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BULLETIN THE MAG A ZINE OF CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL
WINTER ’15
Change Service Requested
grit & determination 1915–1940
c o m m o n r o o t s
s h a r e d p u r p o s e
C O M M U N I T Y C E L E B R AT I O N On November 7, the entire Choate Rosemary Hall school community gathered for an all-school photo to launch a year-long 125th celebration.
watch the video: vimeo.com/111770786
common roots
The Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin is printed using vegetable-based inks on FSC-certified, 100% post consumer recycled paper. This issue saved 101 trees, 42,000 gallons of wastewater, 291 lbs of waterborne waste, and 9,300 lbs of greenhouse gases from being emitted.
In this issue:
CHOATE ON THE MOVE: A Year in Review
shared purpose
SECOND SONS: Seymour St. John ’31 and John F. Kennedy ’35
LEARNING TO FAIL FORWARD: Aitran Doan ’13
CALENDAR of EVENTS ▶
FEBRUARY 25 Headmaster Reception - Boston, Mass.
MAY 15–17 Reunion Weekend - Choate
MARCH 3 Headmaster Reception - Palm Beach, Fla. 3–15 Receptions - Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul 27 Dedication of the Cameron and Edward Lanphier Center for Mathematics and Computer Science - Choate Alumni Club of Connecticut Reception – Choate
SEPTEMBER 17 Headmaster Reception - Los Angeles, Calif.
c h oat e r o s e m a r y h a l l
Building a Community
EXHIBIT:
This year’s milestone offers an opportunity for our community to reflect upon the extraordinary achievements and impact of our “school upon the hillside” during Celebrating January 9–March 27enjoy our 125 celebratory facts its first 125 years. Our campuses, here in Wallingford and in Greenwich, have been about our community and its home to exceptional students, faculty, and staff over the last 125 years and our Paul Mellon shared history and traditions. buildings are just as much a defining element of the Choate Rosemary Hall legacy Arts Center Gallery www.choate.edu as those who have passed through them. As we examine the history of these structures, we also celebrate the lives they have helped shape. ON THE COVER
ABOVE On Friday evening, January 9, the School kicked off its year-long 125th celebration with an
Choate football, 1915
opening reception of a multimedia archival exhibition at the Paul Mellon Arts Center entitled Building a Community and the installation of A Community Portrait. The exhibit runs through March 27, 2015.
During 2015, we hope you
CONTENTS | Winter 2015
features
10
Choate on the Move A Year in Review
14
Grit & Determination: The Call to Shared Sacrifice/1915-1940
30
Second Sons Seymour St. John ’31 and John F. Kennedy ’35
departments
4 32 36
Celebrating
During 2015, we hope you enjoy our 125 celebratory facts
Classnotes Profiles of Jeffrey Laikind ’53, Board president, NYCO Renaissance Ltd.; Hugh Grant ’63, founding director and curator of Kirkland Museum; Dennis Alpert ’84, founder and president of Hidden Bay Group; and Faith Wallace-Gadsden ’01, founder of The Archimedes Project In Memoriam Former faculty Pauline H. Anderson and Former Trustee the Hon. John T. (Jack) Downey ’47
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Scoreboard Fall Sports Wrap-up
60
Bookshelf Reviews of works by Andrew Cohen ’73, Elizabeth Mitchell ’84, Alyson Richman ’90, and former Choate Chaplain, the Reverend Robert Bryan
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End Note Learning to Fail Forward! by Aitran Doan ’13
shared history and traditions.
154935_Winter_Bulletin_T.indd 1
Alumni Association News
53
about our community and its www.choate.edu
On Christian & Elm News about the School
2/3/15 1:01 PM
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BULLETIN THE MAG A ZINE OF CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL
Letters CHOATE BULLETIN APP – Now available in iTunes. You can now go to the App Store and download the Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin to your smartphone or tablet device. Subscribe, it’s free! It is a shortened version of the Bulletin with news of the school and feature articles.
WINTER ’15
Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin is published fall, winter, and spring for alumni, students and their parents, and friends of the School. Please send change of address to Alumni Records and all other correspondence to the Communications Office, 333 Christian Street, Wallingford, CT 06492-3800. Choate Rosemary Hall does not discriminate in the administration of its educational policies, athletics, other school-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices on the basis of age, gender, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or non-job-related handicap. Printed in U.S.A. 1415-066/17.5 M Editorial Offices T: (203) 697-2252 F: (203) 697-2380 E-mail: alumline@choate.edu Website: www.choate.edu Director of Strategic Planning & Communications Alison J. Cady Editor Lorraine S. Connelly Design and Production David C. Nesdale Class Notes Editor Henry McNulty ’65 Communications Assistant Britney G. Cullinan Photography Vincent Jones Ian Morris Ross Mortensen Laura K. Morton Contributors Audrey Alt Aitran Doan ’13 William T. Generous Seth Hoyt ’61 Katharine H. Jewett G. Jeffrey MacDonald ’87 Henry McNulty ’65 Magaly Olivero Andrea Thompson Peed Wende Valentine ’92 Lindsay Whalen ’01
Choate Rosemary Hall Board of Trustees 2014-2015 Samuel P. Bartlett ’91 Michael J. Carr ’76 George F. Colony ’72 Alex D. Curtis P ’17 Thompson Dean P ’14, ’18 Borje E. Ekholm P ’17 David R. Foster ’72 Robert B. Goergen, Jr. ’89 John F. Green ’77 Linda J. Hodge ’73, P ’12 Brett M. Johnson ’88 Vanessa Kong-Kerzner P ’16 Cecelia M. Kurzman ’87 Edward O. Lanphier ’74, P ’04 Gretchen Cooper Leach ’57 James A. Lebovitz ’75, P ’06, ’10 Kewsong Lee ’82 Patrick J. McCurdy ’98 Robert A. Minicucci ’71 Peter B. Orthwein ’64 Marshall S. Ruben P ’07, ’08, ’10 Henry K. Snyder ’85 Jeanette Sublett P ’07, ’10, ’13 Life Trustees Charles F. Dey P ’78, ’81, ’83 Bruce S. Gelb ’45, P ’72, ’74, ’76, ’78 Edwin A. Goodman ’58 Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. ’57, P ’84 Cary L. Neiman ’64 Stephen J. Schulte ’56, P ’86 Edward J. Shanahan P ’92, ’95 William G. Spears ’56, P ’81, ’90 Editorial Advisory Board Judy Donald ’66 Howard R. Greene P ’82, ’05 Michelle Judd Rittler ’98 Dorothy Heyl ’71, P ’07 Seth Hoyt ’61 Henry McNulty ’65 John Steinbreder ’74 Monica St. James P ’06 Francesca Vietor ’82 Heather Zavod P ’87, ’90
Follow us! Like us! www.facebook.com/GoChoate Tweet us! twitter.com/gochoate Watch us! www.youtube.com/gochoate Share! instagram.com/gochoate Pin! pinterest.com/choaterosemary
BRAVO! My hat’s off to Jeff MacDonald ’87 for his great job on the history of the School, now being serialized in the Bulletin. Kudos to you all. Tom Generous Carrboro, North Carolina [Editor’s Note: William T. Generous, Faculty Emeritus, is the author of Choate Rosemary Hall: A History of the School (1994)]
WELL ROWED, MR. SYLVESTER! When I tell people I went to Choate, I am always asked whether I rowed there, and I always find it hard to explain why I didn’t. Indeed, I wished I had started there, and your history of the sport at Choate [Fall 2014 Bulletin, “100 Years of Crew”] certainly made me wish that even more. I could tell from your words how much rowing has meant to you, and the same is true for me. A great crew coach helps impart the deep and indelible life lessons that come from a sport that asks the oarsmen to bring his best, fiercest individual effort, while at the same time blending in seamlessly with his teammates to help the boat move faster. I am confident that a long line of Choate oarsmen got that unique combination of life skills from you, just as I did from Harry Parker [Harvard’s crew coach]. J. Hovey Kemp ’72 San Francisco, California [Editor’s Note: J. Hovey Kemp began rowing at Harvard. He rowed in the varsity heavyweight eights in 1975 and 1976 and was named captain of Harvard’s 1976 crew team. Both boats finished undefeated and won the national title, landing stories in the pages of Sports Illustrated. Kemp was elected to Harvard’s Athletics Hall of Fame Class 1998. ]
MYSTERY SOLVED! Ten alumni wrote in to suggest who the unidentified students might be in the 1961 photo on pp. 18-19 of the Spring 2014 Bulletin. The overwhelming consensus is that the seated student with his back to the camera is Tim Fullam ’61 and the standing student to the right is Bill Chapin ’62. Even Bill Chapin ’62 agrees. Judy Donald ’66 School Archivist
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 3
Remarks From The Headmaster
Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends of the School, The new year has begun with a tremendous energy and enthusiasm on campus in anticipation of the School’s 125th anniversary. We returned from holiday break to an evening celebration of alumni in the arts at the Paul Mellon Arts Center as well as the opening of a multimedia archival exhibition in the gallery entitled Building a Community and the installation of A Community Portrait. This year’s milestone offers an opportunity for our community to reflect upon the extraordinary achievements and impact of our school during its first 125 years. From the experimental and unconventional educational ideas of its earliest founders to its present position as a global leader in secondary school education, The Choate School, Rosemary Hall, and Choate Rosemary Hall have proven to be places conducive to bold risk-taking and innovation, as well as character formation and academic endeavor. There is no greater physical testament to this than the Cameron and Edward Lanphier Center for Mathematics and Computer Science, scheduled to open this winter. In this issue of the Bulletin the Lanphiers share their vision for this building and specifically “the versatility of the building that will allow students and faculty to change with the times and be a vibrant place for years to come.” Over the holiday break I had an opportunity to delve into Walter Isaacson’s The Innovators, which details the origins of the computer, the Internet, and the digital age. In it, he makes the case for adaptability and versatility and has this observation: Most of us have been involved in group brainstorming sessions that produced creative ideas. Even a few days later, there may be different recollections of who suggested what first, and we realize that the formation of ideas was shaped more by the iterative interplay within the group than by the tossing in a wholly original concept. The sparks come from ideas rubbing against each other rather than as bolts out of the blue. Our hope for the new facility, and the i.d.Lab in particular, is that it will offer a space for students and faculty to have the “iterative interplay” that is so fundamental to creativity and group learning and to facilitate the intellectual sparks that come from “ideas rubbing against each other.” While embracing the new, the next chapter in our history, “Grit & Determination: The Call to Shared Sacrifice,” tells us that our campuses, both in Wallingford and in Greenwich, have always been home to exceptional students, faculty, and staff. The grit and determination exhibited by these individuals, often in uncertain times, helped us face enormous obstacles and overcome setbacks in areas from finances to health and safety. These qualities, which are so essential to character development and success, remain a defining element of the Choate Rosemary Hall legacy that has helped shaped the School we are today. With all best wishes from campus,
Alex D. Curtis Headmaster
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ON CHRISTIAN & ELM | NEWSWORTHY
SECOND ANNUAL SERVICE DAY On October 10, the Choate Rosemary Hall community partnered with Minneapolis-based Harvest Pack, an international humanitarian food-aid organization whose goal is “to bring nutritious food to the tables of those in need, with the help of people who care.” The Service Day involved more than 1,200 participants, including students, faculty, staff, and trustees. This is the second year in a row that the Choate community participated in a meal packing event. Formerly called “Project Day,” the Service Day tradition began in 1950 in response to a severe storm. Boys were called upon for campus clean-up duty. A similar event, “Community Day,” started under Principal Charley Dey in 1985 with a focus on off-campus good deeds. Organized by former faculty member Ben Sylvester, students raked leaves in the Wallingford parks, for the Historical Society, and for the elderly.
Community members assisting in packing and assembling 158,000 meals.
Laurie Patton ’79 Named Middlebury College’s First Female President On November 19, Middlebury College named Laurie Patton ’79, a religious scholar and dean at Duke University, as the first female president of the 214-year-old liberal arts college. Patton will step into the role on July 1, 2015, succeeding Ronald Liebowitz, who has served as president since 2004. Patton has been dean of Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, that university’s largest undergraduate school, since 2011. In a Middlebury College interview, Patton said, that a liberal arts degree is more “important and central” than ever before.
“We’re hearing from employers how important it is to engage not just with critical thinking, but creative thinking.” She added, “People are seeing the value of what I call an integrated education,” which includes “learning how to turn on a dime and change careers and think about new ways of creating value and revenue.” Patton’s book, The Bhagavad Gita, A New Translation, was reviewed in the Fall 2009 issue of the Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin.
KEC Wins Sustainable Design Award The Kohler Environmental Center was recognized with a 2014 AIA New York Chapter Committee on the Environment (COTE) Proof and Beauty Honor Award in December. Modeled on the COTE National Awards, the AIANY COTE Awards promote greater understanding of regionally sustainable design and design strategies that reveal and inspire new materials, technologies, and design solutions.
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 5
Rajmohan Gandhi Speaks On Peace And Leadership Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, a research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, spoke to students and faculty on the feasibility of world peace at an all-school program in November. A former member (1990-92) of the Indian Parliament, Gandhi has been engaged for half a century in efforts for trust-building, reconciliation, and democracy, and in battles against corruption and inequalities. His biography of his grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi, Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire, received the Biennial Award from the Indian History Congress in 2007.
2015 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists: Nine sixth formers have been named Semifinalists in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship competition. Finalists will be announced in the spring. The Semifinalists are Madison K. Erlandson of Milwaukee, Wisc.; Yixuan Gao of Beijing, China; Noah M. Hastings of Madison, Conn.; Jungsoo B. Lee of Hamden, Conn.; Katie H. Lee of Bellevue, Wash.; Toby Nelson of Middlebury, Conn.; Douglas Z. Qian of Shanghai, China; Joseph A. Suarez of Fairfield, Conn.; and Jane W. Zhang of Shanghai, China. Thirty-two students were named Commended Students in the 2015 National Merit Program. In the National Achievement Scholarship Program there were six outstanding participants and one Semifinalist: Benjamin Kanayo Ofomata of Missouri City, Texas.
Professor Gandhi spoke to religion and international relations classes in the Reading Room of the Mellon Library.
FACULTY AND STAFF PLAY FAIRE
In December, 100 members of the Choate community participated in nearly two dozen workshops led by faculty and other community members.
Participants explored activities from origami to a mini physics “phlotilla” to wearable technology, all with a spirit that celebrated the fun and discovery that learning brings. Participants were also invited to a lunchtime panel, “Choate Alumni Doing Jobs That Didn’t Exist A Generation Ago”, to hear three recent alumni share their experiences. Panelists included Justin Calfo ’10, current writer of The White House’s morning news briefing; Shanti Mathew ’05, master’s candidate at the Institute of Design in Chicago; and Emily Reid ’05, curriculum director at Girls Who Code.
Sixth Former Named Siemens Semifinalist David Shan ’15 of Guilford, Conn., was named a Semifinalist in the 2014-2015 Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology. The Siemens Competition, a program of the Siemens Foundation, is the nation’s leading science and mathematics research competition for high school students. The annual event, administered by the Siemens Semifinalist College Board, awards college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 in individual and team categories. Says David: “I have
spent the past two summers working in a renal pathology lab at the Yale Medical School. Simply put, the big picture goal of research in this field is to figure out why chronic kidney disease – the loss of kidney function over an extended period of time – leads so often to cardiovascular disease, the main cause of death in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease.”
Author Julie Otsuka at School Meeting At school meeting in September, National Book Award finalist Julie Otsuka gave readings from her novel When the Emperor Was Divine, this year’s assigned summer reading for all students. The novel is based on Otsuka’s own family history at a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II. Her grandfather was arrested by the FBI as a suspected spy for Japan the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, and her mother, uncle, and grandmother spent three years in an internment camp in Topaz, Utah.
FACULTY CHAIRS AWARDED
Students and faculty gathered for the School’s 125th Convocation in September. At the ceremony, Dean of Faculty Katie Levesque announced the awarding of two faculty chairs to veteran teachers: The Minicucci Family Endowed Teaching Chair went to arts faculty member Jane D. Gustin, who began her career at Choate in 1975, and the John J. Maher ’22 Chair was awarded to science teacher Todd F. Currie, a 23-year veteran of the faculty. In the beginning of winter term an Independence Foundation Chair was awarded to physics teacher Jonathan C. Gadoua, a 20-year member of the faculty.
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ON CHRISTIAN & ELM | On Campus
2014 DEERFIELD DAY WEEKEND The Choate School first met its green-and-whiteclad adversaries from Deerfield Academy on the gridiron in 1922, right here in Wallingford. In 1944, twenty-two years following that first football contest, the two schools formalized this budding rivalry and scheduled their fall term athletic competitions at the end of the season, resulting in the very first “Deerfield Day” (or, as it is known on the Deerfield campus, “Choate Day”). On that chilly November afternoon, Choate celebrated a victory in the inaugural contest of the official rivalry, defeating Deerfield 13-7 in a football game on our home field. In the 70 years since, Deerfield continues to be an important component of our rich and vibrant history – a time for students, faculty, parents, and alumni to rally in support of our athletic teams and to celebrate all things blue-and-gold. Our 2014 undefeated football team routed the Big Green 45–0.
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WHAT’S THE
BIG
&
A
ON CHRISTIAN & ELM | Q & A
CAMERON AND EDWARD LANPHIER ’74
At home with the Lanphiers and their dog Bailey.
with
by l o r r a i n e s. c o n n e l ly
At Convocation last September, Headmaster Alex Curtis announced that in recognition of a generous gift from Trustee Edward Lanphier ’74, P ’04 and his wife, Cameron Lanphier P ’04, the School will name the new math and computer science building the Cameron and Edward Lanphier Center for Mathematics and Computer Science. The new 35,000-square-foot facility, designed by architects Pelli Clarke Pelli, is set to open for the spring term. Edward is CEO of Sangamo Biosciences. Cam is a mathematics teacher at The Branson School in Ross, Calif.
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 9
BULLETIN: Edward, Tell us a little bit about why
you and Cam decided to support the new mathematics and computer science facility, and also about your family’s multigenerational roots at Choate. EDWARD: Cam and I met at Choate during new Faculty Orientation at Mem House in 1978. She was hired to teach math, and I was a member of the science department teaching biology. We left Choate to pursue other careers, and later married. Choate has always been an important and special place for us both as a couple, and for my family as well. Our son, Ned ’04, is a fourth generation Choate graduate. More recently, as a Choate Trustee, I have become even more engaged with the School, and Cam and I share enthusiasm, deep appreciation, and respect for the faculty and for the direction the School is taking under the leadership of Board Chairman Michael J. Carr ’76 and Headmaster Alex Curtis. B: Cam, as a mathematics teacher who currently teaches honors geometry to freshmen and BC calculus to juniors and seniors, what is your hope for the new Lanphier Center, and what it can do for the discipline of mathematics? CAM: I see this building as an opportunity for kids to see some of the power, beauty, and importance of math. I was in banking for several years before returning to teaching and saw one aspect of the many ways in which math could be used. This experience added to my teaching and allowed me to bring more perspective to the classroom. EDWARD: Just to add to that: Part of this building is about teaching mathematics, but a big part of it is the application of mathematics in computer science, robotics, and engineering. B: Is it your hope that students who are studying math will see more of these practical applications? CAM: Absolutely. When you are teaching math – first and foremost – you must teach students to master the fundamentals, and I know that Choate does this very well. There is an opportunity to take this one step further and to see how math is used, for instance, in search algorithms, in engineering, in economics, and so forth. I think that is part of the dream behind the building – the interdisciplinary idea that math is not this self-contained subject but reaches into many other areas of the curriculum and life. EDWARD: If you look at the i.d.Lab, while it will draw from a spectrum of multidisciplinary interests – at the end of the day – if there is engineering involved, or if there is any kind of physical creation – the underpinnings of that will be math.
B: Edward, your house adviser at Choate, Zack Goodyear, described you as “a positive force for good in the small group in Woodhouse and in the larger community of Choate. Moreover, Ed is a very hard worker.” I read that your great-grandfather, Robert, met Thomas Edison, who famously said, “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” Tell me a little bit more about your work ethic and how it developed. CAM: I’ll answer that! Edward continues to work hard and is dedicated and committed to whatever it is he’s doing – whether in his business dealings or in leading organizations. He is interested in and knowledgable about many different subjects. At the Lanphier family dinner table, ideas flow freely back and forth, assumptions are questioned, and challenges are made. The liberal arts education he received at Choate comes into play – bringing multiple skills and many facets to what he does and to how he approaches problems. EDWARD: A lot of the passion for learning and curiosity in our family comes from my father. He was an innovator and entrepreneur and somebody who was always interested in many, many subjects. He deserves a ton of credit for whatever intellectual curiosity I have. He started the first company in computers and analysis instrumentation for the agricultural industry following in the footsteps of my great-grandfather, Robert, who founded the Sangamo Electric Co. in the 1890s. That company designed and manufactured watt hour meters, time switches, and sonar and radio equipment, among other items, in Springfield (Sangamon County), Ill. In 1995 I named the company I founded “Sangamo Biosciences” in honor of my family’s business legacy. B: At Choate, you did a senior project at Southern Illinois University that was a catalyst for your future career. How important is it for young people to have their unique capabilities identified and supported at an early age? EDWARD: If you see a student with passion and aptitude and can offer a path to continue to explore that interest in a more thorough way and at a higher level that is very helpful. The mentors I had along the way were incredibly valuable. However, I want to go back to what Cam said earlier regarding the value of a liberal arts education. Having a broad exposure to the liberal arts provides perspective in science; an interest in the humanities informs the sciences. Both the individual and society benefit enormously from a curious and broadly educated mind.
B: Please say something about this notion of the ability to “fail forward” – changing the concept of failure for students so that it becomes an important part of a growth mind-set. EDWARD: Many students, whether because of pressure from parents to get good grades or pressure to get into a highly competitive college, have a fear of failure. But in many cases one can learn more from trial and error – failure – than a seemingly successful effort. For instance, some venture capitalists will say they want to hire a CEO who has been through at least one unsuccessful start-up, the argument being that one can learn so much more from setbacks and managing through that process than one may learn if everything always goes as expected. B: There is a famous quote from Winston Churchill: “We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.” How do you hope the Lanphier Center will shape future generations of students? CAM: One of the really exciting things about the Lanphier Center is the flexibility that has been designed into the building – the ability to reconfigure classrooms depending on what you are doing, whether it be group work, individual work, or presentations. The versatility of the building will allow students and faculty to change with the times. EDWARD: There is this very thoughtful flexibility that Cam mentioned that will permit the building to evolve over time. One aspect of its design that is particularly special is the beautiful café that looks out on the pond and Great Lawn. This will be a wonderful gathering place where ideas can be kicked around. Our hope is that the building will not only be a foundation for teaching mathematics and computer science but that it will ultimately be a gathering place for students. Certainly from a Northern California perspective, we see examples of these type of environments, like the Google campus or Stanford campus; these kinds of environments generate passion and passion generates ideas. B: Did you ever dream when you were starting out as young faculty members at Choate that you would find yourselves in the position to make such a major gift? CAM: No. Edward and I had always talked about getting back into teaching after we left Choate and for several reasons we did other things. I was the one who was fortunate enough to return to teaching and I still think Edward would be a great teacher. I don’t think we ever dreamt that we would be in a position to make a gift like this but we are incredibly excited about it.
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Feature
“CHOATE IS AT THE BEGINNING OF AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING THAT IS MOVING AN ENTIRE FACULTY FORWARD, CONSISTENT WITH THE SCHOOL’S VISION AND CORE VALUES.” – DR. JOHN E. CHUBB, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 11
CHOATE on the move ▶ IT HAS BEEN A YEAR SINCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL’S STRATEGIC PLAN, and as we look ahead to celebrating our historic milestone of 125 years, the School is receiving national recognition for its efforts to integrate 21st century innovation with our traditional teaching methods. Here’s a glimpse of the administrative team’s collaborative efforts and school-wide teamwork dedicated to providing the transformative student experiences that are the heart of all that we do at Choate. A highlight of the 2014 academic year was the visit of Dr. John E. Chubb, President of the National Association of Independent Schools, as part of his first-year listening tour last April. During his time on campus, Dr. Chubb met with Headmaster Alex D. Curtis and students, and toured the new Cameron and Edward Lanphier Center for Mathematics and Computer Science. He also had the opportunity to hear presentations by Choate’s Director of Curricular Initiatives, Dr. Katharine H. Jewett, and the Director of Faculty Development, Thomas White III. In blogging about his visit Dr. Chubb noted, “It was refreshing that Choate’s new curriculum would indeed require new approaches to teaching from teachers, along with staff. These requirements would not be met overnight. In fact, they would never actually be satisfied. If this was to be the beginning of an evolutionary process for teaching and learning, then the goal must not be to ‘train’ a group of teachers on a new program, but to provide ongoing professional development that moves an entire faculty forward, consistent with the School’s vision and core values.” Last year’s administrative restructuring of the Dean of Faculty’s Office has paved the way for innovative thinking and has enabled the School to focus on strategic priorities more actively. Says Dean of Faculty Katie Levesque: “We have appointed smart people who are taking direction from the Strategic Plan to focus on big-picture thinking, planning, and innovation. Hopefully, their feedback will provide answers to the larger questions, ‘What do we want Choate to look like in five years?’ and ‘How can we get
there?’” This October, Charles Fadel, founder and chairman of the Center for Curriculum Redesign and visiting scholar at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, MIT, and Wharton/Penn, met with the full faculty to facilitate a broader discussion on what students should learn in the 21st century. He returned to campus on January 5 to meet with individual departments to brainstorm ideas specific to their disciplines. Says Headmaster Alex Curtis, “Everything – including every decision made – at Choate Rosemary Hall is centered around the student experience.” He continues, “For example, the decision to build a new mathematics, computer science, and robotics facility came out of a growing programmatic need. We identified the programs within the existing structure (such as an award-winning robotics program) and sought to bring that to the next level. That programmatic growth, in turn, led to a discussion about creating a facility of the same caliber of the programs it would house. The end result of that process, of course, is the Cameron and Edward Lanphier Center for Mathematics and Computer Science, which is due to open in just a few weeks.” The same program-driven, student-centric thought process is also behind the plans for the new St. John Campus Center. Says Dr. Curtis: “In order to be a cohesive community, we need to make sure that the School’s programming, facilities, and resources foster vibrancy across and throughout campus. To that end, a facility where we can all gather together is a priority. What we see unfolding on campus is an alignment of ideas, needs, and plans for the future.” Dr. Curtis adds, “We must tip our hat to our Board of Trustees. The Strategic Plan has helped us to maintain both idea discipline and physical discipline by keeping us focused on our traditional strengths, and also by supporting us to become who we endeavor to be. Whether it’s our iPad program, the new i.d.Lab, or our plans for the campus center, all of our goals ‘feather’ together.”
by l o r r a i n e S. C o n n e l ly
CHOATE on the move:
12
a year in review
#1 IN PARENT
TOTAL GIFTS RECEIVED:
$28.9 MILLION
GIVING EIGHT SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
ENDOWMENT:
$356.7 MILLION
$2.1M
MOST POPULAR COLLEGE CHOICES:
CORNELL
Wesleyan
YALE
CONN COLLEGE
JOHNS HOPKINS
GW NYU
GEORGETOWN
UVA
COLUMBIA
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(AS OF 6/30/14)
62 FACULTY attended 21 PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS; 6 FACULTY MADE A FIELD TRIP TO SILICON VALLEY to develop i.d.LAB CURRICULUM
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 13
COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY: HARVEST PACK 1,200 3 SHIFTS 158K MEALS | | | | | | | |
$1
RECEIVED IN TUITION
25¢ GOES TO FINANCIAL
AID
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FOR EVERY
packed for distribution
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VOLUNTEERS
MOST GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE CLASS EVER
43
41
COUNTRIES STATES
$ KEEPING TUITION DOWN:
RANKED #32 OUT OF 40 PEER SCHOOLS
BY THE ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS OFFICERS FOR PREPARATORY SCHOOLS
WILD BOAR GETS A MAKEOVER!
MORE AT WWW.CHOATE.EDU
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grit & determination Feature
the call to shared sacrifice / 1915-1940 by g. jeffrey macdonald ’87
p h o t o g r a p h s c o u r t e s y o f c h o at e r o s e m a r y h a l l a r c h i v e s
For the first three years after World War I broke out, the bloody battlefields of Europe seemed a world away from tranquil boarding school life at The Choate School in Wallingford and Rosemary Hall in Greenwich. Both campuses anxiously devoured news from overseas, but routines went largely undisturbed. Everything changed, however, on April 6, 1917, when Congress declared war on Germany. Both schools upended daily life to support the war effort. Shared sacrifice linked them to common cause and vision – if only for 19 months out of an era when they were evolving in markedly different directions.
c o m m o n r o o t s
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CHOATE BATTALION 1917. At the far right is the new gymnasium remarkably
completed just a year after a fire destroyed the original one. It was designed by Francis Waterman, the same architect as Hill House.
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LIFE AT CHOATE WAS TRANSFORMED IN A MATTER OF WEEKS. Half of the School’s 200 students, aged as young as 15, were drilling in six squads before April was out. A campuswide effort raised funds for a Choate ambulance in France. Boys planted potatoes to boost food production on the home front, and 90 students volunteered to work on the School farm in the summer. As the European theater beckoned men of fighting age, 11 of Choate’s 25 masters left their classrooms to serve, leaving their students and colleagues to pray for their safe return. Rosemarians were no less committed. They formed the Rosemary Woodcraft Potato Club, which raised crops and steered all profits to a war fund. They expanded their fire brigade and added a drill team. For the winter of 1917-18, the boarders relocated to Florida because of the national coal shortage. Like their counterparts at Choate, they bought Liberty Bonds to help feed and clothe soldiers. Miss Ruutz-Rees took a brief leave of absence while she was engaged as chairman of the Women’s Council of National Defense of Connecticut. As war took its deadly toll, students at both schools worried as reports arrived from the front, where brothers and friends might or might not still be alive. By April 1918, Choate had lost six alumni in battle. A grieving campus feared the numbers would keep rising. When peace finally arrived with the euphoric ringing of church bells on November 11, 1918, Choate and Rosemary Hall tried to resume boarding school business as usual. Drill teams soon disbanded. Regular sports schedules resumed. But the schools faced serial challenges in the wake of war in areas from finances to health and safety. In navigating choppy waters, Choate and Rosemary Hall charted divergent courses. One path would, over time, equip Choate with an expansive, built-up campus with long vistas and extensive playing fields in Wallingford before the dawn of World War II. The other would require penny-pinching perseverance in Greenwich, amidst warnings that Rosemary Hall was at risk to close during the Great Depression. Factors responsible for the distinct trajectories were many, including what Choate Headmaster George St. John saw as divine Providence, and what others might call hard work and luck. But leadership played no small part. Rosemary Hall experienced the close-knit insularity that came with having a visionary educator at the helm, while St. John turned out to be an artful salesman, one who tirelessly sold Choate.
Mary Atwater Choate. Tinted miniature painted on ivory, undated.
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clockwise from top: 1917-18, Choate battalion in formation Rosemary Hall Potato Planting WWI. Each girl had a portion of ground sufficient for 25 hills which she then cultivated through the potato season Choate School Ambulance, on the French front, WWI. Photo courtesy of the scrapbook of E. Bosworth Grier C ’1918.
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Illustrated Current News, 1918. Courtesy U.S. National Library of Medicine and The Marlin Company, Wallingford, Connecticut RIGHT Archbold Infirmary Solarium, circa 1930s
BARELY HAD THE WAR ENDED THAN NEW CRISES APPEARED . Realizing the respective long-term visions of
St. John and Ruutz-Rees would need to wait until acute situations got resolved. First came the influenza pandemic that killed upward of 50 million worldwide between 1918 and 1920. Then came diphtheria, which kept all students confined to campus for three months, and then mumps. With each scourge, the West Wing dormitory became a makeshift quarantine space, where George St. John’s wife, Clara, would read to sick students through a window. With each wave of illness, Choate learned the importance of having a strong health service on site and put an adequately-sized infirmary high on its construction wish list. The post-war period left a financial sting, too, as credit became tight – too tight for Choate’s plans. Counting on a $250,000 loan in 1921, Choate wasn’t prepared when new banking regulations kicked in and limited the School to $58,000. Fearing disaster, St. John leapt into sales mode, touting Choate’s credentials (and what he called Clara’s “small fortune” as collateral) at bank after bank. At the last minute, the necessary loan amount came through. With crisis narrowly averted, St. John resolved to put Choate on firmer financial ground. In the early 1920s, as both schools were finding their footings, circumstances fatefully intervened. One campus saw a core building rise; the other saw one fall. Those prescient events would set the stage for the pivotal decade to come. With more than 250 students living on campus, Choate needed a new dormitory on the other side of Christian Street, one that would provide symmetry to Hill House. More than 400 alumni contributed to build the $160,000 Memorial House in honor of the 15 Choate alumni killed in the war. The project went from idea to completion in just two years.
Clara St. John reading to the boys in the Hatch Study of Memorial House, circa 1930s.
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Memorial House Interior 1964-67
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Dedicated in 1921, “Mem House,” the mirror twin of Hill House across Christian Street, became a testament to what Choate could do – again and again – as it ushered in an explosive decade of building, primarily in a Georgian Revival style that bespoke soaring ambitions to be counted among New England’s great educational institutions.
ABOVE The before and after
sketches of Christian Street by art teacher Arthur Koch in 1937 demonstrate George St. John’s campus vision which included the newly constructed Paul Mellon Science Hall.
RIGHT Memorial House, one of three original Georgianstyle buildings on campus. It was completed in 1921 and dedicated to the memory of the 15 Choate boys who had fallen in World War I. Designed by Francis Waterman as a mirror image of Hill House, it was built to house the Lower School of first and second form boys.
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“Personality – how great a force it is for good or ill. The personalities of our Headmistresses have made the Rosemary tradition what they are; and, above all the influences in the school, we especially feel that of the personality of Miss Ruutz-Rees. If, as one fancies, strong personalities may be expressed by mottoes, the motto for hers would be, Nothing is hard, it is only new. This is the motto that the school, since the fire, may be said to have adopted for its own.” –unsigned editorial november 1923 issue of the question mark
AT ROSEMARY HALL , the turning point was anything but triumphal. Shortly before 4 a.m. on November 11, 1923, a devastating fire tore through the main building that housed a dormitory for 67 girls, dining hall, library, and reception rooms. Everyone escaped unharmed as well-trained girls led their peers to safety. For the rest of the year, they stayed in Greenwich neighbors’ homes. But the campus hub was a total loss, estimated at upward of $200,000. To rebuild with a new dorm, separate dining hall, and additional facilities, Rosemary Hall offered a $300,000 bond issue in 1924. The costs of new debt would constrain Rosemary Hall for more than a decade. Ruutz-Rees kept an internal focus on the Rosemary Hall family of alumnae, urging them not only to finance reconstruction but also to relocate and take over the school. In December 1923, she petitioned alumnae in a series of individual letters urging them to raise $200,000, buy a 400acre property, and literally make Rosemary Hall their own. “In this new plan,” she wrote to one alumna, “the Alumnae will buy for themselves and own everything except the good-will and the gifts we can give them, and will have themselves the responsibility and the credit of establishing the School as a semi-public endowed institution.” Ruutz-Rees’ hopes for relocating and transferring ownership didn’t materialize. Instead, Rosemary Hall managed cautiously for the next decade in a campus that she and many alumnae regarded as too small. A lower school at Rosemary Hall opened its doors in this period as a feeder institution, but the boost in revenue would help only so much. Those who knew Ruutz-Rees well said the business side of school life was not her strong suit. Her passions, as a Ph.D. in French literature, lay elsewhere: in teaching languages, molding adolescent character, and engaging in public affairs from the suffrage movement to Democratic politics. She was a sought-after expert on educating girls and shared her methods widely as a consultant and writer. The Education of the Modern Girl, which she co-authored in 1929, is still regarded as a classic in the field. Yet she couldn’t avoid cash management tasks altogether, because she effectively owned the School as its chief shareholder. The difficulties were apparent to Elizabeth Hyde Brownell, RH ’21, whose parents were so close to Ruutz-Rees that she called her “Aunt Caroline.” “She wasn’t very good with figures, and she was frequently in financial straits at the School and was always bailed out somehow or other,” Brownell recalled in a 1998 interview. Advisors urged Ruutz-Rees, an enterprising woman rare in her time, to be extremely cautious. Her longtime attorney, Roger Baldwin, warned her in 1928: “Anything in the nature of an investment in your land or buildings should be very carefully prayed over before being made this year.” She was advised to spend only on essential maintenance, nothing more. Despite myriad needs, from unfinished playing fields to cracking plaster walls, she promised she’d try to reduce expenses.
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LEFT Rosemarians in Florida
during the coal shortage in 1918. TOP Rosemary Hall Pink
Building, with view of weathervane. The Rosemary Girl weathervane came
from Italy in 1926 to honor a family who had taken in seven boarders who were displaced after the disastrous fire in November 1923. Inscribed on the base are the words Hanc Turrim Sub Astra Educatam – “‘This
tower built upwards to the stars.” The weathervane is now housed in the Mellon Library.
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The Chapel, which St. John saw as “a rallying place for the best that is in boys and men,� took first priority. Boys needed spiritual formation, St. John believed. Daily worship would frame and anchor everything else at school.
Choate Chapel steeple drawing, circa 1924
CHOATE, MEANWHILE, WAS RELENTLESS IN BUILDING FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE to equip an ever-
growing student body. Enrollment surged to 339 in 1924, then to 452 in 1928. Growth stemmed from the School’s ethos, which held that bigger was better. It meant every boy could travel a track just right for him, whether accelerated coursework or slower paced studies. St. John was admittedly no great education theorist like Ruutz-Rees, but he had a pragmatic sense for what would work. “We are not strong on theories,” St. John wrote in his memoir, Forty Years at School. “If we have any theory, it is that no two boys are alike and no one theory will suffice in working out the educational destiny of hundreds of different individuals.” Advice given to George St. John was very different from the conservatism forced upon Ruutz-Rees. He received encouragement from the likes of attorney Anson McCook to keep expanding Choate’s support network beyond current benefactors and to invest much more aggressively than Rosemary Hall. In this time, “The Chapel Foundation” was created to realize big dreams. Because Choate was then owned by a privately held corporation that paid shareholders six percent per annum, donations were not tax-deductible. In fact, gifts could be seen as potentially enriching for the stockholders, including St. John. Thus a nonprofit foundation was formed to remove any potential conflict of interest and to receive tax-deductible gifts for building projects. The first of many would be a campus house of worship. The Chapel, which St. John saw as “a rallying place for the best that is in boys and men,” took first priority. Boys needed spiritual formation, St. John believed. Daily worship would frame and anchor everything else at school. Fundraising for it was swift. Soon the foundation would be aptly renamed “The Chapel and Library Foundation,” with the next big project in mind. By 1925, the Chapel was in use. Andrew Mellon, a leading banker and industrialist, visited Choate in the early 1920s and was impressed enough to reserve a spot for his son, Paul. As Paul’s 1925 graduation date neared, Mellon requested a meeting with St. John and fatefully asked whether St. John would like him to build a library for Choate. The answer was a resounding yes. By 1926, Choate had a multistory facility with stacks, a spacious reading room, classrooms, and a dormitory. More construction was soon to follow. The John D. Archbold Infirmary (1928) and an expanded dining hall (1929) rounded out the decade that would, more than any other, outfit Choate with core facilities to meet the diverse needs of students and masters.
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TOP LEFT Winter Exercise
BOTTOM Mellon Library
Building exterior, circa 1940
exterior, circa 1939
TOP RIGHT Winter Ex interior
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As Choate’s reputation grew, so also did its ability to attract and retain top teachers. The School hired faculty and administrators who in time would become future legends, including Russell Ayres (1916), George Steele (1916), Edward Stengle (1921), Earl Leinbach (1925), and William Shute (1918). No fewer than 23 of the teachers who arrived at Choate in the 1920s stayed for at least three decades, all retiring in the 1950s or ’60s. Filled with confidence, Choate planned an endowment campaign early in 1929 to ensure the preservation of all it had built. But once again world events would have a sweeping effect and test the mettle of Choate and Rosemary Hall alike. The stock market crash of October 1929 wiped out fortunes overnight. Even for those who didn’t lose everything, the Great Depression had arrived, and it was time to reassess every expense, especially big ticket items like boarding school tuition. Both schools would need to travel some rough waters, and once again they’d move on separate courses. Choate postponed its endowment campaign, but not its ambitions. When St. John addressed the alumni in 1930, he made the case for why Choate should remain in the hands of a private corporation for at least a few more years and not yet be signed over to the Foundation. “I’m afraid you would be too good trustees!” he told them. “You might, at this critical juncture, by conservative financing, produce a school deformed. Let us put to the hazard all we have until we have constructed a school plant and campus to match unity, breadth and harmony in Choate’s inner self.” Benefactors undaunted by the Depression continued to fulfill the School’s dreams. New leaders would emerge from the Depression’s grip (see “Second Sons” p. 30). It was in 1930 that Choate acquired land for track and field facilities. In 1932, Choate dedicated the Winter Exercise Building, known in later years as the Worthington Johnson Athletic Center. Scholarships were offered to students whose families faced new financial hardships, and it seemed for a time that Choate might weather the economic crisis. However, signs of struggle emerged, and not only when blues guitarist Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter passed his hat around after performing on campus in 1935. Enrollment dropped and all Choate employees took a 10 percent pay cut. Unable to utilize and maintain all its newly acquired property, Choate sold off houses for a song.
THE SITUATION AT ROSEMARY HALL WAS EVEN MORE CHALLENGING. BY 1935 , the School still owed $168,000
in bond debt. Upgrading facilities was now unthinkable. Everything that didn’t affect teaching or students’ wellbeing had been “cut to the bone” to balance the budget, Ruutz-Rees told alumnae that year. Enrollments were falling, she explained, because the School’s clientele was largely professional class, not the super-rich, and private school was no longer affordable for many. Her model for restoring capacity enrollments was Miss Porter’s School, which had dwindled at one time to a mere three students, but recovered in three years as alumnae rallied to enroll nieces, cousins, and daughters of friends. “Cannot you, loyal, devoted Rosemarians, do for us the same thing as they did for their beloved school?,” she asked at the 1935 gathering to mark Rosemary Hall’s 45th anniversary. “We are in a critical condition, and the outcome depends upon you. We really do not want to close the School… There is, however, that possibility.” For the next three years, Rosemary Hall watched pennies under Ruutz-Rees. Then in 1938, after 48 years at the helm, she and co-headmistress Mary Elizabeth Lowndes handed off the top administrative job. Her hand-picked successor, 45-year-old Eugenia Baker Jessup, Class of 1910, reflected her dream to keep Rosemary Hall in the hands of loyal Rosemarians. As a Rosemarian, Jessup had been editor of the Question Mark (the School’s literary magazine), captain of the field hockey team, and a member of the self-governance committee. In Ruutz-Rees’ view, no one embodied the School’s ideals better than she. Upon graduation from Bryn Mawr, she returned to Greenwich in 1914 and taught for 11 years before taking the reins in 1938. But Rosemary Hall would be only partially in Mrs. Jessup’s control. Ruutz-Rees hadn’t been able to fulfill her long-held goal to hand off the School to the alumnae. Thus it literally remained her school on paper because she was still the largest shareholder in the corporation. Her notion of Rosemary Hall as a family that would forever care for its own took on fresh meaning as the matriarchs, Ruutz-Rees and Lowndes, settled into retirement on campus.
The Mikado playbill and cast, 1932, the first in a Choate tradition of annual Gilbert and Sullivan productions.
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Eugenia Baker Jessup ’10, Caroline Ruutz-Rees, and Bobbie Lyons ’44 in chapel cape.
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Football great Jack Stonebreaker ’33 practicing place kicking
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Mellon Science Hall exterior, 1938
MEANWHILE IN WALLINGFORD , Choate’s stature kept rising even in the long shadow of the Depression. Choate was pioneering some of the prep school world’s first foreign exchange programs, including one that offered a rare glimpse inside Nazi Germany of the late 1930s. With teams in 13 sports, Choate proved itself an athletic powerhouse in the 1930s, garnering multiple seasons of near-perfect records in football, baseball, tennis, wrestling, hockey, and basketball. The majority of graduates each year matriculated to Ivy League universities. Even construction plans did not bow to hard times. In 1937, the Alumni Boathouse on Community Lake was dedicated. In 1939, the new Paul Mellon Science Hall opened for classes. With a quarter century of building projects now complete, St. John was at last ready for the new ownership structure he’d long anticipated. In 1938, the corporation transferred Choate to the Foundation in a generous deal involving a donation worth $1 million from the St. Johns. Now Choate would be governed by a nonprofit entity. St. John would stay on as Headmaster, but trustees finally could begin to play a truly fiduciary role, now that most of the major risk-taking on expensive construction projects was behind them.
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NEXT ISSUE:
growth & prosperity the world asks more / 1940-1965
All was not well in world affairs as the drumbeat of war began to sound again from Europe. With Germany under Adolf Hitler threatening its neighbors, the future would ask more from Choate and Rosemary Hall. But both schools had already been tested. Having reaped the harvests of familial loyalty and bold risk-taking, they were ready to make new contributions, both to their country and to a world in need of well-informed leaders.
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Feature
Seymour St. John ’31
SECOND John F. Kennedy ’35
In the 1930s, many a father had high hopes for his sons to excel in the family business. That was as true for Choate headmaster George St. John, who groomed his boys to lead schools, as it was for Democratic powerbroker Joseph P. Kennedy, who famously wanted a son in the White House. Both men got their wish through sons educated at Choate in the late 1920s and early 30s. Seymour St. John ’31 would replace his father as headmaster in 1947. In 1960, John Fitzgerald Kennedy ’35 would be elected President of the United States. Yet in a twist on tradition, these were not the eldest, high-achieving sons who carried the mantle forward. These were instead second-born boys, the ones who followed in giant footsteps of accomplished older brothers who outshined them at every turn – at least during their days in Wallingford. by g. jeffrey macdonald ’87
George “Jim” St. John, Jr. ’28 made everything seem easy. “Up until about 1928,” Seymour says in a transcribed recollection, “I was bumbling along while Jim, my older brother, was becoming managing editor of The News and winning the School Seal Prize and as usual doing everything right … I was on a different track.” While Jim was winning awards at Harvard, Seymour was still muddling along at Choate, demurring to crack the books any more than necessary. He preferred to simply ask his mother, Clara, what Latin words meant and otherwise coast wherever he could. But all that changed with his fourth form year abroad in Switzerland, where he traveled the country playing hockey with Swiss national team stars. He spoke nonstop French on every bus trip because his teammates spoke nothing else. “What a fabulous year that was,” he recalled. “I found by giving a modicum of effort I could get real results and could compete with any of my classmates. That was a new sensation, and I liked it.” Seymour’s performance kept improving as the years passed. At Yale, he became George’s first son to earn Phi Beta Kappa, which he said “meant a great deal” to the elder St. John. Seymour taught at Choate, as did Jim, and served in World War II. Upon return from the war, trustees voted him in as his father’s successor. For his part, Jim remained ambitious and capable, as he went on to become headmaster of Moses Brown School in Providence. (Another brother, Francis, became headmaster of The Barlow School in Amenia, New York). John F. “Jack” Kennedy ’35 had a similarly tough act to follow in his older brother, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. ’33, a handsome football player on track for the highest echelon of public life. Joe won the School’s Harvard Trophy as “the boy who best combines high scholarship with good sportsmanship.” But tragically, Joe wouldn’t live long enough to seek the presidency, as his father hoped he would. A decorated Navy pilot in World War II, Joe died when his plane plunged during a hazardous mission at Normandy in 1944. Thus the mantle fell to Jack, the likeable kid who’d always lived in his older brother’s shadow. Back in 1935, at 5’11” and just 155 pounds, Jack cut a far smaller figure than Joe had at Choate. He lacked his brother’s athletic prowess, instead battling back problems and mystery illnesses that made him a regular in the infirmary. Confined to a bed for much of his youth, Jack had become an avid reader, especially on matters of state and public affairs. His studies bore fruit early when he published his Harvard thesis, Why England Slept, which analyzed why Britain failed to prevent World War II. It quickly sold 80,000 copies and gained Kennedy international stature at the tender age of 23.
Senator John F. Kennedy ’35, right, on campus to receive the first Alumni Seal Prize in May 1958. Headmaster Seymour St. John ’31 looks on.
But a passion for reading hadn’t made him a model student in his Choate days. His inclination was more toward manufacturing fun at every opportunity, as Croswell Bowen ’25 reported. Jack “had consistently failed to do his homework, kept his room in a constant state of disorder, ducked out after hours to go off bounds into the village to get malted milks,” Bowen observed in a late 1960s remembrance. Jack also co-founded the “Muckers Club,” named provocatively for a pejorative that Headmaster St. John used to describe troublemakers. Playfulness notwithstanding, Jack developed over time into a leader even before he received his diploma. Choate peers admired his moxie and voted him “most likely to succeed.” “Jack had entered Choate a vulnerable and often lonely boy, a seemingly negligible younger brother with no constituency,” writes MSNBC broadcaster and Kennedy biographer Chris Matthews in Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero. “He would depart four years later a practiced ringleader.” It’s possible Kennedy even heard at Choate a specific inspiration for his most memorable statement. Inside George St. John’s notebook that he used for sermon fodder lies a quotation from Harvard Dean LeBaron Briggs: “The youth who loves his Alma Mater will always ask, not ‘What can she do for me?’ but ‘What can I do for her?’” Kennedy conveyed a keenly similar yet more expansive message in his 1961 inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” Shaped indelibly at Choate, both Jack Kennedy and Seymour St. John ultimately found in adolescence their unique paths for advancing the work of their respective families.
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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | News & Events choate rosemary hall alumni association mission To create, perpetuate, and enhance relationships among Choate Rosemary Hall alumni, current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and friends in order to foster loyalty, interest, and support for the School and for one another, and to build pride, spirit, and community.
OFFICERS Patrick McCurdy ’98 President Chris Vlasto ’84 Vice President Parisa Jaffer ’89 Secretary STANDING COMMITTEES Admission Gunther Hamm ’98 Colm Rafferty ’94 Co-Chairs Annual Fund David Hang ’94 Chair Communications Michelle Judd Rittler ’98 Kathrin Schwesinger ’02 Co-Chairs Nominating/Prize Chris Hodgson ’78 Chair Regional Clubs John Smyth ’83 Chair Carolyn Kim ’96 Vice-Chair Student Relations/Campus Programming Mike Furgueson ’80 Chair Shantell Richardson ’99 Vice-Chair ADDITIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Dan Courcey ’86 Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations Mari Jones Director of Development and Alumni Relations Monica St. James Director of Alumni Relations Leigh Dingwall ’84 Rachel Gritzer Faculty Representatives
REGIONAL CLUB LEADERSHIP Boston Patrick Clendenen ’84 Lovey Oliff ’97 Connecticut David Aversa ’91 Katie Vitali Childs ’95 London Kate Aquila ’92 Los Angeles Tom Nieman ’88 Stan Savage ’92 New York Sheila Adams ’01 Jason Kasper ’05 Rosemary Hall Alice Chaffee Freeman ’63 San Francisco Kevin Kassover ’87 Washington, D.C. Dan Carucci ’76 Tillie Fowler ’92 Beijing Gunther Hamm ’98 Hong Kong Sandy Wan ’90 Jennifer Yu ’99 Seoul Ryan Hong ’89 Thailand Pirapol Sethbhakdi ’85 Sunpitt Sethpornpong ’84
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PAST PRESIDENTS Susan Barclay ’85 Chris Hodgson ’78 Woody Laikind ’53
REGIONAL CLUB EVENTS The phrase heard most
often around the Office of Development and Alumni Relations this fall had to be “Regional Club Events!” A packed schedule of diverse happenings from DC to LA, Hong Kong to London, and plenty of places in between kept our alumni, and our Alumni Relations team, active, engaged, and inspired. Cheer for the Home Team
Headmaster Events in Madrid and London
More than 140 members of the Alumni Club of NY visited Yankee Stadium on September 4 to watch the home team take on their legendary rivals, the Boston Red Sox. On September 28, the Alumni Club of DC got together to watch their Nationals play the Miami Marlins – and to witness the first no-hitter in Nationals history!
Not to be outdone, alumni, parents, and prospective families gathered in Madrid and London at the end of November to hear Headmaster Alex Curtis speak about the exciting things happening at Choate, including the Cameron and Edward Lanphier Center for Mathematics and Computer Science and its place in the School’s i.d.Lab initiative. Many thanks go out to Isabel C. Serra Paiz and Enrique Posner ’82 for hosting a reception at their Madrid home. We’d also like to thank the Alumni Club of London and Jill and Russell Platt P ’18 for their assistance planning the brunch at The Arts Club in London. What a great opportunity to connect with members of the Choate community in Europe!
Congratulations, Chicago! Congratulations to all our alumni in Chicago on their newly minted Alumni Club. Chicago is now recognized as an official Alumni Association Regional Club thanks to the resounding success of the recent events in that city. Chief among these was the reception held at the Racquet Club with Headmaster Alex Curtis on September 18; close to 50 alumni came out to socialize and hear the latest news from campus from Dr. Curtis. A hearty thanks to Jeanette Sublett and Langdon Neal P ‘07, ’10, ’13 and to Stephanie and Charlie Harrold ’64, P ’06 for their generous help in organizing this celebration and securing the lovely venue.
Choate Goes to Asia Of course, our events weren’t limited to the United States! Members of the Alumni Club of Hong Kong welcomed Ray Diffley from the Admission Office, Beth Fecko-Curtis from the Headmaster’s Office, Mari Jones from the Development and Alumni Relations Office, and Libby Peard from the International Students and Parent Relations Office to their region of the world in mid-November. While in Hong Kong, the group met with many alumni, parents, and prospective families and also took the opportunity to share an early Thanksgiving dinner with alumni at JAR Just-a-Restaurant. While overseas, the Choate team also traveled to Beijing and Seoul, where they were fortunate enough to meet up with even more alumni, parents, and friends.
New York/Los Angeles Holiday Parties Choate kicked off the season in style with a fantastic evening at the Shangri-Li Hotel in LA on Tuesday, December 9. Well-attended by alumni from the 1960s right up through the 2000s, this rooftop party had none of the cold but all of the holiday spirit! Special thanks go out to our LA club chairs, Tom Nieman ’88 and Stan Savage ’92. Just two days later, we felt the chill in the air once again as we headed to 54 Below (thanks, Tom Viertel ’59, for helping us with this venue) for the NYC holiday party. We had more than 200 alumni at this always-popular event, and we heard from many in attendance that this was the best yet. Thanks to Patrick McCurdy ’98 for helping make it so! What a fantastic way to lead us all into 2015!
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6 5 1 Ray Javdan ’89, Mike Riskind ’89, Matt Cercone ’89, BZ Kirkbright ’99, and Patrick McCurdy ’98 enjoy the company and atmosphere at the NY Holiday Party, held at 54 Below. 2 On Friday, January 9, the Alumni Association sponsored an evening of alumni in the arts. Scenes and Songs featured musical performances by Emcee Rebecca Faulkenberry ’03, Virginia Ogden ’14, Justine Goggin ’14, Kimber Kristy ’14,
Sophie Faulkenberry ’11, Barrie Kreinik ’03; a dramatic reading by actors Betsy Lippitt ’05 and her husband, Raul S. Julia; and songs by Steven Bogardus ’72 and Charlie Calotta ’13 (not pictured). Charlie was backstage with the 125th birthday cake artfully manufactured by the theater department, and from which the Choate Wild Boar emerged at the end of the evening!
3 The Career Networking
Brunch: The Arts featured panelists, from left, Artist Corina S. Alvarez de Lugo ’81, Music Manager Ben Broderick ’05, Artist Kari Cholnoky ’06, Costume Designer Kaitlin Hartsoe ’06, Fashion Designer Shantell Richardson ’99, Curator Lee Lee Englund ’98, and Documentary Filmmaker Fritz Mitchell ’76.
4 Virginia winetasting at Zephaniah Farm Vineyard and Fabbioli Cellars, from left, Anna Kephart ‘06, Lake Rosenberg ‘05, Sarah Rosenberg ‘02, Anna Lindel ‘03, Rebecca Maddox ‘06, Nat Wyeth, Allison Mead ‘06, Ryan Stewart ‘06, Alex Porfirenko ‘99, Catesby Massey, Martha Farnsworth Klaukka ‘03, and Matt Mulling ‘02
5 Hong Kong reception, from
7 LA-area alums enjoyed
left, Christopher Yu ’01, Aaron Painter ’00, Sandy Wan ’90, Davina Chang ’92, Jennifer Yu ’99, Lambert Lau ’97, and Simone Chao ’00 6 Elli Nacheva ’08 and Libby Peard caught up in London.
Shangri-Li’s rooftop deck and one another’s company at the 2014 holiday party: Anthea Kamalnath ’02, Sarah Rathbone ‘02, Rob Troccolo ‘95, Dan Moriarty ‘79, Grant Carpenter ‘04, Kevin Mardesich ’87, Nina Tarnawsky ’08, and Bobby Vanech ‘86.
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EVENTS BACK IN WALLINGFORD Alumni Soccer and Volleyball Games Plenty of action took place right here on campus, too! On September 13, nearly 30 former varsity soccer players returned to Choate to take on the current boys team for the 16th Annual Alumni Soccer Game, organized once again by former coach Chip Lowery. That same day, the girls varsity volleyball team battled a collection of alumnae in a volleyball celebration hosted by Coach David Loeb.
Remembering Jack Davison Jack Davison was an admired and much-loved teacher, mentor, and varsity football coach at Choate from 1957-64. On October 11, Jack’s family and friends gathered to dedicate a memorial tree and bench overlooking the football field in celebration of his life and commitment to the School.
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Alumni-Student Career Networking Brunch: The Nonprofit Sector On October 12, nine alumni joined current Choate students for the first installment of our Alumni-Student Career Brunch series, this time focusing on the nonprofit sector. Lee Lee Englund ’98, Woody Laikind ‘53, Ellen Carter ’01, Nicholas Sheehan ‘01, Eliza Kinsolving ’05, Margaret Vallone ’08, Justin Birtwell ’86, Thatcher Mweu ’11, and Stewart Goodbody Israni ’95 participated in a panel discussion moderated by Mary Pashley, Director of Community Service, about their work with nonprofits. The next in the series, held in January, focused on working in the arts.
Start Up//Choate Takes New York! The Start Up//Choate series was started by Miles Spencer ‘81 to encourage meaningful and lasting connections among students, alumni, and successful members of the start-up universe. On November 20, alumni in the New York City area came out for the latest installment of this popular series to listen to a conversation between Miles and Jesse Fink, former COO of priceline.com and co-founder and chairman of Mission Point Capital Partners, about Jesse’s experience in priceline.com’s early days as well as his current activities. The event was held at Grand Central Tech, a community of startups and strategic partners designed to help great ideas become successful companies. Information about the next StartUp//Choate event is coming soon! In the meantime, check out the Start Up//Choate group on LinkedIn.
4
5
1 Alumni soccer players
3 Nine alumni took part in the
5 Kreagan Kennedy ’10, Jim
returned to campus and the field to take on the 2014 boys varsity team. 2 Friends and family of Jack Davison visited campus in October.
first of its kind Alumni-Student Career Networking Brunch on October 12. 4 Alumnae volleyball players returned to campus to bump, set, and spike on Choate’s court once again.
Sherman ’80, Leo Shimonaka ’14, Alex Moazed ’06, and Anthony White ’07 at StartUp//Choate.
Choate Rosemary Hall’s 125th Celebration
Reunion Weekend 2015
In 2015, Choate Rosemary Hall will be commemorating its first 125 years. To celebrate, the Alumni Association will hold a series of special events throughout the year. The celebration unofficially kicked off on Deerfield Day and continued in January at the PMAC with Scenes and Songs, featuring several alumni from screen and stage, including Rebecca Faulkenberry ’03, whose Broadway roles include Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man and Sherrie in Rock of Ages. Watch your email, along with upcoming issues of the eNews, for more information about 125-related events coming to a city near you!
Reunion Weekend 2015 will take place May 15-17, and we look forward to welcoming alumni back to campus! Leading up to the main event, reunion classes will be holding pre-reunion gatherings across the country. Get ready to be part of it!
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 35
Deerfield Day 2014 – Go Choate! Deerfield Day 2014 was a huge success, with more Choate alumni, parents, and friends returning to campus than ever before, not to mention Choate’s dominance on the athletic fields, winning 8 of 13 contests. Furthermore, the Classes of 2005-14 scored 554 points in the Deerfield Challenge (versus Deerfield’s 469) – unhinging Deerfield, raising $29,475
2
for the Annual Fund, and setting a new School record for participation in the Challenge. Choate’s Alumni Clubs in New York, Boston, DC, LA, and Chicago, as well as groups of alumni in Houston and Denver, took part in the festivities by holding virtual tailgate viewing parties where attendees watched a live stream of the varsity football and volleyball games.
VIRTUAL TAILGATES VIRTUAL TAILGATES VIRTUAL TAILGATES
2
Calendar of Events February
2/25 – Celebrating 125 Years: Headmaster Reception –
Boston
March
3/3 – Celebrating 125 Years: Headmaster Reception –
Palm Beach 3/3–3/15 – Celebrating 125 Years: Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul 3/27 – Dedication of Cameron and Edward Lanphier Center for Mathematics and Computer Science – Choate 3/27 – Celebrating 125 Years: Alumni Club of Connecticut Reception – Choate
1
April
TBA – Sixth Form/ Alumni Transition Dinner 4/22 – Alumni Award Presentation - Choate 4/26 – LA Brunch at the Gilmore Adobe
May
3
5/15 – Athletics Hall of Fame Induction
Save the Dates
5/15–17 – Reunion Weekend - Choate 6/7 – Commencement - Choate
Choate Rosemary Hall
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Reunion Weekend 2015
5
MAY 15–17, 2015
6
VIRTUAL TAILGATES VIRTUAL TAILGATES VIRTUAL TAILGATES 1 Boston Virtual Tailgate – Jorge
3 Chicago Virtual Tailgate –
4 DC Virtual Tailgate – Back
5 Denver Virtual Tailgate –
Mestre ’84, Miya Watanabe ’08, Diehl Jenkins ’60, Bill Clemmey ’82, Kristine Yamartino ’10, and Sarah Kornacki ’10 2 Houston Virtual Tailgate – Marty Power ‘74, Becky Leven ‘06, Thomas Thornton ‘96, Santiago Caraballo ‘95, James Kaiser ‘95, and Paul Grabowski ‘87
Margaux Harrold ’06 and friend joined her parents, Stephanie and Charlie Harrold ’64, to watch all the Deerfield Day action from Chicago.
row: Kati Vaughn ‘05, Anna Lindel ’03, Caroline Potolicchio ‘10, CJ Bell ‘10, Thomas Williamson ‘07, Noel Titus ‘09, Jim Meltsner ‘81. Front row: Hadley Dalton Walsh ‘02, Cody Hyman ‘06, Allison Mead ‘06, Lilli Spencer ‘05, and Ailis Peplau ‘09
Nini Casser ‘07, Sara Shapiro ‘06, Max Urquhart ‘06, Kaitlin Kunkler ‘06, Olivia Pietrafesa ‘06, and Abby McKenna ‘05 6 New York Virtual Tailgate – Jason Kasper ’05, Ian Chan ’10, and Joe Pahl ’01 watch the games at Jason’s restaurant, Untamed Sandwich.
…be part of it
36
CLASSNOTES | News from our Alumni
Each term, the Headmaster declared a particularly lovely day a free day. During breakfast prayer, the holiday was signaled by the words “I shall lift my eyes up to the hills…” –MOUNTAIN DAY, 1920, A HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL
1940s ’46 C
Cliff Cowles writes, “I sold my home in Sun City West, Ariz., and moved into a life care retirement community in Peoria, Ariz.”
’47 C
Walter Blass reports that his aortic valve, while deteriorating, did not prevent him from climbing to 12,200 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park in August 2014. Walter meets up with Igor Sikorsky every other month, and they are both eagerly awaiting the 70th reunion of the class of 1947. Elliott Eaves writes, “A near record winegrape harvest made my stumbling entry into the mid-eighties rather less fraught... However, rapacious deer continue to ’harvest’ new plantings in the orchard while weeds insist on invading the perennial beds, all distractions from a parade of medical adventures leading to extraordinary surgeries: heart stent installed; cataract job rejuvenated eyesight. Not bad for a beginner!”
RIGHT Walter Blass ’47 climbed to 12,200 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park in August 2014. LEFT Steve Gilford ’57, an author and historian, is also a musician. He performs on the autoharp with several groups that play mostly traditional American and Irish music.
Arthur Rouner writes that he spent the summer lakeside in New Hampshire, where he was able to scull in the early morning and paddle a nearby river in the late afternoon.
’48 C George Dartt was bitten by the music bug in his late 70s, after a lifetime in finance and as a volunteer in tennis. Voice became his passion, and now he sings in churches and other venues; he says that “so far The Hook has not dragged him off the stage.” He wishes “the superb musician and teacher … Duncan Phyfe could have known.” ’49 C Spencer Merz writes that he continues to bask in the reflected glory of his three offspring and their nine offspring. Life is good!
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 37
Send Us Your Notes! We welcome your submission of classnotes or photos electronically in a .jpg format to alumline@choate.edu. When submitting photos, please make sure the resolution is high enough for print publication – 300 dpi preferred. If your note or photograph does not appear in this issue, it may appear in a subsequent issue, or be posted online to Alumni News on www.choate.edu. To update your alumni records, email: alumnirelations@choate.edu or contact Christine Bennett at (203) 697-2228.
38
CLASSNOTES | Profile
’53 Jeffrey Laikind
OPERA FOR THE PEOPLE B y h e n r y m c n u lt y ’ 6 5 Henry McNulty ’65 is a frequent Bulletin contributor.
Founded in 1943, the New York City Opera was designed to bring superb opera to as many people as possible at the lowest possible price. For decades it did that, but by 2013, largely because of bad business decisions, it went bankrupt. Last year, the New York City Opera was in sad shape – in fact, out of business – when Jeffrey “Woody” Laikind ’53 and a handful of others decided that the city’s famed “people’s opera” company couldn’t stay dead. Woody and other opera lovers decided that the organization that had helped launch the careers of Beverly Sills, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, José Carreras and dozens of others had to be resurrected. And they did it. “We put together a new business plan and took it to the U.S. Bankruptcy court,” Woody says. The plan was accepted. Essentially the idea was to create a brand-new, independent, nonprofit entity retaining the NYCO’s name and original vision. The
NYCO Renaissance plans to re-launch the New York City Opera in 2015 at the 1,100-seat Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
core of the plan – the money part – came easily to Woody, the President of the opera’s new board, whose entire professional life involved finances and who has worked with nonprofits for years. The new NYCO, he says, now has “an intelligent budget, and a goal of producing high quality, innovative opera. We want to go back to our roots, and not be a kind of ‘mini-Met’.” A former Choate Trustee, president of the School’s Alumni Association, and recipient of the School’s Distinguished Service Award, Woody was on the board of the old NYCO for a decade. Reviving the opera company was his kind of challenge. “I like taking a mess,” he says, “and un-messing it.”
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 39
1950s ’52 C
Peter R. Decker had a new historical novel published: Red, White, and Army Blue. Check it out at: www.westernslopepress.com
’56 C
Bob Gaines reports the following about himself and his classmates: “I had dinner with Walter Forbes and his lovely wife, Kitty, a couple of months ago in Chattanooga. They live on Lookout Mountain on the Georgia side. Both Walter and Kitty are very involved in the community and love music. Walter has recorded a CD called Bull-Bat Time. A bull-bat is the common nighthawk that flies in the late summer afternoon until dark catching insects. “Come over around bull-bat time” is an invitation to sit down at the end of the day to relax and enjoy the sunset, a drink, and a little music. The CD is an eclectic collection of mostly original songs by six musicians who play drums, ukulele, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass fiddle, and keyboard along with three other people harmonizing with Walter. You can get a copy of the CD for a small price from Walter by contacting him at walterforbes@mac.com. Dave Nichols has been recognized by the Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity for his extraordinary contribution as chairman of the Resource Development Committee. Why does he participate? Dave quotes Mahatma Gandhi, ’In order to truly find yourself, you must lose yourself in service to others.’ Dave was drawn to Habitat because he admires the concept of assisting hard-working people helping themselves. He likes being part of an organization that ’gives a hand up, not a handout.’ He also convinced the Board to take a leap of faith and open the Shires ReSale Store, which has been a success. As Dave says, quoting Saint Francis of Assisi, ’For it is in giving that we receive.’ Bob Gaines and his wife, Marjorie, took a Viking Cruise on one of the new long ships themed “The Romantic Danube” from Nuremberg to Budapest. The ship is truly an engineering marvel, from the solar panels and herb garden on the top deck to the glass-enclosed bathrooms that fog over at the touch of a button for privacy. The ports of call each day were fascinating, especially the small towns that had not been bombed in WWII because they had no manufacturing or commercial value supporting the war; they exist close to the way they were 80-90 years ago. Bob also took a trip on the American Queen steamship, with a Civil War theme, from Chattanooga (see Forbes note above) to Memphis, sailing for nine days along four rivers: the Cumberland, Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi. Not only were the daily historical lectures, local guides, and food excellent but the decor of the ship itself takes you back to the time of Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer when the great sternwheelers plied the waterways.
It is with great sadness that I report the passing of our classmate Edward J. Brady on July 31. Ed was probably one of the nicest and easiest to like guys in our class. His infectious smile and sense of humor made making friends come naturally. We knew him when he lived in Darien, Conn., and came up to Choate for four years. He lived most of his later life with his family in Paramus, N.J., and is survived by his wife, Ethel; two children, Tracy and Michael; and four grandchildren.”
’57 C
Jan Beyea writes, “In 2013, I was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society, the professional organization of American physicists. In 2014, I completed service on my ninth panel of the National Research Council, the research arm of the National Academies of Sciences and the National Academies of Engineering. This latest congressionally mandated study was “Lessons learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for improving safety of U.S. Nuclear Plants.” All of these activities have their roots in the physics class of Mr. Garrison – the class I most enjoyed during my four years at Choate.” Steve Gilford, author of Build ’Em By The Mile, Cut ’Em Off By The Yard: How Henry Kaiser and the Rosies Helped Win World War II, published by the Richmond (CA) Museum of History, offers these recollections from his days at Choate: “Some of the most terrifying hours I spent at Choate were in the basement of the chapel in Mr. Pratt’s Public Speaking class. His acidic summations at my earliest attempts at oratory stayed with me throughout my career, but that has changed and I think he would be proud. After finishing writing a book about the building of Liberty and Victory ships, and about the Riveting Rosies who welded them… I began doing book signings. That led to speaking engagements at the National Park Service, the California Maritime Academy, and the U.S. Maritime Museum, as well as to a great many community groups. I amazed myself by actually enjoying it. Another faculty member whose encouragement and enthusiasm for his field has resonated through my life is Russell Ayres. He was the first to help me see how an appreciation for history would enrich my life, and I thanked him in the introduction to my book. My other major activity is music. At Choate, I was in the dance band called “The Golden Blues,” in which I played baritone sax. At Yale, I was introduced to the autoharp as a lead instrument and mostly that is what I play now, although I occasionally bring out my 12-string guitar or a harmonica. I’m part of several groups that play mostly traditional American and Irish music. Between rehearsals and performances I am plucking away three times a week or more. I am also on the Board of the Richmond (CA) Museum of History. The big attraction for me at the museum is our ship, The Red Oak Victory, launched in 1942; she is now a museum ship, and we are preparing to get her ready to go to sea once more.”
Luis Roche, a film, theater, and opera director, writes, “As much as I would like to retire, I hold on and ’always invent a new thing’ (my wife, Fafá´s, quote). There is nothing like work in what you love. In the last four years I have written and directed the feature film Suddenly, The Film (De Repente, la Película), a comedic farce, and the short Los Pacheco, Una Familia Salsosa, about a family living in the 23 de enero district of Caracas. You can watch both of these films on YouTube. For the last year, I have been directing an animated musical film in 3D called Wanda, Una Vida Musical. It takes much more effort to make this 14-minute film than a feature! I am also writing a series of short stories called Winks, which will be published soon.” Luis sees Carlos Eduardo Hellmund ’55 and Alberto Mestre ’58 often, when they meet for dinner accompanied by their lovely wives.
’57 RH Catherine C. Crane writes, “I had a wonderful trip to Sicily in October. Great food, great weather, better Greek ruins than in Greece or Turkey. (The lintels are still ON the posts!) Fascinating history: Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, French, Spanish and finally in 1860 unification with Italy. The other exciting news is that I have been selected to be honored as an “Outstanding Sustainer” by the New York Junior League. This honor pays tribute to my years of volunteer work, including being Sustainer Chairman at the NYJL; beginning the Nonprofit Boards Clearinghouse, which trains people to serve on nonprofit boards and helps to place them on boards; running a support group for people dealing with aging parents for more than 10 years; serving on the board of The City Gardens Club for most of the last 20 years; and now facilitating the planning for that organization’s centennial.
’59 C
J. Robert Ransone writes, “I ’retired’ from corporate life as COO and CFO of a privately held oil and gas exploration and operating company effective July 15, 2014. I now am active in oil and gas consulting through Ransone Consulting, LLC with three corporate clients and three family clients.”
40 CLASSNOTES
1960s ’61 C
Dick Hull attended a book signing event by former Choate chaplain Robert A. Bryan at Bowdoin College for Bob’s new autobiography, The Flying Parson of Labrador and The Real Story Behind Bert and I (See review on p. 62) Dick reports that Rev. Bryan is now 83 and wheelchair bound. He says, “I brought the ’61 Brief, showed him his photo and mine, and we reminisced for several minutes. He’s spent most of his extraordinary life in Quebec and Labrador, ministering to people in very remote places mostly by plane. His book, which includes many references to Choate, tells the whole story. He founded the QuebecLabrador Foundation after his Choate chaplaincy. What a delight to see him after all these decades.”
’63 RH Donna Dickenson is working quite hard on a consultancy for one of Britain’s government research councils to evaluate the academic output of the three major government-funded genomics and social science research centers in the UK. Alice Chaffee Freeman’s big excitement these days is that filming of her husband Castle’s novel, Go With Me, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, is finally about to start in Canada.
Anne Carroll Furman has spent time recently traveling to see children and grandchildren in Des Moines, Iowa, and Santa Monica, Calif. Jean McBee Knox writes, “A quick update: Our daughter Sarah got married on August 2, 2014, on Chocorua Island on Squam Lake, N.H. I’ve been writing short books of fiction and nonfiction, for elementary classroom use on topics ranging from geckos to osprey migration. Dick took a buyout from NPR last February and now works independently for NPR and other news media. We love having relatively flexible schedules and divide our time between Boston and Center Sandwich, N.H.” Margo Melton Nutt has retired from Dartmouth College after 26 years. No big retirement plans in the offing, just enjoying life. Judy Shaw Richardson has a new granddaughter, Nora Margaret, born July 2, 2014. Judy and her husband went on a cruise to the Panama Canal at the end of October. Mike Sherry Roy and her husband went to Alaska in July on a land tour and cruise with three other couples. They saw Mount Denali on three days, which is almost unheard of.
Reeve Lindbergh Tripp spoke at the Calvin Coolidge Historic Site in August and talked about Family Meetings and Historical Events. She described her experiences with her own family and their relationship with the Coolidge family. Her grandfather, Dwight Morrow, became friends with Calvin Coolidge while they were classmates at Amherst College. Their friendship continued into the time when President Coolidge welcomed her father, Charles, back to the United States after the famous 1927 New York-to-Paris flight. On the home front, she writes: “Lately it’s been mainly visits to and from grandchildren for me and my husband, Nat. I went with my older daughter’s Vermont family (her husband, Dave, and 5-year-old son, Zachary) to visit my younger daughter’s California family (husband, Jon, 6-month-old son, Tate); then the Montana grandtwins (Phoebe and Stetson, now 9, children of Nat’s son Eli, who died in 2011) came to the farm with their mother for 10 days. Family members have established an endowment at the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, Vt., in Eli’s honor, to support service learning for young naturalists.”
1
1 Dick Hull ’61 attended a
3 Members of the Class of
book signing by former Choate chaplain Robert A. Bryan at Bowdoin College. 2 Choate ’62 classmates, including members of the undefeated ’61 football team, gathered with the Wild Boar mascot while cheering on Choate’s 2014 undefeated team on Deerfield Day 2014. Standing, from left, Fred Alcaro (captain of ’61 undefeated football team), Bill Thomas, Wild Boar, Joe Pawlak, Don Liberman, John Campbell, Nick Snow, and Steve Gilhuley; Kneeling, from left, John Wilkes and Bill Chapin.
1962 gathered to celebrate Alex Levitch’s 70th birthday on August 23, 2014, at Alex’s Adirondack Camp in Ticonderoga, N.Y. on Lake George. From left, John McWilliams, Peter Miller, Terry Beaty, Joe Pawlak, Alex Levitch, John Campbell, Steve Gilhuley, Nick Chinn, and Deaver Brown. 4 Classmates Rob Ayres ’63 and Dick Knight ’63 sported Choate attire when they sailed on Dick’s boat off Marblehead, Mass., this past summer.
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BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 41
CLASSNOTES | Profile
Hugh Grant
’63
THE ARTIST & HIS MUSE By Wende Valentine ’92 Wende Valentine '92 is the current Director of Development and incoming Executive Director for the social impact organization, Starfish, (www.starfish-impact.org) whose mission is to unlock the potential of young women to lead transformational change. She and her family live in Evergreen, CO.
I’ve been to a lot of museums, walking down corridors gazing at famed works hanging on walls or displayed behind glass. When I entered the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art in Denver, I expected more of the same – but was pleasantly surprised. Rather than a typical museum, I had entered the most eclectic, exquisite, and intimate of spaces, filled with works from top-tier Colorado, national, and international artists, new and old. The presentation is in salon style, with paintings and sculpture in each room grouped appropriately with accompanying furniture, ceramics, and other decorative art. The mastermind and creative vision behind all of this is Hugh Grant ’63. Hugh always had a fascination with music and art, and his days at Choate only helped reinforce this through “inspiring faculty and superb academic training” that prepared him for challenges and surprises throughout college and his future life.
Post-Choate, Hugh committed himself to sharing and preserving the arts, both within his home state of Colorado and nationwide. In the 1970s, Hugh produced jazz records to preserve valuable music he feared would otherwise be lost. In 1996, he and his wife, Merle Chambers, started the Kirkland Foundation, dedicated to documenting, collecting, exhibiting, and publishing the work of Colorado artists. Hugh was awarded a Heartland Emmy Award in 2000 for “The Artist and the Muse”, a ballet for which he was Executive Producer, writer, musical programmer, and one of the narrators. In 2003, Hugh took the next step and founded the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, which saw visitors from 32 foreign countries and all 50 states in 2013. As Director for the past 11 years, he’s built and curated an eclectic collection of more than 3,500 examples of international decorative art, ranging from the Arts & Crafts movement through Modern and Postmodern. The total of the museum’s three collections of international decorative art, Colorado art, and Kirkland works is over 20,000 pieces. Vance Kirkland, the namesake of Kirkland Museum and Hugh’s long-time family friend, was the most visible force for modern art in Colorado, founding the current University of Denver School of Art in 1929 and running it for 27 years, and having his works displayed in top art museums nationally and internationally. In addition to the eponymous Kirkland paintings, the museum collection includes furniture by Breuer, Jansson, and Rohlfs, stained glass by Frank Lloyd Wright, and works by Charles and Ray Eames, and Mies van der Rohe, to name a few of the luminaries in design shown. One who wants nothing more than to share with others the meaning of art, Hugh takes great pride in the fact that he’s been able to lend pieces from Kirkland Museum’s collection to 54 different institutions in Colorado, as well as organizations in 20 other states and 11 countries. As we walked through the Kirkland, Hugh’s passion for, and expertise in, the works was evident. From a 1928 Breuer desk to Wright’s 1904 Hanging Wisteria and Tree of Life windows, a 1903-1904 Van Briggle Pottery lamp to one of Vance Kirkland’s most extraordinary paintings called “Invasion of Mysteries Near Scorpio,” Hugh could explain not only the intimate details of every work but also the reasoning behind why certain pieces were grouped together in each intentional vignette, providing a unique connection and viewing experience. As we parted ways, I asked Hugh about his legacy. “It would be to leave my community better off in the area of the arts and ensure that Colorado art is preserved, shared, and appreciated,” he replied.
42 CLASSNOTES
1 The Choate Class of 1965 held
4 Jamie Kirkpatrick ’66 spent 10
a Pre-50th reunion gathering in NYC, hosted by Marian and Dick Bott ’65, where old stories and many laughs were shared. 2 Russell Kridel, MD, ‘66, elected in June to AMA Board of Trustees at the AMA Annual House of Delegates Meeting in Chicago. 3 Connie Terry Ferguson ’69 celebrated her daughter Abby’s ‘98 marriage to Jeffrey Walsh at the end of July; the reception was held in her garden. There were a number of Choate Rosemarians in attendance; Gee Grandonico ’98 was one of the bridesmaids.
days in Scotland in September covering the Independence Referendum. He is pictured here with his fiancee, Kat Conley, at Dunnottar Castle. 5 Three members of the Class of 1967 met in NYC to see “A Delicate Balance” starring Glenn Close ’65 on Broadway. From left, Helen Truss Kweskin, Maisie McAdoo, and Parrish Dobson. 6 Wyncia Thenebe Clute ‘69 decorates gingerbread ornaments with her 5-year-old granddaughter, Mya Kinney.
1
2
3 4
’67 Tom Ficklin has been appointed to serve a three-year term as a Divinity School delegate to the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA).
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BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 43
’65 RH Helen McGregor Caivano writes, “After 22 years of working together, Roc and I retired. More a kind of slow withdrawal from office to home. I had to move stuff around to make room for my father’s desk. It now takes up half the floor space in Lilly’s old room, but it fits and I can think at it. We fixed up a little building we camped in 40 years ago. It’s an away place, though not far. I take coffee and something to read there in the mornings. We’ve traveled, we’ve cut trees and built stone walls, and invigorated our gardens. I’ve had frenzied moments of thinning out bookshelves and closets and backrooms full of stuff we rarely used and didn’t know we’d kept. It feels good. Instead of building a nest, we’re making room, paying attention to what we need. We live near our 3-year-old granddaughter, Junie, who delights in poking around and discovering old dresses and books and records. So my purging has slowed; I’m relaxing into being home.” Glenn Close had an article in People magazine November 3, 2014, concerning mental illness and the effects of mental illness within a family. She created an organization, Bring Change 2 Mind (bringchange2mind.org), in 2010 to fight the shame and stigma that surround mental illness. Wesley Cullen Davidson writes she will be at her 50th Class Reunion with her husband, Sandy, the weekend of May 15-17, 2015. “We have already reserved our room in Wallingford where Ann Mason Sears and her husband, Herb, will be staying as well. See you in May for a weekend of fun, fond memories, and friendship.” Carlie Mayer writes, “My life is full, never boring and so blessed. Still living in Sag Harbor, N.Y., doing massage therapy, making fabulous quilts, landscapes, and snoodies (fleece warmers for head/neck, wristslets, leg warmers), and painting sometimes. My little house keeps me busy, and I am trying to keep up with the work as we age. Each day is a gift. Still enjoy yoga, biking, and swimming, weather permitting.” Ann Mason Sears writes that she has been enjoying a year of more time in Florida, cruising on the boat, and adjusting to a townhouse in Longboat Key. “We had a full summer in Maine with lots of gatherings surrounding the two weddings of our children three months apart. Unfortunately, our minireunion in August in Maine at my home had to be cancelled due to a sudden funeral.” She adds, “In less than six months, we will have our 50th Rosemary Hall Reunion. Your reunion committee, the Rosemary Hall Seven (Ann, Wesley, Leslie, Leigh, Susan, Wendy, and Sally), are working hard to prepare a great weekend in 2015, both in Wallingford and Greenwich. If you have questions about the weekend or if you need any information on the hotel plans, please email me at searssunshine@comcast.net. Contact Leslie Blake Kotiza (lkotiza@gmail.com) for connection to our 50th Reunion RH Facebook page. We hope to use the 50th Reunion donations to honor our Greenwich teachers with a memorial on the campus. We welcome your input.”
’66 C
Russell Kridel was elected to the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees at the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in June. In active private practice since 1981 in Houston, Texas, Dr. Kridel has a distinguished record as a medical leader, having served as immediate pastpresident of the Harris County Medical Society, president of the Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) and president of American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS).
Rick Rosenthal writes, “Two films I produced are opening in 2015: Match starring Patrick Stewart, Carla Gugino and Matthew Lillard opened January 14, 2015, in N.Y., and LA. It’s available on VOD. 7 Minutes, a heist thriller starring Luke Mitchell, Levin Rambin, Jason Ritter, Zane Holtz, and Kris Kristofferson, opens in April.” Rick was a consulting producer on the new Amazon.com hit series Transparent and writes that he will be back for the second season. Stay tuned!”
’66 RH Anne Markle joined the Academy Chorale
ball at daughter Abby ’98’s marriage to Jeffrey Walsh at the end of July; the reception was held in our garden. There were a number of Choate Rosemarians in attendance; Gee Grandonico ’98 was one of the bridesmaids. It was a year in the planning, and I enjoyed the entire process. That said, I am grateful to have only one daughter.” Our condolences to Sallie Grant. She writes that her “dear sweet husband, Tony Russo, lost his battle with cancer on October 13. And we lost my mom just two days before Tony was diagnosed. It’s been a rough year. I’m still trying to get my bearings and get my heart back into my painting. Taking it one day at a time for now.” Niel Isbrandtsen is still in Mongolia though she makes a few trips back to the U.S. to visit friends and family. At this point she is working directly for one of the Mongolian banks. Vickie Spang says, “Life remains good in California! I go to lots of awards shows in Los Angeles, usually with red carpet access, and have fun taking photos of, and occasionally with, celebs. Still love my job working as CMO of a 650-attorney law firm (call me crazy). I see classmate (and Provence resident) Helen Halpin whenever she comes to San Francisco to visit her grown kids. I have no husband, kids, or pets (is that a good thing?), so I enjoy traveling to all our offices scattered around California and the east coast. I’m in total denial that we are old. Cheers!” Sara Woodhull writes, “All is very good in Ohio. My husband and I celebrated our fifth anniversary in Maui as his daughter got married that same day, and we had a blast. Clyde is still a practicing chiropractor, and I am still at Wright State University as a major gift fundraiser for the College of Liberal Arts; I love it. I do some traveling for my job, usually to New York City and Los Angeles, so that is good, too. I have LOTS of guest-room space if anyone is coming this direction BUZZ WUZZ WUZZ.”
and Chamber Society in Flourtown, Pa., under the direction of Michael Kemp last spring. This large group of 100 consists of men and women from all over the Philadelphia area. She writes, “I got my nerve up to attend voice lessons for the first time in my life, weekly, with Michael Kemp as well. Last October I tried out for a place in the Chamber Singers and happily got into this elite group, also under the direction of Michael. Combined with all of my singing, I have continued piano, both interpretive, jazz and blues. My advice at this advancing age is that there is truth to following your passion if you are lucky enough to find one! A mentor is invaluable! Another piece of news is that our son, Brint successfully launched a new business, focused on avalanche safety systems (avatech.com), after graduating from MIT with an MBA in June. He is now settled in Park City, Utah, with his crew. We are very proud of him! Lastly, Cappy and I picked up a Stabyhoun pup from the western part of North Carolina in December, gladly welcoming a new member into the family.”
’67 RH Kelsey Green Bryant writes that she is the proud grandmother of Eva Patton, born in June 2014. Toni Wiseman writes, “I continue to work on revisions to my first novel and spent the summer in my new Vermont home, where I was able to meet up with neighbor Anne Brower DuBosque.”
’67 C
Jim Armstrong writes, “In 1966-67, my roommate, Walt Tomford, and I were seniors on Tom Yankus’s floor, Mem 3. What luck to have had that experience! There are still moments from that year that I remember vividly, and also lessons that I learned, consciously and subconsciously, from Mr. Yankus (as we called him then and how I still think of him now). As I approach my own retirement, I can only marvel at the breadth and depth of his service to Choate, and of the School’s great fortune in having him serve in so many capacities, helping so many students over so many decades.” Tom Ficklin has been appointed to serve a three-year term as a Divinity School delegate to the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA). He is a 1975 alumnus of Yale Divinity School. As a delegate, he attended the AYA Annual Assembly in November, a leadership conference that highlighted “The Entrepreneurial Spirit at Yale.”
’69 RH Connie Terry Ferguson writes, “We had a
44 CLASSNOTES
1970s ’73 C
Malcolm (MJ) Byrne has published a new book, Iran-Contra: Reagan’s Scandal and the Unchecked Abuse of Presidential Power that looks back at a largely forgotten political episode with plenty of parallels to today. He reports having had a great time being interviewed by Jamie Campbell on his Business Talk radio show in November.
’76 RH Bette Ann Sacks Albert writes that her painting “Barren Beauty” was accepted into the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, 60th Annual Exhibition at The Salmagundi Club in NYC, June 2014.
’77
Yasmin Houssein Alexander writes, “After leaving Wallingford I stayed in school for a long time, Barnard College, Georgetown Medical School, UT Southwestern Radiology residency, and a Duke fellowship. I have been practicing as a neuroradiologist since 1996, living in Houston, Texas, married once to the same person, who is involved in enhanced oil recovery. We have two sons, the oldest a sophomore at Tulane, and the youngest a high school senior who will be a freshman at Tulane next fall. We also
’79
have three dogs and two cats. Always too many pots on the stove at one time. Would love to hear from classmates travelling through Houston!” David Ramsey writes, “My spouse Tracy and I are the proud parents of four, two daughters and two sons. Jack is a junior and Sarah a freshman at Boston College. If you’re looking to attend a Boston College home football tailgate ... I’m your man. Our daughter Grace is a senior at Belmont High School. Our youngest, Paul, is a sophomore. Soon Tracy and I will be empty nesters. I was fortunate to marry a beautiful, lovely and bright woman who is a wonderful mother. I continue to work with my three brothers at W.T. Phelan and Company. I stopped by Choate this past June while returning with Grace on a college tour. Choate looked fabulous. The new fields behind the Winter Ex are a nice addition. I could not help but reminisce. I wish to thank all with whom I crossed paths all those many years ago in Wallingford. I remain indebted to Choate, my teachers, coaches and classmates. I retain only fond memories of a youthful and simpler time. Nichols House looks the same as the day I packed up and departed. I wish I could say the same about myself. I hope all those reading this are happy and healthy. Be well. Congratulations to the undefeated football team – Quinnipiac, piac, piac...”
’79
Tracy Baumer Fox has published her first book, Having A Heart For God Devotional - 365 Days of the One Minute Bible Study, which provides a daily dose of biblical education and inspiration to enrich daily life. The book is available for purchase at www.havingaheartforgod.com. Tracy has been teaching the bible for the last 10 years and is also a published columnist and a full-time NYU-certified life coach. She is married with three boys and lives in Darien, Conn. Laurie L. Patton was selected by the Middlebury College Board of Trustees to be its first female president in that institution’s 217-year history. She will take office on July 1, 2015. Laurie is currently the dean of Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and is the Robert F. Durden Professor of Religion.
1980s ’82
Maria Semple’s hit novel, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, is being made into a film by producer Nina Jacobson, producer of Mockingjay, of the Hunger Games film franchise.
Laurie L. Patton was selected by the Middlebury College Board of Trustees to be its first female president in that institution’s 217-year history. (see p. 4)
1 John Ayres ’70 during Mark V
2 Yasmin Alexander ’77 lives in
dive training in Key Largo, Fla. As a seasoned SCUBA Divemaster he has always wanted to experience the “Old School” style of diving. He can now scratch that one off the bucket list.
Houston, Texas where she is a practicing neuroradiologist. Pictured here with her youngest son, a high school senior, who will join his older brother at Tulane next fall.
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 45
Dennis Alpert
’84
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION B y M a g a ly O l i v e r O Magaly Olivero is a freelance writer.
Dennis Alpert ’84 has traveled the world during a storied career that has included positions as senior advisor to former Vice President Al Gore and executive director of the PGA Tour’s Presidents Cup in South Africa. But they all pale in comparison to his latest adventure as an international election observer in Afghanistan, where he spent seven weeks amid gun-fire and bomb blasts, auditing more than 28,000 ballot boxes filled with 8.1 million ballots. A week before he headed home, the Taliban launched a suicide attack, killing two American soldiers and one Polish soldier on the same road where Dennis and his colleagues would have been driving if their schedule hadn’t changed; they were eating breakfast back at their hotel. “It was an eye-opening experience. There was danger around the corner every day. But it was an honor to be part of the process and see democracy in action first hand,” says Dennis, founder and president of Hidden Bay Group, a consulting firm in Lebanon, Tenn. It seems fitting that the man who pursued his passion for history and political science at Choate Rosemary Hall would travel to Kabul one day to be part of the first 100 percent audit in international election history.
CLASSNOTES | Profile “I’ve always been fascinated by the lessons you can learn from history and the backstories of how things really happened,” says Dennis, who received the Clarence Hale Prize for “enthusiasm in the study of history” at his Choate commencement. Dennis credits his professional success to his Choate experiences and the relationships he nurtured with peers and faculty. He still keeps in contact with Choate faculty. “I would have never been able to do most of the things I’ve done in my life without the foundation, experience, and support of my Choate family,” he says. “I benefited from having an extremely talented and caring faculty. Choate prepared me to be a better decision maker.” Dennis spent three years at Choate, playing hockey, baseball, and football and serving as class president during senior year. Living and studying with students from around the world broadened his perspective. He recalls telling a roommate of his plans to pursue his passion for politics, government, sports, business, and entertainment as an adult. “I wanted to reach the top ranks of each area,” he says. “I was going to learn as much as I could and I was going to have fun doing it.” A graduate of the University of Rochester, where he majored in history and political science, Dennis spent the summer before his senior year in college working for then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. A week after graduating, he was on the presidential campaign trail with the Dukakis camp. “That was an amazing experience,” he says. Next, he worked for an international communications firm, “lobbying foreign governments on behalf of the rightful winner of Panama’s presidential election,” which Manuel Noriega, the nation’s de facto ruler, disrupted. The United States later removed Noriega from power. “It felt good to be on the right side of history on that one,” he says. At 27, Dennis joined the White House as Gore’s advance trip director, another position that took him around the world. Among the highlights of his time at the White House was inviting Choate students to Washington, D.C. each year. “I’ve always tried to involve Choate in some way in everything I do,” he says. Five years later, he was recruited by the PGA Tour and was instrumental in staging the Presidents Cup in Australia, Virginia, and South Africa. He worked for the Laborers’ International Union of North America before joining the national public affairs team for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Several years ago, Dennis founded Hidden Bay Group, a consulting firm that works with organizations such as Americana Music Association, Toyota North America, and the NBA Development League. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Rex Foundation and is a member of the Nashville Sports Council. In addition, he is serving as a consultant to Choate classmate Tom Finks’ ’85 Pro Sports Experience, the official youth football camp partner of the NFL, NFL Alumni, and USA Football. Last June, a representative from the Asia Foundation asked if he would join 300 international election observers to audit the presidential contest between Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah Abdullah that was rife with accusations of fraud on both sides. “Next thing I know,” he says, “I’m on a plane to Kabul.” So what’s his next adventure? “I have no idea,” he says. “That’s what’s so great about life. I always leave the door open for opportunity.”
46 CLASSNOTES
1
3 5
2 ’84
Stacey Plaskett secured the seat as the U.S. House of Representatives member from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Stacey, a Democrat, won a hard fought primary and won the general election with 90% of the vote. An unprecedented and historic win.
’85
Eric Elshtain published a book of poetry This Thin Memory A-ha, available on Amazon.com
’86
Caroline (Cici) Tulenko Brown has been hired by LVMH as CEO of Donna Karan. She started her new job in mid-January. She was previously the president of Carolina Herrera LTD. JP Curcio and his wife, Kristin, moved their two sons, Jake (8) and Luke (5), from Tiburon, Calif., to John’s Creek, Ga., during last year to be closer to Kristin’s family. While several of JP’s pals in Tiburon weren’t certain about the change, they forgot he left the Bay Area for Vanderbilt’s Business School in the mid-1990s, so it was more of a return to the South than a new adventure for him. JP is pleased to report that Kristin is glad to be back home, the boys have already placed several golf trophies on their dressers, and JP’s handicap is back into the single digits. Rebecca Severance Cushing and husband, Dan, are proud to announce that their son David earned the rank of Eagle Scout on November 12, 2014. David built two bookcases and a mobile planter box for a special needs classroom in an underserved elementary school near Oakland, Calif. Jerry Farrell, Jr., was honored by Pope Francis with a papal knighthood in September. Farrell was awarded knighthood in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre by the Pope in ceremonies conducted
4 by the pope’s representative at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Present at the ceremony were Leonard Blair, the recently appointed Archbishop of Hartford, and Henry Mansell, Archbishop Emeritus of Hartford. Accompanying Farrell to the ceremony were his daughter Emilia Farrell and his parents, Mary Ann Farrell and Gerald Farrell, Sr. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre was established many years ago to protect and preserve the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Following the ceremony at Saint Patrick’s, a celebratory dinner was held at the Waldorf Astoria. Eve Kushner writes, “As part of a lifelong project called Joy o’ Kanji (www.joyokanji.com), I have launched an online store called Kanji Kaimono (store. joyokanji.com). Vendors anywhere in the world can sell products from the site as long as they have kanji on them. If you want to be a vendor (or better yet a customer), please check out the site!”
’87 Alison Berkley Wagonfeld writes, “I’m now a partner at Emergence Capital, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. Recently we hosted an event, and at one point I turned around and there were two fellow Choate alums in the group: Greg Goldfarb ’88, CEO of Flint Mobile, and Jonathan Gleason ’88 of Gunderson Dettmer. It’s great to see Choate alums sprinkled through the Bay Area tech community. On the personal front, I’m happily married to David Wagonfeld, and we have three kids ages 9, 11, and 13. My oldest will be starting high school next year. It’s hard to imagine that I went away to Choate when I was her age! (She will be sticking closer to home.)”
Pebble Kranz married Daniel Rosen at the Memorial Art Gallery on Rochester, N.Y., on October 12, 2014, at 45 years old, going from a family of one to a family of five! Dan’s three wonderful kids, Lilly (22), Maggie (20), and Gabriel (13), were at the wedding as was former director of the Paul Mellon Arts Center Paul Tines, who was there admirably representing her Choate days. She writes, “I continue to work as a family physician at the University of Rochester, most recently with a switch to increased focus on clinical care.” Gordon Kaye became the new chief executive officer of USA Table Tennis (USATT) last September. In this role, he will be responsible for increasing USATT’s brand awareness and growing its more than 9,000-person membership. There may be more than 17 million people in the U.S. who play table tennis (often referred to as ping pong). A USATT member since 2009 and table tennis aficionado, Kaye brings more than 20 years of diverse sports management experience to the organization. Most recently, Kaye was the executive director/general manager of Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment (RAVE). The entities for which Kaye was responsible, the BMO Harris Bank Center, American Hockey League (AHL) Rockford IceHogs, Davis Park, and the Coronado Theater, all saw record attendance and sales growth and increased visibility under his leadership. Last year, Kaye was honored with the 2013-14 James C. Hendy Memorial Award, which is given annually to an outstanding AHL executive.
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 47
6
’88
There are very few times in life where you get the opportunity to marry your professional background with your passion. I am honored to be chosen to lead this new era of USA Table Tennis and to have the opportunity to grow the organization and the sport. –GORDON KAYE ’87, CEO OF USA TABLE TENNIS
’87
Kate Byrnes moved to Vienna, Austria, where she is now serving as the U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Merrill Collins writes, “I had the opportunity to take my family to the student production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at the PMAC in November. My boys were amazed that I had gone to school there and that famous people like Paul Giamatti ’85 had also graduated from Choate. It was great seeing the campus again!” Dede Griesbauer writes, “My husband, Dave, and I have been in Boulder, Colo., for a year now. After a near catastrophic turn of events with his employment, many Choate classmates responded to our plea for help. We were and remain so incredibly appreciative. In June, Dave started a great job with Markit in Boulder. He has settled in nicely and we’re slowly starting to forget the nightmare ever happened! I continue racing as a professional triathlete and after some injuries to start the 2014 season, came good toward the end of the year and finished 2nd at Ironman Mallorca and won the first 70.3 (half-Ironman) of my career at Ironman Taiwan in early November. Philip Nel is the co-editor of Crockett Johnson’s Barnaby, Volume One: 1942-1943 (2013) and Barnaby, Volume Two: 1944-1945 (2014). Working with the great comics publisher Fantagraphics, he and his co-editor, Eric Reynolds, are bringing out the full 10-year run of Johnson’s legendary comic strip
1 Pebble Kranz ’87 married
5 Dede Griesbauer ’88 finished
Daniel Rosen at the Memorial Art Gallery on Rochester, N.Y. on on October 12, 2014. Picture here with Dan’s three children: Lilly (22), Maggie (20), and Gabriel (13). 2 Rebecca Severance Cushing ’86 and husband, Dan, pictured with son David who earned the rank of Eagle Scout last November. 3 Alison Berkley Wagonfeld ’87, Jonathan Gleason ’88 and Greg Goldfarb ’88 at a tech event in San Francisco. 4 Patricia White Hynd ’88 and her husband Noel Hynd ‘66 were in Paris and Nice in October to acquire French-toEnglish translation rights for their publishing imprint Red Cat Tales LLC of Los Angeles, California.
2nd at Ironman Mallorca and won the first 70.3 (half-Ironman) of her career at Ironman Taiwan in early November. 6 Mike Riskind ’89 is part of Hugh Jackman’s Dog Pound, a group of friends who work out every day at 5:45 a.m. Mike pictured here (seated with volleyball) with Hugh after a Saturday morning volleyball game at Chelsea Piers.
(1942-1952), which starred the five-year-old title character and Mr. O’Malley, Barnaby’s loquacious, endearing con artist of a fairy godfather. Barnaby, Volume One was nominated for an Eisner Award. Annee Beale von Borg, writes that she and her family are “reveling in the outdoor life of the Pacific Northwest, having ditched the family minivan for seven bikes in early 2011, I’m sharing our travels on Facebook as ‘Carfree Family.’ I’m also coordinating 2015 alumni day of service projects in the Portland metro area in cooperation with Cornell (January), Yale (May), and Columbia (TBA). If you’re a local alum, feel free to contact me at annee@resourcesforhealth.org to learn more or get involved!”
’89
Mike Riskind recently started his own third party marketing fund, Highwood Estate Capital, to raise money for hedge funds, real estate, and private equity funds. Mike is part of Hugh Jackman’s Dog Pound, a group of friends who work out every day at 5:45 a.m. Mike lives in the West Village in Manhattan with his wife, Sheri, who is an artist and pastry chef, and their two children, Eve and Guy. Caitlin Talbott Tobin writes, “I love living in Charleston because I see so many Choate classmates. Last spring, my husband and I had dinner with Brian Wright ’89 while he was in town for the annual Cooper River Bridge Run. This summer, I had a great visit with Jen Backes Brown and her family when they were on vacation at Seabrook Island. I saw Frank Pelzer when he was here over Thanksgiving.”
48 CLASSNOTES
I’ve relocated to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to take a job in network planning at Etihad Airways. Would welcome any Choaties passing through to say hi and would enjoy meeting up with any of you in the UAE. –JASON HORNER ’97
’97 1990s ’93
Camilo Roman Cepeda writes, “In mid-2013, Samsung moved my family from Korea to Sao Paulo. In mid-2014, we enjoyed a thrilling World Cup and I won an office bet that Argentina would go farther than Brazil. On November 8, we welcomed Juan, our first son and first Brasilian, to the family. He joins his sister, Arabella (3 years old), who will soon decide what language to teach him.”
’96
Hugh O’Kane writes that he and his wife, Arianne, had their third child on April 29, 2014. Anna Scarlett joins big brothers, Hugh (4) and Jack (2), in Oyster Bay, NY.
’97 Elizabeth A. Carey was appointed vice-president and CFO of the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) last September. The mission of OFC is to improve life in Oregon and promote effective philanthropy. Said Max Williams, President and CEO, “Elizabeth’s experience with and knowledge of community foundations coupled with her background in finance make her a great addition to OCF, and her focus on efficiency and capacity building will help guide OCF as we continue to grow.” Carey joined OCF from The Jewish Federation and The Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay in Northern California, where she was responsible for finance, IT, human resources, and administration. At OCF, Carey is responsible for directing OCF’s investment activities and leading and managing the Finance and Fund Services Department. She works closely with staff across the foundation to ensure the highest level of stewardship of OCF’s assets. Carey is a member of OCF’s executive leadership team. Carey began her career in KPMG’s audit practice, working in California and New England and focusing on financial services organizations, state and local governments, nonprofits, and universities. Carey has worked in more than 40 countries, largely in the areas of economic development, global health, and higher education.
Tejas Parikh and his wife, Dana Parikh, are living in Charlotte, N.C. He writes, “We are both practicing physical medicine and rehabilitation. I am a partner with Carolina Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine in Gastonia, N.C. We are loving Charlotte and are looking to purchase a home. Feel free to contact us if any of you are in Charlotte!”
’98 Sara Colangelo married David Henkel last October at a sunset beach ceremony in Cape May, N.J. Within one month of their wedding, Sara and Dave went to Florida, where they each completed a half-Ironman (Sara’s first attempt at that distance triathlon!). Sara and Dave live in Fairfax, Va. Sara is still an environmental attorney at the DOJ and an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law. Dave is the Director of Business Intelligence and Analytics for the Nature Conservancy. In their free time they love beach weekends, play time with their beagle-mix, and training for triathlons. They have their own coaching company, Speed Sherpa, and invite all Choaties in the area to join them for a swim, bike, or run! Lauren Cozzolino Davies has joined the law firm Nedder and Associates in Westport, Conn., practicing trusts and estates and real estate law. She lives in Fairfield with her husband, Ben, and two boys, Grayson (4) and Evan (2). Ryan Igleheart is Evan’s godfather and recently visited from LA. Courtney Yohe Savage was named Director of Government Relations for The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. She currently lives in Alexandria, Va., with her husband, Todd, and dog, Crash. ’99 Tara Elwell married Louis Henning in Pebble Beach, Calif., on October 19, 2014. Choate alums in attendance included: Chuck Elwell ’97, Elizabeth Gaines Cardone, Kristin Hanley, Lisa Malitz Briffel, Meredith Osterman, Whitney Talbot O’Connor, Ashley Barton Ostroff, Hillary Comb, and Justin Pitrack (who attended Amherst with Louis and was one of the reasons that brought Tara and Louis together). Louis and Tara currently reside in San Francisco.
LeShone HoSang Navies writes, “I started a new job last August as Director of English Programs at a small Spanish immersion day school in Maryland. I would love to link up with Choaties who have taught abroad with a family. If you’re in the D.C. area, let’s have tea. If not, email me your tips and experience at omleshone@gmail.com.” Daniel Weinrieb and his husband, Brian, announce the birth of their son, Declan Leo WalshWeinrieb, on January 22, 2014. Daniel writes, “Over the last three years, my husband, Brian, and I enlisted the help of a surrogate to carry our son. It was an amazing, challenging, rewarding experience. In fact, we worked with a fertility clinic in Connecticut and were lucky enough to reconnect with Diana Beste and her family the night before we started the process. For me, life came back to Choate, full circle. The process was intricate and intense, bringing together surrogacy experts from across the country to make sure all of the medical, legal, and relationship components of the journey were moving in unison. Finally, after countless ups and downs (too many to count), Brian and I welcomed Declan into our family last January. He is full of personality, lots of smiles, and has a great sense of humor. Despite the legalities, the hoops, the discrimination, the challenges of maintaining a relationship with the woman carrying your child while you are thousands of miles away... etc. the list goes on, at the end of the day, we have a son, and we hope he is rewarded with the same privileges that I was lucky enough to have, especially an education at Choate Rosemary Hall.”
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 49
3
1
4
2 7
5
6 9
8 11
12 1 Adam Leventhal ’97 married
Melissa Walton on July 17, 2014 in Wakefield R.I. 2 Daniel Weinrieb ’99 and husband, Brian Walsh, welcomed their son, Declan Leo WalshWeinrieb on January 22, 2014. 3 Carlos Roman Cepeda ’93 welcomed his a son, Juan, on November 8, 2014. He joins sister Arabella (3 years old). The family lives in Sao Paulo. 4 Reade ’97 and Molly James
(granddaughter of Catherine Marshall Fisher R’39) welcomed their second child, a son, Halsted Eliot James on April 1, 2014. Halsted joins big sister Katherine. They live in West Hartford, Conn. 5 Sarah Handyside Daily ’98 and her husband, Sean, welcomed a son, Calvin Handyside Daily, on May 6, 2014. Jonah Spear ’99 was one of Calvin’s first visitors. 6 Tejas Parikh ’97 and Dana
Martini were married on September 2, 2012 in Pittsburgh, PA. Choate family and friends in attendance included Samir Desai ’88, Jerome Parker ’97, Dana Martini (bride), Saurin Bhatt ’97, and Tejas Parikh ’97 (groom). Also in attendance, but not pictured are Parag Shah ’99 and Viraj Gandhi ’10.
7 Tee Mahatharadol ’98 and
Greg Yu ’95 reunited in Bangkok, where both are working at J.P. Morgan. 8 Tara Elwell ‘99 married Louis Henning in Pebble Beach, Calif., on October 19, 2014. In attendance Chuck Elwell ‘97 and classmates Elizabeth Gaines Cardone, Kristin Hanley, Lisa Malitz Briffel, Meredith Osterman, Whitney Talbot O’Connor, Ashley Barton Ostroff, Hillary
Comb, and Justin Pitrack. Louis and Tara currently reside in San Francisco. 9 Meredith Osterman ’99 welcomed her second child: Finnegan Lee Rust. Big brother Porter is excited to have another boy in the family. 10 Sara Colangelo ’98 married David Henkel on October 4, 2014, at a sunset beach ceremony in Cape May, N.J. The couple live in Fairfax, Va.
11 Jill Santopietro Panall ‘93, and husband, O. Simon Panall, of Newburyport, Mass., proudly welcomed Henry Otis Panall on July 18, 2014. 12 Elizabeth Potter Olson ’98 married Kalen Olson on June 21, 2014, at Narragansett, R.I. Escorting her down the aisle is Elizabeth’s father, Al Potter ’67. Also at the wedding was Al’s Choate roommate, Jeff Yates ’67.
50
CLASSNOTES | Profile
’01
Faith Wallace-Gadsden
PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS THROUGH A SCIENTIST’S LENS B y L i n d s ay W h a L e n ’ 0 1 Lindsay Whalen ’01 is a Truman Capote Fellow in the Brooklyn College MFA Program.
For many Americans, cholera is the stuff of history lessons, forgotten like typhoid or scarlet fever. We have moved on to new fears; in the fall of 2014, Ebola dominated the headlines. But if you look beyond our borders, the path of cholera’s continued devastation is clear, as Faith Wallace-Gadsden ’01 well knows. Cholera is spread by contaminated food and water. Worldwide 1 billion people live without access to safe water sources. In 2013 Faith founded the Archimedes Project, an incubator dedicated to changing the statistics by identifying and supporting clean water and sanitation innovators. Faith’s interest in the epidemic began when she learned that diarrheal disease, a category that includes cholera, was the leading cause of child and infant mortality in west Africa. She knew immediately that she wanted to be part of the solution. “I thought that the best way for me to approach the issue was as a scientist: coming up with new treatments, coming up with new drugs,” she says. She went on to study molecular and cellular biology at Haverford College while an undergraduate at Bryn Mawr College and earned her doctorate from Tufts University. Cholera became the focus of her Ph.D. research. “I studied cholera because it’s a really interesting case,” Faith says. “It’s an epidemic-causing disease. It spreads really quickly within populations, and it kills quickly. A person can be healthy in the morning and dead by the end of the day.” She traveled to Bangladesh, to a hospital in Dhaka renowned for successful treatment of the disease. “Bangladesh is a country that has two cholera outbreaks every single year: one in the rainy season, one in the dry season,” Faith says. “They’re ready for them when they happen.” In 2010, Faith visited Haiti in the aftermath of a cholera epidemic. Unlike Bangladesh, which anticipates and understands the disease, Haiti was ill-prepared. “They were trying to distribute chlorine tablets across the country,” Faith says. “There are about 10 million people in Haiti, and it’s the size of Massachusetts. It’s a difficult problem for various reasons—there’s rough terrain, the roads are terrible, communication is sometimes difficult.” She understood the obstacles, but was still frustrated that better solutions weren’t being found. “I looked at what was happening in Haiti and I thought: You have money, you have resources, you have bodies. Why is it that you can’t do this?”
That question became Faith’s obsession, and triggered her step away from academia. “At that point I realized I didn’t want to stay in research because it was too indirect in terms of actually having an impact on mortality,” she says. Haiti had opened her eyes to larger systemic issues, and she knew that was where she could incite change. “The first thing I did was what I was trained to do: research,” Faith says. “I researched effective aid organizations, I went to conferences, I went to World Bank webinars. I did a lot of legwork to find out what the problems are that organizations face in trying to bring clean water and sanitation to populations.” Faith discovered that one potential way to seed the project in the community was to make clean water a business. “The most natural thing is to find a local entrepreneur who wants to derive income from maintaining clean water,” she says. Faith founded the Archimedes Project with these concerns in mind, and in November 2013 she gathered a diverse group from across disciplines – business, design, architecture, international aid – for a weekend-long summit. Community Chlorinators was born of that dialogue, and launched in Haiti in June 2014. Helmed by Deerfield alumna Jessica Laporte ’09, the business engages female entrepreneurs in selling bottled chlorine locally; one capful in a fivegallon bucket provides household safe water. The eventual goal for Community Chlorinators is for Jessica to be replaced by a Haitian country director. “We are looking to build systems that allow communities to care better for themselves,” Faith says. Haiti is the Archimedes Project’s first country of focus, but already Faith is looking for entrepreneurs elsewhere, and new technologies. In considering future partners, Faith looks for perseverance first. “I’m looking for people who won’t stop until they have an answer, who are willing to run in another direction if the first doesn’t work,” she says. These are qualities Faith herself has in spades, and that she found fostered by Choate. “Choate gave me a strong sense of my own agency,” she says. “I was involved with the student government, and I felt as if we could speak to the administration and they would honestly listen.” When she was disappointed by the School’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, she asked to design the next year’s program, and did. “For me,” she says, “having a place that encouraged me to take action was really important.”
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1
2000s
2
’02
Lauren Shockey married Ross Fabricant at the ElmRock Inn in Stone Ridge, N.Y. in August and a few Choaties were in attendance. Coreen Kopper was her maid of honor while Dwyer Kilcollin and Otessa Ghadar ’00 were bridesmaids. Also in attendance were alums Lizzie O’Neil, Xander McMahon ’01, Emma McMahon ’01, Ted Lasala ’90, Drew Colantino, Rebecca Vitale ’00, Jessica Malzman, Michael Cam-Phung, faculty member MaryLiz Williamson ’94, and former faculty member Daniel Vo. Lauren and Ross live in New York City; where Ross works at the hedge fund Third Point, and Lauren is still working as a food writer.
4
’03
Erin Krauskopf received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology from Brigham Young University on August 15, 2014. Erin completed her pre-doctoral internship at UCSD/VA San Diego. Erin has started her two year postdoctoral fellowship at Wasatch Pediatric Neuropsychology in Salt Lake City, Utah, with emphasis in neurodevelopmental and behavioral conditions.
3
’04
5
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Jane Mosbacher recently launched To The Market (TTM; www.tothemarket.com). TTM showcases handmade goods made exclusively by proud and passionate artisans who have overcome the perils of abuse, conflict, and disease. By assisting local partners around the world in bringing these goods “to the market,” Jane and company take an active role in equipping the survivors they employ with economic independence while raising awareness of the challenges that they face.
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Carlin Yuen writes, “I am now working as a product manager at Google, for Google Docs.”
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Rachel Romanowsky writes, “I’ve just launched a new lifestyle company for the Burch family and we travel to different universities with an Airstream … basically we’re a mobile retail store.” Visit www.neelybyvnb.com.
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Malik Ben-Salahuddin founded (reely)dope (reelydope.com), a film blog dedicated to exploring and reviewing all forms of visual media. When he’s not moonlighting at (r)d, Malik works at Eleven, Inc. in San Francisco as a junior copywriter.
7 1 Lauren Shockey ’02 married
Ross Fabricant at the ElmRock Inn in Stone Ridge, N.Y., on August 23, 2014. 2 Katerina DeVito ’05 married Dr. Mohammad Al Seaidan on June 14, 2014 in the Seymour St. John Chapel. Choaties in attendance included: Marcus DeVito ’07, Tyren Bynum ’07, and classmates Laura Berger, Laura
Dillon, Megha Parekh, Christine Wight Chen, Saraiki Kasaraneni, and Nathan Wasilewski. 3 Brianna Kastukevich ’06 married L.J. Spinnato, Assistant Director of Admission and Head Football Coach at Choate, on August 16, 2014, in Lake George, N.Y. Many members of the Choate community celebrated with Brianna and L.J.
4 Renee DeBruin Eisley ’08 and
husband, Ben Eisley, welcomed their baby girl, Ada Leanne, on October 9, 2014. 5 David Byeff ’01 married Jill Larson in Minneapolis, Minn., on August 9, 2014. Choaties in attendance pictured from left, Stephen Byeff ‘05; Paul Cebulak ‘01; Jill Larson Byeff (bride); Sarah Lebovitz ‘06; David ‘01
(groom); Kathrin Schwesinger ‘02; Greg Gimble ‘01; and Andrew Gunn ‘01. 6 Andrew Brady ’04 married Benjamin Fishel in Lake George, N.Y., on September 27, 2014. Classmates in attendance from left: Adam King ’04, Caitlin BabiarzKobelski ’03, Ben and Andrew, Shannon Sweeney ’03, and Lindsay Brady ’01.
7 Edward Oliver Lanphier III
(Ned) ’04 married Elizabeth Swift McDermott on September 13, 2014 in Rye, N.Y. Choaties in attendance, from left, George Whipple ’73, Robert Carr Lanphier IV (Rob) ’74, Robert Carr Lanphier III (Bob) ’50, Jacqueline Salamack ’06, Robert Carr Lanphier V (Carr) ’06, Cameron McClellan Lanphier P’04
and husband, Edward Oliver Lanphier II ’74, Ned and Elizabeth, members of the Class of 2004 Katharine Lawrence, Marco Samuel, William Copp, Alessandra Echeverria and Ryan McPhee. In attendance, but not pictured, Bradley Razook ’74.
CELEBRATING 100
YEARS
of
SUMMER DISCOVERY | MORE DETAILS ABOUT CHOATE SUMMER PROGRAMS
WWW.CHOATE.EDU/SUMMER
52
Choate SUMMER
Rosemary Hall
MOVING LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM This is your summer to dream big, take a leap forward, and discover your true potential, while learning from – and with – the very best! ▶ INTRODUCTION TO ARABIC – A five–week intensive Arabic immersion program for high school students. A middle school five-week immersion program, Arabic for Beginners, is also offered. ▶ COMPUTER PROGRAMMING – Introduction to Computer Programming is offered in both our high school and middle school programs. ▶ ROBOTICS – Introduction to Robotics is offered in both our high school and middle school programs. ▶ MATH/SCIENCE INSTITUTE FOR GIRLS – This five-week program is designed to inspire and motivate young women in the fields of math and science.
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IN MEMORIAM | Remembering Those We Have Lost Alumni and Alumnae
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Richard U. Sherman Jr., 100, a retired professor and national security expert, died November 12, 2014. Born in Utica, N.Y., Dick came to Choate in 1929; he lettered in hockey, was in the Cum Laude Society and the French Club, and was on the board of the News. After Choate, he earned his B.A. from Williams and, some years later, a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard. After Williams, he worked in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank in New York and played professional hockey with the former Jamaica (N.Y.) Hawks. During and after World War II, Dick worked on security issues with the U. S. government, including some time with the Operations Research Office, an Army think tank; one of the interns working for him there was Henry Kissinger, who later became Secretary of State. In 1961, he became a chaired professor of economics, with a specialty in the economics of national defense, at Ohio State University. He retired in 1985, but remained an economic consultant for years. He enjoyed world travel and sports, particularly hockey, tennis, and skiing; Dick skied into his late 80s. For years he coached junior hockey. He leaves five children and many grandchildren.
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Samuel Chapin Lawson, 99, a retired magazine advertising director, died October 12, 2014 in Stamford, Conn. Born in Evanston, Ill., Chape, as he was known at School, came to Choate in 1929. He lettered in football and hockey, and was in the Fire Department and the Dramatic Club. After Choate, he attended Princeton, where he was quarterback of the football team. He then worked briefly for TimeLife Publishing, enlisting in the Army in 1941 and serving in Europe until 1945. He earned five battle stars and was among the first troops to liberate a German concentration camp. After the war, he returned to Time-Life, where he was Advertising Director of Architectural Forum magazine until 1970. He then bought and remodeled an old livery stable next to the Old Greenwich, Conn., railroad station, where he ran a book store. Chape was an avid sailor; he was an officer of the Riverside (Conn.) Yacht Club and was
editor of its newsletter. In 1980, he was a member of the America’s Cup Race Committee. He leaves three daughters, three granddaughters, and two greatgrandsons. His twin stepbrothers, the late John Lawson ’35 and Robert Lawson ’35, also attended Choate.
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Douglas Williams, 96, a retired investment broker, died October 1, 2014. Born in New York City, Doug came to Choate in 1936; he was in the Dramatic Club and the Glee Club. After graduating from Yale, he served in the Army in the China-Burma-India theater in World War II. He then had a lengthy career with Goodbody & Co. and Legg Mason Wood Walker brokerages. Active in community life, Doug was on the board of the Maine Sea Coast Mission Society, the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club, and the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities. He was also a trustee of Teachers College, Columbia University, president of the St. Nicholas Society, and active in the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. He leaves a daughter, Page Dwyer, 2301 Loreley Lane, Wilmington, DE 19810; and six grandchildren. A nephew, Roger Williams ’64, also attended Choate. Doug was a member of the Choate Society, those alumni and alumnae who have left a bequest to the School.
’40 C Donn H. Byrne, Sr., 93, a retired publisher, died May 22, 2014 in Delray Beach, Fla. Donn came to Choate in 1936; he rowed crew, boxed, and was a Campus Cop. He attended the University of Virginia before enlisting in the Navy Air Corps. Attaining the rank of Lieutenant, he was a flight instructor and a pilot. After the war, he worked for CBS Radio before becoming the owner of Service Publications, Inc. and Conventions and Exhibitions, Inc., which produced magazines and trade shows for the professional beauty industry. Donn was an enthusiastic tarpon fisherman and an avid boater. He was a former trustee of Fairfield (Conn.) Country Day School. He leaves five children, including John R. Byrne ’81; two stepsons; and several grandchildren.
’41 RH Harsimran “Harji” Malik, 89, a journalist, author, and poet, died February 23, 2014 in Delhi, India. Born in New Delhi, Harji came to Rosemary Hall in 1938. She was in the Kindly Club, was an Assistant Marshal, was on the Board of the Question Mark, won School prizes in mathematics, punctuality, merit, and the Commonplace Book, earned 5⅔ bars on the Committee, and was awarded Optima. After graduating from Bryn Mawr, she worked at UNESCO in Paris, then returned to India, where she was a journalist for the Englishlanguage Hindustan Times. She was also a regular correspondent for a German newspaper. During the IndiaChina war of 1962, she wrote a poem about the conflict that was read in India’s Parliament. Harji also wrote a book about Hindu-Sikh problems in the state of Punjab in northwest India. An enthusiastic golfer, she was a member of the Indian team for the first Queen Sikrit Cup. She leaves a brother, Harmala Malik, 3303 Forum, Udaybagh, PUNE 411013, India, and a sister. ’41 C
Hubert S. “Pete” Wood Jr., 91, a retired Episcopal minister, died November 9, 2014 in Boonsboro, Md. Born in Utica, N.Y., Pete came to Choate in 1937. He lettered in track, played trumpet in the Orchestra and the Golden Blues, was an associate member of the Student Council and a Campus Cop, and was President of the Dramatic Club. He then attended Yale and General Theological Seminary, earning his Master of Divinity degree from Philadelphia Divinity School. Pete served churches in Terre Haute, Ind.; Philadelphia; and several places in central New York, including All Saints Church in Johnson City, N.Y. Pete took part in a civil rights march on Washington, D.C. in August 1963. He was active with many civic and religious organizations, including serving as chairman of the Seneca County Red Cross and as a member of the Western Maryland Heritage League, the American Philatelic Society, and Trout Unlimited. He leaves two sons, including David S. Wood, 1545 Live Oak Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20910; five stepchildren; five grandchildren; and five step-grandchildren.
’42 RH Agnese Nelms Haury, 90, a philanthropist, died March 20, 2014 in Tucson, Ariz. Born in Houston, Agnese came to Rosemary Hall in 1938. Active in School life, she was captain of tennis, on the basketball first team, fire captain, air raid captain, on the Library Committee and the Question Mark board, and earned eight bars on the Committee. She then graduated from Bryn Mawr and the Lycée de Jeunes Filles in Fontainebleau, France. Politically and socially active her entire life, Agnese worked under Alger Hiss at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and later was active in the movement to clear Mr. Hiss of charges that he was a Communist spy. She participated in international archaeological research, and was a worldwide authority on Indians of the American Southwest; she also created a curatorial program at the Arizona State Museum. For a decade she headed a foundation that funded projects involving civil and human rights issues. With her help, the University of Arizona created the Agnese Haury Institutes for Interpretation, an intensive Spanish-English interpreter training program. Her estate provides funding for a planned Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice at the University of Arizona. She leaves a niece and nephews. Her twin sister, the late Nancy Nelms Maxwell ’42, also attended Rosemary Hall. ’42 C Stephen A. Wise, 89, an attorney, died October 9, 2014. Steve came to Choate in 1938; he was in the Choir and the Dramatic Club. After Choate, he began attending Harvard, but left after two years to serve in the Army in Europe. He graduated after the war, then earned degrees from Harvard Business School and Columbia Law School. He started as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, then was with several firms in New York City and New Canaan, Conn. In one case, he won a family’s right to have a feeding tube removed from a permanently comatose mother. Active in community life, Steve was president of the New Canaan United Way and the Harvard Club of Fairfield County; he also was on the board of the Visiting Nurse Association. He leaves his wife, Abby Wise, 52 Turtle Back Rd., New Canaan, CT 06840; two sons; and two grandchildren.
54 IN MEMORIAM
’45 C Edward J. Fischer, 87, a retired farmer and government lawyer, died in June 2014 in Illinois. Born in Milford, Conn., Ed came to Choate in 1941, where he rowed crew and played saxophone in the Golden Blues. He left in the middle of his sixth form year to serve in the Navy during World War II; he was also a Marine in the Korean War. He graduated from Wooster School in Danbury, Conn. and Fairfield (Conn.) University, and attended Boston College’s Law School. Ed ran the family dairy farm in Connecticut for several years, then worked for the federal government in legal roles and as a teacher. He was an avid horseman. He leaves two children and a sister; a brother, the late Paul H. Fischer ’48, also attended Choate. Harry Wehr III, 87, a retired printer, died August 8, 2014 in Cambridge, Md. Born in Baltimore, Harry came to Choate in 1943; he lettered in football and crew, and was in the Choral Club and on the Dance Committee. After attending the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins, he joined the Army, serving in Korea. He then worked with his father in National Color Printing, and later was employed by the St. Joe Container Co. Harry was a member of several Dorchester County clubs and associations, including the Historical Society and the Friends of the Dorchester Country Public Library. He leaves his wife, Susan Wehr, 2210 Horns Point Rd., Cambridge, MD 21613; and several cousins. His father, the late Harry Wehr Jr. ’17, also attended Choate. ’46 C
Herman A. Spigel, 86, died October 3, 2014, in Norfolk, Va. Born in Norfolk, Herman came to Choate in 1943; he lettered in crew and was in the Southern Club. After graduating from the University of Virginia, he had a lengthy business career in Canada. In his spare time, Herman enjoyed sailing. He leaves his wife, Barbara Spigel; a daughter; and three grandchildren.
’47 C Ralph N. Coxhead, 86, an executive in a property development firm, died Aug. 27, 2014. Born in New York City, Ralph came to Choate in 1944. He lettered in crew, was an editor of the Literary Magazine, was in the Choral Club, and was a Campus Cop. He graduated from Colgate, where he
was selected as an All-American Swim Team member; he later competed for a position on the 1956 U.S. Olympic swim team. After joining his father’s company, Varityper, in a sales role, he had a lengthy career in property development in Alexandria, Va. and Clearwater, Fla. Ralph also enjoyed singing, and at one time was a vocalist with the Henry Jerome Orchestra in New York. In Florida, he was on the board of the Salvation Army and was a hospital volunteer. He leaves his wife, Marcia Coxhead, 685 Harbor Island, Clearwater, FL 33767; three children; and five grandchildren. Thomas C. Martin, 84, a retired banker, died April 30, 2014 in Fountain Hills, Ariz. Born in Bronxville, N.Y., Tom came to Choate in 1944, where he was in the Southern Club and sang in the Glee Club and the Choral Club. After graduating from Washington and Lee University, he was a paratrooper in the Korean War. He then worked for Kennedy Mortgage Company, eventually becoming its president and CEO, and later was with Commerce Bank in New Jersey. He enjoyed singing, and was half of a duo dubbed “The Everly After Brothers.” Tom was also an avid golfer. He leaves his wife, Theresa Martin; five children; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, specializing in the problems of ocean dumping and radiation. He directed the cleanup efforts at the Love Canal toxic waste site near Niagara Falls, N.Y. Later, he led American trade delegations to China, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Caribbean. An avid fly fisherman, birder, and world traveler, Eric wrote nine books and two plays in collaboration with his wife. He leaves his wife, Myra Goldfarb; a son; six stepchildren; and eight grandchildren. William M. Tate, 85, a retired chemical engineer, banker, and entrepreneur, died August 25, 2014 in Louisville, Ky. Born in Frankfort, Ky., Bill came to Choate in 1944. He was in the Cum Laude Society, the French Club, the Radio Club, and the Southern Club, and was on the staff of the News. After graduating from Princeton, he served in the Army Chemical Corps in the Korean War, then earned a master’s degree at the University of Louisville. He spent two years as a design engineer in Canada with Louisville’s Girdler Construction Co., then moved back to Louisville, where he later was president of a laundry and dry cleaning firm. In the late 1970s he started his own company, Universal Uniforms, and was
’49 C William Temple Webber Jr., 82, a retired banker, died July 24, 2014 in Houston, Texas. Born in Texarkana, Ark., Temple came to Choate in 1946. He lettered in golf, was Associate Editor of the News and Vice President of St. Andrew’s Cabinet, was in the Glee Club, and played bass in the Golden Blues. After attending Washington & Lee University, he began his banking career in Houston, first with Texas National Bank and then with Old Southern National Bank. He later owned his own investment firm. Temple was involved in the community, serving on the boards of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, and other organizations. He also enjoyed horse racing, and owned horses for more than 30 years. He leaves his wife, Barbara Webber, 1904 Bellmeade St., Houston, TX 77019; three children, including W. Temple Webber III ’74; and seven grandchildren. ’51
C Raymond B. Woolson Jr., 81, a retired bank executive, died October 23, 2014. Born in New Haven, Ray came to Choate in 1949; he lettered in soccer and was in the Weather Bureau, the Automobile Club, and the Press Club. He graduated from Dartmouth, then served in the Air Force as a navigator
In 1972, he became an administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, specializing in the problems of ocean dumping and radiation. –ERIC B. OUTWATER ’47
Eric B. Outwater, 85, a retired environmental administrator, died August 4, 2014 in Bucks County, Pa. Born in New York City, Eric came to Choate in 1943; he was an honorary member of the Student Council, President of the Weather Bureau, Associate Business Manager of the Literary Magazine, and in the French Club. After earning degrees from Amherst and Cornell, he spent 20 years at Weirton Steel. In 1972, he became an administrator
later awarded the University of Louisville’s Alumni Entrepreneur award; he retired in 2000. An active sportsman, Bill enjoyed sailing, hunting, scuba diving, croquet, backgammon, and golf. He leaves two children, including a son, Dr. Peter S. Tate, 1760 Nicholasville Rd., #202, Louisville, KY 40503; five grandchildren; and a brother.
’47
on air refueling tankers. Ray spent 32 years in commercial banking, at Hartford (Conn.) National Bank, South End (Hartford) Bank, and Souhegan National Bank in Milford, N.H., where he was chairman, president, and CEO. In the 1980s he was chairman of the New Hampshire Bankers Association. He leaves his wife, Patricia Woolson, 65 Stocker Pond Rd., Grantham, NH 03753; three grandchildren; and eight grandchildren.
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 55
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Henry M. Doebler, 80, a utility company executive, died August 5, 2014 in Easton, Md. Born in Sea Cliff, N.Y., Henry came to Choate in 1948. He played varsity soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, and was lacrosse captain his sixth form year, winning a school lacrosse award. He also was Sports Editor of the News, Vice President of the Athletic Association, on the Student Council, and in the Altar Guild and the Chess Club. He then earned degrees from Cornell and Brooklyn Law School. Henry worked for Con Edison as a lobbyist in Albany, N.Y. and Washington, D.C., and was the senior utility representative of the Energy Association of New York State. Active in the community, he worked for the Maryland Hall of the Creative Arts and the Chesapeake Maritime Museum, and was a track and field official for the U.S. Naval Academy. He leaves his wife, Joyce Doebler, 29568 Kent Ave., Easton, MD 21601; three children; and four grandchildren.
’55 RH Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Quayle Robinson, 77, a horsewoman, died September 28, 2014. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Betsy came to Rosemary Hall in 1952. She was a Marshal; was on the Year Committee and Fire Squad; and was Philomel and Mistress of the Robes. She later graduated from Smith. Mary was a passionate horsewoman from childhood, competing in hunter/ jumper class and riding in the National Horse Show Maclay finals at Madison Square Garden. She and her family lived in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Paris, and in every location she pursued her love of equestrian events. Betsy also enjoyed gardening and reading. She leaves her husband, Malcolm Robinson Jr.; three sons; seven grandchildren; a sister; and a brother.
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Edward J. Brady, 76, a retired data processing executive, died July 31, 2014 in Paramus, N.J. Born in Darien, Conn., Ed came to Choate in 1951. He was Associate Editor of the Brief, and in the Press Club, the French Club, and the Dramatic Club. After graduating from Rollins College, he worked for the McBee Systems Division of Litton Industries in New York City as a data processing sales executive. He leaves
his wife, Ethel Brady, 66 Mulberry Court, Paramus, NJ 07652; two children; four grandchildren; and a sister.
’57 RH Ann McNeer McLeod, 73, a retired art and psychology professor, died December 25, 2012 in Auburndale, Fla. Born in New York City, Micki, as she was known at School, was at Rosemary Hall for one year. She earned degrees from Lindenwood University, Washington University, and the State University of New York, then was named Vice President of the Villa Mercede in Florence, Italy. When the Arno River flooded in 1966, she helped rescue rare books. She then returned to the United States and for 35 years was a professor of art history and psychology at Polk State College in Florida. Micki also painted portraits professionally. After retirement in 2005, she was on the board of the Ridge Art Association in Winter Haven, Fla., and worked on the Art in Public Places campaign. She leaves a brother, Gordon McNeer, P.O. Box 1729, Clayton, GA 30525; and several cousins. ’58 C Donald C. Schwartz¸73, a retired insurance company systems programmer, died October 4, 2014 in West Hartford, Conn. Born in Middletown, Conn., Don came to Choate in 1954; he sang in the Glee Club and the Maiyeros and rowed crew. After graduating from Tufts, he worked for the Aetna and Cigna insurance companies in Connecticut. Active in community life, Don was a longtime volunteer at the University of Connecticut Health Center and also worked in a soup kitchen and was a reading tutor. He was active in several choirs. He leaves his wife, Julie Schwartz, 94 Craigmoor Road, West Hartford, CT 06107; a daughter; three grandchildren; and two sisters. ’65 C Vincent D. Farrell Jr., 68, an investment executive, died November 16, 2014 in South Salem, N.Y. of cancer. Born in the Bronx, N. Y., Vin was at Choate for one year; he had hoped to play varsity football, but a knee injury sidelined him for the season. He later managed varsity basketball and was on the track team. After Choate, he graduated from Princeton and earned an M.B.A. from Iona College. While working on his graduate degree, he
taught high school history and coached varsity football at Iona Prep. He then spent nine years at Smith Barney, becoming vice president of sales. Vin was a founding partner of Spears, Benzak, Saloman & Farrell in New York. Starting in 1995, he was a consultant for other investment firms, frequently appearing on the cable TV networks CNBC and Bloomberg. He was a technical adviser on the 2010 sequel to the film “Wall Street.” Vin enjoyed skiing, vacations on Nantucket, biking for Special Olympics, and reading detective novels. He leaves his wife, Clotilde Farrell, 62 Hoyt St., South Salem, NY 10590-1320; four children; two granddaughters; and a sister. Stephen P. Kramer, 66, a lawyer, died August 8, 2014 in New York City of multiple myeloma. Born in Washington, D.C., Steve came to Choate in 1962; he played soccer and tennis, wrestled, and was in the Cum Laude Society. After earning degrees from Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, he worked for George McGovern’s presidential campaign, then joined the office of the New York City Corporation Counsel, eventually becoming chief of the General Litigation division. He was appointed by then-Mayor Ed Koch as a judge of the civil court; he later opened a private practice dealing with New York City agencies. His last position was that of Chief of Staff and Special Counsel to the Commissioner of the New York Department of Buildings. Steve enjoyed everything about New York. Bicycling to all five boroughs and frequently visiting museums, attending the theater, and strolling through the Bronx and Brooklyn botanical gardens. He leaves his wife, Bonnie Franklin, 16 Hudson St., Apt. 2-D, New York, NY 10013; three children; and two sisters.
’66 RH Marjorie Stowell Foster, 67, a chef and caterer, died October 5, 2014 in Norwalk, Conn. Born in Greenwich, Marge came to Rosemary Hall in 1961, then traveled the world as a cruise ship waitress. Settling in Connecticut, she was a food stylist for Pleasures of Cooking magazine, owned As You Like It catering in Greenwich, and later ran Marge Foster Catering in New Canaan, Conn. She also prepared the
seminarians’ meals at St. John Fisher Seminary in Stamford, Conn. She leaves three children; two grandchildren; and two sisters.
’71 RH Belinda Donner, 61, a philanthropist, died August 22, 2014 in Salt Lake City. The daughter of a foreign service officer, Belinda was born in Athens, Greece, and came to Rosemary Hall in 1968. She was the head of the dance club, on the staff of the Wild Boar, and in the Choir. After Rosemary Hall, she graduated from Mount Vernon Junior College. She devoted much of her time to animal rescue philanthropy, with a particular interest in horses and cats. Classically trained in music and ballet, she played piano and was an improvisational dancer. ’75 C Aram C. “Chris” Abajian, 56, a programmer, died July 28, 2012 in an accident while hiking in Washington’s North Cascades. Born in New York City, Chris came to Choate in 1972; he was in the Military History Club and the Literary Club. After graduating from Wesleyan, he moved to Washington, where he was a programmer for the Allen Institute for Brain Science. According to his co-workers, he was a “talented programmer who wrote elegant code.” He was an accomplished musician who built his own instruments and enjoyed transcribing music by ear. He leaves a son, two brothers, and a sister. ’77
Margaret Majeski Lyons, 55, an attorney, died September 29, 2014 of cancer. Born in Wallingford, Margaret was in the School Chorus. She then earned a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and a law degree from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. She practiced law in Trabuco Canyon, Calif., before recently moving to Braintree, Mass. She leaves three sons and three brothers, including Stephen Majeski ’68 and Kenneth Majeski ’81.
56 IN MEMORIAM
Faculty and Trustees
Pauline H. Anderson, the School’s librarian for more than 30 years, died December 16, 2014 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She was 96. Born in Broadalbin, N.Y., Pauline earned degrees from Keuka College and the State University of New York at Albany. She taught in public schools in Andover, N.Y., and Perth, N.Y., then became the librarian at Abbot Academy in Massachusetts, a girls school now part of Andover. In 1950, she was recruited by English teacher and parttime librarian Bob Atmore to come to Choate, which then had no full-time librarian. Although she intended to come only to get the library up and running, she ended up staying for 33 years. She was the first full-time female faculty member at Choate. Pauline, wrote Doug Myers ’64, “was the embodiment of library science, and
even more, she was its gracious human face. She was its ambassador, and many a student who entered the library with indifference was won over to an appreciation of the place by Pauline’s kindness, knowledge, and eagerness to help.” Over the years Pauline – always called “Miss Anderson” or “Miss A” by students – oversaw the transformation of Choate’s library from a more or less random collection of donated books to a model resource. “When Pauline began her work, Independent School Librarianship was in its infancy,” says Mellon Library Director Dianne Langlois, who succeeded her. “Over her dynamic career, Pauline developed a vision of excellence, which she shared at both the local and national levels through workshops, books, and articles. Her legacy is the recognition that libraries and librarians are central to, and an active participant in, the education of young people.” For many summers Pauline taught at the Taft Educational Center in Watertown, Conn. Named Choate’s Director of Educational Development in 1973, she chaired the Wallingford Library Board of Managers from 1979 to 1982, served on several subcommittees, and advised the School’s radio station. She held the Earl Leinbach Chair from 1981 until 1983, when she retired to Broadalbin. Pauline frequently consulted with
librarians at other boarding schools, and was the author of three books about scholastic libraries. “She led the field, spurred us on to create the Connecticut Association of Independent School Librarians, then the New England Association,” says Walter DeMelle, Hotchkiss’ retired librarian. “She was a leader, a superior planning and building consultant, and a forceful advocate for students.” In her later years, she lived in a retirement community in Saratoga Springs, keeping in touch with many former students and faculty. At Pauline’s retirement, then-President and Principal Charley Dey said that “Paul Mellon was certain that Pauline was running the school – and, of course, he was right.” She leaves several nieces and nephews, including David Wallin-Eddy, 172 Honeywell Corners Rd., Broadalbin, NY 12025.
John T. Downey ’47, a major Cold War figure who later was a Connecticut judge and a Choate Rosemary Hall
Trustee, died November 17, 2014 in Branford, Conn. He was 84. Jack came to Choate in 1944; when he graduated, Mrs. George St. John described him as “indisputably one of the leaders of the School.” President of his fifth form and sixth form classes, he was on the Student Council and the Honor Committee; in the Cum Laude Society and the Glee Club; was Associate Editor of the News; lettered in football, wrestling (captain) and track; was Vice President of the Athletic Association; and won the Aurelian Award and an honorable mention for the School Seal Prize. His classmates voted him “Most to be admired” and “Most versatile,” and he was among those they named Best athlete, Best-natured, Most influential, Done most for Choate, and Most likely to succeed. After Choate, Jack graduated from Yale, where he was on the football, wrestling, and rugby teams. Soon thereafter, he joined the Central Intelligence Agency. In November 1952 Jack, two pilots, and another CIA agent, Richard G. Fecteau, were shot down over Manchuria. The pilots died, but Jack and the other agent were taken prisoner by the Chinese. At first, it was thought that all on the plane had lost their lives, but two years later it was learned that Jack and the other agent had survived. Jack’s mother tried for years to get
BULLETIN | WINTER 2015 57
him released, but the process was complicated by the fact that the U. S. government didn’t want to admit his role in the flight over Manchuria. It wasn’t until the 1970s, after then-President Richard Nixon had visited China, that the Chinese government let him go. He was the longest-held prisoner of war in American history. During his captivity, Choate remembered him annually at a Chapel service and teacher Hugh Packard championed the cause of freeing him. After his release, Jack returned to the United States, where he attended Harvard Law School, married, had a son, and practiced law. In 1987, he was appointed a Connecticut judge; from 1990 until 1997, when he retired, he was the state’s chief administrative judge for juvenile matters. Choate and Yale classmate Putney Westerfield told a reporter from the Record-Journal that Jack was a “born leader.” “Anybody that just met him and just talked with him developed an extraordinary respect. I remember distinctly the first week when he was in English class … he just spoke up and answered every question.” A modest man who seldom talked about his days in captivity, Jack was widely praised for his fortitude in the two decades he was held prisoner and for his excellence as a judge. He received many honors: In 1998, he was given the CIA Director’s Medal. In 2011 the Central Intelligence Agency created a tribute documentary called “Extraordinary Fidelity,” honoring Downey and fellow CIA officer Fecteau. A court in New Haven was named for him in 2002. In 2007, the Connecticut Bar Association gave him its highest honor, the Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award. Last year he was awarded the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Cross, its highest honor. At School, where he was a Trustee from 1979 to 1982, he was given the Alumni Seal Prize in 1984 and was inducted into the Choate Rosemary Hall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. He leaves his wife, Audrey Lee Downey; his son, Jack Downey ’98; and a brother, William Downey ’50.
Henry W. Hotchkiss, who taught French for three years at Choate, died August 2, 2014 in Fairhaven, Mass. Born in Iran, where his father was an oilfield geologist, Henry grew up in Massachusetts, graduated from the Gordonstoun boarding school in
Scotland, and earned a bachelor’s degree at Bowdoin. After serving in the Army Reserve, he came to Choate in 1959, teaching French until 1962. After Choate, he became an international banker, working in France and Switzerland, and in later life sold real estate in Massachusetts. Henry enjoyed boating, and once sailed his 25-foot sailboat to Tahiti, Tonga, and New Zealand; he was also President of the Gordonstoun American Foundation. He leaves his former wife, Lee Revere, Seven Gates Farm, West Tisbury, MA 02575; a sister; and a brother.
Our condolences to the following: William Downey ’50, whose brother, and Jack Lee Downey ’98, whose father, Jack Downey ’47, died in November 2014. Stephen Majeski ’68, and Kenneth Majeski ’81, whose sister, Margaret Majeski Lyons ’77, died in September 2014. John Byrne ’81, whose father, Donn Byrne ’40, died in May 2014. Lisa Zolkiewicz-Ives ’79, whose mother, Velma Zolkiewicz, passed on September 26, 2014.
Our sympathy to the families of the following alumni, whose deaths are reported with sorrow: Thomas T. Church ’37 June 13, 2011 Harold R. Elliot, Jr. ’45 February 13, 2014 Michael W. Curran ’53 March 11, 2014 Carroll G. Wells II ’71 May 26, 2014 Valerie Hogan-Micolucci ’88 July 30, 2014 Stephen M. Muragu ’95 September 27, 2011
As we go to press, we are saddened to report the passing of faculty member Andrew “Andy” B. Noel III on January 21, 2015. A full obituary will appear in the spring edition of the Bulletin.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. –ROBERT FROST, THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
A Gift That Makes All the Difference Leaving a bequest may be the simplest way for you to maximize your legacy at Choate, and that bequest can make all the difference to the School, its students, and its larger community. In addition, you can reap its benefits, including: • Seeing no change current cash flow • Avoiding estate taxes • Making a larger impact than you initially thought As we celebrate our 125 Years and look to the next … what road will you travel? To learn of the many easy ways you can create and maximize your legacy, contact the Planned Giving Office today. We’re making it simple to give!
What will your legacy be? Join the Society… LEGACIES LAST FOREVER Rick Henderson Director of Planned Giving rhenderson@choate.edu (203) 697-2117
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SCOREBOARD | Fall Sports Wrap-up
Omar John ’17
Co-Captain Taegan Blackwell ’15
Shane Phillips ’15
The Choate football team dominated from start to finish in its 49-20 rout of Avon Old Farms in the Bill Glennon Bowl at J.J. Maher Field. The win capped an unbeaten 10-0 season and earned the Wild Boars the New England “A” Division prep school crown – Choate’s first New England title in football since 1993. Three other teams also earned berths in post-season competition: Girls varsity volleyball, seeded No. 1 in the New England Class “A” tournament, was unable to defend last season’s championship crown, finishing second in the New Englands. Girls varsity soccer ended the regular season undefeated, but fell short of a New England title, losing 1-0 to Nobles in the last 90 seconds of the contest. Boys varsity soccer, seeded No. 7 in the New England Class “A” tournament, lost to Berkshire in the quarterfinals.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Varsity Season Record: 4–3 Captains: Nathan L. Lin ’15 & William M. Woolfson Jarvis ’15 Highlights: Placed 6th in New England Championships GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Varsity Season Record: 2–4 Captains: Chelsea A. Swift ’15 & Olivia C. Lowden ’15 Highlights: Defeated NMH and Hotchkiss during regular season and finished 2nd out of 9 teams in the Founders League Championships. Finished 7th at the New Englands.
FIELD HOCKEY Varsity Season Record: 9–6 Captains: Taegan F. Blackwell ’15 & Julia C. Cochran ’15 Highlights: A fantastic season, one goal shy from tournament play. Lost final game in overtime 1-2 to Deerfield. FOOTBALL Varsity Season Record: 10–0 Captains: Benjamin P. Birney ’15, Turner W. Uppgren ’15, & William J. Harris ’15 Highlights: Perfect season. Five members of the team John Fadule ’15, Bo Berluti ’15, Zach Kastenhuber ’15, Ben Birney ’15, and Will Harris ’15 named to the 2014 Boston Globe NEPSAC Class A Division All–Star Team. Harris also named All–Scholastic Player of the Year.
BOYS SOCCER Varsity Season Record: 11–5–2 Captains: Addison Choi ’15 & Luke W. Nguyen ’15 Highlights: Beat Deerfield, which gave them a bid in the New England tournament; lost to Berkshire in New England Quarterfinals GIRLS SOCCER Varsity Season Record: 18–1–1 Captains: Caitlin P. Farrell ’15 & Emily M. Dryzgula ’15 Highlights: Undefeated in regular season; beat Loomis for the first time in a decade; lost to Nobles in the New England finals. Co–captain Caitlin Farrell ’15 named 2014 Boston Globe MVP and NEPSAC All–Star Team.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Varsity Season Record: 17–2 Captains: Yasmine C. Reece ’15 & Madison K. Erlandson ’15 Highlights: Earned post–season berth; lost to Exeter in the New England finals, finishing second in New England BOYS WATER POLO Varsity Season Record: 3–11 Captains: David T. Labonte ’15 & Saif Saigol ’15 Highlight: Beat Williston to open season
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Jack Shultz ’16
#22 Yasmine Reece ’15
#33 Jamal Williams ’15
Varsity Girls Soccer team at the NEPSAC Semi-Final match vs. Westminster. Choate teammates hug Co-Captain Caitlin Farrell ‘15 after one of her two goals in the 4-1 New England playoff win. From left, Lexy Cook ‘17, Caitlin Farrell ‘15, Zoe Stublarec ‘16, Emily Clorite ‘18. In addition to being named Boston Globe MVP, Farrell was named All-American.
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BOOKSHELF
In this issue an American journalist delves into the design challenges of Bertholdi’s Lady Liberty; a Canadian journalist examines a fateful 48 hours of the Kennedy administration; a novelist explores love lost and regained in the Second World War, and former Choate Chaplain Bob Bryan proves to be a compelling memoirist.
Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours That Made History By Andrew Cohen ’73 | Reviewed by Tom Generous, Faculty Emeritus
TWO DAYS IN JUNE: JOHN F. KENNEDY AND THE 48 HOURS THAT MADE HISTORY Author: Andrew Cohen ’73 Publisher: Signal About the Author: Andrew Cohen is an award-winning journalist and former Washington correspondent. He is a professor of journalism and international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa. About the Reviewer: William T. Generous, Faculty Emeritus
Two Days in June is an important book about the two speeches made by President John F. Kennedy ’35 upon which all of us on the left side of the political spectrum focus when we think of how much better the world would be had the assassination in Dallas not occurred. Except for its lack of photos, this book is a great work. The commencement address on June 10, 1963, is usually called “The American University Speech.” In it, for the first time during the Cold War, a U.S. President described the Russian people and their government as having the same hopes as Americans. It asked the citizens and leaders of both sides to try to find a way to live in peace and to stop threatening each other all the time. It was a great success. The second speech on June 11 was delivered on national television the very evening after JFK’s Justice Department forced Alabama Governor George Wallace out of “the doorway” where he tried to perpetuate segregation. In the speech, Kennedy reminded all Americans about the principles of universal rights and justice upon which the United States had been founded, and yet how far short of those ideals the nation had fallen in regard to its black citizens. His address enjoyed only moderate success. The events leading up to the speeches are covered in great detail. So is the President’s fatigue as he flew from Hawaii to Washington, preparing to speak while keeping an eye on Moscow and Tuscaloosa and several other places where issues swarmed, and yet agonizing over his own physical problems. Kennedy
had to deal with hundreds of other events, too, as all Presidents do: a note to a Baptist pastor, appointing a dozen postmasters, 35 minutes with a veteran journalist, 10 minutes with a little boy, and many, many others. Throughout the book there are, moreover, penetrating biographies of the players in these events. Not a few, interestingly, are Choate Rosemary Hall alums. And wait until you read the priceless dedication to the late Zack Goodyear; it left me with tears in my eyes. In the interest of full disclosure, let me boast that Andy Cohen was one of the three or four students in my first year at Choate so sparkling in personality, dedication, and diligence that I was sure my career at school would be worthwhile. We have been friends ever since. Nevertheless, there were times as I was reading this, his seventh book, that I thought about the great masters of language produced by Choate: John Dos Passos ’11, Walter Edmonds ’21, Alan Jay Lerner ’36, among many others. I kept wondering if some historian in 2090 or so might include Andrew Cohen ’73 in some new galaxy of great Choate authors. We’ll have to see. But try this out for concise style, grace, and imagery: “Kennedy’s racial consciousness did not originate on June 10 and June 11, as if angst and awareness had fallen out of the sky. Yet his swelling commitment found its voice there – with a pitch and tone and range that would resound a half century later.”
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Liberty’s Torch: The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty By Elizabeth Mitchell ’84 | Reviewed by Katharine H. Jewett, Ph.D.
LIBERTY’S TORCH: THE GREAT ADVENTURE TO BUILD THE STATUE OF LIBERTY Author: Elizabeth Mitchell ’84 Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press About the author: Elizabeth Mitchell ’84 is the author of two nonfiction books. Her freelance writing has appeared in various publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York, and Details. About the Reviewer: Dr. Katharine H. Jewett is a French teacher and the Director of Curricular Initiatives at Choate.
In our age of Computer Assisted Design software, 3D printing and airplane travel, the feat of building a hollow metal statue 150 feet tall and transporting it across the ocean might seem effortless. But as Elizabeth Mitchell demonstrates in her history of the building of the Statue of Liberty, things were different in the 1870s. Realizing the dream of the statue’s creator, Frédéric Auguste Bertholdi, took more than two decades and has all the elements of a great story - intrigue, obstacles, competition, fame, and, of course, money. From her first descriptions of his singular vision for Lady Liberty in 1855 to his clever and novel fundraising schemes that truly were Kickstarter avant l’heure, Mitchell weaves an intricate tale of Bertholdi’s crowning achievement. Beyond the great story, however, there is in Mitchell’s telling something almost 21st century about the genius of the enigmatic Bertholdi. To attempt something so iconic and unforeseen smacks of the design challenges we see corporate teams everywhere trying to solve. And in overcoming his challenges, Bertholdi bears more than a passing resemblance to another great technology pioneer, Steve Jobs, also an imperfect man who dreamed big, failed big, and eventually came out on top. In fact, neither man worked alone and the team that Bertholdi (a sculptor by trade) eventually assembled included a “project cheerleader,” who today might be called a “creative engineer,” an architect, a materials engineer, an overseer, and 50 workers. At its inception did Apple’s team look much different? Nineteenth-century Paris, where Bertholdi created his Liberty masterpiece, was a beacon of culture, technology, and industry, not unlike the 20th century’s Silicon Valley. And it is not hard to argue that Lady Liberty is more than a symbol of liberty and fraternity between two great democracies, but also a harbinger
of New York’s role as an important cultural capital in the 20th century. Bertholdi could not have predicted that by the turn of the century 80 percent of New Yorkers would be either foreign-born or of foreign parentage, but as Mitchell compellingly demonstrates, in creating the Statue of Liberty, the artist gave shape to the hopes and dreams of an entire city and not one, but two nations. Given the fact that 3.2 million people visit the Statue of Liberty each year, it is difficult to imagine the lack of support that Bertholdi encountered time and again in his long quest to fund his “dream colossus.” A great student of human nature, one who knew how to appeal to a people’s sense of art, belonging, and intellectual spirit, Bertholdi wielded multiple tools to keep his statue in the limelight for nearly two decades. For example, he displayed both the torch and the head of the statue in separate pieces at world expositions and other festivals, charging entrance fees to visitors who wished to climb these sculptures and touch a piece of history. Furthermore he spoke of illuminating the Statue’s torch with the then futuristic technology known as “electric light.” Finally, as Mitchell recounts it, the positive outcome of Bertholdi’s quest was ensured by rhetoric, by the subtle “marketing” power of Emma Lazarus, whose sonnet, “The New Colossus,” was read aloud to potential American contributors to the Liberty project. The poem gave, in the words of one contributor, “a raison d’être” to the statue. Its last lines especially tugged on the public’s heartstrings, depicting the largesse of a nation and promising the transformative power of liberty itself: Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door. Not even the inventors of the “Think Different” slogan could have done better.
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BOOKSHELF
The Flying Parson of Labrador and the Real Story Behind Bert and I By Robert Bryan | Seth Hoyt ’61
THE FLYING PARSON OF LABRADOR AND THE REAL STORY BEHIND BERT AND I Author: Robert Bryan Publisher: DownEast Books About the Author: Robert Bryan was Choate’s Chaplin from 1959 to 1967. About the Reviewer: Like the author, Seth Hoyt studied at Yale. He wishes he’d volunteered at the Quebec Labrador Foundation. Seth works in magazine publishing, and always hoped he’d have the chance to write a book review some day.
Seymour St. John wasn’t afraid to take chances on untested talent. One of the late Headmaster’s most memorable faculty hires was surely the Rev. Robert A. Bryan. When I was at Choate during the Bryan era, Chaplain Bob seemed to be everywhere: teaching 5th Form American History, coaching varsity crew, tending to our spiritual growth, and flying a small float plane from Wallingford to Quebec and Labrador for summer pastoral duties on the rugged Lower North Shore. Bob was not a “lifer” at Choate and left school in 1967 to answer the call of the great North. Nearly 50 years have flown by since, and at last there’s a book to fill in the gaps in his impressive career. Bryan’s The Flying Parson of Labrador and the Real Story Behind Bert and I does not disappoint. Despite its clunky title, this is a smart, highly readable, and recommended autobiography. Choatie or Rosemarian, you will love the nostalgic tug of this book. If you volunteered at the Quebec Labrador Foundation, this book will affirm your good works. If you flew with Rev. Bob, fished with him for Atlantic salmon, forged lifetime friendships the way my classmate Barge Levy ’61 did, then The Flying Parson will reward and inspire. Bryan’s memoir is one drop-jaw adventure story after another. It soars. The reader becomes virtual co-pilot with the Flying Parson as he logs 12,000-plus hours in floatplane Six-Nine-Easy. You meet Bob’s pastoral flock – the “Coasters” – Inuit fisherman and other indigenous peoples living in some of the most inhospitable terrain in North America. You’re there at the start of the Quebec Labrador Foundation (QLF), Peace Corps-like in its service to young people on the North Shore. Choate students were some of its earliest volunteers. In time QLF helped “Coasters” win scholarships to Choate, Bowdoin, and other schools and colleges in the U.S. Then there’s Marshall “Mike” Dodge, half of the Bert and I comedy team. In Down East Maine patois Mike and Bob entertained audiences for years, selling more than a million Bert and I albums, an unprecedented accomplishment at the time.
One of the duo’s best-known stories is “Which Way to Millinocket?” In that one a Mainer is asked by a tourist how to get to the small lumbering town of Millinocket. The Mainer goes on about possible options before concluding with the now legendary: “Come to think of it, you caahnt get theyah from heah!” As Dodge explains, “Stories are the core of all art. You can tell most everything about a culture from its stories. What people laugh about is like a window into their soul” What earns The Flying Parson of Labrador its chops is the man himself. Bob is the real deal, a strong writer, and spiritual giant with a childlike love of adventure. Through faith and sheer grit, Bob inspires his people to go the second mile – a lesson he no doubt learned from mentor St. John. Nothing is perfect, in art as in life, and readers may wish for more from Bryan and collaborator Chris Black. More pages, for instance: 208 is hardly enough to cover a lifetime like Bob’s. Bryan women made an indelible impression on the Choate “family” for nearly a decade, yet we readers barely get to know his late wife, Faith, and daughters, Sarah, Kerry, and Sandy. Here, too, we want more. As always in important and timely memoirs, more photos. And an index would make the reading experience more memorable. The Venerable Robert A. Bryan is retired now, remarried, and living in Quebec. His Quebec Labrador Foundation is 55 years old, has awarded more than 1,200 scholarships, and boasts an alumni base of nearly 3,000 volunteers and interns. Six-Nine-Easy floatplane days are behind the Flying Parson, but Robert A. Bryan still keeps an eye on the sky. Flying has always made him feel closer to God.
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The Garden of Letters By Alyson Richman ’90 | Reviewed by Andrea Thompson Alyson Richman’s unabashedly romantic novel, set in Italy during the Second World War, centers on love lost and regained, with the thrilling addition of a tale of underground resistance against fascism. Elodie is a young cellist in Verona devoted to her music and her parents, desiring only to continue to live quietly under Mussolini’s rule and perfect her playing. One day, though, her father grows impatient with the jingoistic fervor of a youth brigade outside their window, and in a small act of rebellion, blasts a Verdi opera out the window. For this infraction, he is interrogated and badly beaten; he never fully recovers. Elodie, shaken out of her passivity, joins a musicschool friend at meetings of resistance workers who are passing messages and supplies to rebels in the mountains outside Verona. The meetings take place in a bookstore owned by Luca, a handsome young intellectual. He and Elodie are instantly attracted to one another, and their romance blooms despite (or perhaps because of) the desperate circumstances. Impressed by her photographic memory and her musicianship, Luca tasks Elodie with transmitting secret messages through musical scores. As German forces advance on Verona, the couple know they must find safety elsewhere. A few weeks later, Elodie, separated from Luca for reasons that are initially unclear to the reader, is about to disembark from a ferry in southern Italy with forged identification papers and a rucksack full
THE GARDEN OF LETTERS Author: Alyson Richman ’90 Publisher: Berkley/Penguin About the author: Alyson Richman ’90 is the author of The Mask Carver’s Son, Swedish Tango, The Last Van Gogh, and the national bestseller, The Lost Wife. Her books have been published in over 15 languages. About the Reviewer: Andrea Thompson is the co-author, with Jacob Lief, of the book, I Am Because You Are, which will be published this spring.
IRAN-CONTRA: REAGAN’S SCANDAL AND THE UNCHECKED ABUSE OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER Author: Malcolm Byrne ’73 Publisher: University of Kansas Press
RED, WHITE & ARMY BLUE Author: Peter R. Decker ’52 Publisher: Western Slope Press
of secrets. As she draws closer to the German officer checking papers, an older man hails her as his cousin and escorts her off the boat and to his house on the heights above the harbor. He introduces himself as Angelo, the town’s doctor, and offers her refuge as long as she needs it, no questions asked. Living together in respectful silence toward the past – each one instinctively knows the other harbors a painful history – they find solace in a shared love of literature and the gentle rhythms of their days. The plot unfolds by way of compelling mysteries: what has led Elodie here alone? What motivates Angelo to take her in? Richman has an eye for visual detail – it’s not difficult to imagine many of these scenes on screen – and a sensuous heat runs through the book. Here’s Luca and Elodie’s first physical embrace: “And he finds the seasons woven through her. Her skin carries with it the fragrance of spring flowers. Her breath is like frost that warms with the heat between them. And her taste, the sweetest taste of fig.” Yet that can be the book’s weakness, as well. It’s easy to picture Elodie clutching her cello in her slender arms, carried away by the rapture of her music, but it’s more difficult to know what motivates her as a daughter, a lover, and a woman. Among all the historical detail Richman presents, Elodie becomes the archetypal romantic heroine, falling deeply in love and enduring heartbreak, before finding her own happy ending.
HAVING A HEART FOR GOD: 365 DAYS OF THE ONE MINUTE BIBLE STUDY Author: Tracy Baumer Fox ’79 Publisher: Available at Amazon.com
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END NOTE |
From left, Aitran Doan ’13, Donal Carroll (TrustCloud engineer), Start-Up//Choate Founder Miles Spencer ’81, and Treven Cornwall (COO)
LEARNING TO FAIL FORWARD! As a freshman at Stanford, I spent fall term interning with TrustCloud at 500 Startups. I learned about TrustCloud as an intern last summer at Grand Central Tech where I sat in on some of the business meetings. TrustCloud intrigues me because it presents a tangible way of quantifying trust, something so intangible. I wanted to follow the journey of this product and see how well it can solve the trust and safety problems we face in the online market.
As I talked to investors and collected their cards after TrustCloud’s presentation, the reality of the situation lingered in the back of my head. It dawned on me how much work and grit the entire process takes, from launching a product to finding investors to making a clean exit. I wondered how many of the investors who approach the booths would actually invest in the companies. Pessimistic thoughts perhaps, but this reality is also what makes the start-up world so exciting. This
I love this culture of embracing innovation, hands-on learning, teamwork, grit and the willingness to fail – this is everything that education should be. –AITRAN DOAN ’13 A fellow Choate alum agreed to show me the behind-the-scenes of TrustCloud. So in early September, I visited the 500 Startups office in San Francisco. Seeing so many people working together in such a collaborative atmosphere excited me. I saw the experiential learning essence of the start-up culture: how much user feedback drives the product design process, how many times a team must fail to improve, and how much commitment determines success. I love this culture of embracing innovation, hands-on learning, teamwork, grit and the willingness to fail – this is everything that education should be. On October 21, 2014, I gathered with the TrustCloud team for 500 Startups’ Demo Day. All the companies pitched in front of an auditorium of potential investors. The preparation and buildup was incredible. I had the easy task of mapping investors on Salesforce while the rest of the TrustCloud team focused on refining the pitch, the product, and the setup of the booth. As a fellow classmate and I watched the presenters give their pitches, we felt the reality each speaker was up against: 75 percent of startups fail. How they perform in those two minutes can potentially make or break their companies. It was such a surreal feeling.
ambiguity demands persistent companies who are willing to step out of their comfort zones to embrace innovation. It is what makes being in an incubator exhilarating – the constant “yes” to new ideas and perspectives. This internship with TrustCloud has given me insight to the type of learning and working environment that will allow me to thrive. Knowing this information, especially as a freshman, is valuable – when I look at the pages upon pages of academic opportunities available at Stanford, I know which ones I want to pursue. In my academic future, I want to incorporate design thinking into the environmental/social entrepreneurship sector to create impactful, innovative solutions. I want to thank Start-Up//Choate for coordinating both internships I’ve had this past year and express my gratitude for the Start-Up// Choate community. By clicking the “Join Group” button five months ago on LinkedIn, I have opened myself to amazing hands-on learning opportunities as well as caring mentors.
AitrAn DoAn ’13 Aitran Doan ‘13 is a freshman at Stanford University.
CALENDAR of EVENTS ▶
FEBRUARY 25 Headmaster Reception - Boston, Mass.
MAY 15–17 Reunion Weekend - Choate
MARCH 3 Headmaster Reception - Palm Beach, Fla. 3–15 Receptions - Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul 27 Dedication of the Cameron and Edward Lanphier Center for Mathematics and Computer Science - Choate Alumni Club of Connecticut Reception – Choate
SEPTEMBER 17 Headmaster Reception - Los Angeles, Calif.
c h oat e r o s e m a r y h a l l
Building a Community
EXHIBIT:
This year’s milestone offers an opportunity for our community to reflect upon the extraordinary achievements and impact of our “school upon the hillside” during Celebrating January 9–March 27enjoy our 125 celebratory facts its first 125 years. Our campuses, here in Wallingford and in Greenwich, have been about our community and its home to exceptional students, faculty, and staff over the last 125 years and our Paul Mellon shared history and traditions. buildings are just as much a defining element of the Choate Rosemary Hall legacy Arts Center Gallery www.choate.edu as those who have passed through them. As we examine the history of these structures, we also celebrate the lives they have helped shape. ON THE COVER
ABOVE On Friday evening, January 9, the School kicked off its year-long 125th celebration with an
Choate football, 1915
opening reception of a multimedia archival exhibition at the Paul Mellon Arts Center entitled Building a Community and the installation of A Community Portrait. The exhibit runs through March 27, 2015.
During 2015, we hope you
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BULLETIN THE MAG A ZINE OF CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL
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grit & determination 1915–1940
c o m m o n r o o t s
s h a r e d p u r p o s e
C O M M U N I T Y C E L E B R AT I O N On November 7, the entire Choate Rosemary Hall school community gathered for an all-school photo to launch a year-long 125th celebration.
watch the video: vimeo.com/111770786
common roots
The Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin is printed using vegetable-based inks on FSC-certified, 100% post consumer recycled paper. This issue saved 101 trees, 42,000 gallons of wastewater, 291 lbs of waterborne waste, and 9,300 lbs of greenhouse gases from being emitted.
In this issue:
CHOATE ON THE MOVE: A Year in Review
shared purpose
SECOND SONS: Seymour St. John ’31 and John F. Kennedy ’35
LEARNING TO FAIL FORWARD: Aitran Doan ’13