Culver Alumni Magazine - Winter 2021 by Culver Academies

Culver Winter 2021

Alumni Magazine

F RO M TH E E D I T O R

Culver is Greater Than the Virus During the long days of a second COVID-19 winter, I have taken to reading poetry, because it cuts right to the heart of human nature and lays bare our best and worst feelings. There’s nowhere to hide when each noun, verb or adjective strikes a cadence that marches to the poet’s beat. In browsing through a volume of Robert Frost’s best poems a few weeks ago, I read one entitled “A Servant to Servants” and saw a line that immediately caught my eye — “The best way out is always through.” You can’t act on the truth if you’re not willing to face it, process it and develop a strategy for coping with or solving it. It’s been a little over a year since we entered the COVID-19 winter and heard words which have become daily parts of our vocabulary

— coronavirus, pandemic, community spread, droplet transmission, super-spreader, flattening the curve and PPE (personal protective equipment). Each term had an almost surreal feel to it, like we were characters engaged in some sci-fi film, waiting for a hero to defeat the invisible enemy and bring us back to our normal, predictable routines. That didn’t happen. Instead, we found that we could make a conscious choice to “pivot toward positivity” and not get mired in fear or negativity. We adjusted our expectations, looked to friends, family, teachers and coaches for support and camaraderie, and above all, found warm light in unexpected places. When darkness seemed too close, we chose to direct our gaze toward the light, stay in motion and push forward.

Dr. Doug Bird’s letter to alumni describes in detail how, in the face of COVID-19, the entire Culver community rose to the challenge of creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all students, faculty and staff, while also maintaining a high challengehigh support academic program, finding viable alternatives for athletic competition, and keeping “the Spirit of Culver” a vibrant presence on campus. The Academies continues to meet the high challenge of the coronavirus with a detailed yet flexible plan, which has proven to be successful. They followed Robert Frost’s dictum of “the best way out is always through.”

About three weeks ago after a big snowstorm, Scott Johnson, the director of marketing and communication, took his son to the Woodcraft hill to go sledding. As they were climbing the hill, Scott saw that someone had taken a stick and written in the snow: Culver is > than the Virus. He took a picture of it and shared it with the magazine staff. We all had the same reaction — no matter what the challenges are, Culver is “in the thick of it” and rises to meet them and forge a way through. — Kathy Lintner

Culver Alumni Magazine

HEAD OF SCHOOLS

CONTENTS

Douglas Bird Ed.D. ‘90

ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Chief Advancement Officer Holly Johnson

A SHORT RIDE, BUT NEVER EASY

ALUMNI RELATIONS Director Alan Loehr Jr. Legion President Raj Chopra ‘89 Chicago, Illinois CSSAA President Richard R. Waterfield W’85 Fort Wayne, Indiana

The 70 members of the Black Horse Troop and Equestriennes were part of the first virtual “Parade Across America,” representing Indiana in the virtual Presidential Inaugural Parade on Jan. 20, 2021.

Culver Clubs International President Michael E. “Mike” Rudnicki ‘92 W’88 Loveland, Ohio

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COMMUNICATIONS Director of Marketing and Communications Scott Johnson ‘94, W ‘89 Editor/Culver Alumni Magazine Kathy Lintner Asst. Director/Publications Jan Garrison Marketing and Communications Project Manager Mike Petrucelli Museum and Archives Manager Jeff Kenney

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Tony Giraldi ’75

STAFF CONTRIBUTORS Kirk Brown

MAGAZINE DESIGN & EDITORIAL CONSULTING Scott Adams Design Associates

PHOTOGRAPHY Cover: Camilo Morales Inside: Jan Garrison, Camilo Morales, Vedette staff, Tracy Chandler, Greg Elam, iStock

Remembering Magister Roos Current Latin Instructor, Evan Dutmer, reflects on the rich 30 year legacy of iconic Latin teacher, Magister John Roos, whose teaching excellence, sound and innovative pedagogy, and devotion brought national fame to Culver’s Latin program.

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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.

Volume 98 / Issue 1 / Winter 2021

Finding New Paths to Express Faith Though COVID has limited large Chapel services, a student-driven initiative called “Roots” has developed small group Sunday activities designed to keep students “spiritually fit.”

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Engineering with the CGA STEMinists

Departments i From the Editor

The 13 girls who are part of the initial “Engineer Your World” class are having a unique experience that has earned them the right to be called Culver’s “STEMinists.”

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32 Sporting News 38 Alumni Class News

48 Culver Clubs International 50 In Memoriam 64 The Final Word

CULVER AFTER DARK The student Vedette editors and photographers share their perspectives in text and pictures of Culver night life during a global pandemic.

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THE

MISSION

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

Despite adversity, Culver is Still Culver When I became Culver’s 14th Head of Schools, we had just finished our 125th year. I set an ambitious agenda, with a goal to continue to elevate the work we do to ensure our students and campers always have the best-inclass experience for which Culver is known. I shared these objectives with as many audiences as I could throughout the summer and fall of 2019. We had a lot of momentum as we moved through the winter of 2020. Then … COVID-19. We made it through the spring thanks to the resiliency of our faculty and staff, and with special appreciation, the strength of the Class of 2020 and their families. Canceling the 2020 Summer Schools & Camps was the safest decision to make, but it was extremely disappointing, to put it mildly, and had far-reaching impact on the school as well. But that didn’t keep us from finding solutions. With Culver’s deep relational culture and a leadership laboratory for students that is best practiced face to face, we benefit greatly from the physical presence of our campus population. To make our return to campus possible, we launched rigorous safety, testing, tracing, and isolation/quarantine programs. This allowed a return to

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campus life and prioritized the safety of the Culver community. As a result, we were able to do many of the things that make Culver, Culver: • The New Cadet/New Girl systems, as well as the inspections you all remember, continued as usual, ensuring Culver students begin learning leadership from the moment they set foot on campus for the first time; • As per tradition, our new girls received their CGA Crests in the annual Crest Ceremony that officially welcomes them into the CGA community; earlier in the year, all of CGA participated in the annual Dean England Day ceremony, continuing another important CGA tradition; • Four parades and four major CMA unit competitions were held; • Since Aug. 4 to the time of this writing in February, we had administered nearly 31,000 rapid-result COVID-19 tests and counting. Speaking of new students, 270 of them matriculated this year, adding to a total enrollment of 838 students (with CGA at capacity and at its highest enrollment since its founding). These students represent 24 countries and regions, and 40 U.S. states.

To get them here, we were able to allocate more than $800,000 in emergency grants for families that experienced pandemic-related economic hardship. This would not have been possible without the generous gifts of our alumni and parents to the Culver Fund. I guarantee that you helped deliver welcome news to many families amid all-too-common bad news. In the classroom, we have also met with great success. Because some of our international students cannot be with us on campus because of travel restrictions, our exceptional faculty designed specific courses and programming to meet the needs of these students, working early mornings and late nights to support them. Our new Asia/Pacific students are experiencing outstanding academics and living the values and virtues of Culver, demonstrating leadership and engaging in and reflecting on service in their local communities. And our returning students have also performed admirably: Sherry Xie ’21 was an effective and excellent CGA Council Chair, despite being thousands of miles away at her home in China. Athletics was another area that was difficult to navigate, but we found our way to wins in that arena as well. The impact of COVID-19 was significant on the regular seasons for wrestling, basketball, and fencing.

“A goal (is) to continue to elevate the work we do to ensure our students and campers always have the best-inclass experience for which Culver is known.”

This was due to the nature of those sports more than any significant issues within these teams at Culver. For example, USA Fencing has not sanctioned any events so far this school year. Girls and boys basketball regular season games were basically cut in half, and wrestling was reduced by about 70 percent, but we were still able to compete in post-season play. Our other teams have experienced much closer to a full experience, with few interruptions to their seasons. It has been a tremendous success, given the circumstances, up to this point. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has played a role in making this happen for our students. Despite our challenges, we still managed to put some impressive achievements on the board: • First volleyball sectional win since 1982; • Our girls soccer team played in the state final four; • Our girls cross country team advanced to the state championship, with one of our seniors finishing in the top 10 out of a field of more than 200 athletes; • We had a wrestler who was semi- state champion and competed for the state title, placing third; • Ten swimmers and two divers from CMA and CGA qualified for the

IHSAA state meet, which included six athletes from the first boys swimming sectional win in the school’s history. • Our hockey teams have had plenty of opportunities to compete, as moratoriums on athletic events in other states made Culver a popular addition to many teams’ schedules; • We are looking forward to a great spring sports season for lacrosse and track and field as well. Another way you have made a difference has been through your direct involvement with our students. The voices from our alumni body who are experts in their fields have enhanced our classroom experiences as Zoom has become a ubiquitous communication tool that has made engaging with our alumni easier. A shining example of this has been in the Culver Connections Symposia (formerly known as Ethics Weekend), which has been a well-received reimagining of one of Culver’s signature alumni/student interactions. We are in the midst of our most aggressive building expansion since the addition of the Eppley Academic complex and Eppley Auditorium in the late 1950s. The Brian Reichart ’68 Shack, the Roberts Barrack, the Lauridsen Barrack, and the Schrage Leadership Center projects are all proceeding. They are just the begin-

ning of a much larger building and renovation plan that will bring our students onto the central campus, as well as provide more modern classrooms and adaptable learning environments to keep Culver competitive and up to speed with the new aspects of 21st century life. Finally, chief among our priorities is our commitment to creating a better Culver by building a culture that embraces diversity and fosters a sense of belonging for all. Our reflection on this subject in recent months has shown we have done well addressing many aspects of this objective, but we will do better. We want to be a school that recognizes diversity as fundamental to advancing intellectual rigor, learning, and scholarship. Ensuring a rewarding academic and social experience for our students and campers, providing the best practical leadership training at the secondary school level since 1894, and fulfilling the promise we have made to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents past and present are why we came back — and why we are here to stay.

Warm Regards,

Doug Bird ’90

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

ADVANCEMENT NEWS

Culver’s 4th annual Day of Giving! SAVE THE DATE: April 8, 2021 On April 8 we’re asking the worldwide Culver community to join in supporting the Academies and Summer Schools & Camps. In past years, thanks to the generous gifts — of every size – to the Culver Fund by Culver alumni, parents and friends, this has become one of the most successful ways to support Culver’s students, faculty and staff, and programs. How to Participate: • Donations may be mailed to Culver Educational Foundation, 1300 Academy Road #153, Culver, IN 46511.

Add ”DOG21” in the memo line and mail it early so that it is received by 4/8/21 and counted in the Day of Giving totals.

•

If you wish to make a gift online now, you may log in securely to www.culver.org/makeagift and add “DOG21” to the “in honor of” field.

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• On April 8, you may also donate online or by calling 505-GIVE-NOW. • Follow @CulverAcademies on social media and join us for the excitement!

The past is in your hearts, but the future — the future of Culver — is in your hands! Thank you for your generosity. #Since1894

CGA 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Celebrate CGA! SAVE THE DATE TO CELEBRATE CGA! We invite you to mark your calendar for May 20-22, 2022 as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Culver Girls Academy during Reunion Weekend. We will be celebrating CGA and this important milestone throughout the 2021-22 school year. The May 2022 weekend, in particular, will be an enriching opportunity to celebrate and network with one another, renew relationships and cultivate new ones, and celebrate with the current CGA and CMA students. For now, be sure to follow the two main social media sites for updates as our plans continue to unfold: Facebook.com/CGA50th Instagram.com/culvergirlsacademy. See you in 2022! Laura Schacht Bilicic ’82 Culver Educational Foundation Trustee CGA 50th Celebration Co-Chair Whitney Kolb Alvis ’96 Culver Educational Foundation Trustee CGA 50th Celebration Co-Chair

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Crunching the Numbers Financial Literacy class is gaining in popularity I flipped on the light switch, took a calming breath, and walked inside to see the neatly aligned rows of desks and a red gradebook on the teacher’s desk that read “J.D. Uebler — English Department.” The dull color of the white board held stories of thinking and learning that had occurred in this space over the years, and the worn carpet in the entryway added a flare of character. Another calming breath and a brief thought about the upcoming first days of school. Ring…Ring…Ring! Disrupted from my ruminations, I fumbled for my phone only to be greeted by a voice welcoming me to NorthWood High School, followed by an abrupt pivot to something about human resources: “Could you come in to fill out your W-4 for income withholdings? What would you like to do with your FSA? Should you want to participate, please consider our matching options to your 403(b). You’ll also need to review these indexes to select how you want your VEBA account invested,” making it seem as if I should have understood any of what she just said. I was spinning. As each form came my way with appropriately highlighted sections to assign monetary values, write my initials, or check boxes making it clear that “by checking this box, I’ve read and understand…,” I made my guesses. Turns out, I gave the government a nice interest free loan by withholding too much income each pay period, and I lost money in my flexible spending account because how was I supposed to know the “use it or lose it” mantra at age 22? I did get the 403(b)-matching correct, whew! Taking a Financial Literacy course in high school would have dramatically shifted my first HR experience. Learning to manage their money In 2015, economics instructor Andy Dorrel launched Financial Literacy at Culver Acad-

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Instructor J.D. Uebler with one of his Financial Literacy classes.

emies. An elective course in The Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur’s curriculum, Dorrel set out to achieve a simple goal: provide students the knowledge and tools for sustainable and sound management of their personal finances. From there, Scott Johnson ’94, director of Marketing and Communications, honed the course to focus on achieving Financial Independence (FI) and to include the frequent use of Microsoft Excel. Driven by their passion for adding value to the student experience and the practical content, Dorrel and Johnson’s course exploded in popularity. This year, Culver will run five sections of the course (about 80 students) and, to-date, five different instructors have collaborated on the course. The Financial Literacy course aims to provide students with the tools to attain FI (financial Independence). This means that you can cover your expenses with income from your invested capital, instead of from obligatory work — a lofty goal, no doubt, but achievable with knowledge and persistence. To help students understand the path to Fl, the course design follows the sequence of knowing your why, maximizing income, minimizing

expenses, wisely investing the difference, and tracking your money. Students learn: • How to develop their first principles and a personal mission statement to act as guard- rails for all financial goals and decisions • Practical skills to ensure maximum income generation for their chosen profession • Strategies for controlling expenses in major categories like taxes, housing, transporta- tion, and insurance • The risks and rewards of various investment strategies • To use Excel to create balance sheets, cash flow statements, future value calculators, and an FI calculator. When $500 turns into $1,800 Jacob, a first classman, uttered the words, “No, way — are you serious?” Looking around to make sure his peers’ attention was elsewhere, he whispered to me: “Mr. Uebler, I spent my entire summer income, $1,800, on buying video games and the ridiculous in-game add-ons.” I nodded and motioned for him to finish the activity. With a groan, he re-engaged his Excel workbook. With embarrassment this time, he

shared that he not only spent all his income from his summer job, but he also spent more hours in a virtual world than he did at his job. When he paused long enough to realize that his $500 gaming console cost him $1,800, Jacob learned about real cost. When he considered how those hours invested in gaming could have been invested in personal relationships, service, or physical fitness, Jacob learned about opportunity cost. Of course, Jacob should just be a kid and do kid things — that’s not the point. The moment where he realized he was making a choice with both his money and time and that those choices have consequences is the point. While the pandemic has limited student spending, I think all our audiences, primarily parents, would be encouraged to observe students realizing the impact of their spending habits. Students will still waste money, but the design of the class aims to at least help them pause before compounding poor spending habits. Paying interest on a free t-shirt The allure of a free t-shirt already diverted my attention. The t-shirt wasn’t really “free,” of course, I only had to apply for my first credit card — it was that easy. I can assure you that I did not wake up that morning deciding that this was the day I would sign up for my first revolving, unsecured loan. Though it may not take the form of a free t-shirt advertisement, we know that our students in Financial Literacy will face similar bait with even more online ease and access to pocketing a freshly minted credit card — including an absurd line of credit. Credit cards are the chainsaw of personal finance. A credit card can be a useful tool but can also cause serious damage if not used carefully. To prepare our students for the choice of

using a credit card — and it is a choice — we use the chainsaw metaphor. We design the credit card lessons to inform students of how credit card issuers make money, to position students to research the ways credit cards are useful tools, and to help them see the damaging consequences of minimum, late, or even lack of payments. With these design outcomes as a part of the curriculum, students who take Financial Literacy will still benefit from the credit card company’s incentive (e.g. a free t-shirt or points towards rewards), but they will also find themselves in control of using the credit card as a useful, convenient tool. Recently, Greg Farrall ’88 of Farrall Wealth Management in Valparaiso, Indiana, met with students over Zoom to talk to them about entry-level steps into investing. Greg’s simple approach of “Spend a third,” “Save a third,” and “Give a third” resonated with students as they discussed the content of his presentation. Dorrel recommended inviting Culver summer parent Ryan Doyle from Capital Group in Indianapolis to share a few of his investing insights with the students. Though our students hear repeatedly the advantage of time, which allows compound interest to accumulate, they connected with Ryan’s urging to invest “when you have it” instead of waiting for “the right time” even if the investment is a minimum amount. APR, net income, gross income, diversification, liquidity, asset, liability, risk, dividend, future value, 403(b), 401(k), unsecured loan, premium, mortgage, income withholding. How would your high-school-self fare with reading an article that contained combinations of these terms? Considering their youth, most students have little understanding of most, if not all, of these terms — how would they given their lack of life experience?

Because financially oriented topics and news are rooted in unfamiliar terms, high schoolers, and Americans in general, are set up to be poor consumers of this content. Through the funds of The Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur, all students in our Financial Literacy class receive full digital access to the Wall Street Journal with a simple focus for students to succeed in their consumption of financially oriented news articles. Students read selected articles to apply the concepts they have learned in class. The most recent article focused on the CARES Act and its inclusion of different deferred payment programs. Students related to this article because they understood how payroll withholdings function, how subsidized and unsubsidized student loans function, and how mortgage principal and interest payments function. A productive, responsible citizen is one who is informed. We believe the goal for being successful consumers of financial news adds significant value to the ways our students formulate their own opinions about financial topics. While Culver’s Financial Literacy course will continue to evolve, the fact that students leave a pattern of feedback along the lines of “I’m so glad I took this class and plan to use what I learned” suggests the experience adds value. It also proves that boarding schools and college prep schools do, in fact, teach practical life skills. It is our goal that students in Financial Literacy will develop the capacity to begin their careers with sound financial understandings and habits and can be a resource to their peers. We often hear from parents that they wish they would have had the option to take this class in high school. Surely, my confidence would have been different with HR all those years ago had I taken a Financial Literacy course, or maybe I would have decided to wait a few years before getting my first chainsaw… I mean, credit card. The writer J.D. Uebler is teaching four sections of the Financial Literacy class. He has been a member of the Humanities Department since 2010, and an instructor in The Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur since 2020.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

ENGINEERING the FUTURE with the CGA STEMINISTS

The 13 girls who are part of the initial “Engineer Your World” class are having a unique experience that has earned them the right to be called Culver’s “STEMinists.” 10

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n the past, Culver has struggled with low enrollment numbers for girls in our engineering courses. This isn’t just a Culver problem — most schools face the same challenge. Dr. Chris Carrillo, chair of the Science Department, had been talking for some time about the idea of offering a girls-only section of engineering. When he and I learned about the Engineer Your World curriculum, offered through the University of Texas-Austin Cockrell School of Engineering, it seemed like a good time to try the experiment. Currently there are no female engineers on the Culver faculty, but this curriculum was designed to be accessible for science teachers, so it seemed like a good fit.

While all of this was happening in science, mathematics instructor Cali (Girard) Miller was developing the nascent Department of Computer Science. She wanted to offer an applications-based class but wasn’t sure where to start. Luckily, Engineer Your World offers both a yearlong introduction to engineering course, called Engineering Design and Analysis, as well as a yearlong coding-based applications course, called Engineering Applications of Computer Science. After much discussion and encouragement from Chris Carrillo and Dr. Kevin MacNeil, Cali and I decided to offer both classes as a yearlong experience (two years’ worth of curriculum because of the block schedule) for CGA students only. I teach the first semester of Engineering Design and Analysis, and Cali teaches the second semester of Engineering Application of Computer Science. We started with 14 girls in the class and are now at 13. I am pleased that there is diversity — three Black girls, three Asian-American girls, and one Latina — all of whom are underrepresented populations in engineering. The goals of both courses revolve primarily around helping students understand the en-

Bibian Kim ’22 (left), Anne Bonner ’21 (middle), and Gianna Walter ’22 (right) prepare their aerial imaging design for a drone test launch.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Helping students understand that engineers don’t just jump in and tinker. They structure ways of understanding and defining problems and then generate solutions.

gineering design process — that engineers don’t just jump in and tinker and try things. They structure ways of understanding and defining problems and then generate solutions. We also stress that documenting their work is really important. An additional goal, like so many of our Culver classes, is for students to improve at collaboration and to practice leadership. All of the course projects require students to work together. Our current project required them to organize themselves into sub-teams to accomplish a fairly complex task — designing aerial imaging instruments that can be dropped from a drone and take pictures all the way down to the ground. On a snowy and cold Feb. 12, Gianna Walter ’22 (left) and Michaux Tankard ’21 (right) assemble a prototype of their earthquake resistant building design. they did a test run lakeside and documented every step of the experiment, including photos. The packages As in all Culver classes, we gather student were too heavy for the drone to support, so feedback on the course so we can make the girls took notes, made weight adjustadjustments and improvements. The student ments and planned for a more successful responses have been very positive and final drop on Feb. 19. enthusiastic: Here are a few other examples of the designing and building projects the girls have done so far: a camera obscura, a better face mask, and a more earthquake-proof building. This spring’s students will learn to build and code systems for a custom photo-filter, and an automated device that assists with physical therapy.

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• “I like the projects we do and how they connect to real life projects engineers would do.” • “I like that it’s just CGA and that we can sometimes have fun and just let loose. I also like that it is project-based so we take our projects any way we want.”

• “I like the collaborative nature of the course and I like the independent projects. Working with my peers brings about a whole new way of thinking for me, and I truly enjoy it.” The week before Christmas break, the students had a Zoom session with Culver alumni who are engineers — Phillipe Tosi ’05, Claire Strebinger ’07 and another NASA engineer whom Dennis Young ’87 connected us with. They shared their expertise, passion and experiences with the girls, who really appreciated the opportunity to meet with them. The 13 girls who are part of the initial “Engineer Your World” class are having a unique experience that has earned them the right to be called Culver’s “STEMinists.”

— Dr. Jackie Carrillo Dean of Studies

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

A SHORT RIDE, BUT NEVER EASY This presidential inaugural ride was never easy. Even when it just covered the Henderson Parade Field.

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The video of the students riding in formation — for the first time the two groups rode together as one — had been recorded a week earlier and submitted to the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

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The uncertainty was typical of what has become the new normal because of COVID-19. After starting practice in October with the hope of traveling to Washington, D.C., the actual performance involved 48 Troopers and 22 Equestriennes riding in formation across the parade field four times as a video crew recorded each pass from various angles. Squadron Commander Jacob Graham ’21 (Granger, Indiana) started the appearance with an introduction and Equestriennes Co-Captains Carly Chandler ’21 (Indianapolis) and Ralea Fatzer ’21 (Yukon, Oklahoma) congratulated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to finish the segment.

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“It’s been something,” Graham said the day of the taping. “Ever since COVID came out in March we always had our eyes on the future. We’re like, ‘Will this happen or not?’ We’ve always been prepared for both possibilities. But, at least, we’re here.” The appearance marked the 18th time the Black Horse Troop has participated in the inaugural celebration since its

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first appearance in 1913. That is when the unit served as the official escort for Vice President Thomas Marshall during Woodrow Wilson’s inaugural parade. Marshall had visited campus while governor of Indiana. The Equestriennes have now appeared nine times. The riders represented 14 states and six countries.

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But she also had a sense of sadness because “it was really fun and a really cool experience.”

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After the taping was over, co-captain Chandler said, “I’m definitely relieved. That was a lot of pressure and we worked hard. We had a lot of long nights practicing.”

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Everyone also understood their unique place in Culver lore. And, even though they didn’t make the trip down Pennsylvania Avenue, these students have a very special story to tell. They also have a special mask with the Inaugural Parade logo as a keepsake.

“It was a really surreal experience,” said Fatzer, one of two co-captains for the Equestriennes. “All of us have worked so hard and put in so many hours of work just leading up to this. So even getting to be a part of this — even if we’re still at home — has been amazing for the team.” “Everyone is just so happy,” she added after the taping was over. “Getting to see everyone all dressed up and ready has been amazing.”

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CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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Sam Suppes ’21 (Johnstown, Pennsylvania) said the moment made those cold practices worthwhile. “It was cool having lots of people watching from back home and to take part in such a great Culver tradition,” he said. “It is something that I will cherish for many years to come.”

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“It was a very different experience and even though we didn’t get to go to D.C., we still got the honor of performing, showing us that our hard work paid off,” Roberto Lemmen Meyer Cadena ’21 (Hermosillo, Mexico) added. “I think it showed that if we work together,

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we can push through the hard times, make the best out of them and reach our full potential.” And, while they didn’t travel to the nation’s capital, Graham said it was “still an honor and still something special.” It is even better that he was able to share that experience with his younger twin brothers, Matthew and William, both second classmen, who are also in the Black Horse Troop. “It’s really something cool to be able to look back on.” — Jan Garrison

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

magister

ROOS

A Current Culver instructor Remembers a latin teaching icon

Across from the first green of the R. Stuart Dickson ’47 Culver Academies Golf Course, there is an eclectic neo-Georgian style home on a hill with a large porch and a three-car garage, a kind of Hoosier villa nestled in the woods.

Alumnus, 1971). The Associated Press’s Rome bureau took a photograph of the event, and it subsequently received more coverage in Europe and throughout the United States than any other single item out of that bureau during 1967.

It’s a Culver guest house now, but it once belonged to John Roos, one of the most remarkable Latin teachers this country has ever produced. Roos was a longtime instructor in Latin at Culver (1941–1971), who left behind a colorful, lasting legacy of teaching excellence, sound and innovative pedagogy, and devotion.

In 1968, Gregory Marshall, another Roos student, dressed in Roos’s own Roman general’s costume (Roos purchased it in Rome in the summer of 1964) “mounted on a noble steed (from Culver’s Horsemanship Department), re-enacted Caesar’s famous crossing of the Rubicon (Roos made use of northern Indiana’s Yellow River)” (Culver Alumnus, 1969).

His home, set back in an idyllic pastoral landscape, once had a handsome black and white sign that gave his address in Latin style: “The ROOS Family: CCCC VIA DUODEVICESIMA (400 West 18th Road).” Roos brought fame to Culver’s Latin program with an enterprising national marketing campaign. On March 15, 1969, he took out an obituary for Julius Caesar in The New York Times and 26 additional U.S. newspapers. As part of this media blitz he had thousands of pink and white buttons made that read “The Latin students of Culver Military Academy say: CAESAR’S GONE SINCE 44 B.C., BUT LATIN LIVES.” A 1929 Princeton graduate, Roos accompanied this public relations showmanship with sound, active, engaged pedagogy: he staged a debate on the Ides of March, where students took sides for and against Caesar’s totalitarian rule, his historically violent (some would argue genocidal) expedition into Gaul, and his ultimate assassination at the hands of republican senators: Pro Caesare, In Caesarem?

By 1971 the NBC crew was among the many media representatives who would flock to Culver to cover what became an annual contest. At its peak, the catapult competition was drawing contestants from across the state of Indiana. The annual he had spectacle grew into a collaborative, hands-on thousands of learning event for the entire campus, as the work involved in building accurate, large-scale pink and white Roman-era catapults requiring large numbers buttons made of student volunteers, faculty assistance (physics instructors engineered the structures), that read and craftsmen from the Facilities Department. “The Latin And still more: it was Culver’s PR people that pitched the project to NBC in April 1970. students of

Culver Military Academy say: CAESAR’S GONE SINCE 44 B.C., BUT LATIN LIVES.”

Roos’s most famous publicity stunt, however, took the form of a fanciful Roman catapult contest that caught the eye of national television producers. In 1971, the Ides of March in Culver saw the arrival of a New York film crew from NBC’s First Tuesday program, a nationally broadcast competitor against CBS’s 60 Minutes. The cameras rolled to capture a catapult distance duel between Roos’s Latin students and those of the Park School in Indianapolis, led by Bernard Barcio, co-creator of the tournament. The famed catapult contest had its origins in 1967, when “Culver’s Latin students, represented by a young alumnus, laid a wreath on Caesar’s statue in Rome, an act which gained worldwide attention and fanned Mr. Roos’ imagination” (Culver

Roos, who died in 1977, joined the Academy’s foreign language department in 1941 and taught to his retirement in 1971. While fondly remembered for his theatrics and his keen sense of the power of spectacle (all of which aimed to bring excitement and attention to an academic discipline too often obscured by stodgy pedantry), he leaves a deeper, more lasting legacy.

“Roos left perhaps his most enduring influences in his Latin classroom … A former student of his recalls a prophetic quote from Vergil inscribed on a poster which hung in that Latin room: Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. ‘Perhaps even this, someday, we will rejoice to remember.’” (Culver Alumni 1978) Among those recalling Roos’s classroom demeanor in the article was John Houghton, who went on to become a decorated academic and a member of the Episcopal priesthood. He said of his former instructor, “He could be as comic as Plautus and Terence, just as he could be dignified with Cicero or majestic with Vergil.” Another remembrance, from Howard Waugh ’57, noted other ways Roos kept students active and engaged:

“In his classroom we shamelessly spoke Latin as best we could, and though none of us were fluent, we often quoted Caesar (or Vergil) as the case might be, to illustrate our points, and though he corrected our errors, he did it in a way that reflected his pride in our humble achievements and encouraged us to do better.

Latin Today at Culver What would such an active, immersive, student- centered Latin pedagogy look like today? And how far should we follow in Roos’s footsteps? (He did, after all, dress up like Caesar in front of his students — a deeply divisive and controversial figure in any era.) In other words: What do we learn from Roos? What do we change and adapt? Roos was exemplary in his commitment to teaching for his students — not simply to them. He understood well that as teachers we have not just “content mastery” or “skill acquisition” or “job readiness” as our goal for student learning, but we have in fact the long-term happiness and flourishing of our students as our final aim. This means that we meet our students where they are (which is more radical than it sounds) and we encourage them, empower them, and affirm them however we can (and however works!). We show them that a world in which they can flourish is possible and is on the horizon.

The catapults in operation during the famed catapult contests.

“John’s boundless enthusiasm for Rome and the Latin language brought the subject “alive” for us and turned a potentially dull and turgid subject into a true adventure. How I wish my University professors had had a small measure of his creativity in presentation.” This deeper legacy is one of sound, engaging, student-centered teaching. Not only did Roos leave a lasting legacy of the possibility for a hands-on, experiential Latin teaching method, but Roos’s pioneering pedagogy included speaking in Latin well before it had established itself as widespread teaching practice in North American Latin classrooms. A former Culver superintendent, the late John Mars, said of his friend at his passing: “John Roos was one of the most-saintly men I have known. In 37 years, I never heard John make one critical remark of anyone. He was exemplary.” For many Culver alumni/ ae, he became the principal reason to remember the Ides of March.

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Latin educators — any educator, really — should draw on this foundational principle in Roos’s teaching. Affirmation. Mars remarked that Roos was “one of the most saintly” people he had ever known. Waugh wrote that Roos encouraged his students to speak Latin shamelessly, that he always corrected errors in a way that helped students know that he was proud of them. He always encouraged his students, and coupled, as Houghton wrote, seriousness with his sense of humor. Affirmation is one of the most powerful resources in a teacher’s teaching practice; and can make the difference between encouraging a student well beyond your classroom and turning them from you forever. Roos understood well, too, the importance of student participation (not just cooperation), of a gripping pedagogy, of a story for his students. In other words: Engagement. Waugh also wrote that Roos brought Latin alive, and took a “potentially dull and turgid” class into an “adventure.” We needn’t have Roos’s special sense for marketing and timely spectacle, but we do need something like Roos’s commitment to engage his students.

To realize that engaging students who may very well be skeptical of the worth of their Latin studies is decidedly not to “dumb down” the subject, but to make it a class for them (the people who make up the class!). Roos, I’m sure, didn’t leave Princeton thinking he’d run a catapult contest in northern Indiana someday; but when we’re willing to engage our students in ways they find gripping, we’re often drawn down untrod paths. Last, Roos knew for everything he did to encourage students to study the Romans, their story was complex and fraught with deep moral and political incongruence. He didn’t shy away from this. As much as he used Caesar as a playful marketing John Roos tool for the Academy’s Latin program, he knew his legacy demanded careful examination. He engaged his students in debate — pro or con for Caesar? — knowing that history isn’t as simple as the memory of those who dominate. To use a bit of teacher lingo: he taught deeply. Behind the surface drama of a Roos class was a commitment to teaching and learning about Latin and Romans in a way that was both engaging and accurate. Depth. In sum: Many things have changed (and have needed to) since Roos retired in 1971, but many pedagogical principles in our program at Culver Academies remain the same. My colleague, Ashley Brewer, and I still aim to teach with affirmation, (keen) presentation, and depth. These help keep Latin alive for our students. But the past 50 years have also seen tremendous change, and we embrace the changes this has effected in our teaching. We teach in a proficiency-oriented, progressive Latin curriculum that Brewer first codified in Fall 2018 (when I joined the Department of World Languages and Cultures). We speak, read, and write Latin with our students every day. We draw from dynamic, exciting online conversations surrounding comprehensible input in the Latin classroom; and strive to make our program in line with the latest second language acquisition research. We teach ancient Mediterranean cultures intentionally and critically, engaging our students in discussion and research surrounding race, class, sexual orientation, gender

identity, slavery, and war in the ancient world. We have a prominent display of classicists of color on one of the front walls of our classroom. We do this all with the aim of welcoming every Latin student into a classroom culture of inclusion, growth, excitement, empathy, and empowerment. These aims now enter into a new era. In the spring of 2020, we started teaching actively via Zoom, refining our practices, re-imagining just what our Latin instruction looks like online. We aimed to cultivate welcoming virtual spaces where students can grow, learn, and lead. Most important, we’re caring for our students first, seeing what touches them, excites them, and makes them curious. Just as Roos aimed to bring Latin alive — to make a possibly “turgid” subject into a “true adventure” (by whatever means necessary!) — we too hope to carry on Latin instruction at Culver into a new century with excitement and vitality. We also proudly continue to speak Latin “shamelessly.” Latin lives at Culver Academies. Were “Mr. Roos” still with us — were he, too, working from home, juggling conflicting commitments of family and job at the very same desk; were he, too, so deeply uncertain of what just might come next; were he, too, learning Latin instructor Evan Dutmer in the classroom in 2019. to teach Latin at a distance, when we’ve for so long associated Latin instruction with special classroom connections between students and instructors — I think we know what he would say. Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. “Maybe someday you will rejoice to recall even this.” — Evan Dutmer Evan Dutmer, Ph.D., joined the Culver staff in 2016. This article appeared earlier in Medias Res.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Finding New

Paths to Express

Faith The Culver community finds alternatives to large faith group gatherings. 24

WINTER 2021

COVID-19 has affected every facet of daily life at Culver, resulting in safety protocols on campus, weekly COVID testing, changes in classroom instruction, social distancing and athletic contests. All the new restrictions do take a toll on everyone’s mental and emotional health. In keeping with the mind-spirit-body model that is at the core of the Culver experience, the spiritual life department has partnered with students to create new ways to stay spiritually well during these challenging days. Culver teaches our students that service leadership is about creatively meeting the needs of the community, and the spiritual life department’s staff and student leaders have designed some innovative ways to meet those needs. Time is always a precious commodity at Culver, so students are encouraged to use the 20 minutes during their weekly COVID testing, as well as their free class period times, to access the many spiritual life resources available on Schoology, the schoolwide online program. One of our students also suggested using a QR code that students can scan on their phones, and it will direct them right to the spiritual life resource page. Among the resources available are mindfulness meditations, scripture, prayer, and short inspirational readings and videos that allows a student to take a breath … pause … and recalibrate. Large group gatherings, particularly those focusing on Protestant worship services, have not been possible, but one of the spiritual life prefects, Leah Marquell ’22, came up with the idea of creating Small Group Sundays as an alternative form of worship. “We still have chapel with the larger congregation, but every other week or so, we break into small groups for a deeper, more relevant way to embody our faith,” she says. “Roots,” the new small group Sunday program, is student-driven and designed to keep students “spiritually fit” during these challenging times. There are still traditional worship services, but this alternative is a way to engage students in their faith in a more meaningful way based on their interests.

There are six interestbased groups that students can choose from: • Praise and Worship Through Music • Creative Arts: Engaging Faith Through Art and Drama • Bible study: A deeper engagement with the text and context of scripture • Faithfully Fit: Exploration of physical and spiritual perseverance • Yoga as Embodied Prayer: Focus on breath and movement to reflect on God’s breath • Start: A brief introduction to the Church and Christian faith There are also two community-based discussion groups: • CGA: Beyond Girl Talk. An exploration of how faith informs their lives and relationships. Journaling is incorporated as part of the discussion. • CMA: An Exploration of the Big Question: “What does it mean to be a man after God’s heart? And does it matter?” In addition to small group Sundays, “Chapel After Hours” on Tuesday evenings has also been revived. It is a safe and sacred space where students can come to pray, reflect or just be silent. Pastoral care is also available on site. The spiritual life staff — the Rev. Dr. Sam Boys; the Rev. Brenda Hafer, Protestant youth minister; Kristen Counts, and Deacon Mike Madison — has partnered with the emotional support services team to provide pastoral care and counseling for students and meet with several every day. They are grateful to Jamie ’64 and Deby Fellowes for funding the Protestant youth minister position, which has allowed them to provide more spiritual programs and support for students. — The Rev. Dr. Sam Boys Director of Spiritual Life

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

CULVER AFTER DARK

Fostering Connection and Support Through Zoom “Beep! Beep!” I crawled across my bed and my eyes glimpsed the blurry time on the screen — 6:30 a.m. As I attempted to get out of bed, my eyelids fighting, hands shaking, I finally stumbled to find the light switch and turned the light on, the first light illuminated in a yet sleepy city. hile I am now currently on campus, I spent the first W half of the year as a remote student learning online. With a 12-hour difference between Culver and China, my days usually started at 6:30 when I woke up to prepare for club meetings and wouldn’t end until 10 pm, when I finished my synchronous class of the day with the students physically present on campus. During this time period, I not only managed to keep up with my senior year workload but also served as the first rotation CGA Council chair, president of the Women in STEM Club, French Club, and the editor-in-chief of The Vedette. Since being back on campus, people have always asked me: “How did you do it through Zoom?” I’ve always viewed Zoom as a world of its own — a world which miraculously conveyed the Culver Spirit from Indiana to my home. What I have always cherished the most about Culver — a sense of community and mutual support — is only elevated rather than hindered through using Zoom. The Vedette meetings I led, weekly at 7 a.m. every Wednesday, have been completely switched to online to accommodate the pandemic situation and international students. From the start, realizing that effective communication would be difficult through Zoom, I prepared discussion questions, agendas, and encouraged participants to speak at various Vedette meetings. What I soon discovered after a few online meetings was an elevated level of attentiveness that Culver students displayed to one another online. Various opinions and ideas on the COVID-19 pandemic, social injustice, and

new regulations at Culver were shared through civil discourse. Each Vedette meeting reminded me of my Harkness discussions in Humanities classes. When I saw the shared ideas and voiced opinions transform into one of the most fruitful Vedette issues this past October, I knew these online meetings had fostered this connection. It was precisely these ideas that sprouted from restless Culver students which never made me feel burdened when leading these Vedette meetings. They were the highlight of my week and manifestations of Culver’s effective community building efforts. The CGA Council meetings I led during the first rotation of the school year were held in Roberts Auditorium, and I was the only person Zooming in to lead the team. The time slot for the meetings — Thursday at 7:30 a.m. — conflicted with my online class time. Initially, I was afraid of not being able to effectively lead them, but Culver was really supportive and switched the time slot to Wednesday nights, so I could join them “live.” I also met weekly with my advisor, Dean Anne Kelley ’92, to catch up on CGA affairs, which kept me connected to the CGA adult leadership team members of the CGA Council. CGA Council members shared updates and worries about issues in their committees, and after every meeting, they stayed online just to greet me and ask me about my day. At those moments, I felt truly grateful for the challenge of the pandemic and of learning remotely, because this experience helped me grasp the true gravity of being a leader in my community. No matter the logistical complications or how unprecedented our current situation was, peers and faculty looked to me for direction and initiative. I felt how much trust they put in me and treated it as sacred. My online learning experiences proved to me not how disconnected I was from Culver but how passionate I am about the Spirit of Culver, which never let me feel detached. Every morning, when I switched on that light in my dark room, I knew it illuminated more than my neighborhood. It also lit my Culver world, residing inside me, which never truly left.

— Sherry Xie ’21

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

CULVER AFTER DARK My Culver: changed but always a joy The construction noise from the new Schrage Leadership Building site surrounds me as I wake up in the morning to the sounds of the drills and the birds. Between the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the day, it seems as if nothing and everything about Culver life has changed. Breakfast is much the same, as in-person students gather at the Dining Hall every morning, with our classic chocolate milk and eggs. The mood there is always energetic and filled with laughter, even on dreaded Mondays. Much has changed, though, with the tables following social distancing protocol, meaning that only six students can sit together at a time, and mask-wearing is being enforced everywhere. Yet the sight of birthday balloons and the singing of “Happy Birthday” always bring a smile to me, reminding me of how lucky I am to be in-person during such a tumultuous year. Culver’s adjustment to a COVID-19 safe campus has been a struggle, as the policies are strict but necessary. Many adjustments have been made this year, and with the addition of mask-wearing and social distancing, there are also guidelines on social activities and food deliveries. Students are no longer allowed to be in rooms other than their own, due to mitigation protocol, and leaving campus has become a rarity in order to ensure a bubble to keep our campus safe. An especially significant change has been in the COVID-19 testing that Culver now conducts. Underneath the Dining Hall, the old “Shack” has been converted into a testing facility. With hundreds of people being tested every day, our medical staff is being put to the test, and they have risen to the mighty occasion. The fast-acting Abbott COVID-19 test has provided additional security,

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Culver students enjoy a quiet study night, hanging out at the Shack or group dancing

allowing both students and faculty to continue participating in classes and activities. Even with all these changes, life still goes on at Culver. We laugh under the same sun, sneaking side conversations into our classes, trying our hardest to make our teachers and peers laugh. We walk by the same lake and watch as the Shack line piles out the door. Within Culver, it feels much the same. Even though there are several physical changes, the emotions that reverberate through the student body have remained the same, with many more being grateful for the opportunity to be in-person, compared to many of our families and friends. With my new position as editor-in-chief of The Vedette, we have adapted to a new way of interaction. With almost all our meetings being on Zoom in order to include faculty members and Asia-Pacific students, it has been a drastic change from the regular schedule. However, Vedette staff members have continued to be hard-working members of Culver’s campus as they

tackle schoolwork, athletics, and the added pressure of journalism deadlines. Through it all, I am infinitely grateful for the opportunity to be in-person at Culver when many of my friends can only access online school. The opportunities offered by Culver are unlike any other institution, and every day I’m reminded of my blessings. Whether it be hanging out with friends at the Shack or laughing at antics in the Dining Hall, my Culver experience, although changed, is always a joy, and I’m extremely excited to see what happens next.

— Maya Jyothinagaram ’22

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

CULVER AFTER DARK

Celebrating the Christmas season in style

Hanging out in the unit lounge or playing chess

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Editor’s Note: Vedette editor Sherry Xie ’21, who spent the first semester in China as a “remote student” while Maya Jyothinagaram ’22, the second semester editor, was on the Culver campus, share their perspectives on leadership and education during a global pandemic.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

STUDENT SPORTS

Culver teams excel during difficult year Even with all the distractions brought on by the pandemic, several Culver athletic teams and individuals excelled during the fall and winter seasons. From the CGA golf team finishing fourth in the state to the CMA swim and dive team winning its first sectional title in history, records were either broken or extended. And two more CMA hockey players were selected in the NHL draft, including a current senior.

CMA swim and dive team wins its first sectional title in history Junior Mitchell Schott finished his season with a third place in the 500 freestyle (beating his own school record) and fourth place in the 200 freestyle at the state finals. He also anchored the 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay teams. Other members of the relay teams were senior Fritz Ellert, sophomores Jacob Mailbach and Cabot Ellert. The 200 free team finished in 13th spot and the 400 free team was 11th in the state preliminaries. Reid Omilian finished his junior year with a 14th place finish in diving at the state. He advanced to the state by finishing sixth at the Valparaiso diving regional and taking first at the Warsaw sectional. Overall, CMA captured its first sectional crown in history,

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scoring 408 points. That gave the team a 49-point margin over second place Columbia City and a 63.5-point margin over third place Warsaw. CGA advanced five swimmers and one diver to the state finals. Autumn Baumgartner finished her stellar career by qualifying for the 50 and 100 freestyle events and as a member of the 400 freestyle relay team. Emily Heim made her first appearance as an individual, qualifying in the 500 freestyle. She was also a member of the 400 free relay team with Baumgartner, Kari Teglia and Mackenzie Youvan. Claire Feick, in her first year, qualified for state after finishing eighth at the Valparaiso diving regional and second at the Warsaw sectional.

CGA Soccer The CGA soccer team won its Class 2A sectional with three clean sheets: defeating Plymouth, 3-0; New Prairie 12-0; and Mishawaka Marian, 3-0. The team continued the streak with a 1-0 victory over NorthWood in the first game of the regional before giving up two goals in a 6-2 rout of West Lafayette. The team’s playoff run came to an end with a 1-0 loss to eventual state champion Bishop Dwenger at the semi-state. The team finished the season with a 13-6 record; captured the Northern Indiana Soccer

Conference title with a 4-0 record; won its 10th sectional crown and its third regional title. Individually, senior Samantha Hazen was named to the All-District first team and senior Sophia Rotiroti was named to the second team. Hazen has verbally committed to Southwest University and Rotiroti will take a gap year to play and train with Rome City Football Club in Italy. It is part of Italy’s Soccer Management Institute’s program for young players. Rotiroti’s grandfather, Nicola, left Italy at the age of 17 to pursue a professional soccer career in Canada. CGA Golf The golf team won its fourth consecutive sectional and third straight regional on its way to the state finals. Led by senior Reese Wilson, who will be attending Howard University, the Eagles shot an overall 648 to finish fourth out of the 16-team field. The team moved up four spots from its 2019 finish, when it placed eighth. Wilson finished the season just as she started. In the season’s first match at the R. Stuart Dickson ’47 Golf Course, Wilson shot a 4-under-par 32 for nine holes, tying the course record she set in 2019. Wilson went on to take medalist honors in every regular season match she played in. She continued the streak by shooting the low score at the LaPorte sectional, leading the team to the title. At the Lafayette Jeff regional, Wilson and teammate Karilyn Teglia shot an 18-hole score of 79 to finish tied for fourth. With teammates Makaski Hatano, Eleanor Teglia, and Kim Yeseul, Culver also won the team title. Wilson finished her career by firing a two-day total of 149, just 5 over par, finishing in the fourth spot individually.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Varsity A Varsity A hockey won its fifth consecutive Class 4A state title on March 6. The Eagles defeated the Bloomington Blades 4-2 in the championship.

short-handed goal off an assist from Samuel Trush and Larese rounded out Culver’s scoring with an unassisted goal. Alexander Szabo was the winning goalie with 24 saves on 26 shots.

Jordan Larese started the scoring with a power play goal in the second period off an assist from Akora Barbara. Grayson Trede added another goal off an Elan Dillon assist. In the third period, Jack Hamilton scored a

The Eagles advanced to the title game with wins over Penn in the first round and the Southwest Michigan Blades in the second round.

NHL draft One current CMA hockey player and a 2019 graduate were selected in the NHL fall draft. Mason Lohrei ’19 was selected by the Boston Bruins in the second round. The 6-foot-4 defenseman was selected 58th overall. He has played for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL the past two seasons and is committed to Ohio State for the 2021-2022 season. Timofey Spitserov ’21 was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round. The 6-0 right winger was the 210th overall pick. He has verbally committed to the University of Massachusetts. He has also played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL. CGA Volleyball The CGA volleyball team captured its first sectional championship since 1982, coming from behind to defeat Kankakee Valley 3-2. The team dropped the first two sets of the match, 21-25 and 26-28, before winning the next three, 25-18, 29-25 and 15-8, to claim the title. It was CGA’s fourth volleyball sectional title overall. The team finished the season 20-7.

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CMA Tennis CMA tennis No. 1 doubles team Nate Posner and Paul Wilson made it to the individual state finals before losing in the quarterfinals to Delta. The duo advanced by beating doubles teams from LaPorte and Westfield in the individual regional tournament. The senior duo advanced to the individual regional after winning their match in the team regional. The team lost to Bremen in the regional championship. The Eagles advanced to the championship match by defeating Warsaw in the first round. They won the sectional with wins over North Judson and Rochester.

Wrestling Eli Pack finished his wrestling career by taking third place at 195 pounds at the state finals. With a season record of 24-2, Pack lost in the semifinal to eventual champion Hayden Flipovich of Indianapolis Lutheran, who finished undefeated at 48-0. During his tournament run, Pack pinned every opponent but two, scoring major decisions in the final matches of the regional and semistate tournaments. His third-place finish was one notch better than fourth spot his junior year. Sam Suppes also advanced to the regional round, taking fourth at 132 pounds in the sectional. His season came to an end in the first round of the regional. CMA Football The Eagles made a deep run in the state playoffs before losing to Logansport in the sectional championship round. Playing all three games on the road, the Eagles defeated Kankakee Valley 21-14 in the first round and neighboring Plymouth 24-14 in the sectional semis. Playing football in November, the Eagles lost 22-14 to the Berries.

Cross Country The CGA cross country team returned to the state tournament, finishing 21st out of the 24-team field. Senior Lexi Allen finished eighth individually, running the 5-kilometer La Vern Gibson course in Terre Haute in 18-minutes, 28 seconds, placing her on the podium. Other team members were junior Stella Kinney (108), senior Maggie Bialek (124), freshman Celeste Gram (170) senior Elizabeth Strogilios (188) and junior Reese Roemer (194). A total of 204 girls ran at the state tournament. The team advanced by finishing fifth at the New Prairie semi-state. Allen led the team with a fourth place finish, running the 5-kilometer course in 18:45.4. Kinney finished 21st with a time of 19:48.9. Allen took first place at both the sectional and regional levels while the team finished second in each meet. CMA junior Sam Tullis qualified for the state tournament individually, finishing 155th out of a field of 207 runners. His time was 17:25.5. He advanced by finishing second at the sectional, fifth at the regional, and 11th at the semi-state. As a team, CMA finished second at the sectional, third at the regional, but missed the team cut at the semi-state after finishing 16th.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

17 athletes make college commitments Seventeen Culver student-athletes either signed National Letters of Intent or announced their college commitments during the first National Signing Day in November. Seven different Culver athletic programs were represented: boys and girls hockey, boys and girls lacrosse, wrestling, girls rowing, and girls golf. Women’s Golf Reese Wilson, Howard University Men’s Hockey Timofey Spitserov, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Women’s Hockey Zoe Lohrei, Rochester Institute of Technology Women’s Lacrosse Lucie Diatta, Dickinson College Men’s Lacrosse Gabe Bowen-Slott, University of Denver Nicholas Crouthamel, Babson College Timon English, University of North Carolina Jackson Gray, Duke University Liam Halstead, Swarthmore College Cameron Hitchcock, Dartmouth College Alexander Menendez, Emerson College Braedon Saris, Princeton University Jayden Smith, Bellarmine University Ben Trumble, Colgate University Alec Vaccaro, U.S. Military Academy at West Point Women’s Rowing Taylor Lewandowski, Syracuse University Men’s Wrestling Elijah Pack, U.S. Military Academy at West Point

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About the Photos: Masks or No Masks Clarification from the Indiana High School Athletic Association: - Volleyball is considered a non-contact sport, so no masks are required. - Wrestlers have been exempted from wearing masks. - Since team shots are shot immediately after a game or match, the previously quarantined athletes are not required to wear masks.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

Antonio A. Pastrana ’91, a Mexico-based photographer, captured a stunning shot of El Niño, a crocodile at the Gardens of the Queen, a marine park off the coast of Cuba. The picture has won several awards, including one in the 2019 World Photographic Cup competition.

1950s William T. Deibel ’51 W’47 and his wife, Karel, moved to the Windermere neighborhood in Seattle after he joined an old acquaintance in taking over Seattle’s downtown, full line GMC dealership in 1978. They sold the business in 1995 and have recently bought a condo overlooking Puget Sound. Over the years, he has done a sizable amount of writing, from presentations articles to an illustrated history of Duracell. Bill credits his Culver English teacher, Major

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Richard “Smiley” Gimbel, for cultivating this interest. Marshall Wolf ’53 W’47 found his niche running a hedge fund, and at age 85, he is still active in business. Miguel “Mike” T. Brostella ’54 checked in with the Alumni Office in October from his home in Panama. He was proud that the self- discipline he learned at Culver has helped him follow a diet, exercise, and social regimen that has made surviving the pandemic more bearable.

Lewis M. Steel ’54 and his wife, Kitty, have been married for 60 years and have three children and seven grandchildren. He still works as senior counsel at Outten & Golden LLP, an employee rights firm. His book The Butler’s Child: White Privilege, Race, and a Lawyer’s Life in Civil Rights is now being published by The University of South Carolina Press, as a paperback for academic readership. Thomas J. Barber ’56 W’53 and his wife, Petronella, a Netherlands native, recently

celebrated their 61st anniversary. They have four children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. For their 50th wedding anniversary, they took their children and spouses to Paris and then to Holland to visit their mother’s homeland. James L. Dunlap ’56 highlights his photographic talents in his recent book that centers around the territories from which artist, Georgia O’Keeffe, drew her inspiration in New York City and northern New Mexico.

Benjamin F. Kilgore III ’58 N’ 56 published the novel Will Normal Return on June 17, 2020. A small mountain community is struck by a catastrophic event and the military evacuates them. A small group comes together searching for information and why help isn’t coming. This is a story of survival in a lawless world until everything returns to normal.

1960s E. James Breech III ’61 W’56 retired fully on October 1, 2019 from Cougar Global Investments, the company he founded in 1993. In 2015, the company was acquired by Raymond James Financial, an S&P 500 company. He and his wife, Vicki, live on a 25 acre farm east of Toronto in a hamlet named Cowansville. Robert D. Meek ’61 lives in Granville, Ohio enjoying retirement as much as anyone can in this era of Covid-19 and spent January and February on St. Simons Island in Georgia before returning to Ohio to follow the fortunes of both the CMA Prep and Denison University Men’s lacrosse teams. Charles F. Mitchell II ’66 is still working as an ENT physician in private practice. He has been married to his wife, Lisa, for 39 years. They reside in Baton Rouge, La. and have four children and seven grandchildren. Neal Goodman N ’69, a distinguished sculptor, recently

had a large outdoor piece, entitled Night and Day, installed on the Valparaiso University campus. The commissioned piece is made of welded and grinded bronze.

1970s Louise A. Brennan L’70 is the president and CFO of 21st Amendment in Indianapolis, one of the most successful drinks retailers in Indiana in one of the most competitive markets in the U.S. The 16 unit chain remains well positioned as it nears its golden anniversary. She joined the company in 1984 and became president in 2018. Christopher G. Smith N’70, a professional photographer for 30 years, teaches photography at Northern Kentucky University. He and fellow photographer Michael Keating, inspired by the storied history of Indiana high school basketball, have captured the Hoosier Hysteria legacy in photographs and essays in the new Indiana University Press title, “Chasing Indiana’s Game: The Hoosier Hardwood Project,” which was published in August 2020. Upon finding a photograph of his father’s 1937 high school basketball team, Smith decided to pursue a photographic project focused on Indiana’s historic high school gyms. The pair’s seven year journey covered more than 50,000 miles, shooting more than 400,000 digital frames and captured photographs in 300 gymnasiums. Their project is

currently on display at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and was selected as one of the Indiana Historical Society’s Bicentennial Exhibits. Ross Chapin ’71 retired from an executive position at Parametric Portfolio Associates, a Seattle-based asset management company, in 2018. He continues to serve as the lead director on the boards of Envestnet, an NYSE financial software company, and Joshua Green, a privately held family office. Upon the untimely death of the founder, he became the interim Chairman of Envestnet from October 2019 until May 2020 and is now happily retired a second time. Ross enjoys the bird hunting seasons behind his German Shorthairs and is looking forward to his 50th Reunion. David J. Hauser ’71 retired as the Otter Tail County Attorney after 20 years and 38 years in the office in 2018. Now he and his wife Mary are living like recycled teenagers on the shores of Otter Tail Lake, Minnesota, with road trips south in the winter. Elizabeth “Bus” Kreyling L’71 has worked in merchandising and design at Federated Department Stores, traveling worldwide on trend research and development visits. Then she signed on with Harvey Nichols, a luxury store, which recognized the talent of American designers, as an American correspondent and scout. After eight years of fashion shows,

she has become a full-time writer, including her work as a travel writer for The Boston Globe and The Oregonian. Jon R. Scieszka ’72 was recently featured in the alumni magazine of his undergraduate alma mater, Albion College, for his work as a writer of children’s books that transform classic stories into endings with new twists. He entered Albion College with the intention of studying pre-medicine and becoming a doctor, but he found that the liberal arts experience there inspired him to write. Some of Scieszka’s most famous titles include The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. In 2008, Jon was named the Library of Congress’s first-ever National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Scieszka has sold over 11 million copies of his books worldwide since 1989. David E. Werner ’72 lives with his wife Susan near Tampa Bay, Florida., and has a daughter Mary, son-in-law Mike and two granddaughters, Ava and Chloe. C. Mark Rippy ’73 received the Henry F. Schricker Award in November 2020, which recognizes Starke County (Indiana) residents who put “service before self” from the Starke County Chamber of Commerce. A group of past Schricker Award winners, as well as select chamber board members, select the winner.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

Channing F. Mitzell ’74 CFP, Co-Chair of the Board of Windsor Wealth Management, announced that Windsor has been named to the 2020 edition of the Financial Times 300 Top Registered Investment Advisers. The list recognizes top independent RIA firms from across the U.S. This is Windsor’s fourth year in receiving this honor. Thomas B. Mayo III ’75 retired from Culver in early November after serving as the Culver Fund Director for five years, beginning in February 2012 and then transitioning to the role of Major Gifts Officer in July 2017. Mark Conway W’71 ’76 works for Thompson Hine LLP Personal & Succession Planning practice, which is one of only four ranked in the top band in Ohio in Chambers High Net Worth 2020. The firm has been recognized in the directory since its inaugural edition in 2016. The guide cites Mark as being “particularly highly regarded and respected for advising business owners on taxes and succession planning.” Paul Oberschneider ’76 established one of the largest real estate advisory and development companies in Central and Eastern Europe, exiting just before the global financial crisis. He and his family moved to Argentina and raised cattle and agriculture before returning to London and Oxford in England. Paul recently founded and is CEO of

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London-based Hilltop Credit Partners, a private equity real estate company that provides capital to real estate projects. He lives in Oxford with his wife, Marlene, and has one son, Christian, who is 18 and studies Equine Management at Oxford and plays polo. Shahan Islam ’77, a corporate attorney specializing in patents for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, has been working from home the past several months, so he decided to create a family friendly game about the pandemic that was not only fun but had an educational component as well — ‘Covidopoly 19.’ Similar to the Monopoly game, properties on the board reflect areas strongly affected by the coronavirus, and players can buy hospitals and clinics. Instead of going to jail, players can end up in quarantine or ICU or land on spaces requiring them to choose a “Ventilator” or “Mask” card. Islam will donate a portion of proceeds to local charities.

1980s Stephen A. Kennedy ’80 continues to run his Dallas law office, Kennedy Law, PC, focusing on complex commercial litigation. He resides two hours west of Dallas at Possum Kingdom Lake, where he lives with his loyal yellow lab (whom he considers to be his youngest son), Troy. He tries to live by these words from his favorite movie Shawshank Redemption: “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

John K. Richards, Jr.’81 recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with wife Marianne. Both Jay and his wife teach in their hometown of San Carlos, California. Jay, who came to love English during his years at Culver under the instruction of Paul Hamer, Bruce Holaday, and most influential, Dr. Bayless, has been teaching 8th grade English for over 25 years. He has two daughters who are teachers and one son, who just started UCLA in computer science, telling his dad that “this family has enough teachers.” George M. Beckelhymer ’82 was one of three challengers who ran against the incumbent candidate for a seat on the Laredo, Texas City Council District 5 in November 2020. He cited his 25 years in the private sector as a business owner, as well as his community service on the City of Laredo Planning Commission and the Webb County City of Laredo Regional Mobility Authority. Karl Hilberg ’82 W’76 retired from the U.S. Navy in October 2015 after serving 28 years. He still lives in Poteet, Texas, the strawberry capital of Texas, with his wife, Julie, horses, cows, chickens and four rescue dogs. Currently he is a volunteer with the U.S. Polo Association as Chair of the USPA Armed Forces Committee, Board member of the Polo Training Foundation and Manager of the Central Texas Polo Association, a group of three polo clubs in the San Antonio and Austin areas.

Dr. Ronald L. Betteker ’83, a graduate of the University of Georgia and Loyola University, has been affiliated with veterinary medicine for almost twenty years. He has been married for 25 years and has two daughters. Dennis J. French ’83 SC ’79 works for United Rentals in the New York City area and has been working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers providing power for the Coronavirus field hospitals and COVID19 testing facilities. It has been a humbling experience, seeing the first responders and large construction firms build 1,100 hospital beds facilities in 21 days. William B. Linsenmeyer ’83 participated in a discussion on the Workamper Podcast regarding his company, Your Best Address, that helps RVers set up residency in South Dakota, get a driver’s license, register their cars, register to vote and even handle all their mail while traveling. Stacey C. Kalamaras ’86 W’81 graduated from The John Marshall Law School in 2005. She is an attorney at Kalamaras Law Office, LLC, in Chicago, Illinois, helping people with Intellectual Property issues. Stacey was selected to Super Lawyers for 2020–2021, which is an exclusive list of top rated attorneys in specific practice areas who were chosen after thorough evaluation of numerous criteria.

Raubyn Snyder Barich ’88 is running Culver’s campus COVID-19 testing facility for all students, faculty and staff. Her son Beau is a 2nd classman in Battery C. Col. Robert A. Curris ’88 retired from the U.S. Army on Dec. 18, 2020 after 28 years of service. He was commissioned in the field artillery after graduating from college, but ultimately switched to special operations as a psychological operations (PSYOP) officer. He earned a master’s degree, got trained in a foreign language, and has traveled across the globe, especially Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He and his wife, Bobbi, have relocated to the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. Andrew D. Hardaway ’88 directed and produced his first short film (science fiction), “Roughneck,” a mindbending exploration of memory and consciousness. In the near future, mankind lives in a world where advanced technology removes negative emotions from the human experience and replaces them with a vision of a perfect human existence. But when a decorated soldier loses his wife, he finds himself experiencing something that shouldn’t be possible: pain. After he can no longer hide his grief from the world, he is targeted as a dangerous outlier who may hold the fate of society in his hands. Alise Hunt Larder ’88 directed an adaptation of Claudia Rankin’s book “Citizen: An

American Lyric” for the first show of the season at William and Mary College, which was streamed Sept. 17–20. She viewed it with her freshman students to facilitate/spark meaningful discussion about race, as well as with several student groups at Culver. Geoffrey S. Martha ’88, president of Medtronic since April 27, 2020, has worked very hard to have his company keep up with the increasing need for medical devices to help combat coronavirus. Recently, Medtronic partnered with Elon Musk and Tesla to provide ventilators to thousands of hospitals around the world. Martha said his company typically produces 100 ventilators per week. That number is up to 500 and he hopes they can reach 1,000 ventilators produced per week. In addition, Medtronic is helping other companies around the globe produce the ventilators. “This is a very valuable product for us,” Martha said. “We put it on the internet and granted a royalty free license to manufacture and sell this during the COVID crisis.” Miguel Rodarte ’88 stars in Season 2 of Destilando, Mexico, on Amazon Prime Video, where he discovers the best of Mexico through its gastronomy and landscapes guided by the best chefs, artists and distillers of the states of Oaxaca, Chihuahua, Puebla, Guerrero, Chiapas and Jalisco.

To Our Alumni from Classes ending in 1 and 6, The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Alumni Reunion Celebrations for the Classes ending in 1 and 6, currently on the calendar for the May 20-23, 2021 weekend, will be postponed. While many saw this decision as inevitable, we share the feelings of disappointment as milestone events like these are altered. We have established a bubble that has allowed Culver to offer an in-person experience for our students, that by all measures, has resulted in a productive 2020-2021 school year for our community. It is the decision of school leadership that we will not have any event on campus with sizable guest counts, in order for us to finish the academic year successfully and to get us through the beginning of June when plans call for us to celebrate the Class of 2020 and 2021 Commencements. What does postponement mean? We have every intention to celebrate your quinquennial reunion on the Culver campus as soon as practical. However, we have seen how this situation evolves in complex ways and we are reluctant to set an alternate date at this time. We also envision class reunions happening while students are on campus, as they have since the Culver Legion’s inception. Please note that any information or changes from the Culver Legion regarding reunion will be conveyed to all alumni via the most efficient communication avenues possible, including posts on culver.org/reunion and social media outlets. In the meantime, all of us who work with the respective 1 and 6 classes are in close contact with your respective class leadership teams as volunteers and staff work in concert on communication plans and what we hope will see you return “in person” back, back to Culver days as soon as it is practical. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and support of Culver. We look forward to seeing you on campus in the near future! Sincerely,

Alan H. Loehr Director of Alumni Relations

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

Message from Legion, CSSAA, and CCI Presidents The robust alumni features in this magazine issue, including class notes that span seven decades, are indicative of the wonderful interactions our constituents have been experiencing, even in the face of the COVID pandemic. While we have been unable to see each other in an official capacity on campus and in venues around the world, we thought readers would enjoy the retrospective look back at Culver Club highlights over the years. It is offered in the spirit of knowing we will gather again soon in Culver fellowship.

Rajiv Chopra ’89 President The Culver Legion

Richard R. “Dick” Waterfield W ‘85 President The Culver Summer Schools Alumni Association

Michael E. “Mike” Rudnicki W ’88 ’92 President Culver Clubs International

Todd Shepard ’88 and Jenn “Jiffy” Ross Willson ’88 were married on Sept. 12, 2020 in Kenilworth, Illinois. Culver was well represented both within the family (Katherine Ross McMaster ’87; Kristin Shepard Krizman ’90; Keith Krizman ’89; Megan Shepard Hinton ’94; Ellen Shepard ’22, and Lucy Shepard ’24) and outside the family (Jason Staples ’88; Jeni Jacobus Corona ’88; Sarah Sargent Hetzel ’88; and Chip Redman ’88).

1990s Michael T. Albert ’91 is remarried to Claudia Albert and has a new job as Head of Marketing, IT-Kompass GmbH. Hiu Yi (Sally) Ngan ’91 and Ka Hang (Calvin) Ngan ’92 and their families in Hong Kong donated the face masks that were provided to students, faculty, and staff at the opening of the school year. Kate Ngan ’23, Calvin’s daughter, wrote an article for the Vedette about the process of making the masks. Sally Ngan said, “It is our pleasure to help Culver to fight the pandemic. It brought back many great memories from our Culver days reflecting on how Culver nurtured our growth to shape who we are today.” S. Phelps Walling ’91 started working at Deepwatch, a cyber securities firm, in October 2020 as Regional Director, North Central.

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J. Kristian Brekke ’92 has joined the board of The Funhouse to complement its mission and support the executive director. He has been teaching and mentoring students in elementary/middle school settings for the last 20 years, with the goal of developing them into leaders in their community and advocates for integrity. With academic rigor, laughter, joy and the arts as his ongoing focus, he finds great value in teaching to the whole child and developing self-efficacy in students. Jeremy B. Church ’93 and his wife Rebecca have relocated to the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon, where Jeremy grew up. Currently he is a partner and vice president of results for Word Write Communications, which helps organizations uncover, develop and share their authentic business stories. Rebecca is a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker. Their two sons, Addison and Cooper, are in high school and middle school. John A. Conlon ’93 was recently named the Byron Center High School Women’s Coach. John is still the men’s soccer coach at East Kentwood where his program has been ranked nationally numerous times through his 20 years at East Kentwood. In addition, John is an elementary teacher in Kentwood and Youth Director for Midwest United Soccer Club. He lives in Byron Center, Michigan with his wife, Kelly, and three children Brody, Caleb and Lauren.

Robert R. Latham III ’93 and his wife Amy are still living in downtown Leesburg, Virginia and celebrated 20 years of marriage. Amy is a Senior Creative Director for Asurion and Robert the Area Manager for Site One Landscape Supply in the Baltimore/DC market, overseeing 17 wholesale locations including three plant nurseries and 1 large scale hardscaping center. He spends his down time riding motorcycles in the surrounding mountains and golfing. Marshall L. Stocker ’93 W’87 SC’89 has been appointed as Director of Country Research at Eaton Vance Management in Boston, Massachusetts, responsible for a team of analysts who study the economic and political developments in 130 countries. There is always a drama, a revolution or financial crisis in his life, somewhere in the world. The pandemic has interrupted his international travels, along with an auto racing hobby, replacing them with puttering around his garden, watching virtual lectures and indulging in Netflix binges and Zoom chats. Matthew B. Stockton ’93 and his family Maryellen, George (10), and Winnie (4) live in Atlanta, where Matt works at the CDC as the Deputy Chief for the Entomology Branch in the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. He has been working on the COVID–19 response on the Center for Global Health International Task Force since June.

Devon Q. Horton ’95 was featured in the October 7, 2020 Wall Street Journal article “Tensions Rise as Schools Tackle Racism.” He is the Superintendent of the Evanston, Illinois school district. Steven V. Hunter ’95, a partner in the national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP, has been appointed vice chair of the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago President’s Council, which provides opportunities for members to exercise civic and philanthropic leadership and to promote the museum’s vision to inspire and motivate children to achieve their full potential in the fields of science, technology, medicine and engineering. As vice chair, Hunter will represent the President’s Council at museum events, attend quarterly meetings, advocate for member participation in MSI fundraising initiatives, and give opening/closing remarks or updates in place of the President’s Council chair when necessary. Additionally, Hunter will transition to chair after his vice chair term ends. Hunter is a commercial litigator who focuses on discovery, motions practice, arbitration, mediation, jury trials, bench trials, and appeals. Isaiah E. Brooms ’96 welcomed to the world a third daughter, Clara Grace, on March 13, 2019. Clara joins her two older sisters, Brynn and Avery.

Spencer O. Miller ’96 celebrated 20 years of marriage with his wife, Andrea, and also had the opportunity to open his own specialty clinic (Brain Treatment Center Dallas) to treat severe brain disorders, including Autism, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and various learning differences. He is currently working with partners to open clinics in several other major cities across the nation in the coming months. Sarah Stimson Burrow ’97 her husband and their 13 year old (8th grade) triplets, recently relocated near Eagle Creek Reservoir in Indianapolis, where they happily spent the latter half of the summer in and around the water. A partner at Lewis Kappes PC, she continues to practice immigration law and advocate for social justice. Mayte Moncada Plasencia ’97 SC ’93 lives in New York City with her husband, Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez, an ER doctor, and two sons, Max and Sebastian. This is the first year that she and others are hosting the Veggie Power Summit virtually, which is the biggest plant-based summit in all Latin America. Elizabeth Berry Thompson ’99 and Ernie Michael Thompson were married on April 14, 2018 at their home in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. The attendants were their two children, Kandon Michael Thompson and Tatum Jo Thompson.

2000s Joan A. Akalaonu ’00 was recently named as one of the best lawyers in America on the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” 2021 List. She is with the law firm Faegre Drinker in Chicago. Courtney N. Temple ’01 W’96 SC ’98 transitioned from her role as Legislative Director to Senator Thom Tillis (NC) in early January and joined the Facebook Federal Affairs team. She is living in Washington, D.C. with her 3-year-old son Porter. She joined the Culver Legion Board of Directors in October 2020. Rachel Couts Arndt ’02 is the Chief Deputy Prosecutor for Fulton County, Indiana — the first female in the county’s history appointed to that position. The first case that she tried as a Prosecutor was the case of State v. Shepherd, a reckless homicide case that drew national attention after a young woman disregarded a stop arm on a school bus and hit and killed three young children and permanently disabled a fourth. Shepherd’s conviction was upheld by the Indiana Court of Appeals on September 14, 2020. The case is expected to set the standard for reckless homicide convictions involving vehicles. She also recently obtained a guilty verdict in a Level 1 Felony Child Molesting case. It was the first time in many years that a guilty verdict has been returned in such a high

level sex crime in that county. Personally, Jonathan Arndt, her husband of 10 years, underwent 3 brain surgeries this past year after experiencing complications after having a benign brain tumor removed. He is, it appears, finally on the mend. Benjamin R. Berridge W’02 married Kelly Samples on February 22, 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Inigo Fernandez Sr.’02 was selected by the #1 business magazine and Tier 1 media outlet in Mexico, “Expansion,” as one of the Top 30 in their 30’s for 2020. He was selected for his professional achievements, and more importantly, for coordinating Facebook’s response to the Covid19 pandemic in México, Central America and the Caribbean. Amanda Simon L’02 welcomed a daughter, Blakely Somer Carrico, on October 1, 2020. Ben Wilcox ’02 married Andrea Huist in March 2020 and they have moved to Perrysburg, Ohio. Susanne Jendro Colesworthy ’03 was promoted to Technology Director at The Marketing Store (Chicago, Illinois), in charge of delivery for the company’s promotional gaming platform software. She has also continued volunteering with Top Box Foods, an organization the Chicago Culver Club engages with.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

Victoria C. Greene ’03 ’99 recently celebrated the first year of founding her firm, G Squared Private Wealth, in June 2020. G Squared provides complex financial planning to wealthy individuals and their families across the United States. She has also been featured on CNBC, Yahoo Finance, and in US News for her insights and research. Kathryn “KD” Hockert de Vries ’03 L’01 recently had an article published in MIT Sloan Review about modern business models. Her second article was published in November. Dallas-based, KD is in charge of marketing and thought leadership at Build Group, a permanent capital fund that invests in growth companies and private investments in public equity. Dr. William A. Miller ’03 recently joined Trinity Dermatology in Carrollton, Texas as a dermatologist. He graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle and received a B.S. degree in Neurobiology. He then graduated from medical school with honors at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. During medical school, he additionally completed a master’s degree in global health at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and a master’s in public health at the University of Texas. He completed his three-year dermatology residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

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Marci Hatfield Oliveira ’04 married Rene Oliveira on October 19, 2013, in Rockport, Texas. She and Rene are the proud parents of 5-yearold Emelia Jean, and expect their second child in February 2021. Brooke Osborn Twardak ’04 and Boomer Twardak were married in the Culver Chapel on August 15, 2020. Alain Aguayo W’01 A’05 graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a B.S. is Aeronautical Science and a B.S. in Aerospace and Occupational Safety. He has worked as an Airline Transport Pilot and Flight Instructor. He is currently a pilot for Delta Private Jets. Dr. Friederike Benning ’05 graduated from the University of Basel, at Biozentrum, Basel, Switzerland with a Ph.D in Biophysics. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. James L. Herring ’05 is a research scientist at Numerica Corporation, based in Loveland, Colorado, and is doing postdoctoral research through the University of Houston. Maj. W. Wickliffe Kelley II ’05 was recently selected to transfer over to the U.S. Space Force. He is currently the Senior Intelligence Officer for EC130H Compass Call for airborne electronic warfare, in Tucson, Arizona, and will finish his full two-year leader-

ship assignment there through the summer of 2022 before moving to the Space Force position. Phillipe Tosi ’05 and Claire Strebinger ’07 were both guest lecturers, via Zoom, for Dr. Jackie Carrillo’s Engineer Your World class. Tosi shared his NASA tales and the exciting engineering work in which he is engaged. Strebinger is a faculty member in the Seattle University Mechanical Engineering Department. Courtney Adams ’06 W’03 married John Selman on August 31, 2019 in Valparaiso, Indiana at their home. They celebrated their one year wedding anniversary this year and are expecting their first child in March 2021. Joseph R. Beezie ’06 W’02 recently marked 10 years of service in the U.S. Army Reserve and his promotion to Major. In 2019, he led a Civil Affairs Team to Iraq and Kuwait, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. The team worked closely with the United Nations, the Government of Iraq, and the US State Department in the Coalitions mission to defeat ISIS. Upon returning home, he mobilized to Germany to work with NATO Allies in DEFENDER Europe, the largest military exercise in Europe in 25 years. Though COVID19 ended the exercise early, he continuously worked with European Allies to slow the spread of the virus.

Robyn Kasper Framsted ’06 shared that she and her wife, Kim, had their third child in April, Lola, who joined older sister Pippa (5), and older brother Guy (3). Qi Wei Hu ’06 and his wife, Yidan Wang, welcomed a son, Jingzhe, on August 8, 2020, who joined his 4-year-old sister, Meilin. Rochelle L. O’Neill ’06 recently graduated with a Radiologic Technology degree. Kyle Chen ’07, who is an IP lawyer in Chicago, was a guest speaker in Cathy Tulungen’s English 1 class, which studied a unit on the Protecting of Intellectual Property. It was an excellent opportunity for students to learn from a Culver professional in the field of IP law. Kevin Harris ’07 married Holly K. Hodges on March 7, 2020 in Boston. They met at church in Boston and now reside in Houston, Texas. Patheer, a talent development and internal mobility Saas company, which was co-founded by Kevin and his older brothers, was acquired by People FluentLearning Technologies Group on September 17, 2020. Bailey A. Smith ’07, former deputy prosecuting attorney for Teton County, Idaho, won the position of prosecuting attorney in the November 2020 election. She earned an undergraduate degree in International Political Science, Spanish and Italian at the

Katan Rodriguez ’08 was a featured speaker on September 1, 2020 in the Virtual Learning Series for the students (largely international) who are currently doing their Culver Experience online. The Virtual Learning Series highlights alumni and friends who are artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and the like, who share their journey and current work. It is hosted by the Academies’ Office of International Student Achievement.

Culver graduates gathered at West Point on Dec. 12 for the 121st meeting between USMA and USNA football teams. First row, left to right: Claire Martinez ’17, Adam Davis ’18, Spencer Weisgram ’19, Dante Dalmaso ’19, Alex Coleman ’19, Ryker Knight ’18, Ethan Barangan ’18. Top Row, left to right: Brennan Coulson ’18, Thomas Maly ’17, Rachel Dodson ’18, Thomas Polhamus ’18, Ben Snyder ’17, Jacob Hare ’17. Missing: Zain Khodr ’17 (USNA), Judson Andonov ’16 (USMA), Daphne Karaholios ’20 (USMA) and Sydney Herzceg ’19 (USMA).

University of Richmond and graduated from the George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC. where she studied criminal law and procedure. She practiced for six years at prominent firms in New York City, providing pro bono representation to numerous criminal defendants, and worked with Lawyers Without Borders in Africa training prosecutors and judges on how to handle human trafficking cases.

Jane Elliott Coslet ’08 and her husband Brian welcomed their first child on March 4, 2020, a boy named Jack Harley Coslet.

William Benjamin “Ben” Teaney ’07 married Daltry Dott last November. The couple resides in Dallas, Texas.

Rebecca L. Rochelle L’06 ’08 graduated magna cum laude with her J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law, then moved to Washington DC to start the LL.M. in Taxation program at Georgetown University Law Center.

Ariana Warr Blamo ’08 W’02 is living in Spain and gave birth to her second child, Daniel.

Angela Solis de Hinze ’08 moved to Dallas from Illinois with her husband and daughter in March 2020. Richard A. O’Neill ’08 SC ’05 was elected as the precinct committee officer for the 34th legislative district for the state of Washington.

She is scheduled to take the Texas Bar Exam in February 2021. Rogelio Lemarroy ’08, Guanlin Chen ’11, Leonardo Rodriguez ’15 and Jesus Mancha Navarette ’16 were individually featured speakers in the Virtual Learning Series for students (largely international) who are currently doing their Culver Experience online. The Series highlights alumni, colleagues, and friends who are artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs who share their journey and current work. The Academies’ Office of International Student Achievement coordinated with multiple campus departments to make the series possible.

Melissa Schwenk ’08 finished her Master’s degree in Regulatory and Clinical Research Management from Regis College in August 2020. She lives in Boston with her partner, Sean, and works for a medical device startup. Shadi Bakour ’09 was a speaker for The George Washington University Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, Innovation Campfire Stories. He is the cofounder & CEO of Pathwater, a sustainability focused bottled water company that provides the first 100 percent refillable, recyclable bottled water in a sturdy aluminum bottle. An expert in the beverage industry, Shadi’s extensive experience and proven track record of growing disruptive businesses has allowed him to drive the overall vision and strategy for Pathwater. He is responsible for overseeing all facets of the business, specializing in accelerating ideas through strategic foresight, drive, and determination.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

ALUMNI CLASS NEWS

Jenna Iwaniec Hutches ’09 married Bo Hutches in August 2018 (classmate Melissa Teasdale was a bridesmaid) and on July 7, 2020 they welcomed a son, Charles Hutches. Georgie Whatmore ’09 passed the National Board Exam for Health and Wellness Coaches in February 2020, making her a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She has been a Health Coach with Noom, Inc. since summer 2018. In addition to her health coaching work, she is completing graduate school in Applied Psychology Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and has been accepted into a top graduate counseling internship program with Sunstone Counseling. Georgie recently purchased her first home in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, with her partner, Graham Owens. They share their new home with their two dogs a micro mini Goldendoodle named Bunny, and their new English Cream Retriever puppy, Jake. Mary McDaniel Hyer ’09 and her husband, Dan, who was most recently the Culver Academies Protestant Youth Minister, were commissioned by the United Methodist Church on August 15, 2020. Mary is now the Senior Pastor at Waynedale United Methodist Church in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Taylor Whitsett ’09 has recently moved to the Sacramento area and is now working at the University of California, Davis

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School of Law as the Associate Director of Development.

2010s Patrick M. Brun ’10 was the opening speaker in the Virtual Learning Series for students (largely international) who are currently doing their Culver Experience online. The Virtual Learning Series highlights alumni and friends who are artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and the like, who share their journey and current work. It is hosted by the Academies’ Office of International Student Achievement. Moira T. Kelley ’11 SC ’08–’09 recently moved to Lake Forest, Illinois to work as a Residence Life Coordinator at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart. The 2020 session would have been her tenth summer working at Woodcraft Camp. She plans to be back on staff in 2021! Blakely Kinnan Riehl ’11 married JD Riehl on June 1, 2019 in a traditional Catholic ceremony, with a large celebration following the mass. They currently reside in Cincinnati, Ohio and recently welcomed their son, Quinn Joseph Riehl, on October 3rd. Kevin J. Stoffel W’11 graduated from Northwestern University in 2019 with a B.S. in Chemistry. He is currently a Research and Design Chemist at NUMat Technologies in Skokie, Ill. His role in the lab focuses on the synthesis,

characterization, optimization, formation and scaleup of porous materials. Known for his creative harmonies as glockenspiel player with the D&B, he continues to play the double bass, serving as a teacher/ mentor to students of chamber music in the Naperville area. Austin C. Welch ’11 is in his first year at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he is pursuing his MBA. Austin graduated in 2015 as the Cadet First Captain at West Point. He then commissioned as an Army Aviation officer flying the UH72A Lakota and then the AH64D Apache Longbow. After acceptance into Army Special Operations Aviation, he went to Fort Campbell, KY for training on the MH47G Chinook. Kimberly Grover ’12 married Daniel Turk on August 31, 2019, in Vail, Colorado. CGA classmates Bridget Davidge and Marin (Barnes) Strong were in her bridal party. She and Dan reside in Denver with their French bulldog, Tilly. Henry Meserow ’12 was promoted to Associate Director of Business Develop at InSight + Regroup Telepsychiatry. He works with healthcare leaders across the country to create and implement telebehavioral health strategies that directly impact their communities’ access to mental health services. InSight + Regroup is the nation’s largest telebehavioral health company, employing more than 400 psychiatrists.

Andrew H. Mevis W’12 and Harrison P. Mevis W’16 from Warsaw, Ind. have always been very competitive in all things, from fishing to board games — and kicking contests. Andrew is now a senior kicker at Fordham and Harrison is Missouri’s first new field goal kicker in four years. Andrew visited Harrison in Columbia for two weeks this fall, where they engaged in their ceremonial kicking contest. The wins were split 50-50 and the brotherly banter and competitive spirit prevailed. Sarah A. Rakich ’12 W’07 married Derek Petty, in Carmel, Indiana on September 26, 2020. Gracen Hirschy ’13 recently started her fourth professional hockey season in Sweden. It’s been a fascinating journey that included a national championship playing in Pittsburgh at age 15, a high school career at Culver and a political science degree from the University of North Dakota, along with representing Team USA a few times. Joy Shen ’13 is in her first year at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she is pursuing her MBA. Joy graduated from Dartmouth in 2017. Most recently, she was an associate with Oliver Wyman consulting in New York City. Joy is also pursuing a Masters in Education through the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Emily E. Beyer L’15 graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon College in May 2020 with a double major in Spanish and International Studies and a minor in Public Policy. She was named a Fulbright Scholar and will be teaching English in Argentina, beginning in March 2021. Lamar Stone Coughlin ’15 is living in Orlando, Florida and working at Universal Studios after completing his Advanced Code Certification through Georgia Tech. Roy A. Radke ’15, a former Chicago Blackhawks NHL Draft selection, is now a 23year-old sophomore at Bradley University, making a transition from a right wing in pro hockey to a collegiate golfer. After suffering multiple injuries, the Blackhawk offer fell through and he returned home and started working with professional golf instructors, one of whom sent a video to Bradley, resulting in an offer to play on their college team. Matthew ‘Bear’ Coughlin ’16 graduated from American University’s Kogod School of Business with a BS in Finance. He is currently a Project Manager and Business Analyst at United Solutions in Washington DC and is an IT consultant with Evolv Capital. Bear is also continuing his Master’s in Business Analytics and Cyber Security at the Kogod School of Business at American University.

Clay Kingsbury ’16 is a Program Associate in Partner Relations at Quest Bridge in Palo Alto, California.

played in 19 games during the 2019 season and hit .317 with a home run, 17 RBI, 18 runs and two stolen bases.

Erica L. Sadlowski ’16 graduated from Elon University in North Carolina with B.A. in Public Health and Minors in Psychology, Sociology, and Spanish.

Dominic Vidoli ’18 is one of 8 new members joining the Ohio State men’s hockey team. He played for the Sioux City Musketeers for two seasons, seeing action in 18 games in 2018–19 and 19 games in 2019–20.

Nathaniel H. Clurman ’17, a junior from the University of Notre Dame, has been selected as the captain for the hockey team. A 2016 Colorado Avalanche draft pick, Nate is the second junior defenseman in the last three seasons to captain the Irish. A 2019–20 Academic All-Big Ten selection, Clurman has played in 76 career games while registering 12 assists. Ignacio Peon Zapata ’17 is a senior at the University of San Diego majoring in mechanical engineering and is working on his senior capstone project, a Baja SAE 2020 offroad vehicle. Connor R. Caponi ’18 is bringing his experience to Denver University’s hockey team this season. He spent two seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL in Iowa, recording 22 goals in 74 career games and also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge.

Samantha L. Leach ’19, a sophomore at Oklahoma State University majoring in Animal Science and Business, was one of six college students who were awarded the 2020 USPA Polo Scholarship. Recipients are selected based on horsemanship, sportsmanship, playing ability, contribution to the sport, academic excellence and character. Mason D. Lohrei ’19 has committed to Ohio State University for 2021. The Boston Bruins took Mason in the second round, 58th overall, of the 2020 NHL draft. Bruins director of scouting Ryan Nadeau said he had grown significantly in the past year and made a successful transition from forward to defense.

Our blog has moved! The Culver News blog is now The Culver Cannon. On The Culver Cannon, you’ll read stories about how members of our community positively impact others. You’ll read about current events on our campus. And finally, you’ll find helpful posts in which experts in our community share their thoughts and advice on a variety of topics.

Check it out at www.culver.org/ cannon.

Hayden R. Schott ’18 will play baseball at Columbia University for the 2021 season. He attended Cypress College and

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

C U LV E R C L U B S I N T E R N AT I O N A L The brief history of Culver Clubs International In 1992, with the guidance of Legion Director and Chair of the Alumni Outreach Committee Jim Moss ’42, a concretive effort was made at establishing a Club “program.” With the great help of numerous Culver Staff and members of the Legion Board of Directors, a network emerged to foster Alumni and Culver Parent engagement within major metropolitan areas of the United States

and beyond. Currently, Culver Clubs International is represented by over 40 clubs and over 130 volunteers throughout the world. Volunteers coordinate an average of 45 events and host an average of 2,500 guests annually, often supporting scholarship programs. While we are currently unable to gather in person, what better time to look back on the History of Culver Clubs International and highlight some of our most active clubs and greatest hits.

Club of Los Angeles 2018

Club of Houston 2019

Club of North Texas 2019

Bay Area Old Guard 2005

Club of San Diego 2019

Club of Hawaii 2018

Club of South Florida 2019

Club of Colorado 2004

Club of Tampa 2018

Club of Georgia 2009

Capital City Club 2017

Club of Southwest Florida 2013

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ANNOUNCING

Culver Connect

Club of Beijing 2017

Club of Chicago 2016

Club of Mexico 2019

The exclusive networking space for alumni of Culver Academies and Summer Schools and Camps

RECONNECT with Classmates

EXPAND your Network

ADVANCE your Career

MENTOR Fellow Alumni

Expand your network through Culver Connect List your business and show your

Club of Korea 2019

support for fellow alumni owned and operated businesses through the Alumni Business Directory. CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

IN MEMORIAM

John Marshall Jenkins ’39 (Company C) died in Hanover, New Hampshire on Nov. 23, 2020. After graduating from Dartmouth in 1943, he was an army draftee, on his way to Camp Upton, Long Island, New York. A year later, he entered OCS (Officers Candidate School), as a new second lieutenant, and was assigned to Army Air Force Intelligence. He served on Army Air Force bases in Hays, Kansas, (B29s) and Alexandria, Louisiana, (B17s). Twice posted for overseas duty, he was twice scratched as the war ended in Europe and then in the Pacific.

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John and his wife Mary lived in suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, New Canaan, Connecticut, Ft. Wayne, Indiana and Westport, Connecticut for 38 years while John worked in sales and marketing for La France Industries, (eventually VP, board of directors), followed by 25 years with the Imperial Schrade. He retired in 1991. John was a devoted volunteer, throughout his long life. He transported the handicapped to medical appointments, drove for the Red Cross and the Blood Bank, and delivered Meals on Wheels. In Westport he

chaired the Railroad Parking Commission. In Hanover he was a Red Jacket volunteer at DHMC and a volunteer and board member at the Upper Valley Hostel (now Maynard House). At Kendal, where John and Mary moved in 1999, he helped residents in the Kendal Health Center and served on various committees. After John retired, he and Mary traveled extensively in Europe, Africa, Asia and the U.S. He always found time for tennis and an occasional golf game and enjoyed 40 years of summer vacations in Nantucket. John is survived by his wife of 76 years, Mary; two sons;

two daughters; six grandsons, two granddaughters and five great-grandchildren. David Mehard Ellis H’42 died in his home at Charter House on April 20, 2020. He graduated high school from University School in Cleveland, Ohio, then served in the 94th Infantry Division in WWII, where he was assigned to the 376 Infantry Regiment Company D from 1943–1946. He earned a Bronze Star in Battle of the Bulge. He attended Case Western Reserve University and earned a B.S. in mechanical/electrical engineering. In 1951, David started work with General

The obituary dates are from August 1 – December 31, 2020 Motors as a project engineer for Fischer Body in Detroit. Upon retirement, he moved to Carlsbad, California where he married his second wife, Jean in 1990, and they resided in Carlsbad until 2010, when they moved to Charter House in Rochester, Minnesota. David was a Postal History collector for Michigan State and published a book titled “Michigan Postal History 1805–1986.” He was a member of the American Philatelic Society and the Peninsular State Philatelic Society. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Roberta, and is survived by his wife, Jean; four daughters; two sons; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. George Pomeroy “Skipper” Kingsley, Jr. N ’44 died Sept. 8, 2020. He was educated at The Haverford School and Governor Dummer Academy. He spent summers at Culver. Upon graduation from high school, he was drafted into the U.S. Navy, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. After serving his country, Skipper attended Williams College and Syracuse University. A lifelong lover of history, Skipper taught at Massanutten Military Academy and at The Swain School. Upon his retirement, Skipper shared his infectious love of soccer with many young people by coaching and officiating in Pennsylvania and Virginia. He was an avid reader and also loved the outdoors. Skipper was preceded in death by a brother and a daughter.

He is survived by his companion of many years, Ann Clarke Brady; two daughters, two sons; two adopted sons, and seven grandchildren. John Randolph Dover III ’45 (Company B) N ’41 died Oct. 5, 2020, at the DuBose Health Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. After graduating from Culver, he furthered his education at UNC Chapel Hill and UNC School of Law. He served honorably in the U.S. Coast Guard. After practicing law for many years in Shelby, North Carolina, John began work at the Seminary at Melodyland School of Theology, followed by work at the General Theological Seminary of New York. His varied career included being an executive for the family business, Dover Textiles, attorney-at-law in Shelby, and an Episcopal priest at Trinity Episcopal Church in Orange, California, and later at the Church of Our Savior in Johns Island, South Carolina. John was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Ann. He is survived by two daughters, one son, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Albert Gilpin Schoemann NB ’46 died July 29, 2020 of cancer at his home in New York City. He graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with a degree in theatre and performed with the Antioch Shakespeare Festival under the direction of Arthur Lithgow. He worked as a newscaster on Ohio radio. Schoemann pursued graduate theatre study at Smith

College before being called into the U.S. Army, where he served for two years. He moved to New York City to finish his theatre study at the American Theatre Wing and served as a page at the NBC television studios. He worked as an actor’s agent, a production and stage manager for off-Broadway shows, and eventually moved into the area of casting. He developed and headed the national casting program at Theatre Communications Group (TCG) for major regional theatres throughout the U.S. He also worked as general manager of the National Shakespeare Company, a touring company that hired young actors from throughout the U.S. to tour colleges and universities in Shakespearian productions. In 1974 he cofounded, with Philip Meister and Mario Siletti, the National Shakespeare Conservatory, a fully accredited professional two-year actor training program in New York City, as well as a summer conservatory in the Catskills, eventually becoming the director until 1998. Later in life, he and his wife, Pamela, spent summers on Cape Cod, running the family summer vacation rental business, Holly Tree Cottages, by Nauset Beach. Albert was preceded in death by his son Eric. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, one son, two daughters and six grandchildren. John Robert Brown ’46 (Troop I) of Lizton, Indiana, died Aug. 27, 2020. He was a successful farmer and

businessman, a loving husband and father. He graduated from Purdue University with a mechanical engineering degree before serving in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot during the Korean War. He had a passion for the land, was an accomplished horseman and loved to play games with family and friends. He served as a director of Lizton Financial Corporation and State Bank of Lizton for 31 years and served as chairman of the board for 20 years. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jeri; two daughters; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his infant son, Gregory. Donald Latimer Crandell T ’46 died on Oct. 28, 2020 in Redding, California. He spent his high school years during WWII at Culver, where he played football and was on the swimming team. Don attended San Francisco State College, U.C. Davis and U.C. Berkeley, where he received his teaching credentials, and began his teaching career in 1949 at Town School in San Francisco. He was drafted for the Korean War and served in the U.S. Army in Japan. Don returned to teaching, and his young family moved to Danville/Alamo for the next 40 years. He taught for 20 years at Mt. Diablo High School where he was renowned for telling stories of his encounters with enemy spies in Hawaii every December 7th. After retirement, Don and Sue relocated to Redding to be closer to their family. Don is survived

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

IN MEMORIAM by his wife of 64 years, Sue; two daughters, two sons, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Chris Tocky Christ ’47 (Band) of Battle Creek, Michigan, died Nov. 16, 2020. He pursued Culver after seeing an advertisement in Boys Life magazine and credited Culver with his life of discipline. He graduated summa cum laude from Albion College in 1951 and received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1954. He also received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Albion College in 1997. He joined the law firm now bearing his name, Vandervoort, Christ & Fisher, in 1959 and started his legal career as a trial lawyer and assistant prosecuting attorney, progressing to a specialty in estate planning. Chris said his mission in life was to “just try to do something with my life in a meaningful way every day. Nothing spectacular, nothing earthshaking, but maybe helpful to those who sought my counsel.” Of his numerous successes, some of his proudest professional accomplishments included his involvement negotiating the merger of two competing hospitals in Battle Creek, so that the citizens of Battle Creek could have better access to healthcare. He was also appointed to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation where he served as member and chairperson. There his communication and leadership skills were applied to a world stage, affording him the opportunity to meet with various world

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leaders to help establish problem-solving projects. As a man of family and faith, he was well-known for his community service, advocacy and leadership. He served on numerous boards, including being a director on the Culver Legion Board, and received multiple awards and recognition for his community service and leadership. Chris was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Jean, daughter Teri, and granddaughter Heather. He is survived by his three children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Gerald Kenneth Rabushka ’48 (Company B) died on Sept. 12, 2020. He graduated from Washington University and St. Louis University Law School. He served as a judge advocate officer in the U.S. Air Force and then practiced law in Clayton, Missouri, for 44 years. Gerry is survived by his wife, Sherry, two daughters and five grandchildren. He was an avid reader, squash player and loved bridge, his daughters, grandchildren and boyhood friends. Donald Llody Marti ’49 (Band) died Aug. 19, 2020, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Don earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was a partner in the Lincoln law firm of Marti, O’Gara, Dalton, Bruckner, and Keating. Don was a member of the Nebraska Board of Abstractors and Examiners appointed by former Gov. Norbert Tiemann. Don served in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps and was

honorably discharged a first lieutenant in 1955. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Karolyn Kagan Marti, two children, and seven grandchildren. A brother, Douglas ’52, preceded him in death. Lt. Col. (Ret.) William T. Black ’49 (Company D) W ’43 died at home on Sept. 21, 2020, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Pennsylvania Military College with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and then immediately entered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and then commanded engineer companies in Korea, the Seventh Army Bridge Park in Germany, the post engineer for the Seventh Infantry Division, and a provisional engineer battalion in Vietnam. He also served as executive officer for four major commands, including Office of the Engineer, Europe, The U.S. Army Construction Agency (V), the Engineer Command, Vietnam, and the U.S. Army War College Post at Carlisle. His last overseas tour was Director of Services, NATO/ SHAPE Support Group and Deputy Commander, Chievres Air Force Base, Mons, Belgium. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Meritorius Service Medal, and three U.S. Army Commendation Medals. Later he attended graduate schools at the Missouri School of Mines and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, attaining a master’s degree in business management.

After retirement from the U.S. Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel, he worked for 15 years as human resources manager for the Material Handling Equipment Division of FMC Corporation (Syntron). Bill was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Jean, an infant son and a granddaughter. He is survived by three daughters, five grandsons and one great-grandson. David Judd Nutting ’49 (Battery A) died Sept. 23, 2020 at his home in Green Valley, Arizona. His love for inventing and tinkering inspired him to become a designer, engineer, inventor, entrepreneur and author. After graduating from Pratt Institute School of Design, David served two years as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From there he joined the design firm Brooks Stevens Associates, and became involved in the design of Evinrude Outboard Motors, 3M products, Enstrom Helicopters. He also designed the first SUV, and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. David established Nutting Industries and created a series of coin-operated amusement games. Pioneering the world of arcade rooms in malls, 22 Red Baron game rooms were established throughout the country. In 1970 his company became the research and development consultants to Bally/Midway Mfg., where they created the first microprocessor pinball and video game systems. Some of the more famous games they produced were Gunfight, Seawolf, Ms. Pac-Man, Wizard of Wor, Tron and Baby Pac-Man.

T H OMAS S ULLIVAN S R . ’5 5 , W’4 8 In his spare time David studied quantum physics and in 2005 wrote a book on the subject, “Language of Nature.” For the last 16 years, David continued to tinker, invent and write books. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis, daughter Lisa, two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Dean Alan DeVoe ’49 (Troop II) died on Oct. 13, 2020 in Lima, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio State University with a B.S. in business administration in 1953, where he also served as a Wing Commander for the OSU Air Force ROTC Unit. Dean entered the U.S. Air Force in 1953 and served as a supply officer. After discharge from the Air Force, he held management positions across several industries until his retirement. Dean was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Ruth, and is survived by one brother, eight nieces and nephews, 13 grandnieces and nephews, and one greatgrand-niece. James Andrew Briggs NB ’49 died on Nov. 4, 2020. Jim attended Columbia City High School and spent his summers at Culver, where he played the drums in the marching band. He attended DePauw University, then earned his law degree at the University of Michigan. Jim was a founding partner of the predecessor to the office of Taft, Settinius, and Hollister, LLP. and remained in practice for 35 years. Upon retiring, he spent his days caring for and unconditionally loving the animals at the Wilson Family Farm in Carmel, Indiana.

Thomas Christopher Sullivan Sr. ’55 (Battery B) W’48 of Bay Village, Ohio, a prominent business leader who led the family business, coatings company RPM International, for 55 years, died peacefully on Nov. 30, 2020 surrounded by his family. After graduating from Culver, Tom attended Miami University of Ohio, where he was elected president of the freshman class and served on the student senate for four years. Post college, Tom was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy and was deployed throughout the Pacific as a communications officer on the destroyer U.S.S. Braine. Tom joined his father’s business, Republic Powdered Metals, as a division sales manager in 1961. The company’s sales were $2 million at that time. In 1971 he was thrust into Thomas Sullivan the role as RPM’s leader after his father’s unexpected death. He developed a plan to aggressively grow the $11 million company and guided RPM into international markets, instituted an annual planning process and committed to rewarding shareholders with a consistently increasing cash dividend. During the ensuing 30 years, he grew the company to more than $2 billion in sales through a combination of internal growth and acquisitions, achieving record sales every year and record net income in nearly every year as well. His extensive philanthropic work gave him sustained joy, in collaboration with his wife, Sandy. In 1991, through Tom’s signature generosity, they established The Thomas C. and Sandra S. Sullivan Family Foundation, primarily as an example to their children and grandchildren of the importance of giving back to the community and finding fulfillment in assisting others. Tom and Sandy were especially motivated to promote education initiatives championing the aspirations of underprivileged youth from elementary school through college,

as demonstrated by their enduring support for Metro Catholic and Urban Community School, as well as the Sullivan Scholars, a nonprofit established by their children. Other recent grant recipients through the Sullivan Family Foundation include Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Community Service Alliance, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeast Ohio, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the West Side Catholic Center and Malachi House. A man of deep faith, Tom was particularly proud to receive the Charles Eisenman Award, presented by the Jewish Community Federation for embodying the tenets of his faith by embracing the faiths of all people. Tom’s most enduring trait was his belief in and love for people. He had an incredible knack for connecting with others and trusting in their abilities. As a result, people would rise to the occasion to deliver on his positive expectations. This is the spirit he brought to the boardroom, family table and the widening circles of his influence, which will long be felt in the greater community. Tom was deeply committed to Culver and served in a variety of roles: as a class and reunion volunteer, the Athletic Advisory Council, Thomas and Sandra Sullivan and the Legion Board. In 1979, he was awarded honorary membership in the Culver’s Cum Laude Society Chapter. He was the Legion President from 1976-1977, served more than 20 years on the CEF Board of Trustees, and was an emeritus trustee at the time of his death. Tom was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 59 years, Sandy. He is survived by four sons Frank ’79 W’74; Sean W’75; Tom, Jr. ’82 W’77; Dan ’83 W’78; two daughters, Kathleen SSG ’82 W’80, and Julie ’87 W’81 SSG ’84; 16 grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

CULVER’S FIRST GRADUATE OF THE YEAR, HAL HOLBROOK ’42

“There are places on this campus where I have lived…and died — and out of that I got me.” — Hal Holbrook ’42

Culver Academies first Man of the Year, actor Hal Holbrook, died Jan. 23 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. His death was confirmed by his assistant Joyce Cohen. He was 95. Holbrook was the first Man (now Graduate) of the Year in the fall of 1967. The announcement of his selection came after his “Mark Twain Tonight!” television special was watched by 30 million households that March. In making the announcement of Holbrook’s selection, Supt. Delmar T. Spivey wrote that Holbrook’s career — even 54 years ago — was based on the committee’s criteria that his “personal achievement has brought honor to himself and Culver.”

Holbrook was introduced to the theater his first-class year at Culver. He needed an extra credit hour for graduation. He was told there would be no homework and that “Col. (C.C.) Mather was a great guy. He was. He had a great talent for just being human. He opened me up.” That led to a prolific career in theater, film, and television. But the one role that he created in 1954 and played until 2017 became his trademark: Mark Twain. Holbrook toured with his award-winning one-man show for 63 years, portraying America’s best-known writer and satirist. Holbrook performed the show in all 50 states, internationally, on television, and twice on Broadway.

During his Culver years in 1942

During his career, Holbrook won five Emmy Awards, a Tony Award for “Mark Twain Tonight!” and was nominated for an Oscar for his role in “Into the Wild.” He is known for his portrayals of some of America’s most pivotal characters: Twain, Abraham Lincoln, and Lincoln ally Preston Blair. In “All the President’s Men,” he played Deep Throat, the source that led Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to break open the Watergate scandal. Holbrook came back to the Culver campus on several occasions. In 2004, he and his wife, actress Dixie Carter, returned for his induction into the inaugural class of the Arts & Letters Hall of Fame. He performed “Mark Twain Tonight!” twice, in 1962 and 2014. During his final visit, theatre students watched a special showing of “Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey,” a documentary directed by Scott Teems. The film takes viewers behind the scenes with Holbrook for an intimate look at Twain’s continuing influence on American culture and the actor who portrays him. Following the movie, Holbrook talked with students, asked questions of them, and answered theirs. The following night he performed “Mark Twain Tonight!” in front of a packed Eppley Auditorium audience. After his performance, Holbrook came back on stage, took his bows during a standing ovation, and exited. Then the CMA cadets spontaneously started to sing “The Culver Song.” Members of CGA quickly joined in and all the students cheered at the conclusion. The rush of emotion that washed over the audience can only be described as a classic Culver Moment. — Jan Garrison

A Remembrance of Hal Holbrook

Holbrook had read those books at Culver and post-college as the idea of a one-man Mark Twain stage performance coalesced in his theatrical mind. The actor was a decade into reliving Twain’s life when we talked. Altogether, Holbrook was Mark Twain on stage for 60 years, longer than Mark Twain was Mark Twain on stage. Holbrook died in January at 95, 21 years longer than Twain lived.

Holbrook performing as Mark Twain at Culver in 2014

It was a Saturday, as I recall. As Vedette editor, I had assigned myself to interview the actor Hal Holbrook, a 1942 Culver graduate and fellow Cleveland native who was returning to campus that day to present what became his definitive performance of the American icon, Mark Twain, white linen suit, vest, raspy voice and all. What began with routine questions in the old guest house turned into an entire day of countless inquiries about his life, his CMA experiences, his acting, his act and art as an important and integral part of life. He was so open and approachable. I was mesmerized, no, actually magnetized by him and his thoughts. We strolled the campus while he recalled life there. He listened so well and responded on topic. Mark Twain wrote about life as lived by real Americans in the 19th century. Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Jim, Becky, Aunt Polly. A shocking departure from the high teas and drawing-room discourse of British literature. Literary realism became an American thing. A lot of today’s teenagers don’t read those down-to-earth tales anymore.

Twain’s honesty and clear speaking impressed Holbrook. And his observations on America, Washington and politicians sounded just as sharp in the 20th century as they had in the 19th. Holbrook memorized about 15 hours of Twain’s observations, quips and writings. He told me the show was not scripted. He just pulled up anecdote and lines from memory as they came to him, which Holbrook pointed out to me, made them (and him) seem more spontaneous on stage. Later, in the auditorium basement Holbrook began physically transforming into Twain. The mental transformation was already underway. There was a wild white wig. The bushy mustache, of course. Makeup to darken his skin so stage lights wouldn’t bleach it.

He was counting the spots. 74 spots on the left cheek. Then another 74 on the right. No one would know the spots number the same, I remarked. He looked straight at me. “I know!” he said. “Minor details are not minor.” From my theater seat I saw someone else up there. The former cadet and actor and luncheon companion was gone. Mark Twain was there. In person. At one point the old man sitting in the chair fell strangely silent. So did the audience. He remained silent. So did the puzzled audience. For a long time. Uncomfortably. Then, one by one audience members began to discover for themselves that the old guy on stage had fallen asleep. The growing laughter awakened him. And he continued storytelling. As years passed, the aging Holbrook once recalled, he needed less makeup to age his face. But I’ve never forgotten that on that Saturday night in 1962 he placed 74 age spots on each cheek. Not 73. Not 75. But 74. Because, you see, minor details are not minor.

I kept asking questions and he kept answering. “The stage isn’t a book,” he said, “where you tell readers everything. It’s a place where you lead the audience to discover for themselves what you’re presenting. Or at least they think they discover it.” At one point he took a makeup pen to apply age spots to his cheeks. I started to ask something. He held up a hand for silence.

Andrew Malcolm as a student

Writer Andrew H. Malcolm is a 1962 CMA graduate who, like Hal Holbrook, received the Academy’s McDonald Watch upon graduation. And, like Holbrook, he is a member of the Arts & Letters Hall of Fame.

IN MEMORIAM He leaves behind the Fitzgerald, Wilson and Brickley families, along with many treasured friends, who were like family to him. Dr. John “Jack” Lyman Kihm ’49 (Company B) died Nov. 24, 2020 at his home after a nine-year battle with cancer. Dr. Kihm was a graduate of the University of Michigan College of Literature and Science and the University of Michigan Medical School class of 1956. He served his post-graduate surgical residency at Mt. Carmel Memorial Hospital and his orthopedic residency at Borgess Hospital. He was certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery in 1964 and accepted as a Fellow of American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons and was a member of the American College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons. Dr. Kihm practiced orthopedic surgery in Kalamazoo from 1961 to 1990, founding Kalamazoo Orthopedic Surgery, PC. He retired from surgery in 1990. An early pioneer in joint replacements in 1969, he taught orthopedics in the Borgess/Bronson orthopedic residency in Kalamazoo. He served on the Board of the American Fracture Association and was a member of many medical societies, including the Flying Physicians Association. After retirement he served on the Airport Committee and the Board of Governors of Spruce Creek Fly-in Community, Port Orange, Florida. He was an avid flier for 54 years and received the Orville Wright

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award for 50 years of safe flying from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2016, logging more than 10,000 hours accident-free in several models of single and twin- engine planes. He enjoyed water sports and scuba diving and was a member of the Undersea Medical Society. He was also a true marksman with national and state awards in rifle, pistol, and shotgun. Dr. Kihm also served on the Culver Legion Board. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Patti; four daughters, two sons; 17 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and eight nieces and nephews. Dr. Henry Albert Lee ’50 of Snowmass Village, Colorado, died on Sept. 3, 2020. He attended the University of Arkansas, and finally the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he completed medical school, and most importantly, met and married his beloved wife of 62 years, Jean Schwiering. He then finished his residency in radiology at Washington University in St. Louis. Henry moved to Kansas City in 1962, where he practiced radiology at Baptist Medical Center and was eventually named head of the department until his retirement in 1989. Henry was an avid golfer. He was also passionate about model railroading, and once graced the cover of Model Railroader magazine. Henry also loved to ski, which led him to build a home in the mountains in Colorado, which was the hub of all family gatherings.

John Corwin DeFord ’51 (Company B) died Aug. 3, 2020 in Carrrollton, Ohio. He attended Ohio University before serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. John owned the Carroll Lanes Bowling Alley and was inducted into the McCook Bowling Association Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Church of Christ. John is survived by his wife, Sue; one son, David, and three grandchildren. Douglas Lawrence MacKenzie ’51 (Troop I) died Sept. 6, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from Purdue University with a BS in mechanical engineering. He obtained his Indiana Professional Engineering (PE) License in 1960. He began his career at the Emerson Electric Company in St. Louis; followed by National Homes Corporation in Lafayette, Indiana. Doug switched careers and moved his young family to West Nashville to open a Burger Chef in 1964. He developed and owned six Burger Chefs throughout Tennessee. In 1984, he joined the Metropolitan Nashville Codes Department as a plans examiner and was promoted to chief plans examiner in 1988, where he served until his retirement in 2000. As a dedicated government servant, Doug was instrumental in the codification of the Metro Nashville Electric Code and earned the MTCOA Lifetime Achievement Award. Doug was most proud of his participation on the Project Teams for the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and Nissan Stadium. Titans fans can thank

Doug for the comfortable stadium seats as he insisted that the developer add three additional inches of legroom to each seat, causing a reconfiguration of the stadium. Doug was preceded in death by his wife of 38 years, Patricia, and is survived by two daughters, two sons, D. Scott MacKenzie ’74 (Battery A), Mark A. MacKenzie T ’76, one daughter-in-law, Amy Stivers MacKenzie ’75 (West Lodge), and seven grandchildren. James Frederick Morrison ’51 (Company A W’47) died on Dec. 21, 2020 in Naples, Florida, with his family around him. He graduated from Northwestern University, where he received his B.A. ’55 and M.B.A., ’58. He served in the U.S. Air Force and went on the Honor Flight in 2018. Most of Jim’s career was spent with International Flavors & Fragrances, NYC, where he was Controller and Managing Director of Europe, Middle East & Africa. Living in London for five years gave him the opportunity to travel even more. Jim served on the boards of churches wherever he lived … from Whitefish Bay to Manhasset, Rumson to Naples. He enjoyed golf — his forever game — and won countless matches around the country. In Naples Jim was a member of The Greater Naples Leadership Program, the Forum Club, Naples Council of World Affairs, St. Andrews Society and Circumnavigators. He is survived by his wife, Myra, of 63 years, two daughters, Hollie L ’78 and Cynthia L’79; and five grandchildren.

Ronald Robertus Henry Witort ’52 (Troop B) N ’50 died on Sept. 13, 2020 at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, California, of heart disease. He graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in social studies in 1956, then served in the U.S. Air Force as a navigator in bomber-refueling tankers while stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base. During his service, he married his wife, Beverly, in 1957. Ron earned his teaching license in California and began teaching at Mountain View School. He developed new teaching methods in the U.S. and in Canada, including the introduction of computers to the classroom in the 1980s. Late in his career, Ron taught at Winton Middle School and in the credential program at California State University, Stanislaus. Ron is survived by his wife Beverly; two sons, two daughters, 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. William Turner “W.T.” Ray, Jr. Turner ’52 (Company C) of Monterey, Tennessee, died on Nov. 23, 2020. He was truly larger than life and rose to meet any opportunity he came across. The list of life accomplishments is long: Yale University graduate, service in the U.S. Army Airborne as a paratrooper, lifelong member of the Monterey United Methodist Church, president of Builder’s Supply Company, board member of One Bank of Tennessee, avid snow skier, biker, runner, and patron of University of Tennessee football. His greatest accomplishment was the nearly 50-year

marriage he had with his wife, Frances. They were known far and wide for their dinner parties, wit and charm. W.T. is survived by three nieces, one nephew, three great-nephews and one great-niece. A brother, Jack ’53, preceded him in death. Lawrence Fitzgerald Boesel N ’53 died on Aug. 7, 2020 in Toledo, Ohio. An avid athlete, he attended Culver Naval Summer School and set several swimming records. He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in dentistry. He later served in the U.S. Air Force, providing medical care to men and women stationed at Minot Air Force base in North Dakota. Following his military service, Boesel opened up his own dental practice in Toledo before relocating to the community of Rossford, where he spent his career serving neighborhood families. Dedicated to serving the underprivileged, he donated all of his dental equipment and machinery to dental providers in Haiti upon his retirement. An enthusiastic snow skier, he traveled all over the country to find “the perfect powder” and was president of the Toledo Ski Club. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine. He is survived by his longtime companion, Janice Simon, two sisters and one brother. Thomas Michael “Mike” Mehaffy ’54 (Battery A) W ’48, of Little Rock, Arkansas, died at home on Aug. 10, 2020. While at Culver, he played tennis, football and wrestled, and won the Chambers Award,

given to the cadet who excelled in both academics and athletics. He earned a BS in civil engineering at Georgia Tech. After receiving his Registered Professional Engineer status, Mehaffy founded Thomco, Inc., Mehaffy Construction and Simco, companies that do primarily bridge work in the state. He was also part-owner of Jet Asphalt in El Dorado. He served on the several boards, including the Little Rock Boys and Girls Club and the University of Arkansas Foundation Board. Mike was an outdoorsman who especially enjoyed duck hunting. He played tennis throughout his lifetime, winning several state and regional titles. He also loved to fly airplanes, having earned a private pilot’s license when he was 25. Mike is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sheila; two children, Melissa and Patrick; and five grandchildren. Karl Adams III ’54 (Company D) of Lodi, California, died Aug. 21, 2020. After graduating from Culver, he served in the military for more than four years, then graduated from Harvard University and later earned his MBA in marketing from Santa Clara University. A salesman at heart, Nick loved showing off the newest gadgets that hit the market. He loved music and performed in many groups, at events, at church, and most recently was a member of Mixed Metafore. Nick was also member of United Methodist Church and loved telling people of the work that God did in his life. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne;

three daughters; two stepsons; and four grandchildren. Dr. Malcolm Henderson Rourk Jr. ’54 died Sept. 4, 2020, in Durham, North Carolina. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Davidson College with a BA in English. A Fulbright scholarship recipient, he then spent a year in Germany studying and conducting research. In 1963, Dr. Rourk graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He was a captain in the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1965–1968 at Eglin Air Force Base. He completed his residency in pediatrics, followed by a fellowship in pulmonology. He also spent a sabbatical year at UNC Health System, where he studied pediatric gastroenterology. Dr. Rourk spent his career at Duke University as an associate clinical professor, where he led the team that created the Division of Pediatric GI and Nutrition. He completed his career as the director of the Pediatric Residency Program. He also served on the Duke Medical School Admissions Committee for many years. A lifelong Presbyterian, he served as a deacon, elder, and in several leadership roles at the First Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his wife, Jane; three children and one grandson. He was preceded in death by a son, Malcolm Henderson Rourk III. William Ezra Haslem ’54 (Company B) N ’52 died Oct. 21, 2020 at home in Union, Michigan, following a long battle with cancer.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

IN MEMORIAM He earned his bachelor’s degree at DePauw University in 1958 and a post-graduate degree from Indiana State University in 1964. He worked in manufacturing in Terre Haute for four years before moving to Elkhart, where he taught all levels of English at Northside Junior High and Memorial High School for 27 years. Bill retired from Elkhart Community Schools in 1991. He was a lifelong member of the Indiana State Teachers Association and the National Education Association. He also was a member of the Fraternal Order of Moose Lodge #599. Bill is survived by his wife Deanna; one son; one daughter and four granddaughters. He was preceded in death by his only grandson, Erik, in 2019 and a brother, William ’53. “Fernie” George Holt ’54 (Band) died on Nov. 26, 2020 in California. He was born in Panama in the Canal Zone, where his father was a tugboat captain who pulled ships through the canal locks. He left Panama to attend Culver, where he played football, and continued later at Long Beach City College in California and North Central College in Illinois. At age 20, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, which was a tremendous source of pride for him. In 1962 he married his wife, Sue, and moved to California, where he earned his Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from San Jose State and spent many years as a beloved high school football coach and teacher. Together they built a life they loved. George spent

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many years researching his family’s genealogy and wrote several short stories based on his ancestors’ lives. He loved his Cubs and his Bears but eventually became a big Los Angeles Angels fan as well. He remained a sports fanatic his entire life and spent many days cheering on his grandkids in the gym and on the ball field. George is survived by his wife, Susan, one daughter, two sons, and five grandchildren. James Lamberton Mitchell ’55 died Aug. 20, 2020. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Stanford University. After receiving a commission in the U.S. Coast Guard, he was stationed in Panama as part of the U.S. Small Craft Inspection and Training Team, for which he received a Legion of Merit Medal. Upon discharge from the Coast Guard, Jim moved to Seattle and became a radio announcer. He moved to Sacramento where he worked as a TV consumer reporter. A few years later ABC hired Jim and he moved to southern California where he was responsible for reporting news from the 11 western states. Jim resigned from ABC to form his own public relations company for solar energy projects. Jim met his wife, Meryle, in 1986 at a charity fundraiser for the Orange Country Chamber Music Orchestra. They moved to Temecula in 2001, where he was very active in preserving the community. He successfully opposed the “Up Zoning” of property immediately adjacent to the wine country. He joined Save Our Southwest Hills, and

together with the Pechanga Indian Tribe and the City of Temecula, won a hard-fought battle against a proposed quarry mine on Pu’Eska Mountain. Jim used his radio and TV skills to arrange several local debates for candidates running for the Temecula City Council and the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Jim is survived by his wife, Meryle, his four daughters, and his stepdaughter and stepson. In addition, they have 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Charles “Chuck” Kenneth McPherson ’56 (Band) died on Oct. 16, 2020, in Springfield, Va. He studied at the University of California-Berkeley and Waynesburg College and received a B.S. in 1966. Chuck worked as a systems engineer, programmer/analyst, and HQ staff corporate information manager. He was one of the first polio vaccine recipients from Dr. Jonas Salk and was committed to continuing the fight to eradicate it through his work with Rotary International. He also served as assistant district commander of the Boy Scouts of America. Charles is preceded in death by his wife, SueZann. He is survived by a daughter and a son, and two grandchildren. His ashes will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. James Taylor Evans ’56 (Company C) of Frisco, Texas, died on Nov. 17, 2020. He attended Texas Christian University and Baylor Dental School, from which he graduated in 1964. Taylor was board certified by

the American Association of Orthodontics and practiced for 45 years. His marriage to Netha Lynn Scott in 1958 produced three children: Scott, Taylor Jr. and Heidi. Taylor remarried Carol Cantrell in 1998, who survives him. Other survivors include two sons, one stepson, one stepdaughter, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his daughter, Heidi. Daniel Ward Schryver ’56 (Company C) W’51 of Canton, Georgia, died at home on Dec. 6, 2020. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal, he received a B.A. from Hillsdale College, after which he began a 40 year career as a salesman/account manager in the bearings and alloy metals industry. A private pilot at age 15, he loved flying and in his earlier years would pilot friends and family in a Cessna 172 to multiple events and family gatherings. He enjoyed going to air shows and remained an aviation enthusiast throughout his life. Ward was also a lover of performance automobiles and was involved in the Gymkhana and road rally circuit during the 1970s. Daniel is survived by his wife of 58 years, Wilma Sue; three sons, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His father Daniel Alfred Schryver ’15 N’13 and cousins John Robert Henkle ’20 (Company H) and Maynard Wesley Schryver ’25 (Company H) also attended Culver.

Isaac Newton Coolley III ’57 (Company C) of Brocton, Illinois, died on Sept. 17, 2020, at Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital in Mattoon. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University and served in the U.S. Navy. After being discharged, he returned to Brocton and farmed for the rest his life. He was a 54-year member of the Robert Willoughby American Legion Post 0977. Isaac married his wife, Ellen, on March 18, 2006. She survives, along with two stepdaughters, six step-grandchildren and seven step-great-grandchildren. Frank Edgar Braden ’57 (Company A) N ’55 died on Oct. 1, 2020, from pancreatic cancer in Sarasota, Florida. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1961 with a B.A. in economics and foreign affairs. He then joined the U.S. Navy and served two years as a gunnery officer aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Lexington, spending time in San Diego, Pensacola, and the Far East. He continued serving in the ready reserve and retired after 20 years with the rank of commander. Following his active duty service with the Navy, Frank was hired by Marathon Ohio Company in Findlay, Ohio, where he served in personnel and finance positions over his 28 year career. Frank was a member of the board and past president of CHOPIN Hall, an organization that provides food, clothing and other necessities to those in need in Findlay and Hancock counties. Frank and Ruth moved to Sarasota in 1999, where Frank became

involved with the Caritas Food Pantry and directed the food ministry there until his recent retirement. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Ruth; one son, one daughter and three grandchildren. Paul Jones Fouts Jr.’57 (Company D) N ’55 of Indianapolis, Indiana, died on Nov. 8, 2020. He attended Hanover College and graduated from Butler University with a BS in accounting. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve and received an honorable discharge. His career as a CPA spanned more than 50 years, including positions at Roy Pile Firm; Finn & Company; and Fouts & Co., LLC. For the past four years he also served as a consultant at Marietta CPAs. He was a member of the Indiana State CPA Association and held the CIRA (Certified Insolvency and Restructuring) and CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics) designations. He formerly served as a board member for the Visiting Nurses Association Foundation. In his leisure time Paul was an avid golfer, enjoyed bird watching with wife, Billie, and was a Porsche enthusiast. Paul is survived by his wife, Billie, one daughter Julie W ’78 and one son Andrew SC ’81, three grandsons, five stepchildren, 12 step-grandchildren; and first wife, Susan Watson. David Charles Stillson N ’59 died on Oct. 20, 2020 at Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio. He was a midshipman in the Summer Naval School from 1957-59 and then worked summers for the Naval School

CHARLES BEGGS MONCRIEF ’67 Charles Beggs Moncrief ’67 (Battery A) died on January 6, 2021 in Ft. Worth, Texas. He served in a variety of volunteer leadership roles with his Culver class and the Academies, including a five-year term on the CEF Board of Trustees. He was the grandson of legendary wildcatter W.A. “Monty” Moncrief and son of W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. He attended both the University of Texas and Texas Christian University, Charles Beggs where he Moncrief earned his degree in geology. Charlie served in the U.S. Marine Corps, then went directly to work for the family business, Moncrief Oil, Montex Drilling Company and Moncrief Ranches. He was a lifelong oilman dedicated to running and growing the family business alongside his father, Tex. A dedicated philanthropist and servant to the community of Fort Worth, Charlie served as a trustee for Texas Christian University, the board of directors

for the State Fair of Texas, the Moncrief Foundation, and a lifelong member of the All-American Wildcatters. He was the second longest-running executive committee member, serving 47 years on the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, and as a U.S. Marshal. Charlie’s strong faith in God and stature represented the strength he carried with him. A steadfast leader, loyal friend, companion, the best father, and grandfather to his many girls. He loved to travel, loved the University of Texas Longhorn Football, and of course, an “occasional” Crown Royal. Charlie is survived by his father, W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. ’37; his wife of 40 years, Kit; daughters B.B. Moncrief’90, Michelle Moncrief ’92, Gloria Moncrief Holmsten, Adelaide Royer and Celia Browning. He was also blessed with ten grandchildren. Charlie is also survived by brothers Tom, Dickie ’60, Bill, Harry Johnson ’59, and sister, Debbie. He was preceded in death by his mother, Deborah Beggs Moncrief, sister Monty Francine and brother Herbert ’62.

Three generations: From left to right: W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. ’37, Michelle Beggs Moncrief ’92 and Charles Beggs Moncrief ’67.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

IN MEMORIAM from 1961–1965. He graduated from Kent State University with a B.A. in 1963, an M.A. in education in 1965 and an M.A. in speech communication and rhetoric in 1966. With the exception of three years at West Liberty State College, his entire teaching career was spent at Kent State University. At the Tuscarawas campus, he coached women’s softball and,

with the help of Harold Shade, started the first women’s basketball team. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Marlene; one daughter, and a granddaughter.

retired from the USDA in 2014. He had a passion for gardening and fishing. Larry is survived by his wife, Joann, three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Larry Carl Dawson ’61 (Company A), age 76, of Lakeland, Florida, died Aug. 11, 2019. He served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and

Jerry Richard Marsh ’62 (Battery C) of Muncie, Indiana, died Oct. 23, 2020, at West Park Rehabilitation in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended

Michigan State University, then transferred to Western New Mexico from where he graduated in 1968. He was inducted into the U.S. Army where he served one tour in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader, and later resigned his commission as captain. He was in the Army National Guard from 1982–1987. Jerry began working at Marsh

REM EMB E R I N G T H E FA M ILY Harold “Hal” Weitgenant of North Judson, Indiana, died on March 23, 2020. He served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years, where he served on the U.S.S. Maddox and earned the rank of Captain. Hal graduated from Purdue University and started a construction company called Gardin and Weitgenant, where he worked for many years before becoming a marine surveyor. Hal joined the Culver staff on May 15, 1987 in a newly-created position: construction manager and assistant director of facilities. Several campus building projects were in the works, and his primary role was to ensure that construction projects were getting quality materials and workmanship. He reached those objectives by creating the zone tech program, which identified problem areas on campus, increased timely communication flow, and acted faster on problems, making the Facilities department more efficient and effective. During Hal’s tenure, the Huffington Library, math and science buildings, numerous Woodcraft Camp buildings, as well as several faculty homes and apartments, were added to the campus. He was promoted to director of facilities in 1995 until his retirement in 2006. Hal is survived by his wife, Judith, four sons, 10 grandchildren, including Victoria ’10, Jonathan ’12, and Aaron ’15, and one great-grandchild. Lt. Col. Clifford Henry Dawson died on April 11, 2020. Clifford served as chairman and professor of military science and tactics at Culver from 1957–1961. A native of Argos, Indiana, Cliff graduated from Indiana University in 1936 with an BA in mathematics and physics.

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He was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant and ordered to Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. From there he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps at Palmroy and Dayton, Washington, and Weiser, Idaho in drainage and soil conservation. He met Juanita Rose Wilson on a blind date in Cheyenne and married her on July 18, 1937, in Brazil, Indiana. Cliff spent 30 years in the military service at various posts, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1966. He served during World War II in Italy with the 1st Armored Division as part of the liberation forces and then in Germany in the occupation forces from 1946 until 1948. During his final assignment at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, he earned a master’s degree in mathematics and education from American University. Clifford served as chairman and professor of military science and tactics at Culver from 1957–1961. He retired to Whispering Pines, North Carolina and taught mathematics at Southern Pines High School and at Union Pines High School until 1980, then worked for H&R Block parttime and taught tax classes until age 90. Cliff was a member of Whispering Pines Country Club for 45 years and their Club Champion in 1969. He continued to play golf until he was 95. Cliff was preceded in death by his wife Juanita and son. He is survived by three children, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Ralph Edwin Winters of Culver, died on Aug. 15, 2020. He was Director of Utilities and Repairs for Culver from 1980 to 1986. He graduated from Monterey High School in

1954 and from Purdue University with a BS in agricultural engineering in 1959. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for four years, three of which were in Germany, earning rank as a first lieutenant. Ralph then returned to the Monterey area, where he worked in a variety of professions, including farming, selling agricultural chemicals in Leiters Ford, working at McGill Manufacturing as heat treat supervisor, and plant engineer at Arco and BORAMCo. At the age of 57 he devoted himself to Culver Storage, where his entrepreneurial spirit thrived for 25 years. Ralph was active in civic organizations, including the Culver Town Council. He was also a founding member of Kiwanis Club of Culver in 1984. Ralph created a scholarship fund, “The Ralph E. Winters Scholarship,” managed by the Community Foundation of Pulaski County, and “The Barbara Winters Award for Excellence” through the Culver Kiwanis. In keeping with his passionate support of education, he also served on the board of directors for Ancilla College. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Barbara; a son Craig NB ’77, a daughter Janet ’79 and two granddaughters. Stephen Dennis Winet, master instructor of science, died on Sept. 17, 2020, at his home in South Bend, Indiana from pancreatic cancer. Steve served Culver from 1977 until his retirement in 2012, leading as Science Department chair from 1989 until 2006. He was named the outstanding biology teacher in the state of Indiana in 1979, received a National Science Foundation grant, and was recognized at

Supermarkets at age 14. He held many positions with the company, district manager being the longest, but store manager as his favorite, at 21st Street and Post Road in Indianapolis. He also owned Fishers Trading Company for six years. After Marsh Supermarkets bought Ross, Jerry was brought in to clean up and remerchandise LoBill Hard-

ware and Sporting Goods and oversee the operations. Jerry is survived by his two sons, Erik and Grant, two grandchildren, two nephews, and one niece. Jack Leonard Piazza ’63 (Company D) of Wheaton, Illinois, died at age 75 on June 18, 2020 after a long battle with cancer. He had worked in investment services. He

Culver with the N.V. Kinsey Instructorship in Science, the holder of the Almore H. Teschke Memorial Chair, and as a Kaser Scholar. Steve will be remembered for passionately leading science instruction into the 21st century. He brought focus to inquiry and argumentation at Culver, mentored his colleagues in designing the curriculum and shifting practice from direct instruction to a more guided inquiry approach. He also played an instrumental role in helping design the Roberts Hall of Science to support laboratory-based science instruction and student research. Along with his wife, Elisabeth, Steve is survived by two sons, Ryan Stephen of Michigan and Robert Karl of South Bend. Dr. Charles E. Bayless died on Nov. 18, 2020, in Kokomo, Indiana. He was a member of the English faculty for 33 years, starting in 1958. He was known for his “Bayless stare” and “gross errors.” He was appointed chairman of the Department in 1976 and held the position until his retirement in 1991. He then accepted a position teaching English at Ancilla College. Over the years, he received many accolades and awards, including Hoosier Teacher of the Year, Roundtable Honor, the Mark B. Kaser Award (Culver’s highest honor for outstanding instruction), and in 2007, Cambridge Who’s Who Professional of the Year in English Education, and Ancilla College’s Educator of the Year, as voted on by the students. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Purdue University, master’s from Indiana University and doctorate from Duke University.

is survived by his wife of 49 years, Jan; daughter, Cindy; son Michael, and grandsons John and Joseph Witkus. Leland “Lee” Brooks Couch ’69 (Company A) died July 29, 2020 in Houston, Texas, after a battle with cancer. He earned a B.A. in government from the University of Texas at Austin in 1973. Beginning in 1974,

Outside of his educational background, Charlie was a gentlemen’s gentleman. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed entertaining, fishing and sailing on the lake, spending time with his “four-legged friends,” doing cross-word puzzles, attending Purdue football and basketball games, and playing games in which he showed his very competitive nature. Charlie is survived by his nephew, two nieces and several great nieces and nephews. Steven Henry Morrison died on Nov. 24, 2020. Steve was the pastor at Saint Mary’s of The Lake in Culver from 1986 to 1989, a role which requires concurrent service as the Roman Catholic priest serving the Academies. He graduated from Saint Francis College in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He was ordained a priest in the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers) on May 15, 1976. In 1983, he incardinated to the diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend. Steve served as an assistant pastor at Holy Family parish in South Bend from 1983 to 1986 before coming to Culver. In 1989, he left the service of the diocese and began a career in social work, specializing in the treatment of troubled teens. Steve earned an MS in social work from Indiana University and served as a counselor in the Northern Indiana/Ohio area for many years, mainly at the Marsh Foundation in Van Wert, Ohio. He retired from the Marsh foundation in 2017 after more than 30 years. Steve is survived by his loving companion, Carol Staszewski; her three children, five grandchildren, two brothers and one sister.

he worked in the office of then-state Sen. Jack Ogg. For the next four years his work would also include the Texas Elections Division of the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Couch was actively involved with the redrafting of the Texas Election Code and various pieces of election legislation, served as the first state election inspector in Duval County,

Donald Eugene Hume of Winslow, Indiana, died on Dec. 31, 2020 at the age of 94. His life was rich in friendships and service. Don served in the 1st Cavalry Division in the Pacific Theater, and at (almost) 18 years of age, was among the last soldiers trained on horseback. He served as a military scout in the liberation of the Philippines, earning three bronze battle stars, and was present when the U.S. flag was raised over Tokyo. After returning from the war, Don served his community, state and country as a public school teacher and principal for 36 years, as an officer and instructor at Culver Summer Schools & Camps for 51 summers, and as a colonel in the Indiana Guard Reserve. He was elected and re-elected as state representative for 22 years. Don was also a three-time recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, awarded by three different Indiana governors. Don received an honorary doctorate of law from Oakland City University. He enjoyed teaching students — young and old — always encouraging them to reach their greatest potential and imagining their best future. His example was always to go and do with full engagement, whether learning to scuba dive in his 60s, teaching chess and archery in his 70s, traveling in his 80s, or learning about technology in his 90s. Don was preceded in death by a son, Clinton, and is survived by his wife of 70 years, Shirley; three daughters, Denise SSG ’70 and Darcee SSG ’77, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

IN MEMORIAM and was the Secretary of State legislative liaison to the Texas House and Senate on all election and ethics issues. In 1978, Lee joined the office of Read-Poland Associates (now GCI Read-Poland) as an account supervisor, primarily interfacing on behalf of his clients with statewide elected officials and members of the Texas Senate and House. He served as the first state election inspector in Duval County, and the Secretary of State legislative liaison to the Texas House and Senate on all election and ethics issues. In 2007, he joined his client Bell Helicopter Textron as their first Manager of Legislative Affairs. Lee is survived by one brother, one sister, and four nieces. William Levi “Lee” Wearly Jr. ’70 (Troop A) died on Sept. 28, 2020, in Phoenix, Arizona. from COVID-19 related complications. He earned a B.A. in economics from Purdue University, then moved to the Phoenix area, where he spent his life as a businessman and eclectic hobbyist. A recovered alcoholic of 23 years, Lee was a tireless mentor and ally to others seeking recovery from addiction. After recuperating from a lung transplant last fall, Lee wanted to visit friends in Hawaii, return to favorite outdoor adventures like scuba diving and boating, and reunite with classmates at his Culver reunion, but especially to be Papa Lee to his 2-year-old granddaughter, Rose. Lee is survived by his daughter Ashley, one granddaughter, two sisters, and many nephews.

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Michael Alan Cohen ’70 (Battery C) W ’64 N ’65 of Madison, Wisconsin, died Oct. 19, 2020. He received his business degree from the University of Illinois, where he was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity and a cheerleader. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Michael worked in real estate and was employed by Home Security of America. He was a member of Temple B’Nai Abraham. He is survived by one sister, three nieces, two nephews, five cousins and best friend Bob Lehman. Ane Marie Young SS ’75 died on Sept. 28, 2020, in San Marcos, California. On her 16th birthday she soloed in a Cessna 152 at Montgomery Field, San Diego. In August of 1975, she graduated from the Summer School for Girls, during which she studied alongside School of Aviation students. She was a 4.0 GPA graduate of La Jolla High School and attended the University of Denver for three years until she met Darren Smith, whom she married in San Diego. They had four children from 1979–1986 and divorced in 1989, after which Ane moved to Poway with her children. Her most cherished moments were spent with her children and six grandchildren. Ane’s father, Richard A. Young N ’47 is a Naval School graduate. A sister, Caryn SS ’76, preceded her in death. Keith Elliott Landy ’78 (Band) NB ’76, the longtime CEO of Germfree Laboratories Inc.,

died Nov. 9, 2020 after a long battle with cancer, but not before seeing his company play an important role in the global race to find a cure for the coronavirus pandemic. The Ormond Beach Company was the maker of the modular biocontainment lab in Singapore that was the first to isolate the COVID-19 virus. “Everything that Germfree has done over the last 20 years has prepared us to address events like the COVID-19 pandemic,” Landy said. “Going back to before 9/11, Germfree was working with the U.S. Army in developing equipment and mobile facilities that could address the threat of a biological weapons attack.” Germfree was founded in 1962 in Miami by Landy’s father, Jerome, a physician who began making safety equipment for hospital pharmacies. Keith went to work for his dad in the early 1980s after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, where he earned a degree in agricultural economics. Landy took over the business when his father retired in 2000. Landy began working on developing a way to convert trailers into mobile biocontainment labs. Germfree expanded its product line further a couple years later to include permanent modular biocontainment labs. The company provided mobile labs for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Landy was cited as a wildly creative person. He was also a big believer in the impor-

tance of a good education and helped pay for college tuition for a number of his employees over the years. Landy was also dedicated to giving back to the community. Two of the charitable causes he passionately supported were the Jerry Doliner Food Bank, which provided groceries to thousands of disadvantaged families, and Operation Backpack programs at The Jewish Federation of Volusia & Flagler Counties, which filled 7,000 backpacks with school supplies. The company issued a statement about Landy’s death: “The entire Germfree family is deeply saddened by this immeasurable loss. The family business grew to be a global manufacturing company, known across industries and continents. Keith’s unique vision, his uncompromising curiosity, his prodigious intellect, his razorsharp dry wit, his boundless generosity … are just a few elements that we have lost with his passing.” Keith is survived by his wife, Caroline Mitchell, and their three children: Isabelle SC ’17 ’19 (Linden), Owen W ’18 ’22 (Battery A), and Sophia W ’17 ’22 (Linden). Blake Ellis Leucht ’81, of Leitchfield, Kentucky, died Feb. 2, 2020. He and his wife, Teresa, were the owners of Rough River Pizza Company and Inn in Leitchfield. He was always generous in helping others, collecting guns for target shooting, watching movies, painting, and being outdoors. Blake had an artistic

side and loved to paint and be outdoors. He is survived by his wife, Teresa; three children, three stepchildren and one granddaughter. Enrico David Navarro ’84 (Battery A) CEBU’S sports community is in mourning after renowned sports personality Enrico Navarro who died of an apparent heart attack on Oct. 27, 2020, in Cebu, Philippines. He was well known in Cebu for his efforts to help develop sports at the grassroots level. Aside from serving as athletic director of the Sacred Heart SchoolAteneo de Cebu, he was also regional director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and was the founder of the Cebu Youth Basketball League, which has since become the MVP Sports Foundation Youth Basketball LeagueCebu. He is also responsible for bringing the BEST Center Cebu and the BEST Center Twin Tournament to Cebu, which has served as a springboard for many basketball players to reach new heights. Navarro also served as an officer of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. Robert Theron Williams SC ’91 ’92 (Battery A) of Overland Park, Kansas, died Aug. 13, 2020 at St. Luke’s Hospice House. He was a graduate of Oral Roberts University and the University of Tulsa School of Law. Robert was an employee at Creative Planning in Overland Park. He is survived by his wife, Ashley, and two children.

Christina Claire Thomas ’07 (Benson) died July 21, 2020 in Naples, Florida. She earned a degree in advertising and communication from the University of Central Florida. Her determination and utter refusal to take no for an answer then took her to New York and Los Angeles where she worked in many roles in the entertainment industry. Christina’s health dictated that she return to Naples for surgery in 2016. Since that time, her health increasingly declined. Christina is survived by her parents and one sister. Augustus “Gus” Andrew Schinderle ’14 (Company A) died Nov. 14, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. After graduating from Culver, he saved money to attend Santa Barbara Community College to study film. Coincidentally, he found his love for writing and his story idea “Fight for Heaven.” Returning to Indiana, he attended Indiana University-Purdue UniversityIndianapolis to study creative writing. Gus was close to finishing his novel, “Fight for Heaven,” at the time of his death. Gus is survived by his mother, Cheryl; his father, Jack; his sister, Riley; his brother, Rudy ’13; his loving girlfriend, Mary Claghorn; and his half siblings: Heidi, Shelby and Tom, and Jack and Barb; as well as other extended family members.

OTHER PASSINGS Between August 1 and December 31, 2020, we received notice of death for the following alumni.

Lawrence A. “Larry” Bittermann Jr. NB’44 died on June 20, 2018 Warren Grasett Dennie N’44 died on Nov. 12, 2017 Thomas Louis Kaplin Jr. ’46 (Troop I) died on Dec. 5, 2019 Donald Ray Perry H’49 died on Nov. 4, 2020 Thester Dean Perry NB’50 died on May 2, 2019 Philip Austin Berkebile H’51 died on May 1, 2020 Rhys Morgan Berryman N’52 W’51 died on March 28, 2020 Robert Lloyd Smith Jr. N’52 died on Nov. 15, 2020 Thomas Stanley McNulty Jr. ’53 (Company C) died on Jan. 16, 2020 Russell Alexander Culin ’52 (Battery A) died on June 25, 2020 John Thomas Beeson NB’57 died on Sept. 8, 2019 Stewart Flinn Scheetz ’58 (TB) died on July 7, 2019 Adrian William Spicer ’58 (Band) NB ’55 W’53 died on Aug. 8, 2020 Daniel Fahnsestock Blossey H’59 died on June 12, 2020 Richard Walter Blair ’60 (Co. D) NB ’57 died on Dec. 12, 2020 James Dexter Moshier N’61 died on Nov. 18, 2020 Albert Greenlief Bickford Jr. ’61 (Battery A) died on July 21, 2019 Oscar Hank Reed N’63 died on May 6, 2019 John F. Berghausen W’65 died on July 7, 2019 Robert Randall Carlson ’68 (Troop B) died on Aug. 8, 2020 Paul Alexander Gillis ’69 (Company D) died on Oct. 10, 2020 Arley Fred Tackett ’71 (Company A) died on Dec. 2, 2020 Robert Eugene Taber NB’72 W’69 died on Nov. 15, 2020 Bruce Duncan Beebe N’73 died on July 9, 2018 Dillon Bryce Reimer ’96 (Battery C) died on Sept. 25, 2020 Dajt “David” Semani ’11 (Troop B) died on Dec. 5, 2019

CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE

THE F I NA L W O R D

Col. Warren Foersch’s Legacy: Pull Harder

Col. Foersch inspecting a cadet

n obituary records the facts, but a remembrance illuminates them.

In 2008 John and Pam Buxton recalled meeting Col. Warren Foersch in the football stands. They were surprised to find him attending a game and even more surprised to see him a day earlier than expected for his campus interview. But that was Warren – thorough, eager, and interested in getting his own sense of the place and the people. Over the next eight years they discovered Warren’s greatest gifts: an inspiration to the young people he served; a legendary mentor, and a spiritual leader for those he led. No task was too small or too large. Warren led through his service to others. From the beginning of his decade of service as deputy commandant and later as commandant at Culver Summer Schools & Camps, Warren understood the “importance

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of being present in the lives of students and what a difference it can make in their performance and trajectory.” And he did just that – he was a presence on the sidelines at athletic events when he wasn’t on the water coaching the rowing teams, doing daily inspections, eating every meal in the dining hall, attending spiritual life gatherings with his wife, Debbie, Culver’s Catholic youth minister, and being a constant daily presence in the barracks. From dawn to dusk, he was a man in motion and was lovingly referred to as “a Foersch of nature.”

I was immediately impressed by all the tributes and by how many of these came from CGA grads. I can’t think of another deputy commandant in the history of CGA who would be so known and well-liked by the girls. — Peggy Thompson ’77

In the summer of 2018 Warren and Debbie looked forward to retirement in the Newport, Washington mountains at their house in the woods with their dogs. But a week before Christmas, Debbie created a site on Caring Bridge to inform those who knew Warren that he had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and a new journey was beginning, one which they knew they couldn’t do alone. The outpouring of support from the Culver “family” was immediate and strong – parents, students, faculty and staff posted steady messages of encouragement and prayers. They also began to share their stories of Warren’s transformational impact on their lives, and a record of his rich legacy began to unfold.

I remember your three tiers of happiness: joy, merriment, and mirth. Mirth, as you said, was felt deep, down to the bone, but I found it impossible to recognize mirth in real life until I looked right in front of me. I see you as a man forged by bones, not just of mirth, but also humor, kindness, and resilience. Indestructible and everlasting forces. — Adam Cole N’18

There is a wise Mennonite saying that reads: Let the work that I have done speak for me. Here are just a few tributes Warren and his family received during his final months: If it wasn’t for you, I would not be rowing or be attending school in Boston. If it wasn’t for you, I would not have the courage or confidence to move through life. You completely altered the path of my life, and shaking your hand at graduation goes down as the greatest single memory I have. — Harrison Steck ’18

What I learned from you during my Culver experience has helped me in my adult life to be a better leader at work, listen to others and be so open and accepting of everyone, like you are. — Morgan Boundy ’10

“Pull harder,” he says, “if you feel like you are dying, just pull harder.” Even on the worst days, when I was a lightweight four rower, Col. Foersch was never angry. Instead, he always had a great smile and would say something magical that lifted us up. He was like a light at the end of the darkest tunnel. Colonel did not just teach me – he believed in me. He saw who was really inside me and woke that person up. Without him, I would not be as strong and confident as I am today. — Charlie Chen ’16 Warren “pulled harder every day,” especially the last two years, and though he lost the physical battle, his legacy of leadership, commitment and passion will continue to light the way for generations of Culver students, faculty and staff. — Kathy Lintner

GIVE THE GIFT OF CULVER! Anytime of the year is a good time for quality, unique gifts that say Culver. When you visit Culver Academies stop by the Campus Store or the Museum & Gift Shop for a wide variety of Culver branded merchandise, apparel, and gift items. Or purchase online!

Visit our 3 Locations Online store www.culver.org/shop

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Culver Alumni Magazine - Winter 2021

Articles inside

In Memoriam

The Final Word

Alumni Class News

Culver Clubs International

Sporting News