Carol Brown ’99, who joined the Knox College staff in 1994 and has served as director of alumni relations since 2004, will retire on June 30.

Brown had already been working on a bachelor’s degree when she came to Knox, and she took advantage of the College’s tuition benefits for staff to complete her studies. “After taking a class with Wendel Hunigan,” she remembers, “I knew without a doubt that anthropology and sociology would be my major. I loved the readings and the class discussion.” (She went on to earn a master’s degree in sociology from Western Illinois University in 2002.)

After graduation, she decided to continue working for Knox because, she says, “I had a life-changing experience as a student, and had grown to appreciate the strong sense of community as an employee. I didn’t want to leave.” After a stint in the Office of Telecommunications, she moved to alumni relations, where she says her academic background made event planning and working with volunteers a good fit. “I enjoy the study of people and in this job, I could study Knox College alumni!”

As head of alumni relations, Brown’s biggest project each year is managing the College’s annual Homecoming celebration. She has a lot of fond memories. “One that stands out is the Homecoming Variety Show. In 2005 and 2006 I organized a show at the Orpheum Theatre. With the help of the wonderful Jack Larson '44, who served as emcee, we showcased the talents of alumni—stand-up comics, vocalists, musicians, dancers, and a grand finale featuring President Roger Taylor '63 leading us all in the Knox fight song. Another highlight was the year we celebrated Knox’s 175th anniversary by adding several special activities to the Homecoming schedule, including alumni forming the letter K on the South Lawn. And then there was the year we tried to hold the Homecoming Dinner under tents on the lawn of Seymour Hall. The weather did not cooperate, and thankfully, we never tried it again!”

Though Homecoming 2019 will mark Brown’s 20th Reunion, she says she will probably miss most of this year’s festivities. “I hope to come and run in the Homecoming 5K on Saturday morning, but, because Homecoming was such a big part of my work, I think it's best to let more time pass between being coordinator and participant.”

She’ll have plenty to keep her busy, anyway. In addition to some “bucket list” travel and the possibility of teaching sociology as an adjunct at Carl Sandburg College, she says her daughter has already assigned her the role of "Uber driver" for granddaughter Lucy.

Maybe you’ll even see her at Homecoming in a few years. “We are definitely staying in Galesburg—our friends and family are here, and we love the community!”