The Goodyear Family (pictured here with Elizabeth, Chip '80, Linda, Charlie '55, Adelaide '18, and Charlie '16) has a number of connections to Yale. But Charlie ’55, Chip ’80, and Charlie ’16 are not only graduates, they have served the university in a variety of ways, including as reunion gift volunteers. We asked them to talk about why they volunteered and what their service was like during the pandemic.
Charlie ’55, volunteer service is clearly important in your family. Was this something you consciously instilled in your son and grandson?
My mother’s extensive volunteer service throughout her life with a number of local and national organizations (Red Cross, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, church, etc.) inspired my interests and I passed them on to my family.
Chip ’80, you hold a number of volunteer roles at Yale, including as a trustee. How has serving on your prior reunion gift committees been important to you?
The reunion gift committee is a great way to reconnect with your classmates, share stories of the prior five years (or 40 years!) and talk about what is happening on campus. Many Yale graduates keep in touch with their friends but don’t often have a chance to get back to campus. The changes over the years have been incredible. The talented, diverse students from all over the world, the amazing physical plant, the transformed New Haven community and, of course, the incredible faculty tell a story of a special place where connections and innovation come together in a dynamic world.
Charlie ’16, what have you learned as a first-time reunion gift co-chair this year? What advice, if any, from your father and grandfather helped prepare you for this role?
This did not come as a particular surprise to me, but over the course of the committee's work, I have garnered an even greater appreciation for the industriousness, character, and generosity of my classmates. Everyone from the Class of 2016 seemed to chip in, whether through organizing the reunion or contributing in other ways to our class gift. It is excellent to see that our cohort's Yale spirit has remained strong since graduation.
My dad and grandfather each set good examples for me, while also offering the same advice: to be radically mindful of your classmates. Everyone has different circumstances and interests – especially these days – and these couldn't be ignored when considering giving back to Yale.
Each of your reunion gift campaigns were affected by the pandemic in different ways. Can you talk about how the pandemic affected your reunion gift efforts? Was it easier or harder to make the case to support Yale among your peers?
Charlie ’55: I was co-chair of the gift committee for the 60th and 65th Reunions. For the 60th, the expectation of gathering for reunion (“We’ll see you in New Haven”) provided an incentive for prospects to give and solicitors to be more enthusiastic about their job. For the 65th Reunion effort, we lacked the benefits that accrue from the reunion in New Haven itself and in-person committee meetings. Staff interactions and meetings with prospects all were conducted via conference calls, email and telephone instead of face-to-face. However, in the end, we raised more than $14 million for Yale, exceeding our original goal by more than $1 million.
Chip ’80: There is no doubt the pandemic changed everyone’s world and Yale and the reunion activities were no different. Yale did an amazing job in the pandemic, but it did change life as we knew it and the need to cancel the in-person reunions were an understandable consequence. The fact that people were at home made connections easier, but there were many conflicting requests for resources, so my sense is that it did impact classmates’ ability to support the school. However, the class still had an excellent result for its 40th Reunion Gift and, overall, Yale had a record year for giving.
Charlie ’16: The pandemic forced the majority of the Class of 2016's reunion planning online, as it did most things. Zoom became our most useful organizing tool. I personally found that the pandemic made it easier to make a case to potential donors: financial aid is needed by many current students, now more than ever. My class is a generous bunch and they rose to the occasion.
In what ways have you been able to stay connected to your Yale College classes in this remote environment?
Chip ’80: The pandemic required people to change their routines and, as a result, gave people more time to connect with their friends. The technical innovations like Zoom made “face-to-face” connections easy. So I utilized Zoom to reach out to my classmates and arrange group discussions that previously had only been possible during reunions.
Charlie ’16: The pandemic actually prompted me to become better at staying in touch with certain classmates. I had lost touch with a few friends, but the beginning of public health measures made me decide to reach out to them and hear how things have been since graduation. I've come to call this a "quarantine resolution."
If your reunions could have been held in person in New Haven, what places on campus would you have visited? What activities would you have done?
Charlie ’55: Woolsey Hall and Davenport College would top my list. In addition to the usual social gatherings, our reunions included presentations by Yale professors, a memorial service, and classmate panels that always featured David McCullough ’55, the famous author.
Chip ’80: During reunions we always arrange a dinner at Mory’s for about 10 classmates and spouses. We also hold a big lunch for all the classmates that were on the heavyweight, lightweight and women’s crews. A visit to Sterling Library, a walk up Hillhouse and a trip to Old Campus are favorite activities on reunion weekend. Also, the seminars on Saturday morning are always interesting and thought provoking.
Charlie ’16: I'd have gone to Rudy's on Chapel Street, walked through Pierson again, and probably toured through Old Campus.
What is your favorite Yale memory?
Charlie ’55: Three years in Davenport College with my five suitemates in what was known as the “Pink Pig Room.”
Chip ’80: My favorite memories of Yale are related to activities with classmates. Whether it was meals in Commons, rowing with the crew, going to Mory’s and Rudy’s, Calhoun Happy Hour or social club events at the residential colleges on the weekends, they all involved spending time with our classmates.
Charlie ’16: My favorite Yale memory involves my suitemates, whom I lived with throughout my undergraduate years. On graduation night, we went to Old Campus and did our best to smoke loose-leaf tobacco using the traditional clay pipes given to us by the College to smash underfoot. The pipes, as it turned out, did not work well as pipes at all. Nevertheless, it was a nice final night with my closest friends, which reminded me of countless others that had come before it.
Charlie ’55 and Charlie ’16, with 66 years between your time at Yale, what are the most noticeable ways that life on campus has changed? And what parts of the Yale experience have stayed the stayed the same?
Charlie ’16: The greatest impression I get from my grandfather is that though the student body has changed considerably, he thinks the spirit around campus and between the students has remained the same. Yale has done a great job sharing its unique benefits with a wider, more representative group of scholars.
Charlie ’55: There were no computers or cell phones. There was more focus on fun and less stress. Same excellent education and relationships with classmates.
Looking forward, what hopes do you have for Yale?
Chip ’80: Yale should continue to be a complete education. While the academics are the centerpiece, it is a place for sharing and learning and that goes far beyond the classroom. I always say that I probably learned 75% of what I learned at Yale outside the classroom. It’s about the people you meet, the experiences you share, learning to listen, getting along with others who are different from you, participating in constructive dialogues, benefiting from the opportunity to learn from successes and mistakes and the opportunity to learn and apply “critical thinking.” In short, it should always be a place that allows you to make a positive difference, however you want to define it.
Charlie ’16: I hope Yale will continue to take advantage of its existing history and traditions, while appreciating that new ones must be created.
