Commemorative benches honor loved ones

Nothing lasts forever, but some things can last a lifetime—or more.

The enduring legacy of a name, a memory, a relationship, friendships, a beloved pet—these things can be immortalized in different ways, and one way some alumni have chosen to honor them is through commemorative benches on campus.

It started with Derek ’77, M’97 and Carol Bowen ’78, alumni who met when she was a freshman member of Kappa Delta sorority and he was a sophomore member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, now married for almost 44 years.

Wanting to commemorate their time on the Hill, in early 2021 Carol Bowen reached out to the Development Office at LC about placing a bench on a spot at the edge of campus that held special significance to them.

“That place is where we would meet,” Derek Bowen said of the location where their bench sits. “It overlooked Pi Kap house at that time on Broad Street, and we’d sit there and study and talk. It was one of the main places to get away.”

The most recent bench debuted publicly on a frigid March morning as a group gathered on Caswell Plaza. Despite the chilly temperatures, the mood was warm as old classmates mingled. Current students also joined to watch as the Class of 1972 unveiled its memorial bench, a symbol of longstanding ties as peers and friends.

“We bonded at the dorms, sororities and fraternities, trips to Callaway— it was a lot of fun,” Debbie Mowery, co-chair for the Class of 1972 committee told the group of students gathered. “So, when you sit on our bench, with a friend or friends, hopefully, like so many of us, that person or persons will still be your friends 50 years later.”

If you would like to sponsor a bench at LaGrange College, you can go to www.lagrange.edu/bench or contact the LaGrange College Development Department at 706-880-8244 for more information.