The Gallaudet College Alumni Association was established in 1889. The association got its start with the unveiling of Daniel Chester French’s sculpture of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Alice Cogswell. This statue was a gift from the alumni and friends of the college. The day after the unveiling, the alumni who had gathered for the unveiling met to establish an alumni association. In 1893, when the Columbia Institution changed its name to Gallaudet College in honor of T.H. Gallaudet, the alumni played a large role in this. The alumni continued to make waves on Kendall Green. One example is the generous donation of $50,000 for a memorial building in honor of Edward M. Gallaudet. In 1967, to keep up with the alumni, the college opened an alumni office on campus and hired a full-time director to oversee its daily operations. Thousands of alumni return to Kendall Green to visit their alma mater every year. Homecoming serves as a great occasion for their reunions. In 1989, more than 1,000 alumni visited for the association’s centennial reunion. The Gallaudet University Alumni Association currently boasts a membership of 15,000+ alumni.