Behold the March of the Geoducks Crossing the Horizon toward Olympia – including Matt Groening, Dan Tishman, Lynda Weinman

‘Return to Evergreen’ Gathers Prominent Greeners to Shine their Viridescence Upon the Olympia Campus Friday, May 18 through Sunday May 20; 40th Anniversary Celebration Brings Alumni from Across the Nation

On October 4, 1971, Evergreen's first president, Charles McCann, and the founding faculty of the college held the first day of classes for 1,178 new students. The following June, twenty-one of those students received their diplomas, becoming the Class of ’72, Evergreen's first graduates. 

Forty years later, with more than 40,000 alumni around the world, the campus is celebrating in Evergreen style and bringing Greeners home from across the world.

‘Return to Evergreen’ will include participation from Evergreen alumni leaders in business, social justice, politics, the environment, entertainment, and academia, including:

• Lynda Weinman ‘76, Cofounder and Executive Chair of lynda.com and author of the seminal book, Designing Web Graphics;.
• Matt Groening ‘77, creator of the longest running comedy in television history, “The Simpsons,” as well as the hit sci-fi comedy “Futurama;”
• Dan Tishman ‘77, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Chairman & CEO of Tishman Construction Corporation, and ardent environmentalist who helped rebuild One World Trade Center and WTC Towers 3 and 4 after the September 11 attacks;
• Craig Bartlett ‘81, children’s animator who created “Hey Arnold!” for Nickelodeon and the hit program “Dinosaur Train” for PBS;
• Joe Dear ‘76, Chief Investment Officer, California Public Employees Retirement System;
• Lindsey Bolger ‘91, Director of Coffee Sourcing and Relationships, Green Mountain Coffee;
• Matthew Frye Jacobson ‘81, Professor of American Studies at Yale University, Civil Rights Expert and Historian;
• John Stocks ‘81, Executive Director of the National Education Association;
• Kirsten Rowe-Finkbeiner ‘91, author, freelance journalist, consultant on environmental policy and political strategy, and Executive Director of Momsrising.org;
• Evergreen Presidents Thomas Les Purce, Dan Evans, Jane Jervis and Founding President Charles McCann;
• Speedy, the nation’s foremost mollusk mascot;
• And many other intellectual leaders who have shared the Evergreen spirit over these past 40 years.

‘Return to Evergreen’ provides a chance to reconnect with the Evergreen experience, rekindle old friendships, and make memorable new connections.

Greeners will present and participate in seminars, fishbowl seminars and panel discussions around big ideas: innovation, creativity, sustainability, social justice and more.  

Participants will tour the campus, dance on Red Square, enjoy wine tasting and share good times and good company to help celebrate a milestone in the history of The Evergreen State College and to move the college forward into its next exciting chapter.   

More than a hundred faculty, speakers and faculty emeriti have already registered to attend.  A complete list of presentations and speakers, and registration information is available online. Greeners, Greener enthusiasts, and friends are encouraged to learn more and register at www.evergreen.edu/40/return

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The Evergreen State College is a nationally recognized public liberal arts and sciences college known for its distinctive interdisciplinary curriculum, high level of student/faculty engagement and emphasis on putting learning into action. As an innovative public liberal arts college, Evergreen has always emphasized collaborative, interdisciplinary learning across significant differences. The academic community engages students in defining and thinking critically about learning. Evergreen is committed to social justice, diversity, environmental stewardship and service in the public interest. Its dedication to its mission is unwavering.