Hillsdale Alumni Newsletter Archives

A President and His Students: Hillsdale’s Humble Beginning

With Founder’s Day approaching, we look back at the beginning of our beloved school that was founded on December 4. Five students and first president, Daniel McBride Graham, planted the seeds of an institution now 177 years old.

Victory Gardens, Air Raids, and Funerals: Reflections From Hillsdale’s 83-Year-Old Veteran Student

Frank “Tom” Thompson, ’24, is an 83-year-old veteran obtaining his degree in American history thanks to the Freedom Scholarship. Currently, 16 veteran students are on campus this fall earning their degrees after serving their country.

The Tale of 250 Letters: The Discovery

Dr. Tom Harvey, ’69, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English but spent many years working in banking and finance. His discovery of 250 letters from two of his ancestors, who served the Union Army in the Civil War, inspired him to write a book that educates readers from a unique perspective.

In the Community: Instilling the Good, the True, and the Beautiful at Home

Often behind the scenes in today’s society, two local stay-at-home moms, also Hillsdale alums, are instilling the good, the true, and the beautiful within the walls of their own homes.

Crunching Numbers and Swinging Rackets: Kim Zavislak, ’98

Hillsdale Alumna Kimberly Zavislak is a self-proclaimed “numbers person” who began playing tennis, the “lifetime sport,” at age 8. She reflects on her time at the College and the sport that played a big part of her Hillsdale experience.

Banners of White and Blue

Uniting students and alumni since 1937, “White and Blue,” a staple of every All-College Convocation, Commencement, choir concerts, and countless other campus events, reminds us why we love our “college halls” and “ivied walls.”

Hillsdale Alum Crowned Mrs. Universe

Growing up in the foster care system, Tori Petersen, ’18, has made it her mission to show foster youth that they have a voice and a purpose. The newly crowned Mrs. Universe sheds light on the broken system.

How Coming Home Should Be

“If we attended a good college, we want to go back, and we want to go back to when our eyes were opened.” – Dr. Franklin. After a summer away, we prepare to come back to the place that sets the foundation for the rest of our lives.

What Did You Do This Summer? Checking in with Alumni Faculty

Our Alumni Office summer intern, Brandt Siegfried, ’22, recently interviewed a handful of alumni professors at the College to learn more about their experiences as Hillsdale faculty and about how they’ve been spending their summer.

A Good Sport: Annual Sporting Clays Classic Remembers Alumnus Tom Klix

The annual Tom Klix Memorial Sporting Clays Classic returns October 16. In honor of Tom’s commitment to Hillsdale College and to shooting sports, Hillsdale is proud to rename its annual Sporting Clays Classic in his memory.

A Life-Changing Education: Lloyd Bond’s Career in Academia

Hillsdale alumnus Lloyd Bond, ‘64, says he never regretted turning down Stanford and Harvard for Hillsdale. On his way to Stanford, he received a call from Hillsdale that changed his trajectory in his education, professional career, and life.

Laying the Cornerstone

Fireworks, backyard barbecues, and parades characterize modern-day American Independence Day celebrations. But one particular Independence Day at Hillsdale College attracted thousands of people from miles around as they commemorated the laying of the cornerstone for the first building on the new campus rising from the pasture up the hill.