Robert Harmon Celebrates 99th Birthday at UVA’s Homecomings Weekend[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_VPFnE8x-w[/embed]

Robert Harmon, marking nearly a century of life, chose to celebrate his 99th birthday with a nostalgic visit to the University of Virginia, a place that held a special significance for him. His return to the university coincided with the Homecomings Weekend, offering a perfect backdrop for reflections on a life richly intertwined with the institution.

Harmon, an alumnus from the Class of 1952, revisited the university’s Grounds with his family, including his grandson, Tomás Harmon, who graduated in 2014. The itinerary of his visit included a stop at the Farmington Country Club, a meeting at the Dean Family Golf Performance Center with the men’s golf team and coach Bowen Sargent, and a walk on the Lawn, a place where Harmon once resided during a summer session.

Reflecting on his time at the university, Harmon shared, “When I came here in 1948, I think more than half of the students here were on the GI Bill. You paid $75 a month for your tuition. It was the best piece of legislation Harry Truman ever signed.” Harmon’s academic pursuit was in economics, and his education was facilitated by the GI Bill, a pivotal factor for many veterans like him post-World War II.

During Harmon’s student years, a significant portion of the university’s population—about 3,000 out of 5,000 students—were beneficiaries of the GI Bill, as detailed in a timeline of the University’s history. Harmon, originally from New Jersey, had joined the Navy in 1944 at the age of 17, stationed at a Naval Air Station in Kansas. His grandson, Tomás, recounted a family anecdote: “My grandpa would say Kansas was a great place to train… if you need to crash land a plane, you won’t hit anything.”

Harmon reminisced about witnessing a pilot land a plane with the wheels up twice, resulting in the aircraft’s damage but the pilot’s safety. Such memories highlight the unique experiences shared by the veterans of his era.

After his military service, Harmon returned to New Jersey in 1946, completing high school with Buzz Aldrin as a classmate, before enrolling at UVA. Veterans were allowed a special opportunity to join varsity teams, enabling Harmon to play golf throughout his university years.

In Harmon’s university days, the student body was predominantly male. The School of Nursing and what was then known as the Curry Memorial School of Education were among the few avenues for women until the university fully embraced coeducation in 1970, admitting a significant number of women into the Class of 1974, as noted in a report on the University’s history.

Social interactions often involved dances at nearby women’s colleges, with orchestras such as those led by Glenn Miller providing the music. The university also made history by admitting its first Black student, Gregory Swanson, to the School of Law during Harmon’s tenure. Harmon recalled the peaceful integration, despite media expectations of protests.

Recalling the tradition of wearing coats and ties to class, Harmon noted it was a standard practice until the “Coat and Tie Rebellion” of 1969. He also fondly remembered hitchhiking with his team to Farmington, a common practice at the time. “We’d hitchhike to Farmington almost every day,” Harmon said, noting the ease with which they secured rides.