skip to content
The Spirit of '76 Comes to Juniata College
(Posted June 9, 2026)
Share this article:
Members of the Class of 1976 announce their historic gift.
Members of the Class of 1976 announce their historic gift.
The Class of 1976 makes historic legacy gift at 50th Reunion
HUNTINGDON, Pa. — With the 250th birthday of the United States, it’s a season for significant milestones and celebration. Juniata College marked 150 years since the College’s founding in 1876 with a series of special events over the past few months. Members of the Class of 1976 returned to campus this past weekend to celebrate their 50th reunion and, at a special dinner on Friday night, presented their 50th Class Reunion legacy gift.
The Class of 1976 raised a historic $13,780,519.76 to enhance many areas across the College. Each 50th Class Reunion legacy gift is a sustained commitment combining annual contributions and planned estate gifts over a period of time. A portion of the overall gift is directed to a special initiative, with the remainder directed toward scholarships, endowment, building projects, and general funding.
This year, a part of the Class of 1976 gift will specifically support two brick gateways on the campus, the existing gateway on Moore Street and a new gateway to be built at the entrance to campus where Cold Springs Road and College Avenue intersect. Plaques acknowledging the gift from the Class of 1976 will adorn the gateways that welcome visitors to Juniata College.
Class of 1976’s Legacy Gift committee chair Brad Sterl ’76 along with committee members Steve Holsinger ’76, Sam Sirianni ’76, and Elaine (Becker) Jones ’76 rallied their classmates to support this initiative, effectively doubling the Class’s traditional participation rate. Sterl, Holsinger, and Jones are all members of the College’s board of trustees.
When asked about the gift and why the class decided to go in this direction, Sterl said, “We never had a gateway before. It tells people coming to the college who we are and where we are.” Sterl emphasized the role the gateways will play in creating a good first impression for visitors. More than simply marking an entrance, the structures provide a "you have arrived" moment that signals to prospective students, families, alumni, and guests that they are welcome here.
At the celebratory dinner on Friday night, the Class revealed the amount with a clever ruse, adding a digit to the total amount and presenting an updated check to President Troha. A last-minute anonymous gift of $1,000,000 brought the total to over 13 million dollars.
In her remarks, Cindy (Gilbert) Clarke ’76, co-chair of the Class of 1976 50th Reunion Committee and member of the board of trustees, emphasized the gratitude that she and her classmates feel when they think about the years since their graduation: “Gratitude for the education that we received while we were here, that helped prepare us for our careers, that helped us learn to think for ourselves and be ready for change, and that prepared us for lives of service.” She went on to describe the gratitude for “the many friendships and relationships that we forged while here, many of which have endured and are being rekindled tonight.”
Elaine (Becker) Jones ’76, Cheryl (Dettmar) Stites ’76, and Cindy (Hill) Valko ’76 served as co-chairs with Clarke.
Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.