Belmont Hill Winter-Spring 2020 Bulletin

Belmont Hill t h e bu ll e t i n for be l m o n t h i ll s c h o ol

winter

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s p r i ng

2020

perspectives

the more

People are challenged we have approaching issues w hen t h e y are forced

in the

think classroom, differently. to

the better we’ll be as a

community.

Diverse opinions among student body and faculty adds a more

powerful dynamic

to the School.

If you don t take the time now to work with and get to know the kind of people you will be working with in the future,

you re selling yourself short.

Every student is

Being with

people of diverse backgrounds

enriched by ties into the School’s mission

being around

diverse

a group of people.

of

developing well- rounded boys

of good character.

There are many stories that make up the mosaic we know as Belmont Hill.

In pursuing our mission of developing men of character in the 21st century, we know that continuing to graduate boys who can exhibit the skills of working across cultures will be essential. In fact, this notion is at the essence of Working Together at Belmont Hill.

In this issue, you will learn about various initiatives on campus that are intended to further the statement that emerged from our Strategic Visioning process in the fall of 2017.

Our goal is to “foster a warm and welcoming lifelong community supporting diversity, inclusion, and equity; working to increase the overall diversity of the School; and supporting the School’s teaching mission through the acceptance and celebration of differences.”

Intertwined with these initiatives are the stories of nine alumni, representing the many diverse stories that have thrived at Belmont Hill over decades. As we continue our quest for excellence in all that we do at this school, we hope this issue inspires both appreciation for our past and excitement for our future.

contents

features 2

chapel talk

6

diversity on the hill

19

belmont hill archives

9

departments

38

21

chapel speakers

22

arts on the hill

27

coaches’ corner

33

alumni & family events

47

class notes

59

in memoriam

44

always character always together

our mission statement Belmont Hill School educates boys in mind, body, and spirit to develop men of good character. Our community encourages and challenges students to discover and pursue passions, seek excellence, and face adversity with resilience. We cultivate critical thinking and creativity, teamwork and competition, hard work and reflection, tradition and innovation. Valuing our differences and working together, we embrace camaraderie, compassion, and service to others. Our school strives to instill in each boy ethical judgment, a sense of common humanity, and a lifelong love of learning.

On front cover: David Walker ’82, winner of the Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) award, and Caleb Collins ’93.

winter–spring 2020

1

chapel talk

WORKING TOGETHER: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT BELMONT HILL

Remarks delivered by Gregory J. Schneider, Ronald M. Druker ’62 Head of School, on August 27, 2019

Whether you are returning to campus or today is your very first day as a student at Belmont Hill, welcome back from what I hope has been a restful summer. I want to offer a particular welcome to Form VI, as you take the leadership helm for the student body this year. This morning, we gather together for our first “chapel,” in quotations given our temporary location here on the lawn. We do so with great anticipation of the opening of an expanded Hamilton Chapel next spring—complete with air conditioning to help us through what are usually warm opening days. I stand before you with renewed energy for another school year, and I suppose I might now proclaim that I no longer have to refer to myself as the “new” Head of School. Having had a true summer break has allowed me time to reflect upon all that happened in year one for me and how much excitement I have for what lies ahead. With the help of all of you, I look forward to another amazing year of Working Together at Belmont Hill.

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While last year I was intentional in weaving in references to diversity and inclusion in my three Chapel Talks, today I would like to tackle these topics a bit more directly as we launch a new school year. I do so for a number of reasons, the first of which has to do with important efforts Belmont Hill will begin this fall. In just about a month, you will begin hearing about the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (known as AIM), which is a tool sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). As part of this endeavor, we intend to survey broad groups of the Belmont Hill community, including all of you. Some of you may also be asked to participate in discovery focus groups as part of this work.

Our goal is quite simple: to understand more clearly areas where Belmont Hill is finding good success in working with different types of students and families and places where we need to improve. Our hope is that by pausing to listen deeply to all of our constituents, we might gather data and forge a proactive action plan to move Belmont Hill forward in new ways.

Without question, a continued focus on diversity was front and center as one of the key challenges presented to me in the Head of School search process and within Belmont Hill’s Strategic Vision completed before my arrival. In surveying our parents and all of you last year about the Belmont Hill experience in general, diversifying our student and faculty populations was cited as among the greatest areas of needed improvement—even though we have some terrific metrics of success. The faculty has clamored for and just completed a week of training in this area that connected summer reading and professional development. So, to some degree, there has been plenty of directional guidance and data provided to me that has prompted us to lean into this conversation in a new way.

CARL DAWSON CLASS OF

And yet, as a relative newcomer to Belmont Hill, I feel compelled to make a clearer case to all of you as to why this work matters and how you have such a critical role in the conversation. While I know many in the community will applaud these efforts, there might also be some who could view attention to diversity work as having the potential to pull us away from our central academic purpose.

Before I try to say a few words about why I believe these objectives matter to Belmont Hill and its future graduates, I want to acknowledge a few personal realities. I am clearly a white, heterosexual male who has experienced privilege in his life. With that as the backdrop, I am nonetheless trying to lead a community in thinking more deeply about the connections between character, manhood, and work in diversity and multiculturalism. There are all kinds of problems with that reality, some of which I continue to struggle with mightily. For me, the world of independent schools has been a relatively comfortable place compared to many.

While my parents grew up quite poor, I was gifted with an upper-middle class experience as a result of their hard work and the happenstance of my birth. I do not claim to have earned all of that personally. After considerable reflection, reading, and professional development in the past decade, I hope that I have grown a bit more self-aware and able to acknowledge my own capacity for bias. But I also know that I will need others, especially all of you, to help me in this work if we are going to be successful as a school.

Our goal is quite simple: “ to understand more clearly

areas where Belmont Hill is finding good success in working with different types of students and families and places where we need to improve.

”

1972

Forging New Paths In 1968, three African American boys entered Belmont Hill. Two of them entered Forms I and II, while Carl Dawson ’72 began in Form III. Four years later, he would become the School’s first African American alumnus. One might have thought being one of the first African American students at Belmont Hill might have been an intimidating experience for young Carl, but he says that was not the case.

“I grew up in an integrated neighborhood in West Medford, so the racial aspect of coming to Belmont Hill was not daunting,” he says. “Academically, it was a shock. I was an A/B student in public school and suddenly I felt fortunate to get a C. For me, that was definitely the most difficult part.”

Mr. Dawson said that if there was any form of racism directed at him he did not notice. “I can’t imagine there wasn’t some racism, but I just wasn’t aware of it,” he says. “Maybe it went over my head.” He does recall getting a note from a classmate just a few years ago. The classmate said when he was a student at Belmont Hill he had very racist tendencies but in getting to know Mr. Dawson those attitudes changed.

He states Belmont Hill is a very different community today. “Students can look around and see others who look like them. My son graduated in 2015 and had eight or nine kids of color in his class. That makes a big difference.”

In looking at his own Belmont Hill experience, Mr. Dawson believes the most valuable lesson he learned here was how to take large amounts of information and put it together. This would prove crucial in his career.

Continued on page 68. winter–spring 2020

3

chapel talk

AMAN SHAH CLASS OF

2010

Strength Through Challenges For Aman Shah ’10, the transition to Belmont Hill as an incoming Third Former presented a number of challenges. “First, it was very difficult coming from a public school where there was little challenge to an environment that was very challenging academically and athletically and so forth,” he says. “It was difficult early on trying to integrate myself into a pretty tight-knit community.”

The following year, he would join the multicultural group S.A.F.E. (Students Actively Fostering Equality), which he found to be a very rewarding experience. “It was a group where you could talk about diversity issues on campus,” he notes. “Coming from an immigrant family is culturally very different than most Belmont Hill families. In S.A.F.E., we could talk about these issues openly and freely, and people were interested in learning more. We could make a difference and educate the community about not only race, but also gender, sexuality, and religion.” He also enjoyed that the group was actively involved in giving back through a number of community projects that had a lasting impact.

Mr. Shah believes that the School has evolved in major ways in terms of diversity and inclusivity. “Especially around sexuality,” he notes. “There is an increasingly accepting environment at the School where people can be more comfortable being who they are.”

He believes that the School can still improve in terms of recruiting a diverse range of backgrounds. “We need diverse perspectives.”

Continued on page 69.

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I wanted to offer a few thoughts on how I personally connect to conversations around inclusion in the hopes of making this all a bit more authentic. Some could view my experiences with personal stereotyping and bias as inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, and I would tend to agree—but they are also the ones that have shaped my own experience. I will confess that as a white male on a college campus some 25 years ago, there were times I often found myself typecast, feeling somehow “without a cause” or even the target of negative energy from my peers. Many years later, with the help of resources like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story” TED Talk, I came to understand that we can all fall victim to stereotypical thoughts and implicit bias.

In any case, my experience was undoubtedly augmented by the reality of being a football player who walked on to a college campus at 6'5" and about 250 pounds. While it was true that during my freshman year in college, I would sometimes sit with my friends and wear a baseball hat low over my eyes during lectures, I can remember a time when I went to ask a professor for help and was told I should start by showing up for class— even though I had not missed a single one. Later on, I was admitted to a highly selective creative writing class as a junior that included a trip to New York City to explore avenues into graduate school and the literary world. On the train ride down to New York, a number of my writing peers spent time ridiculing the team of which I was a member, unbeknownst to them. It was inconceivable to my fellow classmates that someone could be a part of that group and also be in this group.

I can remember needing a job my senior year and landing the always desirable role of writing parking tickets—not the best way to make friends on a college campus, as you might imagine.

When I was writing up one particular junior female student, her boyfriend ultimately pulled her away in disgust shouting at me, “I suppose they have to find some way to employ the captain of the football team at this school.” A teammate of mine went for extra help on a law paper once, and the professor turned over the essay question and started drawing X’s and O’s, as if my friend (he was a graduate from Gilman, a terrific boys school in Baltimore) couldn’t possibly have had an intellectual conversation outside of that athletic paradigm. He never went back for extra help again.

I spent my first year after college living and working on the Big Island of Hawaii, where I learned quickly what it meant to be a haole. This is a derogatory racial term for a mainland white person in the context of native belief that Hawaiian land had been annexed for the benefit of white people. The sovereignty movement on the Big Island, in particular, remains quite active to this day. Of course, for me this experience, while somewhat painful—was temporary. I could ultimately leave that community and escape it—which I did. It made me appreciate, however,

goal is that you all leave us with a fundamental openness “ My to having your opinion shaped over time—through conversation, experience, and your own sense of judgment.

And, for us to do this well, . . . we need every voice under this tent to be a part of the conversation—conservative, liberal, religious, atheist, minority, majority—all of you. No one in this tent is a guest: You are all Belmont Hill boys.

”

that many cannot simply escape or avoid these kinds of negative forces. While I understand how some people are uncomfortable with the word “privilege” as it might imply one has not earned or deserved what they have, I personally find it impossible to argue that there are certain things that I do not have to worry about as a white male in American society. To share a more personal example of this reality from my professional life, I was proud to hire our first African American faculty member in my previous school’s 225-year history. Within six months of his moving to Southern Maine, he reported that he was stopped not by one, not by two, but by three local police cars for having a light out on one particular evening. Only when he revealed that he was associated with our local private school did the pressure valve begin to release in that conversation.

So, beyond my own personal experiences, why do I, as Head of School, believe all of this will be important for Belmont Hill in the future? For me, our intentions in diversity, equity, and inclusion flow right from our timeless mission of developing young men of good character and from our motto of Working Together.

We are not engaging in this work because others schools are doing so, or because it is needed for our next admission brochure. Rather, I believe that for all of you to become men of character and to be successful in the world we inhabit today, you must build skills of cultural versatility and empathy. Whether that comes from studying abroad, classroom discussions, or experiences that help you walk in someone else’s shoes, this learning will be critical for your success in higher education and the work you will do beyond that. I will also state the obvious in saying that our country, our state, and our neighborhoods are becoming exponentially more diverse. In the long run, Belmont Hill needs to be excellent in this area just as it is in so many other aspects of school life—it will be essential to our long-term

relevance and viability. I don’t believe that this work will pull us away from our central purpose around character and academic excellence; I believe it to be foundational to those very goals.

One skill that will be crucial to your future academic growth will be your ability to listen and engage in challenging dialogue. My hope is that you boys don’t leave us merely skilled with the ability to organize an argument, make your points, and beat your opponent into submission with a notion that you have the right answer. Perhaps there is a time and a place for that, but there are lots of schools and lots of people who can already do that rather well. My goal is that you all leave us with a fundamental openness to having your opinion shaped over time—through conversation, experience, and your own sense of judgment. And, for us to do this well, to do this better than any other school, we need every voice under this tent to be a part of the conversation—conservative, liberal, religious, atheist, minority, majority—all of you. No one in this tent is a guest: You are all Belmont Hill boys.

And, you must all have a respectful and respected voice at our collective table of dialogue. A single-sex environment offers us a unique opportunity in which we can take risks and make mistakes as we do this work together. Thus, my fundamental challenge to you as we start this year, as you begin to hear more about AIM and our school’s participation in this project, is as follows: Lean into conversations and resist the temptation to withdraw. There are no easy answers to conversations about race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, or any other diversity identifier in America—all of it is part of the fabric of who we are as a country, and it is undoubtedly a part of the fabric of who we are as a school. If it were simple, the work wouldn’t be needed in the first place.

Continued on page 69 winter–spring 2020

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diversity on the hill

Hamilton Chapel

HAMILTON CHAPEL: WHERE WE ARE ONE

By Bill Mahoney

Belmont Hill’s Hamilton Chapel is often described as the soul of the campus. It is a place where we come together as a community, faculty and students sharing important moments in the life of the School. Beloved school traditions are held in chapel, such as Facultones, the Woodbury Speaking Contest, and PoetryFest, among others. Some gatherings in chapel are light in nature, others quite solemn, but it is always home: the place where we are one.

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WILL FORDE CLASS OF

Many guest speakers have come to campus through the years and spoken to the boys in chapel. From a diversity and inclusion perspective, an important moment in school history took place in 2016 when Rachel Levine ’75 came to speak. Dr. Levine is physician general of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a professor of medicine at Penn State. She spoke candidly about her journey as a transgendered woman and urged the boys to be warm and accepting of others, while embracing and learning about them on their own terms. At the conclusion of her talk, she received a prolonged and enthusiastic standing ovation from the boys. Dr. Levine’s hands rose to her heart during the ovation, clearly moved by the warmth and acceptance of the boys.

As beautiful as that moment was, it was not an isolated event. Time and again the boys of Belmont Hill have demonstrated their collective spirit of open-mindedness, tolerance, and inclusivity. This was evident last year when in chapel a boy spoke candidly about his sexuality in the context of the Woodbury Speaking Contest. In coming out to his classmates, he talked of the journey that led him to this moment on the stage. At the conclusion of the speech, he was greeted with a rousing ovation from his classmates, who clearly appreciated his courage and candor. Later in the year, a boy would give another deeply personal talk in chapel during Diversity Day and receive a similar response.

These are character moments for our boys. When faced with situations that may be new to them and people who may have different backgrounds, it is heartening when their first instinct is empathy, a defining quality of character. If Belmont Hill is a true brotherhood, as it is so often described, it is clear our boys demonstrate this by supporting their classmates, lifting them up, and making it truly a place where we are all one.

Is the chapel the only place where this spirit of tolerance and acceptance exists on campus? Of course not. But for a building we think of as the soul of the campus, our gathering place, where we sit as one community, the chapel is the place where the finest moments of our students seem to come through.

2005

A Solid Foundation Will Forde ’05 made his way to Belmont Hill in the fall of 1998 as a First Form student. His transition was a smooth one, and remained that way during his time on the Hill. “My experience at Belmont Hill was extremely positive socially, academically, athletically —a great experience all the way through,” he says. “At first it was a challenge getting used to the demographics at the School, but I felt greeted with open arms.”

A three-sport athlete who played football, basketball, and track, he believes that getting involved with sports right away helped him to make friends quickly.

When he started at Belmont Hill, multicultural groups were just beginning on campus. He feels that students today at the School seem more in tune with issues of race and inclusion. “It’s also at the forefront of the thinking in the leadership of the School,” he notes.

“The Board is taking on these issues, looking at diversity not only with students but also with the Board and the faculty. The number of diverse students has gone up, but there’s still more work to be done.”

He believes Belmont Hill needs to systematically address the challenges to solve the diversity equation.

“With Greg Schneider’s and the Board’s leadership, I can tell you we have the right people to figure it out.”

After graduating from Belmont Hill in 2005, Mr. Forde attended Tufts University, where he studied economics while also playing football and running track. He says his days at the School left him well prepared for college life. He is currently a consultant for NEPC, L.L.C., where he has worked for the past eight years. “I’m very happy there,” he states, “working on all things investments.”

Mr. Forde feels that Belmont Hill left him with a solid foundation for future success.

Continued on page 69. winter–spring 2020

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diversity on the hill

AIM STUDY

DAVID WALKER CLASS OF

1982

AIM STUDY

Learning What Diversity Really Means

By Caleb Collins ’93, Director of Community and Diversity

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone When David Walker ’82 was just a First Form student at Belmont Hill, he remembers his English teacher Eddie Gallagher ’66 telling his students “Dare to be great.” The words not only resonated sharply with him then, but still do to this day.

In those First Form days, Mr. Walker was the only African American boy in his class. In Third Form, Philmore Anderson ’82 would join him, and they remain close friends to this day. While he did experience some instances of racism at Belmont Hill, he describes them mostly as “boys being boys” and that he did not let it deter him. “It was a different time then,” he says. “Plus, my mother constantly reinforced in me to stay focused on my Belmont Hill education.”

He notes that the School has evolved greatly since his time on the Hill, stating that there are more students of color now and that Belmont Hill is now a warmer and more inclusive place. “You see diversity in the student body and in the faculty,” he says.

“There are organizations on campus supporting diversity and inclusivity. There are greater efforts by the School to attract and recruit diverse students.”

He firmly believes that diversity at Belmont Hill enriches the community. “People are challenged when they are forced to think differently. There are many different ways to look at the world and solve problems. You need to get out of your comfort zone.

That’s how you grow, evolve, and lead.”

After graduating from Belmont Hill, where he was co-captain of the basketball team, he received a B.S. in computer science from Duke University and an M.B.A. at Vanderbilt.

Continued on page 70.

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For as long as I have been connected to Belmont Hill, it has never been a school that rested on its laurels. It is actually one of the many attributes that I admire most about it. I enrolled at Belmont Hill in 1987 at a time when the School was striving to increase the number of students of color on campus. It seemed in those days, increasing the number of students of color on campus was diversity. Times have certainly changed.

While Belmont Hill’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion predates my tenure here, I’m proud to say the level of our commitment has certainly changed for the better over the last 25+ years. There is a vibrant diversity, equity, and inclusion program that engages all within our community throughout the year. The School has increased the number of women on the faculty. The Admission Office recently hired an assistant director of admission focused primarily on multicultural outreach. Belmont Hill continues to search for employees of color to lead both in the classrooms and on the athletic fields. Changes made to our curriculum continue to reflect the changing world. Almost 30 percent of our current families receive some form of financial aid, creating access for families of many backgrounds. Most recently, our faculty is training each other through SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) (see p. 11).

Through it all, there is much more work to be done. The Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) is a tool of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) that provides schools with a deep understanding of the climate of inclusion on their campuses, from current and past students to teachers, administrators, parents, and trustees. AIM serves as a full school audit, a tool that will provide our good school with action items to take into our second century. This process has involved every constituency within our community through an online climate survey and a school self-assessment. The data from AIM can convert thoughts, ideas, and assumed best practices into benchmarked numbers for real goal setting.

BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS, THE EXPECTATION IS FOR AIM TO ANSWER A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS: • Is the School making progress in meeting diversity, equity, and inclusion goals?

• How successful are existing diversity and multicultural programs and initiatives?

• What is the School’s current level of inclusivity as perceived by multiple constituencies?

• What are the areas of need, whether in curriculum, infrastructure, governance, or services for Belmont Hill?

diversity on the hill

Community Action Day

COMMUNITY ACTION DAY Celebrating Differences That Unite Us

By Bill Mahoney

Formerly known as Diversity Day, this year’s Community Action Day was a day for focused reflection on matters of diversity and inclusivity at the School and a true celebration of the differences that ultimately unite us. A guest speaker, workshops throughout campus, and a community lunch were the highlights of the day.

The events began with Director of Community and Diversity Caleb Collins ’93 setting the tone, urging people to get out of their comfort zones and engage honestly and introspectively during the discussions and exercises of the day. Mr. Collins then introduced boys who attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) to share some of their experiences with the conference. In the conference, students are creators and meet with hundreds of fellow students from across the country over two to three days to discuss the most timely issues they face at independent schools. They then construct action plans and build the tools and resources to facilitate meaningful and probing discussions back on campus. The boys then led the audience through a “Silent Movement” exercise designed to non-judgmentally demonstrate the many differences and similarities among students, faculty, and staff in a variety of ways, including religion, sexual orientation, and race and ethnicity.

Mr. Collins then introduced the featured speaker, Marvin Pierre, executive director of Eight Million Stories: Redefining Success and Finding Purpose in the Everyday. This program seeks to upend the school-to-prison pipeline by supporting previously incarcerated youth as they re-enter school, and curbing unnecessary referrals from schools to the justice system in Houston, Texas. Mr. Pierre currently serves on the board of trustees at Tabor Academy, from which he is an alumnus. He desires to pursue opportunities in community development and co-founded a K–8 school for young boys of color in Houston.

Mr. Pierre delivered an inspiring speech to the boys during which he told them that whatever their calling was, they should be ready to answer, give back, and dream big. Later that evening, Mr. Pierre spoke at the Parents for Diversity dinner.

During advisor homerooms, the boys discussed a series of questions regarding Belmont Hill and diversity and inclusivity.

This led to animated discussions, before the boys then headed to

During Community Action Day, Form V student Stalin Polanco reflected on his experience at the SDLC Conference in December. various workshops across campus to continue to examine these issues through a series of unique programs designed to provide multiple perspectives. The workshops were exercises the students learned at SDLC and were intended to provide the community with thoughtprovoking ideas about diversity, inclusivity, masculinity, and privilege.

Thoughtful conversations and enlightened perspectives were the result of these powerful programs.

Two workshops were led by faculty. One featured Assistant Director of Admission Graham Masiiwa, who showed a series of situational videos depicting scenarios in which the boys were asked: What would they do? Faculty member Juliette Zener, along with four students, led a workshop called “Ally is a Verb.” The workshop uses a series of video excerpts to both introduce and coach participants in the practice of “walking in someone else’s shoes.”

Mr. Collins said that the group was pleased with everything about the day. “Our keynote speaker charged the School into action while sharing his platform to inspire and energize the student body to use their gifts to influence the communities around them.” He noted that many of the student-led workshops gave the boys who have attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference in the past two years an opportunity to share the conference with the greater school community. “The flow of the day was positive. The conversations were rich.

Community Action Day was a glorious day for our school!”

winter–spring 2020

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diversity on the hill

MAP

MAP

Multicultural Alumni Partnership

By Caleb Collins ’93, Director of Community and Diversity

MAP Mission Statement Belmont Hill’s Multicultural Alumni Partnership strengthens relations among all of Belmont Hill’s alumni to enhance the diversity, openness, and climate of the greater school community. MAP realizes these objectives through targeted programs, networking events, and community outreach, all in collaboration with past and present students, parents, faculty, staff, and trustees.

MAP Directors’ Dinner at Belmont Hill’s Alumni House with Caleb Collins ’93 and Greg Schneider. Seated: John Grady ’66, David Walker ’82, Groom Dinkneh ’09, and Emmett Lyne ’77. Standing: Caleb Collins ’93, Jason Hurd ’90, Carl Dawson ’72, Aman Shah ’10, A.T. Desta ’05, Franklin Bright ’00, Dave Antonelli ’06, Greg Schneider, and George Lynch ’88.

The Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) began soon after Kai Bynum arrived on campus in 2008 as the School’s first director of community and diversity. Kai’s vision for MAP was to reconnect alumni from underrepresented backgrounds to the Belmont Hill community. Since there were no models to follow from within the independent school world, Kai researched some colleges that already had similar initiatives in place. After an initial meeting among Kai, John Grady ’66, and Warren Fields ’81 and subsequent conversations with Carl Dawson ’72, Bill Cleary ’81, Harry Duvall ’83, David Bright ’83, Jason Hurd ’90, and me, MAP was born.

MAP was to be seen as a connector of the multiple constituencies that fall under Community and Diversity. Since its inception, MAP has collaborated with S.A.F.E. (the Upper School Diversity club), Parents Fostering Diversity (PFD), and the Faculty/Staff Diversity Committee. MAP hosts an annual breakfast with students to discuss the overall experience at Belmont Hill. These gatherings provide opportunities for mentorship for many of our boys. They also provide alumni a glimpse of Belmont Hill today. MAP directors frequent PFD potlucks and meetings throughout the year as well, gaining access to the perspectives of current parents.

A highlight each year, the annual MAP Dinner, held on the eve of Homecoming, has become a staple. It has become a time to celebrate our increasingly diverse community, while honoring

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winter–spring 2020

the work of some amazing individuals. This event marks one of the rare times where all constituents of our community are present for what has become a magical night on our campus.

MAP’s work with alumni extends beyond the annual dinner. There have been social events in both Boston and New York City. These gatherings have served as networking opportunities for alumni while giving me the platform to provide updates on Belmont Hill’s current diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. There is something to be said about the alumni brotherhood that exists within our community.

Friendships thrive now as a result of MAP events that connect alumni of all ages and generations. Alumni get a closer glimpse of the overall school community while interacting with current members of the community. Seasoned alumni serve as role models to both students and younger alumni through their involvement with MAP. MAP has increasingly become involved in the admission process also.

MAP directors continue to utilize their vast networks to collectively spread the word about our good school to a diverse set of families.

The same group of directors contacts families soon after acceptance each March to discuss the benefits of attending and graduating from Belmont Hill.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are valued in the administration of Belmont Hill. Groups like MAP and Parents Fostering Diversity have tremendous advisory value to the Head of School and Board of Trustees and should be cherished resources in mapping the direction of the School.

diversity on the hill

SEED

SEED

Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity Led by Faculty Members Nancy O’Connor and Stephen George

to help participants acknowledge and more fully understand their own personal identities and how these shape who they are and how they operate within their school community.

Nancy O’Connor

Stephen George

Last spring, 35 members of the faculty and staff gathered to reboot a discussion group, dormant since 2011, focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion at Belmont Hill. The reboot was the culmination of work initiated the previous fall by Ruth Sweeney, who sensed a desire among the faculty and staff to have a space for sharing thoughts, concerns, and ideas centered around these issues.

Head of School Greg Schneider was encouraged by the energy that the faculty-staff diversity group helped to generate.

At his previous school, he had overseen the establishment of a similar group, structured along the principles of the nationwide SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) organization.

He proposed to us that we participate in a week-long SEED leaders training workshop over the summer so that we might serve as facilitators for a Belmont Hill SEED group.

The inaugural Belmont Hill SEED group held its first meeting in early November. With a total of 22 members, composed of both faculty and staff across multiple departments and disciplines, the group meets in the evening for three hours, once a month. Topics include race, gender, religion, social class, and other personal identities, as well as how these connect to the structure and operation of schools, other institutions, and society as a whole. Per the SEED guiding principles, session activities are designed to provide equal time and space for everyone to contribute. Participants engage in journaling and reflection, interactive exercises, and many different forms of conversation and dialog, prompted by readings, videos, or questions posed to the group.

With its emphasis on personal storytelling and balanced contribution from all participants, the SEED training is different from anything ever done at Belmont Hill. Per feedback from members of this year’s group, the experience is both personally enriching and challenging.

The SEED work is an ongoing process—not so much the pursuit of a particular goal as it is an evolution. The hope is that SEED will continue at the School for years to come, helping members to more competently deal with difficult situations as they arise in the classroom, the dining hall, the athletic fields, or other spaces on campus, and also engage in a constructive conversation about how Belmont Hill as an institution can foster a truly equitable and inclusive environment for all members of the School community.

In July, we attended one of SEED’s leader training workshops hosted at Milton Academy. Along with more than 60 teachers, administrators, parents, and other representatives from schools all over the country, we lived in the dorms, ate in the dining hall, and worked with a team of experienced SEED trainers to learn the techniques for leading a year-long seminar at Belmont Hill.

At the heart of SEED’s philosophy is an emphasis on selfreflection and personal storytelling—a notable departure from the tendency by faculty and staff to deflect from themselves and instead focus on the students and their stories. By directing attention toward one’s self initially, the SEED training is intended

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Parents Fostering Diversity

PHILMORE ANDERSON CLASS OF

1982

PARENTS FOSTERING DIVERSITY Connection and Community

By Lora Farkas, Director of Parent Engagement

An Incredible Impact When Philmore Anderson ’82 came to campus as a Third Former in 1978, there were no multicultural groups on campus. The only other student of color in his class was David Walker ’82, now a lifelong friend.

“It was a tough environment, but I thought it was always fair,” he recalls. “I wouldn’t change it for the world. You were forced to adapt, assimilate, pivot, and grow quickly. There was a lot of tough love.”

Mr. Anderson went on from Belmont Hill and Lake Forest College to have an enormously successful career. After working at companies such as Procter & Gamble and Cadbury Schweppes, he transitioned to the music industry as head of urban marketing at Atlantic Records/ Warner Brothers, and was senior vice president of Columbia Records for Sony Music, developing talent such as Brandy, Aaliyah, Beyoncé, and Lauryn Hill to name just a few.

He has since moved on to other major leadership roles.

In all, Mr. Anderson brings 30 years of vast finance, consumer marketing, sales, business development, and media experience to the general market.

He is adamant that Belmont Hill was a foundation for his success. “The School had an incredible impact on my habits today,” he reflects. “Integrity, character.

Being a leader. To be competitive and not accept substandard outcomes. The preparation it takes to do anything well. Never feeling complacent. To love the camaraderie amongst your fellow men and supporting that brotherhood. It grows. I definitely appreciate Belmont Hill now more than ever.”

Continued on page 70.

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Lora Farkas

The Parents’ Council sponsors many activities and groups on campus.

Parents Fostering Diversity (PFD) offers a series of events each year to bring parents and families together for discussion and support.

To tell the story of PFD at Belmont Hill, we turned to former Ronald M. Druker ’62 Head of School Richard Melvoin, who encouraged and supported its development.

“My recollection is that PFD has its origins in the early 2000s—I think around 2001 or 2002. The impetus came in no small measure from Steve Armstrong, then director of admissions, and Robert Greene, who was then associate director. We wanted to create PFD, or something like it, because we wanted to bring greater diversity to the student body, and we felt that current parents, in particular parents of color, could help us achieve that goal. Thus, we convened a group of parents of color to ask for their help in admissions.

“What happened then was not as we had planned—but it was all to the good. When we met with that group of current parents, they pushed back—and in the best possible way. They said that our proposed goal was too narrow: We needed to create a group where parents could come together to address and consider a wide array of issues concerning race and class and equity and inclusion. Further, this should not be abstract: In looking at societal issues, we should also think about things that Belmont Hill did well, but also things that Belmont Hill did not do well and needed

JON BIOTTI CLASS OF

1987

At the Martin Luther King, Jr. Dinner hosted by Parents Fostering Diversity on January 21, 2020, from left to right, Greg Schneider, Caleb Collins ’93, guest speaker Marvin Pierre, Shelle Santana, Millie Gonzalez, and Hector Reyes.

to improve. Beyond that, we should bring speakers and programs to PFD, and potentially to the whole school, that would deepen our understanding of issues and open us up still more to the world beyond Belmont Hill.

If we did all that, we would be helping the School in a way that included but transcended admissions.”

Over the years, PFD has evolved to include evenings devoted to discussion of religious differences, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and implicit bias, as well as race. Carl Dawson, ’72, P ’15, served as a co-chair from 2012 to 2015. “We wanted the group to evolve to bring in a wider audience from the School community. We deliberately tried to expand the discussion from just racial and ethnic diversity to also include religion, gender, socioeconomic, and other aspects of difference.” In recent years, PFD has shared timely readings, invited distinguished guest speakers, and watched and discussed relevant films.

Connection to other parents across the School community continues to be the goal of PFD. From the fall and spring potlucks, held on Sunday afternoons and open to all, to the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Dinner, PFD offers an opportunity for parents to learn from each other as they delve into sometimes thorny current issues, and provide support to one another as parents and community members. Co-chairs Millie Gonzalez P ’20, Hector Reyes P ’20, and Shelle Santana P ’21 continue to bring fresh ideas and topics to PFD. Millie Gonzalez wrote, “I became interested in Parents Fostering Diversity as soon as I heard about it. It was important for me to find a space at Belmont Hill where I could meet other parents and staff who value the importance of diversity and who are interested in fostering inclusion at the School… . The dinners are a special way to help us connect. I am so appreciative that Mr. Schneider has attended them. There have also been amazing discussions about race, sexuality, and religion at our meetings. I value the connections with parents and staff stemming from PFD, and am thankful for Belmont Hill for allowing this committee to flourish.”

Nobody at Belmont Hill Is Alone When Jon Biotti ’87 arrived at Belmont Hill as a First Form student, he was, by his own description, a little rough around the edges. Coming from an immigrant construction family, he confesses he did not even know private schools existed until he met legendary now-retired Belmont Hill faculty member Eddie Gallagher ’66 at a hockey camp, and was recruited with his older brother Chris to come to the School. “We got to Belmont Hill through pure serendipity and because of Eddie Gallagher,” Mr. Biotti says. “Belmont Hill took a couple of rough pennies, shined them up, and by the time we graduated, we were silver dollars and we’d go off to Harvard.”

As chairman of the Board of Trustees at Belmont Hill, Mr. Biotti is encouraged by how the School has evolved through the years. “I think Belmont Hill is becoming a better and better school, every year and every decade, because we are becoming more like a representation of society,” he says. “That is what the boys need to go out and be successful. Work together with society, with people. The idea is the population is changing for the better across the board.” Yet, there is still work to be done. “We need more diverse students. We need more diverse teachers and administrators. People are attracted to schools when they see people who look and sound like them.”

He believes a robust financial aid program can have a direct effect on increasing diversity. “Strong financial aid says we are investing in kids with promise,” he says.

“All we care about is that they are special, that they are talented, that they are willing to work hard, and that they have high character.”

Continued on page 70.

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Belmont Hill Admission

BELMONT HILL ADMISSION Challenges and Opportunities

An interview with Steve Carr ’93, Director of Admission, and Graham Masiiwa, Assistant Director of Admission

Steve Carr ’93

Graham Masiiwa

Many independent schools face challenges in recruiting students of color, and Belmont Hill is no different. The Bulletin sat down recently with Director of Admission Steve Carr ’93 and Assistant Director of Admission Graham Masiiwa, the newest member of the team, to discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

BULLETIN: Graham, you have an interesting background.

GRAHAM MASIIWA: Yes, I grew up in Zimbabwe. Education was always stressed in my family. I came to America at age 18 and graduated from UMass Lowell with a B.S. I eventually ended up working at Dana Hall as director of community and diversity, an advisor, and a three-sport coach. I then moved into admissions.

There, I saw how many doors could be opened for students, especially those on financial aid. The opportunity to work at Belmont Hill was especially appealing. The idea of opening doors for families who might not have this opportunity. This is what I believe in and want to do.

BULLETIN: What are the challenges we face?

STEVE CARR: I think Belmont Hill faces the same challenges that most ISL schools focused on creating more diverse and inclusive school communities also face. Our particular challenge is also connected to our history as a traditional school for boys.

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To some boys and families, Belmont Hill probably feels inaccessible—too expensive, too traditional. When we get boys and families to campus, the view of the Belmont Hill community changes significantly. People see the way we are connected as a community, see how boys are known, supported, and cared for. They also see the sense of fun, sense of humor, sense of working together.

And yet, there are still real challenges. The reality here is that we can tour a prospective family and walk by multiple classrooms with very few students of color and no faculty of color—a reality that is likely true at other schools—but one that indicates we still have work to do.

GRAHAM: There are stereotypes about who we are. Some think that when we reach out for students of color we are just trying to fill numbers. They are skeptical. Why do you give money to go to school? There is suspicion. Getting people here and talking to our students can help alleviate this.

BULLETIN: Graham, what do you bring to this effort?

GRAHAM: I think I bring the passion for the work, that we are going to change lives if we do this work right. I’m a current Belmont Hill parent who believes in independent schools. All my kids have gone to them. I’ve been given the freedom to explore some places the Admission Office hasn’t been to before, and we are getting these people on campus. The negative perceptions die when they get here. And they want to spread the word. Getting them to campus is crucial.

STEVE: Graham’s energy, enthusiasm, and positivity are inspiring. It’s hard work to go to a school we’ve never been to, to an organization that initially doesn’t want to talk to you, and try to tell the story of Belmont Hill. The creation of that first genuine connection is very difficult but unbelievably important. It takes a special person and an unwavering level of passion and commitment. And we are very fortunate to have Graham as our leader in this work. But the outreach efforts have to align with the larger goals in the community. Obviously, there are limits to how many students we can accept, how much financial aid we have. There is

JOHN GRADY CLASS OF

1966

also the issue of aligning priorities. If we attract seven kids on a visit to a charter school in Boston, five complete applications and are eager to attend, and we end up not accepting any of them, then the reality is that we have not only undermined all of those outreach efforts, but we have likely damaged the reputation of Belmont Hill in that community.

BULLETIN: What strides do you feel you’ve made?

STEVE: Over the first few years of my nine-year tenure, we did some new programming, conducted admission and financial aid workshops in Boston, partnered with a variety of programs and built relationships with charter schools, public schools, YMCAs, boys and girls clubs, religious organizations, community sports programs, and more. We did a lot of work, but it was scattered. More recently, we have tried to draw a tighter circle and focus more on local communities (the surrounding towns of Medford, Arlington, Cambridge, Malden, Somerville, and Waltham). We have also tried to leverage parent and alumni networks in these areas. We have created specific outreach efforts and have intentionally returned to the same places—traveling off campus to host Thinking About Private School events at local libraries, returning to the same schools annually, connecting with the same community leaders, teachers, and coaches. This focused and repeated effort is the work that Graham is expanding on now.

BULLETIN: What are your long-range goals?

GRAHAM: I’ve started talking to different teachers from various schools and organizations. The goal is to build those relationships and meet with those connections every year. Hopefully, we will continue these relationships over the years, while we explore new places we can go. We don’t want to open a door and shut it two years later. We want to be consistent.

It also helps that we’re going to have a new bus line that’s going to go east in Medford, Malden, Everett, and Chelsea, so now a lot of my work is focused along that bus line. We’re leveraging a lot of Belmont Hill relationships with parents, and people who know us already are helping us get in the door. The connections are here on campus just waiting to be tapped.

BULLETIN: What would the ideal student body look like to you?

STEVE: I have an easy answer that doesn’t include a number or a percentage. I think of a diverse school as a school that when you’re looking to find diversity, you don’t have to look. We’ll know when we take families on tour and the experience speaks for itself.

Change Only Happens If People Take Action The love that John Grady ’66 has for Belmont Hill comes through loud and clear when one speaks with him about the School. Though he started at Belmont Hill in 1960, his enthusiasm and passion are still clearly evident and inspiring.

He is a longtime member of MAP (Multicultural Alumni Partnership). When the ideas for the group were first forming, he recalls telling them, “If it’s really multicultural, then let’s make sure it’s multicultural.”

He believes the group has come a long way and still has a way to go. “MAP is important to remind ourselves that change only happens if people take action. We can’t sit on the sidelines.”

He is similarly encouraged that the Board of Trustees, on which he has served since 1984, has added a diversity committee. “It’s a great step,” he notes.

“As a community, we need to be aware of our needs, and we need outreach. I know Graham Masiiwa, and I’m encouraged by the outreach work he is doing (see p. 14). We need to be constantly looking in the mirror and asking where we can do more.”

When Mr. Grady began at Belmont Hill as a First Former, he recalls that there was one African American student in the School, in addition to one Asian boy and an exchange student from Kuwait. The African American student would leave the School in the Fourth Form as his family moved away. “It was pretty lily white,” Mr. Grady recalls. “It’s interesting to see how times have changed.”

He recalls being very interested in civil rights at the time. In April of 1965, he and a group of about 25 of his classmates were provided a bus by the School to go into Roxbury and march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Continued on page 71. winter–spring 2020

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Faculty Hiring

AUSTIN KWOUN CLASS OF

2018

FACULTY HIRING Finding the Delicate Balance

By Michael Grant, Assistant Head of School, Dean of Faculty

Tremendous Emphasis on Character, Honesty, and Integrity When Austin Kwoun ’18 came to Belmont Hill as a Third Form student from The Fenn School, he anticipated that the transition to Belmont Hill might be a challenge. But he was wrong. In fact, he found the change to be quite smooth. “I think the greatest credit I could give Belmont Hill is that I was so comfortable in the transition that I never even noticed my own racial differences,” he states. “I was able to meet a broad range of friends.”

He especially cites the mentorship he received from two upper classmen, fellow Asian students, whose counsel allowed him to acclimate quickly to life on the Hill. “It wasn’t an issue at all,” he recalls. “I was most pleased with how easy the adjustment was.”

A tremendously gifted violinist, Mr. Kwoun said that music had always defined him and that that continued at Belmont Hill. “I never had a problem with that,” he states. “Music is something I’m passionate about, and I made a lot of friends through music. It is a reason for the close social connections I made.”

While his transition was smooth, he did notice that there was room for improvement in terms of racial diversity. “I feel as a school we are largely white,” he states. “It didn’t create problems for me personally, but I think there is great value in a diverse community.

I think we’ve made strides to improve this. It is important because it breeds a good culture for discussion of issues of community and issues of society. That’s extremely valuable.”

Upon graduating from Belmont Hill in 2018, Mr. Kwoun has gone on to study statistics at Harvard.

Continued on page 71.

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Michael Grant

For almost a century, a hallmark of the Belmont Hill experience has been the tremendous men and women who serve on its faculty. From Sawyer and Densmore to Wachtmeister and Stearns, the faculty has long enriched the lives of our boys, pushing them to be better—better students, better athletes and artists, and most importantly better young men.

Now, as the School looks to celebrate its upcoming centennial, we hope to continue this tradition of faculty excellence, ensuring that the next generation of students has, as our alumni did, the best faculty in the greater Boston area. However, what is also implicit within this commitment is that the best faculty must fully reflect the great diversity of our student body, surrounding our boys with a talented group of men and women from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and giving every student on our campus access to adults with whom they can relate to on a variety of levels in and outside of the classroom.

GREG PAUL CLASS OF

2009

Research has repeatedly shown that boys are highly relational learners. For our faculty to continue to work with our boys in that way, we need to attract and retain a diverse set of men and women committed to our mission to educate boys in mind, body, and spirit. Furthermore, it is also critical as a school for boys that we remain steadfast in the School’s long pursuit of greater balance in the number of men and women on our faculty. Our boys need to be led by strong women and men. Our female faculty allow our boys to see both genders employed in a variety of roles in the working world—women leading men, men and women working collaboratively as friends and colleagues, and most certainly women leading their classes, advisor groups, and teams.

Together, the faculty on our campus provide wonderful role models of the wide-ranging roles and possibilities for men and women.

These commitments are not things we take lightly, nor do they come without their challenges. Faculty diversity is a priority for many schools in the Metro Boston area, and we find ourselves in one of the more competitive talent markets in the nation. Additionally, housing prices in this area continue to climb, and for many candidates finding affordable housing opportunities within driving distance of the School presents real difficulties. Finally, our commitment to relational learning requires that our faculty are willing to not just participate but also excel in all parts of student life—teaching, coaching, advising, and, yes, even proctoring a lunch table. This multitude of duties often shrinks the size of our candidate pools as we search for that perfect fit between our mission and the teacher.

Despite these challenges, we have seen ample progress in recent years. We hope to continue this trend in the coming hiring seasons, ensuring our ultimate goal of having the best faculty in the Metro Boston area.

A Resoundingly Powerful and Dynamic Network Greg Paul ’09 began his Belmont Hill experience as a Third Form student after completing nine years at Saint Raphael School in Medford. At Belmont Hill, he was one of five African American students in his graduating class of 71 students.

Acclimating to a new school did make for some transitional challenges. “What helped to ease the transition into a difficult social and academic environment was having teachers who went the extra mile to create a comfortable environment and safe space to allow me to be myself,” he says. “Mr. Collins, Mr. Trautz, Mrs. David, and Mr. Patterson ( just to name a few) were always there for me. I could talk through sensitive issues such as race, socioeconomics, and family dynamics, and know that I would receive immense support.” Building solid friendships with classmates was key as well. “To this day, I still consider Groom Dinkneh ’09 and Sam Kelly ’09 to be two of my closest friends.” As a student, Mr. Paul was the co-president of S.A.F.E. (Students Actively Fostering Equality) his senior year of high school, and his parents were co-chairs of Parents Fostering Diversity. He was a proud member of the B-Flats and was involved in theater, basketball, and soccer.

Mr. Paul is encouraged by how the School continues to evolve in its diversity and inclusion efforts. “Students have many opportunities now to participate in discussions around diversity and fostering inclusivity,” he states. “Allowing students to attend the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference (POCC) and Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) really helps to move the School forward.” In the conference, students are creators and converge with hundreds of students over two to three days from across the country to discuss the most pressing issues they are facing at independent schools.

Continued on page 71.

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S.A.F.E.

S.A.F.E. Students Actively Fostering Equality Providing Students Opportunity to Discuss Issues Vital to School Life

By Charlie Booth ’20, Griffin Hamilton ’20, Adil Kassim ’20, Erick Silva ’21, and Hamza Shemsu ’20

Students Actively Fostering Equality (S.A.F.E.) is the Upper School equity and inclusion club. Every Tuesday at 2:15 p.m., S.A.F.E. meets in the Melvoin Academic Center. Topics such as gender, race, and sexual orientation are discussed weekly, and with a wide variety of students with unique backgrounds, conversations are always engaging and insightful.

Some of our key activities are working to create Community Action Day as well as the yearly S.A.F.E. Dance in February.

All of the S.A.F.E. heads and the other students who attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference had an active role in each workshop throughout Community Action Day. The S.A.F.E. Dance is a time where students from all independent schools are able to gather and have a great evening in the Jordan Athletic Center.

One of the most important goals of the club is to have conversations about topics that may never be raised at Belmont Hill. Being in such a fast-paced environment, it may be difficult to find time

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to discuss these kinds of topics. However, it needs to be made a priority. Having such an open and inclusive space within S.A.F.E. allows everyone to feel welcome and speak their mind. Belmont Hill also prides itself on developing boys of character, and having these conversations on campus allows these boys to develop in this way.

One goal for the future is recruiting new types of boys for S.A.F.E. Many students involve themselves in S.A.F.E. because they are underrepresented students, and it is one of the few minority spaces on campus. Unfortunately, S.A.F.E. has struggled to reach students who may not be directly impacted by issues of race or class. This kind of apathy towards social issues on campus is an unfortunate aspect of Belmont Hill that will hopefully change in the future.

One of the greatest strengths of S.A.F.E. is the qualities these boys develop through the club. All S.A.F.E. members eventually become leaders on campus, especially when topics of race or gender are discussed at school.

belmont hill archives

FROM THE ARCHIVES

By Caroline Cushman, School Archivist

EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM In the late 1950s, independent schools took on initiatives to have their student bodies reflect the population of our society and bring more diversity to their schools, which included establishing additional programming. From these initiatives, the Educational Enrichment Program (EEP) was created for students in Boston and Cambridge public schools.

The EEP was established in 1964 under a cooperative plan. The schools in the original cooperative included Belmont Hill School, Milton Academy, Shady Hill School, Noble and Greenough School, Roxbury Latin School, and Browne and Nichols School (before it was BB&N). The Park School was added a year later, and Winsor School, Boston College High School, Shore Country Day, Pingree School, and Brookwood School shortly followed. Educational Centers were located at Belmont Hill, Milton, Park, and Shady Hill, with the other schools participating through those centers. Each center served different age groups, with Belmont Hill serving students that had just finished seven, eighth, and ninth grades. John Henry Funk, faculty member from 1942 to 1982, headed the Belmont Hill Center and put an innumerable amount of time into the EEP and its success. More than 500 students in the EEP attended a six-week program during the summer and follow-up sessions in the winter.

The EEP was supported by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and financed for three years by various foundations.

In 1966, more funds were obtained through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act from the City of Boston, which was the

John Henry Funk, ca. 1950s.

EEP brochure, ca. early 1970s.

primary source of funding from then on along with support by various donors and foundations.

In 1972, Title I funding for the winter program was secured, but the summer program was not. The years following, the city could no longer fund the project due to the need for funding in research projects and the public-independent school aspect. The EEP had to rely on foundation and donor support from then on. With the economy struggling, the EEP cooperative applied for federal funding through the Emergency School Aid Act, but they weren't able to secure it and the program ended in 1977.

Through the EEP, students were able to explore different subjects and courses in a small class setting. In addition to work in English, science, math, and history, students were able to go on field trips, play sports, and create projects in the arts, such as photography and dramatics.

No grades were given during the program so students could focus on learning and developing skills without the pressures of assessments.

As an addition to their work in public schools, students were able to further develop the necessary skills to bring back to their classrooms while exploring different subjects and activities.

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EEP brochure, 1967.

Students in the EEP brochure, 1967.

The Sundial yearbook, 1969. Belmont Hill students helped tutor 30 boys in the EEP during the 12-week winter program. With the number of Belmont Hill students signed up to help, each student had two tutors.

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chapel speakers

CHAPEL SPEAKERS Belmont Hill has the great fortune to welcome many distinguished speakers to campus each year. For additional information about each of the speakers, please visit our website.

dr. sarah pelmas October 8, 2019

Dr. Sarah Pelmas, Head of School at Winsor School, spoke at the Cum Laude Chapel honoring academic excellence. Her talk, entitled “Why It Matters to Be Smart,” combined humor with wise insights and heartfelt advice to the boys.

commander schopler November 12, 2019

As part of the School’s Veterans Day observance, visiting speaker Commander David Schopler shared his story and explored the notion of service and the many forms it can take. After college, Commander Schopler lived in the Philippines working with the Peace Corps. In 1999, he returned stateside and began Officer Candidate School with the U.S. Navy and spent the next 12 years in Naval Special Operations.

dr. maureen courtney November 19, 2019

Dr. Maureen Courtney, wife of faculty member Jared Courtney ’97, spoke to students about the dangers of vaping, which included details of the chemicals found in a variety of e-cigarettes and the neurological impact of each. Dr. Courtney is a passionate health and wellness speaker, scientist, and teacher at The Rivers School in Weston.

marvin pierre January 21, 2020

Marvin Pierre addressed students, faculty, and staff at Belmont Hill’s Community Action Day program. Mr. Pierre is a Tabor Academy graduate and the founder of Eight Million Stories: Redefining Success and Finding Purpose in the Everyday. He spoke about the nonprofit program he co-founded in 2017 to support disconnected youth in Houston, Texas, with a mission to transform the lives of vulnerable youth (ages 14–18) through education, skills training, employment, and authentic relationships.

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Arts on the Hill Timothy Brown ’20, Fall Concert.

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arts on the hill

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Upper School Rock Band performs at the fall Coffee House: Conner Willett ’21, drums; Kailen Richards ’22, voice; Adam Alto ’21, guitar; Charles Stevenson ’20, bass. (Not pictured but part of the band is Charles Geddes ’22, guitar.)

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Ethan O’Neill, Advanced Woodworking.

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Harvey Rupp ’21, Ceramics.

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Juan-Pablo Fernández del Castillo ’25 playing Smeagol, and Jeremy Eaton ’23 playing the King in the Middle School fall play Game of Tiaras.

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Daniel Markham ’23, Ceramics.

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Igaju Agba ’22, Advanced Ceramics.

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James Markis ’20 and Preston Adams ’20 from the B-Flats perform at the Fall Concert.

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Andrew Jonghyun Lee ’20, piano and voice, performs at the fall Coffee House.

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David Carter ’22, Advanced Woodworking.

10. Ysael Porro ’20—handmade silver gelatin prints, printed in the darkroom from 35mm black and white film.

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Adam Alto ’21, piano, and Conner Willett ’21, drums, perform at the fall Coffee House.

12. Ben Morales ’20, Advanced Ceramics.

13. The Middle School Rock Band performs at the fall Coffee House: Thomas Cannistraro ’24, drums; Benjamin Guenther ’24, voice; William Kelly ’23, voice; Trey Penna ’23, bass; Jack Shah ’23, piano. (Not pictured, but part of the band is Cameron Connell ’23, guitar.)

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14. Wesley Zhu ’25 on the violin and CJ Collins ’25 on the clarinet perform at the Fall Concert as part of the Orchestra.

15. Josh Doolan ’23—handmade silver gelatin prints, printed in the darkroom from 35mm black and white film.

16. Nolan Henehan ’23, Stephen Agular ’25, and Jack Nolan ’25 are French Soldiers one, two, and three in the Middle School fall play Game of Tiaras.

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17.

Joseph Romney ’20—handmade silver gelatin prints, printed in the darkroom from 35mm black and white film.

18. Igaju Agba ’22, Advanced Ceramics.

19. Charles Stevenson ’20 plays bass guitar at the Fall Concert.

20. Jack Butterworth ’23—handmade silver gelatin prints, printed in the darkroom from 35mm black and white film.

21. Bennett Carroll ’23, Woodworking.

22. Daniel Bittner ’22 and David Carter ’22 from the Upper School Jazz Ensemble play the trumpet at the Fall Concert.

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Coaches’ Corner

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coaches’ corner

Cross Country TYSON TRAUTZ, Head Coach

While races didn’t begin until mid-September, for many the season started in earnest at the beginning of the summer, and for others after last year’s ISL Championships. From the outset, we knew the road ahead was going to be steep. However, as the fall progressed, so too did the resolve and determination of many of the runners, especially the core pack that emerged as the staples of the varsity squad. After early-season losses to Roxbury Latin, St. Mark’s, and St. Paul’s and a search for collective resolve, things took shape by the beginning of October. While we didn’t avenge our loss to Roxbury Latin, as a team we were much more competitive when we faced them again on October 5, and we optimistically set our sights on the culminating races of the year. In the end, our dual and quad meet record stood at 7 wins and 11 losses, however, this does not express the effort exhibited by every individual on the team. The true heart of our squad was on full display during difficult

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workouts in the final weeks, including the dreaded 12x400s and 5x1k repeats, among others.

When ISL-race day arrived, the varsity team placed 9th of 16 teams. Undeterred, the boys traveled the next week to New Englands at Northfield Mount Hermon, where we spent an overnight and a good time was had by all. In the last race of the year, multiple varsity and JV contributors posted their best times of the season, a true measure of the tenacity of the team. In the end, we placed 9th out of 15 teams.

While our final record was somewhat disappointing, the real success of the season was told in the improvement of individual runners. In comparison to last year, for example, three senior-varsity contributors, Aidan McGaugh ’20, Jack Weldon ’20, and Charlie Donahue ’20, improved their own 5k times on the St. Mark’s course by over one minute. James Donahue also returned to full health, and took 7th and 6th places in the ISLs and New Englands, respectively, after not finishing in those events last year due to injury.

Summarily, it was a big rebuilding year for varsity Cross Country, and the future looks bright for the team under the leadership of next year’s captains, Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 and James Donahue ’22.

Football CHRIS BUTLER, Head Coach

Led by senior captains Isaiah Gomes, John McHugh, and Max Peterson, the varsity football team finished the season with a final record of 5–3. Several other members of Form VI stepped into key starting roles and benefited the team both on and off the field through their hard work.

never backed down from any challenge or adversity and always displayed great character. When injuries removed several key starters from play during the second half of the season, several younger players rose to the challenge of stepping into these demanding roles.

Belmont Hill opened the season taking on Lawrence Academy at home with an impressive 35–14 victory.

The following week, the team hosted Roxbury Latin and earned an exciting 21–0 Homecoming victory. The next week on the road in Marion, Belmont Hill defeated Tabor Academy 42–7 to post a 3–0 record. The hardest-fought game of the season was against BB&N at Russell Field in Cambridge, where Belmont Hill faced off against an impressive and talented Knights team. Gregory Desrosiers ’20 scored late in the fourth quarter to give Belmont Hill the lead, and the defense held off the Knights on their final drive to secure the victory. The quarterback sack by Grant Litchfield ’21 secured Belmont Hill’s 28–21 win.

Several players received recognition for their performance. The winner of the team’s MVP award went to Gregory Desrosiers. William Bramley ’20 received the Most Improved Player Award. The recipients of the Henry B. Sawyer Sportsmanship Award were Isaiah Gomes ’20, John McHugh ’20, and Max Peterson ’20.

To open the second half of the season, the team defeated Thayer Academy 21–7 under the lights at Russell Field.

With a record of 5–0, the team entered the final stretch of the season, competing for an ISL Championship. These hopes, however, fell short after dropping a challenging game versus eventual ISL league champions, Milton Academy. During the final home game of the season, the team fell to St. Sebastian’s on the final play of the game.

Going into the last week of the season with a 5–2 record, the team still had the potential of reaching post-season play, and worked hard preparing to face a talented Governor’s Academy in the week leading up to the game.

Unfortunately, the bowl-bound Governor’s Academy team defeated Belmont Hill 35–0 on a wet and muddy field in Byfield. Throughout the entire season, the team

Gregory Desrosiers (wide receiver), Grant Litchfield (linebacker), Cameron Reirden ’21 (wide receiver), and Ikenna Ugbaja ’21 (defensive line) were named to the All-Independent School League first team. Luke Bobo ’21 (quarterback), Isaiah Gomes (defensive end), Max Peterson (offensive line), David Reyes ’20 (linebacker), and Aaron Sousa ’20 (offensive line) were named to the All-Independent School League second team. Gregory Desrosiers and Ikenna Ugbaja were also elected to the First Team Class A All-New England Team. Cameron Reirden and Max Peterson were also named honorable mention Class A All-New England.

The captains elect for the 2020 season are Luke Bobo, Grant Litchfield, Cameron Reirden, and Ikenna Ugbaja.

Finally, we want to thank the graduating players for their contributions to the Belmont Hill Football Program throughout their career and all that they accomplished while playing as part of the program.

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coaches’ corner

Soccer JORGE MONTOYA, Head Coach

For the fifth year in a row, the varsity soccer team finished with double-digit wins and a top-three finish in the ISL with an overall record of 13–2–4 (10–1–4 ISL, 3rd place). The strong performance earned an invitation as the #7 seed to the NEPSAC Class A Tournament for the fourth time in five years, where the team dropped a heart-wrenching 1–0 loss to eventual champions Worcester Academy.

The season began in late August as the team embarked on a pre-season tour of Costa Rica, which included several matches against professional youth teams and community service. The camaraderie from the trip contributed to three non-conference wins to open the season against Bridgton Academy, Andover, and Exeter by a combined score of 10–0. League play began with an exciting 4–2 victory over rival BB&N. The team remained unbeaten through its first 11 games before dropping the only loss of the year to Brooks 3–2. During the final six games, the defensive unit was outstanding, conceding only one goal and recording five clean sheets. Ultimately, the team fell five points back of champions Milton (0–0 draw) and three behind runner-up Nobles (3–1 win).

Due to the success of the team, several individuals were honored with All-League selections. Matthew Gonçalves ’20, Cole Matthews ’20, Matthew Britt-Webb ’21, and Mateen Nickpour-Reyes ’21 were selected to the All-ISL First Team. Gonçalves also had a historic season by netting 20 goals this fall, bringing his career total to 61 and breaking the previous program record of 60 set by Jake Duker ’05. At the fall sports awards, Gonçalves was awarded the Coach’s Award (MVP of the team), Hamza Shemsu ’20 earned the Sportsmanship Award, and Charlie Richards ’20 garnered the Most Improved Player award. In addition, Matthews and Gonçalves were nominated to play in the New England Senior All-Star game while Matthew Britt-Webb and Mateen Nickpour-Reyes were nominated to play in the Junior All-Star game. Next year’s captains will be Erick Silva ’21 and Will Dean ’21.

This year’s senior group experienced more success than almost any other class before, led by the tremendous leadership of captains Hamza Shemsu and Cole Matthews. Along with the captains, Matthew Gonçalves, James Cahill ’20, and Michael Montanaro ’20 were four-year players who finish their careers with a remarkable record of 48 wins, 12 losses, and 13 draws. During this stretch, the team finished in the top three of the league every year. Their contributions on the field and their leadership off the field will be missed deeply.

In addition, Charlie Richards, Chip Lincoln ’20, Aidan Donnelly ’20, Gabe Raffa ’20, Adil Kassim ’20, and Artemy Ivanov ’20 made significant contributions this year and during their careers and have represented the program admirably. We wish them well in their careers ahead.

James Cahill completed an impressive goalkeeping career in which he appeared in 51 games across four seasons, recording 25 clean sheets and finishing with a career 0.871 goals-against average. Matthew Gonçalves also rounds out a remarkable career with 136 points, second all-time behind Jake Duker. While the individual accomplishments are noteworthy and special, the group has carried on an important legacy of commitment and fortitude that is at the heart of the program’s success.

The returning players and coaches would like to thank the seniors for their tireless commitment to the program, team manager Rowan Bradlee ’20, as well as Preston Adams ’20 and Zach Dines ’22, who were late-season call-ups from the junior varsity team. Finally, the team would like to thank parents, students, and supporters of the team for an incredibly exciting season.

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Alumni & Family Events

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alumni & family events

belmont hill summer reception August 23, 2019

1.

Michael Connell, Rosemarie Connell, Caitlin Dolan, and Tom Dolan.

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Alok Prasad, Mitali Prasad, Jim Caro, and Tina Caro.

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John McCusker ’07, Garrett Hatton ’05, and John McAlpin.

4.

Carole Andreotti and Nancy Montanaro.

5.

Jim Tillotson ’47 and Anne Collins.

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Michael Shafer, Colleen Shafer, Jorge Montoya, and Val Petrov.

7.

Tom Dolan, Jackie Agular, Steve Agular ’92, Caitlin Dolan, and DC Seward.

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Alan Rice ’63, Gail Rice, Mike Morgan ’60, and Veronica Morgan.

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Jennifer Drucker, Jeff Drucker ’90, Amy Schneider, Greg Schneider, and Carl Dawson ’72.

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california receptions

san francisco Hosted by Mark Chandler ’74 January 16, 2020

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Juan Jurado ’08 and Sam Baker ’07.

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Mehdi Alhassani ’02 and Nick Gallo ’18.

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Katie Leighton, Sam Baker ’07, and Mark Chandler ’74.

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Greg Schneider and Stanley Watt ’96.

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los angeles Hosted by Andy Cadiff ’73 January 17, 2020

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Jamie Oliver ’02 and Alexander Demers ’02.

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David Landau ’80 and Kerry Lyne ’80.

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Ben Kramer ’09, Greg Hughes ’04, Agazi Desta ’11, and Andrew Corkin ’04.

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Andy Cadiff ’73, Sabine Pearlman, Joseph Pearlman ’95, and Ted Winship ’49.

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Alex Moon ’92, Ron Horsely ’93, Ted Zevitas ’94, and Andy Cadiff ’73.

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10. Greg Hughes ’04, Ben Kramer ’09, Andrew Corkin ’04, and Henry Luehrman ’08.

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11. Andy Cadiff ’73 and Kelly Cadiff.

12. Greg Schneider and Ted Winship ’49.

13. Kerry Lyne ’80 and Tim O’Halloran ’97.

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henry b. sawyer, jr. ’32 golf tournament September 23, 2019, Concord Country Club Save the date for the next tournament: Monday, September 14, 2020.

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Matt Gordon ’06, Greg Boeing ’06, Kenny Martin ’65, and Dave Antonelli ’06 with the newly named Ken Martin ’65 winners’ trophy.

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Tournament golfers ready for the shotgun start.

3.

Ugo DiBiase ’09, Tony Uglietto ’09, Andrew Murphy, and Greg Karelitz ’09.

4.

Matt Scales, Mike Micciche, Jay DiBattista, and David Hack ’89.

5.

Kurt Simon ’83, Scott McGrath, Ken Martin ’65, and Jack Dunphy.

6.

Tom Darling ’77, Jim Peck ’77, Emmett Lyne ’77, and Jeff Bacon ’75.

7.

Dan Ronan ’94, Jon Biotti ’87, and John Butterworth.

8.

Sean Rockett ’85, Jeff Drucker ’90, and Max Peckler.

9.

Paresh Patel ’89 and Mike Cotter ’92.

10. Matt Gordon ’06 and Matt Gordon.

11. Dinner and the silent and live auctions followed the tournament.

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Faculty and trustees honored the latest faculty chair appointments, Don Bradley and Paul DiResta.

endowed faculty chair dinner

Head of the Upper School Don Bradley is the recipient of the Centennial Chair in History. Mr. Bradley is a member of the History and Social Sciences Department and is Belmont Hill's varsity wrestling coach. Established in 2018 by an anonymous Belmont Hill family to honor a faculty member for excellence in the teaching of history, and for inspiring a spirit of open inquiry, good citizenship, and a greater understanding of our world.

October 21, 2019

1.

Jennifer and Jeff Drucker ’90, Paul DiResta, Hannah Pham, Marjorie Drucker, and Michael Drucker ’86.

Centennial Chair Recipients: Kara Z. Buckley ∙ 2018–2019 Donald F. Bradley III ∙ 2020–2025

2.

Don and Christine Bradley.

3.

Michael Drucker ’86 and Hossam Shobokshi ’88.

4.

Current and former Mathematics faculty members: Steve Feldman, Tim Sullivan, Jeremiah McCarthy ’94, Michael Sherman, Bob Cressey, Chris Sweeney, Ross Roberts, Tod Rodger, Adam Harder, and Al Murphy ’98.

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Rick Melvoin, Greg Schneider, and Chris Wadsworth.

6.

Tony Ryan, Ann Ryan, and Matthew Ryan ’14.

A member of the Modern Languages faculty, as well as the director of theater, Paul DiResta received the Drucker Family Chair. Mr. DiResta teaches Spanish and Chinese and started at Belmont Hill in 2012. Established in 2014 by Marjorie and Jerry Drucker, Michael Drucker ’86, and Jeff Drucker ’90, this chair honors a faculty member early in their career for talent and dedication to teaching and for a broad commitment to students and school life.

Drucker Family Chair Recipients: Timothy J. Sullivan ∙ 2015–2019 Paul D. DiResta ∙ 2020–2025

“ Our strong faculty serves as this school’s very foundation: instructing, challenging, encouraging, and supporting the boys. It is the faculty that makes Belmont Hill special with traits such as vision, accountability, responsibility, integrity, and honesty.”

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—Tony Ryan P ’14, ’17, ’19 Board of Trustees Treasurer

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multicultural alumni partnership evening September 27, 2019 MAP Award Recipient David Walker ’82 Keynote Speaker Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan

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Caleb Collins ’93 and MAP Award recipient David Walker ’82.

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Keynote speaker Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan.

3.

Amira and Nabil Fahmy.

4.

Ikenna Ugbaja ’21.

5.

Greg Paul ’09, Greg Schneider, Emmett Lyne ’77, and Joe Curtin ’80.

6.

Groom Dinkneh ’09, Greg Paul ’09, and Yonas Dinkneh ’13.

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Getahun Kassahun and Emebet Ketema.

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Varun Shah ’17 and Francisco Tolentino.

9.

Peter Brown, Marsha Feinberg, Rick Melvoin, and Carl Dawson ’72.

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10. Wendy Czarnecki and Diane Levine.

11. Philmore Anderson ’82 and David Walker ’82.

12. Rachel Brown and Aman Shah ’10.

13. Demetriouse Russell and Arlene Spence.

14. Nancy Montanaro, Nancy O’Connor, and Tamara Nikuradse.

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alumni & family events

homecoming September 28, 2019

Family activities, a luncheon, and our sports teams are the highlights of the afternoon at Homecoming. Join us in the fall for our annual event.

Register online or contact alumni@ belmonthill.org for more information.

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head of the charles regatta October 20, 2019 Guests are invited to the Belmont Hill/ Winsor Boat House on the Charles River on the Sunday of regatta weekend. Shuttles are available to and from the Jordan Athletic Center.

1.

Liam Peterson ’20 , Luca Foschi Walko ’20, Charlie Mullaney ’20, and Jack Curtin ’20 (Sreetej Digumarthi ’21 cox).

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Jackie and Bob Cressey.

3.

Jack Vander Vort ’19, Nick Daley ’19, and Matt Smith ’19.

4.

Tony Ryan and Greg Schneider.

5.

Alli Achtmeyer, Will Achtmeyer, and Bill Achtmeyer ’73.

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Michael John ’21 (cox), Nick Hebard ’21, Christiaan Eikeboom ’21, Harvey Rupp ’21, Charlie Stevenson ’20, Jack Weldon ’20, Charlie Donahue ’20, Howard Huang ’22, and Aidan McGaugh ’20.

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Matt Weinstein ’11, Stephen George, Dara Alizadeh ’11, and Arman Ashrafi ’13.

8.

Pierre McGuire, Ryan McGuire ’21, and Melanie McGuire.

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Chris Sweeney ’83 and Vasu and Hari Digumarthi.

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10. Teddy Danziger ’19, Sean Mannion ’18, Stephen Warming ’22, Henry Thomas ’18, and Bobby Jahrling ’17.

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katharine wrisley atkins women’s series Featured Speaker Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller P ’06, ’06, ’09 November 14, 2019 Visit www.belmonthill.org/kwa for information and to register for upcoming events.

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1.

Kathy Whelan, Margy Dunn, Ruthanne Fuller, and Lynne Gaynor.

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Jayne Mundt, Jo Cleary, and Martha Murphy.

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Front row: Andrea Gustin, Nancy Csaplar, Christina Pare, and Eileen Strong O’Boy. Back row: Lynn Wheeler, Jackie Welch, and Betsy Danziger.

4.

Front row: Julianne Bacsik, Elizabeth Alizadeh, Jennifer Bergantino, Judy Kohler, and Laurie Gorelick. Back row: Callie Egan, Stephanie Racin, Lisa Pierce, and Helen Holingsworth.

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Front row: Katherine Warming, Mitali Prasad, Reva Fischman, and Julie Kaneb. Back row: Barbara Bailey, Annemarie Why, Megan Pickett, and Dinny Starr.

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Front row: Mona Jomaa, Kelly Brown, Karyn Wang, and Colleen Shafer. Back row: Laurel Britt-Webb, Susan Freed, Ann Tolkoff, and Molly Tolkoff.

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Front row: Colleen Hart, Jean Piazza, Julie Glauninger, Valarie St. Peters, and Elizabeth O’ Brien. Back row: Nancy Braun, Sloane Awtrey, Taruna Banerjee, and Kathleen Walsh.

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map/s.a.f.e. breakfast January 9, 2020 In an event held annually, students, alumni, faculty, and staff are invited to a conversationstyle event where questions are posed and then the group of attendees rotates to share their experiences and perspectives.

1.

Craig Schneider, Jerry Jordan ’85, and Graham Masiiwa.

2.

Jason Hurd ’90, Jeff Drucker ’90, Caleb Collins ’93, and Carl Dawson ’72.

3.

Kai Ogenah ’21 talks with Reg Howe ’58.

4.

Caleb Collins ’93.

5.

Adil Kassim ’20 and Ruphael Getahun ’20.

6.

Michael Sherman and Kathy Richards chat with Jalen Walker ’21 and Salman Yonis ’22.

7.

Ruth Sweeney and Sara Ginsberg talk with Hamza Shemsu ’20.

8.

Sean Coughlin ’83 and David Bright ’83.

9.

Aman Shah ’10 and Donna David.

10. Seated: Michael Rudzinsky ’11, Aylin Flanagan, Nancy Montanaro, Glen Harvey, Craig Schneider, Nancy O’Connor, Caleb Collins ’93, Donna David, Walker Coppedge ’94, Kathy Richards, Ruth Sweeney, Juliette Zener, Anna McDonald, Steve Carr ’93, Chris Sweeney ’83, and John McAlpin.

Middle row: Jason Hurd ’90, Jeff Drucker ’90, Adam Harder, Stephen George, Sara Ginsberg, Mike Grant, Charlie Doar, Griffin Hamilton ’20, Frederick Choi, Bobby Cooper ’23, Charlie Booth ’20, Daniel Drucker ’23, Albert McField ’22, Kai Ogenah ’21, Michael Montanaro ’20, Ruphael Getahun ’ 20, Hamza Shemsu ’20, Stalin Polanco ’21, Aman Shah ’10, Mauricio Rodriguez ’20, Jalen Walker ’21, Tyson Trautz, Aidan McCormick ’21, Elizabeth Davis, Hope Rupley, Dave Antonelli ’06, Carl Dawson ’72, Grayson Holland ’05, Salman Yonis ’22, David Bright ’83, Jeanne Tift, Jerry Jordan ’85, Sean Coughlin ’83, Tobias McDougal, Reg Howe ’58, Greg Schneider, Michael Sherman, Graham Masiiwa, Sarah D’Annolfo, and Jeff Fast. Back row: Adil Kassim ’20, Ysael Porro ’20, Erick Silva ’21, Casey Rockett ’21, Ben Reyes ’20, Jacob Czarnecki ’22, and Josh Houston-Davis ’22.

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alumni & family events

Belmont Hill School Distinguished Alumni Award Presented to John T. Grady, Jr. ’66

John T. Grady, Jr., is the quintessential Belmont Hill alumnus.

His warmth, loyalty, humor, heart, and love for the School have reached generations of Belmont Hill alumni. A devoted ambassador, John has opened his door to hundreds of Belmont Hill alumni, providing sage counsel and thoughtful advice at presented to critical times. Through his efforts and contributions, the lives, careers, and friendships of Belmont Hill alumni are substantially enhanced.

Greg Schneider, Ann Grady, and John Grady ’66.

Distinguished Alumni Award

John T. Grady, Jr. ’66

John Grady, and the character he consistently exemplifies,

John T. Grady, Jr. is the quintessential Belmont Hill alumnus. His warmth, loyalty, humor, heart, and demonstrates the verygenerations best qualities the School to John love for the School have reached of Belmontthat Hill alumni.

A devotedseeks ambassador, has opened his dooristotrue hundreds of Belmont Hill alumni, providinglife: sage as counsel and thoughtful advice instill.

This in every aspect of John’s a Belmont at critical times. Through his efforts and contributions, the lives, careers, and friendships of Belmont Hill student, athlete, friend, husband, father, alumnus, trustee, Hill alumni are substantially enhanced.

and citizen.

John Grady, and the character he consistently exemplifies, demonstrate the very best qualities that the A 1966 of isBelmont his student, B.A. athlete, School seeksgraduate to instill. This true in everyHill aspectSchool, of John’sJohn life: as aearned Belmont Hill friend, father, alumnus, trustee, and citizen. fromhusband, Boston University.

John enriches every community of which

he is a member. He contributes his time, knowledge, insights, and

A 1966 graduate of the Belmont Hill School, John earned his B.A. from Boston University. John wisdom countless individuals, andhisinstitutions.

John and enriches everyto community of which he is a member. groups, He contributes time, knowledge, insights, wisdom to countless groups, and institutions.

John has served numerous worthy boards and has served onindividuals, numerous boards and volunteers foronmyriad volunteers myriad worthy causes.

Fortunately the entire Belmont Hill community, John has causes.forFortunately for the entireforBelmont Hill community, John served on the Board of Trustees for over 35 years. In this role, he assists the governance of the has served on the Board of Trustees for over 35 years.

In this role, School in remaining focused on the mission of developing men of character, something he so aptly personifies through own behavior. of the School in remaining focused on he assists thehisgovernance

the mission of developing men of character, something he so aptly

A genuinely beloved figure on campus, he has touched the lives of many who speak with great fondness personifies through about the positive impact he hashis had own on theirbehavior. lives. He gives so much to the School and does so with a spirit of grace, kindness, and selflessness that is infectious. John often speaks of the power of living A genuinely beloved figure on campus, he has touched the lives of life with gratitude. In turn, it is with a tremendous sense of appreciation for John that we honor him many who speak withAward. great fondness about the positive impact he with this Distinguished Alumni

has had on their lives. He gives so much to the School and does so with a spirit of grace, kindness, and selflessness that is infectious.

John often speaks of the power of living life with gratitude. In turn, it is with a tremendous sense of appreciation for John that we honor him with thisDecember Distinguished Alumni Award.

12, 2019 Gregory J. Schneider, Ronald M. Druker ’62 Head of School

Gregory J. Schneider

Jon M. Biotti ’87

Jon M.M. Biotti ’87, ’62 President, Board of Trustees Ronald Drucker Head of School President, Board of Trustees

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alumni award dinner in honor of john t. grady, jr. ’66 December 12, 2019 The purpose of Belmont Hill School’s Distinguished Alumni Award is to honor men who have exemplified in life those qualities that the School seeks to instill: honesty, excellence, integrity, respect, and caring for others. These qualities may be reflected in outstanding service, sacrifice, courage, hard work, or other ways by which the recipient has made a significant contribution to society. Contact the Alumni House to submit a nomination at alumni@belmonthill.org.

Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award 1962 Kingman Brewster, Jr. ’36 and Francis B. Sayre, Jr. ’32 1963 Thomas H. Hunter ’31 1964 William von E. Doering ’34 1966 William H. Claflin III ’37 and John H. Knowles ’44 1967 Edmund V. Keville ’29 1968 G eorge Wilbor Finch Keller (honorary) 1969 Henry Hixon Meyer (honorary) 1970 Richard W. Day ’34 1973 Thomas Winship ’38 1976 Edmund S. Morgan ’33 1977 Charles A. Meyer ’35 1978 Charles F. Hamilton (honorary) 1979 Thomas R. Morse, Jr. ’44 1980 H. Gardner Bradlee ’36 1981 John G. Brooks ’29 1982 ohn B. Breed ’36 and Robert L. Moore ’44 1983 Henry B. Sawyer, Jr. ’32 1984 Louis B. Carr ’33 1985 William J. Cleary, Jr. ’52 1986 William L. Byrnes ’40 1987 Nelson J. Darling, Jr. ’37 1988 George B. Baldwin ’38

1989 Robert W. MacPherson ’42 1990 Robert L. Woodbury ’56 1991 Dunbar Holmes ’31 1992 Alexander H. Bill ’31 1993 John C.M. Pringle ’32 1994 M. Greely Summers ’37 1995 Hans W. Wanders ’43 1997 Robert Baldwin, Jr. ’42 1999 Thomas H. Lee ’61 2000 Richard O. Howe ’33 2001 Truman S. Casner ’51 2002 John A. Pike ’49 2004 C. Fessenden Morse III ’40 2006 David E. Kelley ’75 2007 Stephen R. Karp ’57 2009 Robert C. Repetto ’55 2010 J . Christopher Clifford (honorary) 2012 Thomas W.L. Cameron ’44 2014 Ronald M. Druker ’62 2015 Mark A. Milley ’76 2016 John G. Brooks III ’60 2017 Carl D. Dawson ’72 2018 Andrew D. Cadiff ’73 2019 John T. Grady, Jr. ’66

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Jeff Drucker ’90, Steve Kaplan ’83, and Amy Schneider.

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Graham Masiiwa and Doug Wolf ’84.

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Jay Gallo ’78, Cricket Mullaney, and Brian Mullaney ’77.

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Emmett Lyne ’77.

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Alumni Award recipient John Grady ’66.

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Carl Dawson ’72, Jack Gaziano ’83, and David Bright ’83.

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Tony Ryan.

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Chris Sweeney ’83, Hans Wachtmeister, Anne Wachtmeister, and Tom Ulfelder ’70.

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John Grady ’66, Lori Wadsworth, and Chris Wadsworth.

10. Margaret Crocker, Nicholas Crocker, Chris Crocker-Grady ’87, Frances Grady, John Grady ’66, Ann Grady, and John Grady III.

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alumni & family events

Ann and John Grady ’66, Tom Amon ’65, Cheryl and Randy Byrnes ’65, Hank Amon ’62, and Carol Amon.

“When we consider our school’s mission focused upon developing men of character, we could find no greater example than the man we celebrate tonight. You are distinguished not only for what you have done with your life since leaving Belmont Hill and not only for your spectacular level of involvement after your graduation. You represent our mission focused upon character, but you also represent the power to change lives through relationships. You represent what can happen when you take the time to listen and care. You represent an ability to maintain perspective about what matters in life, about the power of gratitude, and about the ability we all have to continually improve and become better people throughout our lives.”

—Greg Schneider, Ronald M. Druker ’62 Head of School “John, may your voice always be heard in the Belmont Hill boardroom when the discussion swerves towards some tactical or complex issue. May your wisdom be recalled, and the hard decisions made easier, when we consider your standing question, ‘Upon which metric do we judge success at Belmont Hill?’ That simple and fundamental question cuts through it all and reminds us of our purpose. It’s about our character. It’s about exemplifying in life those qualities that the School seeks to instill.

“Our community is most assuredly very proud of you. You personify those qualities that the School seeks to instill, and on this special night, we could not be more pleased to celebrate our school’s mission, our school’s values, and the continued excellence in character that you have demonstrated over the past 60 years.”

—Tony Ryan P ’14, ’17, ’19, Board Treasurer “Belmont Hill School is in every fiber of my life and my soul; from the fall of 1960 when I entered Form I to this evening almost 60 years later, I could never have known how impactful my experiences at Belmont Hill then and now would be. I could never give back enough to all the Belmont Hill family who were there for me—in good and in challenging times.

“Love, service, kindness, gratitude, and forgiveness: Words that I try to remember every day.

I learned from my wonderful family here with me tonight and from Belmont Hill School how important these words are and more importantly the actions that they require—because without action they are just pleasant thoughts and emotions.”

—John Grady ’66, 49th Alumni Award Recipient

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Class Notes

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class notes

ALUMNI, FACULTY, AND STAFF: We would love to hear from you and share your latest news with the Belmont Hill School community.

Please email your notes and photos to alumni@belmonthill.org. Length and content are subject to editorial approval; some submissions may appear as excerpts. The deadline for the summer Bulletin is June 5, 2020.

VETERAN’S PROFILE: Have you served in the military? To be publicly recognized in the Belmont Hill School Military Register, please complete the online form found under “School History” on the website. If you have any questions, please call the Alumni Office at 617.993.5203.

GRAND REUNION—CLASSES OF 1940 ∙ 1945 ∙ 1950 ∙ 1955 ∙ 1960 ∙ 1965 AND ALL ALUMNI WHO HAVE CELEBRATED THEIR 50 TH REUNION.

1953 ROBIN THOMPSON ’53 writes: “I am working on an invention. Six months to a year from now I will know if this invention is a money maker or not. Keep your fingers crossed.”

1955

65 TH REUNION

PETER CHILDS ’55 was born in Boston and attended Oberlin College, where Bob Gibson taught him to play the banjo. He was a solo performer in Boston-area coffeehouses from 1962– 1966, including the Café Yana, Orleans, Turk’s Head, and King’s Rook. He joined the folk trio Knob Lick Upper 10,000 (learning to play dobro in the process) along with Erik Jacobsen and Dwain Story; the group released two albums in 1963. He became a studio guitarist in New York, accompanying Fred Neil; Peter, Paul, and Mary; Jesse Colin Young; and Jack Elliott, among others. He moved to Laurel, then Topanga Canyons, in the Los Angeles area in 1966, doing session work before homesteading in Miranda, California, in 1971, where he has been a guiding force in that rural community for decades. Author of the books Musings

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of a Modern Mystic and Of Thee I Sing; The American Experiment and How It Can Still Succeed, Peter is one of those rare individuals (Jackie Washington and Jim Rooney also come to mind) who seem to exemplify the generous spirit of Pete Seeger in all of their musical endeavors. Affable, gregarious, utterly committed to a vision of a kind and yet open-eyed activism, Peter was one of the engaging performers in the Boston scene. He often showed up at gigs carrying three guitars and a banjo, all of which he proceeded to put to good use. Peter became one of the most facile electric and dobro accompanists on the scene; his work on Jesse Colin Young’s Young Blood album and on all of Fred Neil’s records is testament to his taste and talents.

MIKE FORMAN ’55 writes: “I haven’t written anything for reunions since the 25th, so an update of the next 40 years follows.

I continued working for the government at NASA, Goddard Research Flight Center, until retirement in 2007. I switched from science to operations and managed the ops for Nimbus 7, which had an instrument that measured the Ozone hole. We were the first NASA operation to convert in the mid 1980s to using personal computers for operations from the large mainframe systems at a cost saving of more than $1 million per year.

My master’s thesis work (1966) formed the design basis for several instruments flown by NASA, including one on Voyager, which was sent out of the solar system and one used by the COBE project, which won a Nobel Prize. That still gets me a cup of coffee at Starbucks for $3.00 or so. I also tutored math for about 10 years, and still thank Mr. Max for instilling the knowledge and enthusiasm for trying to understand why things are done in math. I am still married to my first wife, Jessica (57 years), and both kids are doing well. We enjoy the lack of winter weather in South Carolina.

My mobility is limited, and I doubt if I could handle the walking that seems to be involved in attending these affairs, so I wish you all the best and enjoy! I’m just glad to still be vertical and able to see the green side of the grass.”

1960

60 TH REUNION

January 29, 2020, at the Spruce Peak base lodge, Stowe, Vermont, after a day of skiing, 1960 Classmates ART NORTON and JOHN WELCH are pictured standing. John and Art first skied at Stowe in 1959, 61 years ago, and have returned to ski together many times since. Also pictured (seated) Art’s wife Alex Spalding and Wayne Andrew.

Every year ALAN KLINE ’60 helps run a charity golf tournament in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Twenty years ago, with the help of his late wife and another couple, Kline approached the hotel general manager at Couples Tower Isle about starting a tournament to benefit local organizations and facilities used by hotel employees. This January, he helped with the 19th Annual event and proudly announced raising in excess of $1 million in goods and services. Organizations that benefitted include the local hospital, primary school, an animal shelter, and Hurricane Dorian relief funds.

1965

55 TH REUNION

1969 This from RICK HOLTON ’69: “Since leaving Belmont Hill, I’ve lived in Massachusetts, Virginia (twice), Scotland, New York, Minnesota, and (last stop) North Carolina. I’ve been a banker, a management consultant, a teacher, a freelance writer, and in hard times a bartender, a restaurant worker, and private tutor.

I’m married to the former Farnell Cowan, a southern belle and Sweet Briar graduate who is now happily retired from the investment management world. She is a world traveler who has visited more than 45 countries, compared to my (maybe) 15. Her favorite place: Antarctica. My favorite: Iceland. The last time I drove a car was 1978. We take joy in our six nieces. One teaches school in Charlotte but is also the director of

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Hank Amon ’62, Doug Amon ’63, and Tom Amon ’65 at the Alumni Holiday Dinner.

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1965 classmates Robin Murray, Randy Byrnes, Bob Goldkamp, and Peter Gilpatric.

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Ken Martin ’65, Mark Milley ’76, and Hollyanne Milley ’76.

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Larry Sanford ’68, board member of the Lawrenceville Tournament Committee, and Belmont Hill varsity hockey coach Jeremiah McCarthy ’94. Larry has given a speech to the Belmont Hill varsity hockey team for a number of years, including this year when Belmont Hill won the championship.

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From the yearbook archives: Tim Fulham ’74, Jon White ’73, Burry Gowen ’73, and Dan Schley ’73.

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Head of the Charles 2019: Mark Findeis (who sits in for Burry Gowen ’73), Jon White ’73, Tim Fulham ’74, and Dan Schley’73.

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James Miles, grandson of Arthur Zervas ’70, checking for hidden treats.

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January 29, 2020: Belmont Hill Wrestling Captains (1973–1977) cheered the Belmont Hill varsity wrestling team to victory at home against St. Seb’s (61–12) and previously undefeated Nobles (63–9). Left to right: Peter Sullivan ’75, Paul Alfano ’77, Jim McGrath ’73, Emmett Lyne ’77, Chip Tarbell ’76, and John McGrath ’74.

Not pictured, photographer Brian Mullaney ’77.

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a nonprofit in Kenya, the purpose of which is to build rural schools. Four are in college (Carolina, Sewanee, Colby, and Kenyon), and one will soon be heading to college.”

CHRIS WOODCOCK ’69 writes, “Married in 1973 to high school sweetheart. Three children and three grandchildren, all in Massachusetts.

We moved from Wayland after 50 years to Northborough, Massachusetts. Worked 20 years as an environmental engineering consultant, then started my own company in 1994.

Provide consulting services to governmental entities around the world regarding water and wastewater rates. Now mostly retired and busier than ever with who-knows-what. Lots of grand-kid time and a little golf.”

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Class of 1970 50th Reunion Profiles will be featured in the Summer 2020 Bulletin.

Please send your narrative and photograph to alumni@belmonthill.org by June 1.

He was in 2nd place and down by a length at 600m, and he reeled him in. At 700m Dan had an overlap and kicked into a sprint. At 900m the other rower basically gave up. Dan beat him by open water and is shown crossing the finish line in this photograph.

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1975

Congratulations to DAN SCHLEY ’73 who won the gold medal in his age group for the single scull at the World Masters Rowing Championships in Budapest in September.

RACHEL LEVINE ’75, Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, spoke at an event in the Pennsylvania Capital in March 2019 about the vaping-related death in the state.

1970

50 TH REUNION

45 TH REUNION

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class notes

“The lung injury cases are very serious, life-threatening, and even fatal,” Dr. Levine said. “We do not yet know what is making people sick, and whether the illnesses are related to the products being used, or potentially the delivery of those products. I strongly urge everyone who is vaping illegally bought products, in particular those with THC, to stop.”

MITCHELL REISS ’75 writes, “I have had a hard time keeping a job! My career has included practicing corporate law, writing on international relations at the DC think tank, working at both the National Security Council and State Department, serving as a college president, advising Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns, leading the country’s largest living history museum (Colonial Williamsburg) and, more recently, consulting in the Middle East. I met my wife Elizabeth in the UK and we have now been married for 33 years, with two children and one grandson. I credit Belmont Hill with providing me an excellent education that served as a solid foundation for my career.”

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Greg Schneider, Mark Milley ’76, and Hollyanne Milley.

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General Mark Milley ’76 being sworn in as the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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Ed Nardi ’78, Jay Wisentaner ’76, David Tweedy ’77, Ken Martin ’65, and Jim Peck ’77 at an informal gathering hosted

by Mark Milley ’76.

4.

Paul Casey ’79, Mark Milley ’76, and Sandy Milley. Back row: Dan Strange, Alex Milley, Denis O’Donnell, and Chris O’Connell ’77.

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Janice Mirabassi and Chip Tarbell ’76 with the Milleys.

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Steve Leahy ’77 and Mark Milley ’76.

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Ten members of the Class of 1977 got together for a Margarita-fueled dinner in Boston on November 18, 2019.

From left to right: Tom Green, Hal Melcher, Emmett Lynne, Brian Mullaney, Curtis Whitney, Tom Darling, Paul Alfano, Jimmy Peck, John Pike, and JP “The Mover” Botindari.

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Celebrating the wedding of Lily and Ryan Ganong ’09: 1982 classmates: Dan MacDonald, Peter Monaco, Rick Ganong, and Scott Webster.

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Dan O’Connell ’87 and his son Chris ’21 in Prague.

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1980

40 TH REUNION

1985

35 TH REUNION

1990

30 TH REUNION

JOSHUA CHAFFIN ’90 writes, “I wisely devoted my career to a growth industry: newspapers. For the last 20 years, I’ve been a correspondent for the Financial Times. It has been a great way to see a bit of the world. Most recently, my wife and I spent five years in Brussels and then five in London before returning home 18 months ago with two wonderful—but slightly confused kids. We are now living in New York, or rather, the New Jersey suburbs (still coming to grips with that). I’m grateful for many gifts from Belmont Hill—not least, the Spanish taught to me by the great Dr. Arnold and Senor Schafer.”

This from BEPI RAVIOLA ’90: “Being associated with Belmont Hill has been a true privilege, and I look forward to joining together for our 1990 30th reunion in 2020. After Belmont Hill I received a B.A. from Dartmouth College (1994), an M.D. from Harvard Medical School (2002), and an M.P.H. from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2012). My life as a student-athlete peaked in college as a member of two Ivy championship soccer teams while studying history and pre-med, also spending a year in Italy studying art (and where I played soccer for a team of vegetable stand owners on the outskirts of Florence). I started medical school at 26, spending the rest of my 20s and early 30s trying to become a good clinician and practitioner, and seeking to integrate in my career a knowledge of global health, history and anthropology, social justice and

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service. While I had excellent, inspiring teachers and role models, at some point I understood that I had to find my own path.

I wanted to have an impact while seeking to build a career full of intellectual challenge, engagement with psychological complexity, and opportunity for genuine communion with others. A year living in Kenya in 2000 working at the largest public hospital in East Africa shook me and opened my eyes to huge public health challenges in Africa and elsewhere, including HIV, tuberculosis, and mental disorders specifically, which remain the largest burden of illness globally, as well as here in the U.S. At 34 I made the best decision I’ve ever made, to marry Emily, with whom I have two children, Emilia (12) and Elio (7). Emily serves as a program director and manager of Boston College’s first online master’s program, and also works full-time. Being at home with family has been a safe and happy harbor from the everyday challenges of life.

The children benefit greatly from regular contact with grandparents, including my father, Elio, who still works in the lab at 88 and inspires us with his humor and passion. We all spend a lot of time together in Vermont, where we even lived for a few years, as well as Newton.

I finished my medical training at 36 after 11 years to become a double board-certified adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist, a foundation for the rest of my work and a job which gives me a ton of satisfaction. At my core, I love being with people and caring for them, young and older. Everything else is a bonus. For ten years I worked at Boston Children’s Hospital as a clinician and expert on quality improvement in care while in 2010 starting the mental health program at Partners In Health, a medical nonprofit providing quality healthcare to the poor. I am an assistant professor of 1) Psychiatry

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and 2) Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where my academic focus is on global mental health delivery, how to translate what we know works in care to the actual implementation of services, particularly in resource-constrained settings, both locally and globally. I have pursued the notion that high-quality services can be delivered in the most difficult circumstances. At PIH I work across Haiti, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and the United States (Navajo Nation in New Mexico and Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota). In 2018–19 we delivered more than 32,000 patient visits for mental health concerns across these sites. In 2020 I will complete a book, Case Studies in Global Mental Health Delivery, with the same title of a new course I co-lead.”

These are the basics from me. I always look forward to stories from Belmont Hill friends and alumni, an incredible group of people.

TODD SULLIVAN ’90 writes, “In the past 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in many U.S. cities. I started as an often traded, bloodied, and bruised minor league hockey goalie and then subtly evolved to bloodied and bruised entrepreneur, building and selling tech companies. My last company landed me, my wife, and my two daughters in Michigan, which is where we call home. In the past two years, I’ve been fortunate enough to dedicate my time to my family as well as helping my fellow founders and business owners across the U.S. find the investment capital they need and the liquidity events they deserve. I’ve had the good fortune of running into several of you over the years in business and in passing, and I hope to reconnect with many of you again at our 25th reunion. If I can’t make it for some reason, have an extra PB&J for me.”

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David Wanger ’80, Joe Curtin ’80, and Josiah Wilde ’80 at the Belmont Hill Summer Reception in August.

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Bepi ’90, Emily, Elio, and Emilia Raviola.

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Andrew Hack ’91 and his son Eliot at the Head of the Charles on October 20, 2019.

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class notes

1995

25 TH REUNION

This from SCOTT NORWOOD ’95: “After graduating from Belmont Hill, I headed south for the College of William and Mary, along with classmate Michael Kelley.

After two years of majoring in “undecided,” I eventually chose to study government, thanks in no small part to my enjoyment of Mr. Seeley’s classes in politics and constitutional law.

While I enjoyed my studies and the warmer weather of the mid-Atlantic region, a career in politics was not for me. After graduation, I returned to the Boston area to work in the information technology field as a systems administrator, an extension of another long-held interest and hobby. I have since had the good fortune to work at several small companies in various industries, ranging from software to publishing. My job functions have varied, but have primarily

Since 2015, I have been employed at Northeastern University, where I take care of their enterprise Unix systems and am also involved in a high-performance computing environment. Every day there presents new challenges and learning opportunities. I have enjoyed this work, and continue to be fascinated by the constant progress that continues to be made in these areas. It is rather amazing to contemplate how much technology has changed our lives in the past 25 years.

As a hobby, I have continued some involvement in the motion picture field. I have done projections and sound work for film festivals and have booked films for theaters.

I have also made two short documentary films, both of which played in 35mm at several film festivals in 2014.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the 25th reunion, and seeing some of the many improvements and additions that Belmont Hill has made to its facilities. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to attend the School, and look forward to seeing it continue to grow and improve in the future.”

2000

20 TH REUNION

On January 8, 2020, President Trump nominated Covington & Burling LLP attorney and Marine Corps veteran and reservist JOHN CHASE JOHNSON ’00 as inspector general of the Federal Communications Commission. Johnson practices in commercial litigation and government contracts groups at Covington. According to the White House, he also serves as a major and military judge in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. Before joining Covington, he served on active duty in the Marines and deployed to Afghanistan.

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Nathan (6) and Lauren (3) Watt, children of Stanley Watt ’96.

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Tufts head football coach Jay Civetti ’97 and former faculty member Bob Cressey at the Bowdoin-Tufts football game.

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Mason Smith ’98 with his son Decker and Ryan Goodband ’98 with his son Owen coaching their sons for Medfield soccer.

4.

The Belmont Hill Real Estate Club had the opportunity to hear from Jeff Hamilton ’01. He covered topics ranging from real estate, college, and Belmont Hill.

5.

Malik Dahlan ’98 and his wife Sarah Yamani with their two sons, Fihr and Zayni, visited Belmont Hill on October 25, 2019. Malik and Sarah divide their time between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

6.

The Hughes family at Disney, May 2019. Patrick ’01, Kristin, Emmeline, Quinn, Katie, and T. J. Hughes ’01.

7.

Congratulations to Belmont Hill Science faculty member Jared Courtney ’97 and his wife, Maureen, on the birth of their son Lloyd O’Neill Courtney on September 25, 2019. Lloyd joins big brothers Fitz and Pierce.

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involved being responsible for systems, storage, backups, and networks.

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Beth and Jason Kass ’01 stopped by the Alumni House this fall and introduced their new daughter, Vera, born on September 7, 2019.

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Blake Faye Halverson, born on September 5, 2019, to Amanda and John Halverson ’02.

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Robert Benton Palladino, born on February 3, 2019, to Hope and Rob Palladino ’05.

4.

The Ohanian wedding on November 10, 2018 had a huge Belmont Hill presence.

Pictured: Mark Ohanian ’03, Ashley Ohanian, Chris Tashjian ’96, Andrew O’Brien ’01, Joe Butler ’03, Bill Doyle ’03, Ryan Higgins ’03, Sean O’Grady ’03, Matt O’Grady ’01, Ron Buck ’93, Zack Toth ’03, Geoff Homer ’03, Greg O’Brien ’03, Jay Fahey ’03, Lee Incandela ’03, Chris Stoeckle ’03, Brendan McCafferty ’00, Sam Page ’03, Justin Monahan ’95, Kevin McCafferty ’98, and Brian McCafferty ’05. In attendance but not pictured: Ken Hintlian ’71, Dan Dorian ’71, and Jim Kalustian ’78.

5.

On October 12, 2019, Dan Neczypor ’04 married Megan Whitehill. Attending, left to right, were James Cochran, Zander Farkas ’04, Scott Dunn ’04, Denys Levin ’04, Sam Gaynor ’04, Brendan Syron ’04, Bobby Campbell ’04, Dan Neczypor ’04, Toby Banta ’04, and Mike McGuire ’04.

6.

Kevin Keefe ’05 married Lauren Binger on June 8, 2019 in Arlington, VA, at St. Dominic Church, followed by a reception at the Army Navy CC. Pictured with the Belmont Hill banner are Lauren, Kevin, classmate Rob Palladino, and his wife Hope. The couple and guests were greeted by a double Coast Guard helicopter flyover during the cocktail reception. Kevin and Lauren report that they were recently assigned to New Orleans where they are both Coast Guard officers and that they would love visitors.

7.

A, B, C. On August 4, 2019, faculty member Jeff “Doc” Fast officiated at the wedding of Jade and Devin Corrigan ’06 in the Bay area. In attendance were Teddy Blank ’06 and Robbie Butler ’06.

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7C

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class notes

2005

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Congratulations to Kathryn and Trevor Mundt on their August wedding. From left to right, Justin Mundt ’09, Megan O’Dell, Trevor Mundt ’07, Kathryn Mundt, Parker Mundt ’12, and Rachel McGee.

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Jamie Carey, son of Emily and Charlie Carey ’08. Future Belmont Hill Class of 2037.

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Ryan Ganong ’09 and Lilly Fleischmann were married on September 21, 2019 in Chatham, MA. Former Head of School Rick Melvoin officiated at the ceremony. In attendance, first row: Rick Ganong ’82, Kris Ganong, Danny McDonald ’82, Scott Webster ’82, Rick Melvoin, Bunny Melvoin, Lilly Ganong, Ryan Ganong ’09, Alex Tarnoff ’08, Charlie Carey ’08, and Pat Diaz ’09.

Second row: Elisabeth Wilder Richards, Chris Richards, Sam Singer ’09, JJ Swartz ’09, Jane Mundt, Justin Mundt ’09, Kevin Mundt, Matt Egan ’08, Eddie Harvey ’11, and Tyler Brace ’07.

4.

Will Gray ’09 and Sam Peabody ’08 at the Taj Mahal. Both are graduating from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College with MBAs this spring. They were hosted by their Indian classmates on a two-week trip to six cities within India over winter break.

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Reed Casey ’10 was married in June to Christina Mulcahy. Alumni attending: Michael Trachy ’10, Gordon Maas ’10, PJ Rufo ’10, and Colin Egan ’11.

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Martha Farrell, Mark Milley ’76, Hollyanne Milley, and Joe Farrell ’12 at General Milley’s official swearing in ceremony as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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15 TH REUNION

ROB PALLADINO ’05 writes, “I graduated from Belmont Hill to enroll at Middlebury College, where I majored in political science and Spanish, played varsity baseball for four years, and studied abroad in Madrid, Spain. Post college, I went to work for State Street Bank in Boston, but my work took me to Hong Kong for two years, where I lived, worked, and traveled regionally. I returned to Boston for a girl, and followed her to NYC to live and work at Deutsche Bank. She and I were married in 2016 in Vermont, have a beautiful son Robert Benton, and have traveled domestically and internationally over the years. We now reside in Brooklyn and make it up to Falmouth, Massachusetts, as much as we can in the summer.”

2006 BEN BERKOWITZ ’06 has teamed up with his brother Max to produce The Forever House, a high-concept anthology series inspired by international folklore. It will explore new tales of dark, deliciously twisted mythology based on the objects and artifacts discovered within the walls of an ancient and forgotten home.

Both Ben and Max, of Not A Billionaire (NAB), are veterans of the film and television industry.

Recently, Ben was involved with the Netflix documentary Memory Games, as well as CNN’s Unseen Enemy.

2010

10 TH REUNION

HIB SCHENCK ’10 writes: “After Belmont Hill, I attended Colby College, where I majored in economics and government and played on the rugby team. After college, I moved back to Boston and began work in a high tech world, working for a small security software firm for a couple of years.

I moved in with Nick Koeniger and Ben Porter from our class and lived with both of them until April 2019, when I moved in with my girlfriend Kelsey Hoyt. After working in software sales, I transitioned to a position in fundraising for Boston Children’s Hospital.

I have been there for the last two-plus years and will be leaving this summer to attend Harvard Business School.”

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Charlie Durbin ’15 and Danny Seibel ’14 playing for the major league lacrosse’s Boston Cannons. The Cannons lost 16–15, but Danny had two goals and Charlie had one.

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Tim Sullivan and Chris Butler catching up with Alex Santangelo ’15 at Belmont Hill’s Veterans Day School Meeting in November. Alex is currently a naval officer and will be serving on the USS Winston Churchill.

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Amherst College alumnus and Belmont Hill Head Greg Schneider at the Amherst-Trinity football game on November 2 with Mike Piazza ’19 and Justin O’Neil Riley ’19.

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The USA 1 crew in this year’s Head of the Charles Championship 8+ event featured three Belmont Hill alumni, seen here racing by Belmont Hill’s dock: Andrew Reed ’10 in the bow seat, Mike DiSanto ’08 in the 2-seat, and Alexander Richards ’14 in the 7-seat. All three are training with the National Team in Oakland, CA, with the goal of making the USA Olympic Team and competing in Tokyo. See page 47 for additional photo.

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2015

Notice: Health records for graduates from the CLASS OF 2014 will be destroyed on September 1, 2020, having been held in accordance with state law for this duration.

If you would like your personal record, you may contact Donna David in the Belmont Hill School Health Office by August 31, 2020, at davidd@belmonthill.org with the subject line “Please Save My Health Records.” Be sure to include your full name, and the address to which you would like these records sent.

This from HARRY PORTER ’15: “Working as a business management consultant at The Beacon Group based in Portland, Maine, I advise Fortune 500 companies on organic and inorganic growth strategies across Beacon’s four practice areas: healthcare and life sciences, technology, industrials and aerospace, government and defense. I hold a B.A. in neuroscience and Africana studies and a minor in sociology from Bowdoin College. I competed in sprints in indoor and outdoor track and field at Bowdoin and enjoy volunteer coaching youth baseball.”

5 TH REUNION

BENNY WANGER ’15 joined Team Israel, which qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Benny has become a dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel and traveled to Germany to join Team Israel at the European baseball championships. Team Israel will be one of six national teams that will compete in baseball in the summer Olympics in Tokyo.

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class notes

young & recent alumni events

alibi event

November 29, 2019 1.

Young and Recent Alumni Boston gathering at The Alibi.

basketball game

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November 29, 2019 2.

Alumni Basketball Game.

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Greg Paul ’09 and David Walker ’82 at the Alumni Basketball Game.

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Alumni Basketball Game.

college visits 5.

Amherst College visit: Jack Vander Vort ’19, Jimmy Melican ’17, and Brodie Rayment ’19.

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Dartmouth College visit: Gavin Colbert ’18, Jack Bell ’18, Matt Armstrong ’16, Ryan Goldstein ’18, Robert Pare ’18, Danny Hincks ’18, and Sean Mannion ’18.

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Harvard visit: Front row: Massimo Aufiero ’18 and Ishaan Prasad ’18, and Nick Daley ’19. Middle row: Michael Sherman, Shane Rockett ’19, Patrick Connor ’18, Antonio Ubeda ’18, George Hu ’16, and Chris Sweeney ’83.

Back row: Chris Richards, Juliette Zener, Alex Afeyan ’16, and Jack Richards ’16.

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Tufts University visit: Cole Nagahama ’17, Ben London ’18, Matt Goguen ’19, Jake DeCaprio ’16, Varun Shah ’17, Ranjit Thomas ’16, Ben Pradko ’18, Jacob Whitney ’17, Stephen George, and Tyson Trautz .

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Williams College visit: Michael Armstrong ’17, Jovan Jones ’18, Ben Lebowitz ’16, John Hincks ’16, Jake Haase ’18, Josh Wax ’19, and Andrew Herrera ’19.

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young & recent alumni events

hockey game

November 29, 2019 1, 2,1. and 3. Alumni , 2., and 3 AlumniHockey HockeyGame.

Game.

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king’s event

November 29, 2019 4.

Tim Sullivan, George Sullivan ’07, and Geoff Sullivan ’11.

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Danny Hincks ’18.

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Will McCormack ’18.

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Young Alumni event at King’s Dining and Entertainment.

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red sox outing August 1, 2019

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Jeremy Connor ’12, Brian Bowser ’12, and EJ Cayemite ’12.

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Danny Seibel ’14, Tim Sullivan, and Mack Rush ’15.

10. Young Alumni gathering at Fenway Park.

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belmont hill memorabilia

Official Belmont Hill Apparel At Our Online Store.

Official Belmont Hill logo themed apparel is available through our online store, hosted by Squadlocker. The store includes Belmont Hill activewear for men, women, and children and items specific to each sport. The link can be located by navigating to “The Hill Shop” under “Quick Links” at www.belmonthill.org.

The specialty memorabilia items pictured below can be ordered by contacting the Alumni House at alumni@belmonthill.org.

Belmont Hill School Captain’s Chair Solid hard rock maple captain’s chair with cherry arms and back with laser-engraved Belmont Hill logo makes a meaningful gift anytime. Shipped directly to your home or office. $475 plus $35 for basic shipping. $19 for one line of personalization.

Please allow 4–6 weeks for delivery.

Ladies’ Wallet Ladies’ Leather Zippered Credit Card Wallet. $30

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Cross Pen

Golf Balls

Cufflinks

All-chrome ballpoint pen with Belmont Hill sextant. $45

Titleist ProVI Golf Balls with Belmont Hill Sextant.

Package of three. $20

Sterling silver, hand-engraved. $350

In Memoriam winter–spring 2020

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in memoriam

CHARLES W. CALKINS, JR. ’46

Charles W. Calkins, Jr. died on July 29, 2019, in Tamarac, FL. He was 91.

Born and raised in Lincoln, MA, he went on to Harvard College and Tufts University Dental School. Dr. Calkins maintained a dental practice in Lincoln until 1977, when he moved it to Orleans, MA, practicing for another 20 years. After retiring from dentistry, he started a business with his son, at which he worked part time.

Dr. Calkins’ wife, Martha (Hickey) Calkins, preceded him in death. In 2014, he married Marianna Grady-Calkins, who survives him, and moved to Tamarac, FL. He is also survived by seven children, Charles, Diane, Donna, John, Patricia, Thomas, and Timothy, their spouses, numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many patients and friends.

THOMAS S. KNIGHT, JR. ’46

Mr. Knight had a long career in electronics, starting at General Electric and ending with Nycom, his own computer and electronics store in Los Altos, CA. While working for G.E., he met and married his first wife, Judith, and acquired five stepchildren. They moved to The Villages in 1989, where they enjoyed golf, tennis, and many friends. Mr. Knight was active in the homeowners board of directors and DAC.

on to Harvard College, where he played varsity hockey and earned his A.B. in 1952.

After college, he attended Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. Once commissioned an ensign, Mr. Welch was assigned to the engineering department on the USS Hambleton, a destroyer minesweeper in Charleston, SC, where he completed his naval career in 1955 as lieutenant junior grade and chief engineer.

Judy Knight died in 2008, after their marriage of 45 years. In 2009, he met fellow Villager, Judy Arvidson. He married his second Judy two years later.

Upon leaving the Navy, Mr. Welch subsequently joined his family’s business, the James O. Welch Company, a national candy and chocolate business with brands such as Junior Mints, Sugar Daddy, and Sugar Babies.

This company was sold to Nabisco, Inc. in 1963. After serving as president of the candy division for several years, Mr. Welch was transferred to Nabisco headquarters in New Jersey. During this period, he was actively involved in the Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs tennis match, at which Bobby Riggs presented Billie Jean King with a giant Sugar Daddy lollipop. Following this event, Mr. Welch was also active in Evel Knievel’s attempted jump of the Snake River, which proved to be an ideal double entendre to promote Chuckles jelly candy with the slogan “Evel Knievel goes for Chuckles” on every bag.

Mr. Knight’s solid New England values never left him. He was smart, fiercely loyal to his family and friends, and sometimes outspoken, especially about politics. He was very persistent, funny, and ever the optimist, a force to be reckoned with. He loved with generosity and his whole heart.

He is survived by his wife, Judy; his stepchildren, Chris Lash, Jon Lash, Michael Lash, Kelly Lash, and Kathy Vanooteghem, and their spouses, children, and grandchildren.

He also leaves his Knight, Mullken, and Butler relatives in New England, whom he held close to his heart. He was preceded in death by his twin siblings, Dick and Louise Knight.

At the time of publication, the Bulletin learned of the death, on February 28, 2020, of Paul F. Avery ’47 of Exeter, NH. He was 90.

His obituary will appear in the next edition.

Thomas S. Knight, Jr. died on February 7, 2020. He was 91.

Born in Winchester, MA, in 1928, he was the son of the late Thomas and Olive Knight.

After graduation from Belmont Hill and a two-year enlistment in the U.S. Army, he attended and graduated from Tufts University, where his family had a long association. His great-grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Sawyer, was one of the founders of Tufts; his grandfather, George T. Knight, a professor; and his father, Thomas S. Knight, a graduate and Life Trustee, along with numerous uncles and aunts graduating from the University.

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JAMES O. WELCH, JR. ’48

James Overman Welch, Jr. died on October 6, 2019. He was 88.

Mr. Welch was born in 1931 in Cambridge, MA, and grew up in Belmont, MA. He went

After transferring to Nabisco’s headquarters as assistant to the president, Mr. Welch served as president of Nabisco’s cereal and pet food division and then Nabisco’s international division before becoming president of Nabisco. In 1985, he was elected chief executive officer of Nabisco Brands, the result of the 1981 merger of Nabisco and Standard Brands. After the sale of Nabisco Brands to RJ Reynolds in 1985, he was elected vice chairman of the board of RJR Nabisco.

Mr. Welch was a director of Vanguard Mutual Funds from 1974–2001, Teco Energy from 1976–2006, Kmart from 1995–2001, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and its predecessors from 1989 to the present, and trustee of the New York Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society from 1987–2013.

He served as a trustee of The Park School of Brookline, MA; Noble and Greenough School of Dedham, MA; and The Pingry School of

Martinsville, NJ. He was also chairman of an undergraduate education committee at Harvard University and was active on several other standing committees at the University.

Mr. Welch was an enthusiastic skier and tennis player with his wife, Virginia (Ginny), and their children. This was especially true upon his retirement after the sale of RJR Nabisco to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. in 1989. He also enjoyed boating and spending time on the North Shore of Massachusetts throughout the course of his life.

In addition to his wife, Ginny, he leaves his sister, Deborah LaGorce, and six sons, James, Leighton, Miles, Christopher, Gardiner, and Samuel, and their wives, and 19 grandchildren.

RICHARD E. WILSON ’48

Richard Eli Wilson, of Dennis, MA, died on September 29, 2019, in Leominster, MA. He was 90.

Born in 1929 in Concord, MA, he was the son of the late Clarence Eli Wilson and Martha (Calvert) Wilson. After graduating from Belmont Hill, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Haverford College and a master’s degree in business administration from Boston University. In June of 1955, he married Jane Adams, also of Concord.

After adopting two children, they remained in Concord for many years, spending as much time as possible during the summers on Cape Cod. Upon retiring from the Boston VA Hospital as a computer systems analyst, he and Jane moved to Dennis.

Mr. Wilson gave much of his time volunteering for various charities and organizations over the years while residing in both Concord and Dennis. He was extremely generous of his time, preferring to serve his community quietly without recognition or praise. His

kind, generous spirit, optimism, and pleasant personality will be forever cherished.

He is survived by his wife, Jane (Adams) Wilson, his daughter, Kathryn Calvert Wilson, his son, Richard Adams Wilson; five grandchildren, Julia Wirtz, Abigail Wirtz, Ailish Wilson, Aengus Wilson, and Neve Wilson; and a host of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers, David Wilson, Calvert Wilson, and Peter Wilson ’50.

DONALD F. BURGER ’49

Donald F. Burger, of Corvallis, OR, died on December 12, 2019. He was 89.

Mr. Burger was the son of the late Arthur and Grace (Fanning) Burger. Born in Tuxedo Park, NY, he grew up in Concord, MA, and went on to receive his B.A. at Boston College.

He served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1953 to 1955, then received a B.S. from the University of Oregon, where he met Jean Miller. They married in 1956 and had four children.

He worked as a utilities electrician for the City of Corvallis until he retired in 1990. In retirement, he volunteered as a driver for Dial-A-Bus and helped children learn to read with the SMART program. He received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 for his volunteer service. He loved camping, fishing, and canoeing with his children in earlier days. He also was fond of playing guitar, singing folksongs, and meeting with his neighbors and friends at the Chintimini Senior Center.

In 1979, Mr. Burger married Gladys Plemmons. Although divorced, he remained close friends with both Jean and Gladys throughout their lives. Mr. Burger is survived by his daughters, Alison Schoepp and Ann Burger of Portland, and his son, Robert Burger of Corvallis; three grandsons, Devon

Streed, of St Helens, OR, and Henry and Sam Schoepp, of Portland, OR; and his brother, Jack Burger, of Sparkill, NY. His son, John Burger, preceded him in death in 2003, as did his first wife, Jean, in 2005 and his second wife, Gladys, in 2014.

ELIOT F. PORTER, JR. ’49

Eliot F. Porter, Jr., of Providence, RI, died November 25, 2019. He was 88.

Son of the late Eliot F. Porter, a famous nature photographer, and Marian Brown Porter Norton Sprague, Mr. Porter was born and raised in Boston. He went on to Harvard University but dropped out to join the Army during the Korean War, during which he earned a Purple Heart and lost a good deal of his hearing. After the war, he returned to Harvard, earned his degree, and, in 1957, immediately began his career in journalism.

After seven years at newspapers in the Northeast, he joined the St. Louis PostDispatch.

For more than three decades, between 1964 and his retirement in 1998, Mr. Porter reported for the Post, covering the environment, local government, and a wide range of other subjects. He also at various times edited the arts pages and wrote architecture criticism. A brilliant stylist, Mr. Porter brought to all of his writing a penetrating and fearless intelligence that not infrequently led him down unconventional paths, bringing readers surprise, delight, insight, and knowledge not otherwise readily found.

“Reflexively suspicious of power,” according to his obituary in the Post, “he relished challenging corporate executives, politicians, and, perhaps most consistently, his editors.

Bill McClellan dubbed him ‘The Meanest Man in Town.’ But beneath the nickname were affection and respect, built in part on

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Mr. Porter’s happy-warrior spirit, insatiable curiosity, and undeniable intelligence. It was also the case that, when he chose, he could be among the most courtly and charming men in town.”

In his retirement, Mr. Porter enjoyed reading in his vast personal library, as well as caring for his beloved dogs and birds. He also volunteered at the SPCA and as a teacher of reading to adults.

His survivors include four sons, Eliot, of Providence, RI; John, of St. Louis, MO; Charles, of Seattle, WA; and Alexander, of Brooklyn, NY. His daughter Anne predeceased him. He is also survived by five brothers, Charles, of West Hartford, CT; Jonathan, of Albuquerque, NM; Stephen, of Searsmont, ME; Patrick, of Tesuque, NM; and Arthur Norton ’60, of Woodstock, VT; two sisters, Caroline Norton, of Falmouth, MA, and Barbara Cherington, of Arlington, MA; six grandchildren; and his former wife, Jane Porter, of Portsmouth, NH.

JOHN L. DODGE ’50

John Livermore Dodge, of Charlottesville, VA, died on October 28, 2019. He was 87.

Born in Newburyport, MA, in 1931, Mr. Dodge went on to Brown University, from which he graduated in 1954. Then, at Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, where he was his class secretary, he earned his M.B.A. in 1959.

Mr. Dodge and his wife, Anne, settled in Charlottesville in 1994. He joined Habitat for Humanity in building houses and starting the HFH store. He became a director and then was chairman of the board of directors for many years. He was also a faithful member of

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the Friday morning men’s Bible study at First Baptist Church.

Mr. Dodge is survived by his wife, Anne, and their children, Mindy, Tony, and Emmett.

He is also survived by his stepdaughter, Maggie Owen.

CORNELIUS S. HURLBUT IV ’52

Cornelius Searle (Neil) Hurlbut IV, of Tucson, AZ, died on November 27, 2019.

He was 85.

Son of the late Cornelius S. Hurlbut III and Anna Thompson Dawson Hurlbut, Mr. Hurlbut was born in Dayton, OH, in 1934. He grew up in Belmont, MA, and went on to receive his B.A. in history from Amherst College in 1956. Following his graduation, he served for three years as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

While in the Navy, he and his then wife, Liz, had two children, Chris and Hope. Shortly after his discharge from the Navy, he joined Travelers Insurance Company, where he rose quickly through the management ranks. He retired from Travelers in 1988.

Mr. Hurlbut established himself as an exceptionally talented athlete, especially in tennis.

At Belmont Hill, he was a leader on the football, basketball, and tennis teams, and he captained the tennis team while at Amherst.

Through the years he played all over the U.S. and traveled to Australia, Turkey, and Croatia to play in World Cup tournaments.

In 2011, as the youngest of the super seniors, he won gold in both singles and doubles in California. He was ranked the No. 1 amateur in the U.S. and No. 5 in the world for players older than 75. He continued to win national honors in singles and doubles and on his 80th birthday was still playing national tournaments. Recently, the main court at the Tucson Racquet Club was dedicated and a plaque was installed designating it as “Neil’s Court.”

Mr. Hurlbut spent 23 of the last 28 years based in Tucson, where he and his late wife, Barbara, enjoyed playing tennis, traveling throughout the world, and devoting themselves to family and friends. In 2015, he met Natalie Ashburn, and the two had been essentially inseparable ever since. In recent years they traveled to Denmark, Norway, Scotland, the UK, and this past year they took a cruise through the Panama Canal.

He is survived by Natalie Ashburn; his two daughters, Chris Hurlbut (Ann) of Ann Arbor, MI, and Hope Hurlbut Booth (Scott) of Louisville, KY, as well as his two granddaughters, Sophie and Nikki; his sister, Patty Hurlbut Williams of Burlington, VT, his brother, Marc Hurlbut (Pat) of San Clemente, CA and New Harbor, ME, and his nieces and nephews, Laura, Marc, Matt, and Kate.

ROBERT BANKER ’54

Robert (Red) Banker, of Cambridge, MA, and Jaffrey, NH, died on September 20, 2019. He was 82.

Born in Cambridge in 1937, he was the son of the late Herbert and Sally Black Banker.

Known to longtime friends as “Red” for his thick auburn hair, Mr. Banker spent his boyhood in Brookline, MA, attended the Runkle School, and treasured his summers spent at Camp Alton in Wolfeboro, NH. He went on to Harvard College, where he graduated in the Class of 1958.

He was a keen horseman, lover of jazz and writing, and developed lifelong passions for tennis and squash. He briefly studied writing at Columbia University after college before finding a new career path, real estate.

Returning to Boston, Mr. Banker joined the Boston real estate firm Saunders & Associates before striking out on his own and founding The Banker Company in Harvard

Square in the early 1970s, which owns and manages properties in Cambridge and Boston.

He was married to Judy Galner (now Banker Mehrling) from 1961 to 1972. They had three children, Adam, Lisel (1964–2003), and Timothy. In 1982, Mr. Banker married Charity Anne Brown and lived for a time in the Back Bay before moving to Cambridge in 1995 with their two sons, David and Jonathan. He loved time spent with his family, friends, and dogs, and was happiest when in their company. He had an endless appetite for ice cream, good jokes, and travel, visiting and re-visiting dozens of countries on and off the beaten path. He loved competing (and winning), and for decades was a daily presence on the squash courts at the Harvard Club, where a doubles tournament now bears his name. Mr. Banker found joy playing jazz standards on the piano, outwitting crossword puzzles, and in quiet moments spent with a favorite novel or friend. His warmth, sharp mind, and humor will be forever missed.

He is survived by his wife, Charity, of Cambridge, MA; his brother, James ’59 and wife, Michele, of Belmont, MA; his children: Adam ’82 and wife, Joanne, of Arlington, MA; Timothy and wife, Anne, of Leverett, MA; David and wife, Sarah, of San Francisco, CA; Jonathan of Cambridge, MA; and grandchildren: Sam and fiancée, Jessie, in Tanzania; Lula of Brookline, MA; Frederick of New York City; Aaron of Cambridge, MA; Max of Washington, DC; and Eva of Arlington, MA. In addition to his daughter Lisel, he was preceded in death by his brother, David ’53, and his sister-in-law, Gail.

HUGH G.E. MACMAHON ’55

Hugh G.E. MacMahon, of Falmouth, ME, died on September 23, 2019. He was 81.

Born and raised in Cambridge, MA, he was the son of the late H. Edward MacMahon and Marian Ross MacMahon. He would spend many of his early summers with his family at Cape Cod, fishing for striped bass and learning to drive on the sandy trails. He was an avid rower, skier, and runner. A Red Sox fan by birth, Mr. MacMahon followed the team’s successes and failures throughout his adult life.

He went on to Harvard College, from which he graduated magna cum laude in 1959, and then to earn his law degree from Harvard Law School. It was during his law student days that he met his bride-to-be, Barbara Thiessen. The two were married and Mr. MacMahon joined the U.S. Navy, where he served as a lieutenant in the Judge Advocate Corps in Coronado, CA, until deciding he had had enough of “perfect” weather, and was able to finagle a transfer to the Naval Air Station in Brunswick, ME, where the weather would help to “build character.” After retiring from the Navy, Mr. MacMahon and his wife planted their family roots in nearby Falmouth, and he joined a small Portland law firm, Drummond, Wescott, and Woodsum, where he would spend the entirety of his legal career, retiring as a senior partner in the firm.

When not practicing law, he could be found pursuing many of his hobbies, from fishing and birdwatching at the family camp in Sebago to singing in the choir at Trinity Church in Portland. An enthusiastic runner of half marathons, Mr. MacMahon’s death was preceded by a head injury in a fall at the finish line of a race in which he was competing.

ROBERT L. BEAL ’59

Robert Lawrence Beal, of Dedham, MA, and formerly of Boston, MA, died on February 9, 2020. He was 78.

Born in Boston, MA, in 1941, Mr. Beal was the son of the late Alexander S. and Leona (Rothstein) Beal. He grew up in Brookline, MA, and went on to Harvard College, earning his A.B. degree in 1963, and then to Harvard Business School, where he received his M.B.A. two years later. Before joining his family’s real estate and development firm, he worked for the Beacon Companies under Norman B. Leventhal.

Mr. Beal took great satisfaction, along with his brother and collaborator, Bruce A. Beal, in having had the opportunity to reshape and to contribute to the revitalization of Boston’s historic landscape through their real estate investment activity. Mr. Beal, according to Governor Michael Dukakis, his boyhood friend in Brookline, “was deeply involved in the transformation of the city—a very sensitive developer.”

Few could match the breadth of Mr. Beal’s philanthropic activities, through his personal donations and participation on a lengthy list of boards as an overseer, trustee, or member. Among his enduring interests were Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Boston Zoological Society, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and the Merrimack Valley Alexis de Tocqueville Society.

His brother, Bruce Beal, is his only immediate survivor. Mr. Beal’s marriage to Rosalind E. Gorin ended in divorce.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara; his brothers, James ’60 and D’Arcy ’57; his sister, Elizabeth; and four children and seven grandchildren. winter–spring 2020

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FREDERIC H. ROBINSON ’59

ROBERT D. TURRAN ’60

E. THOMAS PORTER ’67

Frederic H. Robinson, of Wayland, MA, died on December 30, 2019. He was 79.

Robert D. Turran, of Kailua, HI, died on October 21, 2019. He was 75.

E. Thomas Porter, of Winchester, MA, died on January 17, 2020. He was 71.

Born in Waltham, MA, in 1940, Mr. Robinson was the son of the late James F. and Elizabeth (Jane) Houghton Robinson. He went on to St. Lawrence University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. In college, he belonged to the Army ROTC program and captained the rifle team. After graduating, he served with the U.S. Army as an artillery

Mr. Turran was born and raised in Boston, MA, and went on to Middlebury College, where he lettered in varsity football and track and graduated with a B.A. in economics.

Subsequently, he earned his law degree at Boston University School of Law and after graduating was hired at the law firm of Feldman, Warner & Cole in Washington, DC.

Born in 1948 in Boston, MA, Mr. Porter was the son of the late Edward Herbert Porter and Martha Little (Porter) Speers. He was raised in Winchester, MA, by his mother and stepfather, the late William J. Speers Jr., and went on to graduate from Duke University in 1971 as an English major, returning to complete a degree in mechanical engineering in 1982.

officer in Germany during the Vietnam War. After his discharge from the service in 1966, he joined the family business, J.F. & F.I. Robinson Insurance on Moody Street in Waltham, a firm established in 1884, and served as the company’s president until his retirement.

Mr. Robinson was a longtime member of the Waltham Kiwanis Club, the Joseph F. Hill American Legion Post No. 156, Monitor Lodge A.F. & A.M., later affiliating with the Jos. Warren-Soley Lodge, A.F. & A.M. He also served in various capacities at the Sudbury Rod & Gun Club, the Waltham Bi-Centennial Committee, for which he co-authored the booklet chronicling the city’s history, the Waltham Savings Bank, and First Parish Unitarian-Universalist Church. His real passions were sailing and photography. He and his wife, Joyce, created many happy memories sailing the open seas from their port in Bristol, RI. Mr. Robinson is survived by his wife, Joyce C. Werren Robinson, and his sister, Elizabeth J. (Betsy) Bateman, and her husband, Richard, of Waltham.

He was called into the Army as a captain during the Vietnam war and was stationed in an intelligence unit in Udorn, Thailand.

During his service, he was awarded the National Defense Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal. Mr. Turran’s many experiences during the war impressed upon him the fragility and unpredictability of life, which changed his philosophy about how he wanted to live, and so he decided not to return to practice law in DC. Mr. Turran loved the friendly and informal lifestyle of Hawaii and decided to make it home. He joined the Outrigger Canoe Club and became an avid paddler and a regular on the beach volleyball sand courts. He chose banking as his new career and started at First Hawaiian Bank from 1970 to 1974, went on to GE Capital/Amfac Financial Corp. from 1974 to 1985, then to Bank of Hawaii from 1985 to 2006. He was also active on numerous boards, supporting many nonprofit organizations in Hawaii. He was devoted to his family, and in retirement his favorite pastime was walking Kailua Beach with his dogs and talking with all the other beach regulars. He was known for his incredible memory, quick wit, and infectious smile.

He married his Kailua sweetheart, Karen Pagliuso, in 1982. She survives him, along with their son Tyler, daughter-in-law Belinda, grandson Easton Robert, his sister Carol, and 11 nieces and nephews.

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Mr. Porter established E.T. Porter Construction Company in the early 1980s, and much of its work involved building and renovating homes in Melrose, Saugus, and Winchester, MA. He took great care to protect, revive, and embellish the structures as if original.

Playing golf was a lifelong passion for Mr. Porter, and he continually endeavored to reshape his skills. He played casual golf but also was thrilled to compete in MGA and USGA competitions. Those who knew him understood his energy and enthusiasm for all that he did and knew he was likely to share his latest revelation on how to improve his— and maybe your—golf swing.

Most important of all was his love and caring for his family. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Elizabeth A. (Relihan) Porter; their children, daughter, Abigail Porter Coyle (Patrick), and sons, William Thomas Porter and Edward Dary Porter (Alexandra); and five grandchildren, Jack Porter Coyle, Patrick Bogardus Coyle, Tula Marian Coyle, Benjamin George Porter, and Natalie Darwyn Porter. He also leaves several siblings, Gayle Porter Lewis, Pamela Speers Hayes, William J. Speers III, Elliot Speers, Brooks Scott Porter, Peter Brooks Porter, and Anne Porter Jackman, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

rock and ice climber, and hard-core hiker,

He loved music, whether it be singing in the

even in winter. It was no surprise that his

Belmont Hill Glee Club or attending the

first job after college was as a sales associate

Woodstock Music Festival in the summer

at Eastern Mountain Sports in its Common-

of 1969. While his favorites were the Beach

wealth Avenue store in Boston. He also loved

Boys and the Grateful Dead, he never missed

team sports, playing hockey with an over-30

a chance to attend a rock or blues concert,

group until he was almost 60; and like any true

whether it be the Who or the Stones, NRBQ or

New Englander, Mr. Eaton rejoiced in all the

Buddy Guy. Over the past six years, he looked

championships won by Boston teams. Perhaps,

forward to his weekly guitar lessons. Mr. Eaton

however, he felt a touch of sadness when the

shared his love for music with anyone who

Mr. Amsbary grew up in Belmont, MA, and lived in Needham, MA, for 39 years. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at Hobart College and later received his M.B.A. from Babson College.

Red Sox ended their 86-year drought in 2004,

came within his orbit, especially his son, Tim,

for in 1986, after the heartbreaking loss to

who has become a skilled guitarist himself.

the Mets, he remarked, “But at least the quest

Mr. Amsbary served as director of operations and finance at The Rivers School, Weston, for 28 years, where he was admired by colleagues

turning to car repair so he could keep his

In addition to his wife, Cindy, and his son, Timothy Hayden Eaton, both of Kensington, NH, he is survived by his brother, Robert Gooding Eaton ’74, and his wife, Betty L. Anderson, of Rye, NH, and six nieces and nephews.

BRUCE T. AMSBARY ’70

Bruce T. Amsbary, of Needham, MA, died on November 14, 2019. He was 68.

for his helpfulness and kindness.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 43 years, Elizabeth (Betsy) Gibney Amsbary; his son, Robert S. Amsbary and his partner Katharine Kaspar; his daughter, Sarah B. Eytinge and her husband Bret J. Eytinge; and his son, Dana T. Amsbary. He is also survived by his brother, Douglas G. Amsbary ’71 and his wife Irene S. Amsbary, and he was the cherished “Papa” of granddaughter Grace T. Eytinge.

lives on.”

He also loved to work with his hands, first beloved 1963 white Volkswagen on the road for years beyond its natural life. He would be an auto mechanic for the rest of his days, giving expert care to all the family cars, especially his cherished BMWs. Mr. Eaton was also a skilled carpenter and devoted most of his adult life to that vocation.

From his earliest days, he summered at the family home of his grandparents, Frederic and Julia Gooding, in Rye Beach, NH, swam at the Beach Club, golfed at Abenaqui, lobstered aboard Dave Boies’s Zero Nine, and made an annual pilgrimage to the tip of Rye Ledge at low tide. He took up surfing well into his forties. Mr. Eaton’s lifelong attraction to the ocean and the beach played a role in his move

EDWARD H. EATON ’70

to Kensington, NH. In 1988, he met the love of his life, Cindy Parrott, while working on a carpentry job in Concord. Cindy grew up in Tennessee and Alabama, and her southern charm complemented his rough New England edges. They spent over

Edward Hayden (Ted) Eaton, of Kensington, NH, died on January 16, 2020. He was 68.

Born in Concord, MA, in 1951, he was the son of the late John Marshall Eaton, Jr. ’35 and Marie Gooding Eaton. Mr. Eaton graduated from The Fenn School in Concord in 1965 and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver in 1977.

He loved the outdoors and was an avid downhill and cross-country skier, fearless

ALEXANDER S. MACMILLAN III ’70

30 happy years together.

Although Mr. Eaton moved away from Concord in 1998, he kept a special spot in his heart for his hometown. He visited his mother on Estabrook Road regularly until her death in 2012. He was an associate member of the Concord Independent Battery and returned to town most every Patriots Day and attended the storied Battery luncheon. He maintained the many friendships that he forged in Concord for the rest of his life.

Alexander (Alec) S. Macmillan III, of Boston, MA, died on February 20, 2020. He was 67.

Born in Boston in 1952, Mr. Macmillan was the eldest of six children of Jeanne Macmillan Morse and the late Dr. Alexander (Sandy) Macmillan. He grew up in Wayland, MA, and became an enthusiastic athlete, playing ice hockey, football, and baseball throughout his childhood. He went on to Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1974, and later earned his M.B.A. in 1980 from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, where he met his late wife, Laurie King Macmillan. After his graduate study, Mr. Macmillan went on to enjoy a long career in investment management.

Having raised his three daughters in Portland, OR, with his wife, Laurie, he continued to be a devoted, loving father after her death in 2004. A true family man, Mr. Macmillan was actively involved in coaching each of his daughter’s youth hockey teams and

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frequently gathered them together for family dinners. He also enjoyed hiking the White Mountains with friends and extended family, clamming and sailing at Prince Edward Island in the summers, exploring different parts of the world, playing in his men’s hockey league, and attending Boston Bruins and Harvard hockey games. Eventually, and to the thrill of his daughters, he found great love again with his second wife, Lucy Hart Graves. Together, they enjoyed their last big adventure hiking the Tour de Mont Blanc on their honeymoon in 2019.

Mr. Macmillan is survived by his wife Lucy, along with his three daughters, Keely E. Macmillan of Charlestown, MA, Elspeth L. Macmillan of Boston, MA, and Madeleine M. Winrow and her husband Scott of Hoboken, NJ. He is also survived by his mother Jeanne and stepfather C. Fessenden (Fez) Morse ’40, his four sisters Cameron, Alison, Anne, and Lucy, his brother James P. Macmillan ’76 and his wife Victoria, as well as his three stepchildren, Izzy, Galen, and Marvin Weber.

After Harvard, he took a gap year to work at

sional undertakings. He devoted himself to

a rural National Health Service clinic, where

cultivating vegetable gardens, planting fruit

he developed his passion for primary care

trees, maintaining the land from the seat of

medicine. He went on to Dartmouth Medical

his tractor, and playing host to a menagerie

School, where he met his future wife, Nancy

of barn animals. Dr. Brooks’ deep sense of

Philips, over their anatomy class cadaver.

place was a grounding force throughout his

Following his residency at the University

life. Once their children left home, he and his

of Virginia in primary care medicine, Dr.

wife, Nancy, combined their love of travel and

Brooks spent two years in Arizona serving

interest in helping medically underserved

in the Indian Health Service, followed by a

communities, making several trips to Papua

fellowship at Duke University. He spent time

New Guinea to evaluate and provide health-

researching and exploring the intersection of

care to remote villages. They helped launch

internal medicine and mental health issues

a program that continues to support medical

which became invaluable in the care of his

access and training for local healthcare

patients throughout his career.

providers. His warmth, ready smile, and sense

Upon returning to Dartmouth, Dr. Brooks

of humor earned him enduring friendships

pursued his love of teaching. He created

and trust in those communities.

educational initiatives to promote excellence

As a boy, he inherited a strong sense of social

in primary care both for students and care

justice from his ancestors; his Quaker great

providers. He started a primary care resi-

grandfather led one of the first regiments

dency track in internal medicine and was its

of black soldiers in the Civil War, his grand-

first program director. Demonstrating his

father went to Selma to march with Martin

passion for the care of his patients and the

Luther King, Jr., and his father, the late John

relationships he developed with them, he was an esteemed preceptor for students and residents. He was beloved by learners and patients alike and developed friendships with many of them. As a father, Dr. Brooks was

W. BLAIR BROOKS ’71

always supportive of his daughters’ activities.

He was a manure mover extraordinaire when they were teenagers in love with horses. He loved spending time with them skiing, sailing, biking, camping, and hiking. He was thrilled and impressed when their activities and adventures began to exceed what he had done.

William Blair Brooks, of Norwich, VT, died

When his daughter Lindsay was studying

August 29, 2019. He was 66.

to become a large animal vet, he was an

Born in 1953, he grew up in Weston, MA, and

ever-enthusiastic supporter, conceding that

spent his boyhood there and at family homes

“real doctors treat more than one species.”

in Jackson, NH, and Princeton and South

Dr. Brooks’ passion for athletics and mentor-

Orleans, MA. He went on to Harvard College,

ing led him to coach his daughters’ basketball

where he was a walk-on oarsman who became

and soccer teams from elementary through

captain of the notorious “rude and smooth”

middle school. One of his greatest joys was

undefeated 1975 heavyweight team. For many

coaching the Hanover High School boys’

years after, he looked forward to joining

crew, where he was a role model and friend to

those same oarsmen to row in the Head of

many, imparting his knowledge and tech-

the Charles Regatta. More recently, he rowed

nique along with fun and laughter for over a

with his daughter Ali in the parent/child

decade. His home in Norwich was a place of

races, which was a thrill for both of them.

rejuvenation for him from his many profes-

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G. Brooks ’29, was one of the first to organize legal aid for the poor.

Over the last three years during his illness, Dr. Brooks joyfully discovered new sources of expression, particularly singing and writing verse. He wrote over 400 poems, of which 50 are included in a volume, Spaces in Between, soon to be published. He surprised himself with his newfound love of poetry and his talent with words and imagery.

Dr. Brooks is survived by his wife, Nancy Philips, his daughter Lindsay Brooks and son-in-law, Colin Brooks, his daughter Ali Brooks and her partner, Gretchen Loft, and his brothers, John G. Brooks III ’60 and

Christopher R. Brooks ’63. He also leaves numerous other family members, friends, students, and admirers.

tennis coach and assistant squash coach at

ROBERT E. CROKE ’72

Trinity College, head squash and platform tennis professional at Westchester Country Club, tennis and squash professional at the Apawamis Club in Rye, NY, and most recently a teaching professional at the Delray Beach

GREGORY H. STOLTMANN ’86

Tennis Center. He also volunteered his time Robert E. Croke, of Boston, MA, and formerly

at Pompay Park in Delray Beach, teaching

of Quincy, MA, died on October 13, 2019.

tennis to underprivileged children and

Gregory H. Stoltmann died in January 2005.

He was 65.

young adults, and was an advocate for youth

He was 36.

Born in Boston, he was the son of the late

racquets programs like Squash Busters and

Katherine and William Croke, director of athletics at Belmont Hill from 1943 to 1979.

Mr. Croke is survived by his children, William, Erin, and Aileen; his grandchildren, Mya and Kyle; and his siblings, Nancy Vitali, Catherine St. Sauveur, William Croke ’61, Susan Burke, and Aara Croke. He was also the brother of the late Carol Latus, Pauline Kelly, Judith Reeves, and Michael Croke ’64.

Tenacity. There is no question that his enthusiasm and spirit were contagious to all around him, both on and off the court. A big kid at heart, he was a natural with children of all ages and was adored by everyone he coached.

With his signature backwards hat and zinc nose to shield the sun on long teaching days, he was simply one of a kind.

When not on the court, he was a loyal Boston sports fan, cheering on his teams from Florida. He was also passionate about photography

Born in 1968, he was the son of Suzanne Stoltmann-Dorsey and the late Dr. Henry F. Stoltmann. He went on to attend Syracuse University and in 1992 earned a degree in communications from Emerson College.

In addition to his mother, Mr. Stoltmann is survived by his sisters and brothers, Ellen Briggs, Frank Stoltmann ’79, Andrew Stoltmann, Christopher Stoltmann, Paula Hand, Nan Stoltmann, and Matthew Stoltmann, and by many nieces and nephews.

and loved sharing his life in pictures. Not a moment went by with his family and friends

ROBERT E. HALLAGAN, JR. ’84

that he didn’t try to capture, celebrate, and remember.

Mr. Hallagan is survived by his parents,

TOMAS M. VON RICKENBACH EX ’11

Robert and Harriett Hallagan, of Dover; his daughter and greatest accomplishment, Robert Edwin Hallagan, Jr., of Delray Beach, FL, formerly of Dover, MA, died on December 12, 2019. He was 54.

Son of Robert and Harriett Hallagan, Mr. Hallagan was born in North Adams, MA, on July 15, 1965. He went on to Williams College, graduating in 1989.

Isabelle Hallagan, of Falmouth, ME; his sisters, Elizabeth Budd of Dover and her

Tomas M. von Rickenbach, of Lexington,

husband John, and Whitney Gilchrist, of

MA, died on December 6, 2019. He was 27.

Dover; his niece and nephews, Jake Budd,

A 2012 graduate of Lexington High School,

Charlie Budd, Maisie Gilchrist, and Mac Gilchrist; and his friend and former wife, Michelle Libby. He also leaves behind Handsome Hank, his furry sidekick.

he was a senior at Northeastern University, where he excelled in his studies. He was a passionate advocate for social justice, and he loved his family above all else.

He spent his life sharing his passion,

Mr. von Rickenbach is survived by his

success, and talents in the games of tennis

parents, Josef and Therese von Rickenbach,

and squash. He was his happiest on the court

his brothers Patrik J. ’00 and Kristian P.

with a racquet and ball in his hand. After an

’04, their wives Elizabeth and Kristian, his nephew, Cole, and multiple aunts and uncles.

impressive high school and collegiate career competing in both sports, he made a career of teaching, earning himself the esteemed title of the “pied piper of tennis” by so many who loved him.

Mr. Hallagan spent over a decade on Fishers Island, NY, running the tennis program at the Hay Harbor Club. He was also the head

winter–spring 2020

67

diversity on the hill

in memoriam

STAFF

WILLIAM MARSH

William (Red) Marsh, of Belmont, MA, died November 23, 2019. He was 88.

A lifelong resident of Belmont, Mr. Marsh graduated from Belmont High School in 1949 after leadership in three sports—football, hockey, and baseball. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1990.

He later served in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1954. In 1959, he was then selected to play on the USA Amateur hockey team that traveled to Russia to represent America. Following his years as a hockey player, Mr. Marsh then enjoyed coaching in the Belmont Youth Hockey program. In 1980, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives presented him with a citation recognizing him for receiving the VFW Adult Leadership Award for outstanding work in youth activities.

He worked for 22 years at the Belmont Electric Light Company, retiring in 1989. After his retirement, he began working part time in athletics at Belmont Hill and remained for over 10 years. He truly enjoyed coaching hockey and interacting with the students, parents and his colleagues.

Mr. Marsh is survived by his daughter, Jayne Schille, and her husband, Greg, of Chelmsford, MA; his stepdaughters, Linda Murphy and Laurie Kelley and her husband, Doug; his grandsons, Connor Schille and his wife Danielle, Cameron and Liam Schille, all of Chelmsford; his sisters, Lois Castagno, of Clinton, MA, Dorothy Marsh Freeman, of Belmont, MA, and Helen Marsh, of Arlington, MA. Mr. Marsh was preceded in death by his brother, Henry, and brothers-in-law, Ralph Castagno and Irving Freeman. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

68

winter–spring 2020

continued

Continued from page 3.

Forging New Paths: Carl Dawson ’72 “How to structure a deal, understanding the business side of it, the finance side of it, the delivery side and how to put something together that worked for everyone and was financially viable,” he says. “Belmont Hill taught me how to speak, think, and present.”

Mr. Dawson is a graduate of Connecticut College and most recently worked as an engagement consultant with Hewlett-Packard’s Enterprise Business group until his recent retirement. While involved in many outside interests, he remains closely involved with his high school alma mater as a trustee, and informally meeting and talking to families during the various admission events, attending games, and generally trying to meet as many of the families of color as possible.

He says that the main evolution he has seen at the School is greater awareness of issues of diversity and inclusion. “The School realizes it’s an issue and an opportunity for strength.

Gender identity may well be the next challenge going forward. But the School is aware of these issues and thinking about how to deal with them.”

He is a proud member of MAP, but does not hesitate to state that he feels the group could do more. “Other than the MAP Dinner, we’re not as visible on campus as we should be,” he states.

“We need to look at what we can do to bring multicultural families more fully into the school community.”

Mr. Dawson says that the importance of diversity and inclusiveness, especially in an educational environment, cannot be understated. “Multiculturalism and diversity have taken on certain meanings, mainly racial and ethnic,” he says. “To me it’s so much more… the socioeconomic, gender, and so forth. If you don’t take the time now to work with and get to know the kind of people you will be working with in the future, you’re selling yourself short.

The earlier the better.”

Continued from page 4.

Strength Through Challenges: Aman Shah ’10 “We need people approaching issues from different places. That could be diversity from the nuclear family to a single-parent home. Racial diversity or sexual orientation.

The more perspectives we have approaching issues in the classroom, the better we’ll be as a community.”

After graduating from Belmont Hill, Mr. Shah attended Johns Hopkins University.

He said Belmont Hill left him well prepared for the rigors of his college life. After graduation, he ran a startup for a year and then went to work at Deloitte for three years.

Currently, he is working for a research center at MIT while preparing to apply for doctoral programs.

He has been involved in MAP since its early days and now is one of the co-directors. He feels it’s a way to continue the work done with S.A.F.E. in his school days. Like many alumni, he cites Belmont Hill’s character-based education as vital to the way the School operates. “Belmont Hill understands that it’s not enough to be smart or athletic or artistically gifted,” he states. “You have to be a good person as well. That means valuing the people around you, being able to help and impact the lives of those around you every day. Wanting to give back. That’s what Belmont Hill is all about.”

Continued from page 5.

Working Together: Diversity and Inclusion at Belmont Hill I want to close by saying just how inspired I was by your willingness to have these hard conversations in my first year. So much so that I felt able to offer this talk more openly to you today, perhaps a bit sooner than I might have expected. I have seen countless examples of how you have acknowledged and supported various forms of difference seen in your peers. I believe that you know in your hearts that better conversations and solutions emerge from varied perspectives. I have heard you come to the chapel podium and speak earnestly about your experiences and what has been personally challenging for you. Through continued dialogue, mentoring from the older forms to the younger forms, and a shared curiosity to understand the experience of others, we can all become better versions of ourselves. This notion of Working Together at Belmont Hill has always been essential to who we are.

While fundamentally we appreciate that this is a place that wants to honor the merits of what people can do more than where they happen to be from, we must simultaneously be a place that can see, appreciate, and leverage the difference in our community to build a greater understanding and richer dialogue. I will confess that I have far greater faith in your generation than I do in my own when it comes to this effort and your collective ability to listen and grow together.

Continued from page 7.

A Solid Foundation: Will Forde ’05 “There was no downtime—and that was the best thing that could have happened to me.

I learned discipline and was challenged in every way. Culturally and socially, the School stressed being a good stand-up person. The biggest benefit I got was learning to do the right thing all the time. That development of character is a foundation I have built on.”

He believes strongly that diversity can help build character. “Diversity enriches the learning experience in having different people who think in different ways. That can open up a range of new ideas. Being with people of diverse backgrounds ties into the School’s mission of developing well-rounded boys of good character.”

In MAP, he feels the leadership has done an effective job in bringing diverse alumni back to the community. “We need to leverage their experiences and resources,” he says. “There are not too many MAP-type groups at our peer schools. We’re sending a strong message of the importance we place in diversity.”

Finally, as our students are the most important constituency on campus, I look forward to watching you, particularly our seniors, lead the way for Belmont Hill this year in general. In advance, thank you for your willingness to engage with your incredible sense of spirit and enthusiasm.

While I enjoyed my summer immensely, I have also deeply missed the energy that I can feel at this gathering today. Welcome back to your school. Let’s have another remarkable year together.

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diversity on the hill

continued

Continued from page 8.

Continued from page 12.

Continued from page 13.

Prior to joining Bank of America Private Bank, Mr. Walker was employed by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and BNY Mellon Wealth Management where he sold investment services to high net worth individuals and families. He spent most of his career at Van Kampen Funds in Houston. His last position was as Senior Portfolio Manager of the Van Kampen Technology Fund/Morgan Stanley Technology Fund, which was one of the top performing funds in this sector during his tenure per multiple metrics, including Morningstar rankings.

And he appreciates the efforts the School is making to address issues of multiculturalism and inclusivity. “The School is taking these issues head on, and MAP (Multicultural Alumni Partnership) is leading the way,” he states. “They’ve reached out to alumni, and they realize that you have to be attractive as a community to the broad universe of talent that’s out there. It’s not a silo program; it is speaking to the entire community.”

He also cites the work that the Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) has done to increase diversity awareness on the Hill. “I think MAP has gotten the community to understand, even more than it already does, the importance of diversity and the importance of making sure everyone at Belmont Hill feels as comfortable experiencing all of the benefits and wonderful components of the School regardless of their background. MAP has helped create a commonality amongst students so that they can understand that nobody at Belmont Hill is alone.”

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: David Walker ’82

He states that Belmont Hill prepared him for his career by stressing discipline and structure. “The ability to compete with exceptionally talented classmates not only in the classroom but also on the athletic field,” he notes. “Confidence from competing reinforced in me that I had talent. The teacher-coach model is vital to getting to know teachers outside the classroom and developing great relationships.” He attributes special relationships with Mr. Goodband and Mr. Sherman as helping to make Belmont Hill transformational for him.

As a MAP co-director, Mr. Walker loves that they are bringing together alumni of color and not of color over generations for the mission of diversity and inclusion. “It reinforces how much the School values diversity and us. It’s a way we can give back to a school that has given so much to other people.”

Mr. Walker was this year’s winner of the MAP award, which was particularly meaningful for him. “I was really happy to go back and say thank you for a transformational experience.

For all Belmont Hill has given me. During those six years, it really changed my trajectory. I was happy to be able to tell my story and what Belmont Hill meant to me. I’m tremendously grateful.”

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An Incredible Impact: Philmore Anderson ’82

He says that you can’t manage through society if you can’t get along with others who look and act differently and come from varied backgrounds. “The way to prepare and advance Belmont Hill’s intelligent cadre of young men is to take advantage of the broader community’s diverse perspectives by being ahead of it, always of course with an eye on driving your internal goals.”

Mr. Anderson states flatly that all diversity is good. “Every student is enriched by being around a diverse group of people whether it’s from an ethnic point of view or a socioeconomic point of view—what have you. All diversity is good because it helps students to see the blind spots.

It’s about pushing the rich tradition at Belmont Hill School and adapting to today’s environment.”

Nobody at Belmont Hill Is Alone: Jon Biotti ’87

Mr. Biotti is inspired that the Board of Trustees has added a diversity committee to continue to keep this a top priority. “It’s just constant daily emphasis on all matters related to diversity so that we have people around our table always mentioning it, talking about it, so that we as a community are always working toward improving diversity around our campus.”

Now a managing partner at Nonantum Capital Partners, Mr. Biotti feels Belmont Hill was instrumental in helping him prepare for his future. “Belmont Hill taught me the power of consistent effort every day,” he says. “To bring a blue collar, lunch pail attitude that people who work hard every day fundamentally create more luck for themselves. It’s about being able to look people in the eye and work together with them.”

Character education was instrumental in that preparation. “Every human being’s most valuable asset is their last name,” he says.

“There is nothing in this universe worth besmirching your last name or your family or your school or yourself for. When you learn that lesson at a young age, it’s incredibly valuable.”

He believes the culture of brotherhood at Belmont Hill only enhances character.

“These are all your brothers, and you have this common bond which is the Belmont Hill experience and the Belmont Hill culture that runs through you, even if they look different than you do, and have different backgrounds, different religions,” he states. “I think it’s what allows boys to develop lifelong relationships at Belmont Hill.”

Continued from page 15.

Continued from page 16.

Continued from page 17.

“I can still remember walking down Washington Street, arm in arm with two African American women on either side of me, singing ‘We Shall Overcome.’ It was a tremendously moving experience.”

While he says he is interested in the field of baseball sabermetrics, he is still determining his career path. “Belmont Hill provided outstanding preparation for college life,” he says. “How to prepare for tests, manage time, and find a balance. Belmont Hill has also prepared me by helping me to look beyond race and focus on finding commonalities and similar perspectives and shared ideas.”

He also believes the Belmont Hill faculty go above and beyond to help prepare students.

“The connections they form with the students are truly special,” he notes. “The quality of the education is exceptional, but that’s true at many schools. The faculty here create an atmosphere that makes students excited about learning. It’s a wonderfully welcoming experience.”

In turn, they build action plans and are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to facilitate thought-provoking dialogue and discussions back on campus with students, teachers, and administrators alike. Belmont Hill recognizes the importance of building equity and justice for all students and as with any institution, he says that there is still work to be done. “I am encouraged that it’s not only faculty of color who are interested in attending diversity conferences. I’m still hoping we can continue to increase student and faculty diversity and increase the retention rates for students of color. We’ve done a tremendous job throughout the years, and I would love for us to continue getting better.”

Change Only Happens If People Take Action: John Grady ’66

He says that more diversity has come to Belmont Hill, and it does continue to get better. “We should think about diversity from many perspectives—not just racial and ethnic—but I hope it’s socioeconomic, diversity of ideas, and diversity of opinions.

It’s so important to have different points of view because the world is run by people with different points of view. We are making progress at Belmont Hill but it’s not perfect.

The School needs to look like the world.

When we are diverse, we all benefit.”

Mr. Grady believes strongly in civil discourse, and hopes we never lose the ability to have difficult discussions and work through them.

“It’s so important to come to the table with different views where there may be disagreements and yet respectfully listen and work toward meaningful resolutions. The boys at Belmont Hill should always be encouraged to express an opinion.”

Mr. Grady recently opened his own business, JTG Partners. It is a financial services advisory firm focused on privately held businesses and family offices, providing mergers and acquisition, infrastructure, and asset management advice and services.

Last December, Mr. Grady was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award (see more on p. 44) for which he was extremely grateful.

“Grateful for all that Belmont Hill has given me,” he says. “I was honored and humbled.

Just deep and profound gratitude. More than anything else, I felt blessed.”

Mr. Grady believes Belmont Hill left him very well prepared for his future. “Better than I could have ever imagined,” he states.

“Belmont Hill prepared me incredibly well for college and even beyond that. I was never intimidated anywhere I went because of the values I learned there. The emphasis on character is the key. At the end of the day, what else do we have but our character?”

Tremendous Emphasis on Character, Honesty, and Integrity: Austin Kwoun ’18

Like many, Mr. Kwoun also feels that Belmont Hill’s emphasis on character is the best preparation he could have for life beyond the Hill. “There was a tremendous emphasis on character, integrity, and honesty,” he states.

“It’s not so much that it’s taught; it’s just an atmosphere that permeates every classroom. I never felt it was something that was pushed on me, but rather just the norm and a natural way of being. There was a general understanding of the necessity of integrity and character across the community. If you believe that a community thrives through varied opinions in interaction, it’s important to have an environment that stresses character because it creates space for learning and growing. To have a community where people feel respected in every way, and centering a community on character facilitates this.”

A Resoundingly Powerful and Dynamic Network: Greg Paul ’09

After graduation, Mr. Paul attended Columbia University where he majored in financial economics. He is now a business development director at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. He feels Belmont Hill was pivotal in preparing him for his career and life beyond Belmont Hill.

“The culture around preparing young men through mind, body, and spirit is an identity that I take with me everywhere I go. It gives me balance, and I feel extremely supported

by Belmont Hill.”

As a MAP co-director, he enjoys having the opportunity to shape what future Belmont Hill classes will look like and to continue building community. “One of my favorite activities is calling the families of admitted students of color. We introduce ourselves, welcome their family into the community, ask if they have any questions, and share part of our Belmont Hill experience. It’s really a feel-good moment, one that I think resonates deeply with prospective students and their families.” He says he gets very excited about the work that they are doing at MAP in partnership with the Alumni House, especially around mentorship. “MAP is a way to connect you to alumni, prospective students, current students…a resoundingly powerful and dynamic network.” winter–spring 2020

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2019–2020

Belmont Hill School

Board of Trustees Jon M. Biotti ’87, President William F. Achtmeyer ’73, Vice President Gregory J. Schneider, Secretary Anthony W. Ryan, Treasurer Jinane Abounadi Dewey J. Awad Mark D. Chandler ’74 Gretchen R. Cook-Anderson Roy F. Coppedge III Warren Cross, Jr. ’83 Carl D. Dawson ’72 Jeffrey D. Drucker ’90 Ronald M. Druker ’62 Jean C. Egan William A. Forde ’05 Scott A. Gieselman ’81 John T. Grady, Jr. ’66 Christopher J. Hadley Danielle A. Heard Jason H. Hurd ’90 Gerald R. Jordan ’85 Stephen R. Karp ’57 Jonathan A. Kraft ’82

George W. Lynch II ’88 ex officio Emmett E. Lyne ’77 Amy B. Madden ex officio Carl J. Martignetti ’77 Kirk D. McKeown ’95 Sarah H. Pelmas Taggart M. Romney ’88 Jill M. Shah Brian J. Shortsleeve ’91 Margaret M. Wade Herbert S. Wagner III David B. Wilkins honorary trustees John M. Connors, Jr. John A. Pike ’49

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Please address all correspondence to the Bulletin Editor at the above address, or email us at communications@belmonthill.org. managing editor Bill Mahoney editor Amy Hirsch class notes & in memoriam Eileen Foley Harold Prenatt photography John Gillooly, John Gillooly IV, Kristie Gillooly Dean, Neal Hamberg, Bill Mahoney, Adam Richins, Matt Risley, Paul Rutherford, and the Belmont Hill School Archives ©2020 Belmont Hill School. All rights reserved.

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