1908: First alumni magazine is published

IN JUNE 1908 the first issue of The Washington Alumnus arrived in UWAA members’ mailboxes. Created to foster fellowship among the University’s graduates and to provide them with information needed to advocate for the UW, the earliest issues addressed what would become familiar themes: the need for effective alumni representation in the Legislature and Board of Regents, stories about campus happenings and commentary on the performance of the UW’s athletics programs.

Twice in the years since then, the magazine ceased publication entirely—during World War I and in the mid-1930s—only to be revived each time. For most of these years it was published by the UW Alumni Association and sent only to UWAA members. In 1989, the magazine was redesigned, its circulation expanded and the name changed to Columns. In 2019, the publication rebranded and expanded into University of Washington Magazine.

1920: Homecoming becomes annual celebration

THE UWAA’S FIRST ATTEMPT AT HOMECOMING took place in 1914. Featuring a reception for alumni and a football victory for the Huskies (against what was then Washington State College), the first Homecoming would be the last for several years, as concerns over the growing war in Europe put a damper on festivities. Once the war was over, the 1918 influenza pandemic shut campus down for the autumn term. It was not until 1920 that a fall Homecoming was again held, to commemorate the opening of the new Husky Stadium.

Even though the team fell to Dartmouth that day, Homecoming was considered a great success for UW alumni. In the years to follow, Homecoming would become a high point of the autumn term with student celebrations and alumni returning to reconnect to their alma mater.

1936: Support sends crew team to the Olympics

IN 1936, THE UW VARSITY 8 CREW TEAM EMBARKED ON AN UNLIKELY QUEST for Olympic gold, and they needed alumni help to get there. Alumni support for the crew team began as early as 1908, when the first appeals appeared in The Washington Alumnus. By the 1930s, the UWAA was regularly raising funds for the crew team to compete against elite squads from powerhouses like Columbia, Cornell and Penn at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In 1936, the Huskies would continue on to Princeton for the Olympic trials. It was only after their come-from-behind victory at the trials that legendary coach Al Ulbrickson learned there was a catch: the American Olympic Committee was out of money. The team would have to pay its own way.

With only a week to come up with $5,000 or lose their spot to another team, alumni appealed to civic leaders to help garner support. At the time, Seattle had no professional sports teams; Seattle’s team was the Huskies, and despite the lingering effects of the Great Depression, the entire community united behind them. The money—much of which was gathered 50 cents at a time from thousands of supporters—was on its way east in two days, and the Huskies won the gold in a stunning victory over strongly favored Germany. To this day, alumni support has been vital to the success of student athletes and the Husky athletic program.

1936-64: UWAA takes a stand

WHEN R. BRONSDON “CURLY” HARRIS took the reins of the UWAA in 1936, the organization was struggling. The lingering effects of the Great Depression meant ever fewer dues-paying members. The Washington Alumnus had suspended publication for more than a year, apparently due to lack of funds. With youthful enthusiasm (he was not yet 30 years old), Harris set to work.

Using alumni lists compiled from commencement programs, Harris crossed the state to reconnect alumni to the UW. When the Washington State Legislature was in session, he would go off the University payroll to lobby for the University. He stabilized the UWAA’s finances and oversaw its incorporation into an independent nonprofit with a mission to serve the UW and higher education in the state of Washington. Curly Harris’ service to the university and the UWAA would continue for close to 30 years, by which time the UW was well on its way to becoming the world-renowned center for teaching and research it is today.

1966: Community begins The Alumni Fund

AS THE BABY BOOM GENERATION BECAME COLLEGE-AGED, the University had to scramble to construct new buildings for housing and classrooms to keep up with demand. Keeping college affordable for students was becoming an increasing challenge. At the same time, the UWAA was at a crossroads, seeking new ways to support the UW.

UWAA officers, regional alumni club volunteers and alumni who held no office but who cared deeply about the UW met with University representatives in 1964 for what has come to be known as the Alderbrook Congress. Some of the principles to come out of the Congress were rededications to closely-held ideals, like the notion that the UWAA was for all alumni in service to the UW, not just members. Others were confirmations that recently-started programs would continue and be strengthened, such as the UWAA’s forays into public lectures and other lifelong learning opportunities.

Most radical was the decision to engage in a systematic and continuing program of fundraising in support of the UW, an effort that came to be known as The Alumni Fund. The UWAA had engaged in fundraising before, but The Alumni Fund was the first effort towards building a sustained base of private support for the University across a broad audience. It underscored not just the University’s need of the alumni community, but also the commitment and dedication of alumni to the University.

Learn more at  UW Magazine 

1975: Public lectures bring alumni to campus

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE TO EMERGE FROM THE ALDERBROOK CONGRESS was “[taking] the University to the people and bringing the people to the University.” That commitment to access to the UW for all bore fruit in 1975, when the UWAA and the History Department joined together to launch a series of public lectures.

UW history professor Giovanni Costigan, inaugural recipient of the UWAA’s Distinguished Teaching Award, was a popular figure among students and alumni. When he reached mandatory retirement age, the UWAA joined with the History Department to seek a way for Costigan to continue teaching, and, more importantly, provide an opportunity for the community to return to campus and continue to learn. They found their answer in a series of evening lectures, open to the community.

His lectures were so popular, Costigan came back again the following year and every year for the next 15 years, bringing thousands to campus for learning and discovery. Costigan’s legacy continues today with public lectures presented across our campuses.

1995: Multicultural Alumni Partnership promotes diversity

RECOGNIZING THE CRITICAL NEED TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURAL UNDERSTANDING within the UWAA and UW community, UWAA leaders and alumni volunteers formed the Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) in 1995. MAP volunteers collaborate with UW partners to help students, faculty and alumni from diverse or disadvantaged backgrounds to reach their full potential. MAP supports a wide range of campus and community programs and services, including registered multicultural student organizations.

MAP’s Bridging the Gap Breakfast was one of the UW’s largest gatherings of multicultural alumni, friends and supporters and reinforces the UW’s commitment to access and affordability for all students. Held each year on Homecoming Saturday, the Breakfast raises money for student scholarships for underrepresented students and honored alumni who have made a positive impact on their communities. In 2004 MAP partnered with the UWAA and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity to produce Viewpoint magazine, the twice-yearly publication which tells the stories and profiles of UW students, faculty and alumni who make a difference in their communities.

2010: UW Impact advocates for higher ed

IN THE FACE OF DECLINING STATE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT for higher education, the UWAA established UW Impact. Supported by member dues, UW Impact works to increase understanding of the role the UW plays in the state of Washington, the nation and the world and to provide opportunities for individuals to communicate this value to their elected officials and friends. Since 2010, UW alumni and friends have sent more than 10,000 messages to state legislators through the UW Impact website.

In addition to garnering grassroots support from thousands of members, UW Impact has been building a district-by-district network of active and engaged advocates.  UW Impact advocates, called “District Dawgs,” attend town hall meetings, host community conversations and build relationships with their elected officials.  UW Impact is joined in its mission by higher education advocacy networks at Western Washington University and Washington State University.  In 2013, for the first time two decades, the State Legislature passed a budget that reinvests in public higher education and freezes resident undergraduate tuition at its current rate for two years.  With UWAA member support, UW Impact is committed to maintaining the trend of state reinvestment for years to come.