Dawn Ibbotson (96) graduated from the university in 1936 with a bachelor in home science.
She was "very honoured" to be singled out at the event, the first to be run in Dunedin for more than 10 years, and she made it clear she was "proud to be a graduate".
"I think it's a very special place. It's great to look back on my time here," she said.
Also reflecting on his memories of studying at Otago was Chris Laidlaw.
The Rhodes Scholar and ex-All Black captain shared with the group the "dramas over mixed-flatting in the 1960s", duck hunting on the Water of Leith, and his "most triumphant memory" of being "in charge of the booze" for Capping Week.
The event, one of the largest in the university's history, also doubled as an opportunity for former graduates to meet new vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne.
She said the function, which included a performance by Dunedin band The Verlaines, was like "a party for my friends" because she knew so many people in the crowd.
The alumni consisted of such a wide range of people, who had gone on to do many different things, and she was proud that they "actually care enough about [the university] to come back".
"Although this is a school... what makes a university different is that you are also trying to instil good citizenship, in the university, and in the world, and when I look at the list of alumni of the University of Otago, who have scattered to the winds, we are continuing to do a good job of it," she said.
