GROTON ENVIROTHON TEAM #4 in All of U.S. CORRECTIONS
The 1981 Groton boys crew did not lose to Shiplake in the first round of the Henley Regatta (“The Boys of ’64,” Spring 2021 Groton School Quarterly). The crew beat heavily favored Hampton School then lost to Shiplake in the second round.
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roton’s Envirothon team placed fourth in the national environmental science competition, a noteworthy accomplishment for a novice team among more experienced competitors. Competing in the national competition for Groton were Amelia Lee ‘22, Alice Liu ‘23, Amy Ma ‘23, Aidan O’Connell ‘23, and Aisling O’Connell ‘21. Challenged to present a solution for nitrate contamination in groundwater, they faced forty-two teams, most representing U.S. states but also including three teams from China and four from Canada. “Many of these teams had participated multiple times in the past,” said Dr. David Black ’80, environmental science teacher and Envirothon advisor. “Doing so well in the first year testifies to the effort that the Groton team put into
preparing for the event.” Envirothon challenges high school students to tackle pressing environmental issues facing their communities and the world, emphasizing “handson, team-oriented problem-solving and community involvement that prepares young people for environmental careers and active citizenship,” according to massenvirothon.org. “This achievement points to how relevant the study of the environment is at Groton and recognizes David Black for championing this important work for decades,” said Headmaster Temba Maqubela. The national competition included five tests and a virtual presentation; Groton’s was entitled “Managing Nitrate Levels in BGMA.” BGMA is the Bazile Groundwater Management Area,
circiter
The profile of Jonathan T. Erichsen ’68 (“Scientific Vision,” Spring 2021 Groton School Quarterly) erroneously stated that his scientific papers have been cited hundreds of times. They have been cited more than six thousand times.
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LETTERS I REALLY enjoyed the exten-
sive tribute to shopmaster Doug Brown in the spring issue of the Quarterly. I only wish I had known that you were collecting photos and stories from former students capturing the beauty of these treasured pieces, the hard work that went into building them, and the close relationships enjoyed with Mr. Brown along the way. Mr. Brown was a one-of-akind faculty member at Groton. I remember him as having boundless energy and enthusiasm. He moved at a brisk pace and was all business in the shop. He maintained very high standards for students’ work. Electric sanders were verboten. It was all hand planing and sanding and good, old-fashioned elbow grease. Students marveled at Mr. Brown’s ability to come up with ingenious solutions to students’ woodworking gaffes and miscalculations. He did so with a generous resolve and a dry wit. While I am at it, I would like to dispute the assertion of Larry Chao ’76 that he “was not great at” shop. I would venture that Larry and Ralph Giles ’75 were two of the best from that mid1970s era. Brian Neligan ’75
Brian Neligan’s slant-top desk, built during Sixth Form
CONGRATULATIONS on
your articles about Andy Reyes and Doug Brown. I had the wonderful experiences of knowing Andy first as a student and then as a member of the faculty, and Doug Brown as a colleague and friend for twentysix years. In those days, long gone, chapel was four mornings a week. For over two decades I sat in the same pew with Doug, most years next to him. What most people don’t know is that before the service began each morning, Doug was reading the Bible cover to cover. How many of us have read the entire Bible? I know that I have not accomplished that feat. I also had the opportunity
to see Doug in action building the school archives—a treasure for the school, thanks to his outstanding work. As for the article about crew, in 1994, I had the privilege to be at the Henley Women’s Regatta and witnessed the unexpected (to some) victories of the girls fours and eights crew. When I attended the awards ceremonies, unlike all of the other women’s races, there were no cups to record their victories and to be a part of the HWR history. So with Bill Polk’s blessing, I approached the HWR leadership and offered to find the funds necessary to create suitable cups for the girls’ events. They accepted my offer. The cups were then created by
David Taylor, keeping time
a silversmith in Henley, with Groton inscribed as the winner of each event. Sadly, the one thing you overlooked in the list of contributors was that my wife Jane (now deceased, and an honorary Groton School alumna) contributed 25 percent of the funds, as did Maureen Beck, Rogers Scudder, and I. The HWR gave us the naming rights, and I had the pleasure to present the newly created cups to the winners in 1995. Richard Fox P’79 ’81, GP’03, former faculty I VERY much enjoyed the
recent tribute in the [Spring] Quarterly. My work in the wood shop remains one of the most pure and positive experiences of my life, which I shall always treasure. This clock (left) has been with me since 1980 and is on the Pacific Coast at Muir Beach, California. I believe it was the first clock made at the school. Of course, it hasn’t kept time in decades, and probably fifteen years ago one of my children managed to lose the cabinet key inside it so we can’t open it! David Taylor ’80
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