College of Human Sciences hosts Golden Eagles celebration for 1974 graduates and prior

It was a golden reunion the morning of Aug. 16 for several College of Human Sciences alumni from years past as they made their way back to the campus they once called home more than 50 years ago.

A breakfast honoring the Golden Eagles, which consists of 1974 graduates and prior, was a celebration and time for College of Human Sciences alumni to reconnect, learn of future updates and recent achievements from the college and reminiscence on fond memories of their time on The Plains.

For many, it was their first time stepping foot into the new world-class Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center and home to the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management where the breakfast was held. Opening its doors in the fall of 2022, the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center certainly was not around for these returning alumni, but it is a wonderful example of how far the College of Human Sciences has come and speaks to the growth of the college overall.

Many alumni recalled their favorite places to eat or visit, discussed how the landscape of campus has changed and much more while listening to an update on the College of Human Sciences from Dean Susan Hubbard. Hubbard addressed several positive initiatives happening across the college, emphasizing the steady growth as one of the main bright spots when addressing the Golden Eagles attendees at the breakfast.

“Over the last 20 years, Human Sciences has grown 51%, and when you think about the landscape across the country where many of our peer institutions are struggling with enrollment, Auburn is not,” Hubbard said. “We are excited to welcome about 340 new freshmen to the College of Human Sciences this year, another record high, as that is a 20% increase over the incoming freshmen class last year and 38% over the last five years.”

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Much of the growth comes with the addition of the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, along with the establishment of a new department and new offerings across the many diverse fields of study in the College of Human Sciences over the past five years.

Visionary leadership over the years in Human Sciences has contributed to the growth while creating a strong foundation of highly impactful faculty and staff.

Family and child development 1973 alumna Blanche Spinks, who attended the Golden Eagles celebration for the first time, spoke highly of the late Dean June Henton, who guided the college for 34 years before retiring in 2019.

“My favorite memory was June Henton when she was my professor and working at the Child Studies Center,” Spinks said. “What I learned at the Child Studies Center has helped me my entire life. It has helped me with my own children, it helped me when I taught school, and it’s helped me when I taught Sunday School. What June taught me about her positive approach to working with children, it was truly life changing.”