Culver Winter 2019
Alumni Magazine
CULVER and the GREAT WAR
FR O M THE E D I T O R
The Cultivation of Character: Earning Our Place Over the Christmas break, I went to see Peter Jackson’s WWI documentary, “They Shall Not Grow Old,” which captures what it was like to be a British soldier on the Western Front. He created a film technique to change the pace of the old silent film footage to a speed that shows the soldiers walking or running at normal speeds. He used 600 hours of voice recordings of interviews with WWI veterans to draw the story together. He recreated the deafening sounds of exploding shells, the sound of the Enfield rifles, endless machine gun fire, and the harsh sounds of the wounded and dying. The result was stunning. As a viewer, I felt like I was in the trenches with the soldiers, shoulder to shoulder, carrying the wounded through the rat-infested, sodden mud, and making fatal charges toward German machine gun nests. Jackson humanized those soldiers and their war experience for me in a very personal way. They were the Everymen who did their duty and accepted their deaths as part of the pact. I saw this documentary a month after Culver had formally commemorated the 100 year anniversary of Armistice Day with its
weekend of events. It helped me reconcile the brutal reality of the war with the call to action that the 85 Gold Star men of Culver answered when the need arose, similar to the call from Logansport in 1913 that evoked their sense of duty and selfless service. Words like “bravery,” “duty,” “character,” “courage,” and “honor” came to my mind, hearkening straight back to “The Spirit of Culver,” written by S.E. Kiser in 1913. The heroic actions of the Gold Star men of Culver were rooted in their Culver education, which encompassed not only academic learning but also civic service, a focus on classical virtues, and the cultivation of character. One hundred years later, those foundational principles are still alive and well at Culver. Gen. Jack Woodmansee, Jr. (Ret.) ’52, speaking at the formal dinner in the Legion Memorial Building the night before the Veterans Day ceremony, focused his speech on how young men and women in battle are “moved to perform courageous acts.” After chronicling three Gold Star men’s acts of heroism — Capt. Donald Duncan (CMA ’07), Lt. John Schneider (CMA ’17) and 1st.
Lt Alexander Mathews (CMA ’14) he quoted the words of WWII Medal of Honor recipient, Capt. James Burt, who said, “People ask me if I was afraid and I tell them, ‘We are all handmaidens of duty, and if it must be done, do it and there will be no fear.’”
wounded. Before he dies, he tells Ryan, “Earn this. Earn this.” As an old man years later, Pvt. Ryan visits the captain’s grave and says, “I’ve lived my life the best I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that at least in your eyes, I’ve earned what all of you did for me.”
He emphasized that “the cultivation of character is the foundation of the performance of duty …and applies equally to young and old, men and women.” Culver has always emphasized this trait, which is “the basis for our success in the past and must be the guidepost to our future.”
Shine said that like Pvt. Ryan, we “earn this” when we have the courage to challenge the wrongs, small and big, in ourselves as well as in others, and when we seek to live and build into our characters the moral tenets of our faiths and our nation’s ideals so well reflected in the Culver Honor Code, the Code of Conduct, the Spirit of Culver, and the cardinal virtues of wisdom, courage, justice, and moderation.”
Col. Al Shine, U.S. Army (Ret.), former Commandant of Cadets at Culver, was the Veterans Day speaker, who posed the question, “Do we owe something also to the thousands of men and women in uniform through the years who have risked and often sacrificed life or limb to protect the “liberty and justice for all?” Though saying that war is sometimes inevitable, he suggested “a more immediate and continuous calling.” He cited the film “Saving Private Ryan,” in which a group of Army Rangers, led by Capt. John Miller, is sent to find Pvt. Ryan and bring him home, but is mortally
The Gold Star men speak to us still through the stories of their heroism, character — and now, their restored portraits. In the stillness of that sacred place, looking at each young face, the viewer should remember the words, “Earn this,” and like Pvt. Ryan, strive to live life as a “handmaiden of duty” with a moral compass rooted in the cultivation of character. — Kathy Lintner
Culver Alumni Magazine
HEAD OF SCHOOLS Jim Power, Ed.D.
CONTENTS
ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Chief Advancement Officer Holly Johnson
ALUMNI RELATIONS Director Alan Loehr Jr. Legion President Lara Smith Nicholson ‘86 Delray Beach, Florida CSSAA President N. Merritt Becker N ’83 Zionsville, Indiana Culver Clubs International President Charles Osborne ‘88 Atlanta, Georgia
COMMUNICATIONS Editor/Culver Alumni Magazine Kathy Lintner Asst. Director/Publications Jan Garrison Advancement Communications Manager Mike Petrucelli Digital Media Manager Trent Miles
Forging the Spirit of Culver in
The Great War page
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What began as a task to ensure that the 85 men who lived the “Spirit of Culver” were not forgotten transformed into an entire year of honoring their sacrifice, the continued legacy of WWI and the eternal Spirit of Culver.
Museum Curator Jeff Kenney
DEVELOPMENT Director/Annual Fund K. Megan MacNab Bekker ‘87
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Tony Giraldi ’75
MAGAZINE DESIGN & EDITORIAL CONSULTING Scott Adams Design Associates
PHOTOGRAPHY Lew Kopp ‘71 W’66, Mo Morales, Jan Garrison, Trent Miles, iStock
Posters Communicate to WWI Homefront America An exhibition of original WWI posters evokes the cultural turmoil Americans were experiencing when first called upon the world’s stage as a political and economic world power.
PRINTING AND MAILING West-Camp Press
Culver (USPS 139-740) is published by The Culver Educational Foundation, 1300 Academy Road, Culver, Indiana 46511-1291. Opinions are those of the authors, and no material may be reproduced without the editor’s written consent. Postmaster, please send change of address notice to Culver Alumni Office, 1300 Academy Road #132, Culver, Indiana 46511-1291.
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Volume 95 / Issue 1 / Winter 2019
O Canada! Canadians Juwan Brescacin ’11 and Zach Currier ’13 have turned their passion for sports into successful pro careers.
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The Birth of the War Garden
Departments
David Burpee ’13 did not fight on the battlefields of WWI but instead inspired Americans to grow food in their own fields to support the WWI war effort.
4 Views and Perspectives
i From the Editor
32 Sporting News
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38 Alumni Class News
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44 Culver Clubs International 48 In Memoriam
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Honoring our WWI Gold Star Men of Culver An exhibition of recently found and restored portraits of the fallen Culver WWI Gold Star men connects today’s audience to the past.
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THE
MISSION
A Century of D&B Tradition The 100th D&B tradition owes its origins to the Boy Scout legacy from World War I.
Culver educates its students for leadership and responsible citizenship in society by developing and nurturing the whole individual – mind, spirit, body – through an integrated curriculum that emphasizes the cultivation of character.
VIEWS AND PERSPECTIVES
A Whole New Mind for a Whole New Future
After a friend confided that she was discouraged because her son was struggling at school, in part because of dyslexia, I gave her a copy of Daniel Pink’s “A Whole New Mind.” I often recommend Pink’s book for two reasons: first, he looks at the left brain vs right brain metaphor, with the left focusing on linear, analytic, and sequential work, while the right focuses on creativity, innovation, and teaming, and he says that schools tend to do a much better job on the former, largely because it is so much easier to measure a student’s math performance than it is to measure his or her work in an area like innovation. Second, Pink believes that school curricula follow economies. There is a reason why no high school in North America teaches the Irish language because Ireland is — and I hope my mom will forgive me here for sharing our dirty laundry in public — not a key driver in the modern economy, Celtic Tigers notwithstanding. There are, by contrast, many compelling reasons why lots of schools have added Mandarin in the last few years. Pink believes that as we move from an industrial economy, where most people make a living by making things in a factory-like setting, to the new economy, the right brain becomes more and more important. If you tend to rely exclusively on your left brain, you may face stiffer competition in the future because a lot of that left brain work
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that operates with a rigid set of principles that are continually applied in a step by step process may be done by a machine or by someone in the developing world. What will become more important in this brave new economic world, Pink argues, will be people who can work well with others, who are good at teaming, who have a high degree of what we are today calling “emotional intelligence,” as well as those with a strong aptitude for innovation and creativity and leadership. Are you thinking what I am thinking? Talk about landing in the future’s sweet spot. Thank you, Henry Harrison Culver! At Open House gatherings, I try to make two points to prospective parents: first, look at the kids and not the buildings. As impressive as a facility may be, I’ve never bumped into a graduate who wanted to return to his or her old school to see a piece of software. Schools are a people business, and students are shaped by the people they interact with on a regular basis. Second, the students who are born this year will be around for the turn of the next century. How can we possibly prepare them for that future world? The first iPhone was released in 2007, so try to wrap your mind around what the world will be like 6 or 7 iPhone revolutions from now? Holy 8 track cassettes, Batman! You could argue that every school makes a bet with its particular mission, and at Culver we are putting all of our
chips at the center of the table and wagering everything on two defining values: character and leadership. First, even in the next century we believe that clear-thinking individuals will still want to socialize, work with, partner, and marry individuals with good character. Even in the George Jetson world of 35G and we all do have jetpacks, leadership will not get outsourced.
They needed someone who would notice a panther sneaking through the trees. A lot of those folks who could sit perfectly still and remain completely focused on what was right in front of their noses for long periods of time, those folks got eaten by the panthers. We’ve descended from the other folks! Even a partial list of those who might qualify today as people who “learn differently” would include Einstein, Charles Schwab,
In our knowledge-based economy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills are more important than ever. But so are creativity, collaboration, mindfulness, and curiosity. There are two questions I hope you are asking at this point: First, Is Pink right? (I happen to think he is. We have all seen industries move from the USA to Mexico, to China, to Pakistan,Vietnam and Laos. We can moan and groan all we want (we can even vote for socialists!) but even Bruce Springsteen knows in his heart of hearts that those factories and those jobs, they “ain’t a comin’ back!” The more important question is, if Pink is right, what will it mean for our students? I’d answer that question by asking another question, “How can I learn to be creative, innovative, and be a good teammate?” I will end with two quick observations: First, I no longer use the expression “extra curricular” to describe what happens in schools after 4 pm. “Co-curricular” sounds a bit “growth mindset” wonky, but it accurately reflects the fact that many of the most important lessons our students learn will take place in the theater, music or dance halls, on the ice, fields, or service settings. Second, for the past 25 years, we have been trying to come to grips with students whose minds work differently. NOT poorly, mind you, but differently. Take ADHD, for example. Ten thousand years ago, our ancestors didn’t need someone who could sit still behind a desk for eight hours a day.
Tommy Hilfiger, Winston “Never. Never. Never give up” Churchill, Alexander Graham Bell,Walt Disney, and Beethoven. Thomas Edison was taken out of school by his mother because his teachers at school thought he was “retarded.” Pink points out that kids who are “dyslexic” are four times more likely as their peers to become millionaires. Lots of spectacularly successful entrepreneurs, by the way, have some sort of processing challenge, and because they can’t do left brain work, they develop incredible people skills, and that ability to connect with all kinds of folks ends up making them who they are. Education is changing. No longer is the “industrial” model of the 20th Century — students in rows, teacher-trainers at blackboards — deemed adequate.Twenty-first century learning is still focused on what students must know and be able to do, of course. In fact, in our knowledge-based economy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills are more important than ever. But so are creativity, collaboration, mindfulness, and curiosity. Through small businesses like Culver’s Rubin Café and Eagle Outfitters — whose management teams set budgets, regulate inventories, and respond to markets — young innovators in the Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur develop and display the full range of “right brain skills” celebrated by Daniel Pink. The future’s sweet spot, indeed!
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A Deep Dive into Sustainability at Culver 1. Green Revolving Fund (The Eagle Fund) While the Advisory Council identified several opportunities to improve Culver’s sustainability, it also recognized “there’s no free lunch.” Enter the Green Revolving Fund, an innovative financing mechanism designed to fund resource-saving projects, such as lighting or heating and cooling upgrades. The council strongly endorsed creating a GRF, and backed that recommendation with an initial capital infusion of $130,000. The Casper Martin Family Foundation and the Martin Brown Family Foundation each donated $50,000 to this effort. There are more than 100 such funds in place at higher education institutions around the country, but it is believed that Culver is only the second high school to create such a fund. Culver’s GRF is unique in that it is largely studentdriven. From an initial analysis as part of his Senior 96 solar panels are part of a pilot project to generate power and provide a field scale Leadership Project, Santiago Fernandez ’17 passed experience for Culver students. the idea on to Juan Paul Padilla ’18 who helped create the organizational framework for the GRF. As part of his Honors in Sustainability project, Mark Siedentopf ’19 Reducing Culver’s Carbon Footprint successfully stewarded the Eagle Fund to launch its first four projects.
When the winter 2015-16 issue of the Culver Alumni Magazine highlighted sustainability at Culver, one of the articles included a request for interested alumni to participate in Culver’s seventh Alumni Advisory Council.
Eighteen alumni and parents responded and over the course of the next 20 months, the group did a deep dive into sustainability at Culver. The council’s report, presented to Head of Schools Jim Power and the entire community in April 2018, made more than 60 recommendations to improve Culver’s sustainability.
“We joke about how many people it takes to change a light bulb, but when the building is as big and complicated as Eppley Auditorium, it turns out quite a few people are involved,” Siedentopf said. “Our first project involved replacing hundreds of incandescent bulbs with LEDs in the auditorium. Now that the project is complete, we will monitor the energy use, and our metering and modeling indicates the ROI will be 29 percent or better.”
A few of the key recommendations are described in this article. Culver is committed to becoming more sustainable and has the enthusiastic support of students, alumni, faculty and staff. The report is available online. Just type “sustainability” in the Culver.org search. Some of the report’s major recommendations follow: Students preparing to replace hundreds of incandescent bulbs in Eppley Auditorium with LEDs.
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The Alumni Advisory Council strongly endorsed creating a Green Revolving Fund — an innovative financing mechanism designed to fund resource- saving projects — and backed it with an initial capital infusion of $130,000.
While the power generated by this pilot system is relatively small compared to Culver’s overall electric needs, what is learned from this system will be used to develop a solid plan for expanding Culver’s renewable power production in the future.
3. Sustainability Prefects
Members of the Alumni Sustainability Council, students and faculty in Culver’s new orchard, after planting 28 fruit trees as part of two CGA seniors’ Service Leadership Project.
“How many high school students can say they have managed a $130,000 innovative financing mechanism, like the Eagle Fund?” he continued. “This project has been a great experience for me and also benefits Culver at the bottom line.” With an average return on investment of more than 20 percent, the first four projects make economic and environmental sense while at the same time providing a great educational opportunity for Culver students. Students will assist the Facilities Team with the physical project and then lead the GRF Committee to monitor and verify energy or resource savings from each project.
During the Spring of 2018, Culver Girls Academy acted on a proposal by Helen Johnston ’18 to create a Sustainability Committee with prefects for each dorm. Currently in its third rotation under the leadership of committee chair Katarina Hone ’19, the committee has several goals, including assisting with the sustainability integration of the new dining services, creating a video to explain sustainability to the Culver community, implementing a dorm composting program as well as an energy competition once the dorm electric sub-meters are installed. “I look forward to building on the work of the previous sustainability committees,” Katarina said. “CGA students want to live and act sustainably. However, it’s not always clear what that means. For example, recycling rules change from time to time. The sustainability committee can help educate our community on best practices.” — Chris Kline ’82, Sustainability Director
In addition to the Eppley relighting project, other projects funded by the Eagle Fund include sub-metering the barracks and dormitories and relighting projects in the Crisp Visual Arts Center, student stores, the Shack and Lay Dining Hall. These initial projects are just the beginning. Students, faculty and staff are busy identifying additional resource savings opportunities on campus and are encouraged to submit ideas to the Eagle Fund team.
2. Solar Panels One very visible step to improve Culver’s sustainability is the installation of a 24kW solar array in the Wellfield Area directly south of the Sgt. Hudson Pasture. This installation is a pilot project designed to both generate power as well as provide a field scale educational opportunity for Culver students. Twenty-four solar panels were installed on each of three arrays, totaling 96 panels in all. Each array can be adjusted along one axis to better track the sun, thereby improving power production. The panels report power use to a web-based software interface enabling both students and Culver’s facilities team to manage and learn how to best optimize the system.
4/10/19
Unlock the possibilities! Get Ready to Give! CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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TEACHING AND LEARNING
From Seas to Stars: Explorations in Science The Culver Science Department is revising
The other class, “Frontiers Deep Space and
What made the event so special were the
the science curriculum to expand its course
Deep Ocean,” focuses on the essential
Culver alumni connections the Carrillos
offerings designed to excite and motivate
question, “How do we know about places
made that will enhance the new Culver
students. All students will take a baseline
and environments that we can’t visit or are
science elective classes. They met with
course in physics, followed by a shortened
difficult to visit, like outer space and the
Dennis Young ’87, the Business Manager of
core set of classes in chemistry and biology.
oceans?” Students will learn about the
the Jet Propulsion Lab, and Dr. Luis Tosi ’05,
They will then diversify and select classes
physical environments of deep space and
a Robotics Mechanical Engineer for NASA,
based on their personal interests.
the deep sea. Through experimentation and
who will serve as a classroom resource for
observation, they will gain an understanding
Culver students. The Europa Lander Study,
of the underlying models and science of
2016 Report will be used as a textbook for
the big questions that guide cutting-edge
the “Frontiers” class, with select readings
research. For instance, students will learn
for students to understand the planning of
to use earth’s oceans as an analog for
deep space missions. Students will be able
searching for life on Europa, one of Jupiter’s
to envision themselves as future technicians
moons. In this lab intensive course, the
and scientists who could become part of
content students will explore is approx-
this actual mission in years to come.
imately 45 percent biology, 35 percent physics and 20 percent chemistry. Jackie and Chris Carrillo pose with a model of the Mars Rover.
hopes to deliver — with a little help from
Pasadena, California, Dr. Chris Carrillo,
Culver alumni!
Two unique project-based classes will be
Carrillo, Curriculum Chair, toured the Jet
offered. “The Martian” is based on the
Propulsion Labora-
popular novel by Andy Weir and film,
tory (JPL) and were
where Matt Damon plays the role of
able to meet many
astronaut Mark Watney, who is stranded on
scientists to discuss
Mars for 560 days, fighting for survival by
their research and
using his knowledge, skills, and creativity.
upcoming missions
Students will be given an inventory of
to Mars and Europa.
supplies with which to address the three
They were also able
challenges that astronaut Watney faces:
to see the Mars
How will they get food? How will they get
2020 Rover being
water? How will they call for help? In this
assembled, visit the
lab intensive course, the content students
Mars Rover testing
will explore is approximately 50% biology
facility and learn
and 50% chemistry.
more about deep space navigation.
WINTER 2019
exactly what the new Science curriculum
At the December One Culver event in Science Department Chair, and Dr. Jackie
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This type of motivation and excitement is
— Dr. Chris Carrillo
Luis Tosi ’05, Chris Carrillo, Jackie Carrillo and Dennis Young ’87 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
New Approaches to World Language Instruction What does it mean to teach World Lan-
important role for the explicit teaching
and clothing, to the more complex topics,
guages and Cultures in 2019? While many
of grammar and vocabulary, which we
such as immigration and environmental
approaches exist for teaching language
learned from the giants of Gignilliat Hall
issues. Language specific curriculum teams
— Comprehensible Input, Total Physical
who preceded us. But we now wrap that
determine the themes with intentional
Response through Storytelling, Traditional
instruction into a communicative frame-
consideration of the language level of the
Grammar, Differentiated Instruction — and
work that emphasizes interpreting and
students. Every teacher in the department
the American Council on the Teaching of
producing the target language. Classroom
has at least one teaching colleague in the
Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency
activities are rooted in student communi-
same language, and multilingual curriculum
guidelines, the World Language Department
cation, with the teacher as a guide while
teams meet to align practices and share
has adopted a blended approach that
students practice language and construct
ideas across languages.
utilizes the best practices of these methods.
meaning in an immersive environment.
Language instruction used to be grounded
By embracing the best language practices,
indicators, such as success in study abroad
solely in the selected textbook, and while it
we have moved away from “chapter
programs and standardized tests, are
is a useful tool, Culver’s language teachers
tests” and now assess using Integrated
positive. Increased numbers of students
are using it as a supplemental resource,
Performance Assessments (IPAs), which
are pursuing elective fourth year courses,
basing their curriculum on culturally rele-
integrate the three modes of communi-
and our students are able to communicate
vant and authentic sources, such as videos,
cation — interpretive, interpersonal, and
in the target language. For Culver’s World
texts, infographics, and films, which are
presentation — wrapped in the framework
Languages and Cultures Department, this is
the springboard for direct grammar and
of the current theme of study, which can
what teaching and learning should look like!
vocabulary instruction. There is still an
range from the basics, such as greetings
The blended approach is working. External
— Cory Barnes, Chairperson
Happy Birthday, Frankenstein! To mark the bicentennial of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, MIT Press
So, when we learned that Culver Academies would be hosting the
has prepared an edition that focuses on the ethical and scientific
Aquila Theatre production of Frankenstein on March 18 of this year,
questions raised by this powerful and provocative classic. According
we wanted to make sure that the community would be ready!
to its editors, “Shelley’s landmark fusion of science, ethics, and literary expression provides
We have engaged in a series of readings and discussions in order to:
an opportunity both to reflect on how science
• celebrate the bicentennial of a defining work of modernity.
is framed and understood by the public and to
• engage our own “broad public” in a conversation concerning
contextualize new scientific and technological
the profound and complex ethical questions raised by the
innovations, especially in an era of synthetic
“scientific and technological innovations” of our time.
biology, genome editing, robotics, machine learning, and regenerative medicine.” “Although Frankenstein is infused with the exhilaration of seemingly unbounded human creativity,” they continue, “it also prompts serious reflection about our individual and collective responsibility for nurturing the products of our creativity and imposing constraints on our capacities to change the world around us.”
• test whether we as a community can engage in a sustained conversation that crosses the boundaries of building, classroom, department, living unit, and playing field. Faculty have been engaged in this work for months. And students will participate in a day-long Frankenfest on March 13th that will include graphic novels, film screenings, scientific presentations, panel discussions, and just a little frankenfun! All will be able to
A profound responsibility, to be sure, and one to which Shelley’s
test Mary Shelley’s self-declared aspiration “to preserve the truth of
novel speaks with special urgency in a school whose mission it is
the elementary principles of human nature.”
to educate for “leadership and responsible citizenship in society.”
— Dr. Kevin MacNeil, Assistant Head of Schools for Learning and Leadership
CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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THE B E AT T GOES ON:
a Century of D&B Tradition Nor is it a coincidence that by 1919, the name and ethos of the musical backbone of the camp had evolved to its present Drum & Bugle Corps. The role of such units in military combat worldwide had been altered by the advent of radio communications, so that by World War I, drum and bugle equipment was being redistributed to scouting groups, veterans organizations and civic groups. This led to a new wave of the instruments being used for solemn occasions, parades, and a growing range of competitive activities across the United States. Initially, much like the CMA band, the Drum & Bugle Corps was drawn from various divisions. By 1922, though, the D&B was attached to the camp’s second battalion and comprised 20 members. The Vedette noted an impressive milestone in 1923: The D&B played on the first day of camp for the first time, a reflection of their strength of training and discipline. By 1924, the camp’s musical outfit was attached to Division I, with 35 members referenced in 1925. The CMA program also added a drum and bugle corps in 1925, under the direction of Woodcraft D&B director Col. Edward Payson.
The D&B provided music for President Lyndon Johnson during Indiana’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1966.
The rich military tradition of fife, drum, and bugle corps may date back to ancient times, but the rhythm so evocative of summer Woodcraft memories at Culver owes its origins to its storied Boy Scouting legacy begun at the end of World War I.
In 1936, D&B became the separate, distinct unit it remains today, its members listed for the first time as a stand-alone unit housed in their own area with dedicated divisional leadership. During this period, Edwin Myers’ 30-plus years’ involvement with the corps began. A section officer before spending nine years as division commander, his record would be beaten only by Dave Mount, who served as DC from 1982-1994. Numbers were growing as well. The D&B boasted 64 members in 1946, swelling to 78 by 1947. Woodcraft legend Maj. Dick
The Culver Woodcraft Drum & Bugle Corps started as the Fife & Drum Corps in 1915, a reflection of the Civil War heritage of such organizations. Those traditions were prevalent in the mind of the Woodcraft Camp’s first director, legendary Boy Scouts of America co-founder Dan Beard. The author of the forthcoming book, “Woodcraft Camps of Dan Beard” by William Kahler, notes that Beard featured fife and drum corps at Scouting camps as early as 1914, adding that photos of Beard’s camp in Hawley, Pennsylvania in 1920 show drum and bugle corps looking nearly identical to Culver’s. That 1915 iteration of what would become the D&B included six members, named in the Vedette as: “Fife: Schwartz,Van Fleet, Harvey. Drum: W. Stephenson, G. Stephenson. Bass drum: Austin.” It’s safe to attribute the D&B’s origins to Beard, who shaped the camp culture through this last year as its director.
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The earliest known photo of the D&B: its predecessor, the Woodcraft Fife & Drum Corps, in 1915.
The D&B in 1959. Maj. E.D. Myers is at lower left. Also visible are Dick Zimmerman, Bruce Oliver, and Ray Stewart.
Zimmerman, who began his camp tenure as a drum instructor in 1951, noted there were seven sections in the D&B with 12 boys per section. “Five days a week we marched and played from the camp, which was behind the chapel then, for SRC and DRC.” “The whole regiment fell in for supper… we marched and got to the dining hall and played until all the divisions went in. We were the last to leave. Any kid in the D&B got a lot of practice!” John Zeglis W’61, NB’64, who praises Zimmerman as his own former cabin counselor, agrees. “I think we (the D&B) made the difference between just a big bunch of kids walking to meals vs. a legitimate ‘corps’ marching as one with some meaning.” “Stand me in front of a drum and bugle corps, and I kind of became another person,” he adds. “It was a thrill having that wall of music and rhythm moving behind me…the sense of leadership — and the confidence that I could do it — has stayed with me.” The Drum & Bugle Corps’ appeal went beyond Culver. In 1933, the D&B, Summer Troop and Naval Band were invited to be part of the opening ceremonies of the World’s Fair in Chicago, exposing them to an audience of grand proportions. Even more prestigious was their joining the Naval Band in playing for President Lyndon B. Johnson at Indiana’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1966. The D&B also performed before a wide array of dignitaries during garrison parades. Other D&B performances include playing at Comiskey Park and Great America in Chicago, in addition to a litany of local and regional parades.
Chap Mitzell ’74, D&B drum major in 1969, revived a cherished component of his experience when his son, Jack, was drum major in 2008. Chap, who also served as the president of the CSSAA, spearheaded the re-creation of the D&B drum major uniform in 2017. Drum majors also carry the “Channing F. Mitzell Honorary Mace” at every Homecoming in honor of Chap’s service on the summer board. Notable D&B alumni include George Steinbrenner ’48, Roger Penske ’50 and Andrew Malcolm ’62. They are part of a rich legacy that former Culver Summer Schools & Camps director Tony Mayfield calls “the ‘glue’ that held us together,” and former Woodcraft Camp director Janet Kline describes as “an elite group.” That legacy grew richer in 2011 when, for the very first time, girls of the Woodcraft Camp played and marched as members of the D&B. The decision to include girls, says Sonny Adkins, Woodcraft Camp director at the time,“… was an easy decision for me to support and communicate the incredible opportunities for both boys and girls.” Heike Spahn, current Woodcraft Director concurs, noting that both Cubs and Butterflies take drum classes and bugle lessons to compete for a coveted spot in the D & B. This is borne out in the high number of D&B members who go on to Culver’s boarding program, particularly the Band. Matt Dwyer ’20 was drum major in the D&B, went on to the Naval Band where he’ll serve as drum major in 2019, and is in the running for drum major in the CMA Band. “Everything that I put all my faith in I got from the D&B,” he says. “It taught me everything I came to love about Culver.” — Jeff Kenney
Mark your calendar for Homecoming Weekend, July 19-21 2019! Book your lodgings now at www.visitmarshallcounty.org/where-to-stay Online registration is at culver.org/Homecoming For more information call the Alumni office at 574-842-7200 or email alumni@culver.org
This year we especially celebrate 100 years of the Drum & Bugle Corps!
FORGING THE SPIRIT OF CULVER
IN THE GREAT WAR
A Defining Moment
In Culver’s 124-year history there have been a multitude of
defining moments that have shaped the character of the school and the values it espouses. However, Culver historians point to the Great War as the defining event that personified the “Spirit of Culver” in action and brought national recognition to the campus. The concept for the “Spirit of Culver” first appeared during that fateful call from Logansport’s mayor requesting assistance during the flood of 1913. Superintendent Lt. Col. Leigh Gignilliat, along with 60 cadets, staff and six naval cutters, braved torrential rainstorms and dangerous, swirling flood waters to rescue 1,500 people before outside help could arrive. The ideals of leadership, social responsibility, character, endurance and compassion that would become the backbone of Culver’s mission became living realities. Upon hearing of the cadets’ heroic exploits in Logansport, as well as visiting his son on several occasions during summer school, S.E. Kiser accepted Gignilliat’s request that he serve as the commencement speaker for the 1913 graduation. In his effort to share the lasting expressions he had formed about Culver, Kiser, a newspaper reporter from Chicago, penned the famous “Spirit of Culver” for his commencement address on June 5, 1913.
who fully supported the idea, the two began to develop the course, researching and creating a detailed curriculum in preparation for the class. In July 2016, they traveled to Ghent, Belgium, to present their interdisciplinary curriculum to the World History Organization, as well as to conduct research and tour the battlefields of the Great War, locating the gravesites of Culver Gold Star men buried in European cemeteries. After the two returned, they partnered with Art Curator and Fine Arts instructor Bob Nowalk and Culver Museum Historian Jeff Kenney to form “The WWI Committee” and began scavenging the Culver campus for artifacts and knowledge to deepen their understanding of the impact the war had on Culver. In 2012, Nowalk and Kenney discovered a box of Gold Star portraits that had been stored and basically forgotten. The four met, along with some interested students, to officially open the paper box on November 9, 2016, and view the original Gold Star portraits for the first time since 1954. Once archival restoration funds were secured, the restoration process began and plans were made to display the Gold Star portraits on campus.
While the “hope to win and the zeal to dare” first appeared in practice on the battlefields of France, the “Spirit of Culver” epitomized the heroic deeds and character not only of the 85 Gold Star men of the Great War, but also all 3,500 alumni, who understood the need for selfless service and a sense of duty to their country that still resonates today. The impact of the Great War is still visible throughout the campus in buildings like Chateau-Thierry and Argonne dormitories and the renovated Legion Memorial building with the names of the Culver men who died in the war displayed prominently in the foyer.
Each committee member began completing individual, as well as group, research on the story of each Gold Star man, using one of the key reference books from 1930, “Culver in the World War.” This publication, which was created with the assistance of the Adjutant General’s office in Washington, D.C., provided an invaluable record of the military service of all Culver alumni. Upon reading the accounts of C.C. Chambers, F. L. Hunt and Leigh Gignilliat regarding the impact the Great War had on Culver, Christlieb was inspired to recreate the original 1924 dedication ceremony of the Legion Memorial building, which was built to honor the sacrifice of the Gold Star men of Culver, as well as promote the “Spirit of Culver” in future generations.
In August 2014, when the centennial of the Great War began, Culver Humanities instructors John Buggeln and Gary Christlieb created a new senior elective course proposal called “Character, Leadership & the Great War” to help students bridge the school’s history from the early 20th century to the present day. After presenting the course concept to Culver’s academic administrators,
He began by contacting the embassies of the six countries that had participated in the original ceremony: Great Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Serbia and Romania. When all six had accepted the invitation, more detailed planning for a commemoration of the end of the Great War of 1918 and its continued impact on Culver began.
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Preparing for War In the years leading up to WWI, unquestionably the single figure who most galvanized Culver’s preparation for, participation in, and commemoration of the Great War, was Lt. Col. Leigh R. Gignilliat (Gignilliat was promoted to general following his WWI service). Gignilliat — who came to Culver as the commandant in 1897 and served as superintendent from 1910 until his retirement in Leigh R. Gignilliat 1939 — facilitated his vision of molding “citizen soldiers” almost immediately by way of training exercises in disciplines ranging from artillery and bridge-building, to wireless communications and trench warfare, long before the shadow of the Great War grew over Europe.
In the years prior to the war, Gignilliat articulated his vision with increasing frequency by way of magazine and newspaper articles and speeches, culminating with the 1916 publication of “Arms and the Boy.” The book included an introduction by Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, whose confidence in Gignilliat had already been validated the year before when the Indiana Department of Education endorsed Gignilliat’s proposal for a military training camp at Culver for 200 high school-age boys from Indiana, led by cadet officers. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Leonard Wood was impressed with the endeavor during a visit to Culver. The camps continued successfully for the next two years, with around 500 boys enrolled each year.
That discipline and training was on display before the eyes of the nation in March 1913 when CMA made its first appearance in a presidential inaugural parade and three weeks later rescued nearly 1,500 people in Logansport during the great flood. One of those who took part in rescue efforts — a stowaway, in fact, initially deemed too small in stature to be of adequate assistance in the dangerous flood — was cadet Elliott White Springs ’13. Springs achieved great renown during World War I as a flying ace and recipient of the British Distinguished Flying Cross and the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross. Springs’ dramatic account of his experiences, “Diary of an Unknown Aviator,” propelled him to even greater fame.
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Aerial shot of Culver’s 1915 Woodrow Wilson Preparedness Camp.
That first training camp also gave rise to the Culver Legion as the moniker for the school’s longstanding alumni organization. When the War Department created the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or ROTC, as part of the National Defense Act of 1916, it recognized Gignilliat and Culver as leading lights in the movement. Culver was among the few secondary schools authorized to maintain ROTC units, which it did for decades to follow.
Entering the War (1917-18) When America entered the Great War in 1917, more than half of Culver’s alumni — nearly 3,500 men (from CMA and Culver Summer Schools) served. From their ranks, 39 percent would become commissioned officers and 18 percent non-commissioned officers. During the war, those men earned 15 Distinguished Service Crosses; 54 Silver Stars; four Navy Crosses; three Distinguished Service Medals; 34 Croix de Guerres; and one Distinguished Flying Cross.
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More than 20 Culver waiters served in WWI.
In all, 85 Culver men lost their lives in the war and were eventually added to the list of Gold Star men enshrined on campus and read aloud at each Memorial Day ceremony.
Additionally, The Vedette reported on “Culver Waiters in the Service.” After discussing specific military service and names of more than 20 waiters, the article concluded, “Their 100 percent service roll speaks for their patriotism, and Culver is proud of their record.” “Culver in the World War” also recognized the self-sacrifice of those who remained on campus, specifically the commandant of cadets, acting superintendent, and alumni who returned as tactical officers. The book does not, and perhaps could not, tally all the efforts made by so many others in Culver and on the home front (such as Charles Lathrop Pack’s War Garden movement. David Burpee ’13 contributed significantly to this movement through his family’s business, the W. Atlee Burpee Seed Co.) as a whole. Friends, family, and fellow citizens also made sacrifices, served in their own way, and remembered the meaning of the stars.
The marble tablet with the names of Culver’s Gold Star men, unveiled in 1924.
Additionally, there were 48 “persons of the Academy organization” who saw action, including two nurses: Ann Louise Luthringer and Maud Ann Spangler. Although the 1930 book “Culver in the World War” did not denote non-professional staff, the Gold Star Honor Roll of Indiana includes one Marshall County man, Earnest Arthur Anderson, who worked at Culver.
Capt. Donald Duncan ’07 was commander of 96th Company of the 6th Regiment of Marines in the battle for Belleau Wood. After securing the village of Bouresches on June 6, 1918, Duncan saw his battalion pinned down at the wood’s edge and attacked with his company to support the endangered battalion. He was killed by a German machine gun and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross for his actions.
Gignilliat, who had also been called to active duty, returned from France in 1919 a colonel after serving as the assistant chief of staff for the 37th Division and a post-war assignment as the officer in charge of the Allied Food Commission. In recognition of his service to his nation, Gignilliat was promoted to Brigadier General in the Officer Reserve Corps in 1922. In 1936, he became a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Reserve.
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World Recognition of Culver’s Contributions the war or were escorted in off-campus settings by one body or another of Culver cadets.
Culver cadets line Academy Road awaiting Gen. Pershing’s motorcade in 1922.
After the war, Gignilliat tried several times to schedule a visit by Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing. His efforts were finally rewarded on December 7, 1922. Pershing, who had commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I and been voted the most popular man in America following the war, was promoted to General of the Armies, the highest possible rank in
Gen. Pershing and Brig. Gen. Gignilliat at Main Guard.
the U.S. Armed Forces and one created specifically for him. Pershing’s five-hour visit included a campus tour and review of the corps of cadets. He decorated Gignilliat with the Distinguished Service Medal for his war service, and Culver executive officer Col. Cal Chambers with the Distinguished Service Cross. Pershing was one of a succession of notable military figures and international dignitaries who either visited Culver following
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They ranged from French Gen. Charles-Jean-Marie Payot to high-ranking officials like WWI Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch and future Army Chief of Staff George Marshall. Some, like Army Maj. Gen. Omar Bundy and Marine Maj. Gen. John Lejeune, were present for the dedication of the Legion Memorial building in 1924 (as was Navy Adm. Hugh Rodman, who would later lead Culver’s Summer Schools). Many of these dignitaries planted trees — some of which still stand along the lakeshore — each memorializing one French Gen. Charles-Jean-Marie of Culver’s Gold Star men. Payot greets a cadet. Gignilliat’s post-war activities were one of the reasons so many people visited Culver. He was one of the influential individuals behind the construction of the Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis; active in the American Legion and its international counterpart, the Fédération Interalliée des Anciens Combattants (Interallied Federation of Veterans, or FIDAC), serving with the highest rank an American could achieve in that organization. When “Culver in the World War” was published, it detailed the service records of the Culver men who took part in World War I, the school’s contributions during and before the war, and Gignilliat’s role. In the introduction letters from Pershing and Newton Baker, Baker paid special attention to the training of Culver men before the war and declared Culver “an essential part of our national defense.” Front cover of the 1930 book, “Culver in the World War”
War Reshapes Culver’s Campus The echoes of the voices and footfalls of the Culver alumni and visiting dignitaries associated with the Great War may be but distant memories, but the campus itself serves, in part, as a living memorial to their legacy.
would see completion. From its first days serving in part as the school’s new library, nearly every architectural feature spoke of some facet of the story of Culver and the war. The Legion Memorial also set the precedent for construction of the Memorial Chapel, completed in 1951, to honor the Gold Star men from World War II. The path upon which Pershing walked to plant his own contributions to the memorial trees adjacent to the Legion Building (some of which still stand near the lake shore) was marked in perpetuity as Pershing Walk, in honor of the occasion.
The Argonne and Chateau Thierry Barracks
That process began in 1919 when work started on the new barrack needed to accommodate Culver’s growing student body. Argonne and Chateau-Thierry, named for the two Great War battles in which the most Culver men were lost, also represented the first barracks bearing a name not indicating direction or location, as all previous barrack buildings had.
The Legion Memorial Building
Gen. Pershing (with shovel) planting a tree during his 1922 campus visit.
O Gold Star Hero Lt. John (Jack) Schneider ’17 was called to active duty two weeks after enlisting in the Marines Reserves, just after graduating from Culver. He was assigned to the 6th Marine Regiment and was wounded in action on Nov. 1, 1918, dying two days later. His Distinguished Service Cross citation noted that, “although painfully wounded, he continued to advance with his command until he was wounded a second time.” He had also received a Silver Star and the French Croix de Guerre.
Today, the plaque and signal gun near the chapel are a reminder of the story of the pre-war training camps at Culver. The Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies — annual touchstones of the Culver experience — persist as part of the ongoing legacy of one of the milestone events in the history of a school whose commitment to excellence and servant leadership became unmistakable to the world a century ago.
That same year, the cornerstone of the Legion Memorial, the signature campus structure built to honor the Gold Star men, was laid. It would be five more years before the building, modeled after the Herstmonceux Castle in England,
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Passing the Torch A centennial with its round “100” number gives us a moment to pause, recognize, and reflect on the significance of the Great War to Culver, our nation, and the world. Although American historians have called World War I the forgotten war, 100 years later it continues to cast its shadow on our world. The Great War demonstrated the concept of total war with its significant effects on the home front, the power of the state, and the century’s first genocide in Armenia. Empires collapsed and leaders redrew maps. New states, such as the Soviet Union, emerged and a crisis in Islam rocked the Middle East. Women increased their participation in the war efforts and gained the right to vote. Influenza, spread by the interconnections of a global war, killed more millions than the war itself. New technologies, including the airplane, trucking, new medicines, and the telephone transformed societies. Here at Culver in the early 21st century, the shadows of the Great War can be harder to discern, even as we move past the Argonne and Chateau-Thierry dormitories and the Legion Memorial building. Jay Winter, a prominent Yale historian of the war, has discussed a “memory boom,” which has propelled the development of popular history, memorials, and museums over the last couple decades. He traces its origins back to World War I and sees it developing along four stages: the constructive phase builds monuments, the second institutionalizes memory, the third either transforms sites of memory or they disappear. A fourth stage requires “re-inscription” by subsequent generations who inherit and generate new meanings for commemoration to continue. In the annual Veterans Day Ceremony on the anniversary of the end of World War I and this year’s special centennial commemoration, Culver re-inscribed a central story for the school, country, and world. Those efforts wrote many new stories.
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Students laid wreaths at the graves of Culver graduates during a school Global Pathways Spring trip to France and the European Union. A special exhibit in the Crisp Visual Arts Center restored Gold Star portraits and provided a greater understanding with items from the collection. Additionally, students wrote biographies of Culver Gold Star men for the exhibit. The Global Studies Institute hosted seminars with experts: Michael Neiberg of the Army War College discussed the causes and legacy of the war; Author Andrew Carroll spoke about the experience of war and his war letters project; Jim Theres, the producer and director of the documentary “The Hello Girls,” highlighted the role of women telephone operators in
Allied representatives answer questions about WWI’s impact on their countries.
the war and the quest for women’s rights. Eppley Auditorium hosted a film series. A Huffington Concert Series performance by Stephen Lang, called “Beyond Glory,” presented the stories of Medal of Honor recipients, with an additional representation of a World War I veteran. The military dignitaries who attended this year’s Veterans Day weekend discussed leadership in their respective militaries and answered questions from students in three concurrent seminars.
a special edition on “100 years of tradition” about Culver and Veterans Day. All these events made the past personal, like the experience at
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The Armistice Centennial Dinner in the Legion Memorial Building.
Culver makes education personal. In his remarks to the community on Veterans Day, Col. Alexander P. Shine (U.S. Army, retired), former Commandant of Cadets, cited John McRae’s famous poem “In Flanders Fields,” traditionally read by a CGA leader and added to the largely unchanged ceremony after the founding of the Girls Academy. Shine challenged all with the imagery of lines in the poem, “To you…we throw the torch.”
Alexander Mathews ’14 volunteered for the new Aviation Service in March, 1917. He was assigned to the 84th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and was credited with downing at least three enemy aircraft. He was killed by a German bomb on the night of Aug. 24, one day after his 23rd birthday. He was laid to rest in the National Cemetery at Arlington,VA.
He connected those words to a phrase from the film “Saving Private Ryan”: Gen. John Woodmansee Jr. ‘52 meets cadets following retreat.
They and prominent alumni such as U.S. Army Gen. John W. “Jack” Woodmansee, Jr. (Ret.) ’52 shared their experiences and views with the community. Paul Gignilliat ’49 represented a direct link to Gold Star families, through his grand-uncle William Fleet, who died in the war, and his grandfather, Gen. Leigh Gignilliat. An honor guard of CMA and CGA students welcomed guests to the Legion Memorial building for a special Armistice Centennial Dinner on Saturday night. The Vedette created
“You and I here today ‘earn this’ every day that we live our lives the best we can…. when we have the courage to challenge the wrongs…in ourselves as well as in others; when we seek to live and build into our characters the moral tenets of our faiths and our nation’s ideals so well reflected in the Culver Honor Code; the Code of Conduct; the Spirit of Culver, and the Cardinal Virtues of wisdom, courage, justice, and moderation.” In his commemoration of the Great War and Veterans Day, Shine exhorted all to “take up the torch” and “keep faith with those who lie in Flanders Fields, and make the part of the world we inhabit each day a better place.”
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“They shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. The Veterans Day weekend was truly a “One Culver” event in terms of multiple groups and individuals, including Alumni, Advancement, Facilities, Military Activities, the Head of Schools office and Communications, doing their part to ensure that each facet of the ceremony and weekend activities went smoothly. Upon reflecting on his visit to Culver for the Veterans Day weekend, Maj. Niall McCracken of the British Royal Engineers noted, “It was a truly great weekend that commemorated the sacrifice of our forefathers with style and reverence. I particularly enjoyed engaging with your students, each of whom represented the standards and ideals of Culver with aplomb.” What began as a motivation to ensure that the 85 men who lived the “Spirit of Culver” were not forgotten transformed into an entire year of honoring their sacrifice and more. The commemoration of the Great War helped the community gain a greater appreciation of the continued legacy of the war, the sacrifices made, and the Spirit of Culver carried on through traditions in new ways. — Dr. John Buggeln, Gary Christlieb, Jeff Kenney
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From the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them.” From “The Fallen” by Robert Laurence Binyon
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THE WWI GOLD STAR MEN OF CULVER An exhibition of recently found portraits of fallen Culver soldiers connects today’s students to the past
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When Leigh Gignilliat prepared to sail home from Europe in July 1919, any enthusiasm for the Allied victory he had participated in was most likely tempered by a growing awareness of the loss of so many Culver men, principal among them, his brother-in-law, William Alexander Fleet, who perished in the battle for Arras on May 18, 1918. After serving as commandant of Culver Military Academy and in Culver Summer School for more than 20 years, Gignilliat undoubtedly knew the faces and names of all of the Culver men responding to America’s need for a fighting force. Like any good teacher, these were his boys, many of whom he watched grow into manhood. In the opening paragraphs of his essay “Culver’s Contribution to National Defense,” published in “Culver in the World War,” Gignilliat spoke touchingly of his experience, “My own feeling of affection for them and of pride in the way they acquitted themselves transcends expression and is for the heart rather than the printed page. I think of them, Gold Star Men and all, as still marching on in that ever lengthening column of former Culver cadets; only some have gone a bit further on, leaving their names and sacrifices to be enshrined in the imperishable traditions of their school.” — Culver in the World War, 1930, page 11.
Gignilliat deeply believed in Culver’s role in each alumnus’s personal response to the war effort. The concept of honoring the war dead through the construction of a Gold Star room in the Culver Legion Memorial Building was one idea he embraced. When the building was dedicated on November 2, 1924, a photograph of each of the 62 Gold Star men, surrounding a marble tablet with inscribed names, hung in the Gold Star room.
The concept of honoring the war dead through the construction of a Gold Star room in the Culver Legion Memorial Building was an idea Leigh Gignilliat greatly embraced. registered 25 portraits complete. The number needed, however, continued to grow. While preparing the Culver Legion’s publication of “Culver in the World War,” Colonel C.C Chambers’ ongoing research brought new names to light, lengthening the list of Gold Star men. By December 1928, Poe had completed 68 of 70 known Culver Gold Star Men and Gignilliat suspended the project. At the time of the 1930 publication of Culver in the World War, 85 Gold Star men had been identified, but only 68 faces adorned the Gold Star room. Why the project was not concluded is unknown, but a letter from Gignilliat to Hugh Poe in 1933 hints that the reason was financial. The original Legion Memorial Gold Star room dedicated in 1924.
The photographs, created in a uniform size and style by Moffett Studios in Chicago, were sepia-toned copies of formal and informal Service Portraits mainly sent by family members of the deceased. Unfortunately, given the variety of sources for each photograph, the overall effect felt uneven. Recognizing that art has the power to keep a person’s presence alive in the world of the living, Gignilliat invited a 23-year-old artist from Indianapolis, Hugh Poe, to visit the campus. Gignilliat met Poe at the opening exhibition of the Hoosier Salon at Marshall Field’s in Chicago, where Poe had garnered attention for his artwork and Culver Military Academy had sponsored a prize. Poe received a commission to create pastel portraits of each of the Gold Star Men, correcting their dress to reflect the uniform in which they served. Provided with a studio in East Barrack, Poe signed a contract to paint 63 — an additional Gold Star man had been identified — 12” x 15” pastel portraits on board, at a rate of $24.20 per portrait. He began work in the Spring of 1925. Working from the sepia-toned photographs with notes written by the families of the deceased regarding the color of eyes, hair and skin, Poe completed several portraits in the first few months. The task of interpreting the monochromatic portraits in color, however, proved more difficult than expected. Some portraits viewed by relatives of the deceased were praised overwhelmingly while others were rejected outright and needed to be redone. Finished portraits were sent for framing, and by April 14, 1927, having moved his studio to one of the towers in the Recreation Building, dubbed “Culver’s Greenwich Village” by the cadets, Poe
“The depression has affected us like it has all schools in the matter of enrollment … Plans for redecorating the Gold Star Room, like everything else, is at a stand still just now. When times get better and there seems to be a chance of anything being done there, I will let you know, and shall certainly be glad to see you have a hand in it.” — Letter to Hugh Poe, February 23, 1933
2nd Lt. William Alexander Fleet CMA 1900 Killed in Action, May 8, 1918
REMOVAL AND LOSS Space forever being at a premium at Culver, pressure to make the Gold Star Room less of a memorial and more a usable place of study began in the years before Gignilliat’s retirement in 1939. Talk of removing the portraits and simply carving the names of the dead into the wall in wood or stone was anathema to the general. In a strongly worded appeal to Col. Elliott, dated July 24, 1939, Gignilliat argued, “…my personal feeling is, and very strong, that it would be a mistake to eliminate the pictures.” Elliott acquiesced to the general’s plea, but in the early 1950s, after Gignilliat left this world for his eternal rest, the pictures were removed, taken from their frames and stacked in a box. The Gold Star room became a place of study accommodating CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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There is certain realization that transcends the call that follows the Memorial Day ceremonies.The roots of One Culver rest deep withi
the book collection of C.S.Young. The box of portraits was placed in an unidentified storage vault. Passed over in the 1975, 1982 and 1994 appraisals, the box containing the portraits was, it seems, forgotten, finding mention just once in the decades following their removal. In a 1986 note to Superintendent Ralph Manuel, former Superintendent John Mars mentions seeing the box of portraits in a vault on campus and taking three of the portraits out of their box to show to several art experts, including Jean Williams, widow of former Visual Arts instructor Warner Williams. After placing the portraits back in the vault in the Culver Legion Memorial Library, Mars suggests the portraits may have some value, but nothing else is noted. Eventually, when the library moved to the present Huffington Library, the box along with several other boxes of alumni memorabilia, found its way to the basement of Eppley Auditorium, where it sat, unknown, for nearly two decades.
RESTORATION In October 2011, while researching images for the 2012 Woodcraft Centennial Celebration, Culver History Curator Jeff Kenney and I, as Art Collection Curator, were working in the basement of Culver Academies’ Eppley Auditorium when a box under a table across the room caught my eye as I sat on the ground perusing a yearbook from 1913. On a faded yellow label, 2nd Lt. Walter Dabney Frazier, partially blocked by another Marine Corps box, the word “Gold” was CMA 1916 visible above the word “Port.” Killed in Action June 6, 1918 Gingerly moving the other box aside, the label marked Gold Star portraits appeared under the table. Pastels being capable of easy damage if moved too abruptly, the string holding the box was slowly unwound and the box opened revealing a single Gold Star Portrait lying on top of a stack of similar sized boards. Closing the box completely, Jeff and I cleared a space and gently placed it on a table. After some consultation to quell the excitement, we walked the box from the
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basement of Eppley Auditorium to the Archive in the Crisp Visual Art Center. Research into the story behind the portraits began immediately. Not wanting to take the risk of sorting through the box without an expert on hand, as there was no certainty of any of the portraits below the initial portrait being readable, we decided to allow the portraits to rest in the archival 2nd Lt. Charles Henry Ulmer, environment until a conservaCorps tor could be present. We located Marine CMA 1916, SNS 1911, SCS 1912 several files detailing the history Killed in Action June 8, 1918 of the portraits, including letters exchanged between Leigh Gignilliat and Hugh Poe. We settled on a measured approach to any possible restoration of the contents of the box. Our highest hope imagined a possible display during the 100th anniversary of the Armistice in 2018. Given the importance of the portraits and the possibility of damage under the initial portrait, we decided to plan a teachable moment by bringing students, staff, and alumni together, with a conservator, to open the box. This would require two things: a competent conservator and funding, should the portraits be capable of restoration. Conservator Monica Radecki, of South Bend, accepted the opportunity to play a part in the opening of the Gold Star Portrait box. She recognized that this would be a risk, but at the least would make students aware of the care and handling of precious artwork.
Captain Donald Francis Duncan, Marine Corps. CMA 1907 Killed in Action June 6, 1918
It took several years to find a funding source, but, finally, on October 10, 2016, Radecki opened the box in the presence of a gathering of students, staff and alumni in the Toots Henderson Auditorium. Fortunately,
annual reading of the names of our Gold Star recipients during our in a reading of the faces and names of the Gold Star Men of World War I.
The experience of seeing the restored portraits is revelatory. An important window into the history of Culver, the exhibition will remain in the gallery until the conclusion of Culver Summer School on August 2, 2019.
CGA students viewing the Gold Star portraits and biographies.
the opening revealed tissue interleaves between the portraits. This gave those gathered hope for more than one portrait to emerge undisturbed. After the first row of seats in the auditorium were cleared, the portraits were placed on the front table, one by one. As each portrait emerged, the names of the deceased, written on the back of each board, were announced. Radecki spoke about the condition and quality of each portrait, noting any needed attention to fix mishaps.
Culver parents often talk about the Culver experience being transformative in the lives of their children. We, the staff and instructors, talk about the Virtues: Wisdom born of Knowledge, Justice steeped in Compassion and Courage lived in Truth. Our Communications Department describes our overlapping summer and winter constituencies as One Culver. All of this merges when walking into the Wolfe Gallery. While viewing the portraits, there is certain realization that transcends the call that follows the annual reading of the names of our Gold Star recipients during Memorial Day, “They died in the service of their country.” The roots of One Culver rest deep within a reading of the faces and names of the Gold Star Men of World War I. — Robert Nowalk, Culver Art Collection Curator The Gold Star portraits exhibit is on view through August 2, 2019.
After an hour, 68 portraits had been lifted from the box. All, but one, identified by name. The overall damage was determined to be slight and restorable. Replaced in containers holding 8 to 10 portraits with new tissue, the portraits were returned to the Archive. In the summer of 2017, drawing from a posthumous gift by the late Richard Ford, of Wabash, Indiana, Radecki Studios in South Bend conserved and framed the portraits for the World War I Centennial. The exhibition of the portraits “Hear Now the Roll Call, Gold Star Men of Culver,World War One,” opened in the Wolfe Gallery of the Crisp Visual Art Center on November 10, 2018.
CMA cadet reflecting on the lives and sacrifice of the Culver Gold Star men.
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AMERICA ON THE HOME FRONT An exhibition at Culver’s Crisp Visual Arts Center displays how American civilians were encouraged to contribute to the war effort.
When America entered the Great War in
1917, few means of mass communication delivered the news better than print media. Movies were silent, and the popular use of radio and television transmissions were still many years away. Personal communication through letters, telegrams, and telephone calls aside, news about the war and actions to be done on the home front were communicated publicly through newspapers, magazines, sheet music and posters placed in public locations. American civilians were encouraged to contribute to the war effort in two basic ways: by conserving resources and buying bonds.The posters in the rotunda and hallway of the Crisp Visual Arts Center reflect both of these.
Perhaps the easiest understood directive was the need for food to be sent abroad, not just to support our troops, but for our allies as well. After three years of war, much of Europe was on the brink of famine. America, with its abundance of farm production, could continue to feed America while also providing surplus food to our troops and European Allies. The United States Food Administration, forerunner to the USFDA, recognized this task as achievable if Americans conserved “Wheat, Meat, Fats, and Sugars.” In addition to cutting back on the use of sugar, butter and lard, The USFA asked Americans to observe two “wheatless” days each week and one “wheatless” meal each day, one “meatless” day and two “porkless” days each week and one “meatless” meal each day. Sacrifices such as these put all Americans into the war effort and galvanized support for the American Armed Forces. Capital to support the war effort, on the other hand, could not come from taxes alone. Congress found it necessary for the U.S. government to issue Liberty Bonds as a means of addressing the price of America’s involvement in the European conflict.
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Viewed as an example of America’s voice on the Home Front, these posters evoke the cultural turmoil Americans were experiencing when first called upon the world’s stage as a political and economic power. In effect, the expense of war would be paid through loans from U.S. citizens. The first issue sought to raise $1.9 billion by promising a 3.5% return with the first $30,000 in bonds being tax exempt. Public reception, however, was lukewarm to the prospect of loaning money with a 30-year maturity, redeemable after 15 years. Though eventually $2 billion in bonds sold, in less than 6 months, the Second Liberty Loan sought to raise an additional $3.8 billion at 4% interest with no tax exemption. This bond offered 25-year maturity, redeemable after 10 years. A Third and Fourth Liberty Loan followed with slightly increasing interest. By 1919, the U.S Government had issued $16.7 billion in bonds. The necessary issue of a Third Liberty Loan resulted in a concerted effort to publicize the offering. Over 9 million posters, 5 million window stickers and 10 million buttons encouraged participation. The posters on display draw from this group, reflecting a number of avenues of appeal such as family, patriotism, the immigrant experience and the American need to right an existing wrong. Many artists commissioned to contribute images produced stunningly unforgettable posters. J.C Lydecker’s design addressing the Boy Scouts of America’s support for the Liberty Loan Program is an undeniably powerful image connecting the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” to the arming of Columbia, the mythic
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personification of American might. Sidney Riesenberg’s Over the Top for You brings the war experience of American soldiers in Europe directly to the people on the homefront by wrapping a forward surging Doughboy in an American flag to remind America for whom he serves. Though it is unknown which artist created the poster addressing Immigrant America, the effort targets the rising fortunes of the America’s newest residents by giving them a place in support of the freedom they enjoy. Each of these images encouraging food conservation and public finance is effective means of communication. Though some border on propaganda by inciting hatred for the Central Powers, war is not an easy environment for friend or foe.Viewed as an example of America’s voice on the Home Front, these posters, taken as a whole, evoke the cultural turmoil Americans were experiencing when first called upon the world’s stage as a political and economic world power.
After the posters were found, they were conserved through the generous support of James Dicke II ’64
— Robert Nowalk The WWI posters exhibit is on view through August 2, 2019.
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T
the War Garden
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R TH O I B E F H
For one culver graduate, i
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the war was won in the farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s field By Mike Petrucelli
David Burpee ’13, only two years out of Culver when his father died, left college to assume leadership of the family seed company.
A
lmost 60 years after World War I ended, the commandant’s letter seems like it still rankled. Or maybe not. Maybe David Burpee CMA ’13 was simply having the last word. “One of the most unpleasant things I have ever had to do was to stay out of World War I. I had gone to military school and was of the age,” Burpee wrote in a 1975 note from the W. Atlee Burpee Company Records that are now part of a collection at the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens.
Military service was certainly an honorable end to which a Culver career could lead, but the military nature of Culver was also a means to other honorable ends of service. In Burpee’s case, it was fulfilling a duty to his family, and, as would become evident, a duty to his country that resulted in a legacy that built American strength not just in the Great War but also in the as yet inconceivable Second World War. “Food will win the war, we were told by Washington and I decided the best way I could help our country’s war effort was by showing people how to grow a good share of their food right in their own back yards. To dramatize this, I set up what we called War Gardens in a number of cities,” Burpee wrote in a piece, excerpted on the Burpee Seed Co. website, from the book “Biographical Sketches of Extraordinary Burpees from North America,” by David A. Burpee, a different David than Culver’s (Trafford, 2011).
He continues: “The Commandant of the school wrote me two rather stiff letters urging that I join the Army. “After I explained to the Commandant that my Father had died, my brother (W. Atlee Burpee, Jr., CMA ’13) entered the Navy, and under selective service I had been classified as necessary sole managing head of necessary industrial enterprise, he wrote that everyone else was in the ‘same position.’ ” It’s unclear if by “commandant” Burpee was referring to Superintendent Gen. Leigh Gignilliat, or one of the actual commandants who would have been at Culver during Burpee’s time as a student or after. But such was Culver’s fervor for service in the war effort that even the U.S. government refusing to enlist Burpee after he volunteered was not considered an acceptable course of action.
Throughout the country during World War I, leaflets exhorted people to grow as much food as possible.
War Gardens. Many people now still remember hearing their great-grandparents, grandparents, or parents talking about tending Victory Gardens, which became prevalent during World War II. That movement, which Burpee was also heavily involved in, grew out of the original War Gardens of World War I.
President Woodrow Wilson first exhorted Americans to garden to alleviate possible shortages, according to the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Gardens. It became a full-blown movement, and “millions of Americans helped the war effort by turning front yards, backyards, schoolyards, and vacant lots into vegetable gardens. These home front projects allowed every American to dig in to win.”
Photo from “Gardening For The Common Good,” Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, W. Atlee Burpee Company Records
Luckily for America, Uncle Sam’s focus wasn’t quite so narrow. That “necessary industrial enterprise” was the Burpee brothers’ family seed business, started by their father, W. Atlee Burpee and Co. David Burpee dropped out of Cornell University to assume leadership of the company after his father’s death in 1915. What made the company, at that point, so necessary was that sources of vegetable and fruit seeds from Europe were limited or cut off entirely, making the United States the largest seed producer in the world at that time. And with the U.S. preparing for its role in the war, America was going to need all the food it could farm. “I was convinced that I was doing my duty by staying in the seed business,” Burpee concluded. “At the age of 23 it was a hard duty, especially with my friends in uniform and me just a civilian.” But Burpee was anything but “just a civilian.” As Culver’s advertisements and catalogs in Burpee’s day proclaimed: Culver was established “with the view of helping the boys of the present day to secure the education which would best fit them for college or university, or for an honorable and useful business career.”
Burpee himself worked to set up examples of War Gardens in major cities to demonstrate home gardening for people who may not necessarily know how. “The biggest attention-getter was the one in New York. It was in Union Square, directly opposite an imitation battleship bristling with wooden guns aimed at the tomatoes and cabbages. It was a huge success. I would guess that that garden alone must have started thousands of people gardening,” he wrote. Burpee may not have seen battlefields, but his finest hour arguably came on different fields, ones filled with fruits and vegetables and flowers, that ultimately galvanized other Americans into self-sufficiency and service to their country at the right time.
LEFT: Burpee, a supporter of Charles Lathrop Pack’s War Garden movement, organized demonstrations across America. Photo from “The War Garden Victorious by Charles Lathrop Pack, (J.P. Lippincott Co., 1919).
FALL TEAMS COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS Culver student-athletes closed out the fall season with two teams making return trips to the state finals, CGA soccer reaching the regional finals, and the rowing and sailing teams making news at the national level. The fall college signing period also saw 14 seniors/first-classmen announce their decisions. Sports represented during the November announcements were CMA lacrosse with 10 players, and one each for CMA basketball, CGA hockey, and CMA and CGA rowing. Go to culver.org/athletics/athletic-news for regular updates. — Compiled by Kirk Brown
Rowing has historic weekend Culver Rowing had an historic weekend in October at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Massachusetts. CMA brought home its first HOCR medal, finishing fifth in the men’s youth fours division in just its second appearance at the HOCR. CGA finished 72nd overall in its first ever appearance. The Head of the Charles Regatta is the largest two-day rowing event in the world, attracting an international field.
Back-to-back state finals
Sailing qualifies for nationals Culver Sailing took first place at the Lake Forest Halloween Spectacular Regatta, a Midwest Interscholastic Sailing Association qualifier event. The win places them in the Great Lakes conference championship and earned the team a first-time bid to the nationals at the Atlantic Coast Championship at Annapolis, Maryland in November.
Brittain-Watts joins 1,000-point club CMA basketball guard Ethan Brittain-Watts ’19 (Indianapolis) joined the 1,000-point club during the Eagles’ game against Mishawaka Marian. Watts is the sixth player to break that plateau, joining Mitch Henderson ’94, Jackson Atoyebi ’01, Juwan Brescacin ’11, Jermaine Myers ’12, and Ignas Masiulionis ’17. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Boston University next season.
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The CGA golf team advanced to the state finals for the second straight year after posting a program record low of 309 to win the Lafayette regional. CGA finished eighth overall at the twoday state tournament. Sophomore Reese Wilson (Chicago) posted CGA’s lowest individual score, tying for ninth individually. Both the team and Wilson improved their final positions by one spot from the previous year.
Two more records CGA swimmer Autumn Baumgartner (Argos, Indiana) put a few more records in her back pocket during the Wawasee Invitational in early December. Baumgartner posted a 23.78 in the 50-yard freestyle, setting a new Wawasee pool record and CGA team record. The old pool record was 24.02, set in 1997. The CGA record was 23.96, set in 1993 by Beth Zeman Stohlmann ’94. She also posted a 58.28 in the 100-yard backstroke, setting a new CGA record. The old mark was 58.49, set in 1992 by Stohlman.
CGA soccer advances to regional final CGA won the sectional with a 6-2 victory over West Lafayette, then defeated NorthWood in first round of the regional, 2-1. The Eagles’ tournament run came to an end when South Bend St. Joseph beat them, 4-2, in the regional championship. CMA advanced to the sectional championship, losing to St. Joe, 2-1. It was the first time since 2015 that both CGA and CMA had reached the sectional championship game.
Another state appearance The 23rd-ranked CMA tennis team upset No. 11 Munster to earn its second straight trip to state finals. It was the fourth state tournament appearance in the past five years for the Eagles. CMA fell to the No. 3 North Central in the quarterfinals.
Players honored Two CMA football players were honored with allstate recognition by the Indiana Football Coaches Association. Deontae Craig ’20 was one of just 10 underclassmen named to the IFCA’s Top 50 team and Amari Curtis ’19 was named to the IFCA’s All-State team as an offensive lineman. Curtis and Emmett King ’19 have also been named Region 2 all-stars, making them eligible to be named to the North squad for the Indiana NorthSouth All-Star this summer. Final selections will be made this spring. CMA also had six players named Academic All-State.
Wrestling advances 10 Six wrestlers captured sectional titles, while three more finished as runners-up in their weight classes, and another finished third. With the top three in each weight class advancing to the regional round, CMA had 10 of 13 wrestlers qualify. All three numbers — six champions, nine finalists, and 10 regional qualifiers — are believed to be school records.
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CFL photo
OUR SPO RT I N G A L U MN I
O Canada!
This one-handed catch was named “Catch of the Year” by the Canadian Football League.
Two alumni from Ontario are making a name for themselves in professional sports. Juwan Brescacin ’11 just finished his third — and best season — with the Calgary Stampeders, winning the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup in November. His first catch of the season (above) was selected as the “Catch of the Year” by the CFL and made No. 1 on ESPN’s Top 10. A season to remember for Brescacin When wide receiver Juwan Brescacin ’11 raised the Grey Cup after his Calgary Stampeders defeated the Ottawa Redblacks, 27-16, to take the Canadian
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Zach Currier ’13, originally from Peterborough, plays for the indoor National Lacrosse League’s Calgary Roughnecks and the Major League Lacrosse champions Denver Outlaws. He also works as a product development engineer for Warrior, designing the company’s new line of sticks and heads. Here are their stories.
Football League title in Edmonton, he knew it wouldn’t be the last time he would have that chance. Just like the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League, each member of the winning CFL team gets to spend a day
with the Grey Cup. Brescacin brought the trophy to his hometown of Mississauga, Ontario, for a series of appearances on Feb. 28. Shortly after his season ended in Calgary, Brescacin made the 35-hour drive back
to his hometown for the off-season. If it can be called an off-season. “I’ll take some time off to unwind,” he said, including a vacation in January. But he is already working out at the Athletic Training Center, spending two to three hours a day, five days a week, working on “basically everything: speed, strength, explosiveness, and mobility.” And his schedule is sure to become more crowded with personal appearances, speaking at schools, and charity events. Brescacin said he normally does one or two every month during the off-season, but that was before the Grey Cup and the notoriety that came from “The Catch.”
The Stampeders have been in the championship game each of Brescacin’s three seasons, but lost to the Redblacks in 2016 and the Toronto Argonauts in 2017. The journey back to the championship game was harder this season because of all the injuries on the team, he explained. That made the championship that much sweeter. Brescacin already knew it was his season to step forward. After setting all the
It was one of the highlights for the third-year professional, who also scored his first professional touchdown and had his best year statistically. He played in all 18 games, finishing with 35 receptions for 567 yards (16.2 average) and three touchdowns. That first touchdown “was definitely a relief,” he said. “It felt like it was a long time coming.” Then throw in the Grey Cup championship as the perfect cap to the season.
After his vacation in January, Brescacin will begin the hard work of preparing for the 2019 season. That means more hours at the Athletic Center. Training camp opens earlier this season and the Stampeders’ first game is June 15 when they host the Redblacks in a championship rematch. He is hoping to get back to Culver for a couple of basketball games with Jermaine Myers ’12, who lives nearby. They try to find a weekend to drive down together, he said. Brescacin did make the state championship game last March.
Brescacin’s one-handed stab came during the first game of the year on June 16. The catch against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was also No. 1 on ESPN Sports Center’s Top 10. In December, the CFL named it the “Catch of the Year.” Just type “Juwan Brescacin catch” in Google and watch all the results pop up. “It’s not something I work on,” he said. “I know I’m capable of making those catches. I didn’t think too much about it until I saw the videos showing up in most of the top sports social media accounts. I was like, ‘Wow!’”
During his down time, Brescacin watches football, basketball, and hockey. He will take in a few Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs games, and he will definitely go watch the Calgary Flames play since he has a friend on the team. He is also working on getting his real estate license.
Brescacin attended the state championship game last year.
receiving records at Culver, he played four years at Northern Illinois University. He was drafted by Calgary in the second round, 15th overall, in 2016.
Brescacin and Myers were on the team that made the Eagles’ first run at the state basketball championship in 2011, winning the school’s first sectional, regional, and semi-state titles along the way. He also checks in with Culver basketball coach Mark Galloway and football coaches Andy Dorrel and Andy Strati and their families, as well as Chet ’73 and Kate Marshall. You can follow Juwan Brescacin on Twitter (@JBrescacin11) and Instagram (jbrescacinjones82). – Jan Garrison
“It was my third year. I expected to play a bigger role in the offense,” he said. “Then we had five guys miss the rest of the season with injuries. We had to find a way to keep things going.”
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OUR SPO RT I N G A L U MN I
O Canada!
C o n tin u e d
Zach Currier with coach Jon Posner and assistant coach Riley Thompson ‘14. Currier and Thompson played together at Princeton.
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Currier is changing the game for everyone
their feedback. His job resulted from a phone call.
Zach Currier ’13 knew he could make money playing lacrosse, but making lacrosse his full-time job was another matter. “I knew I’d be able to make a little bit of money, at least, playing in the MLL (Major League Lacrosse) but I didn’t know how I would make it a full-time career unless I was teaching and coaching. I never thought I would be doing what I’m doing now.”
“After I graduated (from Princeton) in June of 2017, I signed a sponsorship deal with Warrior to wear their gear and promote their product,” he said. “After four or five months, I was on the phone with (Warrior CEO) Dave Morrow talking about how I could get more involved. He found out that I was an engineering major and they were actually looking for an engineer. So he told me to send them my email address and resumé. I did and two weeks later I had a job.”
What he is doing now is serving as a product development engineer for Warrior Lacrosse. Currier is developing the new Warrior Warp Pro series of heads and sticks. He came back to Culver this fall to have the CMA lacrosse players try out the new sticks and give him
Prior to working at Warrior, Currier was working in his hometown of Peterborough, Ontario, as a geotechnical field supervisor for an engineering company. “I’d travel around to job sites and make sure that the work they were doing was up to spec and make sure that they
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were doing everything to code. I was like a field technician.” Currier’s schedule has been non-stop since he graduated. He plays for the defending champion Colorado Outlaws in the MLL during the summer and the Calgary Roughnecks in the National Lacrosse League during the winter. And he still plays for his hometown team, the Peterborough Lakers, which won the Mann Cup again. And he was a member of the Canadian national team that traveled to Israel for two weeks to play in the World Lacrosse Championship. Add in his schedule at Warrior, and it makes for one hectic year. How does he do it? “I’m living in Frazier, Michigan (headquarters for Warrior) right now. During the winter it was pretty consistent. Monday through Thursday in Michigan, then fly out Friday morning to wherever we (Calgary) had a game that weekend. “The summer got a little crazier because I was playing for Peterborough as well. So it was Monday to Thursday I’d be in Michigan. I’d leave at lunch, hop in the car and drive from work to the arena. Play a game in Peterborough Thursday night and then hop in the car, drive to the airport in Toronto, and fly to where I had my game (for Denver). I’d fly back on Sunday and get back to work. It was a pretty busy summer, lots of traveling.”
Calgary made it to the Western Conference finals, Denver won the MLL championship, and the Lakers won the Mann Cup. And the Canadian national team made to the championship game against U.S., losing by one goal after a disputed call. Still … “If you had told me I would spend two weeks this summer in Israel playing lacrosse, I wouldn’t have believed it.” The Mann Cup victory is especially sweet since the team includes his older brother Josh and a lot of his buddies.
The Warp Pro series is Currier’s main focus at Warrior. There are four different styles, based on what position you play. And Currier has been playing with one since they were developed. But he’s still tinkering with the design. “I started using it in for my first game in the MLL and I’ve been using it ever since. I’m changing constantly because we keep making it better, so I’m always using the latest and greatest. They’ve come so far in just over the past year. We have over 50 guys using them at the pro level, so it’s a good product and people are starting to realize that.”
“I’m going to play with them and then I’ll give the guys at New Balance my feedback on the plate design. I’ll test stuff like that. Maybe I’ll test Warrior’s new gloves, I do a lot of product testing on the field. They can give it to me on the weekend and then I give them feedback on Monday. It’s easier than trying to chase someone down that might have other stuff to do. It’s my full time job.” Warrior has also designed a set of sticks to help beginners and juniors learn the basics of the game. But Currier’s work is solely on the pro series, which involves tinkering with pockets on the heads and the whip of the sticks — “all that fun stuff.” Culver isn’t the only place Currier has introduced the sticks. He went to the University of Denver, where Ethan Walker ’16, Matt Neufeldt ’14, Adam Clayton ’18 and Alex Simmons ’18 play. After Culver, he went to Princeton, where Jake Stevens ’18, Luc Anderson ’18, and Dawson McKenzie ’15 are on the roster. The goal is for players to test the sticks and find one that fits their game, he said. Any feedback he receives will be incorporated into the next generation that will hit the market.
CMA players look over the new line of Warp Pro sticks Currier brought to campus. The helmets are also by Warrior.
“That’s why I make it a priority to get back to Peterborough as much as I can to play with them. We’ve got eight or nine guys that I grew up playing lacrosse with from the minor system all the way up. Then there is probably 14 to 15 Peterborough-born players that I’m friends with. So it’s a fun time.”
While Currier spends 90 percent of his time working on the Warrior sticks, he also tests other products for Warrior and the parent company, New Balance. (Follow him at CachZurrier on Twitter and Instagram.) While he was at Culver, he was testing the New Balance Freeze prototype lacrosse cleats.
“We have all of our new designs that aren’t available for retail because we’ve had so many developments. We’re trying to get as much feedback from as many people as we can. They’re catching a lot of people’s attention because of how much better they’ve been getting recently. We are continuously improving every single day.” – Jan Garrison
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ALUMNI CLASS NEWS Channel on a year-round schedule, was recognized for doing “more to popularize the shooting sports than any other individual or organization, reaching multiple generations,” as reported on The Outdoor Wire website in August. Steve Saunders ’64 retired in November from the architectural firm he founded, Eckenhoff Saunders, after having a significant impact on Chicago’s built community over the last 35 years. Mimi Hillenbrand ’80 spoke to Culver Girls Academy students in November, touching on points from conservation, not giving up on your dreams, and working hard to prove oneself, even in a male dominated profession like Bison ranching. Since taking over the 777 Ranch operation from her father, Ray Hillenbrand ‘52, she and her three person crew have molded and implemented a holistic management model for both the animals and the land. Full coverage of her presentation can be found at news.culver.org
1950s Jim Cochran ’52 and his wife, Kathy, recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a gathering of family and friends in Ashland, Oregon. Daughters Cynthia Cochran Wynn ’81 and Sarah Cochran Harran ’84 were present, along with Jim’s brother David Cochran ’50 and Jim and Kathy’s four grandchildren. These included Jemima Wynn Ballou ’14. Jim adds that Jem’s wedding to husband Hunter last December was attended by several Culver classmates, including Lillian ’11 and Natalie Hogan ’13. Bill Koch ’58 made the news in October when his “world renowned” and “unrivaled” collection of swords went up for auction in Cincinnati.
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The collection included an array of ornate British and American ceremonial and presentation swords from hundreds of years of history. Bill’s collections are legendary and include historical firearms, western art and artifacts, photographs, nautical memorabilia, America’s Cup ephemera, fine art, and wine, which have all been the subject of multiple books, television shows, and documentary films. He told auction house Cowan’s that his passion for military history began while at Culver. Bill and his wife, Bridget, live in West Palm Beach, Florida.
1960s Jim Wofford ’62 was profiled at the Featured Clinician on the United States Eventing Association (equestrian organization)
website in November. Describing him as “highly regarded not only for his coaching skills but also for the unique brand of humor that he brings to teaching,” the profile referenced three time Olympian Jim’s attendance at Culver, the training site for the U.S. Army Olympic equestrian team. “At least one rider on every U.S. Olympic,World Championship, and Pan American team since 1978 has been a graduate of Wofford’s program,” it was noted. Jim Scoutten ’63 was selected by the The Board of Directors of Garry Mason’s Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame for induction as a 2018 Legend in the 25th year of his Shooting Sports broadcasting career. Jim, whose Shooting USA hour show airs weekly on Outdoor
Mike Schrage ’66 and family, as well as the family business, Whiting, Indiana-based Centier Bank, became founding partners in the city’s new Mascot Hall of Fame, which opened in late 2018. Mike is President and CEO of Centier, which was founded in 1895. The 25,000 square foot museum will feature fun and educational exhibits that emphasize technology, engineering, science, art, and mathematics. Spence Dickinson ’67 recently married Dr. Mina Choi and together the couple is forming an LLC for an innovative farming model on which Spence has worked for the past 48 years, connected to local schools in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Called a Community Educational Farm, the project mentors children for 4 to 8 years on a real farm where they are encouraged to develop their self esteem, and their skills set. Some 20,000 children have attended the year round programs (www.spencesfarm.com).
ALUMNI CLASS NEWS
1970s Dr. D. Scott MacKenzie ’74 has been elected to serve as president of the International Federation of Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering Organization, which provides a network of heat treating professionals around the world to meet and collaborate on latest advances. Scott recently co-chaired the 25th Congress in Xi’an, China and presented at a conference in November in Japan. Robin Millington ’76 is a Senior Fellow for the Food and Land Use Coalition at Systemiq. Previously she was director of Global Alliances for the EAT Foundation, which was created in 2016 as a platform to convene global stakeholders in the food system, and to seek solutions for feeding the growing international population a healthy and nutritious diet within planetary boundaries. She previously spent nearly seven years at the European Climate Foundation and is a dual American Dutch national. Robin lives in London.
1980s Scott Ellyson ’87 was the subject of an in-depth thriveglobal.com feature and interview in August. Scott, who is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of East West Manufacturing, a global manufacturer headquartered in Atlanta with operations in China,Vietnam, and India,
discussed his background and entrepreneurship in the extensive article. Wade C. “Chip” Harrison ’87 turned his collecting hobby into a business when Pinball on Perry, a family-friendly, old fashioned style arcade opened last summer in Attica, Indiana. The business, according to wlfi. com, is bringing in families and creating welcome doses of nostalgia and fun.
1990s Lawrence Womack ’90 is the rector of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, having served as rector at St. Anne’s Episcopal in North Carolina, among other posts. Fr. Lawrence, who with wife Sharita is the proud father of three children, was ordained to the priesthood in January 2004.
the storied Head of the Charles Regatta in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in October. Team members, coaches, and parents joined alumni for the gathering.
Adam Paré ’98 recently accepted a position as Assistant Vice President for Development in the Office of Institutional Advancement at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York.
Nate Quinn ’96 provided Culver alums a private walkthrough of his inaugural exhibition at Salon 94 and first large-scale presentation in New York in October. Nate and his exhibit, The Land, which features 15 portraits inspired by people in his neighborhood, were recently featured in The New Yorker. Nate, who lives in New York with his wife, Donna Augustin-Quinn, was inducted as an honorary member of Culver Academies’ Cum Laude Society in 2017.
2000s John Pangere ’00 got married in December 2018. The Pangeres live in Royal Oak, Michigan and John manages the Strategic Investor newsletter for Casey Research. In the meantime, he’s started a new business alongside his father importing G4 Tequila from Mexico. Tyler Brownlee ’01 and his wife, Alexandra, welcomed their third child, Juliette Sylvia, on August 22, 2018.
Regina Koetters SSG ’91 was interviewed as part of Ussoccer.com’s #SheBelieves series with regard to her entrepreneurship via her all-natural food project, Mart’s Market. A retired Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserve, she conceived the business as part of her championing of locally grown food in a community setting in Pittsburgh. Towne Redington Williams ’95 and husband John hosted Boston area alumni at their home as part of the Culver crew team’s notable participation in
Ben Curtis ’01 (pictured right), President of Daylight Holdings and Daylight Media, is pictured with his client, Rami Malek, whom he manages, moments after Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor on Feb. 24 for his role portraying Freddie Mercury in the biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody.
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ALUMNI CLASS NEWS
Message from Legion, CSSAA, and CCI Presidents The organizations we lead exist to keep you informed of the aims and activities of the Academies and Camps and to engage you in a lifelong experience with those entities. The pages around this message, as well as the stories and news presented to you in this award-winning magazine, provide a glimpse into the people, places, and events that help us accomplish these objectives. From a private visit to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to more traditional social offerings around the world to on campus events like May’s reunion weekend and the Drum and Bugle Corps 100th Anniversary Celebration in July, we believe there is so much with which to engage. Many of these offerings also highlight the terrific efforts of our summer and winter students and faculty/staff. Our goal is to design programming that appeals to your interests, so please share your feedback on current programs, as well as future events that will deepen your connection to Culver.
Lara Smith Nicholson ’86 President The Culver Legion
N. Merritt Becker N ’83 President The Culver Summer Schools Alumni Association
Charles Osborne ’88 President Culver Clubs International N. Merritt Lara Smith Nicholson ’ 86 Becker N’ 83
Charles Osborne ’ 88
Gustavo Castro ’01 and his wife recently welcomed a son, Eugenio. Philip Heyde ’01 and his wife, Amy, welcomed a son, Wylder, born February 21, 2018. Elisha Davis Porterfield ’01 and her husband, Ryan welcomed a son, Thomas Alan, on December 31, 2018. “I had to keep my reputation in place for being a good financial planner and get that tax deduction!” Colt L. Reichart ’01 is partnering with Elliott Steward ’04 to launch a 52,000 sq. ft. bouldering gym in Indianapolis, North Mass Boulder. The new venture was profiled in Climbing Business Journal online. Colt also enjoyed visiting campus in May to help his father, Brian Reichart ’68 celebrate being named Graduate of the Year during his 50th reunion weekend, and assist in dedicating a new campus building, the Brian L. Reichart Shack. Colt adds he’s “so proud of my family and proud to be an Eagle!” Adam Cash ’02 married Margaret Lash on August 18 in Annapolis, Maryland. Travis Kososki ’02 was a groomsman and Adam’s brother Kevin Cash ’05 was best man. In attendance were Nate Rosencranz ’01, Jeff Kuchar ’02, Alex Nichols ’02, and Will Corso ’02, as well as Adam’s sister Colleen Cash ’03. Robert Davidge ’02 writes that he recently completed a 10th Annual Celebrity Tour
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Golf trip to Pinehurst, North Carolina with a number of other Culver alumni, including Reed Schafer ’02, David Allard ’03, Sebastian Quinn ’01, Marc Copeland ’02, Brady Dolim ’02, and Paul Teibel ’01. Rob and his wife of four years, Morgan, live in Columbus, Ohio. Elizabeth Smith Price ’02 completed her doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) in August. She is currently the Director of Surgery and Surgical Specialty Advanced Practice and Executive Medical Director of Inpatient Transformation at a large Level 1 trauma center in Fort Worth, Texas, and has two boys, 6 and 2 years old. She also teaches graduate nursing courses at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Brianne Benson ’04 recently graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and works in a Level One trauma center in downtown Indianapolis. John Douglas ’04 writes that he’s currently deployed to the Middle East. “I’m taking a break from flying the AH 1Z to be a Forward Air Controller with 1st Battalion, 7th Marines,” says John, who married in June and lives with wife Caitlin in Carlsbad, California. Eric Smitley ’04 was promoted to Lt. Commander and is commencing his seventh major tour in the Navy to the USS Warrior, where he’ll be XO and the Commanding Officer on the Avenger class mine countermeasures ship. Eric is in the process of moving bride
In what may be the lengthiest journey undertaken to visit the Culver Academies Museum for research and remembrance purposes, Isabel Jaquet, of the U.K., traveled from Britain to the east coast of the U.S. to connect with the legacy of former Culver faculty member Donald Marshal, who served from 1927 to 1963, including chairing the Language Dept. Jaquet toured the museum and Culver campus, making note of her “Uncle Don’s” tribute plaque in Culver’s racquetball courts and visiting with alums who remembered Mr. Marshal, including Jerry Ney ’57, pictured at left with Jaquet and Culver museum/archives manager Jeff Kenney. Jaquet is viewing Marshal’s employee record card as created and kept by the late Mrs. Elisabeth Davis.
Erinn and their four-year-old son to Sasebo, Japan, having spent the previous year in Bahrain. Preston Stewart ’04 and his wife, Megan, welcomed their first daughter, Evalyn, in April, 2018. Jimmy Wentzel ’05 and Caitlin Schrimsher ’06 were married at Culver’s Memorial Chapel October 20, just weeks after Caitlin celebrated her 10 year anniversary of working at the Lay Dining Center’s snack bar. The couple has three daughters, Summer (8), Holly (7), and Olive (5). Michael Dixon ’06 and his wife Kelly, welcomed their first child, daughter Adilyn Nicole, in March, 2018. He works as a family therapist at a community mental health agency Katherine Mitzell Fagan ’06 and husband Kevin recently welcomed first baby James Lennon, on August 7, 2018. Keegan Kinkade ’06 is a Marine Corps captain stationed on the west coast. He writes that, after commissioning, he attended the University of Michigan for graduate education and received his master’s in engineering, after which he went through training to become an infantry officer in the Marines. Randi O’Neill ’06 graduated last spring with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Rush University and will be working as a Pediatric
Nurse Practitioner in a cardiac intensive care unit in Chicago. Writes Randi, “I am staying busy training and hunting for birds with my German Shorthaired Pointer, Gibson.” Claire Teasdale Frazier ’06 was married to Bennett Luke Frazier on June 9. Classmate Claire Holaday ’06 was in attendance, as well as Kristen Beste Kumas ’06, Loren Stants Walsh ’06, Eric Kunas ’06, Ida Teasdale ’04, Mari Teasdale ’06, Melissa Teasdale ’09, and Kevin Teasdale ’14. Claire and Bennett have a daughter, Emily Caranina Frazier, and reside in Portland, Oregon. Caryn Jendro ’06 reports that she’s now back to dancing ballet and has begun training on pointe again after suffering a stroke in December of 2016, and temporarily losing the use of her entire left side. After a long and difficult journey through physical and speech therapy, Caryn writes that, “I couldn’t be happier to be lucky enough to continue dancing. Seriously though, it has been a journey and will continue to be one.” She works as the Digital Creative Strategist at Envisionit in Chicago, where she lives with boyfriend Phil. Robert Vaughn ’06 married Lauren Toledo of Dallas on July 14 in Pebble Beach. Ebube Ndukaife Agu ’07 married on Aug. 5 in Yorba Linda, California. Ebube, who works for Nike/Converse managing the North America
Beth Jensen ’86 recently presented the Culver Academies Museum with a one-of-a-kind gift: the cadet scrapbook of David Burpee, CMA class of 1913. It contains unique photos and memorabilia from historic Culver events like the first Inaugural appearance and Logansport flood event. Museum and Archives Manager Jeff Kenney says it is a veritable “treasure trove” of Culver history and will eventually be added to an online collection of Culver scrapbooks on the Culver Digital Vault.
Distribution Centers in Ontario, CA, also recently won an award and was able to meet the CEO of Nike, Mark Parker. Megan Hicks Foley ’07 welcomed her second daughter last summer, Georgia Ann, with husband David. Patrick Graff ’07 writes that he’s living in Asheville, North Carolina and is working “at one of my favorite places,” the famous Biltmore Estate. Bryce (Durgin) Wargin ’07 married Jennifer Wargin (nee Ward) in a small ceremony in College Station, Texas, on May 19. The couple lives in Durham, North Carolina, where Bryce works as a statistician for the Duke University Population Research Institute, within the Biodemography of Aging Research Unit.
Barrick Bollman ’08 graduated from Northwestern University School of Law in May and recently moved to South Bend, where he serves as a law clerk to a federal judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Romina Clemente Clarke ’08 and husband Ralston celebrated the arrival of a son, Desmond Erese, on June 22, 2018. Broderick Engelhard ’08 is currently in pre-production for a feature film he co-wrote centering on true accounts of Boko Haram survivors; Broderick will serve as the cinematographer for the independently-financed film. Eloise Fulmer ’08 has completed her Masters of Human Resource Management from the University of Liverpool in 2017 and is living in Berlin, Germany, where she works for Delivery Hero
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ALUMNI CLASS NEWS
of Maui and will be traveling to Slovakia in 2019 to be in Laura Jantosikova’s (’08) wedding.
2010s
Charlie Chen’16, a junior majoring in Hospitality Management at Purdue University, opened the Mukutan Ninja Charcoal Grill and Bar restaurant in West Lafayette, Indiana in November, with four co-partners. Pictured: Charlie Chen, Mike Li, Haotian Cheng, Ziqian Ling, Han Zhang.
Holding and leads the Talent Development team. In 2017 she also hiked 180 km on the Tour du Mont Blanc in 10 days. Christopher Hamm ’08 became engaged to Sara Sardina ’07 during last year’s Culver Reunion. He and Sara recently moved to Puerto Rico, where he co-founded a company called CASPR, a tax incentive consultancy, with Adam Shippey ’08 and Gus McCloskey ’08. Jessica (Kutch) Owens ’08 wed Jackie Ray Owens Jr. on September. 22. The couple lives in Plymouth, Indiana. Palmer Swindal Packer ’08 and husband Shawn recently welcomed a daughter, Allie Virginia.
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Army Captain Charles Phelps ’08 currently commands a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha and recently moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. He says he’s “loving everything the Rockies has to offer to include hiking…skiing, and jumping out of airplanes.” Army Captain Olivia Skerry ’08 is stationed at Fort Drum, NewYork after two years overseas, one in Korea and one in Romania. She is a pilot in an assault helicopter battalion, where she balances flying UH 60M Blackhawks, planning operations and training, and exploring the north country with her dog, Thor. Kara Teng ’08 passed the Hawaii Bar Exam in July and plans to practice immigration law. Kara is living on the island
Alexis Chrislieb ’11, married Matt Brigeman on July 28th, 2018 at the Shoreby Club in Cleveland, Ohio. Several Culver faculty were in attendance, and the wedding party included Alexis’ two sisters, Torrie ’14 and Rebecca ’19. Alexis is the daughter of Gary and Melissa Christlieb. Gary is a Senior Instructor in Humanities at the Academies. Lawrence W. Dann Fenwick ’11 climbed Mt Evans in Denver with Mark Richmond ’11 and Henry Brewer T’11 over the July 4th weekend. Joel Florek ’11 got married this past summer on the beach in Michigan City. He and his wife, Nicole, have a 17 month old daughter, Amelia. Joel just launched the beta program for General Ledger, a bookkeeping application designed to help non-employee businesses track cash flow in real time. Anna M. Haldewang ’11 moved back to Indiana after completing a degree in Industrial Design and Marine Design at Savannah College of Art and Design. A business opportunity from a class assignments led her to create a startup called Plan Bee, which is developing a product that provides extra security to growers, so they do
not rely as heavily on bees to pollinate crops. The company has a high tech product and Anna aims to show that technology can be an extraordinary complement to nature. She enjoys scuba diving, being near or on the water, running and playing with her dogs. Moira T. Kelley ’11 just completed her master’s degree from John Carroll University and moved to Princeton, New Jersey to begin a teaching fellowship at the Hun School, where she will be coaching girls basketball and lacrosse. She also completed her 8th summer at Woodcraft Camp as a senior counselor. Hannah E. Smith ’11 moved to Lafayette, Indiana to start work as a Field Research Coordinator at Purdue University. She will be working on a statewide deer management project for the next three years. She is also coming up on her 4th year in the National Guard, which has taken her to Hawaii three times in the last year. Katherine R. Taylor ’11 moved to the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island in April 2017. Six months ago, she began working as a Digital Marketing Manager at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, primarily managing website analytics and B2B digital promotions. She currently serves as the Communications Council Director for the Junior League of Rhode Island, a women’s organization that aims to improve the Rhode Island community through volunteer
outreach and training women to become civic leaders. Their community focus is serving children aging out of the child welfare system. Katherine has become a mentor to a teenage girl in foster care. She won a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition in Boston this August and is continuing her training at Team Santos Fighting Academy.
Michelle Molner ’12 is finishing her third and final year of law school at Notre Dame. She spent the summer in San Francisco with the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and is excited to have officially accepted a full-time job offer with them, working with their IP, cybersecurity, and data privacy practices.
Austin C. Welch ’11 has lived in Alabama, upstate New York, and is now in the Nashville, Tennessee area. After graduating from West Point, he was commissioned as an Army Aviation Officer, flying the AH 64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter. During that time he was stationed in Fort Drum, New York and deployed overseas. Currently, he is in Fort Campbell, Kentucky after being accepted to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (The Nightstalkers) and is training to fly the MH 47G Chinook. Austin will move to the Seattle area in Fall 2019 once he completes the course.
Abel Barrera Duran ’14 graduated from IU Bloomington in the spring of 2018, with a major in Applied Mathematics. He is living in Indianapolis and working at International Medical Group as a Business Intelligence Engineer.
Kevan P. Bjornson ’12 finished Flight School, and upon graduation in November, moved to Texas where he is stationed at Ft. Hood, flying UH60 Blackhawks. Channing J. Mitzell ’12 is based in Nashville, Tennessee, working for Creative Artists Agency in the music touring department. One of the artists he is working with is Mason Ramsey (aka “Walmart Yodel Boy”). He is excited for Mason to go on a national tour with Chris Lane this fall.
Alexandra Emoff ’14 graduated from Indiana University in May 2018 with degrees in Sport Broadcasting as well as Sport Marketing & Management. She is currently working for the San Antonio Spurs as a New Business Consultant. Robert Thomas ’14 graduated from West Point in May 2018 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army
Over winter break she toured China with a local orchestra, and studied in Vienna last fall. She is excited to be in her senior year at Indiana University. Ellazan “Zanni” W. Gregg ’18 is spending a gap year before entering college, serving with Americorps at Northeast Middle School in Kansas City, Missouri.
Emma Bourgraf Jacob Hare ’17, Ben Snyder ’17 and Thomas Maly ’17 got the opportunity to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the annual Army-Navy game last fall. ’14 is living in Cincinnati, Ohio working that afternoon. He is currently for Hive Networks, a Learning training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, Health Systems Network in anticipation of an assignment company, as a Sales Represenwith the 82nd Airborne. tative and Business Developer. Nicholas J. Haydon ’15 and She graduated May 2018 from Katrina B. Willis ’15 were High Point University with a married July 7, 2018 in the degree in Sales and a minor in Culver Memorial Chapel. Marketing.
Come back to Culver for Reunion 2019!
Luc Copeland ’14 earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Rhode Island and has moved to San Diego, California working as a registered nurse.
Olivia J. Martinez ’15 performed in Disneyland last summer, working as one of two horn players in the All American College Band. She played five shows every weekday and recorded at Capitol Records.
May 16-19 Register now at culver.org/Reunion
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C U LV E R C L U B S I N T E R N AT I O N A L
An award for Best New Club was awarded to The Culver Club of Mexico City. A lunch was hosted at the home of Eduardo Wichtendahl ’91 where over 75 alumni reunited at the event. With the efforts of Fernanda Gutierrez ’91 and Marisol Quiroz ’92, the Club is planning for a large scale event that will recognize the 115th anniversary of CMA’s first graduate from Mexico to take place in late 2019. Two Mexican senators (right) attended the Mexico Club gathering, Eduardo Murat ’99 and Raul Bolanos-Cacho ’06.
In December of 2018, the Culver Club of LA/OC had the opportunity to tour NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Guests were treated to an extensive behind the scenes look at many of NASA’s projects, including the MARS 2020 program. JPL employees Dennis Young ’87 and Dr. Phillipe Tosi ’05, along with Club Leaders Robert ’67 and Manuela Kerr, were instrumental in making the event possible. Culver Academies supported the attendance of Dr. Christopher and Dr. Jaqueline Carrillo from the Culver Science Department.
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Sept. 2018, the Culver Club of Cincinnati held a unique event that included a walking tour of Cincinnati’s underground tunnels and a meal at Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. The event was supported by Mike Rudnicki ’92, David Burger ’83, Chris & Jennifer Frutkin (Current Parents), and Craig & Courtney Dauer (current parents). The Culver Club of Culver was recognized as “Outstanding Club of the Year,” which recognizes a Club that has a proven dedication to fostering constituent engagement and alumni relations through the hosting of annual Club events, while also maintaining a strong involvement in their local community through philanthropic initiatives.
The Culver Club of Hawaii’s most recent event was hosted in Kapolei at the home of Randy Minas ’01 and his partner Greg. Pictured (admiring a CMA ring) are (L to R) Rhonda Spenner, Deborah Fitzgerald ’91, Greg Harris, Randy Minas ’01, Drew Parlin ’04, Anna Parlin, and Dean Smith (past parent).
Culver students, parents, and alumni were hosted by Towne Redington Williams ’95 and her husband John Williams for an Open House welcoming the CMA and CGA Rowing Teams to Boston. Both teams participated in the 2018 Head of the Charles race.
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The 6th annual Culver Club Quito, Ecuador event was hosted by Carlos ’66 and Gloria Montúfar. About 55 current and past graduates, students and parents, along with prospective families, attend the event every year.
The 2nd annual Jordan Culver Club event was hosted by Omar Kattan CMA ’08 and Shareef Kattan CMA ’08.The event included current and past graduates, parents and prospective Culver families. Around 60 people attended the event.
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The Culver Academies Jazz Band serenaded guests of the Culver Club of Indianapolis Holiday Party with traditional holiday hits. Director is Mr. Stephen Rozek.
Winner of the Holiday Give Away in Indianapolis was Dylan Lewandowski ’18. Dylan was excited to take his prizes with him to Ball State!
The Culver Club of New York was treated to a private tour of an exhibit by Culver graduate Nathaniel Mary Quinn ’96. Quinn’s art has recently been published in the New Yorker and is gaining attention around the globe. Pictured are (L to R) Robb Harrison ’09, Charity Baker ’89, Andrew Parchman ’07, Nathaniel Mary Quinn ’96, Colby Adcock ’06, and Adam Shippey ’08.
The Diamond Club behind home plate at Minute Maid Park was the venue for 100 members of the Culver Club of Houston to gather on November 15, 2018. Guest speakers included Head of Schools, Jim Power, Director of Enrollment Management, Staci Hundt, and Director of Summer Schools and Camps, Doug Bird ’90.
Members of the Culver Club of Chicago (L to R) Steve Kime ’75, Club President Katherine Harper ’97, and Sam Guard ’44 discuss Culver’s programs and updates. Katherine accepted the James M. Moss ’42 award for her commitment to furthering the development of CCI.
Dr. Kevin MacNeil spoke to members of the Culver Club of Chicago during their annual One Culver Reception. He discussed Culver’s Integrated Leadership program and moderated a panel with Dean Josh Pretzer, Dr. Doug Bird ’90, Staci Hundt, and Rev. Dr. Sam Boys, who each discussed how their role at Culver influences the Leadership Program.
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All photos by Mo Morales.
IN MEMORIAM
Edwin Burdette Knauft W ’32, ’37 died April 22, 2014. He earned his undergraduate degree at Oberlin, where he met his future wife, Ruth, and went on to earn a master’s at Brown University and a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. He worked as vice president of corporate social responsibility for Aetna Life and Casualty Co. and later was the senior consultant for Council Foundations in Washington, D.C. He is survived by his wife, one daughter, Susan SS ’67 and one son, Bruce W ’67. Robert George Friedman W ’36, N ’38 died March 18, 2013 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Bob graduated from Case
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Western Reserve University with a degree in mechanical engineering and attended Harvard Business School before serving in WWII with the U.S. Navy on the battleship Texas. He returned to Tiffin, Ohio, and joined the National Machinery Company, where he rose through the ranks to become the President and CEO. Under his leadership, the company became the largest global manufacturer of hot and cold forging and forming machinery, capturing 52 percent of the global market. He also invented a patent for the first machine to stamp a seamless aluminum can and developed a profit sharing, employee stock-ownership plan.
After forty years in business, he retired to Florida, but Bob still kept his hand in business by investing in companies and doing stock portfolio analysis. His biggest second career was his passion for jazz, and he was known nationally for his “big band” compositions. He wrote pieces for Lou Rawls and Quincy Jones, and his work was performed nationally on The Tonight Show. Bob is survived by his wife, Eugenie, five children, 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Gerald “Gary” Martin Krauss N ’36 died October 24, 2018, in Springfield, Ohio. He attended The Ohio State
University. In 1942, he served in the 8th Army Air Corps, stationed in Chicago where he trained as a Norden bombsite and instrument panel expert. Six months later he and his unit were transferred to Thedford, England, where he spent the rest of the war and attained the rank of sergeant. After the war ended, he returned to Springfield to work and raise a family, joining and later becoming the owner-manager of HofmanGreen Jewelers for the next 37 years. He earned the prestigious title “Registered Jeweler” with the American Gem Society. Gerald and his wife established the Krauss Family Scholarship Fund at Wittenberg University. A world traveler, Gerald and
The obituary dates are from August 1-Nov 30. his wife visited 42 countries on four continents together. After retirement, they divided their residency between Springfield and West Palm Beach, Florida In 2008, Gerald returned to Springfield and moved into Oakwood Village where he enjoyed his family and the fellowship of many other residents. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonita. He is survived by his three sons David ’65, Philip W ’66, and Richard ’68, and four grandchildren. Charles Sidley Mangham ’36 (Junior College) died August 17, 2018, in Seattle, Washington. He attended the University of Virginia for undergraduate and medical school and completed an internship at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. He served as a flight surgeon in WWII and witnessed the servicemen’s mental anguish, which led him to change course in his medical career and pursue psychiatry. Later he took a keen interest in psychoanalysis and took a sabbatical in London to study under Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud. He spent most of his career as a child psychoanalyst in Seattle, retiring at 90. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister. He is survived by his wife, Aileen, three children and six grandchildren. Norman Theron Graf N’40, ’44 (Band) of New London, Connecticut, died on September 23, 2018. While at Culver, he was a member of the undefeated crew of 1943. After graduating, he served in the Merchant Marine during
World War II and earned a degree from Rutgers University. While Norm pursued many jobs during his life, his primary employment, vocation, and passion was as a crew coach. Norm began coaching in the late 1950s at Yale University and served as head rowing coach and intramural athletic director at Trinity College in Hartford from 1967-1982. He returned to Trinity after his retirement to coach the women’s rowing program from 1988-1992. He was the part-time associate coach at Wesleyan University from 1995 until his death. Norm coached at Craftsbury Sculling Center in Craftsbury, Vermont, for 20 years and was the director of the sculling program for 11 years. While at Trinity, he took seven crews to the Henley Royal Regatta, winning the Ladies’ Plate Challenge in 1976, where his crew set a course record. Many of his rowers have followed his example and become crew coaches, in large part due to Norm’s influence and passion. Norm will always be remembered for his perseverance, his determination and his quest for excellence. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria. He is survived by three children, their spouses, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Gilbert Allen Novak ’48 (Company D) died in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 25, 2015. He graduated from Kansas City Junior College and earned a master’s degree from the University of Kansas. He also served in the U.S. Air
Force before working with his father in the family business for several years. He also worked for the City Water Department from 1997-2010. His interests included architecture, especially Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, and bonsai plants. Gilbert is survived by his wife, three daughters, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Edwin LeRoy Nazar N’40, ’44 (Company C) died November 10, 2018, in Toledo, Ohio. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the height of WWII, serving in Italy with the 10th Mountain Division. Following an honorable discharge, Ed returned home and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Toledo. He then joined his father’s small startup, Nazar Rubber Company, where his passion for engineering served him well. This little startup would eventually become one of the nation’s most respected firms in polyurethane manufacturing, employing 100 people. Some of Ed’s greatest professional accomplishments were his invention of Nazarthane, and being elected President of the Polyurethane Manufacturing Association. He believed strongly in the fundamentals of honesty, discipline, and perseverance. He was a devoted family man, referring to his wife and four daughters as his “five roses.” Edwin is survived by his wife, Ann, four daughters, including Alexia Nazar Marra SSG ’70 and Jennifer Nazar Marra SSG ’82, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Walter Story Burr ’42 (Troop 1) died on July 9, 2017, in California. After graduation from Culver, he served in the U.S. Army during WWII and was a commissioned officer at age 18. When the war ended, he enrolled in Northwestern University’s School of Speech and was then hired to announce and manage programming in a small Chicago suburban radio station. He joined a film production company where he directed commercials and was sent to a large ad company as a producer-director in Hollywood. He was later hired by Hanna-Barbera to promote commercial-making capabilities, managing the voice-over cartoon shows like Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, and Jonny Quest. More than 2,000 half hours of labor-intensive work were involved. Walter also owned and operated two recording studios in voice recording and post-production of all media. For more than 50 years, he was an American voice actor and director. He was the voice director for “The Transformers” and the “Transformers: The Movie,” as well as cartoons and video games, such as G.I. Joe, Jem, the Super Friends, Akira, Soulcalibur, and Inspector Gadget. His vocal performances include The Atom on Superfriends and Harvey Gabor on Jem. Wally was inducted into the Culver Arts and Letters Hall of Fame in 2008 for his work as a voice artist and animator. He is survived by his wife, Kristene Wallis, one son and one daughter.
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IN MEMORIAM
Four cousins attended Culver Summer Camps and/or CMA: Byron F. Story ’19 (Company C); Nelson Story III ’19 (Company C); Walter P. Story NB ’54, ’54 (Company C); Nelson Story IV N ’18, ’40 (Troop I). Robert Kling Beck, Jr. H ’43 died June 21, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio. He worked for Fisher Body as a manufacturing engineer in Elyria. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was a ham radio operator, whose call sign was “WA8KSC.” He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce. He is survived by one daughter, two sons, two stepdaughters, two stepsons, 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Philip Julian Pennington Jr. ’46 (Battery B) died August 21, 2018, in Houston, Texas. He spent his early childhood as an Army Air Corps brat and lived in Panama in the 1930s. He attended Schreiner Military Institute in Kerrville, Texas, and graduated from Culver in 1946. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in 1950 he moved to West Germany, passed an exam in military law and was assigned to temporary duty as a judge advocate officer, serving as legal defense in court martial trials. In 1953 he moved to Ft. Benning, Georgia to take airborne training and attend the infantry school. He finished his military service as a company commander at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. He moved to Chicago to begin his career as an engineer, then moved to Dayton, Ohio, to work for
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Aeronca (Aeronautical Corporation of America), the first company to build a commercially successful general aviation aircraft. In 1959, Phil moved to southern California where he worked for North American Aviation, which later became North American Rockwell. Phil worked in numerous supervisory roles for North American, including being contracted to NASA for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects. Throughout his career he worked as a civil and structural engineer, an aircraft and aerospace engineer, an electrical and instrumentation engineer, manufacturing engineer, and nuclear power engineer. He started his own graphics design and printing company with son Mike, designing everything from brochures to magazines. Phil eventually shuttered his small business and worked as a consulting engineer for a number of years before managing his own oil and gas interests in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. He is survived by six children, including Patricia SSG ’81. Harold Miller Treen, Jr. ’46 (Troop II) died October 1, 2018, in North Carolina. He is survived by his wife, Phillippa, two sons and two daughters. George Edward Mastics N ’47, ’49 (Company A) died October 31, 2017, in Palm Beach, Florida. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University with B.A. and law degrees; he earned a legislative leadership diploma from Bethany College. George served four terms in the Ohio House of
Representatives, sponsoring more than 100 bills that became law. In 1975 he and his family relocated to Palm Beach in 1975, where he joined Montgomery, Lytal, Reiter, Denney & Searcy — later Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley — as a partner, shareholder and director. A successful trial attorney, George tried more than 200 cases. He was admitted to both the Florida and Ohio bars and the Supreme Court of the United States. After retiring, George was elected a Port of Palm Beach District Commissioner in 1996, a post he held for 20 years, with six of those as chairman. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carole; five children, including son George Jr. ’84; 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his grandson and two brothers, Elmer ’51 and William ’54. William Frederick Slocum ’47 (Company C) died October 26, 2018, in Westerville, Ohio. He attended Army Officers Candidate School in Fort Riley, Kansas, and served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War and with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After his retirement as a lieutenant colonel, Bill worked as a construction superintendent. He was the founder and president of the North Independent Soccer Association. Bill was preceded in death by his brother, Winfield Scott Slocum ’38 PG and sister. He is survived by his wife, Chiquita, two daughters, two sons, and numerous grand and great-grandchildren.
Joe Frederick Watson H’48 of Tipton, Indiana, died on August 2, 2018. He attended Purdue University and graduated from Indiana University. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a 1st Lieutenant from 1952-55. He earned his law degree at Indiana University in 1958 and then returned to practice law in Tipton for more than 50 years. He loved history, Big Band music and ballroom dancing, for which he won awards. Joe is survived by his wife, three daughters, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Two of his daughters attended Culver: Marianne SS ’74 and Marta SS ’71, CAG ’74. Marcel Bernard Bouchez ’49 (Troop II) died May 1, 2018, in California. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and five sons. Walter Rollin Brooks ’49 (Company C) died on August 16, 2018 in East Harwich, Connecticut. He graduated from the University of Connecticut and became a newspaperman like his father, working for the Village Voice, New York Post, Greenwich (Connecticut) Times, Naugatuck Daily News, Amherst (Massachusetts) Journal-Record, Enfield (Connecticut) Press, Cape Codder and MPG Communications, and winning numerous awards for his advertising and promotional creativity. He and his wife, Patricia, loved Cape Cod and founded and published the Best Read Guides of Cape Cod history. He also franchised the publication to many vacation areas in the U.S. Walter entered the digital age by launching
one of the nation’s first online- only local news websites, CapeCodToday.com. He was also a Beatnik poet who owned Café Rafio in Greenwich Village, as well as a prolific travel writer and photographer. He enjoyed outdoor sports, reading and doing the New York Times crossword puzzle with a fountain pen. Walter is survived by his wife, Patricia, two sons and two grandchildren.
Sam Pryor Morgan N ’49 died April 19, 2018, in Plantation, Florida. He was preceded in death by his wife, Diane, and is survived by one daughter, Amy. John Robert Painter W ’49, N ’52 died November 9, 2018, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was adopted by the late Paul and Jewell Painter. He graduated from North Side High School and later attended Indiana
University. He also served in the National Guard. John was the owner and operator of ORN & Company and worked for Progressive Parking at Parkview Randallia. The highlight of Bob’s career was finishing No. 1 in the United States for sales achievement. Bob is survived by his wife, Patricia; two stepsons; six children from a previous marriage and several grandchildren.
John William Pole II NB ’50, ’53 (Company B) died May 30, 2018, in Paris. He met his wife, Alice, in Germany when he was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. They settled permanently in France in 1960. They led a cultural and artistic life in Paris, where John became a gifted photographer and Alice devoted her energy to her music and media. John spent his last
years scanning his huge library of slides to share with others. He is survived by his wife. David Hayner Marshall N ’50, accountant, teacher and woodturner, died April 17, 2018, in Decatur, Illinois. He graduated from Miami University in 1954. After serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy, he worked in public accounting and industry in Chicago.
In 1967, he received an MBA from Northwestern University, and that same year joined the faculty of Millikin University to teach accounting. During his tenure there, he taught courses in accounting, finance, computer information systems and business policy, and served as director of financial affairs, vice president for business affairs, and director of planned giving.
He retired from the faculty in May, 1992 with emeritus status. David was a certified public accountant and held the certificate in management accounting, for which he received the Robert Beyer Award for superior achievement. He is the author of “Accounting: What the Numbers Mean,” a textbook used in both undergraduate and graduate programs. He received the Outstanding Teaching and Campus Leadership Award in 1992, and was awarded a Millikin University Centennial Medallion in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Susan, three sons, one daughter, 12 grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren. Peter Minton Sexton ’50 (Company A) died in Baldwin City, Kansas, on August 15, 2018. He graduated from Miami University (Ohio) in 1954. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Joan; a brother Bill ’46, two daughters, one son, four grandchildren, and one great-grandson. Peter was a class volunteer, communications/newsletter director for his class and also served as class president. His father, the late Rev. Dr. Hardigg Sexton, was Chaplain of the Academy from 1940 to 1955. William May Street W ’50, N’55 died in Louisville, Kentucky, on July 25, 2018 after a courageous multi-year battle against cancer. He graduated from Princeton University, earned his MBA from Harvard University and worked at Brown-Forman his entire career, rising from a sales trainee
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IN MEMORIAM
to vice president in 1977, and to president in 1986, which he held until his retirement in 2003. He also served on the board of directors for 40 years. He was part of a team that implemented a globalization strategy in the 1990s that allowed the company to build its international business to encompass more than 170 countries. Bill is described as
“a paragon of leadership for corporate America. He has conducted himself with the utmost integrity as he constantly strived to meet the needs of all Brown-Forman’s constituents.” Bill served on several boards, and in recognition of his community service, he was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, the Kentuckiana Business Hall of Fame, and was the recipient of Greater Louisville Inc’s Gold Cup for
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outstanding business and civic leadership. A brother, Robert N’50, preceded him in death. Bill is survived by his wife, Lindy Barber Sweet, daughter, Anne “Woody” Street Gardner SS ’82, six stepchildren, and 11 grandchildren. John Wilkie Gilbert, Jr. ’51 (Company C) died April 15,
2018, in Laughlin, Nevada. John earned a B.A. in business administration from Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, where he lettered in wrestling and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He served six months in the U.S. Army, and seven and a half years in the reserves, where he received the rank of captain. John worked with three banks in the Los Angeles area, working in trust investments. He retired in 1990
from Security Pacific National Bank as vice president. Having set up an investment counseling business in 1991, John indulged his boating hobby by spending three summer months cruising on his own boat in Western British Columbia. John believed that Culver provided him a great deal of maturity, the opportunity to be a leader, and the ability to think.
William Henry “Capt. Billy” Curtis N ’52 died October 21, 2018, in Lakeway, Texas. He attended the University of Missouri and received his MBA at the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. He was a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving 11 years in the Pacific and nine with Inshore Undersea Warfare in the Pacific. Bill owned and operated Cri Properties and Capt SKaYC charter services.
He was a founder of the Pacific Valley Bank and San Jose National Bank. Bill was very active in community affairs and served on many boards. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Greta; three daughters, Mary, Kathy Curtis Sherer SS ’83 and Alice Curtis Spar SS ’85, one son David ’88 and 12 grandchildren. John Douglass Davis, Jr. ’53 (Company A) died May 30, 2016, in Euclid, Ohio. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, two sons, two daughters, four grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. John Forrest Goodhue ’53 (Troop A) died on September 28, 2018, in Silsbee, Texas. He was born a fifth generation Goodhue in Beaumont, Texas. After graduating from Culver, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Libya. He returned to work for his father in the family business, Southern Avionics, as an engineer, draftsman, and later as a pilot of the company plane. After retiring, he pursued his love of art, including photography, drawing, sculpture and pottery. He worked with students at Lamar University’s Art department, encouraging and mentoring them in their work. John is survived by his wife, Jean, three sons, two daughters, two stepsons, and eight grandchildren. Bruce Alan Marshall ’53 (Company C) of Rockton, Illinois, died on August 20, 2018. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952, serving stateside during the Korean War.
RE M EM BE R I N G T H E FA M I LY Patricia Elaine Licht Shuh of Elkhart, Indiana, died on April 28, 2018. A lifelong resident in the area, she worked with her father, Ellis, in the Academies’ bakery. She is survived by her husband, James, and their three daughters, as well as seven grandchildren and 16 brothers and sisters. Margaret Hughes “Peg” Aschinger died in Culver, Indiana, on August, 11, 2018, after a brief illness. A Cincinnati, Ohio, native, Peg earned a degree in teaching from the University of Cincinnati, and worked as an elementary English teacher with an interest in the hearing impaired. When her husband, Phil, became the director of aviation at Culver, Peg worked as a staff librarian and taught in the Culver Summer Schools from 1976-1998. She loved shopping, reading, playing cards, needlepoint, knitting and her beloved dogs. Peg was preceded in death by her husband and their son, Kurt ’77. A celebration of life service was held in the Memorial Chapel on November 3, 2018, for both Peg and Phil. She is survived by two sons, Chris and Eric ’79. Doris Jean Conia Koebbe, who was a nurse in the Infirmary from 1972-1983, died on July 3, 2018, in Dunnellon, Florida. Originally from Evansville, she graduated from St. Mary’s School of Nursing. She joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany where she met her husband, Joe, who was a lieutenant in the Army. Doris was preceded in death by her parents, one brother and one son. She is survived by three sons, two daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Madeline Jean Rensberger died on July 22, 2018, in South Bend, Indiana. A native of Monterey, Indiana, she worked several jobs including a secretarial position at the Academies. Madeline was preceded in death by her parents and nine siblings. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, four children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Former custodian and Dining Hall staff member, David Lee Duff, of Argos, Indiana, died on October 30, 2018. He retired from The Academies in 2005 after 10 years of service. He was preceded in death by his parents, a niece and first wife. He is survived by his second wife, Joan, and five daughters, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Bessie Mularski, of Ora, Indiana, died on October 3, 2018. She graduated from high school in 1950, the same year she married Joseph Malarski. She retired in 1996 from Culver after working 16 years in the Uniform department. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, an infant son, a sister. She is survived by her daughter, Anna; one granddaughter, Angela and several nieces and nephews. David Mount W ’52, NB ’54 of Hanover, Indiana, died on August 15, 2018. He graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1959 and earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Denver, followed by a master’s degree from Ball State University. From 1961-70, David worked in the Woodcraft Camp in a variety of positions, including aide to division commander of the Drum and Bugle Corps, coordinator of Indian Lore, drum instructor and cabin counselor. He became the director of the D&B, choir director and band director in 1970. From 1982-1994, David served as division commander and music director of the D&B and as the chairman of the 75th Anniversary Celebration of Woodcraft Camp. From 1995-1998 he was the boys’ director for Woodcraft Camp and in 1999-2000 he was the assistant director of total Woodcraft operations. David worked as a history and social studies teacher, at the Southwestern Junior-Senior High School from 1964-1999. David was preceded in death by his parents and a foster grandson. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Ella, six foster sons and grandsons.
William S. Banfield II T ’58, of Culver, Indiana, died on December 8, 2018. Bill served Culver from 1975-1985 in a variety of roles, including alumni director and director of annual giving. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Bill was adopted at birth by Dr. William S. W’22 and Libera W. Banfield of Irondale, Ohio. A graduate of Irondale High School, Culver’s Summer School of Horsemanship and Mount Union College, Bill embarked on a 34-year career in alumni relations and educational fundraising. He served his alma mater, Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio; as well as Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Ill.; Culver Academies, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois; The Michigan Colleges Foundation, Southfield, Michigan; and The Florida Independent College Fund, Lakeland, Florida. His friend, Tony Mayfield ’65 recalled that “Bill’s laugh was his calling card. I remember the wonderful Culver Christmas faculty/staff dinner parties and dances, and how we often ended the evening singing around the piano at the Banfields’ home, Bill leading the way.” He was preceded in death by his parents and sister. Bill is survived by his wife, Mary Carson Banfield, daughter, Rebecca L. Banfield SC ’80, ’83 (Tower); son, W. Scott Banfield III SC ’81, ’87 (Band); daughter- in-law, Laura McCall Banfield SC ’82, ’86 (Atrium), grandson, William S. Banfield IV N ’15 and granddaughter, Elizabeth A. Banfield W ’16, ’20 (Tower). Eli Brock, Jr., of Culver, Indiana, died on December 13, 2018. Eli married Virginia Lee on May 2, 1981, and they enjoyed 37 years together. He worked at the Culver Academy Inn for more than 35 years. He was a fishing enthusiast, enjoyed traveling, and was seldom seen without his old orange knit cap. Eli was preceded in death by his parents, six siblings, and his son, Timothy. In addition to his wife, Virginia, Eli is survived by one brother and one sister; one daughter, one son, two grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
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IN MEMORIAM He graduated from Bradley University with a degree in engineering in 1958 and married his wife, Sally, in 1961. He worked for Sundstrand Corporation in numerous departments from 1958 until his retirement in 1991. He was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by one sister, two sons, and two grandchildren. Dr. Harry Hull Negley III H ’53, formerly of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, died August 14, 2018, in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Robert C. Tway III ’53 passed away on November 3, 2018, in Louisville, Kentucky. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1957 with a degree in economics and business. He joined the Kentucky Trailer Company in 1957, served as vice president from 1967 to 1978 and president and CEO from 1979 to 1997, when he retired as board chairman. He was a regional board member of the National Federation of Independent Businessmen and served a four-year term on the University of Louisville Board Overseers. He is survived by two daughters, one son, nine grandchildren and a sister. Joe St. John Macey ’54 (Troop A) died July 31, 2018, in Texas. After graduating from North Texas State University with a BA in Biology, Joe entered Officer Candidate School in the Navy and served as a radar officer on two aircraft carriers: the Forrestal and the Enterprise. His naval career came to an abrupt halt when he
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was the radar officer in the radar plane that took off at dawn from the Enterprise, but lost an engine and crashed at sea. He was medically discharged from the Navy but continued his education at Southern Methodist University, earning a juris doctor degree. He and his wife lived in New York City for 10 years, where he worked for Citibank doing ship financing contracts. While at Citibank, he earned a master of law degree in tax at New York University, but took advantage of an opportunity to work for the U.S. government in Washington, D.C., at the Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. He was employed there for 32 years, until he retired in 2011 and moved back to Round Rock, Texas. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; his brother, and six nieces and nephews. Kenneth Joseph Schubert NB’55 of Richmond, Kentucky, died on May 28, 2018. He was a career band director and music teacher, retiring from the Madison County school system. He is survived by his wife, Cecile, one son, three grandchildren, one half-brother and one half-sister. John Grant Gourlay, Jr. ’56 (Company B) died October 28, 2018, in Oxford, Mississippi. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State University, where he graduated with a degree in general agriculture. He earned his law degree from the University of Mississippi and received his master’s degree in taxation from New York Uni-
versity. Through the years, he balanced his career as a lawyer while still being a farmer, real estate broker, and a businessman. John was preceded in death by his wife, Anna. He is survived by two sons, three daughters, and seven grandchildren. Robert Milo Hector W ’56, H ’59 (Troop A) died November 27, 2017, in Billings, Montana. After graduating from Hamline University, he served in the U.S. Army as a general’s aide in Japan. He then began a successful 30-year career as a marketing manager at Delta Airlines. After his retirement from Delta, Bob was elected Conservation District Supervisor in Montana, which reflected his own commitment as an outdoors enthusiast and champion. He helped to write grants to fund environmental causes and designed traveling educational experiences that taught students about the importance of clean water. Bob is survived by his wife, Priscilla, one daughter and one brother. Geoffrey Harrie Richards Greene W ’57, ’65 (Company A) died September 14, 2018, after complications from a surgical procedure. After Culver, he attended Trinity and St. Mary’s in San Antonio, Texas. He was the owner of Greene Light Enterprises Corp. in Kerhonkson, New York. Geoffrey is survived by his partner, Karen Borschel, and his brother Stephen ’61. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, John ’59.
Patrick Lawrence O’Malley, Jr. ’57 (Battery A) died September 16, 2018, in South Bend, Indiana. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1961. He married his wife, Bette, while on leave from the U.S. Army. He served two years as a 1st Lieutenant in Germany and then joined a training program with Canteen Corp. He started Northern Indiana Canteen in 1967 and built it into a multi-million dollar company that he operated successfully until selling the company in 1999 and retiring. He and his wife traveled extensively around the world and spent many winters in Naples, Florida. Patrick is survived by his wife, Bette, six children and nine grandchildren. Howard Andrew Mayne NB ’58, ’60 (Band) died October 21, 2018, in Avon, Indiana. An Indiana University graduate, he worked for the state of Indiana as a case manager, where he helped countless people and was known for his compassion and kindness. He is survived by his wife, Gayle, two daughters, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Frank Myers Northam W ’58, ’65 (Band) died August 25, 2018 in Alexandria,Virginia. He graduated from Yale University and Indiana University Law School. He returned to Culver Summer Schools for several years as a counselor. At Yale he was a member of the Glee Club, touring several countries for singing engagements. He also served in the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Polk in Louisiana.
Frank was an attorney who specialized in litigation. He was long associated with the law firm of Webster, Chamberlain and Bean in Washington, D.C. and was a partner there. In court he won several cases for industry associations, nonprofit and charitable organizations. He also focused on antitrust and trade regulation and taxation. After retiring, he traveled extensively around the world,
visiting Macchu Picchu, Easter Island and India. He is survived by his two sisters. His father, James, was a graduate of Naval Band ’27 and ’27 (Band). John David Judd N ’59 died November 10, 2016, from heart surgery complications. An Oklahoma native, he graduated from the University of Tulsa School of Journalism. He served in the National Guard as a
medical technician during the Vietnam war, administering to wounded soldiers returning home for treatment. Since 1991, John was a residential real estate agent. John was preceded in death by his parents and Blanche, his beloved yellow lab and inseparable companion. He is survived by his brother, Richard N ’56, four nieces and one nephew.
James Howard Plummer N ’59 died November 4, 2017, in Indianapolis after a brief illness. He worked for many years at the Virginia Oil Company and had recently retired from ITT Technical Institute as a financial aid adviser. He is survived by his wife, Cindy, two children, two stepchildren, six grandchildren. Harry Walter Barron ’60 (Battery B) died March 21, 2018, in West Palm Beach,
Florida. He had a long career in patent law and a passion for photography and computers. He is survived by his wife, Andrea, two daughters, two sons, five granddaughters and two grandsons. He is also survived by a sister, Jeri ’76 and a brother, Terry ’72. Charles Stuart “Chip” Romig N ’61, ’64 (Battery C) died September 11, 2016, in
Plano, Texas. He graduated from Ohio University and served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, where he received the Top Gun Award. He worked as a financial advisor for Morgan-Stanley for more than 25 years. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Jay ’66. He is survived by two daughters, Lindsay and Devon.
Michael Wynne Morris ’62 (Company B) died January 19, 2016, in Texas. He was a graduate of Austin College and received his MBA from Southern Methodist University. Michael maintained a long and prosperous career in the restaurant industry, where he owned and operated Restaurant Jonathan in the French Quarter for many years. He was also an accomplished pianist and was invited to play at the White House. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters. He is survived by his niece and two nephews. Two of his cousins attended Culver: Gordon R. Wynne ’50 (Company B) and Howard G. Chilton ’55 (Battery A). Eddy Ray Volpp W ’62, H ’66 died September 18, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. After graduating from Southport High School in Indianapolis, he began a career in the airlines industry at Transworld Airlines and retired as crew chief of American Airlines. In retirement he volunteered with several local organizations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including the Arlington Police Department and service representative with the Texas Rangers. He is survived by his wife, Nancy and his parents, as well as a brother, Gary H ’64. Thomas Robert Johnson ’63 (Troop A) died December 30, 2017, in Houston, Texas. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Ordnance Officer Training School at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. He entered the U.S. Army in 1965, serving two
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IN MEMORIAM years in Vietnam. Tom married and had two children. He went to work for the Ford Motor Company in Charlotte and then worked for several years in Africa for Caterpillar. He remarried in 1986 and worked at Motorola until his retirement in 2005. Tom is survived by his wife, Doris, two children, two stepchildren, nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.
four sons, and three grandsons. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister.
Mountain home. He was one of two Falcon scholars who attended Culver during the 1963-64 school year before going on to the U.S. Air Force Academy. He pursued a business career after graduation. He was preceded in death by his father and one sister. Bobby is survived by his mother, two brothers, three grand-nephews and three grand-nieces.
comfortable in the kitchen as he was nursing a colicky horse back to health. His first wife, Yvonne, died and he raised their only child,Yvette, on his own. He remarried in 2004 to Heather Steedman. Charles “Chick” Littleton Slane, Jr. ’70 (Troop A) died on February 22, 2018, in Nicaragua. He grew up in Oregon
Catherine Louise Abrams SS ’75, died in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, on August 14, 2018. She attended Culver Girls Academy and graduated from The Kiski School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in German and Russian from Allegheny
Carl Ned Baker ’65 (Battery A) died April 19, 2016, in St. Louis, Missouri. He is survived by his wife, Helen, and two daughters.
and the Philippines, where he attended the American School in Manila and the Brent School in Bauio. He lived in Hawaii from 1970-1993, where he was a bartender at Willows Restaurant and later moved to Weatherford, Texas, where he managed a liquor store before relocating to Ft. Myers, Florida. In 2010 he moved to Columbia, Missouri, to be near his sisters and then moved to Nicaragua after his retirement in 2013. Chick is survived by his wife,
College and two master’s degrees from The Citadel and Lesley University, respectively. Catherine set up book fairs for teachers before becoming a teacher herself, most recently at Prestige Preparatory Academy. She was preceded in death by her father, Marshall Brown, a longtime Culver Military Academy English teacher, and mother,Winifred. She is survived by one son, one daughter, two brothers, Marshall ’67 and Richard ’70; six nephews,
Clifford Wellington Crittendon II ’64 (Company C) of Miami, Florida, died on August 4, 2018. After Culver, he attended Miami-Dade Community College. He became a pilot for Eastern Airlines in 1967, eventually earning the rank of captain, and also flew for Kiwi International Airlines. He is survived by his first wife, Barbara Andress; one daughter, two grandsons, one son, his second wife, Nancy Maffia; and three sisters. His grandfather, Philip Kemp Winslow, graduated from Naval School in 1904 and Company C in 1909. James Randolph Etchen H ’64, ’68 (Troop B) died of cancer on September 4, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. He served in the U.S. Air Force. Jim’s career included service with Harley Davidson, community college professor and city planning. His interests ran from competitive canoeing during his days at Culver, fast cars, prison ministry, and participation in multiple marathons and ultra marathons. He is survived by one son and one daughter. Ralph Roland Ross, Jr. ’64 (Company C Falcon) died March 1, 2016, at his Pocono
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Douglas Ervin Miller ’66 (Troop A) died August 19, 2018, at Lake McDonald, Montana. He earned a degree from the University of Montana in business, but he came from a ranching family, and his first love was the outdoors at his Kelly’s Camp cabin. He was as
including Nathaniel ’94 and two nieces.
J. GREGORY “BARNEY” POOLE, JR. ‘53
Braden Weeks Bird ’90 died October 31, 2018, after a 30-month battle from complications of acute myeloid leukemia. He is survived by his wife, Pooja, and two sons, Sajjan and Karam, his father, Dick ’65, stepmother, Julie, sister Bonny ’86, uncles John ’57 and Roger ’69 and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Elizabeth Bird.
Former Senior Captain and longtime CEF Trustee, J. Gregory Poole, Jr. ’53, died December 29, 2018 in his native Raleigh, North Carolina. He was known in Culver circles as “Barney,” a sobriquet given to him by fellow cadets equating him with an NFL great of the same name and era.
David Cuevas Serrano ’94 (Troop A) died on July 7, 2017, in Bonita, California from a heart attack. Survivors include his brother, Edwardo ’89. Brandon Alexander Spearman ’07 (Battery C) died November 13, 2018, in Dayton, Ohio from injuries sustained after being hit by a vehicle.
Mr. Poole was a four-year man in the Artillery. His accomplishments were many, including the YMCA Cup, Honors in Military Science, Chairman of the Cadet Club and Hop Club, and varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball, and crew. He even sang in the Chapel Choir. Thus began a lifelong love for Culver. His volunteer service to the school started with the Raleigh Culver Club, over which he presided during the 1960s, and service as the 58th President of The Legion from 1972-1973. He was a CEF Trustee from 1973-1992, and an Emeritus Trustee until the time of his death. He also served in every leadership role — President, Reunion Chairman, Gift Chairman — for his class. CEF Chairman Emeritus and close friend, Jim Henderson ’52, said, “Barney’s contributions as a trustee were immeasurable, particularly when he, a core group of leaders, and John Mars (in his role as 10th Superintendent) skillfully guided the school through a critical period of its history.” In recent years, he was the driving force behind the restoration of the Academies Golf Course, a project he saw through to completion, and which allows Culver to boast the #2 ranked course at any educational institution in America, according to Golf Club Atlas.
After graduating from Culver, Mr. Poole attended Davidson College, where he was a quarterback on the football team. He later transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 1957. After serving six months in the Army Reserves, Mr. Poole went to work for the Gregory Poole Equipment Company, one of the state’s largest Caterpillar dealers, which his father founded in 1951. He became President and CEO in 1964 and retired in 1998. Mr. Poole’s life was characterized by a remarkable knack for developing lasting friendships with all those he encountered. He had a great passion for the communities that were part of his life and greatly influenced their respective growth and cultures. Longtime deputy editor and columnist for the Raleigh News and Observer, Jim Jenkins, said this in a piece he wrote following Mr. Poole’s death, “And I watched how he interacted with people of all backgrounds. He had the characteristic of the most admirable of people — he treated everyone with the same courtesy and interest and attention. A most gentle fellow he was, and gracious in that genuine, old-school way. He hoed to the end of the row.” Greg is survived by his four children, James Gregory Poole, III ‘76, Barbara Alyson Poole, William Kenan Poole (Stephanie) and Edward Ashton Poole (Fran); and eight grandchildren. He is also survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Mary Ann Dailey Poole, and his former wife and mother of his children, Barbara Hatcher McDonald. A community-wide visitation was held on January 1 at Dorothea Dix Park, a crown jewel in the City of Raleigh park system, the creation of which Mr. Poole envisioned and led to fruition. He was buried January 2 in Raleigh; his casket draped by a Culver blanket from his cadet days.
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M R S. DAV I S REM EM B ERE D At Culver, there are giants and then there are giants. And then there’s Elisabeth Davis, who in many ways transcends them all, and who passed away September 15, 2018 at age 101. Her service, after all, spanned more than 80 years, starting in 1936 and under 10 of Culver’s total 13 heads of schools. Thus, she witnessed much of the history and transformation of the school, and she meticulously documented it all. And whose story, despite the quiet and unassuming manner in which she went about her work, brought Culver to a world stage when, in 2016, her story “went viral,” garnering well over 1 million online “views” in a wide array of national and international media outlets, ranging from the New York Times to People Magazine, Inside Edition to The Today Show, and in a number of media venues from China to Australia, Norway to the United Kingdom. Even Culver’s great promoter, former superintendent Gen. L.R. Gignilliat, for whom she worked at the start of her Culver service, couldn’t have hoped to reach so many eyes and hearts with a truly Culver story. The story of Mrs. Davis was the sort which bridges the various “Culvers.” Descended from local pioneers on a dairy farm outside Culver, she recalled the 1933 bank robbery whose perpetrators were captured by Culver staff members, the advent of electricity to their farm, and riding to classes at Culver High School in a sleigh during the winter. She played piano and organ throughout her life, much of it at Mt. Hope United Methodist Church which she began attending with husband Eldon after their marriage in 1945 (he died in 2004). “I lived through the Depression and World War II,” she told The Culver Citizen in 2013. “The folks said we were poor, but I never felt we were poor.”
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During the year after her 1935 high school graduation, a cousin suggested she apply for a job at Culver Military Academy’s Admissions Office, a position for which she interviewed with Dean John W. Henderson, father of trustee and Culver giant Jim Henderson. Mrs. Davis worked her way up until she was a typist and secretary, answering phones and keeping the books. “Dean Henderson gave me two days (to type the entire roster),” she recalled to the Citizen, “so I learned to type accurate and fast!” The Davis family, which would soon include children Paul and Eldonna, moved in the mid-1940s to the Fulton County farm near Culver, which Mrs. Davis called home until a spell of bad health in 2017.
“Greatest Generation” of Americans in demeanor and practice. She seemed a bit unsure why such a fuss was made — around the world, no less — over her 80th “work-a-versary” in 2016, and was nearly speechless, but grateful, when Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb presented her the highest honor the state can bestow, The Sagamore of the Wabash Award, in 2017. She always brushed off talk of retirement, telling then-new Head of Schools Jim Power in the 2016 video that launched her Internet fame that folks were just glad to have employment during the years she started at Culver.
As the decades marched on, Mrs. Davis carefully maintained what would become over a century’s worth of paper documents and records, newspaper clippings and correspondence, forming the basis of the massive Central File archives. And over the decades it became increasingly obvious that Mrs. Davis herself was an important figure in that story.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb presenting The Sagamore of the Wabash award to Elisabeth Davis.
Her 25-year service watch was soon eclipsed by a clock given her in 1994, and then a Culver ring and honorary Culver Legion membership in 1998. She stood by the side of Culver board chairman Miles White in 2014 at the dedication of Culver’s staff bench, where her name is immortalized in marble among hundreds of others, a fittingly symbolic moment for the woman the Alumni magazine described at the time as the “grand dame” of Culver employees. Through it all, Elisabeth Davis remained unassuming and humble, dedicated and determined, an icon in many ways of Culver’s values lived, a model of the
Some of Culver Academies’ changes with the times may have, by her own description, passed Mrs. Davis by — with its computerization (she continued typing and handwriting her records to her last day on the job) and its dropping of formal titles like “Mr.” and “Mrs.” in front of every employee’s name — but she always expressed gratitude to Culver for the opportunity it gave her. “I didn’t expect to work here that long,” she said in 2013. “But it worked out, and the school’s been very good to me.” The feeling, Mrs. Davis, is entirely mutual. — Jeff Kenney
THE FINAL WORD
Culver’s “Indiana Jones Committee” World War I has often been referred to as the “forgotten war” and is still the only major American war of the 20th century that has no official memorial in Washington, D.C. But not at Culver. As the 100th anniversary of the Armistice grew near, a group of Culver faculty and staff worked tirelessly to ensure that the 85 Gold Star Men of Culver who lived the “Spirit of Culver” were not forgotten.
“The Committee” in the Gold Star Exhibit gallery: Jeff Kenney, John Buggeln, Gary Christlieb and Bob Nowalk.
Calling themselves “the WWI Committee,” they were the driving force in doing extensive research on Culver before WWI, the Gold Star Men and their deeds, locating and preserving WWI artifacts on campus, and planning the 100th commemorative weekend in November.
Humanities instructors John Buggeln and Gary Christlieb, who had partnered earlier to create an interdisciplinary course on the Civil War, did the same for WWI with a particular emphasis on Culver’s role. They gave presentations on their work to Academies’ classes, the Legion Board, alumni, and local community organizations. Their WWI students wrote the biographies of each Gold Star man for the portrait exhibit. Gary created a virtual self-guided campus tour of WWI locations for campus visitors and alumni. It was also his idea to recreate the original 1924 Armistice Day ceremony that galvanized all of “the Committee’s” energies around a common purpose. Jeff Kenney, the Culver Academies’ Museum and Archives Director, is the resident expert on Academies’ history, as well as local Culver and Marshall County history. His work in finding and organizing documents, letters, postcards, historic pictures and newspaper and magazine coverage from the WWI era supported his colleagues’ efforts, along with his own involvement with their presentations. His research and in-depth reading were invaluable to the team. Bob Nowalk, Fine Arts instructor and Culver Art Collection Curator, created the Gold Star portrait exhibit in the Wolfe Gallery in The Crisp Visual Arts Center. He and Jeff found the cardboard box of Gold Star portraits in Eppley Auditorium in 2011 and he secured funding for a conservator to restore and frame them. He arranged
for the restoration of the WWI homefront posters, which were displayed in the Crisp. He also curated a comprehensive display of WWI historical artifacts, articles and portraits that provided context for the portrait exhibit. The vast majority of Culver’s WWI artifacts, which anthropologist Loren Eisely refers to as “humanly touched things,” were accumulated as part of a decade-old process of Culver becoming intentional about collecting its history, creating a true archive (from which were drawn visual arts and Culver WWI historical items, specifically, for the WWI weekend), and being good stewards of the school’s history and collections. Yet, there was also a spirit of adventure and discovery that led “the Committee” to far-flung campus locations to find WWI items. Like Indiana Jones, they were armed with information from their research and looked for artifacts that would shed some light on the people and events from a century ago. This is a partial list of what they found on campus and preserved: – home front WWI posters – a 1918 stereoscopic viewer with original glass plate pictures – a Winton Company 1918 machine gun tripod – the original Allied flags from the 1924 Armistice ceremony – the original Gold Star flag of 1918 – the original sepia portraits that hung in the Gold Star room that painter Hugh Poe used as a guide to paint the pastel Gold Star portraits – Gen. Pershing’s staff car flag – the William Fleet memorial plaque for a tree planted by General Pershing in his 1922 campus visit – original WWI trench maps, letters and communications – oil portrait of Marshal Ferdinand Jean-Marie Foch Together, these four men were much more than a “committee.” They were a team whose efforts were fueled by a labor of love — to preserve the legacy of the Gold Star men. Not only did they succeed in their mission but also preserved the WWI artifacts and narrative that will pass “the Spirit of Culver” forward to future generations of Culver graduates. Thanks to all four of you for your service to Culver!
— Kathy Lintner
CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
59
Braving the Storms â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Culver Style! The 2019 polar vortex in late January brought sub-zero temperatures down to -50 F and winds over 20 mph. Culver canceled all classes and activities and Marshall County was at a virtual standstill for two days. Whether polar vortex temperatures and wind chill lock down the campus or snow and ice blanket the landscape, Culver students have a long history of finding ways to brave the storms and have fun!
Culver Alumni Magazine
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For the past two years, there has been extensive coverage of all World War One events, speakers and programs leading up through the Veterans Day Weekend, far too many to put in the magazine. Please visit news.culver.org/the-great-war to find more articles from the Culver blog, a special student edition of The Vedette, and an historical collection of Culver photos from the WWI era.