Rock the Tower Celebrates 10 Years with Record-Breaking Total for the Converse Fund
Written by Lindsay Bartholomew
For a decade, Rock the Tower has celebrated what makes Converse special: the people who believe in our mission and the possibilities they help create. This year, that belief made history. On November 5, 2026, the Converse community came together to raise an extraordinary $509,727 for the Converse Fund – more than double the amount raised in 2025, making this the most successful Rock the Tower in our history.
Campus was buzzing with excitement throughout the day, from alumni and friends returning to campus to show their support to current students enjoying celebrations in the Montgomery Student Center. Whether participating from just down the road or across the world, Converse supporters made it clear that the connection to our beloved campus extends far beyond 580 East Main.
“For ten years, our community has come together with extraordinary generosity and enthusiasm to invest in our students and their Converse experience.”
President Boone J. Hopkins
“Rock the Tower is a wonderful reflection of what makes Converse so special,” said President Boone J. Hopkins. “For ten years, our community has come together with extraordinary generosity and enthusiasm to invest in our students and their Converse experience.”
This was the first year for our Rock the Tower viewing party, hosted by Carrie Hill Coleman ‘96, Steven Greer ’22, Jennifer Ross Washburn ’96, Jenny Williams ’96, and Juliet Autenzio Wright ‘04.
A large group of Converse University alumni, faculty, staff, and members of the Future Alumni Council gathered in Zimmerli Common to enjoy refreshments while celebrating the 10th anniversary of our annual Day of Giving.
A decade of generosity.
This year’s record-breaking results were powered by 758 donors, including 60 first-time donors, and an 11 percent increase in alumni giving over 2025. More than half of Converse’s faculty and staff participated, double the national standard for employee giving. Support spanned generations, from the Class of 1959 to the Class of 2029, and reached across 39 states and countries around the world, including Iceland.
A special congratulations goes to the Class of 1982, which led all classes in total giving, and the Class of 1987, which had the highest number of donors.
For some alumni, Rock the Tower has become an annual tradition and a meaningful way to stay connected to Converse. Erin Rich Strickland ’98 has participated as a donor every year since Rock the Tower began in 2016, continuing a commitment to giving back that started shortly after her graduation. For Strickland, supporting Converse is a natural extension of the impact this experience had on her own life. As she puts it, “Converse has given me so much; why wouldn’t I give back?”
Whether participating from just down the road or across the world, Converse supporters made it clear that the connection to our beloved campus extends far beyond 580 East Main.
“What stands out most about this year’s Rock the Tower is not only the collective achievement of doubling our goal, but the growth in individual participation and generosity across the Converse community,” said Vice President of Institutional Advancement & External Relations Dr. Katie Talbert. “From class challenges that brought alumni together to the incredible engagement of our faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends, this was a true reflection of what we can accomplish together.”
Every gift makes a difference.
At the heart of Rock the Tower is the Converse Fund, which provides flexible, unrestricted support for the people, places, and programs that shape the student experience. From scholarships and academic opportunities to student success initiatives and the everyday moments that make campus feel like home, the Converse Fund helps us respond in real-time to the emerging needs of today’s students and the generations to come.
Support spanned generations, from the Class of 1959 to the Class of 2029, and reached across 39 states and countries around the world.
“The support for the Converse Fund reminds us that every gift, regardless of size, makes a meaningful difference,” Hopkins said. “I am deeply grateful to our alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, students, and trustees who continue to believe in Converse and make this tradition of giving back such a success.”
A community of impact.
Thank you to the anonymous Converse community members who provided matches and challenges and to:
- Dr. Frances Lawson Cate ’04
- Chris Dorrance
- Joe & Jenny Dunn
- Jane Ray Ehrie ’71
- Alida M. Haslett ’73
- Rosann Ferguson Hooks ’59
- Melissa Daves Johnson ’69 and Rear Admiral Stephen Johnson
- Will Montgomery & Brelan Riddle Montgomery ’06
- Libby Long Richards ’05
- Anne Richardson Seabrook ’82
- Eliot & Michel Smoak Stone ’99
- Shelley Williamson Widenhouse ’72
- Marion Yates ’01
- Sherry Cunningham, Erin Poston Smith ’04, and Rebecca Poston Creel ’04
- Marguerite Callahan, Patti Solesbee Foy, Pamela Ellis Hall, Dr. Janet Reames LeFrancois, Pam Craig Meehan, Josie Rudolph Stokes, & Nina Sullivan Williams (Class of 1977)
- Berry Bate, Sandy Russell Hartnett, & Julie Forbes Lybrand (Class of 1975)
- Becky DuBard Grantland, Susan Cunningham Owen, Ashlin Blanchard Potterfield, & Ginny Agee Speirs (Class of 1988)
- Kay Humphries Maddox, Paula Sigler Morgan, Emily Jones Rushing, & Esther Bynum Sharp (Class of 1973)
- Valerie Dowling & Deidre Tindal Fuqua (Class of 2007)
- Kerry Easler & Cary Perkins (Class of 1996)
“On behalf of our entire team, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in Rock the Tower, whether through engagement, sharing our message, or making a gift,” Talbert said. “Each of you played a meaningful role in this collective success and in strengthening the future of Converse.”
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Rock the Tower the biggest yet. The impact of your generosity will reach far beyond this single day — shaping the Converse experience now and forever.
If you were unable to participate, you can still make an end-of-year impact with a gift to the Converse Fund.