2 minute read
Like Father, Like Son
LAKER STORIES
JAY BROWN ‘78 By: Mac Kennedy ‘76
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Jay Brown ‘78 attended the Jack Williams Day celebration last February here in the Alumni House and told the school, “I wouldn’t have missed this.”
His given name is Jack, but he is a “Jr.” and chose to go by “Jay.” He preferred Jay. He recently wrote that NOBODY called him by his given name.
He remembers first meeting former Headmaster Jack Williams ‘38 with his parents when he was applying to BL. His mom introduced him as Jay, and told Mr. Williams that he preferred it to Jack. Mr. Williams turned to Jay and introduced himself - “Mr. Williams...Jack Williams.” Mr. Williams told Jay that some of his favorite people were named Jack - the best golfer in the world, a great president who, although formally named John, went by Jack, and back then, there was a local sportscaster named Jack Dawson.
Jay is a remarkable BL graduate and not unlike many who studied under Headmaster Williams, Mr. Williams knew Jay. He recently wrote the following about Jack Williams.
I remember leaving the upper school office one morning, shortly after the beginning of a new marking period. As I was closing the office door, Mr. Williams was leaving Mr. Temple’s office across the hall. He saw me and asked me to walk with him.
As I walked at a snail’s pace in the general direction of his office, he asked me, “Why are you in a study hall?” A rhetorical question, I thought. Study halls were given to those who performed poorly in a course. I knew that he knew this.
I stared down at my Docksiders, bracing myself for what I was certain was coming. Mr. Williams was part dad - you hated to disappoint him, and I had, and I knew it. I didn’t do well in Commander Albright’s Chemistry course.
It was up until that point, the most difficult course I’d taken. For me, it was the first course that required taking what I’d learned in one discipline - mathematics (algebra), and applying it to a seemingly unrelated course - chemistry. It landed me in a study hall, and my Headmaster wanted to discuss it. This was going to be hard, or so I believed.
I was wrong.
Mr. Williams turned to me and said in a normal conversation voice: “Jack Albright tells me you have the mind and aptitude to do well in his class, you just need to apply yourself.” As I was preparing my excuses and explanations, Mr. Williams took my shoulder firmly yet gently and stared at me with those eyes, greying eyebrows, and simply said: “It’s in you.”
After several seconds he smiled that Jack Williams smile and gave my shoulder a gentle shake. That was his way of mussing your hair and of saying without words - “I have confidence in you.”
When that marking period ended, I’d just made it under the wire - a “B.” For the remainder of the course - “A’s.”
I ran into Mr. Williams later that school year, the week before the next school year’s courses were to be selected. Again, he asked me to walk with
