Our Journal
Our Journal was the part of the alumnae site set aside for longer writing: stories, thoughts, memories, lessons, and the people who touched the writers' lives. Linda Buzzeo Best opened it on October 2, 2004 with a note on her book, inviting classmates to keep the college's story going now that its closing had separated them from it. What came in was uneven in length and mood: a class cat named Cliffe, a skirt on a tandem bike, a French teacher remembered as Aunt Lily, a letter to the class of 1954 from a woman who left in 1952. They are kept here as written and signed as the writers signed them.
These are our stories - our thoughts, our memories, the lessons we've learned, the people who have touched our lives.
What Would Sr. Petronilla Say?
Susan Wolfrom, class of 1979, writes with humor about Sr. Petronilla, her gratitude for the years on Mary Hill, and the recurring dreams in which Ladycliff survives.
ReadAlumnae journalMy Skirt and Tandem Bike Story
An alumna of the class of 1969 recalls a rented tandem bike, a dress code that forbade jeans, and a quick change that ended in a meeting with a resident adviser who was a nun.
ReadAlumnae journalCliffe, the Class Cat
An alumna of 1963 remembers hours spent watching the river and the winter a hungry tabby appeared at the window and became the class cat.
ReadAlumnae journalFrom a Member of the Class of 1969
A member of the class of 1969 thanks the site's founder, notes how busy lives broke up old friendships, and reports that she has retired to South Carolina.
ReadAlumnae journalFond Memories of Ladycliff
An alumna of the class of 1972 recalls joy, laughter and love among classmates and Sisters, and hopes the page helps old friends find one another again.
ReadAlumnae journalAlumnae Reflections: The 1940s and Highland Falls Today
Verna C. Bryant, class of 1945, describes a senior year with Hudson views from a porch, and Mabel Callahan Galu explains how a gazebo came to Ladycliff Park.
ReadAlumnae journalTo the Class of 1954
A member of the class of 1954 who left in 1952 hopes to hear from former classmates and mentions a search for Anne Pace, whose sister graduated in 1952.
ReadAlumnae journalA Son's Journey to Learn about Ladycliff
A son researching his mother's years at Ladycliff lists her family, says she graduated in 1936, and offers photographs of classmates and Sisters to anyone interested.
ReadAlumnae journalAbout Sister Marion Fitzgibbons
A niece recalls visiting her aunt, a nun who taught French at Ladycliff, and finds old pictures of the cafeteria where the family used to eat.
ReadApril 12, 2018A Letter from Mabel Callahan Galu '59
Mabel Callahan Galu, class of 1959, writes to fellow graduates about the board that plans the annual luncheon and about the classes whose addresses are missing.
ReadApril 13, 2018Laurel K. Kessler-Quinones: The Last Freshman Class
A member of the last freshman class recalls the news that the college would close, the students' effort to save it, and a return visit to a campus that had changed.
ReadApril 17, 2018Barbara Gillis Weber '66: Planning the 50th Reunion
An alumna of the class of 1966 writes in 2015 that her classmates are planning a 50th anniversary reunion and asks anyone from her years at Ladycliff to respond.
ReadGuestbookGuestbook
A long run of guestbook entries in which alumnae, former students and relatives share memories of Ladycliff, announce reunions and look for lost classmates.
ReadA few questions
What is the journal section?
It is the part of the Ladycliff archive that holds personal pieces by alumnae and former students. They write about campus life, teachers and Sisters, dorm rules, reunions and friends, as memories rather than official history.
Can new memories be submitted?
No. This site is an independent reading archive restored from Wayback Machine captures of the former alumnae website. It is not the association and does not accept submissions, so the journal is kept as a record to read.