Darlington Magazine Winter 2014

W I NT E R

M A G A Z I N E

2 0 1 4

Tom Whitworth Headmaster James Milford Associate Headmaster Max Roach Director of Upper School James Hutchins Director of ELA-8 Joe Montgomery Chief Advancement Officer Vicki Vincent Director of Alumni Relations Doug Hamil Director of Graphic Design Tannika Wester Director of Media Relations RuthAnne Anderson Photographic Contributor Darlington Magazine is published two times a year by the Communication Office of Darlington School, and is distributed to those who have shown a continued interest in Darlington.

Darlington School, a nonprofit organization, does not discriminate in admission because of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, and maintains non-discriminatory policies throughout its operation.

1014 Cave Spring Road Rome, Georgia 30161 706-235-6051 (phone) 706-232-3600 (fax) alumni@darlingtonschool.org www.darlingtonschool.org

On The Cover: In Darlington’s production of “The Sound of Music, “Maria,” played by Palesa Molapo (‘17), sings “Do-Re-Mi” with the von Trapp children, played by Eleanor Goldin (‘16), Kate Scott (‘23), Hannah Buttshaw (‘18), Frances Fields (‘20), Garrett Price (‘21) and Ava Herring (‘23).

Contents: Abraham Johnson (‘15) and Palesa Molapo (‘17), who play “Captain von Trapp” and “Maria,” return to center stage for curtain call.

WINTER

2014

Content 2 Community News 20 Class Notes 36 In Memoriam

George Awsumb: A Darlington Legend

Campus Features 7 Bell to succeed Whitworth as Darlington’s 11th head of school 8 40 Years of Lower School at Darlington 13 Rick Buice Road to Retirement

14 Makers Hit the Mark

School creates MakerSpace for students and teachers

16 Ask Linda Owens (’79) Campus Views 18 2013 Alumni Weekend Alumni Profiles 22 W. Gardner Wright (’47) Distinguished Alumnus

24 Stacy (Melton) Brown (’92) Success: It, Too, Tastes Like Chicken

28 Dr. Henry Paris (’65) Finding Pastor Paris

32 Crawford Brock (’72) A Tale of Two Stanleys

Community News

Students hear from community reading program’s featured author

Clyde Edgerton

Over the past five years, Floyd County’s One Book, Many Voices reading initiative has brought a series of renowned authors to our community.

This year was no different as schools, book clubs and other local organizations built programs around Clyde Edgerton’s “The Night Train.”

“Organizers encouraged local book clubs, schools, civic organizations and churches to host opportunities for discussion so that the entire community could rally around one great story,” said Melinda Holmes, director of library services at Darlington and member of the One Book, Many Voices Steering Committee.

Set in a small, North Carolina town in 1963, “The Night Train” follows the musical education of Dwayne Hallston, a 17-year-old who becomes fascinated with the music of James Brown and tries to emulate Brown’s performance style with his band, The Amazing Rumblers. Dwayne’s friend, Larry, also aspires to be a musician, modeling his style after the jazz pianist Thelonius Monk. Although of different racial backgrounds, the friends’ shared love of music allows them to transcend the

provincial views of their small, southern town.

Students had an opportunity to hear from Edgerton at his community presentation in October. As the school’s winner of a community essay contest focused on the book, Sam Harton (’14), was able to meet him at a special reception.

“People say that they are ‘tolerant’ and ‘accepting’ of the people that are different from them in order to seem progressive and open-minded. I find this strategy to be counterintuitive,” wrote Harton in her essay. “Why do these people only ‘tolerate’ those who are different instead of embracing them? Are they really that different just because of their skin tone? What gives us the right to simply endure one’s existence when we are all created equal?”

One Book, Many Voices is sponsored by several community organizations, including Darlington School. Visiting authors from previous years have included Maya Angelou, Sherman Alexie, Paul Rusesabagina, Jay Asher, Kristin Kimball and Kelsey Timmerman.

64 earn AP Scholar designation During the 2012-13 school year, 141 students in Rome and Floyd County earned the designation of AP Scholar

by The College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Exams. Of these scholars, 64 are from Darlington.

“The AP Exams are an excellent measure of readiness for college study,” said Academic Dean David Powell. “We applaud our students for attaining the status of AP Scholar as they prepare for a rigorous college curriculum.”

Two qualified for the National AP Scholar Award, the highest designation, by earning an average grade of 4 or higher on a 5-point scale on all AP Exams taken during their high school career, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. They are Jesse Baker (’12) and Avani Reddy (’12).

“In 2013, 172 Darlington students took a total of 386 AP Exams and 87% of our students scored 3 or higher,” said Powell. “In the State of Georgia, only 55% of AP students scored 3 or higher, and in the entire nation, that number is only 61%. And remember: At Darlington, every AP student takes the AP Exam. We are so proud of our students.”

23 selected to participate in Leadership Darlington Twenty-two alumni representing six states and incoming Head of School Brent Bell participated in the school’s Leadership Darlington program in February.

“Leadership Darlington is a prestigious and competitive opportunity for alumni to engage with their alma mater and school leaders on an in-depth, personal level,” said Vicki Vincent, director of alumni relations. “The program is designed to increase the number of alumni actively engaged with the school and develop the next generation of Darlington’s leadership.”

Alumni members of the Leadership Darlington Class of 2014 include Tripp Alexander (’02) of Birmingham, Ala.; Brooke Brinson (’88) of Rome;

2

Allison (Hunter) Brooks (’79) of Rome; C.J. Cypress (’07) of Young Harris, Ga.; Jennifer (Crews) Davis (’01) of Rome; Honey (Buskill) Dews (’63T) of Rome; Paige (Skidmore) Dickow (’78) of San Anselmo, Calif.; Christie Doss (’07) of Nashville, Tenn.; Maurie Dugger (’94) of Washington, D.C.; Jean Early (’76) of Kennesaw, Ga.; Kevin Evans (’87) of Rome; Luke Farmer (’00) of Birmingham, Ala.; Mark Hoven (’91) of Newmarket, N.H.; Dusty Large (’02) of Warner Robins, Ga.; Barton Lowrey (’05) of Atlanta; Regan Maki (’98) of Duluth, Ga.; Chantz McClinic (’04) of Rome; Scott Morris (’95) of Atlanta; Del Parker (’72) of LaGrange, Ga.; Kellen Spivey (’01) of Jacksonville, Ala.; Skye Wellesley (’00) of Atlanta and

Whitney (Keene) Whittington (’01) of Duluth, Ga. Over two days, participants obtained an integrated view of Darlington, including the internal and external forces that affect her direction, and the challenges she faces. They also experienced an interchange with senior administrators and participated in discussions about the future of Darlington. The program featured keynote speaker George Johnson (’54), owner of George H. Johnson Properties, Darlington life trustee, co-chairman of the Second Century Campaign and Distinguished Alumnus.

To apply for Leadership Darlington 2015, contact alumni@ darlingtonschool.org.

Darlington Magazine

Community News

Blood drive honors freshman with HCM

Josh Eide (’14) donates blood.

The Darlington Community donated 22 pints of blood at the school’s October Blood Assurance blood drive in honor of Zane Anderson (’17), who was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy at age 13. HCM is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people, affecting 1 in 500 people in the United States.

“It is always so meaningful when an event such as this one is held in honor of one of our own,” said Reba Barnes, director of servant leadership. “We

are so thankful to Zane and his family for allowing us to share his story and educate our community about this disease.”

Just before school began in August, Zane was outfitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a sophisticated, permanent device. The surgery took place on Aug. 9 at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Hospital.

“The ICD is capable of sensing potentially lethal arrhythmias; introducing a shock to terminate arrhythmias and restore normal heart rhythm; and documenting the event,” explained his mother, RuthAnne. “This device represents a major innovation for HCM patients by preventing sudden death. For most, the ICD is life-saving, particularly in those patients – such as Zane – who don’t exhibit significant symptoms. I urge parents to talk to their healthcare professionals about HCM and schedule the appropriate testing for their children. If Zane’s story helps to save a life, then we’ve done our job.”

For more information about HCM, visit www.4HCM.org.

Fall for the Arts

Anne Marie McDurmon (’15), Zoe Smith (’16), Ella Peek (’15) and Charlotte Boyd (’15) work as a group to finish a painting during the Fall for the Arts festival in October. Fall for the Arts is an annual, schoolwide celebration of the fine arts that features vocal, instrumental and theatrical performances by students of all ages; interactive arts and crafts stations; numerous tasty treats; and a variety of student artwork on display.

Winter 2014

Teacher published by national foreign language council Upper School Spanish teacher Crystal Brim’s article, “The Learner – Engaged and Empowered: How to Create an Authentic and Personal Language Learning Experience,” was featured in the August issue of The Language Educator, published by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

In her article, Brim shares techniques and resources she has used to create an authentic, personal learning experience for her students – what she calls “a learning community based on meaning-bearing communication, demonstrated in skill-based performance.” She writes about very specific methods and exercises she uses with her students at the start of each year to set the tone for the type of classroom environment she is seeking to create.

“Meaning-bearing communication is essential to encourage the exchange of ideas and student motivation,” Brim writes. “I see evidence of knowledge and skill retention when communication and assessment are centered on ideas relevant to my students’ own lives and connected to Common Core content. When something is relevant and means something to us, we have a better chance of remembering it.”

Since her article was published, Brim has received emails from educators across the country looking to implement similar 21st Century teaching techniques into their classrooms. “I think it’s neat that we educators at Darlington can connect with our colleagues across the country to help and collaborate with them,” she said.

Crystal Brim

3

Community News

October fundraiser nets $64,500 for parent groups

College Fair

Attendees gather in the Van Es Arena for the One-School Fundraiser.

College admissions officials representing 147 institutions from around the country and the world received a warm welcome from Darlington students and faculty at the 19th annual College Fair in September.

All Upper School students attended, giving freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of schools and juniors and seniors a chance to zero in on their top choices.

Darlington’s second annual OneSchool Fundraiser, “Denim and Diamonds,” raised over $64,500 for the school’s parent organizations in October. The proceeds are split between Lower, Middle and Upper School Tiger Pride; the Athletic Booster Club; and the Fine Arts Booster Club.

“The purpose of this event was twofold: to raise money for the parent organizations and to provide a fun opportunity for ELA-12 parents to come together as a community,” said Athletic Booster Club President Jule Peek (’81). “The proceeds from the OneSchool Fundraiser, along with what is collected annually through the Family Fee, account for the majority of these organizations’ budgets. This year, each organization received roughly 70% of their original budget requests.”

The nearly 330 attendees enjoyed food, fellowship, live entertainment and some friendly bidding on over 150 auction items donated by local businesses and

members of the Darlington Community.

Items ranged from student artwork to vacation packages. As winners of the reverse raffle’s grand prize, day parents Ann and David Groover had their choice of $10,000 cash or tuition credit up to $18,000. Fellow day parents Susie and Paul Harton won the second-place $2,000 raffle prize. An estimated 250 raffle tickets were sold altogether.

“The One-School Fundraiser was a great night and I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make it happen!” said ELA-5 Tiger Pride President Kimberly (Murphy) Moseley (’87). “The Huffman Center was transformed, the food was delicious, and there were auction items for every person’s interest and budget. This should be a ‘can’t miss’ event for the Darlington Community in 2014!”

Next year’s One-School Fundraiser will take place Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014.

Apply now for Honor Scholarship Qualified students are invited to apply for the Honor Scholarship, the most prestigious merit award offered by Darlington. This full scholarship, which also covers books and material fees, is awarded annually to the best all-around freshman day and boarding applicants.

“Darlington Honor Scholars exemplify honor and service through their

4

community work; have a deep desire to grow, lead, learn and impact their world; and be unparalleled in academic excellence,” said James Milford, associate headmaster.

The multistage selection process involves alumni interviews and a required campus visit and interview.

Renewable for four years, this

scholarship also provides a six-week internship with Darlington alumni the summer before the senior year and a Mastery Award to fund development in an area of the student’s choice. To nominate a student for the 2015-16 school year, visit www.darlingtonschool. org/nominate or contact admission@ darlingtonschool.org by Jan. 1, 2015.

Darlington Magazine

Community News

Speakers provide inspiration through tragic stories

Chris Sandy Chris Sandy and Eric Krug, who were both involved in fatal wrecks involving alcohol, spoke to Upper School students about the importance of making positive choices in October.

“Floyd Against Drugs and the Commission on Children and Youth brought Chris to Rome to give a community presentation at the Civic Center, and we were thankful to be one of three schools fortunate enough to host him for an additional presentation during his visit,” said Jill Pate, director of personal counseling. “Chris and Eric each told their stories and shared with our students how their decisions had affected not only them, but their loved ones.”

In 2000, Sandy pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide by DUI and served 8 ½ years in prison after killing an elderly couple in a car crash just outside of Atlanta. He was driving 77 mph in a 35 mph zone.

While in prison and since his parole in 2009, Sandy has shared his story with hundreds of thousands of young people. A documentary about his experience and presentation, titled “Enduring Regret: Chris Sandy’s Story of Living Life After Causing Death,” won two Emmy awards.

Krug’s story is different. After celebrating his 21st birthday, he and three friends got into a car with someone who had been drinking. The driver swerved off the road and crashed into some trees, killing Krug’s best friend. The accident left Krug with severe brain trauma, and he was in a coma for over a year. Once a standout college athlete, Krug is now unable to speak or walk on his own. He moves with the help of a wheelchair or walker and communicates through the use of a voice simulator on his iPad. “Think about what your choices mean to you because you never know what the consequences will be,” Sandy said.

“Living with the choice that I made is the most difficult thing I’ve had to deal with. It caused the death of two wonderful people.”

SACS recognizes school for century of continuous accreditation Darlington was recognized for 100 years of continuous accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, a division of AdvancED, in November. The honor was given at AdvancED’s annual conference during a luncheon attended by representatives of more than 500 Georgia schools.

“Since in 1913, Darlington has taken part in a rigorous and ongoing process of self- and peer-evaluation of its organizational and educational policies, processes and personnel,” said Academic Dean David Powell. “The accreditation process requires the school to demonstrate that it lives up to its mission and remains in good standing with other high-quality schools.”

Founded in 1895 to promote communication between colleges and secondary schools, SACS joined three other regional accrediting bodies in 2006 to form AdvancED – the world’s largest education community, accrediting more than 30,000 schools worldwide.

In addition to SACS, Darlington is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA).

Legacy Latte Mary Kate (Vick) Fuller (’84) and other legacy parents gather in the Yancey Library of Thatcher Hall for the firstever Legacy Latte in November. This year, 270 students – or 33% of Darlington’s student body – come from legacy families, which means that they have parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or siblings who are also alumni. Of this, 185 students have a parent (or two!) who also graduated from Darlington, and 52 have a grandparent or great-grandparent who is an alum. Three of Darlington’s fourth-generation families – the BrownCrawfords, the Ledbetter-Kelleys and the Watters family – were represented at the Legacy Latte.

Winter 2014

5

Community News

Tigers at the Next Level Landon Rice (’16) takes down one of Trion’s players at the Homecoming Game in October. A tight end/ defensive end for the Darlington Tigers, Rice has verbally committed to play at Auburn University once he graduates in two years. His decision, announced in December, made him Auburn’s first commitment from the Class of 2016. His brother, Logan (’14), will be a preferred walk-on punter at Auburn this fall. Landon and Logan are the sons of Darlington history teacher Joey Rice and his wife, Kelly.

Peek (’14) wins second consecutive state wrestling title After a great deal of hard work and perseverance, Jule Peek (’14) will end his high school wrestling career with two state championship titles. Peek was the victor of a hard-fought battle against Athens Christian School’s James Corasaniti in the finals for the 132 weight class, winning the match 6-2.

“It feels amazing to win another state title,” Peek said. “We just put in so much hard work and when you do this, you know it’s worth it. This sport is so hard and demanding, so to be able to get a second state title is just so rewarding.”

Peek easily defeated his first two opponents in the Class A GHSA state wrestling championships in Commerce, Ga., grabbing a 7-1 decision in his first match and a 7-2 decision in the semifinals. But Corasaniti put up a fight in the finals.

“My mentality is to always be the aggressor,” Peek said. “I got caught down on bottom, but I figured a way to get out and get the win.”

Peek’s teammates Hayden Cook (’15), Jordan Beck (’14) and Landon Lawrence (’16) finished in second (182), third (160) and sixth (195), respectively.

Jule Peek (’14) competes early in the season.

“This year’s event was so much fun,” said Stephanie (Smith) Walker (’83), coordinator. “We had runners all over this campus – around Silver Lake, up on the mountain and on the track. Though the courses are challenging, even for seasoned runners, every participant comes through the finish line smiling and complimenting our beautiful campus!”

Walker added that Run With Pride has grown each year, attracting participants from inside and outside the Darlington Community.

“This year, we had more alumni participate than we have in the past, which was great!” Walker said. “It’s

growing more popular within the Rome community as well, and we have quite a few returning runners who have participated all three years.”

Event sponsors included The Cedarstream Co., Children’s Dental Center in Rome, Coosa Valley Signs and Lighting, Redmond Regional Medical Center, Dr. Robert K. Hunt and Riverside Oral and Facial Surgery, and Rome Primary Care.

“Run with PRIDE gives a big thank you to the runners who participate and the sponsors who contribute, volunteer and provide our racers with awesome goodies,” Walker said. “We couldn’t have a race without them!”

Run With Pride proceeds exceed $8,000

More than 220 people participated in the 3rd Annual Run With PRIDE 5K, 10K and Fun Run, held in conjunction with Alumni Weekend in October.

This event raised nearly $8,500 for Darlington’s Tiger Pride parent organizations.

6

Darlington Magazine

Campus Feature

Bell to succeed Whitworth as Darlington’s 11th head of school After an intensive, 10-month search that attracted candidates from around the country and the world, Linda (Grizzard) Owens (’79) and the Head of School Search Committee found Darlington’s next head of school in a neighboring state. Brent Bell, who currently serves as head of upper school at Randolph School in Huntsville, Ala., will replace Headmaster Tom Whitworth upon his retirement in July.

“We are unreservedly convinced that Brent is the right choice for Darlington at this time in the school’s history, and that his inspirational leadership and strategic focus will ensure that Darlington continues to move forward in her second century,” said Owens, Search Committee chair, and Jere Drummond (’57), chairman of the Board, in an October letter to the Darlington Community announcing Bell’s selection.

Bell, who has been at Randolph School since 2008, played a critical role in the opening of a new and separate upper school campus there. As the lead administrator on the new campus, he has focused on developing the school’s culture, faculty and staff, admissions, the teaching and learning environment, and – most importantly – the student experience. During his tenure, upper school enrollment has increased 32%.

In addition to his duties as head of upper school, Bell was a member of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee, helping to direct the creation of the school’s current strategic plan.

“Brent is a strong, thoughtful and positive leader with outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, and we have no doubt that he will make it his mission to be involved not only within Darlington’s gates, but in the community at large,” said Owens and Drummond. “He enthusiastically embraces our values and traditions while possessing the moral and

Winter 2014

educational vision necessary to further enhance the Darlington experience for our students.”

Prior to his work at Randolph, Bell served four years as assistant headmaster and dean of academic affairs at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia, where he held the E. Craig Wall Family Mastership. During this time, he helped develop and execute the agenda for the well-established, boarding school for boys. In addition, he was the varsity men’s head basketball coach, earning state coach of the year honors in 2001. Before his appointment to the Office of Academic Affairs, he served as Woodberry’s assistant director of admissions for four years.

Bell has over 19 years of experience in education. He began his career in 1994, teaching history and coaching basketball at Monacan High School in Richmond, Va. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of Richmond, where he met his wife, Andrea. He also holds an M.S. in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. While obtaining his graduate degree, he spent one year on Coach John Beilein’s basketball staff at the University of Richmond. Brent and Andrea have three sons, Charlie, Jack and Brent.

“I am both honored and humbled

to become the next head of school at Darlington,” Bell said. “My wife and I instantly recognized that Darlington is a very special place – one that is committed to an authentic childcentered education. I was struck by the love and joy expressed by all for the Darlington experience, the spirit of innovation and creative thought evident in the school’s program, and most significantly the mission of the school in action. We are excited to immerse ourselves in the life of the school as well as the Rome community. With three young boys, we believe this will be quite easy to do! Most importantly, I look forward to working together to build upon the school’s proud history as we look toward an exceptional future.”

Keenly aware of their duty to find a new head of school uniquely suited to Darlington’s aspirations, the Search Committee proactively recruited candidates from secondary and higher education both within the United States and internationally.

“We were thrilled by the strong degree of interest expressed by a wide array of accomplished school leaders,” said Owens and Drummond. “Among the broad field of talented and experienced candidates, Brent emerged as the clear front-runner. The Search Committee’s decision to elect him to be our next head of school was enthusiastic and unanimous.”

Owens and Drummond added that they would like to thank the members of the Search Committee as well as Tom Redmon and Marlene Shaw, consultants at Carney, Sandoe & Associates, for their work in locating a candidate who is the right fit for Darlington.

“The Search Committee is also incredibly grateful to all of you who played a part in the search process,” they said. “The involvement of our students, faculty and staff, administrators, parents, and alumni was absolutely critical to the selection process.”

7

Campus Feature Since its founding on the former Thornwood School campus in 1973, Darlington’s Lower School program has provided a safe learning environment in which children feel challenged and loved. It’s a close-knit community where students experience individual successes while also learning that it’s ok if they don’t get it right the first time around. It’s a family of supporters who root for each student from the moment he or she enrolls at Darlington until the moment that student walks across the Commencement stage.

Today, primary and elementary-aged children who attend Darlington are enjoying their new home on the main campus – but the unique charm and character that made the Lower School program so special was not lost in the move. These comments from current and former teachers, students and parents illustrate that – even after 40 years – the Lower School’s role in building a solid educational foundation for each student is as important as ever, and that the warmth and commitment of our teachers remains unmatched.

“We have blended two beautiful families under one roof this year.

The ELA-8 program is growing and prospering in Thatcher Hall. Many people worked long hours to move the Lower School across town to the main campus, and all of their efforts have been worth it. The building is full of laughter and busy students taking in all that Darlington has to offer them.

Every inch of the school is filled with meaningful class work and passionate people. Our program is improving every day because of it!

“I think my biggest take away is the great sense of spirit between our walls. Teachers are constantly working together and sharing ideas. You often see cross-curricular learning, collaboration between grade levels, and even Upper School students sharing their gifts in our classrooms. We are redefining how we do things and strengthening who we are and what is important to all of us.

Together we are living our mission and developing well-rounded students.”

Bebe Zazzaro, Rome, Ga. Counselor, 2011-present Pictured with Ethan von Bergen (’24)

8

“The Lower School provided me with a great foundation of study skills while teaching me the value of honesty and hard work. My favorite teacher was Barbara Cordle. I was lucky enough to have her for two years (third and sixth grade). Her mini-society program was a great economics lesson (my eventual college major) of supply and demand as well as a beginner entrepreneur class. I still remember brainstorming about what I could sell to my classmates and at what price. That program was such a great idea and she taught it so well.

“Now, as parents, my wife Lauren (’94) and I believe that Darlington is the best opportunity we can give our children to help ensure not only their educational success, but also their success as individual people. Darlington values lifelong learning and expects its students to attend and succeed in college. This mentality is contagious to the students.

They don’t ask, ‘Are you going to college?’

They ask, ‘Where do you want to go to college and how can we help get you there?’”

Mark Brewster (’89), Rome, Ga. Pictured with daughter, Caroline (’23)

Darlington Magazine

“The Lower School prepared me for Middle School in many ways. It helped me become a good writer and to enjoy writing essays. My passion for writing began in third grade because my teacher, Elaine (Hackett) Smith (’71T), would let us create books with covers.

We had a library in the classroom where we could check out our friends’ stories.

To this day, I still have the books I wrote. The Lower School also helped me feel comfortable with something that a lot of people struggle with – standing in front of big crowds and speaking or

Winter 2014

performing. It was there that I learned to work hard. It is important to me to always do my best, and my teachers influenced that. The Lower School was the beginning of my educational journey. It is like a home and a place I feel loved. At the Lower School, you can be anyone you want to be and everyone supports and loves you. I treasure my memories and time spent there. ” Emily Brandon (’19), Taylorsville, Ga. Pictured with Hayden Baldwin (’19)

“I have seen my daughters, Jordan (’12) and Katie (’15), become confident, competent, well-rounded ladies.

I contribute that, in part, to the experience they had in the elementary grades at Darlington. I can’t say enough how blessed we are here at Darlington to have teachers that instill such quality characteristics in their students. Simply put: Our teachers are what makes our program so special. Students know when they’re loved.”

“From my first year as a substitute teacher in 1973, I have seen the Lower School program grow, strengthen and progress with the times and – most importantly – with the needs of the children. The encouragement to try new ideas and implement the ones that work best has been a positive thing over the years. As Darlington celebrates 40 years of Lower School, there’s a joy in feeling that I have been a part of it for so many years and that it has continued to be a success. I still hear positive things from the alumni I taught, and feel like their comments on my contributions to their lives only confirm that God was right – I was meant to be a teacher.”

Dr. James Hutchins, Rome, Ga. Director of ELA-8 Teacher, 2002-present

Barbara Cordle, Rome, Ga. Teacher, 1974-1998 Substitute Teacher, 1973, 1998-2013

9

“When I think back on my time at the Lower School, memories that come to mind are winning the basketball championship at the Boys’ Club in the sixth grade; playing bombardy in the gym and kickball on the old playground; having classes in the White Building, although I didn’t really appreciate the historical significance of it at the time; the ‘haunted’ attic; and the supposed ‘slash’ from a Union soldier’s sword on one of the front columns of the White Building porch.

“All of my Lower School teachers were great, and I hate to leave anyone out, but some of my favorites were my mother,

Sharon Monroe (obviously), because she was clear with what she expected and was always fair; Barbara Cordle, because of Elmer the Flea; Rob Hammond, because of his booming laugh and love of sports; Beth Starnes, because of her kindness; and Meg Eberhart, because we could always get her off the subject by getting her to talk about New York (which, from what I understand from my kids who have had her as a sub, still happens).”

“My wife, Lauren, and I know that one of the most significant gifts we can give to our children is that of a strong education, because with that, there will be limitless possibilities for them. Darlington is the best-suited school in Rome to this end. It has the academic curriculum, the faculty, the athletics, the arts, and the facilities available to give our son, Henry (’26), (and his sisters in the future!) plenty of options to grow, to learn and to thrive. The new Early Learning Academy program is wonderful! The fact that Henry spends time with his peers, with his friends in the ELA as a whole, and in more focused groups (like math and reading) has been a great experience for him. In a few short months, he has learned so much and, more importantly, he loves to learn! He absolutely adores his teacher, Mrs. Cox. She is a true gem in Darlington’s crown! In fact, each day when it’s time to leave, Henry never gets in the car without first saying goodbye to her. We are truly blessed that she has played such an integral part of his first year at Darlington.”

“The Lower School has been a special place where our family can feel connected to a loving and caring community. The program creates an atmosphere that encourages children to let their personalities grow in a loving and caring environment. The curriculum is set up to challenge each child where he or she is. Working hard and always doing your best is taught first and foremost. Lola Bradshaw was one of my very favorites because she loved each child for who he or she was and teaching was her life’s mission. She always made everyone feel special.”

“I have loved all my teachers, but my favorite is Mrs. Hutchins because she didn’t let me give up on reading and writing. She called me Rose Bud and always makes me feel special! My favorite subject is math because I love numbers and solving the problems.

I read numbers much better than words. Mr. McConnell is an awesome teacher, too! I pretty much love everything about my school except homework.”

David Ledbetter (’88), Rome, Ga.

Pictured with husband, Tim Morgan (’87)

Rob Monroe (’87), Cedartown, Ga. Pictured with wife, Amy; children, Thomas (’22), Kate (’20) and Pierce (’18); and mother, Sharon

Georgeanna Dempsey (’23), Rome, Ga.

Chris (Roberts) Morgan (’87), Rome, Ga.

Pictured with son, Henry (’26)

Darlington Magazine

Campus Feature

“My years as a Thornwood student in the White Building were truly a special time, and many fun memories were made there. I never dreamed that I would one day return to the campus as a teacher – of elementary students, no less! The Lower School had only been in existence a couple of years when I was hired to teach second grade, and the number of students was growing. The next year, I moved to third grade, where I remained for 23 wonderful years. It was a funny feeling returning to Miss Amberson’s office, which had become my classroom. Time had marched on; the happy sounds in the halls were now those of small, wonderful children rather than the laughs of teenage girls.

“I was fortunate because my children were provided with the opportunity to attend

Darlington, the school from which both their grandfather and uncle had graduated. It is a proud moment – as well as one of relief – when your child walks across the stage to receive that diploma. As a former teacher, I love keeping up with the accomplishments of former students, and attending graduation to see them receive their diplomas is very meaningful. It is particularly special to see those students who struggled in some areas ‘make it’ to the finish line, and I know it all started with the encouragement, help and love they received at the Lower School. Another 40 years will only produce even stronger, more successful students.”

Terri (Huffman) Watters (’72T, LD ’13), Rome, Ga. Teacher, 1976-77, 1984-2005

“The Lower School provided me with a strong educational foundation. Not only did it provide me with the building blocks of specific subject areas, but the teachers and curriculum also instilled study skills and habits that continued to serve me throughout my further education. Additionally, the Lower School provided early social skills that proved essential later in life. Since my wife, Julie (’97), and I are both Darlington alumni, it is a natural choice for us to want to send our son, Wilson (’28), to Darlington in the fall. Moreover, graduating as a 13-year day student is something I am very proud of.”

“Darlington’s Lower School has a special place in my heart because I was able to teach at the very place my children were receiving a phenomenal education. The group of teachers that mentored and taught alongside me is long and storied. From teaching everyday for many years with Anne Somerville, such a gift, to learning from Beth Starnes, Gayle Monk, Janice Cox, Lola Bradshaw and many others – how can my experience not be wonderful? These teachers made me who I am today, and their love for children and for this school is undeniable!

“Having our girls here with me – watching them learn and grow – was priceless. How many people can say they were able to see firsthand why their children had such big grins on their faces at the end of the day?

I can! I got to be a part of their ‘world’ without them knowing. I got to see them laugh with their friends at lunch and swing on the playground. We sent our daughters here because we knew they would be pushed beyond measure while being held tight with one hand.

We knew the teachers would pour every ounce of their beings into our girls as individuals and that they would learn so much – not just how to read, write and add, but how to live and how to act with servant hearts.

Darlington’s Lower School teachers know no other way to teach; they just model how they live and it rubs off!”

Beth (Bagby) Smith (’87, LD ’12), Rome, Ga. Teacher, 1994-present

Sam Lucas (’97, LD ’13), Rome, Ga. Pictured with Jere Drummond (’57) and Edgeley (Askew) Myers (’95, LD ’13)

Winter 2014

11

“I was lucky enough to be a Darlington student for 14 years, but I consider myself truly blessed because of my connection to the place even today. For the most part, my most vivid memories of the Lower School revolve around great traditions: the annual talent show, Jump Rope for Heart with Coach Moon, 25-cent ice cream at lunch, the Fall Carnival and fifth-grade haunted house, the Christmas pageant, singing Christmas carols on the radio at the National Guard the Boo Review. For me, these memories are captured in the photographs my father took of my class, and others, each year on the steps of Thornwood. It is the people in these photographs that make each and every memory. I am grateful to be a part of something with such great value to our community and wish to see it thrive for many years to come. I hope that the values and traditions that influenced my experience, and the experiences of many others, continue to be vital to the Lower School and to each future student lucky enough to call him or herself a Darlington Tiger.”

Kelly O’Mara (’08), Austin, Texas

“I vividly remember each of my Lower School teachers.

Patricia Ayer, Gayle Monk, Anne Smith, Charla Brewster, Lola Bradshaw and Bebe Cline all took a great interest in my learning and made it a fun experience for me. They taught me that learning isn’t just something we had to do while our parents were at work, but instead it’s something to enjoy and want to do.

“As a fourth-generation Darlington graduate, this school means so much to me. It is a big part of our

family, and a big part of my life. It shaped who I am today, and I can only hope that as the Lower School settles into its new home on the main campus that it will continue to provide the amazing experience that I had. The Lower School is a special place filled with special people, and I know that there are great things on the horizon.”

Asa Crawford (’13), Nashville, Tenn.

“I had only lived in Rome for five years when it was time to start looking at schools for my girls, and Darlington is where most of my friends had their children. It was an easy decision! My husband, Frank (’77), is an alumnus, so I knew about the excellent reputation the school had. I’ll never forget calling one of my friends who had children here already and asking her about her decision to send her children to Darlington. She simply replied, ‘There is no decision!

Darlington is the only place to be.’

“After being around the Lower School so much as a parent volunteer, I knew I wanted to be a part of this special place and was willing to go the extra mile to be here. I went back to school as an adult in hopes of having the opportunity to teach at Darlington one day!

(My undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech had nothing to do with teaching.) I invested three years of my adult life attending night classes and student teaching. Darlington was the only place I wanted to be. I had seen with my own eyes – and with my own daughters, Sarah (’08) and Caroline (’10) – the way the kids here are tenderly nurtured, much like a cocoon, and then blossom into amazing young people over the years.”

Alice Clements, Rome, Ga. Teacher, 2005-present

12

Darlington Magazine

Campus Feature

Road to Retirement Rick Buice congratulates members of the Class of 2010 as they prepare to graduate.

Rick Buice

If you have ever spent time with Rick Buice, you know that he’s a great story teller. And why shouldn’t he be? After a 44-and-a-halfyear career at Darlington, he certainly has his fair share of stories to tell.

Buice was hired in September of 1969 to teach math and science. Fresh out of college, having recently earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chattanooga (now UTC), he was only 20 years old.

“Alumni realize now that I was very young, but back then they still thought I was old,” laughed Buice, adding that he still has his employment contract from his first year of teaching.

His path to Darlington was one of coincidental connection to a man who would serve as future president of the school from 1971-1979. Gordon Bondurant, who had taught at McCallie School while Buice was a student there, briefly worked in the University of Chattanooga’s placement office. During Buice’s senior year, Bondurant suggested that he apply for a job at Darlington. The chemistry major with a minor in physics and math was more than qualified.

“During college, I worked at Fillauer Chemical, a surgical supply establishment, where I helped mix chemical solutions and handle specials orders,” Buice said. “They offered me a job after I graduated, but since I knew Gordon, I decided to come to Darlington.”

At Darlington, Buice was one of seven

teachers in the science department, and also taught math. He chuckled as he recalled his first visit to campus for his interview.

“When I walked into the lab area of the science classrooms, then located in South Hall, all of the chemicals, except the acids, were just sitting on the shelves in alphabetical order,” he said. “The first thing I saw was a jar of arsenic. I couldn’t believe it! That was taken care of later.”

During his tenure, Buice has taught UPC (unified physics and chemistry), chemistry, AP chemistry, physics, algebra I, environmental science, computer science and AP computer science. He also earned his M.Ed. from the State University of West Georgia.

“Unfortunately, it was only after college that I finally realized that learning new ideas and understanding how things work was actually a lot of fun. I wanted to pass this on to my students,” Buice said. “I tried to push, encourage or cajole them to do their best and learn how to think. By using a variety of means, I tried to gain an insight and understanding of their foundation and abilities, and then plotted a course to move them forward from where they began.”

Once, a student asked Buice what would happen if he threw a chunk of sodium in the lake. His response? “Let’s find out.”

“Sodium is very reactive,” Buice said with a smile. “I got an inch-and-a-half by an inch-and-a-half cube of sodium and sliced off the edges. With a pair of tongs, I lobbed it out into the middle.

Not only did it blow a plume of water about 30 feet into the air, but the sodium splintered and came down in a shower of little pieces, each of which blew smaller plumes into the air. It was a sight!”

Buice has also served as assistant head of dormitories, director of intramurals, Honor Council advisor, technology coordinator and chairman of the technology department. In fact,

it was Buice and a couple of other early pioneers who truly laid the groundwork for technology at Darlington.

“In 1978, our science department head Lee Hamilton purchased a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer, and I thought we could use it to help run lab data,” Buice recalled. “At this time, calculators had barely come out. I was able to write increasingly complex programs that would run increasingly complex formulas for chemistry and physics.

Instead of spending 15 minutes working out the answers with paper and a slide rule, my students could key in their data and get the answer in a matter of seconds.”

He quickly added that he still has his old bamboo slide rule in his basement.

In the 1980s, Darlington installed its first network for six computers (which had a 20-megabyte storage capacity), began using Apple II computers, and purchased a high-speed dot matrix printer that printed 60 letters a second.

With these then-state-of-the-art tools at his fingertips, Buice wrote several programs to handle student grade reports, which had previously been compiled via typewriter.

“We tested it on the middle school first and were able to print all the grade sheets and reports in about four hours, rather than three or four days,” said Buice, who worked with now-retired CFO Bob Rogers to improve the system.

“By 1986, we were doing all grade reports this way and we had started teaching elementary programming courses. In the late 80s, I actually came out of the classroom for a little while to teach word processing to the administrative assistants. IT was a different world.”

The internet began to change the face of Darlington in the early 90s and, by 1997, current IT Director Stefan Eady was hired to build the school’s first official website.

“Stefan and I tried to take the DOSbased programs I had written to run the grades and make them work via the website he had built,” Rick recalled.

“Integrating them was a chore at best and we finally decided that it just wasn’t going to work. That’s when our intranet Continued on page 35

Winter 2014

13

Makers Hit the Mark School creates MakerSpace for students and teachers

From the invention of the wheel to the development of the iPhone, those who tinker h av e enh anced the quality of our lives since the birth of humankind. And without their patient persistence to devise the next innovation in our never-ending quest to make the day easier, it’s difficult to imagine where civilization would be in the year 2014.

This article was written by Ian Griffin, co-founder and managing partner of V3 Publications LLC in Rome. He serves as chief of advertising and sales director for the company’s well-known publication, V3 Magazine, in which he also writes a monthly column and other feature stories.

14

Yes, the world’s “makers” truly turn it.

The next generation of great thinkers is now honing its collective talents, and one can only fantasize what they may indeed create for us. But thanks to one group of like-minded inventors, you can rest assured their ideas will be nurtured by way of opportunity like never before.

To be a fly on the wall in Darlington School’s new MakerSpace lab can, at first, be a bit overstimulating. The whirring buzz of a 3D printer to your left, the pop-sizzle of a laser cutter on wood to your right. Ahead, the clinking of the robotics team as it sorts through parts for its next creation. Behind, the sinister sounds of a synthesizer laying down the score for a zombie apocalypse film. These are just a few of the sights and sounds common through the din of an after-school session at MakerSpace, a tinkerer’s paradise.

These hubs of creativity and innovation have been popping up across the country in recent years, in a united effort to foster what is now formally recognized as the Maker Movement.

Makers, essentially, want to help other creative minds by providing state-ofthe-art tools, sharing information and celebrating one another’s achievements as a supportive quasi-society. Modern technology has played a centrifugal role in advancing their shared cause, but the lack of access to information never stopped the pioneers of the movement from trying.

A member of the DarBots robotics team uses parts created in the MakerSpace.

“The Maker Movement comes out of the same spirit that had people making computers in their garages back in the ’70s,” said Stefan Eady, Darlington’s director of information technology and MakerSpace co-founder. “The problem back then was the lack of access to information and the tools to create.

The internet fixed the first problem by making vast amounts of information and software freely accessible as well as allowing people to share their work for others to build upon. MakerSpaces seek to solve the second problem by providing harder-to-access tools as well as a physical gathering place to collaborate.”

There are no set guidelines or rules for upstarting a MakerSpace, per se, but there are several standard, very costly pieces of equipment required for students to begin creating: a 3D printer, a laser cutter, dedicated computers, specialized software and green screens – like the ones Hollywood employs for CG purposes – are just a few of the highend tools now available to Darlington students.

Many would agree, the 3D printer is one of the more impressive pieces of equipment on hand in Darlington’s lab.

It has already been used to produce, before their very eyes, students’ own artistic renderings (note think-pieces such as the bust of Yoda, proudly displayed nearby), and even be so

functional as to produce simple parts for the robotics team. More serious projects are in the works, of course, but one aspect of which Network Administrator Mano Hernandez is most proud is the realized capacity of MakerSpace-grade tools to enhance very significantly the classroom experience for students.

“Last semester, we worked with one of our physics teachers on a group project involving the velocity and angles of projectiles,” Hernandez said. “The object was to fire a ping-pong ball from a catapult-like device and hit some form of a target. After discussing the project with the teacher, I suggested that we use the 3D printer to create both the target and the base for their devices. I agreed to teach the groups how to use the software, and what started as a potential extra credit assignment turned into a real, project-based learning opportunity that was factored into their grade.

There are so many ways to utilize this equipment and we have barely scratched the surface.”

Although Darlington’s MakerSpace program is still in its infancy, there doesn’t appear to be any visible ceiling as to what can be achieved when the right tools are handed to the right minds. If not for the tireless efforts and vision of four staff members (Audra Babb, Owen Kinney, Eady and Hernandez), this revolutionary move may never have come to pass.

Darlington Magazine

Campus Feature

Adam Posey (’15) and Jackson Vance (’16) create a product using the 3D printer.

Step one was to find funding to renovate the former publications classroom in Porter Hall and purchase the equipment, which was accomplished by successfully applying for the school’s $25,000 Carla and Leonard Wood Faculty Professional Development Endowment. Funded through the school’s $90 million Second Century Campaign, this professional development award is given out annually to help teachers find new methods of promoting innovation in their classrooms.

MakerSpace founders wasted no time putting the money into play.

“The grant proposal that we wrote was based on feedback from the faculty here so that we could get the right equipment to achieve those goals,” said Kinney, chairman of the science department. “In a MakerSpace, the equipment you have is pretty much dictated by the things you want to do. We took their thoughts and sought out the expertise and equipment to make those requests attainable.”

Lying beyond the bells and whistles is the core of what a MakerSpace is all about: the Makers themselves. Show up to Darlington’s MakerSpace on any given afternoon, and you’re almost sure to find students working diligently on a range of cool projects, from graphic design pieces to video game programming. Students bounce from their stations to check on the progress of others, fostering a highly interactive, think-tank atmosphere

Winter 2014

in which great minds are destined to blossom and thrive.

Robotics captain Joe Fang (’14) had his first Maker experience at the 7hills MakerSpace, located in downtown Rome, and was thrilled to hear his school was in the process of creating its own.

“I remember checking out the downtown MakerSpace and how much I enjoyed seeing all of the different creations people had come up with,” Fang recalled. “I dreamed of making robots when I lived in China and just didn’t have the materials to start. Darlington has given me that opportunity through both the robotics team and MakerSpace.

“Since we started the space, some students who didn’t have any interest in robotics before have gotten involved just because they are around it here,” he continued. “It has been a great experience to watch everyone work together to create different things and learn from one another.”

With the Maker Movement alive and kicking at Darlington, opportunities for teachers to expand their methods, in addition to students discovering their passions through hands-on application, will be an ever-evolving picture.

“You really can’t create a course catalogue that will envelope everybody’s interests,” Kinney said. “Since our school made a promise to itself that we

Sabrina Tang (’14) uses the laser cutter. would move toward more project-based learning, the timing was perfect for this particular program. It allows students and faculty to get out of the standard classroom setting and into a handson environment that enhances the experience for both parties.”

15

Linda (Grizzard) Owens (’79), president of Southeastern Mills Inc. and vice chair of Darlington’s Board of Trustees, recently led the Head of School Search Committee in its quest to locate and hire an eminent leader to replace Headmaster Tom Whitworth, who will retire in June of this year. A dedicated alumna and an active volunteer, she and her husband, Jim, are the parents of alumni Parrish Owens (’04) and Mary (Owens) Ethridge (’06).

Linda Owens (’79) What does Darlington mean to you personally?

Not only is Darlington the place where my children and I went to school, but it is also a meaningful part of the Rome community. I have seen the impact this school can have on an individual’s life. Through its merit and needbased scholarships, Darlington’s top-notch, college-prep experience can change the life of a student who has the dreams but not the means to attend.

When did you attend Darlington and what sorts of activities were you involved in as a student?

I was in the sixth grade the year Darlington and Thornwood merged. At that time, sixth grade was on the Thornwood campus. I graduated in 1979. I was a basketball player, a cheerleader and was involved with the Honor Council.

Who were your favorite teachers and why?

June Scoggins was a favorite coach and teacher – not for the specifics she taught me, but for the life lessons she taught, modeled and instilled in me. She was such a friend and influence in my life; she was in my wedding.

What are some of the volunteer roles you have held at Darlington over the years?

I have been involved with the Alumni Council, the Athletic Booster Club and the Board of Trustees.

What does it mean to you, as an alumna, to have had the opportunity to lead this important search process?

I was thrilled to be involved with the search process. As a graduate and a Board member, I will do anything I can to help Darlington continue to prepare students for their future.

Ensuring Darlington has the right leader for the future is essential, and being a part of the process was a great way for me to actively be a part of the future.

16

When did the search process actually begin and what were the committee’s goals going into the search?

The search process began as soon as Headmaster Tom Whitworth told us of his plans to retire.

He shared this news last January and, that same month, we appointed a Search Committee.

Our goals, with involvement from each of Darlington’s constituent groups, were to create a position description to meet the needs of the school and then find the very best candidate available to fill the position.

What were some of the biggest challenges going into the search?

Having a process and staying flexible. There were so many schools looking at the same time and at the same candidates, so it was a challenge to know when to stick to our plan and when to adjust.

What role did Carney, Sandoe & Associates play in the search process?

Our consultants, Tom Redmon and Marlene Shaw, were essential. They helped outline the process, create the position description from the input received, recruit candidates, narrow the candidate pool, and maneuver through the challenge of making sure we had a plan and yet remaining flexible. The advice Marlene provided was invaluable. Her experience calmed me when nervous. Her input was also thoughtful and it was evident she was “all in” in helping us land the best candidate.

Were you pleased with the interest in the position once the job description had been promoted?

How was the applicant pool narrowed down to six semifinalists?

The Search Committee individually studied information about each of the 14 candidates, and then we spent a day in Rome with our consultants from Carney, Sandoe & Associates to discuss each candidate and their fit to the position description.

What were the next steps once the semifinalists had been selected?

When we had identified the six semifinalists, the Search Committee met with each candidate individually for several hours in Atlanta, where John Irby (’81) was gracious enough to host us.

Atlanta was chosen so that we could respect the confidentiality of the candidates. Bob Hortman (’72) and Dick Cornwell (’67), with input from Carney, Sandoe & Associates as well as the Search Committee, developed a set of questions for each candidate. These questions helped us understand the candidates’ approaches to education, students, faculty and staff, fundraising, the Darlington Community and the Rome community. We gave the candidates specific scenarios and asked them how they would respond to each. We were looking for leadership, experience, vision and personality that fit our position description.

Why is the site visit such a critical part of the search process?

The site visit exposed the two finalists to who we are – our people, our campus, our community and our town. It also allowed a large number of people (over 100) to meet and interact with each candidate.

Yes. We took a hard look at about 14 candidates.

In addition to two international candidates, we had candidates from the Southeast, the Northeast and the Midwest. We had interest from secondary school leaders as well as collegiate leaders. We had male and female candidates. In the semifinalist round of six, there were three individuals with head of school experience and one female.

Darlington Magazine

Campus Feature

Brad Skidmore (‘80), Paige (Skidmore) Dickow (‘78, LD ‘14), Linda Owens (‘79) and Allison (Hunter) Brooks (‘79, LD ‘14)

Which constituent groups were represented during the site visit interview process, and how important was their feedback in making the final decision?

There were interview groups representing each part of the Darlington Community – parents, alumni, faculty, staff, students and trustees.

Reading resumes, spending a few hours in Atlanta and referencing candidates allowed the Search Committee to narrow the candidate pool to two; however, it took the entire community to meet and interview the candidates to make absolutely certain that we identified the very best candidate for the position.

Describe the feedback you received regarding incoming Head of School Brent Bell.

I had hoped we would find a candidate that fulfilled the position description and that was supported by all constituents, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we would find a candidate that received such overwhelming endorsement and support. The surveys completed by everyone who met and interviewed Brent expressed the confidence the entire community has about Brent being absolutely the right next Head of School for Darlington.

Winter 2014

At what point in the interview process did Brent Bell emerge as a front runner? How so?

The Search Committee was impressed by Brent’s experience in both day and boarding schools, his leadership style, and his personality. His references were excellent, and once he began meeting people on campus we felt certain he was the front runner. There was a “buzz” around campus and in town about Brent and his wife, Andrea. Everyone was beginning to see their family living in the Home-on-the-Hill and being the next Head of School for Darlington.

On a personal level, what most impresses you about Brent?

His ability to relate to people. Also, I was impressed when Brent told us he was interested in Darlington because of its unique complexity.

He was attracted to Darlington because we were PK-12, day and resident, domestic and international. For Brent, our complexity is a strength and an asset.

What are some of the reasons that the committee ultimately recommended Brent Bell to be the next Head of School?

The Search Committee knew after interviewing, referencing, reading the surveys and receiving input from such a large number of people that Brent met the qualifications as outlined in the position description. Every step of the process was important. After receiving such great feedback, we knew we needed to do everything we could to recruit Brent and his family to Darlington and Rome.

What type of leader is Brent?

Brent is prepared and qualified to lead Darlington. He is thoughtful in his responses to questions and situations. He has a powerful connection to people and he brings experience with him. When we couple that experience with Darlington’s rich history and the experience of our current faculty, staff and Board, Brent will help paint a vision for Darlington that will ensure we are the best at what we do for this and future generations.

Now that the search process is over, what will be happening between now and the time Brent takes over in July?

Between now and July, Brent will be involved with Tom Whitworth on important topics such as staffing. As he is able, he will also be involved with the Board to gain exposure and understanding. Bob Hortman is leading a Head of School Transition Committee, whose goals include (1) Developing a comprehensive plan to introduce Brent and Andrea to the campus and constituents and (2) Helping to prepare Brent and Andrea for their roles at Darlington.

What do you hope for the future of Darlington School?

My desire is that Darlington continues to provide a quality educational experience to students from Rome and Floyd County as well as the world, preparing each student for a successful life outside of “DarWorld.”

17

2013 ALUMNI WEEKEND

Trey Edge (’15) helps lead the Tigers to a 42-14 victory over the Trion Bulldogs.

Gboyega Adeyeye (’15) sports his new Darlington-themed State Traditions visor to the Pre-Game Picnic.

Distinguished Alumnus Gardner Wright (’47) with his daughters, Suzanne (Wright) Protz (’71T) and trustee Mary Helen (Wright) Heaner (’77).

More than 400 alumni and friends returned to the Lakeside in September for Darlington’s annual Alumni Weekend celebration. Event highlights included the presentation of the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Gardner Wright (‘47) and the Tigers’ 42-14 win over the Trion Bulldogs at the Homecoming game.

Reunion classes had high attendance, with 22% of alumni in classes celebrating their 50th reunion or less participating. The class parties were also a huge success, with the Class of 1963 boasting the largest number of returning alumni at 34%. A special thanks goes out to the class agents, event hosts, and all those involved in making this year’s celebration a great success. Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2014, scheduled to take place Sept. 26-28. See you there!

Wright Bagby (’63), Al Barron (’63) and Steve Jenkins (’63) visit during Halftime at the Huff.

Wayne “Ozzie” Ozment (’58) and his wife, Nancy, attend the Pre-Game Picnic.

18

Luke Lester (’84) and his daughter, Hattie James (’23) complete the Run With Pride run.

Darlington Magazine

Campus View

Fred Ware (’53) is happy to be celebrating his 60th reunion.

Members of the Class of 1998 catch up during Halftime at the Huff.

Scott Morris (’95)

Former school president Jim McCallie listens as the Concert Choir performs during Darlington Celebration.

Maggie Beth Atha (’14) and Will Mathis (’14) are crowned Homecoming queen and king.

Jack Summerbell

Tom (’72) and Tammy Richardson cheer on the Tigers during the Homecoming game.

Carlos Colon (’83) and his wife, Maria, traveled from their home Puerto Rico to attend Alumni Weekend.

Winter 2014

19

Class Notes

Class of 1953

Gene Herrin (’53) visits with Rick Buice at the Chattanooga Gathering.

Class of 1958 1948

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agent: Frank Barron Jr.

Frank Barron Jr. was the Board of Governors Honoree for the 2014 Heart of the Community Awards of Honor. He was recognized for his service at the Feb. 15, 2014, “Affairs of the Heart” dinner, sponsored by the Heart of the Community Foundation, which is supported by Redmond Regional Medical Center.

1949

Stevie Keown, the wife of Charles Keown (’63), shows off her Darlington souvenirs after the Chattanooga Gathering.

1947

(next reunion 2017)

Class Agent: Gardner Wright

Hugh Richardson Jr. writes: “Preston Stevens (’47) and I roomed in Old Main Dormitory. He is a classic Hudson automobile fan and a wellknown writer of magazine pieces for the motor car crowd. His latest is about how after World Word II new automobiles were rushed out of Detroit so fast that many did not have bumpers or rear seats. Preston began his writing doing light-hearted comments under the senior pictures for the 1947 Jabberwokk.”

20

(next reunion 2014)

Class Agent: Vacancy

Wiley Virden Jr. writes: “There are 15 Atlanta Darlington boys who graduated in 1948-49. On Dec. 12, 2013, 10 of us gathered for lunch and fellowship. They were Scott Patterson, Walker Sullivan, Bob Watkins, Cooper Taylor, Richard Wilson, John Ottley, Dick Denny, David Lacy, Jack Henson and Wiley Virden. Memories of Darlington days were shared by all!”

1953

Darlington, Fred graduated from Georgia Tech in mechanical engineering, completed his military duty in the Army Ordnance Missile Command, received an MBA at Emory University, and was employed

by Lockheed Aircraft as a production design engineer for 10 years. Gaining a Ph.D. in Business Administration at Georgia State University, he joined the faculty at Valdosta State in 1971. Fred served as chairman of the department of management and information systems, MBA director, and more recently as site director for European Study Abroad Programs for Valdosta State’s Langdale College of Business.

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agents: John Hine, Mike Luxenberg

Fred Ware Jr. retired in December 2012 as a professor of management after 42 years on the faculty of Valdosta State University. After

Fred Ware (’53)

Darlington Magazine

Terry Bradshaw (’61), Jimmy Humphries (’63), Tom Harbin (’63) and Bob Ison (’63) catch up during a 1960s Alumni Gathering at the Blue Ridge Grill in Atlanta.

Class of 1953

Wright Bagby (’63) visits with fellow legacies at the Legacy Latte.

Atlanta-area alumni graduating in the 1960s gather for lunch at the Blue Ridge Grill, which is owned by classmate and event host Richard Lewis (’69).

Buster Wright (’59) visits with Alumni Relations Director Vicki Vincent after speaking at chapel.

1961

Dan Hanks Jr. was honored by the Georgia Radiological Society with a fellowship in his name. The J. Daniel Hanks Jr. Fellowship in Governmental and Regulatory Affairs was created during the society’s annual meeting on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The fellowship will be offered to a chosen physician who will spend a week in the nation’s capital helping the American College of Radiology develop positions on the variety of medical issues – specifically those involving radiology – in front of Congress or the many federal regulatory agencies.

Dan practiced in Rome from 1979 through 2010. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Floyd Healthcare Resources and the Hospital Authority of Floyd County.

1965

1958

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agent: Jeff Godard

Rob Stephens (’87) hosts a gathering for Chattanooga-area alumni and friends, at which everyone enjoyed the great view of the city.

Winter 2014

Don David Jr. writes: “Life is good!

We spend six months on Lookout Mountain in Mentone, Ala., and six months in Destin, Fla. I’m still doing some design work.”

(next reunion 2016)

Class Agents: Terry Bradshaw, Alex Wyatt

(next reunion 2015)

Class Agent: Vacancy

Buzz Rogers IV and his son, Nashville songwriter and music producer Frank Rogers, were featured in an article for Vintage Guitar magazine. Buzz states that his days at Darlington singing in the Glee Club and playing in a four-piece band led to his lifelong hobby of music and, ultimately, had a part in his son Frank’s music career in Nashville.

21

Alumni Profile

W. Gardner Wright (’47) Distinguished Alumnus

Gardner Wright (’47)

Gardner Wright (’47) beamed with pride as he accepted the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award during Alumni Weekend in September.

“This is the biggest honor I’ve ever had in my life,” he told the audience of students, faculty members, trustees and fellow alumni. “I’ll be forever grateful.”

Wright was born Dec. 18, 1929, to Mary Lynn Brogdon Wright Tarpley and William Gardner Wright Sr. He is the great, great grandson of Daniel R. Mitchell, one of the five founding fathers of Rome, Ga., and the man who named the city.

Wright enrolled at Darlington in the sixth grade, which was – at that time – part of the Lower Forms. From an early age, he was recognized as a leader among his peers and was, therefore, awarded the J. R. McCain Award. He served on the Honor Council for six out of his seven years at Darlington, and as vice president for two of those years. He also lettered in football and baseball.

After graduating from Darlington in 1947, Wright went on to pursue his B.S. in Textiles at the Georgia Institute of Technology. There, he was a member and president of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and served on the Student

22

Council for two years. He was also a Cadet Lt. Col. in ROTC, serving as Battalion Commander. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1951 and joined the U.S. Army, where he served until 1953.

Wright began his very successful career in the carpet industry with Anchor Rome Mills in 1953. He became a partner and president of Modern Fibers Sales, which grew to be the largest importer of jute carpet backing from India and Bangladesh. In 1983, he was named vice president of sales and marketing and general partner of Synthetic Industries Inc., the second largest producer of polypropylene fabrics in the world. During his career, he twice served as chairman of the Georgia Textile Manufacturers Association, the first to serve two consecutive terms, and was also named director of Carpet and Rug Institute. In 1996, he was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni of Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering.

He retired in 2002.

“The harder I worked, the further I got,” Wright said, sharing some of his favorite quotations about leadership, hard work and success. “I’ve always had a quote of my own – everybody ought to have a little fun every day.”

Wright is probably best known as a civic leader. He has been active and held numerous leadership positions with the American Cancer Society, Berry College Campbell School of Business, Boy Scouts of America, Coosa Country Club, First Presbyterian Church, the founding committee of Floyd Junior College (now Georgia Highlands) and the Floyd College Foundation Board, the Floyd County Republican Party, the Floyd Healthcare Foundation, Rome Area History Museum, Rome Rotary Club, and SunTrust Bank of Northwest Georgia.

For his contributions to these organizations, Wright has been

recognized with the American Cancer Society’s 1995 Egie Huff Award; the Boy Scouts of America’s 1984 Silver Beaver Award as well as the council’s Distinguished Citizen Award in the early 1990s and in 2011; the Floyd Healthcare Foundation’s 2002 Good Samaritan Volunteer Award; the 2011 Rotary International District 6910 W. Lee Arrendale Vocational Award; and the 1997 Heart of the Community Board of Governor’s Award. In 2013, Wright was honored, along with Congressman Phil Gingrey, for his service to the Floyd County Republican Party, and by the Georgia House of Representatives’ House Resolution 767 for his outstanding accomplishments.

He was married for 61 years to the late Jeanne Brown of Marietta, Ga. They have two daughters – Suzanne (Wright) Protz (’71T) of Alpharetta, Ga., who is married to Steve Protz, and Darlington trustee Mary Helen (Wright) Heaner (’77) of Sandy Springs, Ga., who is married to Andrew Heaner (’77) – as well as two grandchildren, Mary Elston Heaner and Gardner Heaner. He is the brother of Kathleen Tarpley Temple and her husband, Brooke Temple.

“Darlington prepared me for the future in so many ways – academically, socially, spiritually,” Wright said.

“What still stands true for me today is the Motto – Wisdom more than Knowledge, Service beyond Self, Honor above Everything.”

Wright remains an active member of the Darlington Community. He is a life trustee, a longtime class agent, and a member of the J.J. Darlington Society and the J. Daniel Hanks Heritage Society. He has also served as chairman of the Annual Fund and as a member of the Board of Visitors.

Darlington Magazine

1970

(next reunion 2015)

Class Agent: Tom Barron

Douglas Brinkley was named to the 2013 class of LEED Fellows by the U.S. Green Building Council, the green building industry’s most prestigious professional designation.

The LEED Fellow designation recognizes exceptional contributions to green building and significant professional achievement within the rapidly growing community of LEED professionals. Douglas was among 51 of the world’s most distinguished green building professionals to be selected this year as LEED Fellows through a peer nomination and portfolio review process. Among his credentials, he co-founded North Carolina’s first U.S. Green Building Council Chapter and has been instrumental in the development of ground-breaking energy and water conservation legislation. He has also worked on the development of the North Carolina energy codes and advocated for sustainable design policies both at the North Carolina General Assembly and on Capitol Hill. Douglas was recognized with the rest of the 2013 LEED Fellow class at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Philadelphia.

Additionally, he shared that his firm, Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee of Raleigh, has merged with Clark Nexsen, an architecture and engineering firm headquartered in Norfolk, Va. This merger creates a 500+ multi-disciplined firm including architects, engineers, interior designers and landscape architects.

The combined staff represents decades of expertise in commercial, cultural, educational, governmental, healthcare, industrial, recreational, retail and environmentally sustainable design and engineering.

Douglas Brinkley (’70)

Jim Kinnaird met with Darlington Admission Officer Brad Large (’05) for lunch in Lansing, Mich., to catch up on the latest news about their alma mater.

Jim Kinnaird (’70) and Darlington’s Brad Large (’05)

1972

(next reunion 2017)

Class Agent: Steve Winkler

Ben Cheek is secretary of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, effective since May 9, 2013. Ben is in private practice in Columbus, Ga., and is also clinical assistant professor of ob-gyn at Mercer University School of Medicine. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia in Athens.

He completed his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and his residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. His clinical interests include pelvic prolapse surgery and low- and high-risk obstetrics. Ben is past president of the Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society and has been a member of its Board of Directors for 25 years. He has also been on the Board of Directors of MAG Mutual Insurance Co., a southeastern regional professional liability company with assets greater than $1.6 billion, for 17 years, currently serving as secretary.

Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta.

1973

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agent: Steve Wilhoite

MaryAnn Dickinson is a selfemployed certified legal nurse consultant in Redding, Calif.

Douglas Brinkley (’70)

1976

(next reunion 2016)

Class Agents: Susan (Adair) Blanton, Lisa Trawick

Dan Pate III is president of the Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia Board of Directors.

Winter 2014

23

Alumni Profile

Stacy (Melton) Brown (’92) Success: It, Too, Tastes Like Chicken

Stacy (Melton) Brown (’92) admits that she didn’t realize how important the role Darlington played in her life was until after she had left it. A first-through-twelfth-grade academic life at the school certainly hadn’t gone unappreciated, but the tremendous impact her education would have on her life was something she couldn’t have fathomed while pushing toward graduation.

This article was written by Ian Griffin, co-founder and managing partner of V3 Publications LLC in Rome. He serves as chief of advertising and sales director for the company’s well-known publication, V3 Magazine, in which he also writes a monthly column and other feature stories.

24

Today, the 39-year-old restaurateur is the proud owner of a food franchise quickly sweeping the Southeast – Chicken Salad Chick, which offers a smorgasbord of chicken salad recipes, classic Southern sides and more. The road to success wasn’t always easy, but Brown says the values her parents and extended family at Darlington instilled in her made any obstacle standing in the way of her goals something she could willfully overcome.

“The greatest thing I learned during my time at Darlington was to think outside the box,” she said. “Our teachers didn’t just open up a book and lecture us, they challenged us to think for ourselves and to never accept something as the truth just because we read it in the paper or watched it on the news.

“My favorite teacher at Darlington was Mr. Powell, who I had for English and drama, and I loved him because of the way he required us to challenge the process,” she continued. “Our brains were conditioned to question and create, and I have something new to offer to this world because of those teaching methods.”

Brown elected to remain a Tiger by attending Auburn University. After earning her degree – a task she now dubs “pretty easy” thanks to her time at Darlington – she returned to Rome, only to find herself back on “the plains” of Auburn, Ala. with her young family.

Shortly after settling in Auburn, life threw her a curve ball when her

marriage of 10 years ended. Faced with divorce, Brown tried to figure out how she was going to support three small children. After a great deal of soul searching, she landed on a solution that combined two of her passions – serving people and chicken salad. As it turns out, that passion tasted fabulous.

“It’s hard to figure out exactly what sparked my love for chicken salad,” Brown said. “The bottom line is I loved it, and I was intrigued by the fact that everyone’s recipe was just a little bit different. While mayonnaise and chicken are essential to every chicken salad recipe, the flavor profiles in just about every recipe I have ever tried differ in some way. That, along with the fact that just about every southern restaurant serves a chicken salad sandwich, allowed me to become a connoisseur of the dish as I tried it everywhere I went. So, when I decided to make chicken salad my career, I honestly already felt like an expert.”

The first step, Brown explains, was creating a recipe. The second was letting people know about it. Slowly, by word of mouth, her little-engine-that-could upstart began gaining steam, barreling its way down the track until her doorto-door service grew too frenzied not to expand. At that best-case crossroads, however, Brown found herself overwhelmed by the volume of orders being placed.

She was nearing breakdown from stress when someone’s anonymous call to the local health department looked to hurtle her from the edge. The Lee County Health Department told Brown that cooking from one’s residence and selling the product was illegal, and she had to shut down operations immediately. “That call made for a very dark day,” she said.

Thankfully, this blessing in disguise served as the catalyst she needed to further legitimize her dream. She jumped through the necessary hoops,

got the documentation required of her, and moved Chicken Salad Chick into a real-life restaurant.

Still, Brown had wrestled mightily with herself through it all, battling the whys of a situation that, despite all her hard work, appeared to be a world conspiring against her. For a moment, Chicken Salad Chick was close to kaput.

“I had a product people loved, I put my heart and soul into what I was doing, and with one phone call I had been shut down,” she said. “I didn’t have the money to open a restaurant; I had never run a business, and didn’t feel like I had the business sense to run a restaurant.

All I had was a recipe that people enjoyed, and now I couldn’t sell it.”

In a last-ditch effort, she turned to a good friend with a strong mind for business – her now-husband, Kevin Brown. Serving as her advisor, he crunched the numbers and suggested she open a small take-out spot. The feedback from her door-to-door sales, he told her, was such that the promising, newly reborn Chick could afford to further dip its beak. With his helpful encouragement, Stacy figured out her costs and, as 50/50 partners, the future Browns opened the original Chicken Salad Chick location in the town of its hatching, Auburn.

In hindsight, it all seems so clear to her. “My parents instilled a passion to serve and a love for cooking in me growing up, so it really was a natural progression to open a restaurant,” she said. “I could have never done it without mom and dad, and I certainly couldn’t have done it without Kevin.”

Without the money to hire a contractor, the duo renovated the space as a team, soon turning a south Alabama hole-in-the-wall into a serviceable, nice-looking restaurant.

From there, the company’s fast growth was sheerly organic.

“Our growth has been a direct result of the demands of our customers,” Stacy

Darlington Magazine

Photo courtesy of Tim Patton

said. “We never had any plans to expand from a simple take-out facility, but when your customers want more, you deliver.

And when people were sitting on the floor to eat their sandwiches, we put in a dining room. When that wasn’t enough, we put in more. When the crowds were reaching uncomfortable levels, we opened another location, then another, giving us three in the Auburn area in what seemed like the blink of an eye.”

This calling to serve has been the essence of their business, perhaps playing just as large a role in producing repeat customers as the chicken salad itself (though it certainly doesn’t hurt when your food is this high caliber).

From her original recipe, the “Classic Carol,” to its spicier twin sister, the “Jazzy Julie,” Chicken Salad Chick now offers 15 original varieties of chicken salad to its growing customer base, as well as soups, salads, desserts and nonchicken salad sandwiches.

“Our recipes evolved from the original recipe due to wanting to customize it to flavor preferences that I knew specific friends would enjoy. I started with a friend next door who I knew loved fruits and nuts in her chicken salad, so I made a recipe just for her,” Stacy said.

“I then made one for a friend of mine who likes spicy food, and the light bulb went off that the reason there are so many chicken salad recipes is because everyone likes theirs different. From there, we decided to make recipes that suited every person’s tastes, so that regardless of your preference you

Winter 2014

could find something you like at our restaurant.”

As Stacy and Kevin simply strived to continue meeting the needs of Chick’s local Auburn customers, they continually – quite abnormally – kept receiving franchise inquiry after franchise inquiry. Auburn, being a college town, was perpetually flooded with the parents of students, even fans of visiting teams to Jordan-Hare Stadium, who the Browns say would wander into the restaurant on a whim and instantly fall in love with the product, as well as the brand. And so, the requests began to pour in; so many, in fact, that a waiting list was created.

New coming inquirers were asked to please list their contact information, and were told that if the Browns ever decided to franchise, they would surely be given a call.

There was never any original intention to franchise, of course, but it wasn’t long – yet again – before the ever-growing demand from the Chick’s customers drove Stacy and Kevin to, once more, make another significant expansion.

The list of people requesting to open franchises had grown untenably long, so Kevin developed a sound strategy, navigating all channels deftly to ensure that growth was managed in such way that the quality of both the food served and the level of service owed to their customers would continue on a much broader scale.

Today, just six short years opening its original location in 2008, 80 Chicken

Salad Chick franchises have been sold to outlying entrepreneurs. Seventeen of these restaurants are open for business, with the rest in development and scheduled to open over the next few years. This is a staggering figure, especially considering that only a daunting fraction of the small businesses opened in America each year make it to their fifth year in operation, let alone expand to 80 additional locations.

Stacy’s story, once fraught with obstacles, is now a little slice of the American Dream – a fact that she eagerly credits, in large part, to her years at the Darlington School. She says to current and prospective Tigers today, “Whatever you do with your life, make sure it’s your passion. If you choose a career path you aren’t passionate about, the hard work will eventually wear you down, and you won’t have anything left to give. If you truly love what you do, even once the fun and the ‘new’ wears off, your passion will still drive you to be successful. My parents and Darlington taught me that, and at the time I wasn’t even aware of it.”

Stacy (Melton) Brown (’92) and her husband/ business partner, Kevin, pictured with some of the women who inspired Chicken Salad Chick’s recipes: her college roommate, Julie North; neighbor, Holly Williams; mother, Cheryl Melton; sister-inlaw, Kelli Melton; best friend, Scott (Morgan) Jacobs (’92); aunt, Nancy Melton; daughters, Olivia Brown and Lydia Evans; aunt, KayLynne Mitchell; mother-in-law, Miriam Brown; neighbor, Barclay Smith; and aunt, Martha Ann Wheeler.

(Not pictured: Stacy’s aunt, Carol Schrader, who inspired the “Classic Carol.”)

25

Class Notes

Class of 1973

Class of 1978 1977

(next reunion 2017)

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agents: Ron Mixon, Jim Valentine

Bonnie Grizzard won first place in the Volvik Georgia Women’s Open, senior division, held at the Brookfield Country Club in Roswell, Ga. She shot 155, beating the second-place finisher by three strokes after two rounds, and winning $450.

Deborah (Welch) Jones graduated with a Master of Public Administration with an emphasis in Health Care Management on May 3, 2013.

1978

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agents: John Gilliland, Chris Peacock

Jeff Gaba married Stephanie Dooley (’81) on Sept. 15, 2012, in Marietta, Ga. Jeff and Stephanie were high school sweethearts.

Class of 1983

1988

Class Agent: Beth (Johnson) Higbie

1979

(next reunion 2014)

Class Agent: Tony Massing

Jamie Wilson III caught up with longtime faculty member Rick Buice over dinner in San Francisco, Calif.

1991

(next reunion 2016)

Class Agent: Vacancy

Mary Margaret (Wright) Ryan met up with former Darlington faculty member David Sellers at the Montpelier Hunt Races in Orange, Va. 1993

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agent: Sarah (Evans) Joseph

John Morelock Jr. writes: “Since my last update, we welcomed a son, Reid Bettis Morelock. Our oldest, Elliott, turned 5 in February. Both boys are funny, happy and curious.

My wonderful wife, Whitney, and I celebrated our five-year anniversary last May. We moved to Austin, Texas, a few years ago to oversee our offices in Central Texas. We still return to Dallas regularly to see family and business partners that oversee North Texas region.”

Rick Buice and Jamie Wilson (’79)

1981

Class of 1988

(next reunion 2016)

Class Agent: Jule Peek

Stephanie (Dooley) Gaba married Jeff Gaba (’78) in Marietta, Ga., Sept.

15, 2012. Jeff and Stephanie were Darlington high school first loves.

1986

(next reunion 2016)

Elliott, John (’93), Reid and Whitney Morelock

Class Agent: Vacancy

Jeff Chambers was promoted to Major in the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard in June 2013. He has three sons, Jack, Tommy and Drew.

26

Darlington Magazine

Cameron O’Riley was accepted as a Postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, and is currently attending seminary at Sewanee: University of the South.

Chris Spalding and his wife announce the birth of a son, Christopher Jacob, on April 6, 2013.

The family lives in Melrose, Mass.

1996

(next reunion 2016)

Class Agent: Corie (Dempsey) Swan

Ballard Betz and his wife, Elizabeth (’95), announce the birth of a son, John Ballard “JB,” on Jan. 6, 2014. The family lives in Rome.

Class of 1993

Mary (Hight) Sawhill and her husband, Matt (’96), announce the birth of a son, Matthew Townsend Jr., on April 3, 2013. Townsend joins big sister Caroline. The family lives in Smyrna, Ga.

Class of 1998 Heather (Cox) Rosenberg and her husband, Evan, have finalized the adoption of their children, William Robert and Elizabeth Grace. They join big brother Warren Joshua. Heather writes: “I don’t know how all those parents who give birth to their own children do it – because these three little monkeys keep me on my toes!

I also moved from the division of emergency management over to the department of revenue as a contract manager. I guess I don’t really do things incrementally, huh? I’m sorry to have missed our reunion, but hope to see everyone again soon!”

1994

(next reunion 2014)

Class Agents: Maurie Dugger, Jimmy Smith

Chrissy Robertson writes: “I survived three years of slow-paced government work at the Federal Reserve and it was a nice break from the corporate pace. But, I missed the faster pace and joined SunTrust Bank again as a first vice president in risk review. It’s nice to be back in the corporate world! I just started my masters in accounting. I was

Winter 2014

recently nominated to the National Housing Corp. for my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta. I live in Smyrna, Ga., and enjoy spending time with friends and family, traveling, running 5K races, and workouts at gym. Looking forward to our next reunion!”

Mark Rogers and his wife, Emily, announce the birth of a daughter, Lucy Jean, on Aug. 12, 2013. The family lives in Atlanta.

1995

(next reunion 2015)

Class Agent: Scott Morris

Ginny (Nalley) Butler and her husband, Schell, announce the birth of a daughter, Katherine “Kate” Powell, on Sept. 26, 2013. The family lives in Macon, Ga.

Kate Butler

Townsend and Caroline Sawhill

Jake Sisley IV and his wife, Cathy, announce the birth of a daughter, Evelyn Elizabeth, on May 17, 2013.

The family lives in Atlanta.

1997

(next reunion 2017)

Class Agents: Julie (Wilson) Lucas, Michael Van Cise

Megan (Cox) Henry and her husband, Steven, announce the birth of a daughter, Corabeth Llewellyn, on Oct. 4, 2013. The family lives in Auburn, Ala. Will Sargent and his wife, Jenny, announce the birth of a son, Sam, on Oct. 22, 2013. The family lives in New York.

Neely (Davis) Thornton and her husband, Brad, announce the birth of a daughter, Sydney Estelle, on Oct. 4 2013. The family lives in Atlanta.

Margaret Jane (Courtney) Willoughby and her husband, Tyler, announce the birth of a daughter, Jane “Janie” Elizabeth, on Nov. 27, 2013. She joins big brother Gray. The family lives in Charlotte, N.C.

27

Dr. Henry Paris (’65) Finding Pastor Paris

An idealist would say that when it comes to choosing a profession, people should simply do what they love and love what they do.

They also might tell you that when working one’s way through the hiring process, the enthusiasm exhibited by an individual who truly loves his or her trade is self-evident and undeniable to potential employers.

Of course, not everyone can find success in the field of his or her passion, but Henry Paris (’65) has been fortunate enough to realize it in his chosen profession not once, but twice.

By way of a successful career in aerospace material engineering that spanned more than 30 years, Paris conducted research and development for companies like ALCOA, McDonnell Douglas, Steward Environmental Solutions and even stalwart academic institutions like Georgia Tech. His

This article was written by Ian Griffin, co-founder and managing partner of V3 Publications LLC in Rome. He serves as chief of advertising and sales director for the company’s well-known publication, V3 Magazine, in which he also writes a monthly column and other feature stories.

28

love for his craft fueled his well-earned success, and his faith was the lone factor that kept him grounded. A proud member of the Presbyterian Church, Paris wasn’t always as active a member as he would have liked, but fate would later have something else entirely in store for the accomplished engineer – a second career, this time as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Soddy Daisy, Tenn.

Paris’ road to this second calling actually began in Rome, he says, while a seventh-grader at Darlington. He was a gifted student who had attended city schools through the sixth grade and up to that point things more or less came easily to him. Yet, he recalls his transition to Darlington as a challenging one.

“When I got to Darlington, the academic expectations were much higher than what I had experienced in the city schools,” he said. “…I had to

relearn how to study in order to succeed in the classroom. It took me about half the year to adjust, but I did it, and those study skills I picked up during that time were invaluable going forward.

“I always enjoyed science and math, and Mr. Dorsey was one of my favorite teachers,” Paris continued. “He was a classic fixture of my era at Darlington.

I remember he would walk out into the lawn in front of the gym and instantly pick out the four-leaf clovers. None of the seventh- or eighth-graders could figure out how he managed to always find them.”

There were many parts of the campus dear to Paris, but the chapel provided a place for worship and solitude. Though he didn’t realize it until much later in life, those who ministered to him both on campus and off played a large role in his path, which ultimately led him to minister to others.

Henry Paris (’65) pictured in front of one of several “sign posts” made by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance volunteers in Mississippi. Every church group that visited took a piece of debris from a house they worked on and made a sign post to point in the general direction of their home congregation, along with the approximate distance from home.

Darlington Magazine

Alumni Profile

Paris went on to make the most of that which his Darlington School education provided. He was accepted into Georgia Tech and, as a freshman, briefly flirted with pursuing one of the school’s few liberal arts degrees before moving toward engineering. All told, he obtained three degrees: a bachelor’s in physics, a master’s in metallurgy and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, all while taking part in a cooperative work program that allowed him to pay for 90% of his tuition expenses.

By engaging in the work program, Paris was also granted the opportunity to obtain on-the-job experience at the famed Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The experience helped pay for his education, yes, but it also gave him gave him a bird’s-eye view of the heights to which a life in engineering could lift him, and he vowed from that moment forward to pursue one with every shred of effort he could muster.

Paris’ career started off on the fasttrack, and working under the umbrella of the aforementioned giants of American industry, he helped facilitate business acquisitions in addition to conducting materials research and prototype development that would later foster several patents. In time, he was named a McDonnell Douglas Fellow in recognition of his critical contribution to materials development.

“It’s one of the highest honors you can receive in my profession, as only those with elite technical expertise receive that position,” Paris explained. “There were only about 12 of us, and our job was to review and advise the corporate research for commercial and military aircraft.”

The talented engineer’s expertise carried him to many different places in the years to follow. Then, after a spell running a research lab at Georgia Tech, he was offered a post with Steward Environmental Solutions in Chattanooga, and southern Tennessee

Winter 2014

has remained his home ever since.

He had been brought in to save a floundering company and succeeded in doing so.

It was also during this time that Paris answered the call to volunteer on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, an experience that eventually led him back to his adolescent notions of going into ministry. The first step in that direction was taken by his accepting a position with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, for whom he supervised volunteer laborers working on reconstruction projects in 2008. One brief year later, he enrolled at Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va. “I think my path to seminary came from experiencing the world a little bit,” Paris said in retrospect. “The exposure I had in Mississippi had a profound affect on me. To see all those people who had lost everything – the suffering they had to endure – was overwhelming.

But when I realized that the people I thought I had come to help were actually helping me, it allowed me to see things in a completely different light.

“I was always like a kid in the sandbox when I came into work, and after those trips, I started to realize I was happier and more productive in a position to minister and help others,” he continued.

“I had friends in the church suggest that I go to seminary before, but just as I found my way to engineering, it was the real-life experiences that allowed me to find my way [to ministry].”

Armed with, perhaps, a more veteran perspective than many pastors who enter the ministry at a younger age, Paris eagerly got to work making an impact on his new congregation. The transition from the corporate world to the pulpit wasn’t seamless, but he applied the skills he acquired from his former profession to his new life’s work, and now contends that the marriage of the two has only strengthened

his conviction to serve. One of the major advantages his work experience gives him, he says, is that of greater administrative capacity. While many churches struggle with personnel and management issues, Paris’ ability to implement programs and projects have helped his church to grow and flourish at a more responsible pace.

As if he weren’t doing enough already, he somehow finds the time to volunteer for Urban Outreach Ministry, as well.

The group focuses primarily on helping homeless males via vocational training, and is yet another new cause for which Paris is clearly passionate.

“If you can help people develop a mental image that they have something to offer, they are going to carry themselves in a different way that allows them to contribute to society,” he said.

“We have seen a big jump in the success rate, and while it isn’t yet where we want it to be, every person we help means a great deal to us.”

Just this fall, Paris returned to Darlington to officiate the Alumni Weekend Service of Remembrance. It was an eye-opening experience for him and, he says, a deep honor to be asked.

Additions made to the campus in the years since he graduation numbered many, but the unspoken essence of what he knew Darlington to be had remained well intact.

“Things have changed dramatically at Darlington from my time as a student up until now, and from what I can see, it’s all for the better,” Paris said. “The biggest difference is that I was there when it was an all-boys school, so right off the bat that’s a big change. The new facilities and everything offered to the students now really are extraordinary.

In some ways it felt like a completely different place, but, at the same time, it still felt like home.”

29

Class Notes 1999

(next reunion 2014)

Bryan Evans and his wife, Alicia, announce the birth of a son, Stephen, on Aug. 1, 2013. The family lives in Savannah, Ga.

Luke Farmer and his wife, Jan Scott, announce the birth of a son, Zachary “Luke,” on July 22, 2013.

Luke is in his final year of medical school at University of Alabama in Birmingham. He writes: “We have loved our time here, and have enjoyed reconnecting with several Darlington classmates.”

Robert Hortman Jr. is on a ninemonth tour to the Middle East with fellow Darlington alumni Todd Sawhill (’93) and Mark Mooring (’03).

They traveled aboard the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier.

Class of 2003 (next reunion 2018)

Class Agent: Regan Maki

Jennifer (Brewster) Helbing and her husband, Brad, announce the birth of a daughter, Amelia Elizabeth, on Nov. 21, 2013. The family lives in Rome.

Brent Keene and his wife, Kristen, announce the birth of a son, Carson Huntley, on Nov. 1, 2013. The family lives in Winston Salem, N.C. Molly (Kelly) Steeves married Charles Harrison Steeves on April 13, 2013, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rome. The couple lives in Atlanta.

(next reunion 2015)

Class Agent: Skye Wellesley

Michael Gordon and his wife, Marie (’99), announce the birth of a son, Matthew Bennett, on Oct. 24, 2013.

The family lives in Marietta, Ga.

1998

2000

Class Agent: Marie (Hodge) Gordon

Todd Sawhill (’93), Mark Mooring (’03) and Robert Hortman (’99) pictured with the USS Harry S. Truman.

Hank Johnson IV earned a Juris Doctor degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Va.

Leigh (Beninato) Holmes and her husband, Joe (’00), announce the birth of a son, Lucas, on July 30, 2013.

The family lives in Rome.

Ruffin Paulling married Katherine Ann Balkun on May 4, 2013, at Saint Adalbert’s Church in Providence, R.I. The couple lives in Denver, Colo.

Katie (Van Es) Bourbeau married Maj. Christopher Earl Bourbeau on Oct. 5, 2013, at Crest Pavilion in Asheville, N.C. The couple lives in Champaign, Ill., where Katie is a project manager for F.E. Moran Security Solutions and Christopher is a marine officer instructor for the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) and an associate professor at the University of Illinois in Champaign.

Beth (Mooney) Wellesley married Skye Wellesley (’00) on June 15, 2013 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rome. The couple lives in Atlanta.

Calling all alumni…

Distinguished Alumnus Nominations Send us your nominations for the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Established by the Alumni Council in 1983, this award recognizes alumni who have achieved prominence in their profession and/or community and who have demonstrated loyalty to Darlington.

Please e-mail your nomination to vvincent@darlingtonschool.org

by May 1, 2014 and include the following information:

Alumni Council Nominations Send us your nomination for the 2015-2018 term. The Darlington School Alumni Council is the governing body of the Alumni Association. Council members serve for a three-year term and are nominated by current Alumni Council members and the Association membership at large. Please e-mail your nomination to vvincent@darlingtonschool.org by May 1, 2014.

Name and class year of nominee Reason(s) for nomination Your name and class year

30

Darlington Magazine

2001

(next reunion 2016)

Class Agents: Kelli (Hutchinson) Karanovich, Whitney (Keene) Whittington

Marinell (Saville) Coats married Matthew Ira Coats on April 27, 2013, at the home of the bride’s parents.

The couple lives in Arlington, Va. Kent Harrison and his wife, Rachel, announce the birth of a son, Stafford, on July 4, 2013. The family lives in Rome, and mom and dad both work at Darlington. Kent teaches math and coaches baseball and softball, while Rachel is a first-grade teacher.

2002

(next reunion 2017)

Class Agent: Miles Wellesley

Chris Jackson married Mary Catherine Farrar on Nov. 23, 2013, at Darlington School’s Morris Chapel.

The couple lives in Rome, where Chris is an attorney with the Floyd County Public Defender’s Office.

After earning her Juris Doctor degree last spring, Mary Catherine joined the law firm of Farrar and Corbin, P.C., in Summerville, Ga. Aaron Sumner and his wife, Brooke, announce the birth of a son, Chandler Hopkins, on Dec. 23, 2013.

The family lives in Rome.

2003

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agents: Lindsay Doss, William Krueger

Laura McCord earned her doctorate in clinical psychology with a forensic concentration from the Florida Institute of Technology. Her dissertation research on the variably manifested psychopathic personality, which was awarded a competitive grant from the Society for Personality Assessment, was presented at the national conference and has been submitted for publication.

Laura completed her American Psychological Association-accredited internship at Missouri’s Fulton State Hospital in the maximum security psychiatric facility. While there, she conducted forensic evaluations of competence to stand trial and criminal responsibility, and she also researched violence contagion in patients with severe trauma histories.

She intends to pursue licensure, board certification, and a career as a forensic psychologist.

Mary Kathryn (Harrison) Pitner earned her doctorate in philosophy with a concentration in genetics and molecular biology from Emory University’s Laney Graduate School in Atlanta. While there,

she studied the effect of cell cycle regulators in Her2-positive breast cancer at Winship Cancer Institute in the laboratory of Dr. Harold I. Saavedra. She published numerous manuscripts and was named Student Scholar of the Year in 2011. Offered a postdoctoral fellowship at the prestigious University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Mary Kathryn has relocated to Houston, Texas, with her husband. She is now studying chemotherapy resistance in patients with triple negative breast cancer, a particularly aggressive and poorly understood form of the disease.

2004

(next reunion 2014)

Class Agent: Whitney (Smith) Hsu

Hunter Edwards married Elizabeth Hunter Morgan on Sept. 14, 2013, at First Centenary United Methodist Church in Chattanooga, Tenn. The couple lives in Rome, where Hunter is a dentist.

Whitney (Smith) Hsu and her husband, Ryan, announce the birth of a son, Joseph Stevens, on Dec. 29, 2013. The family lives in Winston Salem, N.C.

THE ANNUAL FUND IS Your gift to the Annual Fund helps fund 5% of all student, parent, faculty, staff and alumni programs at Darlington School. To make your tax-deductible gift, please visit www.darlingtonschool.org/give by May 31, 2014. Every single gift matters.

Winter 2014

31

Photo courtesy of Stanley Korshak

Crawford Brock (’72) A Tale of Two Stanleys

If the stars truly do shine brighter in Texas, Rome native Crawford Brock (’72) is certainly helping to justify the claim. Brock is the owner of Stanley Korshak in Dallas, an independent specialty emporium offering the finest in men’s and women’s apparel, jewelry, shoes, handbags, home gifts, bridal gowns, cosmetics, fragrances and a thriving online business.

This article was written by Ian Griffin, co-founder and managing partner of V3 Publications LLC in Rome. He serves as chief of advertising and sales director for the company’s well-known publication, V3 Magazine, in which he also writes a monthly column and other feature stories.

32

The mission of the store is simple, according to Brock – luxury shopping at its absolute best. The end result is a uniquely unforgettable shopping experience for each and every customer who walks through Korshak’s doors, something Brock strived to produce from the moment he began managing the store in 1986. Included on his lengthy list of career accolades are stints as president of both the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the World Presidents’ Organization (WPO), Father of the Year, and most recently, a Lifetime Achievement Award from MR Magazine. Crawford Brock has now ascended to a pinnacle in the luxury retail industry, but to hear him tell it, his ascent actually began on the campus at Darlington, where his tenure as a student is a time he still holds very dear.

Growing up in Rome, Brock was a day

student until his commencement in 1972. He excelled in the classroom and on the field of play, as part of the Tigers’ cross country, football, soccer and track teams. Today, he credits his Darlington School education with teaching him about work ethic, and speaks genuinely, fondly and respectfully when remembering his professors by name.

“When I think about what the core of what I got out of Darlington is, it’s that hard work pays off,” Brock said. “That carried over from the classroom to the soccer field, then to life in general. It was instilled in all of us that if we had a great attitude and work ethic, we could accomplish anything. I have taken that with me from Darlington and applied it to everything I do.

“I think back to all of the teachers I had during my time there and the respect we had for all of them,” he continued. “When they entered the room, we all stood up until they said ‘be seated.’ That may seem like an odd thing to remember, but I think it speaks volumes.”

Now shouldered with a booming business to run, Brock rarely makes it back to Rome for a visit. But when he does, his old soccer teammates are always up for a good, strong dose of nostalgia. Though he was a four-sport athlete who went on to play soccer in college while earning his bachelor’s degree in business, it was his experience at Darlington on which he looks most fondly.

“I think the highlight of my time at Darlington was being a part of the 1971 Georgia State Soccer Championship team,” he said. “I have a collage of pictures from that season that hangs behind my desk today. It was made and given to me six years ago by a teammate.

It was such a special season, and every time I make it back to Rome, I always get together with my old teammates to relive that experience.

“It’s always special to see anyone from that team or from my class – or the class before mine,” he added. “It amazes me how many great people and great leaders went through Darlington while

I was there. You just knew they were going to be successful, and I truly miss everyone of them.”

While at Florida State, he met his wife, Janet, who was a standout on the women’s tennis team. The two would go on to become a dominant mixeddoubles team at the club and state level in California and Texas some years later, but the chemistry was forged in Tallahassee, and the two have been together ever since.

The course of Brock’s career veered into luxury retail more or less by chance. Through one of his marketing classes at FSU, he was introduced to the book “A Path to Profit,” which highlighted still-successful companies such as Neiman-Marcus, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Coca-Cola, just to name a few. The text would ultimately spark his initiative to make waves in the business world.

“I was in the spring of my senior year and decided to write letters to all of the companies in the book,” Brock said.

“It didn’t really matter to me which company gave me a chance, but I knew working with any of them would be a great opportunity. It just so happened that Neiman-Marcus thought enough of my letter to send someone out to interview me, and that’s how I got into their training program.”

In the beginning, Brock looked at his opportunity with Neiman-Marcus as a potential springboard to greater things, but each time he felt the urge to strike out on a different path, he would instead earn a promotion. Soon enough, he found himself running the lux-retail powerhouse’s Beverly Hills location.

Making the most of his five years at the top of the retail food chain, he went on to take the Beverly Hills store from No. 5 (in terms of volume) to No. 1, increasing revenue by $50 million in that span. He also developed a personal friendship with the latter half of the company’s namesake, Stanley Marcus, who was then semi-retired and spending time in Beverly Hills.

In 1987, Brock was approached about taking over as head of operations at

Darlington Magazine

Alumni Profile

Stanley Korshak in Dallas, an offer he initially declined. After much internal deliberation and personally conducted research, however, he later accepted. He had always wanted to run a business from the top, after all, and the lessons learned at Neiman-Marcus had prepared him to do just that. The move was ultimately grounded in the potential for advancement, with Brock knowing that if he took the position and was indeed successful, he would be first in line to buy the company if the opportunity were to present itself.

It was a huge risk to leave the security of Neiman’s and head to Stanley Korshak, a then-virtual upstart owned by a wealthy Texas oil family virtually unknown to Brock. But he decided to roll the dice nonetheless.

“During my 12 years with NeimanMarcus, Stanley Marcus was retired and our relationship really developed once I moved out to Beverly Hills to run that store,” Brock explained. “We would have lunch when he came out and we got to know each other pretty well, so when I started running Korshak, it was my good fortune that his affiliation with Neiman’s had come to an end. I asked for his help, and he actually moved his office here to the Crescent and met with me three to four times a week for eight years.

“I had to decide quickly on which direction to take the store and his guidance was priceless,” Brock continued. “At that time, discount retail was on the rise, but my background was in luxury retail, and Stanley was a real advocate for that. He believed that if you go out and find the finest men’s tie and the finest men’s sock, for example, those customers would seek you out to find those products. He always told me that quality is remembered long after price is forgotten, and we have strived to combine a quality product with superior customer service from the moment I came on board.”

Korshak’s owners soon embraced Brock’s vision, and fortunately, they had deep enough pockets to sustain the early losses required to more firmly establish

Winter 2014

Stanley Korshak in the Dallas market.

The sprawling, 68,000-square-foot store did just that, developing a fondly remembered shopping experience for the customer who typically arrives ready to spend – and spend big. After eliminating many of the former staff and starting fresh, the following eight years were spent building the brand, succeeded by eight more years validating what had, theretofore, been established.

In 2002, Brock felt the time had come to buy the company outright, and successfully negotiated the purchase of Stanley Korshak. His dream had been realized, but his legacy was far from complete. He was determined to build on the foundation he had created, and as daunting as that may sound, keeping things simple, he says, was the formula he used to do so.

“Business is business. It doesn’t matter if its fashion or auto parts,” Brock explained. “By all means, you have to know your craft, but it really comes down to making solid, common-sense decisions. I’m sure, from an outsider’s standpoint, keeping up with fashion trends probably seems overwhelming, but when you’re in it every day the changes are actually very gradual. As long as you are paying attention, you see them coming. We have 17 different divisions to purchase for, and we meet monthly to examine what is selling, where it’s selling, and who’s buying it. If you take care of those things, it’s honestly like following a road map.”

Another building block in Brock’s road to success has been to incorporate family into the business. All three of his daughters now work at Stanley Korshak, and have duly acquired the insider experience and skill to run the business if any of them should, one day, so desire when their father walks away. That, of course, may not happen anytime soon, but the peace of mind Brock receives from knowing his career baby will likely come to rest in the hands of one of his own children is comforting, to say the very least.

Meanwhile, the waves created by

Photo courtesy of Stanley Korshak

Crawford Brock (’72) with (from L to R) his daughter, Helen Brock, associate buyer for The Shak; Rose Clark, executive vice president of merchandising; his wife, Janet Brock; and client Catherine Colombo at Stanley Korshak’s Tutu Chic Ballet Fashion Show, held to benefit Texas Ballet Theatre.

Stanley Korshak in the fashion world wouldn’t go unnoticed by those who follow it most closely. In 2013, Brock received the aforementioned MR Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, an incredibly prestigious honor in the fashion industry.

“To receive an award like that, in New York, in front of your peers and family, is just extremely rewarding,” Brock said. “I thought I was a little young to be getting it, honestly, as I was only 58 and most recipients are in their 70s, or even 80s. I asked them if they were sure and they reaffirmed their feelings about what we had accomplished here. It was an extremely flattering and wonderful experience.

“The funny thing is, I originally wanted to go to medical school. But I made a C in my first Biology class and that put an end to that,” he continued.

“I guess life kind of takes you where it wants to. My intentions weren’t ever to be in retail, but that’s just kind of how it worked out. I just kept advancing and, before I knew it, I was this little guy from Rome, Ga., running the No. 1 store at Neiman-Marcus... It may not have been part of my plan, but I’m glad everything worked out the way it did.”

33

Class Notes Anna (Orr) Hopkins married Dr. Charles Thomas Hopkins III on April 6, 2013, at Darlington School’s Morris Chapel. The couple lives in Augusta, Ga. Don Kim visited the Darlington campus in August 2013 to help his two younger brothers, Sam and David, move into Summerbell House.

Don is a graduate of Wake Forest University and currently lives and works in Connecticut.

Henry Brown (’51), Will Crawford (’16) and Madge (Brown) Crawford’s family represents four generations of Darlington graduates.

2005

(next reunion 2015)

Class Agent: Madison (McRae) Criswell

Kristi Buice was named the Outstanding Student in Tax Law by the Georgia State Bar Tax Section before graduating from the University of Georgia in May 2013. She now works with KPMG in Atlanta in their tax law division.

Clark McGehee earned his doctorate in philosophy with a concentration in mechanical engineering and materials science from Duke University. His research focused on the development of micropower generators to be used in autonomous wireless sensor networks. He authored and coauthored numerous publications with his colleagues in the lab of Brian P. Mann, and was awarded a faculty fellowship during his final year of study. Commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force in 2010, Clark is currently serving as a flight test engineer with the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Peter Whatley married Alyssa June Maloof on April 20, 2013, at Harlech Farm in Rome. The couple lives in Atlanta.

2008

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agents: Mac Gilliland, Kelly O’Mara

Kristi Buice (’05) is sworn into the Georgia Bar in Floyd County by Judge Walter Matthews.

Spencer Dismuke married Allison Taylor Walker on April 27, 2013, at First Baptist Church of Niceville, Fla. The couple lives in Auburn, Ala.

Grant Bushkuhl joined Darlington Admission Officer Darla Betts at the boarding school fair in Denver, Colo., this fall. Forty boarding schools from around the country were there to recruit students. Grant is currently enrolled in the International Culinary School of the Art Institute of Colorado. He is co-owner of Black Market Catering.

Timmy Pakron writes: “I have just launched a new website and would be delighted for you to visit it and explore the new platform. Simply visit www.timothypakron.com to acquaint yourself with my most recent body of work, Impressions, and familiarize yourself with my older work, Silver Drips.”

2006

(next reunion 2016)

Class Agent: Strom Mull

Elliott Harrison married Kelly Alexander Day on Feb. 2, 2013, at The Creek Club at I’On in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. The couple lives in Atlanta.

34

Hannah Dodd graduated from the University of Georgia magna cum laude with high honors distinction, earning a B.A. in Linguistics and East Asian Languages. Last August, she moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she teaches collegiate-level Japanese while pursuing a master’s degree in Japanese Linguistics at Ohio State University.

Grier Fricks is operations coordinator of education and stewardship programs for Kualoa Ranch Hawaii in Ka’a’awa, Hawaii.

Courtney (Stevens) Warren married Christopher Brett Warren on Oct. 5, 2013, at St. Luke United Methodist Church in Cleveland, Miss. The couple lives in Cleveland, where Christopher attends Delta State University and Courtney is a writer for The Bolivar Commercial.

Christopher and Courtney (Stevens) Warren (’08)

Tine Wolter visited with Darlington Admission Officer Darla Betts in Germany last fall. Tine is currently studying dentistry at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.

2009

(next reunion 2014)

Class Agents: Rachel Buckle, Shanarra Goode, Cleve Jackson

Bob Chen graduated from Rice University last year. During his parents’ visit from China, they made a special trip to Rome to see the Darlington campus and visit with many of Bob’s favorite faculty members. His parents had never seen Darlington School in person, even during his time as a boarding student.

Bear Dines, a senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, passed the first phase of his pilot’s license last summer.

Grant Bushkuhl (’08) joins Darlington’s Darla Betts at a boarding school admissions fair in Colorado.

Alexandra Dodd received her white coat at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University in Augusta, Ga., along with fellow Darlington alumnus A.J. Evans (’07).

Darlington Magazine

Road to Retirement Rick O’Neal III plays lacrosse for the Kennesaw State Owls and was named to the first team of the AllConference SELC Short Stick Defense last spring. He played in 14 games last season for the Owls and had 29 ground balls and one goal.

Will Orr graduated from West Point Military Academy last spring.

Cooper O’Shaughnessy works for the Colorado Rapids.

Jett Wayne Puckett was one of 13 first honor graduates (who maintained a 4.0 for four years) during The University of Georgia’s undergraduate graduation ceremony last summer.

More than 4,100 students were in his graduating class. Jett Wayne completed a double major in political science and economics. This fall, he was one of 12 students accepted into The Wharton School of Business and University of Pennsylvania Law School joint JD/MBA program, the top ranked JD/MBA program in the country by the National Law Journal.

2010

(next reunion 2015)

Class Agent: Cole Daniel

Madelyn Briggs is president of the Stetson University’s Honor Council.

Will Lester is working at Rainbow Trout Ranch in Horca, Colo., with fellow Darlington alumni Patrick Collier (’08) and Cameron Phillips (’11).

2011

(next reunion 2016)

Class Agents: Chandler Holcombe, Charles King

Banks Mattingly is a member of University of Kentucky a cappella singing group The acoUstiKats, which was featured on NBC’s “The SingOff” this fall.

2012

(next reunion 2017)

Class Agents: Austin Spooner, John Wilhoite, Kelsey Ann Williams

Paige Banks spent last summer interning in Atlanta with Breakthrough Collaborative, an academic preparation program for under-served students.

Dylan Faber was named CAA Player of the Week this fall after leading the Northeastern men’s soccer team to a 2-0-1 start to conference play. Dylan, a sophomore goalkeeper, recorded back-to-back shutouts for the Huskies the prior week, making five saves in a 2-0 win against Hofstra before a foursave performance at Drexel in a 0-0 draw to collect his first career CAA accolade.

Winter 2014

Drew Fuller graduated from Auburn University’s Naval ROTC program in August 2012 with a B.S. in Aviation Management and simultaneously received the commission of Ensign into the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to Naval Air Station Pensacola, where he completed the first phases of naval aviation training. In May 2013, he was reassigned to Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Fla., to begin Joint Primary Training in the T-6B Texan II fixed-wing aircraft. Drew writes: “The training is going well and I look forward to an exciting career in the U.S. Navy! Darlington not only equipped and prepared me for college, but more importantly, it prepared me to become an officer and a leader in the Navy, and for a business career beyond that. No matter where my career takes me, I will always remember and cherish my years at Darlington!”

2013

(next reunion 2018)

Class Agent: Vacancy

Grace Greene won a National Merit Clemson University Scholarship to pursue a career in surgical medicine. College-sponsored awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for as long as four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program who will attend their institution.

Allison Wetherington, a midfielder for the University of Portland, was named West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. She made 14 starts and registered four goals and six assists, which is tied for the team high and ranks second in the conference. Allison also made the WCC All-Conference second team and the WCC All-Freshman team.

Former Faculty Dan Bishop Jr. lives in Washington, D.C., and works as a freelance accompanist and vocal coach. He would love to hear from alumni and former faculty members living in the area.

Continued from page 13

Rick Buice speaks at the dedication of the Charlie Orr (’75) Memorial Trail. was born. If you look at the grading programs at other schools, we just blow everybody away. We’ve always been ahead of the curve with technology.”

Buice lived on campus for 32 years, eventually marrying the former Fran Formby (’76) and having two daughters of his own, alumnae Kristi (’05) and Elizabeth (’08).

For the last five years, Buice has worked as an advancement officer with a focus on alumni relations.

“If you look at the number of courses I have taught, you can assume I like change; it keeps people fresh,” he said.

“In this new role, I have learned that there are many pieces to the Darlington puzzle. I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting with former students and seeing the many successes they have made in their careers.”

Buice, who retired at the end of December, says he won’t be a stranger and still plans to tutor chemistry and physics.

“I’m a bit anxious about a 44-and-ahalf-year habit of getting up and coming to school,” he laughed. “I know no other.

I tell people I’m a bit of an anomaly. I’ve been married to same woman 32 years and had the same job for more than 44 – not many people can say that.”

Brooks Mathis made headlines in November 2013 with the announcement of the Atlanta Braves’ impending move to Cobb County.

As vice president of economic development for the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, Brooks helped negotiate the deal with the Braves, which will result in a $672 million development at the northwest intersection of I-75 and I-285 in the Galleria/Cumberland Mall area.

35

In Memoriam

George Awsumb A Darlington Legend

When you hear the word “legend,” who do you think of? People often refer to an athlete or an actor as “legendary.” Babe Ruth’s baseball career made him a legend. Michael Jordan’s exploits on the basketball court have become legendary. John Wayne is often referred to as a legend of the silver screen.

This article was written by Kevin Ivester (’87), who has taught at Darlington since 1995 and currently teaches fourth grade. He and his wife, Jackie, are the parents of Lily (’25) and Adrian (’27).

36

As a senior in high school, I took a class called AP Humanities. In it, I learned about the legendary artists of the Renaissance, including Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael.

As a 17-year-old kid enjoying my senior year, I didn’t realize it, but the man at the front of the class, the man teaching me about these legends of the past, was in fact a true Darlington legend himself.

His name was Mr. Awsumb.

I first came to Darlington in 1981 as a seventh-grader. I graduated in 1987, went to Georgia Tech, and immediately returned as a teacher and coach. In my 32 years at Darlington, both as a student and a teacher, many men and women have influenced me greatly, but only a few attained the exalted state of legendary figures of our school. These are men of extraordinary character, men who taught here for 40+ years and influenced literally thousands of lives in the process. For anyone who was around this school in the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s, the following names will resonate as the Mt. Rushmore of Darlington: Awsumb, Van Es, Neville and Buice.

Sadly, the first of these legends has passed away. In AP Humanities, Mr. Awsumb taught us about the great artists. We learned about their paintings, sculptures and also about architecture. Most of it was centered around the great artists of Europe.

I always remember him speaking passionately about his love of Paris and how amazing an experience it was to see everything in the Louvre. Notre Dame was one of his favorites as well,

and he described it with so much fervor that you wanted to get on a plane at that moment and fly to France to see it in person. He taught us about the wonders of Florence...of the David and the Duomo.

Anyone who ever took the class can remember sitting the dark of Mr. Awsumb’s classroom on the second floor of Zelle, listening to the whirring sound of the fan in the old slide projector, looking at slides of the Venus de Milo or the Pieta. But the class wasn’t just about looking at sculptures. Mr. Awsumb would describe what it was like to see these paintings or sculptures or cathedrals in person and explain to us their value as aesthetically pleasing works of art.

But he did more than that…he would tell us about how these works made him feel and why they were important to him. So while he was talking about the Renaissance and telling us about the wonders of Florence, I was dreaming of sitting high above the Arno River, overlooking the red tile roofs of the city, with Brunelleschi’s Dome dominating the skyline. His description of it made you yearn to be there and see it for real.

He should have been paid a stipend by liberal arts colleges for all the Darlington graduates who left his class to pursue a major in Art History.

A true legend’s influence always extends far beyond the classroom as well. I remember him inviting many players from my soccer team over to his house for dinner. Seven or eight of us, sitting at the long dinner table at

his house on campus, making sure we were on our best behavior because of the respect we had for him. As my team made a run in the state playoffs to the Final Four my senior year, we always saw him on the sidelines at our games, and he constantly recognized our victories in class the next day.

Soon after I graduated, a postcard arrived in my mailbox that summer. On the front was a picture of the cathedral of Notre Dame. On the back was a note from Mr. Awsumb. He wrote to me that he was really enjoying his vacation in Paris and how he hoped I would make it there one day to see Notre Dame in person. It made a huge impression on me. The fact that he took the time to send me a postcard all the way from Paris made me feel like I was special to him, and that he truly cared about my interest in Europe and the art he had taught me. As an adult looking back, I realize how amazingly thoughtful it was of him to do what he did. He probably never knew what an impact the simple act of sending me a postcard had, but it really did resonate with me as a teenager and still to this day. There is power in a handwritten note, especially one from Paris.

When I heard of Mr. Awsumb’s passing, a flood of memories came into my head, many of which I have just written of. I thought of just how influential a man like he was. My story and relationship with him is just one story out of all the students he came into contact with. In 47 years of teaching, if you consider that he was in

Darlington Magazine

close contact with at least 100 students every year, then you can quickly understand the impact he had.

It made me consider the question I raised earlier. What makes someone “legendary?” It has to do with talent and time. You must be really good at what you do and you must do it for a really long time. Mr. Van Es was the greatest math teacher ever at Darlington but more importantly, he was a man of the highest character. As principal of the Middle School, his rapport and support of kids and of his faculty are

without question the thing of legend.

Mr. Neville was a man of the highest moral standard. He was a true Southern gentleman and the most honorable man I’ve known. Mr. Buice (who will retire this year!) was easygoing and friendly and had an uncanny knack for explaining complex topics and making them seem simple. He was the pioneer of technology at Darlington in a time before anyone had ever heard of the internet.

Babe Ruth…Michael Jordan…John Wayne…Michelangelo…Da Vinci.

These are men that the world refers to as legends. Van Es…Neville…Buice…

Awsumb. These men are “our” legends.

They are the legends of Darlington.

And there’s one simple reason why “my” legends had such a profound impact on my life. Babe Ruth never invited me and my teammates over for dinner. Michael Jordan never showed up at any of my soccer games. And as far as I can recall, Michelangelo never sent me a postcard from Paris. But Mr. Awsumb did.

Editor’s Note: George Awsumb died Sept. 7, 2013.

In Memoriam 1934

Frank Comer died May, 22, 2013

1938

Bill Howard died May 5, 2013

1943

Stanley Boykin died Jan. 12, 2013

1970

Thomas Walsh III died Oct. 28, 2013

Lewis Smith died Aug. 20, 2013

Harlan Starr Jr died April 28, 2013

1940

Robert Pierce died July 9, 2013

1944

Fred Morrison Jr. died May 7, 2012

1949

Johnny Cathcart died August 25, 2013

1939

Gray Morrison II died Jan. 5, 2014

1971

Tab Dunlap died Feb 4, 2013

Bill Atkins died June 25, 2013

1974

Warren Foley died Dec. 12, 2013

Bubber McGhee died July 25, 2013

1945

Claude Pennington died July 27, 2013

Bob Richardson Jr. died Dec. 29, 2013

1950

Elder Pearce Jr. died Dec. 1, 2013

1941

John Pritchard died April 24, 2013

1954

Allan Banner died Dec. 23, 2011

1978

Bob Smith died May 28, 2013

Mike Cheatham died Nov. 13, 2103

1982

John Cranton died June of 2012

Neil Parrish died July 26, 2013

1983

Nikki Hajosy died May 30, 2013

1942

Al Stivers died April 8, 2013

1946

John Stone Jr. died Sept. 16, 2013

Bayard Van Hecke Sr. died Aug. 10, 2013

1947

Jack Warmath Jr. died Dec. 27, 2013

1960

Joel Parker died July 10, 2013

David Fort died July 28, 2013

1948

Tate Ervin died Aug. 14, 2013

1962

Phil Pitts Jr. died July 11, 2013

Gene Carden died Dec. 24, 2012

2001

Will Carter died Sept. 13, 2013

Not Pictured – 1942: Clyde Head died July 27, 2013 1943: Bill Wilcox Jr. died Nov. 3, 2013 1944: Buck Littlejohn Jr. died Aug. 29, 2013, Bill Smith Jr. died May 13, 2013 1948: Richard Paula died Nov. 1, 2012 1950: Paul Mewborn died Nov. 27, 2013 1951: John Atha died Jan. 26, 2014, Neil Mishoe died April 9, 2013 1952: Billy Byars died Aug. 19, 2013, Dewey Oxner Jr. died July 7, 2013, Ted Raine died Dec. 11, 2012 1956: Marion Hall died May 24, 2013 1958: Bill Ballard died Dec. 16, 2010, Bob Cousins died July 8, 2013, John Mercer died July 3, 2012, Dudley White died March 27, 2010 1960: George Lanier died Feb. 1, 2014 1973: Fred Wright died July 26, 2013 Former Faculty: Robin Abrams died July 11, 2013, LaVance Atkins died Nov. 15, 2013, George Awsumb died Sept. 7, 2013, Nell Candler died Sept. 27, 2013, Margie Trammell died Dec. 13, 2013 Memorials published in this edition were reported to the Advancement Office prior to April 15, 2014. Additional memorials can be found on the alumni web page.

Winter 2014

37

1014 Cave Spring Road • Rome, Georgia 30161-4700

Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Rome GA 30161 Permit No. 501

THE ANNUAL FUND IS Allison (Hunter) Brooks (’79) was the fourth in her family to make Darlington her home when she enrolled as a junior boarding student in 1977.

“I was not being challenged in the public school in Lexington, Ky., and I wanted to experience what my father, uncle and brother had experienced when they went to boarding school,” she said.

Little did she know, she would also meet her future husband, Jeff Brooks (’79), who had been a day student at Darlington since the eighth grade.

Both Allison and Jeff were very involved in campus life. Allison was vice president of the “Y” Cabinet, member of the yearbook staff, and also volunteered her time visiting patients at the former Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital and working in the concession stand with Worth Moser. Jeff spent most of his time on the athletic field and was a three-sport athlete in football, wrestling and baseball.

The two started dating their senior year at Darlington and went on to attend Auburn University together. Eventually, they found themselves back in Rome, Ga., with the

goal of sending their children, Kendall (’08) and Hunter (’10), to Darlington.

“We started them out in the public school, but decided that it would be in their best interest to move them when Kendall was in fourth grade and Hunter was in second grade,” Allison said. “They thrived at the Lower School and we knew we had made a good decision.”

Ever since their children enrolled in Lower School and even since they graduated, Jeff and Allison have remained active volunteers at Darlington. From Tiger Pride, the Booster Club, and Prom Committee to the Annual Fund Leadership Team, J.J. Darlington Society, and Alumni Council, Allison and Jeff have done it all.

“We know the importance of being involved in your child’s education and Darlington makes that very easy by allowing the parents to support the students through all the different organizations,” Allison said. “It’s still important to us to be involved as alumni and parents of alumni. It’s our love of Darlington that makes us want to stay involved.”

Jeff (’79) and Allison (Hunter) Brooks (’79)

And it’s their love of Darlington that also inspires Allison and Jeff to give back.

“Jeff and I give to the Annual Fund because we realize that the school cannot run on tuition money alone,” Allison said. “So many people think that tuition alone covers the cost of operations, but the Annual Fund actually funds 5% of all programs at Darlington. We are so lucky to have these exceptional facilities, faculty and opportunities for academic growth for our students, and the Annual Fund helps make all of these things possible.”

To learn more about the Annual Fund or to make your gift online, simply visit www. darlingtonschool.org/give.

Darlington Magazine