Once a prestigious school, Judson College in Marion was a private women’s college affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention.
The college was founded in 1838 and closed its doors in July 2021.
Deep in the heart of the Southland, Judson College was named for Ann Hasseltine Judson, a Baptist missionary.
The weekend of Sept. 12 and 13 found Judson College alumnae and their guests from around the United States gathering at Siloam Baptist Church in Marion. The occasion was the annual J-Day and Rose Sunday celebration.
Dr. Clair Kinnaird Keel is president of the Judson College Alumnae Association.
The tie that binds is so strong and so enduring, which explains why the Judson women continue to return to Judson and Siloam to celebrate their sisterhood. They also remember members who have passed away since their last gathering.
This year, the Class of 1976 was inducted into the Golden Club of the Judson College Alumnae Association Inc., which honors 50 years since graduation. Beatrice Robbins Morris of Lafayette, La., celebrated her 75th reunion surrounded by family and dear friends.
Following an afternoon tea in the Siloam Fellowship Hall at Siloam Baptist Church, the alumnae assembled on the steps of the church to sing traditional step-sing songs.
On Sunday the 13th, the women gathered on the front steps of Judson’s Jewett Hall to reenact their walk to the church on Rose Sunday.
Rose Sunday was first observed on Sept. 19, 1915, but its origins go back to Judson’s first president, Milo P. Jewett (1839-1855), who gathered students every Sunday morning to walk with him to church.
Traditionally, the president of Judson led the procession, with the senior class dressed in academic regalia and wearing Judson’s signature flower, the red rose, in memory of Judson’s founders. Today, the president of the Alumnae Association leads the alumnae in the procession.
At the end of the worship service, the Judson women serenaded the congregation.
