On May 19, 2001 after receiving an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Drew's 133rd Commencement, Pita Ala'ilima C'64 enjoyed lunch at the Alumni/ae House with friends and fellow classmates.

The Honorable Pita John Ala'ilima is a veteran journalist, author, and politician. He has served Western Samoa as a cabinet minister and was one of the longest-serving members of the Samoan Parliament. The title "Le Tagaloa," which is tantamount to a royal title, was bestowed upon him by the orators of his village.

Ala'ilima has worked tirelessly in Western Samoa to upgrade the quality of life for his people and to involve them in the international community. As past economic minister of Western Samoa and as a leader in the United Nations Peoples Assembly, Ala'ilima has brought attention not only to his country, but to people of the world, addressing prejudice, war, famine, and the welfare of people worldwide. He has worked to create a school that provides opportunity to the educationally deprived people of his country. Ala'ilima is also an ordained lay preacher in the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa and an ordained lay preacher in the Methodist Church. Ala'ilima's wife, Fanafi, a Ph.D., is one of the most recognized women in the Western Pacific, having lectured throughout the Western Hemisphere on the rights and opportunities of people. Ala'ilima is a 1964 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts. While a Drew undergraduate, he founded the Drew International Student Association and was one of the founders of the Drew Rugby Football Union.