09/07/2026
It’s SRD “Sunday” Story Time cause we had to let the first game of the season have Saturday. Moving right along to next weekend—the SRD Alumni Reunion! Here’s a little story about the very first one, planned by Alumni Kathy Keils. She is pictured here with the pianist she hired to entertain that day. We are so thankful she started this tradition and cannot wait to see everyone next weekend!
Alumnae Association and SRD Reunion 1990
I lived in SRD from 1976-1980. When I lived in SRD, I had many friends in the staff and stayed in touch with them after graduation by stopping by when I was in Austin. I returned to live in Austin in 1990. A month before I returned I stopped by to talk with the staff, and Mrs. Adele Millen (SRD Administrator, 1983–91) and Mr. Roy Mulholland (President of the SRD Board of Directors) asked me to start an Alumnae Association.
Note: Mr. Mulholland had been on the Board for some time and was on the Board when I lived in SRD. In 1990 SRD was only 40% to 50% occupied. I agreed to get an Alumnae Association started and have a reunion that coming football season. I had no idea what I had signed on for. I asked what the budget was and was told there
was no budget, but I had to clear things through Mrs. Millen and Mr. Mulholland.
I moved to Austin in June and started researching on July 4, 1990. That July 4th my options were to start the SRD research or go to a Willie Nelson picnic. I opted for airconditioning. I got all the rosters from the archives and with lots of help from Pam Archer, the SRD Librarian, and RAs and
other SRD residents, we cross-referenced years and made a list of SRD residents from 1920 to 1990. In all this research I discovered that the lady who lived in the same house I grew up
in and the daughters of my next-door neighbor lived in SRD in the ’40s. (Coming from a town of 2,687, that’s a big deal.) This research took many evenings and weekends. I would go directly from work to SRD and go through the rosters until 10
or 11 P.M. Many pounds were lost. The decades of ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, ’70s, and ’80s were well organized. I do not know why the rosters from the ’60s were not all there. This could be why we do not have a big showing of ’60s alumnae at the reunions.
After a list of SRD residents was assembled with maiden names and home address while at SRD, I contacted the Texas Exes to cross-reference. The Texas Exes was a big help in converting maiden names to married names and finding current
addresses. Also, I got a list of every Texas Exes group and its president and sent each Texas Ex a letter with a flier about the 1st reunion and asked them to announce it at their monthly meetings.
I contacted an ad/art person; worked with her and got an ad prepared for and printed in the September 1990 Alcalde. I contacted people at Memorial Stadium and the Cotton Bowl
and put announcements about the reunion on the Jumbotron.
The 1st invitations were large postcards of SRD sent to every one on our SRD/Texas Exes roster. Many invitations were returned with forwarding information, and many parents forwarded the invitations to their daughters. The 1990 reunion had a 10:00 A.M. coffee and a party at
6:00 P.M. A piano player was hired for the evening party. I heard him at the Melrose Hotel in Dallas and thought we would enjoy hearing him. He agreed to fly down and play if SRD paid for him and his wife to stay at the Four Seasons
Hotel in Austin. I had a friend who worked in promotions at the Four Seasons and worked out a deal. At the first reunion I found a party picture business to take pictures, get them developed and back to SRD in one hour and posted them on a board for people to see and order pictures. SRD has all those pictures. The first reunion had current SRD residents hired to be babysitters. The turnout for the 1990 reunion was more
than 600, and people were still at SRD at midnight. A good time was had by all.
After the reunion, Pam Archer, the SRD Librarian, and I wrote a newsletter containing pictures of the reunion and asked for volunteers to help. Sheila Kerr Sorgee (1969–’73) volunteered, and from that time on she has been doing a lot of
the heavy lifting in the SRD Alumnae Association. Two other early volunteers who helped are Myra Lee (Duffer) Summers (BA ’43) and Margaret Fairbairn Legett (BBA ’44). SRD is now full and has a waiting list. I think the Alumnae Association reunions and its word of mouth have helped. I
have been an Honorary Member on the SRD Advisory Committee and Board of Directors since 2002. When I go to the Board and Advisory Committee meetings, I remember how “old” those men looked when I was a resident. I still feel like I’m a resident and sure hope I don’t look as “old” as they did when I lived at SRD.
—KATHY KEILS
1976–1980
