone knew Lake Arthur, and the Spokane River, were completely off limits.

"Nobody was supposed to go anywhere near them," classmates laughed.

One unforgettable Sunday morning with Bing

Among all the stories shared during the reunion, perhaps none captured the spirit of the class quite like one memory from October 20, 1974. That Sunday morning, students living on the third floor of DeSmet Hall noticed unusual activity outside Crosby Library.

Standing below were Bing Crosby, his wife Kathryn, outgoing president Rev. Richard Twohy, S.J., incoming president Rev. Bernard Coughlin, S.J., and several university dignitaries gathered for Father Coughlin's inauguration as Gonzaga's 23rd president.

Several students, including roommates Mike Fox ('76) and Buzz Rettig ('77), stepped onto the DeSmet fire escape for a better view. Soon classmates from neighboring rooms joined them. Then someone had an idea.

The students launched into an enthusiastic, if admittedly off-key, rendition of "White Christmas."

"Bing looked up, broke into a wide smile and gave us a warm wave and a tip of his hat," Fox recalls. "The dignitaries below responded with a standing ovation—which, as we noted at the time, was impressive given that they were already standing."

None of them realized they were witnessing history.

"We were terrible," Fox said. "It didn't matter."

Just three years later, Bing Crosby passed away while on a golf trip in Spain. That October morning became the last time Gonzaga's most famous alumnus ever visited campus. More than five decades later, classmates still remember every detail.

Science, curiosity and a little myth-busting

Not all of the Class of 1976's memories centered on campus traditions. Some classmates were making headlines of their own.

In 1975, five Gonzaga undergraduates earned a National Science Foundation grant to investigate Kirlian photography, a phenomenon that had fascinated paranormal enthusiasts since the late 1930s. Some claimed the eerie electrical images revealed a person's soul or "life force."

After spending the summer conducting experiments at Gonzaga, the student researchers reached a far less mystical conclusion. The glowing aura, they found, wasn't evidence of the supernatural at all—it simply reflected the amount of water contained in the photographed object.

"Dr. Nakamaye was our faculty sponsor for our NSF research grant on Kirlian photography,” said John Robinson. “He gave us just the right amount of encouragement and supervision.  My contact with Dr. Nak didn't end there. Both of my sons also went to Gonzaga and took chemistry from him.  I will always be grateful for the teaching and guidance that he gave all of us."

The research earned national attention and offered a fitting example of Gonzaga students doing what they still do today: asking hard questions, following the evidence and letting curiosity lead the way.

Gonzaga's lasting influence

Looking back, members of the Class of 1976 have watched nearly every aspect of life transform. They entered college before personal computers, email, cell phones and social media. Many built careers that spanned remarkable technological and cultural change. They raised families, launched businesses, served communities and watched Gonzaga itself evolve from a regional Jesuit university into a nationally recognized institution. Yet walking across campus this summer, many found something familiar beneath all the changes.

The friendships remained. The values remained. The sense of belonging remained. Their reunion wasn't simply about celebrating the past; it became an opportunity to invest in Gonzaga's future.

That's why classmates chose to issue a challenge to one another.

Their collective goal of raising $3.5 million isn't about a single project or campaign. Instead, each donor can support the Gonzaga program or area that has meant the most to them, with every gift counting toward the class's shared commitment.

“We all came back to Spokane to see old friends and to check out campus,” Mike Fox said.  “When the weekend was over, we regretted not having more time to do both, but more importantly we had a sense that as a class we can continue to make an impact at GU.”

It's one chapter in a story that began more than 50 years ago, when a group of students arrived on campus carrying backpacks instead of laptops, memorizing phone numbers instead of storing contacts, and walking across Gonzaga with dreams they could scarcely imagine.

Today, they're still walking together. Only now, they're helping ensure future generations of Zags can begin journeys of their own.

The Class of ’76 has lived their lives in the spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola "Go forth and set the world on fire." Their influence on Gonzaga will continue for years to come.