Culver Fall 2017
Alumni Magazine
Charting the Course
Photos Mo Morales.
FR O M THE E D I T O R
Moving Onward!
“Everything has to evolve or else it perishes.”
— John Knowles, A Separate Peace
When the seniors and first classmen stood on the field at
They experienced that clarifying moment of their own evolution,
graduation in June and saw Dr. Power step up to the microphone,
the slow and subtle process of developing into a more complex
they geared up to hear those last famous three words — “You are
state, which is the engine of our lives. We are creatures of motion,
dismissed!” The sky erupted in a whirl of long stemmed flowers
not stasis, and there are always forces acting on us, both invisible
and cadet caps. The Gate and Arch were closed behind them and
and visible. It is the degree to which we are open to evolution and
they faced that moment of looking backward and forward at the
ready to accept the growth and growing pains that come with it
same time — to see how far they had come and how much still lay
that determines how well we thrive or perish.
ahead, and what people and experiences had shaped and led them to this moment in time.
Culver provides an environment that encourages risk-taking, exploration, the blessing of a skinned knee and the resilience to
bounce back — a leadership lab of sorts where incremental stretch
change and expanded opportunities for personal growth.
moments reshape our lives.
A homesick Woodcraft Butterfly from Mexico vows to return to
This summer issue explores the ways in which evolution works in the lives of students, adults, and programs at Culver. Culver’s graduation weekend highlighted the accomplishments of both students and faculty, but the focus is also on the process of how they evolved over time that led them to the heights they achieved. Retiring faculty
nurture other new girls and keeps her promise — ten years later. A young WWII pilot shot down by the Japanese near Honshu survives in the dark waters overnight while both the Navy and Japanese are looking for him. A Culver alum builds community in “our town” by creating a space where all people are welcome to gather.
reflected on their long Culver tenure that was shaped in the slow
We hope you enjoy these stories of evolution and think back on
fires of evolution and wonder where the road will take them next.
your own experience at Culver. Share some of those defining
The sailing program, established in 1902, has maintained the core values of teaching sailing and life lessons while also embracing
moments with us by sending them to Kathy.lintner@culver.org — Kathy Lintner
Culver Alumni Magazine
CONTENTS ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Chief Advancement Officer Holly Johnson
ALUMNI RELATIONS Director Alan Loehr Jr. Legion President Dr. Anna Kantzer Wildermuth ‘83 Lafayette, Indiana CSSAA President E. "Ted" Foster W'89 Columbus, Ohio
COMMUNICATIONS
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Director/Strategic Marketing Bill Hargraves III ’77 Editor/Culver Alumni Magazine Kathy Lintner Asst. Director/Publications Jan Garrison Website Manager Trent Miles Publications Manager/ Museum Curator Jeff Kenney
DEVELOPMENT Director Mike Hogan Director/Annual Fund K. Megan MacNab Bekker
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Tony Giraldi ’75
MAGAZINE DESIGN Scott Adams Design Associates
PHOTOGRAPHY
Building Community: One cup at a Time
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CHARTING THE COURSE Since 1902, the Culver Summer Naval School has been using its fleet to teach campers about sailing and life lessons of leadership.
Dawn Minas Brockey ’98 has built a successful business by practicing servant leadership. She is now being recognized for her contributions.
Jan Garrison, Lew Kopp, Jeff Kenney, Trent Miles, Mo Morales
PRINTING AND MAILING West-Camp Press
page Culver (USPS 139-740) is published by The Culver Educational Foundation, 1300 Academy Road, Culver, Indiana 46511-1291. Opinions are those of the authors, and no material may be reproduced without the editor’s written consent. Postmaster, please send change of address notice to Culver Alumni Office, 1300 Academy Road #132, Culver, Indiana 46511-1291.
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On Our Cover The crew of the R.H. Ledbetter preparing to drop the sails. Cover photo by Ryan Smith
Volume 93 / Issue 3 / Fall 2017
Pages of History First classman Jacob Hare connects with a 1917 scrapbook created by CMA cadet Frank Gaddis to get a sense of what he was thinking and feeling, leading up to World War I.
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Patricia Babcock McGraw’s Hoosier Hoop Dream Patricia Babcock McGraw ’90 was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame with a large contingent from her Culver family there to support her.
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Departments i From the Editor 2 Views & Perspectives 30 Our Sporting Alumni 32 Alumni Class News 38 Culver Clubs International 40 In Memoriam 58 The Final Word
Nearing the Finish Line: Seniors Wrap up their Culver years The final six weeks of school goes by at breakneck speed: Honors presentations, AP exams, spring sports, parents weekend, senior dinner dance, alumni reunion weekend, the Gold Star ceremony, packing, and final ball are all just a warmup to the grand finale: graduation.
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THE
MISSION
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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.
V I E W S AND P E R S P E C T IVE S
Doing the Right Thing When No One is Looking
CA: Now that you have had a full year’s experience carrying the leadership baton, what are some of the views that stand out for you as you circled the track? Power: It is fascinating to be in a school that focuses so intensely on leadership at a time when so much of the national conversation revolves around the same topic. It’s overly simplistic, of course, but so much boils down to the difference between the leadership of authority and power (no pun intended!) vs. leadership of trust and persuasion. I think most adolescents are tempted to see leadership exclusively in terms of the former. That’s why, in most schools where student leaders are elected on the basis of popularity, you end up with “unsuccessful” candidates feeling disempowered and disengaged. They see leadership as having a ribbon or medal or position; it’s hard for them to grasp the notion that everyone has the opportunity to build trust, to develop some sort of vision, and to persuade others to follow their lead. I also think that the first job of any new leader is to help an institution come to grips with hard or unpleasant truths. In our case, it might be that, as strong as our endowment is, we are working in a time of economic uncertainty. And as strong as Culver is, not every adolescent dreams of going away to a rural boarding school or to a military school. So, Admissions and Advancement challenges and opportunities are very much on my mind! CA: In your first “Views and Perspectives” piece (It’s not about the bike), you said that “our goal is to give students the opportunity to act (in order to build courage) and reflect on that action (in order to increase wisdom). Can you give me an
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example of where you have seen this happen this year? Power: One example comes quickly to mind.This year we had two student leaders who broke a rule of our disciplinary code, and even though neither was caught, in each case, they decided to turn themselves in.They felt they could not be hypocritical and hold on to their positions because they believed that by violating the code, they had compromised their moral authority. They confessed their mistakes, even though they knew that doing so could mean the loss of position and status. I can’t tell you how rare this kind of thing is in the world of secondary schools. It says so much about our students and about their commitment to character. It also says a lot about how they view leadership and its connection to personal integrity. Even though they made a mistake — and who hasn’t — they taught me something about courage and integrity. And in the long run, what’s more important than that? CA: You also cited two important goals you wanted to pursue — accessibility and issues related to character. Could you speak more about why these are so critical to you and ideas as to how you might approach them? Power: Accessibility is a great example of a win/win situation. It’s good for the students who win a scholarship or receive financial aid, because they have the opportunity to attend this wonderful school. But what often gets overlooked is that this arrangement also benefits non-aid receiving students as well, because they end up with the opportunity to interact with, learn from, and come of age with an extraordinary peer group. CA: You wrote your dissertation on character. What are some of the key takeaways from your research and experience in boys schools that are relevant to Culver? Power: I actually did my dissertation on character development in boarding schools, and one of the things I learned was that schools with some sort of religious identity — no matter what that identity was — tended to have more success in this
Ryan Smith Photography
Editor’s note: Having just completed a full cycle of both summer camp and one academic school year, Jim Power sat down with Kathy Lintner, Managing Editor of the magazine, to reflect on his views about character and leadership, accessibility, storytelling and emerging goals for the next school year…. and his still-favorite choice of ice cream!
area. It had a lot more to do with language than theology. I remember a girl at a Quaker school telling me, “I’m probably an agnostic, but I believe in the Quaker notion of ‘that of God’ in everyone.” And I remember a boy in a Catholic school laughing as he said, “I don’t go around reading papal encyclicals, but I do get what the Jesuits around here mean when they talk about being a ‘man for others’.” I also think that there are all sorts of developmental challenges that we need to think about with character education. I’ve spent the previous 23 years leading two boys schools, and that gave me plenty of opportunities to think about “frontal lobes” and the need for every student to have a “pause button.”
eventually realized that part of the problem was that he didn’t have the right language at the ready. He didn’t have the words he needed in the moment. During a visit to West Point’s leadership program that same year, I asked their director what are the words that students need. Without missing a beat, the director said, “Oh, that’s simple. All of these harassment issues are about identity. So the words you need are few. All anyone needs to say is, ‘That’s not who we are. Period. End of discussion’.” CA: Looking forward to the next school year, what do you see as emerging goals? Power: In our mission statement we talk about doing things in an “integrated” way. I think that’s always going to be a challenge on a sprawling campus with lots of highly motivated individuals who expect and deserve a high degree of autonomy. I’m not saying we aren’t integrated right now, but I’d love to see a deepening of this integration so that we can develop more synergies. I hope that our students are hearing the same messages on the lacrosse field, in the chemistry class, in the theater, and in their leadership programs and classes. Part of the benefit of this is that all of us, but especially adolescents, tend to compartmentalize life. But it’s crucial to our students’ development that they be the same integrated person, whether they’re on top of a mountain or under the boardwalk. I think Robert Coles got it exactly right when he said, “Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.”
CA: Storytelling is a critical way of sharing values and views. Are there any specific stories on character development you’d like to share? Power: A few years ago a student came to see me because he felt he had come up short in an important moment. He was the captain of a team and during a players-only meeting, one student made a homophobic comment. In hindsight, the boy knew he had to step up to the moment; he knew he had to say something. But he froze. Welcome to the human condition, right? I was happy that he came to talk to me about this, and he
CA: Finally, is chocolate ice cream still your favorite, hands down? Power: As a wise soul once said, “We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails, and we can always have a little chocolate ice cream, too.” – Kathy Lintner, Managing Editor
A Simple Twist of Fate
A hesitant Woodcraft camper returns a decade later as a junior counselor
There are no coincidences in this world
(No hay coincidencias en este mundo)
During the first week of Woodcraft Camp, while I was sitting at a table in the Dining Hall with the two International Directors, Tony Giraldi ’75 and Karla Hernandez SS’81, a junior counselor sat down with her tray and began a conversation. It only took a minute for 4
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Tony and Karla to look at her name tag, ask a few targeted questions and realize that she was one of the students who had won a scholarship to Woodcraft Camp 10 years ago — Ceci Varela. But not in the usual way…
“Life is good to you … if you have the courage to take chances.” Back in 2007 Culver celebrated over a century of tradition with Mexico by holding several large events throughout Mexico. The Head of Schools, John Buxton and his wife Pam, joined Jim and Donna Brooks, Bernardo and Alexandra Quintana and Culver staff members Tony Giraldi, Karla Hernandez and Emily Ryman SS’70, traveling together to select events in five major cities. Each of the 2,000 invitations included a ticket for a drawing for one summer camp scholarship, which was named the Daniel Hilario Madero Century Celebration Raffle, in honor of the first international student who came to summer camp in 1903 and then graduated from Winter School in 1905. His uncle was Francisco I. Madero, Mexico’s 33rd president from 1911 until 1913, a strong advocate for social justice and democracy. In the audience at the Mexico City event, a young man named Alejandro Lozada W’96, N’03, who had also been a summer camp staffer, held the winning ticket for the raffle. Excited to share the prize with a family member, he initially thought to give it to a cousin, but because her family could afford the summer camp, he decided to give it to his nephew, who that same year broke his foot shortly before camp started and could not come. The scholarship then fell into the hands of his niece, Ceci Varela.
Ceci Varela settled in at Woodcraft Camp in 2007
Her first reaction was one of shock and then tears. Lots of them. Ceci had never been away from home before and felt comfortable in the school she had attended since pre-school, surrounded by her close friends. To spend a summer a thousand miles away from her family seemed unthinkable to her. She described herself as “a weeping willow” during the days that followed, trying to convince her parents that she could not and did not want to attend Woodcraft Camp. Their reaction was simple – this is an unexpected gift that you cannot refuse.You must go, you’ll make new friends and experience new things. Ceci arrived at Culver, suitcase in hand and tears still streaming, and settled into Cabin 17 as a new Butterfly, Wing 1. Introverted and shy, she continued to hold back and cry for the first two weeks, but like the caterpillar, she began to feel the stirrings of something new — curiosity, a sense of wanting to reach out and explore new things and getting to know the girls in her cabin who, like her, were adjusting
to a new place. Little by little, Ceci saw opportunity, not fear, and took classes in waterskiing and riding horses, two things she had not done before. The tears stopped and were replaced by smiles and a growing sense of self-confidence. The following summer Ceci did not need to be persuaded to come to camp. When she arrived at Cabin 17, there were tears, but of joy, not fear, as she reunited with her friends and counselor. She felt changed, more independent and appreciative of the opportunity that she had been given, determined to maximize every minute of it. At the end of her Woodcraft experience that summer, 11-year-old Ceci made a vow to return to Culver as a junior counselor so she could help other girls experience the same transformation that she had. It has been ten years since Ceci’s first summer in 2007. She is 20 years old and in college, studying Hospitality Management at the Universidad Ibero Americana (UIA) in Mexico City. But she has never forgotten her promise. This summer she returned to Woodcraft Camp as Lt. Varela, a junior counselor teaching Indian crafts and working with the girls in Butterfly 2, always with an eye for the shy or new girl who needs encouragement and a hug, just like she did. Woodcraft Camp Director Heike Spahn SS’86 noted that Ceci kept a Culver diary from her two summers in camp and brought it with her this summer, a personal reminder of how difficult it is to transition from home to camp and how important it is to have caring adults lend a helping hand. The life lesson Ceci learned from her Woodcraft experience is simple, “Life is good to you … if you have the courage to take chances.” She should know, as she experienced the transformation from a timid caterpillar who emerged from her chrysalis as a full blown Ceci Valera making friends at camp in 2007 butterfly — wings outstretched and ready to take flight. And that is no coincidence.
– Written by Kathy Lintner
CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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Building Community
One Cup at a Time
That Dawn Minas Brockey ’98 would be chosen as one of the Michiana area’s “40 Under 40” was certainly fitting to those familiar with her work, even if it’s a remarkable feat for a leader in a community of some 1,200 residents who has quietly but steadily gone about the daily task of servant leadership for over a decade.
The annual designation, made by the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce and Young Professionals Network of South Bend, spotlights “the area’s most talented and dedicated young executives, professionals and leaders who demonstrate career success and community engagement, before the age of 40.” Dawn was recognized not only for her entrepreneurial work as founder and owner of the Culver Coffee Company since 2003 but also her leadership as a member and past president of the Culver Chamber of Commerce, and a grounded presence in local events and civic endeavors. She has also served in recent years as a mentor and consultant for Culver Academies’ Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur, the Rubin Cafe, and as a CGA assistant softball coach. The latter position is a natural fit for Dawn, who played softball for Culver as well as received the William Koch Award (which recognizes the Culver graduate who best embodies the ideals of teamwork) during her senior year. She went on to play softball at Indiana State University (she received the Coach’s Award in 2002) and Division 2 softball at Eckerd College in Florida. Perhaps Dawn’s most significant accomplishments can’t be quantified on paper. The Culver Coffee Company exemplifies her persona and priorities, providing as it does an informal
gathering space for members of the Culver area’s diverse sub-communities: Culver Academies faculty, staff, and students; local residents; the Lake Maxinkuckee community and visitors to the area. The cross-community atmosphere of the space is owing most prominently to Dawn’s gentle but affirming demeanor, served up alongside CCC’s beverages in equal measure to each customer, regardless of affiliation. She recalled hearing her business professor in college tell the class that the bottom line is all that matters. She immediately held up her hand to disagree with him, saying that people are the most valuable asset a business owner can have, and it is that partnership that yields the true profit. Her shop is living proof of that philosophy. Implicit in the very existence of the business is a vision of community and leadership emanating from Dawn’s family life and honed at CGA. “My family always gave back to the community,” recalls Dawn, who grew up in northwest Indiana. “My dad worked very hard…he was involved in so many things, and I wanted to be like my dad in that way. “ “Of course being at Culver showed me so much about leadership and getting involved in things you’re interested in and passionate about. And that you don’t have to be president of every board you’re on, but giving in any way you can is the
A busy Saturday morning at the Culver Coffee Company
most important thing. It’s okay to step away and say, ‘That’s not really for me.’” That attitude undergirded Dawn’s decision to focus her energy in the small but vibrant Culver community, even if her background and education prepared her well for whatever path she might have chosen. Noting that she spent a lot of time during her softball travels studying in coffee shops, Dawn says she developed a passion for generating a similar atmosphere at the home base of her CGA alma mater. “I didn’t want to do something bigger and lose sight of my employees, the community, and the quality of the product here, and not have the opportunity to have a family and spend time with the people I love,” she says. Dawn married Culver resident Larry Brockey II and the couple’s family has grown to include twins Zach and Mia, aged 4, and Brady, 2. Their family adds to the unofficial family
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of staff and customers formed through the years at Culver Coffee Company. Dawn quietly supports her staff not only monetarily but in spirit as well. Her staff describe her as the “best boss ever,” noting that they work things out together as a team and it doesn’t feel like they are coming to a job every day but rather like they’re coming to be with family.
The Brockey bunch
She’s grateful to Culver for its grounding in leadership and multi-tasking skills, and also appreciates the school for “holding people accountable, morally and ethically, for what they do, from the big to the little. So I’ve tried to do that as well: to not only hold my staff accountable, but to hold myself accountable and be involved at the shop.” It is a common sight to see Dawn behind the counter or clearing tables, helping her staff in any way she can, and always with a smile.
Adorning the walls of CCC are regularly-rotating artworks chosen and placed by Culver’s Visual Arts coordinator Bob Nowalk (“And for not a penny,” Dawn emphasizes). Reflecting Culver’s unique culture was important to Dawn’s business model, and it is embodied in everything from consistent support of local authors to branding beverages with Culver names. “I want people to view themselves as being a part of what makes Culver Coffee Company great,” she explains.
Dawn notes she was nominated — rather than having applied for — the ‘40 Under 40’ designation. “I never expected it or sought it. That’s not why I do what I do, but I do think it’s neat,” she says of the recognition. “One of the things that makes me proudest about it is that it shows people that if you give 110 percent to what you do, you can achieve a lot with the support of your community and family.”
Dawn quietly supports her staff not only monetarily but in spirit as well. Her staff describe her as the “best boss ever,” noting that they work things out together as a team and it doesn’t feel like they are coming to a job every day but rather like they’re coming to be with family. CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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PAGES OF HISTORY
Connecting Culver Peers a Century Apart History has long intertwined with each student’s immersion into the Culver experience, but one graduating first classman’s journey into the mind and daily life of a Culver cadet a century past proved an especially profound pathway to understanding his own present and future.
Jacob Hare ’17, a four-year senior from Downers Grove, Illinois, made the focus of his honors project in history an examination of the lives of Culver students during World War I, a conflict whose impact on Culver’s campus and traditions continues today.
on the subject, which led him to the Culver Academies Museum and archives. Buggeln says he was “pretty excited to see a student get connected to the resources we have here at Culver such as the museum and archive.” A search through the museum’s collection of student-created scrapbooks, which mostly span from the early 1900s to the 1930s, proved fruitful, and two books in particular emerged from that period.
Jacob Hare ’17 contemplates a newspaper clipping from the World War I scrapbook of Frank Gaddis 1917
Jacob’s project gained added personal significance when he received the news, in April, that he was accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point. Jacob says his interest in Culver and “the Great War” developed gradually by way of Culver’s ceremonies and campus landmarks. Once he landed on his project topic, Jacob read books and articles on Culver and both world wars, digging deeper by way of Culver’s Digital Vault and other online sources. Perhaps tellingly, Culver’s primary news source at the time, The Vedette, carried far less news of the war and its daily impact on campus than might be expected. “The Vedette was a perfect example of how World War I was filtered out and selective pieces (published),” Jacob notes. “I call that ‘the Culver Bubble.’” “Jacob noticed it was rare to have a World War I-related story, and that there were no headlines; only letters from those serving,” adds Culver humanities instructor Dr. John Buggeln, who with fellow instructor Gary Christlieb has been closely researching Culver’s role in the war, in part with plans to offer a class on the subject this year. Buggeln suggested Jacob take his search a step further, pursuing primary sources unavailable online and in the major books
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Interestingly, one had little to no information about the war, but another — that of Frank Gaddis, who attended Culver from 1915 to ’17 (and 1914 through ’16 in the summer program), but did not graduate — contained a wealth of material.
Some of the contents were Vedette clippings with which Jacob was already familiar, but, he says, “The coolest thing was newspaper clippings from about five different papers outside Culver — South Bend, Chicago — it was pretty amazing.” Jacob pondered why so many of the clippings pertained to one unit comprised primarily of Illinois and Chicago soldiers. Gaddis routinely paired those articles with casualty lists from different sources. Was Gaddis looking for a friend or loved one who died? Or one of the many Culver grads, faculty, or staff who served in the war? Jacob never found a definitive answer, but the process gave him a firsthand window into primary sources as indicators of what was foremost on the mind of a given individual (for the record, Gaddis would go on to be wounded in the war, and died in an unrelated airplane crash in 1929). Not surprisingly, the scrapbook also contained photographs of Culver cadets drilling in warfare techniques particular to World War I usage, such as trench digging. “In my mind it seems logical to think they knew they were being prepared to sacrifice their lives for their country,” Jacob says. “A lot of those cadets went into the Officers Training Corps, now called ROTC. Another thing is a lot of faculty
and staff, including (then-Superintendent L.R.) Gignilliat went over to fight in the war, so that absence of top leadership guys was probably equally impactful on cadets at Culver.” Jacob and Buggeln note the disparity in coverage of the war in both scrapbooks and the Vedettes of the time connects directly with the broader history lesson that the American home front was often very disconnected from World War I, a distinct difference from the later years of World War II, which began its impact on the average American with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. “I think it also shows, as with so much primary research, that it raises as many questions as it answers,” says Buggeln.
Humanities instructor John Buggeln discusses an entry from Gaddis’ scrapbook with Jacob.
Another connection during the process related to Jacob’s research on Culver grad Alex Mathews ’14, whose “jovial” letter about his wartime Air Force experience was published in the Vedette, but whose death went tellingly unreported a few months later (though Mathews would be memorialized, postwar, in the Legion Memorial Building as one of Culver’s Gold Star men).
Mathews was buried at Arlington Cemetery, and present-day Culver Troopers visited his grave during January’s inaugural trip. More amazing to Buggeln was the fact that Jacob discovered Mathews’ letter the Monday after Buggeln himself saw Mathews’ grave at Arlington. “I think the biggest personal takeaway beyond the project for me was being able to go through this guy’s mind chronologically, 100 years later, and be able to see exactly what he was thinking,” Jacob explains. “It was a hand-made scrapbook that he put hours and hours into. I sat for hours and flipped through that thing. It was amazing, and definitely a humbling experience.”
“I think the biggest personal takeaway for me was being able to go through this guy’s mind chronologically, 100 years later, and be able to see exactly what he was thinking”
— Written by Jeff Kenney
CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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q CHARTING COURSE q Life Lessons Through Sailing
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person would be hard pressed to find another sailing school in the United A States that comes even close to Culver. “Obviously, there are some excellent sailing schools that have top-notch instructors and sailors,” said Capt. Tim Miller N’65, outgoing director of the Naval School. “A lot of those are geared more toward racing, though, than emphasizing sailing skills. Very few, if any, do a keel boat program designed especially for teenagers, since keel boat is an adult course. And I know of no other school that combines the emphasis on leadership and sailing.”
“Most of the programs in the country are basically run out of big yacht clubs or community centers, where you go for two weeks and learn how to sail,” said Capt. Joe Hanko, incoming director of the Naval School. “There is nothing with a military angle to it.” “Nor the range of boats or the size of the fleet,” added Miller, “and certainly no place that has anything like the Ledbetter.” The Ledbetter.The name itself, for anyone even remotely familiar with Culver sailing, evokes images of huge white sails hugging the wind, tall masts swaying with the rhythm of the boat, and blue water streaking around the prow.
Photo by Jeff Scudder
The queen of the Culver fleet, this majestic three-masted square-rigger, the only fully rigged one for inland waters in the United States, is a prize in the eyes of the young sailors. During the first week in camp, the second-years can opt to take an intense 100-question test to determine who gets to sail the Ledbetter through the rest of the summer. The best among the second-years become the crew, while the top first classmen from the previous year’s crew are designated as the officers for the current year. The desire to be on the Ledbetter crew is palpable. “It’s a real mark of achievement, to be named to the Ledbetter,” Hanko said. As the current crop of first classmen graduates and moves on in life, they will carry with them many achievements and lessons from not only the sailing program but the whole Culver experience as well. Aksel Swennumson W’14, N’17 said he feels that the ability to communicate with people from other cultures will be “super helpful” as he progresses through life. Alanoud Tantash N’17 noted that her biggest takeaway is the understanding of what makes up a team.
The crew drops the sails on the Ledbetter.
Marking the Milestone Buoys There are numerous milestones that mark the progress of the Culver sailor and, in turn, reflect on the success of the sailing program. These milestones help the students learn how to set and achieve goals, how to bounce back and try again when a first, or even a second, effort is unsuccessful, and how to grasp that their actions affect the whole team. For the third-years, “We look at how many skipper cards they get,” said Hanko. “A skipper card says that we trust the student to safely take others out during rec. period on one of the basic boats. We take that seriously. We don’t just give the skipper cards away.”
“On a boat, everyone has to be a leader in some way. You can’t have one person who knows how to do everything and just tells the other crew members what to do. So everyone’s a leader, everyone’s important. You might not know each person you are crewing with, but you bond with them and you realize how important every single person on the team is.” These are the young men and women who are tomorrow’s leaders. They already know that life is not always smooth sailing, that choppy waters are part and parcel of the whole. And that wherever they go, whatever they do, they have the strength and courage to bravely face the wind.
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The second-years still take into account the number of skipper cards earned but also the additional qualifications, or endorsements, the sailor achieves for higher-level boats. More importantly, however, is the number of “red books” that are awarded. Noted for the color of its cover, the red book is the passport-sized certification for small boats issued by US Sailing, the governing body for the sport of sailing in the US, with which Culver is an affiliate member. In the final year, students strive for their keel boat skipper cards, but the ultimate goal comes with earning their “blue book” keel boat certification from U.S. Sailing. US Sailing certifications are recognized internationally, and with the blue book, sailors can go virtually anywhere in the world and show that they are qualified to take a specific type of boat out on a waterway.
The Culver sailing program taught me that I could win. It taught me that success was within my control and I was responsible for not winning. It gave me rewards for analyzing and practicing. It also taught me the enjoyment of sailing. I loved it. I breathed it. Larry Blackwell N’77
“The kids are proud of their skipper cards and qualifications,” said Hanko, “because now they can race that boat for their company. They can compete for their unit [boys] or deck [girls] and earn points. All the points get lumped together and the unit or deck with the most points earns the naval banner for that week.” At the end of the year, naval awards are given out based on points and performance. “Some of the kids are very aware of the awards and are striving for that, while others are just having fun sailing, and that’s fine, too,” said Hanko.
Instructors: Steady Hands on the Tiller The Naval School is also responsible for Woodcraft sailing, which accounts for about one-fourth to one-third of the total enrollment. Some students segue from Woodcraft to the Upper Camp. For others, the sailing program may be their first introduction. But either way,
For those who do compete, they start the summer by signing the Naval Achievement Competition Agreement, which lays out the rules of competition and good sportsmanship. “The agreement helps them understand that violation means disqualification and potentially being banned from competing,” said Miller. “Winning is definitely a thing here, and we have winners and losers,” Hanko added. “We don’t give participation awards. It’s more about how to play the game. And the kids drive this. They really get into competing.”
Culver’s large fleet is what distinguishes it from any other camp. Most camps might have 1-2 types of boats you can learn; however, Culver gives you the opportunity to learn so many more. When I was a camper, I learned sunfish, laser, windsurfer, oday, lightning, scow, and a three-masted square-rigger. Emily Gifford N’91 (Editor’s Note: Emily was the first woman sailor to win the O.W. Fowler Cup)
My favorite memory took place on the Centennial Voyage. One day in the Intracoastal we had huge wind, so we let all the sails fly. I was shocked at how fast the Ledbetter could actually move through the water! I climbed up into the crow’s nest and strapped myself in. What a ride! Allison Gilley W’86, ’91 (Editor’s Note: Allison was the captain for the Ledbetter Centennial Voyage in 2002, a six week trip with eight ports-of-call which navigated the Intracoastal Waterway from Palm Beach, Florida, to Washington, D.C.)
Woodcrafters having a fun moment on the water
the underlying constant for the success is the caliber of the instructors. In fact, 98 percent of the instructors are graduates. “There’s this immense desire to come back,” said Miller. “Toward the end of the year, we start picking out the high achievers among the first classmen and asking what they think about coming back as an instructor,” Hanko said. “If they say yes, they start the next year with the Woodcraft kids. That’s like our farm team. If they do well, they can move to Upper Camp the next year. This has become a really successful way to recruit, train and retain.” The instructors arrive two weeks prior to the start of camp “because we need to get their sailing skills up, their instructor skills up,” Miller explained. “But we also spend time on why exactly we are here. We ingrain in the instructors the understanding that sailing is our means of teaching leadership.” For instructor Lucy Weatherby SS’14, ’16, Culver was her second attempt at learning to sail. She had previously taken a course in Florida and “I absolutely hated it,” she laughed. But in her second year of Upper Camp, she decided to give it another shot.
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“In those short two years, I learned to love sailing,” she said. “And I always had the highest regard for the naval staff. Their uniforms were always clean, they had great teamwork, and they worked hard. That’s why I came back—to be a part of that.” Now, “I come to class every day and I can pick out someone who was just like me,” Weatherby added. “I can take my experiences as a camper and what I had issues with and I can show them, look, this is how you go about it. It really helps being a camper first and then an instructor.” As a young sailor, instructor Rodrigo Salas N’09 was astounded to be treated with a certain degree of responsibility at Culver. “I wanted to come back and be a part of that experience for other kids,” he said. And he has. Two years ago, he was giving a small boat lesson to a young sailor and watched as she evolved from an awkward beginner to a confident skipper. Like Salas, she returned as an instructor in 2017 and told him, “The only reason I came back to Culver is because of you.You are the reason I am here.”
The idea of returning as an instructor also occupies the thoughts of some of the first-classmen. In her final summer as a camper, Skylar Bogardus N’17 reflected, “This last week I have been thinking about it every day. I have no idea what my schedule for college will be, but I want to arrange it so I can come back. That’s how important being a sailing instructor is to me.” Rachel McNutt N’17 noted simply, “I have to come back. I am going to miss it too much.”
Sailing: the Vehicle for Lifetime Lessons Swennumson’s eyes light up when he describes the defining moment of his naval experience at Culver. “Last summer, I had probably the greatest summer of my life when my team won the giant race at the end of the year called the Com,” he said. The Com, or Communications Relay, is a sailing race that incorporates a wide variety of naval events, such as code flags, cryptology, semaphore and other skills learned throughout the summer. “We had lost the race the year before,” Swennumson explained, “so this time it was a huge emotional surge and I don’t think it’s something I’ll replicate ’til the day I die, just because everybody, our entire brotherhood, lost blood, sweat and tears in trying to win. It was a huge sense of relief and everybody was crying but unlike the year before, we were crying tears of happiness. It is something I will never forget.”
A keel boat at full sail.
Salas added, “That’s everything you want to hear. Now I get to see her develop that sense of leadership as an instructor. Her confidence is building. She’s involved. She’s opinionated. It’s so gratifying.”
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Culver creates many “never forget” moments, but as sweet as the win was, Swennumson and his crew mates came away with much more than one of the best prizes in the sailing program. They came away with the life learnings gained from 18 intense weeks over the course of three summers. They couldn’t have won the race without an embedded understanding of perseverance, teamwork and leadership — traits that are the bedrock of the Naval School. “We teach leadership. Sailing is the vehicle through which we do it,” said Miller. And it is an ideal vehicle.
The Ledbetter skimming across Lake Maxinkuckee
The third-year classmen, usually around 14 years of age, spend their early days learning how to steer on a one-person sailboat. Then they move on to being part of a three-person crew: a skipper and two crew mates. Each person has a specific duty: trimming the main sail, trimming the jib or steering the boat, and they rotate among the positions and the duties. “They have to learn how to communicate clearly, even when there is a language barrier,” said Hanko. “When they get good at it, it’s like a dance. The choreography is beautiful. But if one person is off, it throws the whole thing off.” As they progress through the three years, the boats get more complex and challenging — not unlike life itself. The second classmen learn on three different boats, while the first-years take on the larger and heavier keel boats. “When you learn how to skipper a crew and boat, you’re learning how to manage a team,” said Hanko. “When you lose in a race, you strive to improve your skills. When you don’t speak the same language or are from different cultures, you figure out how to effectively communicate.”
Culver sailing is not just about the mechanics of learning the basics, seamanship and navigation – that is a means to an end. Learning the process from trial and error, understanding instructors who have been through that process themselves, helps sailors perform well as a team when the stakes are high. Merritt Becker N’83 Culver’s sailing program is distinguished from others because it gives students an opportunity to compete every day. In a sense, this creates a “test lab” to try new things and see what works best, which is a good life lesson on continuous improvement. John Lacy N’82 At my company, Sail22, we have full-time employees, part-time employees and contractors. Working with all of them to delegate and communicate as a team is very important. (Like with sailing) You never know which direction the next puff will come from, so you have to be ready for anything that comes your way. Ed Furry N’89 SG
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An aerial view of Aubbeenaubbee Bay, home to the Culver sailing vessels.
The understanding that they are learning about leadership starts to surface in the final year of the program, when staff talk to first classmen early in the summer about being the leaders now, the ones who are setting the example both on and off the water. “If you’re a third year and you’re friends with a first year, you’re not always going to want to do what he tells you during retreat or parades or forming up,” explained Griffin Plummer N’17. “That’s when, as a leader, you have to step up and help them understand, okay, this is what you need to do.” “You also need to get the younger ones to understand that with any action, there has to be an inherent respect,” added Patrick Ruder N’17. “You have to respect everyone because if you don’t, something will go wrong and your unit will break down.” For himself, Swennumson noted, “When I started sailing at Woodcraft, I could not have imagined myself as a leader.” In the Naval School, a sailing or navigation course is mandatory for boys each summer. Participation is encouraged, but optional, for girls. That in itself can be a challenge for some, but the emphasis on teamwork has a way of breaking through perceived barriers like gender.
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Bogardus realized this truth as a second classman in her very first race. “I was with two guys that I kind of knew from other companies,” she recalled. “The winds were high, the waves were choppy, it was a mess. Afterward…let me just say that we are all really good friends now. The experience truly bonded us. Now when we are sailing, if the course changes, someone can say just one word and we know what’s going on. Having that connection on a boat when we are all trying to reach a common goal, it’s great.” “If a girl is really interested in sailing, she can be, if not better, then definitely as good as a boy because it’s not a physical strength sport,” said Hanko. “It’s more of a technique sport, and we have every bit as many top girls as we do top boys. Every girl sitting in a keel boat is there because she wants to be there.”
One of those is Tantash who, through sailing, found the courage to chart her own course. “You have to be able to speak up and say, ‘Today, I want to skipper the boat,’” she said. “Instead of doing the same thing every day, you have to step out of your comfort zone and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to try it even though I don’t feel comfortable.’”
Fellow sailor McNutt added, “Sailing is a major confidence booster because as you get going, you realize that you have this skill that you never even dreamed of three years ago… you’re not a pro but you can sail competently and go pretty fast. It’s just a lot of fun to realize you can learn skills so quickly.” Underlying it all are the subtle lessons that sailing teaches, life skills that will serve sailors well throughout their years: The wind can change at any moment, and you have to be prepared to respond quickly and adapt, so know your vessel and its capabilities and limitations.Take good care of your equipment; a frayed line can leave you stranded in deep water. Stretch beyond what you think you can do; perseverance pays off. And when a team races, everybody wins or everybody loses.You are all, literally and figuratively, in the same boat. – Written by Kathe Brunton Photography by Noah Trevino ’15 and Lew Kopp W’66, ’71
IN 2017, THE CULVER SUMMER NAVAL SCHOOL REGISTERED:
835 students in Woodcraft and Upper Camp sailing
61,500 instructional hours 175 new skipper cards (86%) 174 additional skipper card endorsements for returning students (87%)
69 small boat certifications (red books) (74%) 21 keel boat certifications (blue books) (55% - an impressive percentage given that keel boat certification is an adult-level course)
12 Coastal Navigation certifications (100%) 4 Both USSAILING Keelboat and Coastal Navigation certifications (100%)
I enjoyed my time at Culver so much that I established a naval fleet endowment fund to fix up older boats or buy new ones. I just felt I owed something to Culver. It taught me a lot.
James Goodrich N’55
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HOOSIER HOOP DREAM from the driveway to the hall of fame
Editor’s Note: Instead of writing an article about Patricia Babcock McGraw ’90 being inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame on April 29, we asked her to write a first-person account. Who better to capture the moment than a professional writer/broadcaster who graduated from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism?
By Patricia Babcock McGraw ’90 Not that I ever forgot, but I was reminded ever so touchingly in April just how strong and loyal our extended Culver family is. For one of the greatest honors of my life, Culver was there, in numbers, to cheer me on.
The honor was humbling enough, but so was that support. As part of a lovely program in Indianapolis that included some of the greatest basketball players in state history, I was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2017. Along with my immediate family, including my dad John, a 1958 Culver grad and faculty member for 40-plus years, a strong contingent of my extended family and friends and teachers and teammates and coaches from Culver, was also there. One teammate, Deb Fitzgerald ’91, came all the way from Hawaii. Another, Krista Thomas Kasper ’88, flew in from California. Others traveled to Indiana from states all over the
Midwest. For me. For me? I was practically speechless and honestly overwhelmed by that unbelievable generosity. I can’t put into words what that kind of support meant to me that day, and what it still means to me now. All the inductees were asked to give speeches. And as a broadcaster and journalist, I had no trouble coming up with the words to describe my career and my experiences with basketball, and the impact that basketball has had on my life. Basketball, and sports in general, has completely shaped me as a person. It turned a goofy, gangly 6-foot eighth grader who hated
her height and slouched terribly because of it, into a strong, confident woman who couldn’t be more proud of her 6-foot-3 frame. Basketball has given me opportunities I may have never gotten: the chance to go to a wonderful university like Northwestern, the chance to be a Division I athlete and play Big Ten basketball, the chance to be a sportswriter and a sports broadcaster who is valued for her practical experience as a high-level athlete, the chance to teach my two children all about the sport I love so much, the chance to share my knowledge about basketball with other people’s children as a youth coach for nine years. Basketball also gave me great memories: such as our Bi-County championship win in 1988, our sectional championships in 1987 and 1990, a college career at Northwestern, and the chance to visit places all over the country and the world, including Brazil and Australia. Basketball also gave me great friends, and mentors, and a support system. Much of the meat of my speech included thank yous to the people from Culver who positively shaped my career. And there were many, many thank yous to go around. Thank yous to: teammates like Deb and Krista, as well as Kristin Shepard Krizman ’90, a neighbor in Culver who let me play on the basketball hoop in her driveway before my family got our own and Angie Bess Martin ’87, who was a senior captain when I was a freshman on varsity but never made me feel like a lowly freshman; coaches like Jerry Thomas, who helped me stay grounded and focused with all kinds of visualization drills, trainers like Dan Cowell who helped me survive one of the worst days of my life: that
Bi-County championship game at LaVille my sophomore year in which I broke out two teeth and broke my nose; athletic director Larry Bess, who always had sage advice for me in the form of long talks in his office, and friends like Greg Farrall ’88, who toughened me up with grueling games of one-on-one in the Culver Rec building.
Some of the Culver friends who attended the Hall of Fame induction ceremony were (from left) Angie Bess Martin ’87, Kristin Shepard Krizman ’90, Laura Baker Hunter ’89, Patricia Babcock McGraw ’90, Deb Fitzgerald ’91, and Carolyn Williams English ’90.
Seeing all of those people, and many others from Culver, in Indianapolis to support me at the Hall of Fame induction brought back so many memories of such a special time in my life. I am beyond touched and grateful. Likewise, I feel the same about this honor, which can best be explained by a trip to the actual Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle, about 30 minutes east of Indianapolis. There aren’t many states that can boast such a classy, well-done, comprehensive tribute to basketball that is contained in its own state-of-the-art building. There are two floors of everything Indiana basketball at the Hall of Fame: pictures, relics, old scoreboards with dial clocks, peach basket basketball goals, memorabilia from Indiana natives and basketball legends John Wooden and Oscar Robertson, and goodies from the “Hoosiers” movie.
To be a very tiny part of that history and that lore is just beyond comprehension. It’s a dream for a small-town girl from Culver, Indiana. To know that my Culver family was there on the day that dream came true was just icing on the cake. Thank you, Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Thank you, Culver. Thank you, basketball.
PATRICIA BABCOCK MCGRAW ’90 BY THE NUMBERS At Culver Girls Academy 1990 Miss Indiana Basketball 3-time All-State selection Leading scorer – boy or girl – in Culver history Career: 2,199 pts (26.8 ppg) for four years
There are pictures of some of the coolest high school gyms in the state, with a graphic that reminds you that 15 of the top 16 largest high school gyms in the country are located in Indiana, including the largest, which is right around the corner from the Hall of Fame. New Castle High School’s gym, where the legendary Steve Alford (also a Hall of Famer) played, boasts a capacity of 9,314.
Career: 13.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks average
A walk through the Indiana Hall of Fame is a walk back in time through some of the best that the sport of basketball has to offer: at any time, at any place, at any level. Period.
Two-time All-Academic Conference selection
1990 USA Today Indiana Player of the Year 1990 CGA Athlete of the Year 2 Sectional Championships 1 Bi-County Championship Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame At Northwestern University Two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection Career: 1,353 points, 813 rebounds Two NCAA tournament appearances
NEARING THE FINISH LINE
Seniors Wrap up their Culver Years with a Whirlwind of Activity
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Coaches Cat Miller and Kaly Spilhaus discuss strategy with the JV girls lacrosse team.
Discussing ethanol production during the honors in science presentation.
One more retreat parade in the books.
Looking over the data on the effects music has on academic performance.
The Andrea Brooke ’19 fan club at the softball game. Practicing for the Officers Figure at Final Ball CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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CGA grads ready to go through the Graduation Arch.
Retired Culver Alumni magazine editor Doug Haberland and his wife, Nancy, came to watch his former mentees graduate.
Western team members Ashley Dillard ’17 and Elanna Reavill-O’Toole ’17 prepare for their final performance.
The Gold Star Ceremony on Memorial Day
The grand finale – gathering one last time before closing the books on 2017.
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One final selfie for Justin Neely ‘17 and wellness instructor Chantel Vinson.
“You are dismissed!”
A final hug before heading home.
There is still work to be done while the others are celebrating.
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… AND ON TO THE NEXT RACE! NAME
OUTCOME DETAIL
Hay, Mikayla 4yr college Rioux, Joan A 4yr college Briceno, Juan 4yr college Subotin, Mischa Kristjan 4yr college VanVolkenburg, Haley Other VanDeVelde, Dane Non-US College Anozie,Victoria 4yr college Ge, Chengxiao “Gary” 4yr college Smith, Alaina 4yr college Jones, Miles 4yr college Kershaw, Makena-Kala 4yr college Lee, Hye Im 4yr college Dilts, Quinn M 4yr college White, Robert 4yr college Ryskin, Anastasia 4yr college Yang, Phillip 4yr college Kang, Inho 4yr college Masiulionis, Ignas 4yr college Kirby, Joshua 4yr college Rule, Jamarrio Vonzell 4yr college Stathakis, Allison 4yr college Devatha, Anuj 4yr college Hilgefort, Alexandria 4yr college Dennis, Christopher 4yr college Murphy, McKenna 4yr college Al Sayed, Aya 4yr college McKenney, Charles 4yr college Kapcheck, Kathryn 4yr college Thomas, Jenna 4yr college Blackburne, Jordan 4yr college Ndukwu, Chima 4yr college Cefalu, Emily 4yr college Echalie Nieto, Sofia Non-US College Guerra, Manuel 4yr college De Otaduy Schcolnik, Augusto 4yr college Pecorelli Longo, Angelo Other school Trefren, Kayla 4yr college Fleschler, Benjamin 4yr college Nation, Maxwell 4yr college George, Sarah 4yr college Wu,Yixuan “Sherry” 4yr college Giacin, Dylan 4yr college Stapleton, Luke 4yr college Lampert, Keepher 4yr college Cowell, Caitlyn 4yr college Brumback, Hannah 4yr college Doherty, Emma 4yr college Garbacik, Drake 4yr college Kline, Patrick 4yr college LoPrete, Kirsten 4yr college Maroney, Nicole 4yr college Master, Sydney 4yr college Mervis, Audra 4yr college Mozer, Jacob 4yr college Rich, Jackson 4yr college Spear, Brianna 4yr college Talbot, Peter 4yr college Walsh, Edmund 4yr college Young, Jakob 4yr college
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Albion College American University Babson College Babson College Ball State University (Interim Year) Bath Spa University Baylor University Boston College Boston College Boston University Boston University Boston University Bowling Green State University Bradley University Brandeis University Brown University Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Central Michigan University Central Michigan University Chatham University Claremont McKenna College Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Colorado State University Concordia University - Montreal Denison University DePaul University DePaul University Earlham College Earlham College Elon University Florence Design Academy Florida Institute of Technology Florida International University Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Florida Southern College Furman University Furman University Georgetown University Georgetown University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hobart and William Smith Colleges Holy Cross College Hope College Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University at Bloomington
NAME
OUTCOME DETAIL
Brackenbury, Sydney 4yr college Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Kuric, Mariah 4yr college Indiana Wesleyan University Flores-Ramirez, Manuel Non-US College Inst Tecn. y de Estudios Sup de Monterrey, Monterrey Gutierrez,Victor Non-US College Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo De Mexico Castillo, Hector Non-US College Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey Heinold, Collin 4yr college Interim - Jr Hockey Ellert, Elizabeth “Betse” Interim Year Interim Year Macartney, Robson 4yr college Lake Forest College Westman, Susan 4yr college Lehigh University Ellison, Tobias 4yr college Lewis & Clark College Derwin, Katherine 4yr college Loyola University Chicago Gomez, Alejandra 4yr college Loyola University Chicago Moser, Alex 4yr college Massachusetts Institute of Technology Brewer, Korryn 4yr college Miami University, Oxford Saddler, Preston 4yr college Miami University, Oxford Baldwin, Maxwell 4yr college Michigan State University Polega, Katherine 4yr college Michigan Technological University Park, Brandon 4yr college Musicians Institute Kim, Bumjoon 4yr college New York University Klaus, Shannon 4yr college New York University Mendoza Martinez, Jaime Emiliano 4yr college New York University Palazuelos, Jesus 4yr college New York University Shurm, Eleanore 4yr college New York University Wu, Jung-En “Sam” 4yr college New York University Yang,Yiqing “Tara” 4yr college New York University Mijatovic, Matilda 4yr college Northeastern University Wilkerson, Mary 4yr college Northeastern University Biagioni, Nicholas 4yr college Northwestern University Hou,Yunyi 4yr college Northwestern University Karahalios, Linnea 4yr college Northwestern University Hartman, Emily 4yr college Ohio University Anderson, Robert College prep school PG @ Avon Old Farms Maiolo, Gabrielle 4yr college Point Loma Nazarene University Cefalu, Nicholas 4yr college Princeton University Henderson, John 4yr college Princeton University Styers,Victoria 4yr college Princeton University Bird, Wilson 4yr college Purdue University Crouthamel, Anthony 4yr college Purdue University Dunlap, Zachary 4yr college Purdue University Garland, Katherine 4yr college Purdue University Ortman, Tyler 4yr college Purdue University Peric, Natalie 4yr college Purdue University Weeks, Mya 4yr college Purdue University Reavill-O’Toole, Elanna 4yr college Randolph College Singewald, Molly 4yr college Robert Morris University (PA) Dorrell, Andrew 4yr college Rochester Institute of Technology Driscoll, Kathryn 4yr college Rowan University Fisher, Hannah 4yr college Saint Mary’s College Aliev, Alexander 2yr college San Diego Miramar College Whippo, Michael 4yr college San Diego State University Dilena, Scott 4yr college Santa Clara University Johnson, Isabelle Year off Service Work in Africa Neely, Justin Christopher 4yr college Sewanee: The University of the South Free, Cassidy 4yr college Southern Methodist University Hart, Kirby 4yr college Southern Methodist University Lu,Yi-Ting 4yr college Southern Methodist University
NAME
OUTCOME DETAIL
Martello, Olivia 4yr college Southern Methodist University Walker, Nolan 4yr college St. Cloud State University Terhune, Mary 4yr college St. Lawrence University Boyer, Emma 4yr college St. Olaf College Lee,Yu Jin 4yr college Stanford University Shen, Troy 4yr college Stanford University Sullivan, Isabella 4yr college Stanford University Badalich, Jackson 4yr college SUNY College at Potsdam Walker, Nicolas 4yr college Syracuse University Wildermuth, Isabella 4yr college Syracuse University Dillard, Ashley 4yr college Texas A&M University Flanagan, Christopher 4yr college Texas Christian University McBride, Morgan 4yr college Texas Christian University Reid, Jackson 4yr college The Ohio State University Hibbard, John Michael 4yr college The University of Alabama Zhao, Tianchang Non-US College The University of Manchester Evans, Anna 4yr college The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Aguilar, Mathieu Christopher 4yr college Trinity College Bilicic ’16, Christopher 4yr college Trinity College Kioschos, Christopher 4yr college Union College (New York) Krupp, Brian Thomas 4yr college United States Air Force Academy Salerni, Sierra 4yr college United States Air Force Academy Hare, Jacob 4yr college United States Military Academy - Army Snyder, Benjamin 4yr college United States Military Academy - Army Harten, Griffin 4yr college United States Military Academy Preparatory School - Army Khodr, Zain 4yr college United States Naval Academy Maly, Thomas 4yr college United States Naval Academy Martinez, Claire 4yr college United States Naval Academy Quintana, Bernardo Non-US College Universidad Anahuac Nieto, Regina Non-US College Universidad Anahuac Del Sur Romandia, Camila Non-US College Universidad Anahuac Del Sur Zavala Soto, Leticia Non-US College Universidad Anhuac Cano-Angulo, Luisa Non-US College Universidad Iberoamericana Ornelas, Maria Paula Non-US College Universidad Iberoamericana Prandini Johnson, Carlo Non-US College Universidad Iberoamericana (University in Mexico) Cain, Charles 4yr college University of British Columbia Jeon, Wootae 4yr college University of California, Berkeley Shi, Weiyang 4yr college University of California, Berkeley Wan, Xuanming “Tiger” 4yr college University of California, Irvine Cortes, Kingsley 4yr college University of California, Los Angeles Peng,Yucheng “Peter” 4yr college University of California, San Diego Xu, Chuxiong “Jake” 4yr college University of California, San Diego Zhang, Ziyang 4yr college University of California, San Diego Chandler, Christopher Non-US College University of Cape Town Sangaraju, Harshita 4yr college University of Chicago Cripe, Nathan 4yr college University of Colorado at Boulder Harm, Harrison 4yr college University of Colorado at Boulder Sullivan, Ingrid 4yr college University of Colorado at Boulder Du,Yizhen 4yr college University of Connecticut Strati ’16, Elizabeth 4yr college University of Dayton Duff, Liam 4yr college University of Delaware Callahan, Riley 4yr college University of Denver Danesi, Isabella 4yr college University of Denver Gunn, Bryant 4yr college University of Denver Johnson, Joseph 4yr college University of Denver Tuggle, William 4yr college University of Denver
NAME
OUTCOME DETAIL
Burgan, Hallin 4yr college University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Kearney, William 4yr college University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Kim,Young Seo 4yr college University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Tai, Tsz Ham “Kevin” 4yr college University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Irving, Ireland 4yr college University of Kentucky Parker, Jordan L. 4yr college University of Kentucky Rocha, Sydney 4yr college University of Kentucky Roth, Alexander 4yr college University of Kentucky Hennel, Kelsey 4yr college University of Miami Casas, Oscar 4yr college University of Michigan Welch, Lucy 4yr college University of Michigan Kubica, Kennedy 4yr college University of Michigan, Dearborn Clark, Miles 4yr college University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Dye, Brooke 4yr college University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Ricketts, Caleb 4yr college University of Nebraska at Lincoln Vigy, Emma Unknown University of North Texas Clurman, Nathaniel 4yr college University of Notre Dame Duffy, John 4yr college University of Notre Dame Hallenbeck, John 4yr college University of Notre Dame Jackoboice, Wheaton 4yr college University of Notre Dame Klaus, Bailey 4yr college University of Notre Dame MacNab, Jackson 4yr college University of Notre Dame Schmidt, Matthew 4yr college University of Notre Dame Verrecchia, Beatrice 4yr college University of Notre Dame Wright, Michael 4yr college University of Notre Dame Bishop, Andrew 4yr college University of Richmond Hoover, Alex 4yr college University of Saint Francis Peon Zapata, Ignacio 4yr college University of San Diego Ren, He “Roger” 4yr college University of Southern California Wu, Hailin “James” 4yr college University of Southern California Gadzinski, Devon 4yr college University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts Van Nortwick, Charlotte Non-US College University of St Andrews Mechling-Smith, James 4yr college University of Toledo Barberian, Madeleine 4yr college University of Toronto Undergraduate Only Easton, Casey 4yr college University of Washington Smith, Sandra 4yr college University of Washington Etheridge, Jessica 4yr college University of Wisconsin, Madison Gies, Ryan 4yr college Vanderbilt University Radovan, Lane 4yr college Vanderbilt University Mijatovic, Ivan 4yr college Villanova University Morozov, Nikita 4yr college Villanova University Wright, Mary 4yr college Villanova University Neal, Marcus 4yr college Wake Forest University Vlaha, Dominik 4yr college Washington State University Huang,Yiren “Allen” 4yr college Washington University in St. Louis Smith, Julia 4yr college Washington University in St. Louis Arndt, Aurorah 4yr college Wellesley College Chen, Haomin 4yr college Wellesley College Hur, Eunjeong 4yr college Wellesley College Coy, Addison 4yr college Yale University Hussey, Kieran 4yr college Yale University Matei, Justin 4yr college Yale University Schacht, Thomas 4yr college Yale University Spratt-Szarzynski, Ella York University Garcia Lazo, Janna Unknown
CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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MLL photo
OUR SPO RT I N G A L U MN I
Denver Outlaws middie Zach Currier (25) was selected as an MLL all-star after accumulating six goals and six assists in his first four professional games.
Ladd: a trail blazing scout Leslie Ladd ’08 is the only female member of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars’ 15-person scouting department. She is the Jaguars’ coordinator of scouting administration. Her journey to the position included volunteer work at the University of Kentucky, where she did a lot of “grunt work” and survived a coaching change. That eventually led to a call from the Jaguars. She is still one of the few women involved on the football side of operations in the NFL. In a feature article in her hometown news- paper, The Lexington Herald-Leader, Ladd said, whether you are male or female, “You have to put in your time.” “I am the low man on the totem pole,” she said. “I am at the very bottom, but being on
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the totem pole at all means everything. It’s taken me four years, but now I am out on the field for practice and for workouts. I’m standing in the background not saying a peep and staying out of the way, but I am out there.”
Miracle named athlete of the year Kayla Miracle ’14 was named the Mid-South Conference female student-athlete of the year. A junior at Campbellsville University, Miracle is a 130-pound wrestler with a record 107-1 record in three years of collegiate wrestling. Competing in the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association, Miracle is a three-time University National Champion and three-time WCWA National Champion. She also wrestles for Sunkist Kids, Team Nike, and Team USA. She has been a Junior World Team member
three times, Senior Pan Am medialist, twotime Junior World bronze medalist, Senior World Team member, and finished fourth in the 2016 Rio Olympic Trials. Along with her athletic accomplishments, Miracle carries a 3.95 GPA while majoring in mathematics. She was also honored for her contributions back to Campbellsville University, the community, and the sport of wrestling. “Because of the opportunities that I have had through wrestling I have been able to see the world and experience so many things that others my age normally do not have a chance to,” Miracle said. “I am extremely grateful for these experiences as they have helped mold me into the person I am today.” Miracle was the first girl to qualify for the Indiana state high school wrestling finals when she was a sophomore at Culver.
Bartleman scores honors Columbia University senior second baseman Kyle Bartleman ’13 was named a unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection. He also received ABCA/Rawlings All-Northeast Region second team honors. Bartelman hit .349 with seven homers and .568 slugging percentage and knocked in 33 runs. The second baseman had a stellar Ivy League campaign, batting .425, slugging .868 and knocked in 27 runs.
a first-team All-American in Inside Lacrosse’s media poll. Joining Currier were Johns Hopkins middie Joel Tinney ’14 on the second team and Maryland longstick middie Matt Neufeldt ’14 as honorable mention. Neufeldt was a vital member of the national champions Terrapins. Currier and Tinney were second team All-Americans and Neufeldt and Denver attackman Ethan Walker ’16 were honorable mentions on the USILA/Nike team.
and teams that I’ve had and the great assistant coaches. It’s a great honor to represent my school district and my program and all the people that are involved in the program.”
Currier is the second player selected in the MLL draft. Brandon Benn ’10 was selected by the Chesapeake Bayhawks in 2014. John Conlon
A most honorable finish Moira Kelley ’11 has finished her playing career for the John Carroll University women’s lacrosse team. Kelley was selected as the first team captain for the Blue Streaks when they were elevated to NCAA Division III status. Her final season ended with the following honors: All-Ohio Athletic Conference honorable mention for defense; All-OAC academic recipient; and admission to Chi Alpha Sigma (the national honors society of collegiate athletes).
Leslie Ladd
Currier becomes an Outlaw Princeton lacrosse midfielder Zach Currier ’13 was selected by the Denver Outlaws in the first round of the Major League Lacrosse draft. He was the sixth pick overall. Currier led NCAA Division I midfielders in assists with 34 and points with 58 during his senior season. He also won 56 percent of his face-offs, led the team in caused turnovers and came within one of the school record for ground balls with 130. He was also named
Kelley is a 2015 John Carroll graduate with a BA degree in history and is completing her graduate degree with a Master of Arts in Humanities. She finished her seventh summer at Woodcraft Camp as a Major in the Butterflies division.
Conlon receives national honor East Kirkwood, Michigan, soccer coach John Conlon ’93 has been named the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Boys Soccer Coach of the Year. The award comes after Conlon led the Falcons to their fifth Division I state championship in the past 10 years last fall. “It was very unexpected,” Conlon told MLive. com. “I just think about all the great players
Conlon, who also coaches East Kentwood’s girls team, has led the Falcons to 12 OK Red Conference championships in 17 seasons. He also was named Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year in December by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He is a two-time NSCAA National Coach of the Year, earning the award after leading the Falcons to state titles in 2007 and 2012.
Gleitz named coach Andrew Gleitz ’12 has been named the men’s lacrosse coach at nearby Ancilla College. He served as an assistant coach during the Chargers’ first season this spring. He will also serve as an admissions officer at the college. Gleitz played attack four years at Culver, serving as the team captain of the CMA Varsity team his junior and senior years. He continued his career at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Va., again serving as the captain his last two seasons at the Division III school. Graduating in 2016, he is currently tied for the Randolph career record in goals (96) and fourth in total points (102). The Chargers finished their inaugural season at 4-4.
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ALUMNI CLASS NEWS
1950s Joe Zimmerman N’49, ’52 and his wife, Barbara, are comfortably settled into a high-rise condo in Dallas, Texas, but the couple still spends their summers in the little town of Lake City in the Colorado Mountains. Coincidentally, their next-door neighbor is 1958 Culver grad Will Campbell.
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Culver siblings Grace Nation ‘20 and Maxwell Nation ‘17 recreated a cherished family photo from 1957 with the help of photographer and Co. C counselor Camilo ‘Mo’ Morales, earlier this year. The 1957 photo, taken at Culver, depicts the late Carl Horneman ‘57, with his sister, Anne (Horneman) Mueller. Grace and Maxwell are great niece and nephew, respectively, to Carl, who established a scholarship at Culver, the Carl P. Horneman Memorial CMA Endowed Scholarship. He passed away in January 2010.
Joe notes that he and Barbara took a three-week train trip across Russia on the Trans- Siberian Express in 2015, had two grandsons graduate from college last year, as well as two weddings of grandchildren.
Marshall Wolf W’47, ’53 writes that, although it’s been more than 50 years since he graduated, “I’m still walking around, working every day and very involved in life.” He and his wife, Marilyn Rothman Wolf, live in Toronto, Ontario.
1960s David Dawdy ’62 is completing a four year project: a biography in multimedia-format of Dr. Preston Slauson, Jr., who traveled in America from 1910 to 1926 and “whose American History class was a delight.” David also writes that his first two years of college “were almost boring after the rigorous preparation afforded at the
Academy.” Davis lives in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. A major contribution by Ron Rubin W’63, ’68 to the UC Davis Foundation, a California non‑profit, public benefit corporation, will support efforts by the UC Davis Library’s work to increase access by the public to the historic wine labels and menus contained within the Maynard A. Amerine Collection at the University of California Davis. Ron, who lives with his wife, Pamela, in Clayton, Missouri says his meeting with Amerine — a UC Davis professor who
Culver alumni Carlos Montufar ’66 and Harry Burnett ’81 were part of a recent Culver gathering in Quito, Ecuador hosted by Carlos. They are pictured here along with (from left) Summer Camp parent Javier Robalino, Craig Miles, and summer camp parent Augusto Martinez.
Robert Baxter of Indianapolis provided a Culver treasure to the Culver Academies Museum, from his family’s collection: the 1917-era Culver shako worn by Emory Baxter ’17 during Culver’s second-ever presidential inaugural appearance (the first was in 1913; both were escorting Vice President Thomas Marshall of Indiana). Also donated to the museum were Emory’s campaign- style horsemanship hat, hat badge, and Culver blazer. Neighbor John Stimson N ’60 brought the rare items to the museum, where they will be displayed.
collected thousands of wine labels dating back over a century — inspired him to learn about viticulture and enology, and spurred his dream of owning his own vineyard and winery in wine country. That dream was realized in 2011 when he established the Ron Rubin Winery. Ron, CEO of the Republic of Tea, founded the Ron Rubin School for the Entrepreneur at Culver in 2006. Chuck Gainer ’69 says he’s working on an album of cover material for his Culver reunion in 2019. Chuck, who played with the Little Willie/Cool Breeze bands in the 1970s and 1980s, notes he started
playing music while at Culver and “never stopped!” He’s still working for the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System in Baltimore and has three sons in Maryland and a daughter in Arizona.
This is the fourth annual FT 300 list, produced independently by the Financial Times in collaboration with Ignites Research, a subsidiary of the FT that provides business intelligence on the investment management industry.
1970s
Kathi Riley-Beck ’74 has seen her apicultural business pursuits grow into honeybee queen rearing, in conjunction with Purdue University efforts to produce mite-resistant stock. Kathi, who lives in Romney, Indiana, says she’s still planning to start her nursing career this fall but that, “The sweetest thing in my life right now is the fact that my two grandkids,
Channing “Chap” Mitzell ’74, president and co-founder of The Windsor Group, Ltd., reports that Windsor was recently named to the 2017 edition of the Financial Times 300 Top Registered Investment Advisers. The list recognizes top independent RIA firms from across the U.S.
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ALUMNI CLASS NEWS
Micah (age 4) and Maddie (2), are amazing as can be.”
Message from Legion, CSSAA, and CCI Presidents We continue the theme from our recent messages, sharing opportunities to engage in Culver-related activities on and off campus. Culver Clubs have been active around the world. We had outstanding attendance at the May class reunions, as well as the summer Homecoming Weekend. Listed in this section are upcoming regional events and dates. These events provide the kickoff for comprehensive advancement initiatives in major cities, which have our largest and most active constituent populations, and from which we draw a significant number of current Summer Camp and Academies students. Anna Kantzer Wildermuth ’83 President The Culver Legion Ted Foster W ’89 President The Culver Summer Schools Alumni Association Meg Anna Kantzer Edward M. Dinwiddie Wildermuth “Ted” Foster Burk ’83 W’ 89 L’ 89, CGA’ 91
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Thomas Mayo III ’75 married Selene Mireles on June 11 in Culver. They will reside in San Antonio, Texas, and Thomas will continue working for Culver as a major gifts officer. They have two boys, Ray and Jamil, who are currently attending Naval School and Woodcraft Camp, respectively. Art Hebbeler III W’75, ’79 is serving as a volunteer chaplain to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office and working full time as the Enterprise Modernization project manager for the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission. In his free time, Art writes that he’s in his final six months of a two‑year term as the grand commander of Knights Templar for the State of Maryland. He and his wife, Debbie, have nine grandchildren and live in Catonsville, Maryland.
Peter Lacy W’ 83, N ’87 was appointed January 1, 2017 by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to Commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. He and his wife Jill live in Carmel, Indiana.
1990s Carl Post W’87, ’92 writes that he and his wife Cindy are working in international education in China, where Carl is in a management and leadership role. They have three boys from kindergarten through 7th grade. The Canlis Restaurant in Seattle recently won the prestigious James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program. The restaurant, co-owned by Brian Canlis ’96 and his brother, Mark, was called “arguably Washington’s most storied fine dining establishment” by the Seattle
Mike Fish N’84 has been elected as President of the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network. The NWCDN is a nationwide and Canadian network of independent law firms created to provide an organization where reputable law firms of high reputation and expertise could form a comprehensive network to provide employers and insurers access to quality representation in workers’ compensation and related employer liability fields. Mike and his wife, Felecia, live in Birmingham, Alabama.
Times newspaper. The brothers took over the business from their father, Chris Canlis ’63.
1980s Rich O’Brien ’84 is the author of a new book, “Women Presidents and Prime Ministers,” about the 107 women who have led their respective nations as President or Prime Minister. Rich, who lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland with his wife, Ani, has served as the Director of the Center for the Prevention of Genocide and testified and presented findings in Congress, the United Nations, the U.S State Department, US AID, on national TV and radio. He has also been an instructor at the University of South Florida.
Culver almni from across class years gathered in Monterrey, Mexico, in March, 2017. Pictured from left are Prisciliano Elizondo ’54, Domingo Valdes ’52, Gustavo Velis ’99, Rogelio Sada Moreno ’15, Andres Sada Acosta ’16, Alejandro Mancha Navarrete ’16, and David Pumarejo Manzur ’16.
2000s Brad Kogut ’02 married Jessica George in New York City on Oct. 8, 2016. The Koguts reside in Norwalk, Connecticut. Anna Campbell L’04 married Ben Nowalk W’02,’07 at the Culver Memorial Chapel in June. Members of the wedding party included Kelly Gordon L’02,’07, Sean Higgins ’07, Nicholas Flynn ’07, Colin Campbell N ’08, Anne Nowalk W’11’16, Clare Nowalk W’11, ’07 and Parker Ballew W’17. The couple resides in Culver with their daughter, Annemarie.
Kyler Scott ’08 married Molly McBee on March 25. In the wedding party were fellow Culver alumni Dartanian (Dee) Warr ’07, James Moody ’07, and Matt Dinwiddie ’07.The Scotts live in Dallas,Texas.
2010s Katie Taylor ’10, ’11 SS recently joined the Class Campaign Team at Brown University, where she will be focused on Young Alumni Giving and Reunion Giving. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
Alex Shippey M.D. ’06 just finished his residency at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He is a doctor and captain serving in the Army.
Will Dowd ’05 got a lift from a friend of Culver and self-described “Lake Max Bon Vivant” in an unlikely locale. Capt. David Partridge picked up Will in David’s airplane “at an undisclosable location in the African Congo” recently. Will, of West End, North Carolina, is serving with the Army Special Forces and a private military company (for which David flies) was tasked to pick up Will and his team from a remote airstrip in the jungle. “After months of austere living, Will and his group were happy to see us, and I was thrilled to see a Culver man proudly serving overseas. He told me to send warmest regards to all,” writes David.
Taylor (Evans) Ardis W’05, SS ’08 married Spencer Argis Dec. 3, 2016. The two live in Hampstead, North Carolina, and Taylor serves as Program Coordinator for Sea Turtle Camp in nearby Wilmington, North Carolina. She reports the camp is partnering with a non-profit called OCEARCH in August to give students an opportunity to work with world-renowned scientists on their Great White Shark studies.
Kristi Webb Sage ’99 and her husband Dan welcomed triplets in January 2016. Coming home with their parents in Durango, Colorado, where Dan is a pharmacist and manager of a local
Ana (Warr) Blamo W’02, ’08 and her husband, Barnabas, welcomed new baby, Caleb James Blamo Warr, on May 8. The couple, who were married Aug. 29, 2014, reside in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
pharmacy, were Ryker, Charlie, and Katelyn Grace. “After a NICU stay, everyone is home and healthy,” writes Kristi, adding that big sister Addie is “happy and helpful.”
Alex Master ’09, was recently promoted to the rank of Army captain at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Alex was selected to serve as a Cyber Warfare Officer as part of the Cyber National Mission Force, and will transfer to the Washington, D.C. area later this year. He is the son of Culver staff members Chad Master (Information Technology) and Mindy Master (Student Life).
We’re Interested! Tell us about memorable events in your life and career at news.culver.org
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Alumni Reunion 2017
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12 9 6. The Class of 1992 dinner included old uniforms and party hats. 7. Tony Mars ’67 and Jim Henderson ’52 at the One Culver dinner. 8. And the crowd goes wild for Tim York ’67. 1. The Class of 2002 prepares to march in the Alumni Reunion Parade. 2. Art instructor and Crisp Visual Arts Center curator Robert Nowalk was busy giving tours of the facility over the weekend. 3. The Class of 1967, led by Hank Liese and Eley Graham Kuchar, pass in review during the parade. 4. A chance to get up-and-personal with a member of the Black Horse Troop. 5. Dep Ewing ’62 swapping stories that are years in the making.
9. Head of Schools Jim Power greets Al Kuchar ’67 during the Iron Gate ceremony. 10. Regimental Commander Thomas Maly ’17 and 1967’s Hank Liese shake on preserving the tradition. 11. Two generations of lacrosse players. Members of the first team in 1982 and two of their sons who had just finished their game. 12. Jerry Ney and Phill Klein carry the Class of 1957 banner during the parade. CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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C U LV E R C L U B S I N T E R N AT I O N A L Tony Giraldi ’75 visited three Culver Club events that were generously supported by a mixture of current and past Culver parents. Top; 16th Annual Culver Club of Shanghai, bottom left; 16th Annual Culver Club of Korea, bottom right; this year’s Culver Club of Beijing gathering.
Members of the Culver Club of Chicago gathered in support of Culver’s outstanding programs and facilities with members of the faculty and staff as well as Boarding School and Summer admissions offices. Head of Schools Jim Power addressed the room on his past few months at Culver. Also featured were Ethan Cole N’15 and Kevin Tai ’17, who each talked about how Culver has impacted their lives. Members of the Culver Club of Chicago also enjoyed a luxurious day at the races during the 2017 Derby Day at Arlington Park. Inclusive of a private dining room and front row seats to view a member of CGA perform the National Anthem with the colors presented by the Mounted Friesian Color Guard, this was an event not to be missed. Be sure to join us next on Derby Day 2018 for an event unlike any other!
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The Culver Club of Detroit started their summer with a volunteer event at Detroit Rescue Mission. The group of volunteers assisted the kitchen staff with prep work, meal service, and cleanup. If you are interested in being involved with the Culver Club of Detroit, please contact alumni@culver.org. Pictured are: James Rea, Bill Beltz, Alex Beltz N’17, Desma George ’05, Jim Rusk ’96, Tom George, John Homrighous ’74, Loretta Dickey, Micha Stroud SS’17, Lisa Stroud.
Upcoming Culver events September 7 Indianapolis One Culver Event October 25 New York City One Culver Event November Naples, St. Petersburg, Miami, Florida Events December Indianapolis and Chicago Holiday Events
In Houston, Kent Woodward ’68 organized another quarterly lunch at Luling City Market. This is the second quarterly lunch to be held and the group looks forward to welcoming all Culver affiliates to their next lunch. Look out for information to come through email distribution closer to.
January Dallas/Ft. Worth Rodeo and One Culver Event
Call Marriott at, 888-236-2427 and reference the GROUP NAME Culver Academy ’70s Bash Room Block, and the dates 10/20 -22/17, to reserve your room today!
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Oct. 20-22, 2017
At the Renaissance Nashville Hotel 611 Commerce St., Nashville, TN
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Join the Culver classes of the 1970s in Music City, Nashville, Tennessee!
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The Culver Club of Culver hosted its first Golf Outing and Summer Kickoff at the Culver Golf House. With 24 members playing the newly renovated 9-hole course and 80 members attending the reception to listen to Club President Tony Mayfield ’65 and Woodcraft Camp Director Heike Spahn SS’86 discuss Culver Summer Schools and Camps. It was a great event to showcase the new facility and celebrate CSSC.
We are active in: Indianapolis Detroit Chicago South and Central Florida Denver San Diego San Francisco Los Angeles New York City Washington D.C. …and many more places. Please contact the Alumni Office for information on Clubs in your area!
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Attendees were: Dennis Hansell ’68, Garth Whittington N’67, Randy Woodard ’67, Bruch Richardson ’69, Mike Hitchcock ’05, John Thomas ’86, Ramsey Bradke ’10, Kirby Albright ’06, Kaylan Tanuku ’04, Ron ’79 & Claire Auchter, Kent Woodard ’68
Interested in being involved in the planning of Culver Club Events?
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All photos by Lew Kopp.
IN MEMORIAM
James John Otis N’30 of Celina Ohio, died on January 3, 2013. He is survived by a daughter and one son James W ’58. Lynn Diesel Timmerman W’31 passed away in Boynton Beach, Florida, on March 17, 2017. Walter Byron Scott N’35 of Cabot, Pennsylvania, died on April 21, 2017, at the age of 100. He attended Valley Forge Military Academy, Culver Military Academy and Drexel University, and served in the Merchant Marines in WWII. He worked as a supervisor in
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the painting department at the Boca Raton Hotel in Florida for many years and later worked as the groundskeeper at the Krendale Golf Course in Butler. He is survived by three daughters, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Joe Martin Coffield, Jr. N ’37 (Company D) died Jan. 29, 2014. He is survived by two daughters. Ronald Paul Gift N ’33, ’38 (Company D) died Jan. 29, 2017, in Gig Harbor, Washington, just three weeks short of his 98th birthday. After Culver, he entered Michigan State
University to begin pre-med studies but left school three years later to become a Navy pilot, earning his wings on Dec. 1, 1941. He became the youngest and most junior commanding officer of a torpedo squadron in the Pacific theatre. At the battle of the Philippine Sea, Gift led his squadron in sinking a Japanese aircraft carrier and was awarded the Navy Cross. After his Navy career, Ron and his wife, Cathryn, moved to Carmel, California, and later relocated to Seattle, Washington, to be near their children. Ronald is survived by his daughter, Jill, son Paul ’68
and grandson Aaron’03. His life was chronicled in a book written by his son, entitled History, War and the Life of a Navy Pilot: Conversations with my Father, a copy of which has been donated to the Huffington Library. William Cathcart Arthur, Jr. ’40 (Battery B) died on Feb. 25, 2017, in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He attended Culver for five years where he rowed crew. In 1943 Bill became a senior aide to Gen. Robert W. Hasbrouk, commander of the 7th Armored Division. As an Army captain, Bill fought in the
Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Bronze Star. After the war, he married his wife, Ann, and returned to Cornell to complete his degree as an administrative mechanical engineer. They lived in Worchester, Massachusetts, for 32 years where he worked for the Norton Company and then as president of his own wire brush company, Anderson Corporation. He served on several community boards, including chairman of the board at Memorial Hospital, the local United Way, the Friendly House, Boys Trade School, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and as a director of the Mechanics Bank. His interest in boating included buying a Hatteras, which he used to take his family on summer vacations from Falmouth to Maine. Upon retirement in 1980, he built a home in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, where he continued his service to the community as a member of the local chamber of commerce and helped establish a WWII memorial. He was named Citizen of the Year in 1993. Bill never forgot his Culver connections, serving terms on the Legion Board and president of a Culver Club. He is survived by Ann, his wife of 71 years, three daughters, one son, five grandchildren, including Nicholas’12 and one great-granddaughter. A brother Jim, ’42, ’43 PG, survives. James Robert Young ’40 (Company D) died on March 21, 2017, in Sequim, Washington. Living a life of “curiosity and a gentle sense of humor,” he was the son of cartoonist
Lyman Young, creator of the cartoon strip “Tim Tyler’s Luck.” The family moved often and lived in many states. Bob received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Georgetown University, where he took an interest in the congressional debates and began a lifelong interest in politics and history. As part of his Army experience, he cracked Japanese codes. Shortly after WWII, Bob started working with his father’s cartoon strip, which was handled by King Features Syndicate, and he ended up drawing the strip for 50 years. The two main characters explore the world in adventures revolving around animal species, pollution and alternate energies, just as relevant now as they were decades ago. In total, the strip ran for 68 years. He married his wife Ethel in 1955, and they had three sons. The family took extended trips throughout the West, visiting national parks and zoos. He also ran a photography club for the local 4-H group and accompanied his sons on Boy Scout hikes and river trips. Always curious and ready to learn, Bob made the transition from print and paper to the digital world in his later years. He is survived by his wife, three sons, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. John Logan McCallister W’36,’40 (Company B) of Stillwater, Minnesota, died May 7, 2017. He graduated from Culver as a cadet captain, then attended Purdue for two years before being called to active duty in the Army as a second
lieutenant. He was assigned to a top secret British unit that intercepted coded German messages and delivered them to U.S. commanders, which earned him a promotion to captain. He returned to Indiana University after the war and worked for General Electric in Schenectady, New York, until he was called back to duty for the Korean War, manning the Indo China desk at the Pentagon and being promoted to major. In 1952 John began his 32-year career with Zenith Radio (Electronics) in Chicago, retiring as vice president of marketing in 1984. He helped Chicago charities, taught Sunday school and served as a trustee in the Village Presbyterian Church, which he attended for 41 years. At Boutwells in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, he was involved in several committees and clubs, and met and married his second wife, Sylvia. John was preceded in death by his first wife Maren. He is survived by his wife Sylvia, two sons, one daughter, three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. James Kresl ’41 (Company A) of Long Beach, California, died Feb. 6, 2017. After Culver, he attended Stanford until leaving to serve as an officer in the Army in WWII. He returned to Long Beach and began working for Oldsmobile, eventually opening his own dealership. Besides cars, Jim’s passions were golf and travel, and he enjoyed many global adventures. He was an active member of the Virginia Country Club from 1971 to his death and served as
president twice and membership chair for four terms. His commitment to the club was celebrated at a 2016 luncheon, when a tree was planted on the golf course in his honor. Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Ann, and son James Kresl, Jr. N’64. He is survived by two daughters, three grandchildren, great-grandchildren and stepchildren. His ashes were scattered at sea according to his wishes. George Ely Van Hagen III N’39, ’41 (Troop I) died on Oct. 31, 2015, in Barrington Illinois. After Culver, he attended Cornell University to study engineering but was called to active duty in 1942. Assigned to the Pensacola Naval Air Station, George received his commission and Navy Wings as an ensign in 1944. While serving on the aircraft carrier USS Independence in 1945, he was shot down by the Japanese off the island of Honshu. A Navy submarine eventually rescued him and he was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon. George said that he kept repeating the 23rd Psalm that night while waiting to be found. After the war he returned to college at Northwestern University and majored in journalism and public relations. He served as the public relations director for the Peabody Coal Company and traveled extensively in the coal fields of Illinois, Kentucky and West Virginia. In 1950, he became the managing editor of the Small Homes Guide Publishing Co. in Chicago. He also wrote feature stories for the Barrington Courier-Review.
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IN MEMORIAM
An intrepid traveler and adventurer, he had a strong interest in Alaska, finding a large jade deposit in that area, pieces of which were exhibited at the World’s Fair in New York and later at the Smithsonian. They are currently on display at the Lizzardo Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst, Illinois. He was a mentor, especially to the young, and enraptured everyone with his stories and wisdom. Shortly before he died, George told his daughter-inlaw, “It all comes down to love. If you give love, then you will receive it. It is just that simple.” He was preceded in death by his wife, Sarah, and is survived by one son, three daughters, including Sarah W’84, and eight grandchildren. A brother, Ford ’45, predeceased him. Roger Reno N ’42 died Feb. 27, 2013, in Rockford, Illinois. He was preceded in death by his wife Janice and is survived by his son Michael W’74 and one daughter. George Alexander Dwenger ’42 (Company A) of South Burlington,Vermont, died on March 9, 2017. He grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, and graduated from Culver, Dartmouth College and Rutgers Law School. He served in the Marine Corps and spent his professional career working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency and, later, as a longtime employee of the Commercial Union Assurance Company. George is survived by his wife of 65 years, Janet, one son, one daughter, one granddaughter and one grandson.
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Richard Allan West N ’42 ’43 (Junior College) died on Feb. 9, 2017, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He graduated from the Park School in 1942 and attended Culver’s summer school and junior college, where he became an ensign and officer. He served in the Army as a baker for the post-WWII troops in Japan, then returned to graduate from DePauw University in 1948. He assumed the presidency of his father’s business, West Baking Company, in 1954, which served bread, rolls and buns to many central Indiana grocery stores. In 1968, West and his brother shifted their focus to a larger scale by contracting with the emerging McDonald’s chain, building the first high-speed automatic bun factory in the nation, and distributing to restaurants in Ohio and Michigan. The brothers then expanded to the United Kingdom, where they helped grow McDonald’s from 25 to 250 restaurants in 10 years. They built two additional plants in Indiana, serving over 500 McDonald’s and Ponderosa restaurants, and were the first to employ disabled people in the bakery operations, overseen by Goodwill Industries. The business was sold in 1986 and Richard turned his energies toward philanthropy, becoming the founder and primary funding source for the Westwood Endowment, which focused on bringing food, water, medicine and self-sufficiency to the third world needy. He played a major role in saving Goodwill Industries in Panama after their property
was destroyed. His service works included representing the American Baking Association, Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana (board member), Weekday Religious Education (board member), World Neighbors (board member and interim president) and Tabernacle Presbyterian Missions Committee. From age 11, Richard spent summers at the family home on Lake Maxinkuckee, where he became an avid skier, stateranked at tricks and jumping and judged national competitions. He is survived by his wife, Florence, two sons, Hal W ’68, N’70 and Mike, one daughter, Deborah, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one son, Bradford N’76 ’80 (Company A). A brother, Stephen N’46, predeceased him. Wallace Robert McKee ’43 (Band) died on March 8, 2017, in Woodland Hills, California. Bob served three years with the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theatre immediately following his Culver graduation. After the war, Bob graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and embarked on a career selling French perfume to department stores. In 1990, he retired from the Guerlain Perfume Company after 27 years. He was an active and well-regarded leader of his Culver class right up to the time of his death. He is survived by a daughter, Karen ’72 (West Lodge) and a son Richard ’74 (Band).
John Payson Fogler ’44 (Troop) of Exeter, Maine, died Feb. 2, 2017. After graduating from Culver, he enlisted in the Army and served as a paratrooper in Europe, earning a Purple Heart for his service during the Battle of the Bulge. He earned a degree in Animal Husbandry from the University of Maine and settled on his grandparents’ 160-acre farm, Stonyvale, with his wife. John slowly increased the size of the farm and became a leader in local, state and national agriculture. He was highly respected for his stewardship of the land and was instrumental in developing new conservation techniques. John was awarded the Gulf Oil Corporation of America Conservation Award in 1982 and in 1986 was selected Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Maine. He was also actively engaged with both the state and Penobscot County Soil and Water Conservation Commissions, the Farm Bureau, Farmers Home Administration and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service. In the Exeter community he served on the school board, the Board of Selectmen and was a member of the Corinna United Methodist Church. “Big John’s” greatest legacy is Stonyvale, which is now a fifth generation family farm recognized as a leader in the dairy industry. He was preceded in death by his wife Elaine and is survived by his seven children, sixteen grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren. A brother, Henry ’39, predeceased him.
RE M EM BE R I N G T H E FA MI LY Laurel E. Singleton passed away on June 2,
Jim worked as the Business Manager at Culver
Don left to establish his own shop and eventually
2015. He worked as the power house engineer
from 1978-1985. He served as Lt. Commander
owned Dick’s Barber Shop in Plymouth for 10
at Culver from 1968-1992. A Knox native, he
in the Navy, where he and his wife Linda were
years. He never fully gave up barbering and was
lived in the area his entire life. He was a WWII
stationed after marrying at Pearl Harbor in 1963.
always willing to respond to calls for part-time
veteran and a member of the Knox American
He worked at Delco Remy and earned his MBA
help. Don is survived by his wife, Opal, one son,
Legion and VFW. He was preceded in death by
from Ball State University. and then the Physical
two daughters, eight grandchildren and twelve
his wife Carole. He is survived by three children,
Plant Director at DePauw University before retir-
great-grandchildren.
five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
ing. He is survived by his wife Linda, three sons Eric NB ’81 ’84 (Band), Kyle W’79 ’88 (Band)
Sandra S. Baker died in Culver on May 9, 2017.
Richard C. Chambers, Jr. of Ann Arbor,
and Chad W’83 and six grandchildren.
She worked in the Accounting office from 19771999 and retired as an accounts payable clerk.
Michigan died December 15, 2016, at the VA Hospital. He served at Culver as a history teacher
Martharee W. Mays died peacefully on March
She graduated from Rolling Prairie High School
and swim coach from 1975-1977. He graduated
25, 2017. She graduated from Indiana State with
and married Richard Baker, who preceded her in
from Tennessee Military Institute and then served
a degree in education and later earned both a
death. She enjoyed bowling, crocheting, reading
two consecutive tours of duty in Vietnam from
masters and administration degrees. She spent
and spending time with her family and friends,
1964-69 as part of the US Army’s 101st Airborne
her career breaking down color barriers, as she
She is survived by two sons, four grandchildren
Division, earning the Parachutist Badge, Air
was the first African-American to be hired at
and one great-grandchild.
Medal, Medal Bronze Star with Oak Cluster,
the Evansville Indiana schools. In the summer
Sharpshooter Rifle, FA Operator and Intel, and
of 1969, she expanded her teaching in the
Lynn Susanne Foster of Monterey, Indiana,
Draftsman-Map. After his discharge he returned
upper school summer program at Culver. She
died June 16, 2017. She served Culver from
to Indiana University where he completed
went on to have a storied career and became
2014 until her death, working in Food Services,
bachelor and master’s degrees in Health, PE and
a principal at elementary and middle schools in
then as manager of the Academies campus
Recreation. In 1979 he pursued a career in real
the Evansville area until her retirement in 1998.
store.
estate that spanned 30 years. He enjoyed read-
Martharee is survived by her loving husband of
ing, especially Louis L’amour westerns, as well as
nearly 50 years, Dr. Robert E. Mays, one son and
Robert Beck of Sarasota, Florida, died on June
music, camping, fishing and crossword puzzles.
one grandchild.
22, 2017. He graduated from Riley High School
Rick is survived by his four sons Richard III
in South Bend 1965 and was employed as a
W’77, Christopher W ’83, Joshua W ’85 and
Steve Griffin (Griff), former Woodcraft Division
Marina Technician at Culver Military Academy
Nathaniel W ’85, as well as five grandchildren.
7 counselor and Division 5 Commander from
from 1984-2001. Putting the piers in each spring
1998-2005, died suddenly on April 12, 2017,
and taking them out was a complicated and
Ethel Ruth Mackey, a lifelong resident of
at age 40 in North Carolina. He learned about
labor intensive job. Annually, Bob was the
Culver died on March 8, 2017. Ruth was a
Culver while studying at Purdue through his
designated scuba diver who hooked up the
familiar face in Culver, having worked at The
future wife, Katie Kattmann, an Upper School
piers with the permanent pieces that were left
Culver Citizen, the Academy Bookstore, Culver
graduate who had worked the previous Wood-
on the lake bed, then repeated the process each
Inn and the old Snyder Café before becoming
craft summer. He arrived as a counselor of Cabin
September and October when the piers came
a longtime business owner of The Collectors
53 in Division 7 in the summer and quickly
out. Bob moved to Sarasota in 2001 where he
(antiques) and the Bear End (teddy bears) in
developed into a strong and well-respected
worked at Marine Max and O’Leary’s. He always
downtown Culver. She married Ron Mackey
counselor. After two summers in Division 7, he
loved the water and sailing.
W’37 ’42 (Band), in 1945. He had been a
was promoted to Division 5 Commander. Even
prisoner of war in Germany for 14 months.They
after leaving Culver, Steve stayed in contact with
Debra L. Smith, 58, of Culver, died at her
enjoyed 55 years of marriage before his death
former campers, several of whom were deployed
home on July 23, 2017. Deb was born on
in 2000. Ruth loved cooking, sewing, baking,
in Afghanistan and Iraq, and offered words of
March 26, 1959 in South Bend, Indiana, one of
making teddy bears, bird watching and adopting
support. He is survived by his wife, Katie, a
three children born to the William R. and Nancy
homeless cats. She was preceded in death by her
seven-year-old son, Dylan, and a newborn
(Morrison) Kersey. She was was a 1977 graduate
husband and her only daughter, Carol Lyn Ewing,
daughter (five-weeks-old), Maggie.
of Culver Community High School. She married Hobart Smith on Oct. 7, 1994, in Culver.
and is survived by three sons, six grandchildren Donald E. Shock of Culver died on May 6, 2017.
A dedicated Culver Academies employee for
He served in the US Navy and then trained as a
more than 32 years, Deb worked at duplication
James Earl Daugherty of Anderson, Indiana
barber. He served Marshall County as a barber
and eventually became the warehouse shipping/
died on March 12, 2017, after an extensive
for 55 years, beginning in Burr Oak in his uncle’s
receiving clerk.
battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
shop and then for 18 years at Culver Academies.
and ten great-grandchildren.
CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
43
IN MEMORIAM
Donald Eugene Smith W ’40, N’44 of Terre Haute, Indiana, passed away on April 23, 2017. He attended Indiana University and Indiana State University and began his long and distinguished career at First Financial in 1969 as executive vice president of the bank and then elected president in 1973.
When the corporation became established as a multi-bank holding company, Don became president and CEO and later named as chairman. He served on the board of directors of First Financial Bank from 1973-2013. Following 45 years with First Financial, he was named director emeritus of both Financial Corp. and First Financial Bank. Don was on the board of several oil and gas companies in the Terre Haute area. He was a former trustee of the
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Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Saint-Mary-of theWoods College, Indiana State University and an honorary life director of the Indiana State University Foundation. He served on several local boards, among them president of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce, Terre Haute Economic
Development Commission, Swope Art Museum, Junior Achievement,Wabash Valley Boy Scouts of America and Terre Haute Boys and Girls Clubs. In 1941 Don attended his first Indianapolis 500 and his devotion to racing never wavered. He and Chapman Root founded the Sumar Racing team which competed for eight seasons. Don also promoted sprint races at the Terre Haute Action Track and was widely credited with putting Terre Haute on the map for profes-
sional racing. For his service to Indiana, he was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash by the Governor of Indiana. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary, and is survived by two daughters, Sarah Jane SS’66 and Virginia, five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Edmund Lyddane Jones, Jr. N’43, ’44 (Company C) of Greenwood, South Carolina, died on May 24, 2017. After graduating from Culver, he served in the Marine Corps aboard the USS Topeka in the South Pacific Theatre. He then attended Swarthmore College and built a career in real estate and insurance in the Washington, D.C., area. His son, Edmund L. Jones III, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Ellie, three daughters, one stepson and seven grandchildren.
William Edward Hole, Jr. N ’45 of Greenville, Ohio, passed away on Feb. 18, 2017. He served in the Army Air Corps and taught sailing at Culver before entering the University of Michigan. He was an integral part of American Aggregates from 1951, becoming president in 1969. Bill also served as president of Ohio Aggregates and as national president of National Sand Stone and Gravel, where he was a lifetime member of the board. Other numerous boards he served on included Consolidated Gold Fields in England, the Greenville National Bank for 35 years, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Greenville Chamber of Commerce,YMCA, Greenville Country Club, Edison College and Hope Foundation. He and his wife traveled the world after retiring and enjoyed playing bridge, golf and their summer home in Canada. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Gloria, one son, one daughter and two grandsons. Richard Dustin Mercer ’45 (Troop II) died in March 2017. He was preceded in death by his wife Nancy and is survived by one son and two daughters. Eugene Owen Mitchell, Sr. H ’46 died on March 9, 2016, in Greenville, Mississippi. He graduated from Columbia Military Academy and the University of Mississippi and served in the National Guard. “Sonny” was a member of the St. James Episcopal Church and the local Lions and Rotary clubs. He was the co-founder
the Ole Miss-Mississippi State tennis tournament, which annually raises money for scholarships for local students to attend one of the state’s two major universities. He was preceded in death by his son Eugene, Jr., and is survived by his wife, Shirley Ann, one daughter, and two grandchildren. Robert Bruce Fox ’46 (Company B) of Mansfield, Ohio, died March 21, 2017. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army during the Korean War and served in the Army reserve until his discharge as a captain in the artillery in 1957. He earned a B.S. degree from Ohio State and graduate credits from Ashland University, Ohio University and the Franklin University School of Law. Bob worked with his father at the family jewelry store, beginning as a doorman at age eight, and as a gemologist during the 1940s. He then worked as a merchandise manager for Giant Stores. In 1968, he became vice president and treasurer of the Mansfield School of Technology, later changed to North Central State College, where he spent 27 years. He witnessed the growth of the two-year school with less than 100 students to over 3,500 when he retired in 1996. Bob taught economics, business administration, and finance at NCSC, Ohio State, and the Army College. He served as a consultant evaluator for North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, working with individual schools and state agencies on fiscal management. Bob earned many accolades
over his career, including the esteemed CACUBO President’s Award. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Judy, two sons and four grandchildren. William Decker Smith NB ’44, ’46 (Band) died in Plano, Texas, on March 5, 2017. After graduating from Culver, he earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University and entered a 35-year career with State Insurance, where he was a claims superintendent when he retired. He loved travel, photography and golf. He was very active in the Clear Lake United Methodist Church and helped shape it in its early years. Decker is survived by his wife of 55 years, Elizabeth, two daughters, two grandchildren and his twin brother. James Nelson Getty H’47 died on Jan. 17, 2017, in Dayton, Ohio. He is survived by his wife Dorothy and one daughter. James Alfred Crenshaw H’48 of Bloomington, Indiana, died on March 10, 2017. He was a member of the Culver Summer School Troop and attended Indiana University before serving in the Korean War as an Army medic patrolling the D.E.W. Line. He completed his degree, married his wife, Ladonna, worked at Texaco, and eventually opened his own general contracting business. In retirement, he served as a golf ranger at Eagle Point Golf Course in Bloomington. He enjoyed gardening, reading, golf, IU basketball and the Chicago Blackhawks. Jim is survived by his wife, Ladonna, one son James SS’82, one
daughter Nancy SS’83, and five grandchildren. Carlyle Eugene Dame, Sr. N ’48 of South Jacksonville, Illinois, died on March 4, 2017. He graduated from the Adjutant General’s School at Ft. Benjamin Harrison and served with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division during the Korean War. He worked as general manager of Inject-o-Meter Manufacturing Corporation and then later associated with the HeiligMeyers Furniture Company. He was active in several organizations, including the Culver Cordon Society, Founder’s Chapter, Culver Summer School Alumni Association, the Illinois Young Republicans, Illinois Irrigation Association and Harmony Lodge #3. Carlyle’s wife, Rosemary, preceded him in death. He is survived by one son, three daughters, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. John David Herbert, Sr. ’48 (Troop II) died on March 27, 2017. He was very active as a Culver class volunteer and served on the Legion Board and Committee of the Horse. He also received the Sam Butler Award in 2013. John is survived by his wife, Eunice, four daughters and one son, including Kathleen ’76 (West Lodge) and John Jr. ’74 (Troop A). Surviving grandchildren include John’06, Maggie’08 and Abby ’09. Robert Beattie Phillips ’48 (Battery B) of Tulsa, Oklahoma, died on Feb. 2, 2017. After attending the University of Tulsa, he launched a career in
advertising and public relations with The Phillips Agency. His accounts included Jimmy Dean Sausage, car dealerships and national banks. Bob later cofounded Phillips and Johnson, the agency that still bears his name. He served on the Board of Directors of the Frank Phillips Foundation, was an early supporter of the Tulsa Boys Home, a stalwart member of AA for 54 years and a sponsor of scores of young men over the years who battled substance abuse. Bob is survived by his wife, Marilyn, two sons and one daughter and four grandchildren. A brother John ’43, predeceased him. Edgar Howard Perry III ’48 (Battery B) died peacefully on June 3, 2017, in Austin, Texas. He attended the University of Texas and then pursued various business ventures in manufacturing, oil and gas, and real estate. Edgar was committed to the Austin and Travis County community and spent much of his life caring for and supporting its citizens. He served on the Austin City Council, 19591962, and during his second term, was the youngest mayor protem in the country. He served on many community charity boards, including the YMCA, Better Business Bureau, and Goodwill. In 2007 he received the Community Star Award from the Travis County Sheriff ’s Office, and in 1977 he received recognition from the Travis County Department of Human Services for his outstanding humanitarian services. He served as president of the Travis County Child Welfare Board during the 1960s,
CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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IN MEMORIAM
continually seeking out needs that others were not addressing and finding ways to help. His Christian faith was very important to him. He was a Bible teacher and a deacon in several Baptist churches and charter member of both Highland Park Baptist Church and Austin Baptist Church. He served for many years on the board of Buckner Children’s Home in Round Rock. His avocation was science and medical research. He enjoyed sports and outdoor activities, especially tennis, racquetball, golf and fishing. He will be remembered for his generous spirit and absolute commitment to the wellbeing of others. Edgar is survived by his wife of 51 years, Linda, one daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
as Legislative Counsel for the Department of the Interior during the Nixon administration. Returning to Muncie as General Counsel and Head of the Glass Division at Ball, he was called to Washington again to serve as Under Secretary of the Interior for George H.W. Bush. He was active on the Ball State University Board of Trustees for 35 years, seven as Board chairman, and the administration building was named in his honor. He also served on the George and Frances Ball Foundation, Indianapolis and Leelanau Nature Conservancies, and the First Merchants Bank board. He loved history and served on the Civil War National Board in Washington, D.C. He is survived by his wife, Judith, four children and 10 grandchildren.
Charles Roshing Spross ’48 (Battery B) died on Sept. 22, 2015, in Fostoria, Oho. After graduating from Culver, he served in the Army during the Korean War. He was in the insurance business, retiring after 40 years of service. He is survived by one daughter and three grandchildren. His wife, Ruth Ann, preceded him in death.
David Odell MacKenzie N’48, ’49 (Company A), of Lake Forest, Illinois, died on Captiva Island, Florida, on March 11, 2017. In his senior year at Culver, he contracted bulbar polio and spent the next year convalescing in an iron lung. He attended Trinity College and was a distinguished athlete in varsity soccer and hockey. He joined ROTC and then served in the Air Force as an officer in Japan during the Korean War. In David’s early career he worked for the Quaker Oats Company but then became a teacher, soccer and hockey coach at Lake Forest Country Day Academy and then later a business administrator there and at Lake Forest Country Day School. He was affectionately known as “Mr. LFE.” He and his wife Deborah
Robert Lee Sterling, Jr. N’49 died on Sept. 22, 2014. He is survived by his wife Joyce and three sons. Alexander Bracken N’49 died on July 5, 2016, in Muncie, Indiana. He attended the Culver Summer Naval School and had three cousins attend Woodcraft. An attorney, he was associated with the Ball Corporation for several years and then served
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owned the Red Rock Ranch in Kelly, Wyoming, where they spent their summers fishing and ensuring the sustainability of his beloved cutthroat trout. David was preceded in death by his wife Deborah. He is survived by one son, two daughters and twelve grandchildren. A brother, William ’46, predeceased him. Herbert John Werren ’49 (Troop II) died on March 4, 2017, in Noblesville, Indiana. After serving in the Army in the Korean War, he graduated from Purdue with a degree in engineering and then earned an MBA from the University of Michigan. He worked for Allied Signal Corporation, retiring as vice president of the automotive division. An avid outdoorsman, Herbert loved to hunt, fish and golf. He was also a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner. Herb served on the Culver Committee of the Horse. He is survived by his wife Marlene, one son, one daughter and five grandchildren. Joaquin D. Roche ’49 died on April 29, 2017, in Mexico. He was a local business man and pioneer in the salt industry. After graduating from Culver, he earned a degree in chemical engineering from MIT and spent a few years heading up the family business. He then enrolled in medical school and became a licensed psychiatrist. He was the head of the industrial promotion department for the state of Yucatan and in 1997 was named the vice president of Industria Salinera de Yucatan. Joaquin is survived by two daughters, Alexandra W ’80 and Joanine, three sons,
Alberto W ’81, Luis H ’89 ’92 (Troop B) and Joaquin A ’93, ’97 (Troop), and 12 grandchildren. Noel Barrett Shuler W’46, ’50 (Troop 1) passed away in Colorado on Feb. 27, 2017. After graduation from Culver, he attended Colorado A&M and earned a degree in Animal Science. He continued his graduate education at Colorado State and was awarded a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1958. He worked for his father’s coal company in Davenport, Iowa, and Deer Business Systems, Moline, Illinois, before moving back to the Ft. Collins area, where he owned and operated McMurtry Seed & Fertilizer Company for 15 years. In 1980 he purchased a ranch in southern Colorado, where he raised cattle. Barry served as past director of the Rock Island Millwork Company and The Moline Water Power Company. He was also chairman of the board of Denkmann Interests in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas for 30 years. He created the Noel Barrett Schuler Foundation, which grants financial assistance to organizations and individuals who excel in the Ft. Collins area. Barry is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Bannister, and one son. Barry’s father, Charles, was a CMA graduate in 1910, as well as five cousins. Glenn E. Fargo Jr. N’50 of Lexington, Kentucky, died on June 7, 2017. He attended Howe and Culver Military Academies, before graduating from high school in Huntington, West Virginia. He served in
TW O GI AN T S PA S S AWAY
T
wo of Culver’s giants have died recently: Robert B.D. Hartman and Channing Mitzell. A memorial service for Hartman will be conducted Sept 9. A date for a memorial service for Mitzell has not been finalized.
BOB HARTMAN Robert Blaydes Duerson Hartman, Academies historian and archivist, died Friday, July 28. He was 86.
Originally a member of the History Department, Hartman followed a varied Culver path: Counselor, Dean of Admissions, Alumni Director, and Special Assistant to the President. He also served as the Executive Secretary to the 1994 Culver Centennial Commission. He was the holder of the MacMillen Family Chair of American Heritage and coach of the Company A football team. Bob believed his greatest honor was “to have served the Academy.” His career and contributions were honored with the introduction of the endowed Robert B.D. Hartman Chair for Excellence in Teaching in 2013, a gift of Chairman of the Culver Educational Foundation Board of Trustees Miles White ’73, his wife Kim, and their sons, and the CMA ’62 Bob Hartman Scholarship, established in 2017 by the Class of 1962.
Channing served as Director of Development at Culver. During his tenure in that role he led three highly successful development campaigns and received several CASE awards. Channing was named Assistant to the Superintendent for External Affairs in 1976. From 1987 to 1992, Channing assumed the role of Special Assistant to the President, with a continued focus on fund raising and development. After a devoted career and earning the respect of a large alumni base, Channing retired in 1992. He was fortunate to live at home in his later years and be visited by countless alumni whom he taught, counseled, and coached. The bonds he developed were lifelong. Channing was preceded in death by his beloved wife Dolores, who passed on Sept. 23, 2015.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Charleston; a Masters in Education from the University of Virginia, and an Education Specialist degree from Indiana University.
Born June 13, 1931, in Blacksburg, Virginia, the only child William of Tyler Hartman and Elizabeth Duerson Hartman, Bob came to Culver in 1958, intending to fulfill a promise to his father that he would stay in his first teaching job for two years. He retired in 1994 after 36 years, having considered his pledge honored. Retirement was short-lived, however, and he returned to work as historian and archivist in 2000. Hartman authored a number of books including “Pass in Review, Culver: A Century in the Making”; “Boots and Saddles, the History of the Black Horse Troop”; “The Grand Parade, A Collection of Historical Vignettes”; and “Lest We Forget: Two Great Wars and the Years Between.” He has also the reminiscences of Gen. Leigh Gignilliat and Col. Robert Rossow. Hartman was a frequent guest of Culver Clubs throughout the nation and spoke before alumni groups in more than 25 cities.
A memorial service, led by The Rev. Thomas E. Haynes, will be conducted at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 9, in the Memorial Chapel. A reception will follow. Memorial contributions may be made to the CMA ’62 Bob Hartman Endowed Scholarship Fund, 1300 Academy Road #153, Culver, Indiana 46511.
CHANNING MITZELL Channing Eugene Mitzell passed away at his home in Culver on Tuesday, Aug. 1. Born in York County, Pennsylvania, to The Rev. Charles and Kathryn Mitzell on May 28, 1928, Channing chose to be an educator and earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree at Dickinson College and an MA at Western Maryland. He moved his young family to Culver in 1961 for a teaching position at Culver Military Academy in the history department. In his early Culver years he also was counselor for Battery B and coached baseball with Dave Nelson. He earned the rank of Master Instructor in 1970. From 1974 through 1987,
He is survived by three children: Cathy Mitzell Duke ’70, Channing ’74 and Craig ’76, in-laws Vincent Duke and Sallie Jo Mitzell, and four grandchildren: Kemmie Mitzell, Katie Mitzell Fagan ’06 and husband Kevin Fagan, Ashton Duke, and Channing (Jack) Mitzell ’12. He leaves his family with a rich legacy and love of learning, history, the Arts, and political conversation and debate. Channing Mitzell was buried in a private ceremony in Culver. Gifts in memory of Mr. Mitzell may be directed to Culver’s Fine Arts Department. Gifts may be sent to the Culver Educational Foundation, 1300 Academy Road #153, Culver, Indiana 46511.
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IN MEMORIAM the Navy during the Korean War aboard the aircraft carrier, Kearsarge, serving three tours to the Far East during his four year stint. After his Naval service he entered Boston University for two years, then moved to Chicago and attended the College of Transportation. He worked for Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company and later for Union Oil Company of California. In 1977 Glenn was transferred to Houston, Texas, and worked in marketing. He retired in 1986 and began traveling by car and train around the U.S. and Canada with his wife. Glenn was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd for many years. Glenn is survived by his wife of 67 years, Phyllis, one daughter, one son, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. A. Richard Triebel N ’50 passed away on June 20, 2017, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He was an Eagle Scout and later served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Reserve. Dick received his college degree from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and began a career that spanned 36 years: first as Motel Manager at Albert Pick Hotel Corp., then as Bakery and Food Service Regional Manager for Pillsbury. He spent the last 27 years of his career as National Food Service and Industrial Sales and Marketing Manager in the USA and Canada for Uncle Ben’s Rice, a division of Mars Inc. For 20 years at the Illinois State Fair, Dick and his parents ran the food service for all the 4-H participants. Dick was a 50-year
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resident of Glen Ellyn. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church serving on the Board of Deacons and was a 32 Degree Mason in the Shriners. For several years, Dick was an active volunteer for DuPage Pads, which provides overnight housing and meals for the homeless, and at the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. Dick is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jackie, his high school sweetheart, two daughters and three grandchildren. Raymond Erwin Ehly ’51 (Company D) died on February 22, 2016, in Georgetown, Texas. In his youth and college years, Ray excelled as an athlete and scholar, graduating from NDSU and moving to Moorhead, Minnesota where he began work with FM Asphalt in Dilworth. He expanded his career when he moved to San Diego County, where he owned and operated Asphalt Inc. in Lakeside, California from 1968-1998. During the time he was involved with AGC of San Diego, he served as president for several years. Ray was an avid supporter of East County Boys and Girls Club and The Home of Guiding Hands in Lakeside. He had a desire to give back to his alma matter, NDSU, and through his efforts and philanthropy, a new Engineering building was constructed that bears his name. Ray’s passion was golf and on the course or watching the PGA on TV, he never tired of the sport. He was also a great skier and spent many winter days on the slopes. His love of boating took him on journeys through
the Panama Canal, to Mexico, the San Juan Islands, and Alaska. A penny a point and a nickel a box, Ray played gin rummy up until his last days. He is survived by his wife, Joni, four children, ten grandchildren, ten greatgrandchildren and two stepsons, Paul and Andrew Peterson. Carl Mitchell Eckert W ’45, ’51 (Battery B) passed away on Feb. 24, 2017, at his home in Grosse Point, Michigan, after a long illness. He attended the University of Michigan but was called to serve in the Army as a first lieutenant, leading an artillery unit in Wiesbaden, Germany. He returned to earn his law degree at Michigan and later added a graduate degree in education. Carl began his teaching career at Culver, teaching economics, coaching baseball and counseling students. After 10 years he returned to Grosse Point to work at Detroit Bank & Trust as a trust officer, spending the rest of his career assisting local families with estate planning. After retiring in 1999, Carl took on the leadership of the Alice Kales Hartwick Foundation. Carl is survived by his wife, Mary Jane, three sons and one daughter, as well as five grandchildren. He had several family members attend Culver, including his father Charles N’13,’15, stepson Robert W’68, ’72, and stepdaughter Marie ’70, ’75 (CAG). Carl Tull Monsees ’51 (Company D) of Evanston, Illinois, died peacefully on Jan. 28, 2017, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. After Culver, he attended North-
western University, where he played on the varsity golf team and earned a degree in business. He served in the Army as a lieutenant and was stationed in Great Britain. He began his business career at Northern Trust in Chicago and soon joined the investment firm of McCormick and Company, where he became partner. In retirement he was an avid golfer and won several tournaments, including the Club Champion in five different decades at the Westmoreland Country Club, where he still holds the amateur course record. Tull is survived by two daughters, Debra ’75 SC, and Cherie ’85 (Court), and one son. Ralph Robert Hadac N’52 of Seattle, Washington died on January 7, 2013, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He attended MIT in Boston, graduating with a degree in Business Engineering. He and his wife Lucy moved to Seattle, Washington where Ralph began work at the Boeing Company on the 707; he was soon transferred to the aerospace division, where he remained until 1970 when he enrolled in the University of Washington, eventually receiving his Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. He was employed by the University in the School of Family Medicine and the Office of Research in Medical Education while he began work on his doctorate degree. During the time period, he presented or coauthored eight research documents for the School of Family Medicine and was awarded his PhD in Educational Psychology, School of Education in 1983. In 1991
Ralph became the Executive Director of the Horizons Foundation, a private family foundation in Seattle, where he continued working daily until three weeks before his death. He became a strong environmentalist, supporting a large part of the foundation’s mission of working with environmental causes in Washington State. Ralph was a member of the Seattle Tennis Club and also enjoyed playing duplicate bridge in the annual interclub tournament. Ralph was active with his sons in Indian Guides and Cub Scouts. He enjoyed camping and hiking in Washington State, especially trips to the family cabin on San Juan Island. An avid fan of the Washington Husky Football team, he was a season ticket holder for over 30 years and often traveled to their Bowl games. Ralph is survived by his wife, Lucy, two sons, and two grandchildren.
sailor, he was a member of the Shields fleet in Marblehead for eight years and served as president. He was also a veteran of numerous Newport to Bermuda and Marblehead to Halifax races. After retiring from racing, he and his wife cruised down the coast and to Canada, as well as to the Caribbean islands and coastal regions of France and Spain. He also built a home in Waitsfield,Vermont, to enjoy the skiing. Ralph is survived by his wife, Helane, four sons and four grandchildren.
David Walsh Lundy W’52 of Davenport, Iowa, died on Aug. 13, 2013.
Robert Frank Reed II H’52 of California, Kentucky, died on March 30, 2017, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from Allegheny College and Chase Law School. For 35 years he was a partner at Becker, Reed, Tilton & Hastings Law Group in Cincinnati. He served in the Army, board of directors for the Shriners Burns Institute, member of the Ohio Bar Association and the Heatman Lodge No. 162. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, three daughters, two sons and five grandchildren.
Ralph Edward Walker ’52 (Troop B) died Feb. 11, 2017, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. He graduated from State Maritime College in Ft. Schuyler, New York, and earned a master’s degree in marine engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He worked at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, an affiliate of MIT, as program manager of the Space Systems and Components and Space and Missiles Program. He also worked at General Electric, Dynamics Research Corp. and Northrop Grumman. An avid
Paul Graffius Nahon, Sr. ’53 (Company C) died on Jan. 19, 2017. His family owned Nahon and Sons Dry Goods, a wholesale business in Springfield, Missouri, and he grew up working in the business. He attended Culver Military Academy and Admiral Farragut Academy, graduating from Springfield High School, then attending Drury University and Southwest Missouri State College, majoring in economics. He served in the Army, and was in the Nike Missile program, but returned home after his
father died to help run the family business. The family later sold the business and Paul became a builder and real estate developer. Paul served on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Dam and Reservoir Safety Council, the
for U.S. Senators Blunt, Bond and Danforth, President of the Missouri Pachyderm Federation and on the board of directors of the National Federation. He also served as a delegate to the Missouri Republican Convention for many years. He received
Greene County Planning and Zoning Board, Solomon Lodge, Royal Arch Masons and was a captain of the Abu Ben Adhem Shriners. He also served in the Republican Party, was a member on the Electoral College, Greene County Coordinator
a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Missouri Republican Party and was named in the Who’s Who in American Politics. Paul is survived by his wife, Sharon, one son and one daughter.
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IN MEMORIAM Daniel Huelster Dahl ’53 (Company C) passed away in Birmingham, Michigan, on Jan. 31, 2017. He graduated from Culver having learned to march and be punctual, two skills he used to marshal his family to the First United Methodist Church every Sunday. He graduated from the University of Michigan, where he lettered in wrestling and was a lifelong devoted football fan, holding season tickets for 50 years. Dan’s career was spent in business as a banking executive and financial advisor for Manufacturers Bank, Comerica Bank, Prudential Insurance Company, and Paine, Webber, Jackson and Curtis. Dan is survived by his wife, Mary, two sons and one daughter. A sibling, Eric’49, predeceased him. Jose Sideco Chioco ’53 (Battery A) passed away on April 6, 2017, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Jose was born in Manila, Philippines, the only son of six children who graduated from Culver, where he pursued his passion for fencing. He continued his higher education at Virginia Military Institute and helped establish a fencing program for VMI. Jose went on to earn a medical degree at the University of the East in the Philippines before returning with his family to the United States, where he worked at state psychiatric institutes in Virginia and Mississippi before settling in Norman, Oklahoma. He built a successful private practice, Chioco Medical Services, for more than three decades before retiring in 2013. He served in various leadership positions for
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the Philippine Medical Association of Oklahoma and helped organize several mission trips to the Philippines. In 1995, Jose was honored at the National Memorial service for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing for his tireless efforts to provide trauma and grief counseling for the victims’ families. He enjoyed family vacations, world travel and his work as a Bible study teacher with Couples for Christ in Oklahoma City. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Dr. Carmen Chioco, three sons, three daughters and seven grandchildren. Thomas T. Thomas T’54 of Alexandria, Indiana, died on April 12, 2017. He served with the Army for four years and returned to Alexandria to found Thomas Tax Service and Insurance. He was active in the community, serving as president for the Lions Club and the district deputy for the Elks No. 478. Tom also volunteered on various community boards, including the American Red Cross and United Way. He loved horses showing them at the 4-H fairs, and proudly rode horses as the color guard in parades across Indiana. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marilyn, one son and two grandchildren. Dr. William Brohm W’49,’55 (Battery A) of Riverton, Wyoming, died September 7, 2016, at his home after a short illness. He graduated from Denison University in Granville, Ohio with a B.S. degree, and then from Temple University Medical School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his Doctorate
in Medicine. He completed his General Surgery residency at Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield Hospital Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts. Upon completion of his residency, he was activated into the Army Medical Corps and stationed at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona, spent one year in South Vietnam at the 95th Evacuation Hospital in Da Nang, and finished his active duty at Valley Forge General Hospital, Phoenixville, PA. In 1972 Dr. Brohm moved to Riverton, Wyoming to begin his private practice of General Surgery. He was the first board certified surgeon in Fremont County. For the next 30 years he provided a myriad of surgeries and follow-up care for the residents of the city and county, retiring in 2002. He married Jean Bischoff in 1961 in Deerfield, Ilinois, and they later divorced. In 2004 he married Chestine Kurth. Dr. Brohm, or Dr. Bill as he was known to his younger patients, was always fully committed to his surgical practice and the care of his patients, but when he had some time off, he loved hunting, fishing, hiking and camping in the Wind River Mountains. Many times he expressed the beauty and peace he found in the mountain wilderness. In his retirement he continued his staunch support of the Pittsburgh Steelers, drove his fast sports cars, and spoiled the last of his generations of Australian Shepherd dogs. He was preceded in death by his ex-wife, Jean, and his son, Luke. He is survived by his wife, Chestine, and two sons. His ashes will be
scattered in Wyoming, his beloved home. Bill had six cousins who attended Culver Summer School. Edward Barrett Smith ’55 (Company B) passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 24, 2017. After Culver, he attended the University of Oklahoma, where he played football and majored in geology. He served in the Navy on assignments to Antarctica and Vietnam and was awarded two medals. George had a long career in oil exploration and the petroleum business with Standard Oil Company and Amoco. He retired in 1996 to enjoy hunting on his Illinois farm with his beloved Vizsla dogs. His father George graduated from Culver in 1924. He is survived by his wife, Martha, three daughters from his first marriage, five stepchildren and 15 grandchildren. Howard Owen Plaggemars ’55 (Troop A) of Holland, Michigan, died on Feb. 17, 2017. After graduating from Culver, he served in the Army and returned to earn a degree from Hope College, with post-graduate studies at the University of Michigan, Indiana University, and the universities of Vienna and Marburg. He had a very successful career in oriental carpets and opened his own art gallery in Holland. He also served on the Holland Area Art Council Board of Directors and was appointed to the Historical and Cultural Commission. An international business consultant, lecturer, author and government appraiser, both in the U.S. and Europe, Howard was a visiting
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professor at both the University of Constance, Germany, and Indiana University. He also served as director, executive vice-president, treasurer and controller of the Holland Furnace Company. He is survived by a daughter, Elke W’78, SS’82, and a son, Hansjorg SS’83. Harold Henry Edens, Jr. N’55 of Perrysburg, Ohio, died on May 13, 2017. He received a B.A. degree in English from Findlay College and was employed at the Findlay Republican Courier before owning and running the Victoria Inn in Madison, Indiana. George was a member of the Ohio National Guard, attaining the rank of sergeant 1st class. He was also a HarleyDavidson enthusiast and collected vintage automobiles. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth “Pinky,” three sons, one daughter, one grandchild, three stepchildren and four step-grandchildren. George William Hornaday ’56 (Battery B) died in Avon, Indiana, Feb. 19, 2017. He earned his degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and served as an honor cadet in the Coast Guard before joining the Travelers Insurance Company in 1963. He retired as corporate secretary in 1992. A gardener, he also served as the treasurer for Boy Scout Troop 274 and did consulting work. George is survived by his wife, Diane, one son, one daughter and two grandchildren.
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obert Harbin Ledbetter, Sr. N’51, ’54 (Company B) of Rome, Georgia, passed away on May 10, 2017, at home surrounded by his family. Bob was a graduate of Culver Summer School, Darlington School and Culver Military Academy. He earned a B.S. in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Robert Harbin Ledbetter, Sr.
in 1958. Following graduation, Bob served in the Navy as a lieutenant aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga. Upon his return to Rome, he joined his father’s company and built a successful career in highway construction, mining and real estate development, serving as president of Ledbetter Brothers, Inc. and vice president of L.B.I. Quarries, Inc. A determined entrepreneur, Bob was the co-founder of First Rome Bank and Georgia State Bank of Rome, both ultimately acquired by Regions Financial. He served on the board of directors of Echota Realty Company, Shorter Realty Company, Chesapeake International, and numerous real estate partnerships. Bob was a former
owner of the Atlanta Flames and Atlanta Hawks professional sport teams and served on the boards of the Omni Coliseum Promotions Inc. and the Atlanta-Fulton County Management Company. In 1988 he formed the R.H. Ledbetter Properties, Inc. to develop and manage commercial and real estate investments, which currently total over two million square feet in the Southeast. Bob served and participated in numerous civic and business organizations in Rome, the state of Georgia and nationally. Bob’s philanthropy focus was centered on youth and their education and development. He served on the board of trustees for Shorter University, Darlington School, and the Culver Educational Foundation. He was also appointed to the Georgia Tech Alumni Board of Trustees and its Scheller College of Business Advisory Board. He was particularly proud of his over 50-year association with the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Georgia. He and his family created the R.H. Ledbetter Family Endowment for the Naval School of the Culver Summer School to maintain its flagship vessel “The R.H. Ledbetter.” Bob is survived by his wife of 54 years, Betty, three sons Robert, Jr. N ’81, E. Wright N’82 and David N’85, ’88 (Company C). Five Harbin cousins also graduated from the Naval School between 1955-1964.
The Ledbetter family at the dedication of their namesake.
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IN MEMORIAM Jerry Thomas Davidson N’57 of Columbus, Ohio, died on May 21, 2017, after battling cancer. He attended Miami University of Oxford and Xavier College. He began his career at Procter and Gamble in the fixed assets and accounting division, then moved to Emerson Electric, Emerson MIT technical division. After working at U.S. Motors as a district manager, Jerry started Power National Corporation in Columbus with two partners. His final career transition occurred when he started J. T. Davidson & Co., Inc. He cherished his business and his customers. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, one daughter, one son and five grandchildren. Charles Scott Shattuck ’58 (Company A) of Flint, Michigan, died on Aug. 18, 2016. He grew up in the historic Durant Hotel and spent summers on Lake Fenton. He spent five years in the Air Force before returning to Flint to work at the Flint Journal newspaper for 40 years. He enjoyed fishing in northern Canada, animals, fine dining and reading. Charles is survived by his wife, Donna, two daughters, three stepdaughters and seven grandchildren. Charles David Bender W’51, N’55, ’58 (Battery B) died on March 9, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Lesley, and two daughters. Jameson Larimore III ’56 (Company A) died May 30, 2017, in Larimore, North Dakota. He attended Colorado A&M for one year and then
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completed his college education at the University of North Dakota, where he received a degree in business administration. Jim was a member of the ROTC for four years in college. Jim served his country as an Army Training Officer as first lieutenant at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina from 1961-1963. Jim was a partner/manager in Elk Valley Farms for over 39 years, retiring from farming in 1995. During his time working on the farm, he developed an irrigation system, growing from two systems to 20 systems. The main crops grown on the Elk Valley Farms were potatoes, corn, and soybeans. He was a member of the Larimore United Methodist Church, on the board of directors and vice president of the Red River Valley Marketing Association, Potato Marketing Association of North America, and Legion Post 97 in Larimore. Jim loved woodworking, gardening, hunting, and fishing at the Lake of the Woods. Flying was also a passion of Jim’s. He learned to fly during his time in South Carolina where he was trained by Ray Clark, who flew Air Force One for President Eisenhower. He also trained in flying helicopters. When Jim was home, you rarely saw him without one of his dogs. They were an important part of his life. During his time at Good Sam, the dogs often came to visit. Jim is survived by Marilyn, his wife of 26 years, three sons, two daughters and 16 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by daughter Linda Jean and granddaughter Jennifer Rose Aanenson.
A. L. “Scrap” Lundy III W’52, N’55, ’57 (Company A) passed away at Mission Terrace, Santa Barbara, California, on June 15, 2017. After graduating from Culver, he enrolled at Marquette University, where he majored in history and was enrolled in the NROTC program. Upon graduation, he was commissioned an ensign in the Navy. After several years, he volunteered for the EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) program. After six months of training, Scrap became a qualified Navy diver and EOD officer. He served in Vietnam for two years performing EOD diving and related work. Among many stories, he proudly recalled he and his team located and removed a mine from under a US ammunition ship 80 minutes prior to a timed detonation. After his honorary discharge from the Navy, Scrap worked for the underwater division of Reading and Bates Offshore Drilling Company of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In late 1967, he moved to Santa Barbara, California, to work for CalDive, Inc., a commercial diving company. In late 1968, he became a stockbroker with E.F. Hutton, working for 20 years as a broker with several local firms. In 1970, Scrap began sport diving at the Channel Islands and acted as a parttime commercial abalone and sea urchin diver. At this time, rugby entered his professional and family life. He continued to play on local teams for 15 years. In 1990, Scrap left the brokerage business to work as a financial advisor to seniors. He did
this until he retired in 2009. In 1992, Scrap helped found the Historical Diving Society USA and served on its board. He was associated with the Cannery Row Foundation in Monterey for years and served on its board until 2015. During the 1990s, he researched the history of the abalone industry, which resulted in the 1998 publishing of California Commercial Abalone Industry: A Pictorial History. Other published works are Real Life on Cannery Row (2008) and Just One More Time (2015). Scrap’s hobbies were diving, physical workouts at the SBCC track, shooting at the Winchester Canyon Gun Club, and visiting the SB Maritime Museum. Scrap was preceded in death by his daughter Leslie (Lulu). He is survived by one son, two stepsons and former wife Judy. Nelson Jaeger Becker N’58 of Logansport, Indiana, died in Naples, Florida, on April 7, 2017. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Tulane and Doctor of Jurisprudence from Tulane Law School. He served in the Air Force from 1965-1968 as a JAG officer, attaining the rank of captain. Nelson’s passion was the law, the legislative process, service and politics. He practiced law in Logansport from 1968 until his death. He served six terms as a state representative of Cass and Carroll counties from 1972-84, serving as the Majority Whip of the Indiana House of Representatives and Speaker Pro Tempore. He was a lobbyist from 1984-2011, and was later honored for his public service with the Sagamore of
the Wabash, Indiana’s highest civilian award, by three different governors. He served as a member of the board of directors of the Logansport Savings Bank and the First National Bank of Logansport. He was also past president of the Cass County YMCA and United Way. Nelson loved Lake Maxinkuckee and spent many summers there with his family, sailing, and boating. He was an active member of the Maxinkuckee Yacht Club and served as commodore in 1976. Surviving are his wife, Dixie, three sons, two stepsons and 15 grandchildren. All of his sons and stepsons graduated from the Culver Summer School Naval or Aviation units. James William Plummer Jr. ’58 died at his home on April 22, 2017, in Scottsdale, Arizona. He graduated from Zanesville High School and earned a B.A. degree in economics from Ohio State University. He returned to Zanesville, where he accepted a position with First Federal Savings Bank of Eastern Ohio. He was later named president and chief executive officer in 1979. Bill was active in the Zanesville community. He served as a trustee and president of the Zanesville Art Center, trustee and treasurer of the Muskingum County Community Foundation, director and president of the Helen Purcell Home, trustee and president of the Zanesville Country Club, director and president of the Muskingum County unit of the American Cancer Society, board member of the United Way, and director and treasurer
of Camp Milestone. He was also cotreasurer of the Ohio Bankers League and treasurer of the Ohio League of Financial Institutions. Bill enjoyed playing tennis and watching Ohio State University athletics. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Jane Heck Plummer, one son and one daughter. Clark Edward O’Shaughnessy N’57, ’58 (Company B) died on May 5, 2017, in Maple Park, Illinois. He worked as a pension specialist for Equitable Life of New York. Charles Edwin Gilliland NB’59 died on Jan. 24, 2017, in Greensburg, Indiana. He attended Indiana University and graduated from the Indiana School of Mortuary Science. He then returned to Greensburg to join his father’s business, the Gilliland-Howe funeral home, taking over when he was 32 until his retirement. He was actively involved in the First Presbyterian church, Masonic Lodge 36, Scottish Rite, Murat Shrine, American Legion Post 129, Knights of Pythias, and Eagles. He was on the boards of the Greensburg Savings and Loan as well as the First Federal Bank, where he retired after 40 years of service. He was also an avid golfer, playing at St. Andrews in Scotland and in Pebble Beach. Charles is survived by his partner, Debby, three daughters and two grandsons. His daughter Elizabeth attended Culver Specialty Camp in 1980. He was preceded in death by his only son, Charles II SC’76.
Lee Edwin Stierwalt N’59 died in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Feb. 3, 2016. He received his B.S. degree in Chemistry/Math from Muskingum College and continued his graduate studies at the University of Colorado and the University of Kansas. He lived in Ohio, Kansas, California and Colorado. Lee worked as a chemist with Foremost Foods, chief lab tech with Scripps Clinic & Research and materials tester/chemist for Lincoln DeVore before securing a position with Colorado Springs Utilities as a chemist for the power plants analyzing materials such as coal and cooling water. He retired as department chemist in 2004 after almost 40 years of service. He was a member of the American Chemical Society. He enjoyed sailing, hiking and nature, music, travelling, reading and especially spending time with family and friends. Lee is survived by three daughters, one son and eight grandchildren. Marc H. Bowen W ’59 of Tampa, Florida, died on Feb. 22, 2015. His wife, Patricia, survives. Joseph Frank Thiel N’60 passed away in Texas on March 3, 2017. He was a graduate of Case Institute of Technology and spent 25 years in Austin at the State of Texas Health Department as director of the Bureau of Radiation Control. He was a 20-year member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, a member of the Austin Yacht Club and Navy League. He also served as an amateur and commercial radio examiner and member of RACES and ARES as an affili-
ated volunteer with the Office of Emergency Management for the City of Austin. He is survived by his wife Carol, two sons, one daughter and four grandchildren. Lucien Ruby II ’61 (Troop B) died on April 14, 2017, in San Francisco, California. He earned degrees from Duke University and Harvard Business School. He also served as a class volunteer for Culver and reunion chair and president for his class. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Caryl Ann, and one daughter. Lucien’s father, Clyde Ruby, Jr. graduated from Culver in 1932, and he had seven cousins graduate from summer school or winter school, from 1924 through 2000. James Olaf Christy ’63 (Troop B) died Dec. 1, 2016, in Daphne, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Illinois and Loyola University School of Law. He began his legal career as an insurance defense attorney in Chicago, and then went into private practice for over 23 years in Carbondale, Illinois. Traveling, scuba diving, and watching sports were among his favorite pastimes. Later moving to Baldwin County, he loved spending time at the beach with his wife, Dianne. His stepson, Eric, predeceased him. Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Dianne, two sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren. Thomas Ralph LaMaida, Sr. ’63 (Troop B) died on April 6, 2017, in Venice, Florida. He is survived by two sons, two daughters, six grandchildren and brother Vincent’63.
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IN MEMORIAM William Anthony Curry III N’63 of Columbus, Nebraska, died on April 20, 2013. He graduated from Northwestern University, then entered the Army in 1969 and served two tours in Vietnam as a Green Beret and paratrooper. He was part of SOG (Special Observations Group), an elite team of reconnaissance soldiers, which was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. He also earned the Bronze Star with Valor. After leaving the service he settled in Columbus, where he worked at Becher Curry Company. He retired in 2008 and moved to Asuncion, Paraguay, but returned in 2013. He is survived by his wife, Jan, and two sons. John Willis “Jack” Loftus N’59, ’64 (Battery A) died Aug. 7, 2016, in Shreveport, Louisiana. Jack was a contractor and the chief building inspector for the city. He is survived by his wife, Penny, one daughter, one son, one granddaughter and the mother of his children, Susan. Richard James Moran, Jr. N’64 of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, died April 6, 2017. He attended Westminster University and Southern Methodist University before serving in the Army National Guard. He completed his college degree in business administration at Austin Peay University, then joined the family’s oil and gas drilling business. Starting as a drilling rigging floor hand, he advanced to assistant drilling superintendent. When the company merged, Richard ventured into private business, operating a mobile automobile “touch-up” franchise in both Albuquerque,
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New Mexico, and Knoxville, Tennessee. His son Bowen described him as a “kind and gentle soul” who loved traveling the last seven years of his life and experiencing different global cultures. Harold Moor Hanna ’64 (Company E), a lifelong resident of Bowling Green, Ohio, died Jan. 30, 2017, after battling ALS for five years. He practiced law for 45 years with his father and two brothers. He represented landowners throughout northern Ohio in more than 700 suits involving highway, pipeline and utility appropriations and successfully prosecuted one of a very few class action appropriations in Ohio. For 16 years he represented the largest emergency response environmental remediation east of the Mississippi, requiring litigation in 19 states from St. Louis to New York City, Philadelphia and Miami. Hal was a member of the Wood County, Toledo, Ohio State and American Bar Associations. He frequently lectured on eminent domain and other appropriations proceedings. He was a life fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation and a recipient of its Award of Merits. Hal served on the boards of several civic organizations, including the Wood County District Public Library, where he co-chaired a campaign to renovate it, and the Bowling Green Parks. Hal is survived by his wife, Linda, one daughter, two sons, one grandchild and a brother Drew ’65. His brother, Shad ’51, predeceased him.
Carey D.T. Ward N’65 died Dec. 20, 2016, in Woodinville Washington. After graduating from Hollywood High School in California, he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and Chapman College in Orange, California. He was a broker and real estate agent his entire career and owned Sunbow Realty in Costa Mesa. He and his second wife, Jennifer, had two sons and relocated to Woodinville. Among his many interests were beachcombing and bonfires, collecting coins and comics, sailing, fishing, boating, golfing and horse racing. He is survived by his wife and two sons. Mary Janet Galbreath Keller SS’67 died on April 16, 2016, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mary had a deep love for children, shown by her passion as a mother and grandmother. She had a gift for artistry and worked as an interior designer, both as an individual entrepreneur and in the corporate world. She was also strong in her faith and served on several domestic and international missions. She is survived by her husband Stephen, and her son Keller SC’92. Charles Allen Schumacher ’67 (Battery C) of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, died on Feb. 10, 2017. Chuck was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead/ Cain Scholar and later earned his M.B.A. at Boston University. His early career was in the banking industry in St. Louis with Mercantile Bank and later with Stifel Nicolas. For twenty-one
years prior to retiring in 2012, he served as a financial analyst for The First Church of Christ, Scientist, at its world headquarters in Boston, MA. The former Regimental Commander of his class, his honors at Culver included the YMCA Cup, Chambers Cup, election to the Cum Laude Society, and Captain of the ’67 Crew. Chuck is survived by his wife of 41 years, Pam, and two brothers, Vince ’63 and John ’71. William J. Sullivan ’67 (Troop A) of Oak Lawn, Illinois, a veteran of the Army and the Vietnam War, was laid to rest on Jan. 13, 2014. His wife, Georgianna, preceded him in death. Christopher Hicks ’68, W’64, a top administrator in the Reagan White House and former General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, died June 29, 2017 at his home in Alexandria,Virginia, after a long illness. He was 66. Hicks moved to Washington, D.C. in 1980 following the election of President Ronald Reagan. He had been an advanceman for the ReaganBush campaign, and was appointed Associate Counsel to the President in 1981, the first of several positions in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations. After leaving the White House in 1983 to serve as chief of staff for Treasury Secretary Donald Regan, he was brought back when Regan and thenWhite House Chief of Staff James Baker III switched jobs in a notable 1985 reshuffling. After coordinating the Regan-Baker
exchange, he served dual roles, supervising President Reagan’s immediate staff as well as the entire staff of the Executive Office of the President. Hicks ended up supervising more than 500 people, and overseeing combined budgets of more than $175 million. Beginning in 1987, his tenure as General Counsel to the U.S.D.A. extended into the first half of the Bush presidency. Mr. Hicks also served on the Reagan-Bush transition team. Hicks spent years in private practice, with several law firms, representing a large and diverse number of clients. After becoming vice-president for governmental relations of the Ethyl Corporation in 1993, Mr. Hicks served as Chairman of the International Trade Commission’s Trade Policy Task Group during the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA.) In 2011 he came back to Capitol Hill to serve as General Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, working, among other things, on the 2012 Farm Bill. Along the way Mr. Hicks raised three children, Austin, Adam and Casey, all of Seattle, with his first wife Elizabeth Bellamy, of Knoxville, Iowa; all survive him. He is also survived by his wife, Micaela Shaughnessy and two stepdaughters, Bowman and Tenney Shaughnessy, of Alexandria,Virginia. Born in Alexandria in 1950, Mr. Hicks spent his first years in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, where his parents had been stationed during the Allied occupation. His father, Jack
Wallen, served in the U.S. Army and his mother, the former Joan Buschmann, in the O.S.S. He spoke mostly German until, after his parents’ marriage ended in 1954, his mother came back to Alexandria with Christopher and his younger brother, Anthony. After a childhood spent in Kokomo, Indiana, Hicks graduated from Culver Military Academy in 1968, where he played varsity football, and then Colorado College, where he captained the rugby team. He received his J.D. degree from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. He was subsequently selected as a briefing attorney (law clerk) to the Supreme Court of Texas for the 1977-1978 term. In addition to his brother, Anthony Hicks of Bloomington, Indiana, half-brother George Hicks, of Arlington, Massachusetts, and half-sister Jacqueline Wallen of College Park, Maryland, he is also survived by four stepsisters. A. Howard Williams ’68 (Company C) died in South Bend, Indiana, on March 2, 2017. He graduated from Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame Law School and was also a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and a certified Master Instructor for its board. Howard was a legal deputy for many sheriffs in Indiana. He practiced law at A.H. Williams & Associates and was counsel for Doran Blackmond Norton, LLC. He was also a former partner of Doran Blackmond, Ready; Hamilton & Williams, Williams & Eslinger, P.C.; and
Patrick, McDonald, Donnelly Warter and Williams. He represented clients in all Indiana state courts, U.S. Federal District courts, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Howard is survived by his wife, Barbe, one son and one daughter. John Frederick Spickelmier W’64, T’69 of Indianapolis, Indiana, died March 17, 2017. He graduated from Indiana University with a business degree and spent 40 years in the moving and relocation industry, 20 years with American Red Ball and ending his career with A. Arnold Movers. He enjoyed spending time at Lake Wawasee sailing his E-Skow, skiing, fishing and turtle hunting, as well as indulging his passion for racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. John is survived by one son and one grandson. Wyatt Wilson Wall, Jr. ’70 (Battery C) died on Feb. 28, 2017. “Chip,” as he was known, earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He loved to sail and be on the water, especially Chesapeake Bay. The Captain of the 1970 CMA Golf team, he was also devoted to golf and was an accomplished player. He was director of the Southern Golf Association and chairman of the Southern Junior Golf Championships. He also officiated numerous regional and state golf tournaments. Chip is survived by his wife Mary, four children and three grandchildren.
Michael F. Haller H ’70 of Wilmette, Illinois, died June 20, 2017. A 38-year employee of Merrill Lynch, he was known for his integrity, dedication to his clients and wise insight. Among his interests, he enjoyed studying history, collecting stamps, playing handball and spending time grilling with his family. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Christine, and two daughters, Kimberly W ’09 and Lindsay W’ 08, ’12 (Court). He is also survived by his stepmother, Mary Jane Haller. Dr. Kevin E. Morkel, PG’70 of Columbus and Mansfield, Ohio, passed away on Saturday, June 10, 2017. He graduated from Purdue and then the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico Medical School. He taught Art at Lexington Schools and Mansfield City Schools, Science at Culver Academies, Hammond City Schools, the Cumberland School in North Carolina, and chemistry at Howe Military School. He taught in the Culver Science department from 1986-1988. He went on to take a faculty position in the Health field at Fortis College in 2006 and Florida Career College vocational nursing programs in 2013. His career was stopped early when he was diagnosed with leukemia, but despite his condition, he enjoyed doing projects with his students. His other hobbies included motorcycles, Amphicars and Star Wars movies and memorabilia. Dr. Morkel is survived by his wife of 17 years, Maria, two stepsons and one granddaughter.
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IN MEMORIAM Richard Lee Griffin H’70, ’70 (Battery C) died in Flint, Michigan on June 25, 2017. He joined the Cub Scouts and ultimately attained the highest rank of Eagle Scout, one of his proudest accomplishments. Like his older brother, he decided to attend a military academy, enrolling at Culver in the ninth grade and graduating in 1970 with the rank of lieutenant. Subsequently Richard graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in science. Always intellectually curious, he then pursued a law degree from Tulane as well and for a number of years worked as a trust officer in banks in Flint and Phoenix, Arizona. Later in life he returned to an early interest in medicine, and willingly took on the preparatory work necessary to enroll in Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri. He obtained his DO degree in 1995. An avid reader, Richard read widely; he especially enjoyed nonfiction accounts of military battles and biographies of military leaders and U.S. presidents. When not found with a book in his hand, he could often be located walking in his neighborhood or hiking in local parks with one or more dogs in tow, his own as well those of friends. He leaves behind his sister, his brother, his nephews Adam and Grant Griffin, and great-nephews Kosh and Niam Griffin. Robert Ware Bush N’71 passed away from complications in surgery on Dec. 11, 2014, in Boston, Massachusetts. When he was still in high school, Robert excelled in swimming
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and water polo and developed a lifelong love of sailing. He earned a nomination to the Air Force Academy, graduating with a degree in Engineering. Commissioned as an ensign, he headed to flight training in Pensacola, Florida, and following in the footsteps of his father and uncle, began a long and successful career in naval aviation. At his first posting in Sigonella, Sicily, he flew Sabreliners, ferrying military and government officials throughout Europe, most notably Lord Mountbatten, with whom he developed a friendship. His naval career took him back to Virginia Beach and then to Alameda Naval Air Station. In 1985, he began a 30-year career as an American Airlines pilot, the last 10 years as captain of the B-777, which he piloted to South America. He retired as a chief pilot. Robert was preceded in death by his father and survived by his mother, sister and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Theodore Frist Jansey W ’60, ’71 (Company C) died on Feb. 8, 2017. Three members of his family are Culver graduates: his father Theodore ’43, daughter Alexa W ’01, ’06 (Tower) and son Theodore W ’04. Kevin Lafayette Brown ’72 (Company B) of Indianapolis, Indiana, died on June 2, 2017. He was an Army veteran. He is survived by his mother, Bessie Brown, children Deonna and Bree, and siblings John, Sandra and Bridgette.
Saralee Schacht Dugdale SS’74, of Carmel, Indiana, passed away on Feb. 26, 2015. Sara died as she had lived with grace and dignity and surrounded by loved ones. She was a 1977 graduate of North Central High School and a 1981 graduate from the School of Nursing at DePauw University. Sara developed a career in clinical research with Walker Clinical Evaluations, Inc., Cornea Research Foundation of America, and most recently, Concentrics Research, LLC. At her late grandparents’ home in Pickwick Park on Lake Wawasee, Sara fondly spent her summers with those she loved most, especially with her “sister” cousin, Lisa (Michael Halstead) Lanham. As a young adult, she was a competitive equestrian and travel enthusiast. In her later years, Sara volunteered to support her children’s interests. In 2008, she and her husband were honored to receive The Orchard School Distinguished Friends Award, given annually to individuals who nurture, support, and embody the values expressed in Orchard’s mission. Sara will be remembered for her contagious smile, gentle nature, gracious personality and devotion to her family. Sara’s three children were her greatest gifts. Sara was dubbed “warrior princess” as she fought a valiant battle with lung cancer. She is survived by her husband of 28 years, Jeffrey, and her children, Jessica SS’03, (Eric) Olimb, Paul SS’03, and Gregory.
Jon Robert Agne ’77 (Battery A) passed away on May 21, 2017, in Brunswick, Maine, after a courageous battle with prostate cancer. After Culver, Jon earned a degree from Northwestern University. He joined the Navy in 1982 and was designated naval aviator. He became a professional airline pilot for Delta Airlines and was based in New York City. A longtime sailor, he could be found in the summer sailing his beloved catboat in Middle Bay. He was also an accomplished cook. He and his wife were also strong advocates for animal rescue and have a menagerie to prove it. Jon is survived by his wife, Megan, and two grown children, Jonathan and Lauren. A sister, Julia Randall ’83, also survives. David Michael Owen ’77 (Troop B) of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, died near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on May 23, 2017. He lived most of his life in Dhahran and Sugar Land, Texas. David earned a bachelor’s degree from William Jewell College and an MBA from Houston Baptist University. He worked for Saudi Aramco for 35 years and was currently a contracts advisor for Information Technology. Stateside, he was a member of the Sugar Land Lions Club. An avid diver and divemaster, David served as a board member for the Dhahran Dive Association, a member of the S.S.S. Football League, and past president and chief umpire for the Saudi Arabia Little League Baseball program. He also liked deep desert camping. David is survived by his wife, Paula, two sons David ’06 (Battery C) and Steven, and one daughter, Hollyn.
Willard Parker Dunbar III W’72, SS’77, A ’80 of Northbrook, Illinois, died on Dec. 6, 2016. His father Willard W’44, a Woodcraft graduate, and five cousins also attended Summer Camp. William Francis Denkewalter SC’81 of Urbana, Ohio, died on Sept. 17, 2014. James Eric Johnston N ’81, ’86 (Company B) died Jan. 29, 2017, in Valparaiso, Indiana, after a long fight with liver disease. He graduated from Ball State University and was a videographer who traveled the globe on world tours with bands like Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Elton John, U2, Madonna, and Lady Gaga. He was nominated for an Emmy for “Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork,Video for a Miniseries, and a Special on Paul McCartney: Live in Red Square.” Jim saw the world differently and enjoyed unique painting, drawing, reading obscure books, writing and creating all kinds of individualized artistic expressions. He was an avid Chicago Bears, Cubs and Blackhawks fan. Jim is survived by his parents, stepmother, two brothers, two stepsisters, three nephews and one niece. Robert Andrew Lubbers N ’88 died at his home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sept. 9, 2016. He attended East Grand Rapids Schools where he lived some of his happiest days and many good friends rewarded him by electing him senior class president. In adulthood, he suffered mental illness and during his last months,
depression made his life appear unsustainable, and he chose to end it. Opportunities to see and communicate with friends over the years were most important to him. At his best, he was a loyal friend and a generous spirit. He is survived by his parents, Arend and Nancy Lubbers; his brothers Don and John; and his sisters Mary and Caroline SSG ’90. Santiago Barberi Gonzalez ’91 (Troop B) passed away unexpectedly on March 24, 2017. He was the president and creative director of Nancy Gonzalez, the luxury handbag firm he founded with his mother. He appreciated her aesthetic taste but also had a modernist perspective in his designs. He began to conceptualize the handbag while he was a student at Savannah College of Art and Design. The creative force at the label, Barberi Gonzalez was credited with being the architect of its global expansion, involved in every decision for the brand, from business strategies to sales to visual presentation. Nancy Gonzalez, known for its crocodile totes and elaborate python satchels, is sold in the U.S. at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, among other retailers. He had recently expanded the business by developing a range of exotic skin shoes. A native of Colombia, he maintained residences around the world, including at the Plaza Athenee in Paris. In the fashion world, he will be remembered as “a true pioneer, leader and entrepreneur.”
Timothy Alan Haase W’95, NB ’98 of Mount Prospect, Illinois, died Sept. 27, 2016. He graduated from the University of Illinois and worked a sales professional, was an avid weight lifter and loved bulldogs. He is survived by his parents, two brothers, including Steve N’ 93, and four nieces and nephews. Joshua Alex Brugh W ’92, ’97 (Battery B) died at home on April 3, 2017, surrounded by his loving family. During his high school years at Culver, he was captain of the CMA soccer team, which his father, Jim, coached. He continued his formal education at Wabash College and later earned a degree as a registered nurse. Before starting his career as a nurse, Josh headed to Alaska and earned his captain’s license to lead charter fishing trips out of Seward as far out as 30-40 miles in search of halibut. One summer he served onboard a landing craft in the Bering Sea, delivering heavy equipment to an island near the Russian coast. He also earned a certificate as a scuba diver in Thailand and led fishing expeditions in the Florida Keys. Josh is survived by his parents, Jim and Ronda, two brothers, including Jason ’91, and one sister, six nieces and nephews and one great-nephew. A brother, Joel ’96, predeceased him. Bree Braxton Robinson SS’00 (Deck 5) died from injuries suffered in an automobile accident on Jan. 18, 2017. She graduated from Oak Ridge Military Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, and received additional training at the Culver Summer School.
After marrying her husband, AJ, they relocated to New Hampshire, where they worked in a number of hotels and retail management. Bree will be remembered for her imagination, sense of drama, love of songs and devotion to her husband and three children. She is also survived by her parents, a niece and nephew and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Kylie Steele Hawkins W’98, SS’05 (Deck 1) died on Feb. 7, 2017, after a long struggle with addiction. She accomplished much in her 28 years, establishing an educational non-profit that focused on rescuing abused and mistreated animals, earning three boating licenses in two states, teaching waterskiing and driving the boats. She became a USA waterski official and Level I instructor, went to several clinics and completed the Discovery Cove Train-theTrainer program. She served a marine science internship, garnering field experience in water quality analysis and oyster reef restoration at several sites on Florida Bay. Kylie was a buggy race aficionada, fishing enthusiast and karaoke doyenne. She is survived by her mother.
Correction: From the Spring 2017 issue of Culver Alumni Magazine: p. 38 Our apologies to Jordan Parker ’17, co-captain of the Equestriennes and student speaker at The Capital City Culver Club event in January, whose picture was not included on the Culver Club International page.
CULVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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THE FINAL WORD
Go Out and Do Great Things! EDITOR’S NOTE: Catherine Battersby, Master Instructor in Humanities, is leaving Culver this school year after 16 years of dedicated service. She has served in several capacities during her tenure, including teaching every level of Humanities, multiple senior electives, and AP European History. She was the sponsor for the Vedette and Quill, and initiated campus visits of nationally acclaimed authors like Jane Hamilton. She won the coveted Kaser Scholar award, voted by seniors to the teacher who instilled in them a zest for learning and wise counsel. Catherine is currently living in Great Britain. She will be missed. Head of Schools Jim Power asked Catherine to deliver her Cum Laude speech during the All School meeting on Alumni Weekend. It is indeed her “final word.”
After hearing about and from many of our Culver giants today, many of you may be sitting out there thinking, “What can I do? How do I play a role in all of this?” So I have a charge for you all, underclass students and soon-to-be graduates, of the Culver Academies. You have been granted the honor of being here at Culver because we believe in you. You have done your best in the classroom, on the field, and in the dorms and units. Each and every one of you, through hard work, has achieved something this year that you did not previously know you could do. Whether your achievement was recognized or unrecognized, that means you deserve to be here. The charge now is this: Go out and do it again. Go out and do something good with what Culver has given you. That’s it. That is all. This may sometimes be tough. Not everyone will honor you publicly for your actions. Possibly few will even notice them, publicly or privately. But the poet William Blake famously said that “He who would do good to another must do it in Minute Particulars: general Good is the plea of the scoundrel, hypocrite, and flatterer, for Art and Science cannot exist but in minutely organized Particulars.” You can do good even in small, unnoticed ways. The details matter. Once when the emperor Hadrian was being carried through town on a litter, an old woman cut through the crowd, ran up to the parade, and demanded to speak to him. One of the officials stepped between her and the chariot, and explained that the emperor did not have time to speak with her. She replied, “Then he should stop being emperor!” And Hadrian, overhearing this, stopped the procession, got down from his litter and spoke with her. She was right; the privilege was not the important thing. His ability to listen and act, even for one unimportant person, however, changed a life and created a small part of history. A former Culver student, with experiences similar to yours, is currently in Ghana, Africa, working to develop communications for a small non-profit. She wrote that she went to the department of Education, Social Welfare, and Health the other day and asked what they needed. They said, “Equipment—wheelchairs, crutches, staplers, pencils.” Then she asked if they could show her what they had. They showed her
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one rusty children’s crutch. I asked if she had a way forward. She said, “Yes, but I need to find a way to go about it.” She is caught between supervisors in several organizations, and she is a 6 foot tall, obruni (white) female volunteer, and it is going to take time. She needs a miracle. But she thinks she can make one. A small one. A small difference. If not this year, next year. She will not become famous by setting up communications in an area with little regular electricity. She will not get a silver or gold A or an academic honor. She is staying in a hut where the roof leaks onto the middle of her bed. She cannot find enough wheelchairs. But she might get hold of a second crutch. And that will matter to someone. Let me reiterate: not getting noticed does not mean you give up. Instead, it means that you learn to believe in small miracles, even if they sometimes are of your own making. David Hume wrote that miracles may only exist in the eye of the beholder; his example was that a frozen lake in Scotland would be a miracle to an Indian prince who had never before seen ice. SomeCatherine Battersby at Culver how, this is comforting. teaching her students It makes it easier to hope for miracles once one knows they are in fact possible. Once you accept the medieval concept that faith and rationality can work together and do not preclude each other, you can believe in your ability to effect change. You can work in minute particulars and create something that may over time have a larger impact. You must remember that the most important thing may be the initial impact it has on the one person whom the world will never know about. The person for whom what you do is a miracle. Even if no one else ever hears about it. She, and you, will know. The extra crutch allows for a first step and is a miracle to the child who wields it. But at first, you may not be noticed. So we notice you now. And we thank you, and we give you this charge: Go out and do great things. Even if no one else notices, for a while, that you are working small miracles, we believe in you. So, in the words of another famous philosopher: “Close your eyes. Make a wish. Count to three. And step out into the new worlds that await you in the confidence that you can do this.”
Constancy and Change
Though the scenery has changed on the Culver waterfront since the sailing program was founded in 1902, these vintage photos still strike familiar chords for many alumni: sailboats dotting the water off the piers; the three-masted square rigger anchored in the water, flanked by passing full-sailed boats; and campers enjoying the sun and water, diving and camaraderie. Constancy and change‌
Culver Alumni Magazine
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Summer on the north shore of Lake Maxinkuckee