- by Renell Dixon
A Reunion for the Ages: Eminence ’81 Returns Home by the Sea
Some reunions bring people together. Others remind you exactly why you’ve stayed connected for 45 years.
Our 45th Reunion Weekend, May 8–11, 2026, was definitely the latter.
After months of planning, anticipation, phone calls, emails, countdowns, and more than a few reminders, the moment finally arrived. As classmates began making their way back to our beloved Home by the Sea, it didn’t take long for the years to melt away. Hampton hugs were plentiful, laughter came easily, and stories from our days “on the yard” resurfaced with remarkable detail—although we’ll leave it to individual classmates to decide just how accurate some of those stories were.
Back on the Yard
Saturday afternoon gave us a chance to experience a little of the Hampton of today with lunch in the University’s beautiful new cafeteria. It was quite the upgrade from the small and big cafés we remember, but one thing remained unchanged: there’s nothing quite like sharing a meal with your Hampton family.
Then came the class photo.
For a few wonderful moments, we weren't thinking about 45 years. We laughed, joked, posed, and played like the twenty-somethings who once walked that same campus. The cameras captured the photographs, but the real picture was one of friendship that has endured across decades.
Our class meeting that followed gave us an opportunity to recognize and thank those classmates who went Above and Beyond to help make our 45th Reunion so special. The moment was heartfelt and emotional. There were tears, words of gratitude, and a genuine appreciation for the people who gave their time, talent, energy, and love to bring this milestone celebration together.
And Then Came the BIG Check
Saturday evening brought the weekend's signature event: The Reunion Celebration Banquet at the Hampton Roads Convention Center.
And Eminence ’81 understood the assignment.
Seeing our classmates dressed to the nines and gathered together for this milestone was a moment in itself. But as the evening progressed and each reunion class began presenting its class gift, another emotion entered the room: anticipation.
Then it was our turn.
Class Leader Don Waldon and Co-Leader Lynda Brown took the floor and invited Treasurer Renell Dixon, Secretary Monique Neal, and Special Curator Rubie Britt-Height to join them at center stage.
There was excitement. There were nerves. There may have been a few heart palpitations.
And then came the reveal.
$528,000.
For a moment, the number seemed to hang in the air.
Then Eminence erupted.
We cheered. We screamed. We cried. We hugged. And then we celebrated some more. What felt like ten uninterrupted minutes of pure joy spread beyond our tables as others in the room joined in the excitement.
Thankfully, the moment was captured on video—because some celebrations deserve to be watched more than once.
More Than a Reunion
The $528,000 class gift was an extraordinary achievement, but perhaps the greatest gift of the weekend was simply us.
We came home to celebrate a reunion.
We left reminded of a legacy.
And somewhere between the Hampton hugs, the laughter, the tears, the class photo, and one very BIG check, Eminence ’81 made another memory for the ages.
To everyone who attended, contributed, planned, volunteered, donated, encouraged, and helped make our 45th Reunion possible—thank you.
And yes…
A time was most certainly had by all.
Photo Highlights
