80 Years Later, Utica University Returns to Where its Story Began

Utica Community
Utica Stories
80 Years Later, Utica University Returns to Where its Story Began

Attendees mingle at the Community Dinner.

Community Dinner celebrates University’s history and future, and raises more than $90,000 for student programming

Eighty years ago, the grand lobby of Hotel Utica was filled with community leaders raising a glass to a new college and imagining what it could mean for the city.

Last week, that lobby was filled again.

Community leaders, faculty, staff, alumni, students and friends of Utica University gathered at the venerable hotel — now the DoubleTree by Hilton Historic Hotel Utica — to celebrate the University’s 80th anniversary and the community spirit that has been part of its story from the very beginning.

In 1946, local leaders and dignitaries gathered at Hotel Utica to celebrate the creation of Utica College, the city’s first four-year college. Eighty years later, on September 30, 2026, the University returned to that same setting for its 80th Anniversary Community Dinner, bringing the story full circle.

The evening was both a celebration of how far Utica has come and a look toward where it is headed. It also demonstrated the continued generosity of those who believe in the University and its mission, with the dinner raising more than $90,000 to support student programming and co-curricular experiences.

President Stephanie Nesbitt shakes hands with attendees at the Community Dinner.

“This University did not simply arrive in Utica. It was imagined here. It was advocated for here. And it was built here, by people who believed that this community – and the people who lived here – deserved access to a four-year college education,” President Stephanie Nesbitt said.

The founders understood that creating a college meant more than establishing classrooms and hiring faculty. It meant creating opportunity for local students and building an institution that could contribute to the vitality and prosperity of the community around it.

“When they came together for that first community dinner in 1946, they spoke about what it would mean for local people to be able to earn a four-year degree right here in Utica, and then use the knowledge and skills they gained to benefit the city and the region they called home,” Nesbitt said. “That was a pretty powerful idea in 1946. And in many ways, it still defines who we are today.”

That connection between the University and the community has endured for eight decades.

“We were created by our community – built to purpose, if you will – and sustained by local families, businesses, organizations, and other stakeholders who understand the value of higher education,” Nesbitt said. “Our name is not simply about where we are located. It’s about what we’re made of.”

Guests chat with each other at the Community Dinner.

For President Nesbitt, honoring that history means more than looking back. It means carrying the spirit that brought the University into being into its next chapter.

“The best way we can honor the vision of those who gathered here in 1946 is to continue doing what they did: looking ahead,” she said. “They were not simply celebrating what they had accomplished. They were imagining what could come next. And that is what we have to do, too.”

The needs of students and the region may look different today, she said, but the fundamental idea remains the same: When a university and its community work together, both are stronger.

“As we think about the next eighty years, we want Utica University to continue to be a place where students receive an excellent education and are prepared for meaningful careers,” Nesbitt said. “But we also want to be a university that is deeply connected to the needs and aspirations of the community around us.”

President Stephanie Nesbitt and John Calabrese hold up their glasses in a toast.

That shared vision – of a university educating students while helping shape the region’s future – was evident throughout the evening, said John Calabrese ’90, president and CEO of First Source Federal Credit Union, who chaired the event.

“Tonight is a community celebration. The support of our community is a big reason of why we are here tonight,” he said. “That support and President Nesbitt’s leadership strengthen my belief that the future is bright for the University. I also think it is bright for the region and our economy, and the University is going to be a big part of that economic growth into the future.”

More than $90,000 raised through the dinner will help provide students with opportunities beyond the classroom, supporting programming and co-curricular experiences that enrich their education and help prepare them for life and careers after graduation.

Musicians perform at the Community Dinner.

Eight decades after community leaders gathered at Hotel Utica to celebrate the creation of a college, the University returned to the same place to celebrate not only its history, but the community partnership that continues to shape its future.

“The faces in this room may be different from the faces gathered around these tables eighty years ago,” Nesbitt said. “The challenges we face may be different. The opportunities before us may be different. But the fundamental partnership is the same.”

The success of The Community Dinner was made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor Hayner Hoyt Corporation, as well as sponsors First Source Federal Credit Union, the Utica University Board of Trustees, GPO Federal Credit Union, Bank of Utica, AmeriCU. Romanelli Communications, and ABM.