<h2>Association History</h2><p><br />On December 2, 1973, Gail Buenger, ’58 was elected as the first President of the Alumni Association of SIUE. Buenger was also the first graduate of SIUE. Holiday Inn’s Edwardsville, IL location (now Comfort Inn) was host to the first SIUE Alumni Association meeting. After the meeting SIUE’s President John S. Rendleman said “Concern about students is the building base for a strong alumni association. If we fail to be concerned about our students, we won’t have a strong association.”</p><p>The office staff consisted of Mr. Warren Stookey, who became the full-time director of alumni activities in August of 1966, his office manager and a student worker. The Association was responsible for activities involving alumni and served as a liaison between graduates and their alma mater. The Alumni office was also responsible for the Alumnus magazine, a quarterly publication, which was supported by member dues and sent out to Alumni.</p><p>In 1976, the association served 20,000 alumni. The Association has held events such as trips to Colorado and a Cardboard Boat Regatta at Cougar Lake on campus.</p><p>Today the Association serves almost 80,000 alumni who live in the United States and in countries throughout the world.</p>