HALLWAYS A PUBLICATION OF THE HARPETH HALL SCHOOL
WINTER 2016
Reese Witherspoon ’94 2016 Distinguished Alumna
IN THIS ISSUE: Building Confidence Celebrating 150 Years Developing Global Perspectives
— Planned Giving —
Attending and Working at Harpeth Hall Inspires Alumna to Give Back It’s people like Mrs. Baughman who have given Harpeth Hall its reputation. Harpeth Hall is a better place because of her — her contribution is immeasurable.
Mrs. Baughman does so much for Harpeth Hall, but she’s never too busy to help out a student. We have all really appreciated her dedication to this school .
— Lindsay Voigt ’99
— Kate Celauro ’98
hese two quotes were part of a Milestones dedication to Susan Baughman upon her retirement as Harpeth Hall’s director of the upper school in 1997. Her commitment to the school also was recognized with the 1997 Dede Bullard Wallace Award for “outstanding contribution to the school.” “I have always loved working with children and young people. I find them full of life and fun, exciting and challenging,” said Mrs. Baughman, a 1956 Harpeth Hall graduate.
A highlight of her time at Harpeth Hall included having her daughter, Ann, as part of the student body. “It was and is so much fun that I know her friends, they know me, and that we share many of the same traditions, such as Step Singing, the same club, assemblies, Souby Hall, and memories of the four years we were in the upper school together.” Ann Baughman Walsh is a 1991 Harpeth Hall graduate.
In 1985, Mrs. Baughman was ready to return to the workforce and was hired to serve by Head of School David Wood as Harpeth Hall’s college counselor. Three years later, she was appointed director of the upper school where she served as a role model for hundreds of girls with her strong character, kindness, and commitment to lifelong learning. Ever gracious and humble, Mrs. Baughman attributed her successful tenure to others. “Any success I had was due to wonderful mentoring, help and support from other administrators, faculty and staff; an excellent, caring faculty who loved teaching girls; outstanding student leaders who wanted to learn and to succeed; and parents who loved and supported their daughters and were unfailingly available to help. Also, my knowing the school culture and Nashville made my job easier to understand and learn,” she said.
These experiences are what led Mrs. Baughman to include Harpeth Hall in her estate plans. “I elected to include Harpeth Hall in my estate because of my profound gratitude for what Harpeth Hall gave to my daughter Ann, and to me. Among the most important gifts Harpeth Hall gave me are forever friends, a love of learning, teachers who liked and respected me. It was the best and most meaningful career I ever could have had. The junior promise we made at Step Singing has stuck with me all this time and influenced who I became as an adult: ‘I promise to transmit this school not less, but greater, better and more beautiful that it was transmitted to me.’ ” If you would like to include Harpeth Hall in your estate plans, please contact Susan Moll, Director of Advancement, at 615-346-0087 or moll@harpethhall.org. Harpeth Hall would be honored to recognize you as a member of our Founders Society.
Susan McKeand Baughman ’56
In This Issue:
Features
24
4 Fall Speakers From a Pulitzer Prize-winning author to an Olympic gold medalist, our fall speakers inspired our students.
10 Building Confidence
CONTENTS
1
Harpeth Hall program explores inhibitors to girls’ confidence.
14 Stalworth Educator Annie Allison had a profound impact on the lives of her students.
24 A Spirit of Service Recognizing volunteer extraordinaire Kitty Davis Murfree ’65.
26 Global Perspectives Programs and curriculum broaden students’ worldview.
37 Remembering Margaret Lowe ’12
17 5
A special tribute to a young alumna who lived life to the fullest.port
Departments 2
Academics
6
Athletics
8
Performing Arts
32
Alumnae Events
38
Class Notes
48
Retrospective
26
HALLWAYS STAFF
Joanne Mamenta, Editor Lauren Finney, Designer Photographers: Peyton Hoge, Joanne Mamenta, Marie Dodson Maxwell ’64, and Michael Strasinger
6 3
Hallways is published twice a year by The Harpeth Hall School 3801 Hobbs Road, Nashville, TN 37215. www.harpethhall.org This magazine is printed on FSC certified paper made up of 50% recycled content
Winter 2016
Head of School Stephanie Balmer pictured with several members of the alumnae National Advisory Council at their fall dinner.
OBSERVATIONS
2
Reese Witherspoon ’94, our 2016 Distinguished Alumna, addressed the trap of perfectionism in her speech to students in November. “Too many girls I know don’t want to try things because they’re afraid they’ll be bad at it, and they want to be perfect. Perfectionism is for the birds. It’s not realistic. It is stressful. And it really gets you nowhere. In her new book, Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert talks about perfection as just another form of fear. ‘Perfectionists decide in advance that the end result is never going to be satisfactory, so they don’t even bother trying to be creative in the first place,’” she said. “Perfectionism is a deep down existential angst that says, again and again, I am not good enough.”
Confidence
Plus Competence
R
NEEDED FOR SUCCESS
esearch demonstrates that success correlates just as closely with confidence as competence. In this issue of Hallways, you will learn about our initiative to instill true confidence in our students through partnerships with faculty and parents. Jess Hill, director of the upper school, and a team of upper school teachers have developed a workshop, “Bridging the Confidence Gap,” for educators, parents, and students that examines the inhibitors to confidence and how we can combat the obstacles that hinder confidence. One such obstacle is the quest for perfectionism. “Of all the warped things that women do to themselves to undermine their confidence, we found the pursuit of perfection to be the most crippling. If perfection is your standard, of course you will never be fully confident, because the bar is always impossibly high, and you will inevitably and routinely feel inadequate. Moreover, perfectionism keeps us from action . . . We watch our male colleagues lean in, while we hold back until we believe we’re perfectly ready and perfectly qualified,” write Katty Kay and Claire Shipman in The Confidence Code, an important resource cited in the confidence workshop. HALLWAYS
“You don’t learn anything from being perfect. I have chosen the wrong movies and the wrong friends and the wrong boyfriends, and all of those mistakes have taught me more about myself than a lot of my successes,” added Witherspoon. As part of the confidence workshop, our teachers encourage our students to make mistakes and to embrace failure “Why is struggle so important? The brain is a muscle; neural connections form and deepen most when we make mistakes doing difficult tasks rather than repeatedly having success with easy ones,” added Jess Hill. Through our distinctive academic and co-curricular program and the opportunities to lead at Harpeth Hall, we are developing pathways for our students to discover their confidence. We want our girls and young women to be unafraid, to be confident in taking informed risks that help them grow, and to lead their peers — not just at Harpeth Hall, but in college and in their careers. We want them to recognize failure is a possibility and to use it as motivation. We want to raise powerful girls and young women who are independent thinkers and who strive each day to be their most authentic and confident selves because they know authenticity is the path to knowledge and impact. With our faculty and alumnae as role models, our students aspire to be extraordinary young women. They choose Harpeth Hall to know themselves fully and honestly, and to realize their dreams. Enjoy this important issue of Hallways!
All the best, Stephanie Balmer, Ed.D.
ACADEMICS
3
National Merit Scholars
S
even Harpeth Hall students from the class of 2016 are National Merit Finalists, and 10 are National Merit Commended Students. National Merit Finalists scored in the top 1 percent of all juniors nationwide who took the PSAT in the fall of 2014. Commended Students scored in the top 5 percent. Harpeth Hall’s National Merit Finalists are Kristen Barrett,
Ashlyn Dentz, Margot Dupuis, Keely Hendricks, Lucy Massey, Isabel Nygard, and Abby Sparrow. Harpeth Hall Commended Students are Sloane Fuller, Corinne Gibson, Taylor Hardin, Melissa Markham, Lauryn McSpadden, Madi Nunn, Shelby Nutter, Lillie Penley, Eliza Trost, and Olivia Wilson. In addition, Isabel Nygard was selected as a National Hispanic Scholar.
Race for the Cure
K
aili Wang ’18, the 2015 Curb Concerto Competition Grand Prize Winner, performed at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in January as part of the symphony’s “A Party of Note” program that benefits the Accelerando program, “Training Young Musicians for the Future.” She performed works by Beethoven, Barber, Ysaye, and Sarasate. Kaili also is concert mistress of Curb Youth Symphony, current Music Teachers National Association state winner, and a volunteer teacher at the W.O. Smith Music School.
H
arpeth Hall and Montgomery Bell Academy created a combined Race for the Cure Team in October. More than 500 students, families, faculty, and alums from both schools participated in the event, raising $10,184 for cancer awareness. Winter 2016
AROUND THE HALL
44
Wendelin Van Draanen
Commander Jaime Hernandez
Fall Speakers Inspire Students Wendelin Van Draanen, author of The Running Dream, the 2015 all-school read, gave an energetic presentation at an all-school assembly in September. Ms. Van Draanen explained that the inspiration for her book came while running the New York City Marathon and seeing people with handicaps running the race. To her, the story represents a universal message that no matter what is thrown at you in life, you approach it step by step. Jaime Hernandez As part of an all-school assembly on the 14th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, students heard from Commander Jaime Hernandez, who oversees Navy Recruiting District Nashville. Cmdr. Hernandez shared stories of three brave women: Malala Yousafzai, Maj. Megan McClung, and Kayla Mueller. To Cmdr. Hernandez, these courageous women stood for freedom, for truth, and for humanity. He asked Harpeth Hall students in his closing, “What’s going to be your contribution to make the world a better place?” Jon Meacham Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham entertained and inspired Harpeth Hall students at an all-school assembly in October in advance of the release of his book, Destiny and Power, The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. Mr. Meacham shared what he considers the three characteristics of great leaders and believes Harpeth Hall is nurturing these characteristics in its students: Courage, resilience, and showing concern for others. Rudy Kalis Sports anchor for the NBC-affiliate, WSMV-TV, Rudy Kalis shared his personal story at an all-school assembly in November. Mr. Kalis sailed into New York harbor with his mother, father, and sister as immigrants from Germany when he was 5 years old. Each was given $14 and a train ticket that took them to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He lived there for 20 years and then served in the U.S. Air Force for four years. He returned home, went to college and got a degree in mass communications. His message to the students: “You are a product of how you grew up . . . The influences on you right now are shaping you right now . . . Remember your life is full of choices. Invest in yourself and others.” Scott Hamilton Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton used humor and enthusiasm at an all-school assembly in December as he shared how he overcame several life challenges, including childhood growth issues, losing his mother to cancer, and his own cancer diagnosis, as motivation for a new drive and resolve for his skating career. His advice to students is to understand that “life is not about the destination; it’s the journey.” HALLWAYS
Scott Hamilton with Hannah Claire Fisher and Callie Simmons
Harpeth Hall Events
Middle School Grandparent and Special Friend Open House
AROUND THE HALL
5
Sunday on Souby
Sunday on Souby
Upper School Mother/Special Friend/ Daughter Coffee
Winter 2016
FALL TEAM ATHLETICS ATHLETICS
6
HIGHLIGHTS Alex Massey ‘20
Katie Wilkins ’17
HVAC CHAMPIONS The Harpeth Hall middle school teams earned four Harpeth Valley Athletic Conference (HVAC) Championships this fall:
Soccer A Team
r 17 players r coached by Meggie Lucas
Cross Country
r 44 runners r coached by Kim Himes
Volleyball A Team
r 10 players r coached by Maddie Waud and Helen Holland
Tennis A Team
r 10 players r coached by Lia Southwick
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT NEWS Middle School Athletic Director Kylene Pulley Lee joins our staff as the middle school athletic director. She also serves as our varsity golf coach. Coach Lee played golf at the University of South Florida and on the Ladies Professional Futures Tour. Previously, she worked as an assistant golf professional at The Golf Club of Tennessee. She is Tennessee’s only U.S. Kids certified instructor and is a member of the Positive Coaching Alliance for growing youth sports.
Varsity Lacrosse Coach
Ellie Moore ‘18
HALLWAYS HALLWAYS
Megan Riley Clark has been appointed our new varsity head lacrosse coach. Coach Clark graduated from James Madison University where she was a standout lacrosse player, an Academic All-American, and the Female Athlete of the Year, among numerous additional accolades. She was inducted into the James Madison University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. Coach Clark has served as the head coach at Pope John Paul II High School since 2009 where she built a successful program amassing 70 wins in six years including five Elite 8 appearances and a state runner-up finish. She also is the founder and owner of TNLAX, a travel program for the top lacrosse players in Tennessee.
ATHLETICS
7
Middle School A Tennis Team
Lauren Bars ’17
Ashley Tirrill ‘22
Middle School Cross Country Team
Middle School Soccer A Team
Middle School Volleyball A Team Winter 2016
PERFORMING ARTS
88
Harpeth Hall / MBA Musical Emma
Performing
Harpeth Hall / MBA Musical Emma
Upper School Winter Concert
Upper School Winter Concert
Upper School Drama/ A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Middle School Music Concert
HALLWAYS
Upper School Orchestra
PERFORMING ARTS
9
Arts Fall Dance Concert
Middle School Orchestra
Upper School Drama A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Fall Dance Concert
Winter 2016
FEATURE
10
Building
Confidence By Jess Hill, Director of the Upper School
HALLWAYS
w
FEATURE
11
orking as an educator in an all-girls environment for over 20 years, I know that conversations and new ideas seem to evolve and sometimes simmer on the back burner for a period of time. You might learn something new at a conference, from a colleague, or after visiting another school. You may even come up with an idea on your own that will enhance the classroom experience or the curriculum or the flow of the school day. Usually, that idea is followed by a meeting about logistics and how to “sell” it to the faculty, administration, parents, and/or students. It is rare, however, to have that immediate lightning bolt reaction to a colleague’s idea. That moment when you say, “Why haven’t we been doing this all along?”
more than competence that defined a person’s success after graduation. Our girls needed to know that it was confidence
Almost two years ago, Armistead Lemon, an upper school English teacher, had that kind of “aha” moment. She connected the dots following a couple of events in a short period of time. The first was listening to a thought-provoking senior speech about the need for women to be bolder and occasionally break the rules. The second catalyst was an article in The Atlantic, called “Bridging the Confidence Gap.” I will be forever grateful that her next stop was my office, where she shared some of her newly percolated thoughts. Clearly moved by the speech and the article, she knew that we needed to be more intentional in building confidence in our students. I had heard the speech and after reading the article, she had me. In that instant, we knew our mission. Our girls needed to know that it was confidence more than competence that defined a person’s success after graduation. Furthermore, we needed to make sure our students actually were confident. Armistead invited a group of seven faculty members to be part of the team. She felt that we needed the experience, wisdom, and attitudes of faculty from
particular disciplines. We invited Katy Bowers, Adam Wilsman, both upper school history teachers, Maddie Waud, upper school math teacher, Buffy Baker, upper school wellness teacher and varsity tennis coach, and Jenny Jervis, upper school French teacher and varsity cross country coach, to be a part of our confidence team. We met several times and worked together over the summer of 2014 to research this idea of building confidence in our students. “If life were one long grade school, women would rule the world.” This quotation by Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, along with the book, The Confidence Code, by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, gave form and focus to our endeavor. Carol Dweck was right. Girls tend to follow the rules in school, so they rarely receive the feedback and natural consequences of making mistakes. The corrections and constructive criticism following mistakes build resilience and grit. Praise and positive feedback may grow self-esteem, but we wanted true confidence. We used Dr. Richard Petty’s definition, “Confidence is the stuff that turns thoughts into action.”
We began our work in the classroom, and focused on how to help our students feel more confident in their skills, their thoughts, and their communications. We used a professional development day with the upper school faculty to present our ideas and to solicit feedback from them. Over 50 teachers and administrators participated in giving us ideas and reactions to our early thoughts. At that time we made a list of the five inhibitors to confidence — fear of failure, language of self-doubt, perfectionism, sensitivity to criticism, and comparison. These challenges resonated with us and seemed to resonate with our audiences as well. Studies also showed that men applied for jobs when they felt they possessed 60 percent of the qualifications necessary, and women applied when they felt they possessed 100 percent of the qualifications. That fact is not about women’s competence, it is about confidence. Our team wanted to do something about that statistic, and it was in the summer of 2015 that we decided it was not enough to talk about these issues in our classrooms and assemblies. At continued on page 12 Winter 2016
12
Five Primary Inhibitors
FEATURE
5
1. Perfectionism 2. Fear of Failure 3. Sensitivity to Criticism 4. Language of Self-Doubt 5. Comparison
PERFECTIONISM
• Perfectionistic students tend to see their grades as indications of their self-worth. Emphasize the process in assignments and projects rather than focusing largely on the final results.
• Be reflective and candid about your own
educational journey. Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know something.
• Be thoughtful with how you react to student
behavior. Avoid over-praising good behavior or over-criticizing bad behavior.
RESOURCES:
The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self Assurance — What Women Should Know by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay Playing Big: Find Your Voice, Your Mission, Your Message by Tara Mohr
LANGUAGE OF SELF-DOUBT List of phrases commonly heard in classrooms to qualify a statement or question:
• I’m probably wrong, but . . . • I know this is a stupid question . . . • General “upspeak” or ending every sentence as if it is a question.
• Point out negative self-talk when you hear it; ask the student to rephrase.
• Model confident speaking and risk-taking.
HALLWAYS
COMPARISON
• Teens as well as most adults struggle with this
affliction of constantly comparing themselves to others. Comparison is amplified in this time of social media. People are comparing themselves to perfected personas of their peers as seen through Facebook and Instagram. These mediums portray a fictional version of what we want people to see or what we wish were always true.
• In combatting the tendency to compare, teens
should keep their minds on a larger mission or project to be accomplished for a group of people. Move from me to we when you realize other people aren’t actually thinking about you all the time.
• One of the best antidotes to a feeling of inadequacy is to cultivate a regular practice of gratefulness. • Discourage sharing of grades and comments.
13
FEATURE
to Girls’ Confidence SENSITIVITY TO CRITICISM
FEAR OF FAILURE
• Why is struggle so important? The brain is a
• Substantive, complex work should receive both
• Trajectory of success is not a straight line. • Pay attention to the language we use. Praise effort
• Remember that feedback reveals the values of
muscle; neural connections form and deepen most when we make mistakes doing difficult tasks rather than repeatedly having success with easy ones.
and process.
• Desensitize students to failure by talking about our own failures. Help them take failure in stride rather than seeing it as a reflection of self-worth.
praise and criticism. Many of us carry the misconception that good work will be met mostly with praise. Reinforce the opposite. the person giving the feedback.
• When criticism is wounding or even paralyzing, it often mirrors what we believe about ourselves. See this as an opportunity to interrogate a self-perception and hopefully move beyond it.
• Help students (and ourselves) filter criticism. Take only what seems strategically useful.
We see thoughts turned into action as we work with our
students to live, learn, teach, question, recover, speak, write, and lead confidently. continued from page 10 that point it was time for a total culture shift. It seems that we were beginning to feel more confident in ourselves and our ideas. Equipped with the list of inhibitors to confidence and our techniques to combat them, we began to take our show on the road. We presented to all of our middle and upper school teachers in small groups and gave our confidence talk to several groups of alumnae who were on campus at various times last spring. Next was an NCGS (National Coalition of Girls Schools) conference in New York, and after realizing that
the message was well received in Tennessee and New York, we had the fuel to keep it going. We had sparked meaningful conversations at Harpeth Hall, in the work place, and at the dinner table. After giving a short presentation to upper school parents in September, we then moved directly to our most important audience — the 410 students in the upper school. In November and December, we presented our ideas in a more interactive way to each upper school class. The response was positive and the discussions continued in the lobbies and lunch tables. We also presented
“Bridging the Confidence Gap in the Classroom” at the National Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference in San Francisco in February, 2016. We admit that the culture shift is not complete, but our students are catching themselves when one of these inhibitors stops them cold. They now know how to identify the inhibitors, and they can talk themselves or a friend back into the game. We see thoughts turned into action as we work with our students to live, learn, teach, question, recover, speak, write, and lead confidently.
Winter 2016
1 5 0 t h A NNI V E R S A RY
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1 50th A N N I V ER S A RY H I S TO RY
Meet Annie Allison by Miller Wild Callen ’94
From the days
She never drove a car, flew in an airplane, or saw a movie.
our respective She never used a washing machine or a computer, and she certainly never conceived of
left their children in the care of Miss Annie mothers
wireless projectors, Google Drive, or Haiku common in today’s Harpeth Hall classrooms. She never voted until age 50. She never married and never had a child, yet Annie Claybrooke Allison was one of Nashville’s most esteemed educators whose “girls” numbered in the thousands.
The first classroom for this remarkable teacher came when she was a toddler. Her mother, Margaret Caldwell Allison, prepared a teaching corner in their home for Annie’s older siblings. Baby Annie invariably ended up in the middle of the lessons, and from that she has striven young age, she exhibited an insatiable appetite to learn. These early “school days” planted the seeds of her lifetime pursuit of education, according to Annie Was a Lady by Dakie mightily to educate C. Cowan.
us and turn out Annie’s mother died at a young age, and it came as no surprise that on her deathbed, she young ladies. made her husband promise to “see to the girls’ education.” Annie and her sisters moved to
— Class History 1937
Nashville, and Annie continued to prove herself a diligent and bright student.
As time passed and opportunities for educating young women expanded locally and nationally, Annie’s grandmother encouraged her to apply to George Peabody College for Teachers. During this time, Annie lost her father and both sisters to disease, leaving her the head of her family at age 20. Despite such hardships, Annie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Latin, and a minor in French. Following her studies, Annie skillfully tutored the children of many socially prominent Nashville families.
was profoundly motivated and inspired her students with her quiet grandeur. Miss Annie
Just after the turn of the century, Annie realized her dream of opening her own school. Although her tutoring experience included all ages and genders, Annie seemed driven to educate other young women. At age 40, Annie opened Miss Annie Allison’s Girls Preparatory School on 23rd Avenue. The school quickly gained a reputation for its modern educational principles where “vivacious, refined little women” went to “have their cup of knowledge filled. It was an atmosphere of flash cards, phonics, grade-skipping, rewards for excellence and foreign language taught early to bright minds.” Miss Annie served as head of school, and she taught her favorite subjects, high school French, Latin, and English. According to former students Virginia Puryear Goodpasture and Sarah Puryear Rodes, Miss Annie “expected the best of her pupils at HALLWAYS
all times.” She “never left a subject incomplete, but with great concern she would coax the student in discovering the correct answer. Praise and thoroughness were ever the props of her classroom manner.” Miss Annie was profoundly motivated and inspired her students with her ‘quiet grandeur’. Class sizes were small (seven to 10 students), and students “were encouraged through debates, discussions, and essays. Miss Annie saw to it that we could both speak and think on our feet. This was not the custom of the day, and women were not generally encouraged to articulate their opinions and feelings. Her passion seemed to be that each girl would feel she was special and her ideas were of great value.” Annie always had her finger on the pulse of current events. During World War I, Miss Annie’s School was intimately
In 1923, an illness forced Annie to close her school at which time most of her students continued their education at the merged institution of Ward Seminary and Belmont College for Young Women: Ward-Belmont. When Ward-Belmont was established, the school began with the primary grades so that the students of Ward Seminary’s grammar school classes could continue their schooling without interruption. The Little School, as it was called, was always quite small with four to eight students. In 1924, Ward-Belmont President J.D. Blanton offered Annie a job as head of The Little School, and in 1925, she was installed as principal of the high school, a position she held for 20 years. During that time, Dr. Blanton and subsequent Ward-Belmont presidents entrusted Annie with hiring the high school academic faculty. “Her pattern was to engage teachers who were bright, motivated women dedicated to the classical education offered on campus.” Many of these teachers were products of Miss Annie’s School or Ward-Belmont, including Mary Elizabeth Cayce ’28 and Patty Litton Chadwell ’35.
involved in the war effort, making children’s clothing for orphans, rolling bandages for the hospitals, and knitting sweaters and scarves for the soldiers. November 5, 1920, marked a memorable day at Miss Annie’s School when a student was pulled from her classroom to take a telephone call from her mother, well-known suffragette Anne Dallas Dudley, sharing the news that Tennessee’s state legislature had ratified the 19th Amendment as the decisive 36th state needed to amend the U.S. Constitution and give women the right to vote. Annie Allison was a great admirer of Anne Dallas Dudley’s, and these two leaders “remained constant in their mutual esteem and diligence in making voters out of Southern women.”
In 1945 when she reached age 73, Annie Allison passed her torch to her young protégé, Susan S. Souby. For two decades, she had inspired young females to reach their potential. Her retirement reception was a gala affair during which a portrait of her was presented to the Ward-Belmont community in her honor with the following message: You, Miss Annie Claybrooke Allison are a symbol and example to us of excellence in education, gentleness in disposition, and ladylike charm. Your influence will continue to inspire our children’s children. When Harpeth Hall was established on the P.M. Estes Estate in 1951, a library was named in honor of Annie Allison. Today, the Annie Allison collection, totaling more than 20,000 volumes and databases, resides in the Ann Scott Carell Library. In addition, the portrait of Annie Allison hangs in the WardBelmont Room in Souby Hall along with a portrait of Susan S. Souby, Miss Annie’s protégé who would become Harpeth Hall’s first headmistress. — Quotations taken from Annie Was a Lady by Dakie C. Cowan
Winter 2016
1 5 0 t h A NNI V E R S A RY
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150th ANNIVERSARY
16
SESQUICENTENNIAL UPDATE
Celebrating Our150 Years In opening convocation remarks on August 19, 2015, Head of School Dr. Stephanie Balmer shared vignettes of three remarkable Ward Seminary and Ward-Belmont alumnae who lived lives of intention and purpose, lives of profound consequence that impact all of us today. These extraordinary women — Anne Dallas Dudley, Cornelia Fort, and Dr. Mildred Stahlman — were just like today’s Harpeth Hall students: Young women who were hungry to learn, ready to rise to new
challenges. Like these women, said Dr. Balmer to the students, “We want you to strive each and every day to be your authentic self, to be an independent thinker, and to have big dreams. You are today’s Harpeth Hall students, and you stand on the shoulders of more than 5,000 Ward Seminary, Ward-Belmont, and Harpeth Hall alumnae who came before you. You are Harpeth Hall’s best traditions and the world’s bright future.”
A Recap of the Fall and Winter 150th Events
Sunday on Souby
Our Seventh Annual Sunday on Souby Fall Festival on September 20 took on an old-fashioned approach as alumna (and very good sport) Grace Clayton ‘01 dressed as the Sesquicentennial May Queen. Harpeth Hall’s Lady of the Hall is a direct descendant from Ward-Belmont’s May Queen. Some students dressed in 1865-era costumes to commemorate our 150th Anniversary, and visitors enjoyed an archives exhibit featuring memorabilia from Ward Seminary, Ward-Belmont, and Harpeth Hall. Historic photographs, Patty Chadwell’s Ward-Belmont/ Harpeth Hall tennis hat, and a beloved pair of green culottes were some of the many items on display.
HALLWAYS
SPRING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Stephanie Rothenberg ’ 08 visits with our young thespians.
17
150th ANNIVERSARY
150th Anniversary
}Student Anniversary Performance March 31, 2016 }Reunion 2016 May 6-7, 2016 }Plaid Dash 5K May 7, 2016 }Heads of School Panel Join current and former Harpeth Hall heads of school as they discuss the evolution of the school. May 7, 2016
Founder’s Day Assembly
150th
Commemorative Items for Sale (All items available in the Harpeth Hall Bear Necessities Store in Souby Hall)
}150th Anniversary Book All-Girls Education from Ward Seminary to Harpeth Hall, 1865-2015 by Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel Harpeth Hall (Poster)
Color Render R2
}Souby Hall Poster Harpeth Hall joins Anderson Design Group’s iconic series of Spirit of Nashville posters to create a poster featuring Souby Hall.
116 29th ave. north • nashville, tn 37203 • 615-327-9894 • www.andersondesigngroup.com
}150th Special Edition Teddy Bear
150th Website
Visit www.harpethhall.org/150th • Coverage of our 150th Events • History Timeline • Access To Online Archives
Social Media
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at #HarpethHall150 to view updates and photos from our 150th year.
On September 21, 2015, Harpeth Hall students, faculty, and members of the Board of Trustees gathered in the Frances Bond Davis Theatre to celebrate our 150th Anniversary with a special assembly. Featured speakers were John Beasley who served on Harpeth Hall’s Board of Trustees from 1975-1982 and was chairman of the board from 1977 to 1981, and alumna Stephanie Rothenberg ’08 who starred last summer as Maria Von Trapp in the critically acclaimed production of The Sound of Music at The Stratford Festival — North America’s largest classical repertory theater. We also unveiled the inspirational 150th Anniversary video. Visit www.harpethhall.org/150th to read our speakers’ complete remarks and watch the video.
Leadership Dinner
At our annual Leadership Dinner on September 29, we recognized leadership donors, volunteers, and Founders Society members in addition to honoring the families of Harpeth Hall’s original charter members and founding trustees and the families of Ward Seminary founders, Eliza and William E. Ward.
Upper School Fall Drama
More than 100 years ago, students from Ward Seminary presented Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As reported in the Nashville Tennessean, the 1912 production was held “outdoors under the forest trees at Ward Place in Nashville.” Paying homage to Ward Seminary’s performance, Denice Hicks, artistic director of Nashville Shakespeare Festival, directed a delightful performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on October 29-31 that featured Harpeth Hall and Montgomery Bell Academy students.
Ward-Belmont and Beyond Coffee
Our annual Ward-Belmont and Beyond Coffee on October 27, was an opportunity for our fifth-grade students to interview alumnae and learn about the history and traditions that Harpeth Hall shares with its predecessor schools, Ward Seminary and Ward-Belmont. Photos on page 34.
150th Anniversary Celebration
At press-time, the Harpeth Hall Parents Association marked the 150th anniversary of the school with dinner and a special night of entertainment featuring alumna and Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Amy Grant Gill ’78. More than 600 parents, alumnae, faculty, and friends of the school attended the event. Winter 2016
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REAL
the ReeseWitherspoon by Miller Wild Callen ’94
hen I was in eighth grade, one of my Student Council responsibilities was
writing daily announcements on the large white marker board that hung in the middle school hallway. I will never forget writing, “Congratulations Reese on getting
a part in Man in the Moon!” I spent the ensuing months trying, without success, to convince my parents to send me to live with Reese on set in rural Louisiana the summer before our freshman year at Harpeth Hall. That summer of 1990 marked the beginning of Reese’s extraordinary 25-year-and-counting career. (I stayed home and fed the neighbor’s cat.) Recipients of the Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont’s Distinguished Alumna Award are impressive and inspiring in their vision, skill, and commitment to making things happen. Reese Witherspoon, ’94, the 2016 Distinguished Alumna, is that and more. HALLWAYS HALLWAYS
It has been deeply rewarding for the Harpeth Hall community to see Reese recognized so widely for her extraordinary career and accomplishments. And it comes as no surprise.
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2016 WARD -BELMONT/HARPETH HALL DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA
Reese was warm, friendly, and hilarious. She was insightful, intellectually astute, and justifiably self-assured. She was honest, a straight shooter, and her opinions were the result of real attention and contemplation.
Ask any of Reese’s classmates from the class of 1994, and they will tell you that even in high school, they knew Reese would be successful. “She was born that way,” said Madie McKnight Smith ’94. Reese exemplifies success “not only as an actress, but also as an entrepreneur, as an advocate for women and children, and most importantly as a mother.” So, what was Reese like as a Harpeth Hall student? She was already a working actor, but that never stopped her from being very involved at school.
She took AP classes; she was a cheerleader; she loved Mr. Goodwin’s photography classes; and she relaxed in the Bear Lair with the rest of us. Reese was warm, friendly, and hilarious. She was insightful, intellectually astute, and justifiably self-assured. She was honest, a straight shooter, and her opinions were the result of real attention and contemplation. “She’s always been one to tell it to you straight,” said Ashley McAdams ’94. “That honesty — to herself, her friends, her family, and fans — has taken her far.” continued on page 20 Winter Winter 2016 2016
She was all those things, and she still is both sincere and authentic. When Reese returned to campus in November to receive the Distinguished Alumna Award, she arrived at Kirkman House for a small luncheon, greeted me with her award-winning smile, and we fell into the easy banter of old friends:
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“I can’t believe your oldest is in fifth-grade.” “I can’t believe your oldest has a driver’s license.” “Here, hold my speech, you’ve been organized since we were 12.” “Do you remember when . . . . ” And so on. Reese greeted her former teachers at the luncheon equally as warmly: “Hey Mr. Tuz, Mr. Wert, Dr. Cooper—gosh, I don’t know any of your first names! What am I supposed to call you?” She even inquired about Dr. Echerd’s “medieval sleeves” shirt (yes, he’s had that shirt for decades). But the conversation over lunch wasn’t all social - it ranged from the state of American publishing to the sexism still evident in Hollywood. With Reese, conversation always gets past the superficial. Reese is incredibly well-read, a great thinker, and a person of philosophical and intellectual depth, so it is no surprise she wanted to spend time reconnecting with Harpeth Hall faculty whom she has long respected and admired. When it comes to referencing Harpeth Hall as an important chapter in her life, she is always quick to recognize her teachers. During her speech at the all-school assembly after lunch, Reese encouraged students to “listen to your teachers. A truly great teacher can teach you more about yourself than any specific subject, and they’ll stay with you long after you graduate — especially the wonderful teachers here at Harpeth Hall.” Reese recalled how Dr. Echerd “taught me so much about the importance of understanding other cultures. He taught me to be a citizen of the world.” Mr. Tuzenu “instilled in me a love of languages and gave me the courage to communicate in other languages.” She learned the discipline of homework from Mr. Wert and the importance of “working to the best of your ability at something, even if it isn’t your life’s passion.”
Reese Witherspoon is a Woman of the Year because . . . “She’s making movies, telling stories, giving women opportunities — all because she wants her daughter to have an example of what it’s like to be a responsible human.” — Comedian and Glamour’s 2011 Woman of the Year Chelsea Handler
Reese also credited former faculty member Margaret Renkl, her sophomore and junior English teacher, with “the greatest gift of my career, which is being able to analyze literature. She taught me to relate characters to other people I have known and to try to unlock the truth of human behavior through storytelling — which is why I have been able to understand every character I have played, from Elle Woods to Cheryl Strayed, with more clarity, and why I am able to help authors turn their novels like Gone Girl and Luckiest Girl Alive into screenplays. I understand the power of great storytelling because of Ms. Renkl.” Reese also encouraged students to take risks and to make mistakes. “It’s important to be brave . . . . Even if it’s not your strong suit, try some things. Even if you’re not an artist, take an art class. If you’re not an athlete, join a team. You’ll learn about collaboration, respect, and leadership.” Reese has never been one to sit on the sidelines. “I had to be brave,” Reese said of her early career. “I had to push myself to feel comfortable living
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“And I want to say that my grandmother was one of the biggest inspirations in my life. She taught me how to be a real woman, to have strength and self-respect, and never to give those things away. And those are a lot of qualities I saw in June Carter Cash. People used to ask June how she was doing, and she used to say — ‘I’m just trying to matter.’ And I know what she means. You know, I’m just trying to matter and live a good life and make work that means something to somebody. And you have all made me feel that I might have accomplished that tonight. So thank you so much for this honor. — Excerpted from 2006 Academy Award speech for Best Actress in Walk the Line
in California, where I knew no one, in a business in which I had no friends.” “Successful people always take risks,” said Ashley McAdams, ’94. “Reese has never been afraid to do that in work and in life. Sometimes it pays off in droves (hello, an Oscar!), and sometimes it flops, but Reese learns and grows from it both personally and professionally.” In her speech, Reese encouraged students to “climb a mountain…and I don’t mean the metaphorical ‘climb a mountain’ — I mean go outside and get up that mountain. I’ve done it. It’s hard! But it’s worth it.” Friend and classmate Lissa Ezell Watkins ’94 said, “I have always admired the way Reese sets her sights on something (large, like career aspirations or humanitarian endeavors; or small, like the winter formal after-party!) and just makes it happen. She see things through in a way that is gracious and with plenty of time to enjoy and share the fruits of her labors. Yes, she is gifted in many ways — brilliant, charming, a fantastic work-ethic, but Reese Witherspoon greeted her former teachers. I think the manner in which she applies those qualities is the secret to her success. She has vision, drive, and finesse.” As we celebrate our 150th year, there is no better role model to influence Harpeth Hall’s current generation of girls and young women. Since her time as a young woman at Harpeth Hall, Reese has had a clear vision for herself. She has demonstrated so many values that we cherish at Harpeth Hall — confidence, courage, integrity, and resilience. Throughout her impressive career, she has aimed high at every turn, worked hard to reach her goals, and achieved remarkable success in film. Her tenacity and ambition have contributed to her being one of the most influential people in her industry. We didn’t need an Election to select the 2016 Distinguished Alumna because we are simply Wild about her. We were over the Man in the Moon excited to have her back at Harpeth Hall, and the class of 1994 can say, with considerable pride, we knew her when she was From left: Dr. Stephanie Balmer, Paul Tuzeneu, Peter Goodwin, Janette Fox Klocko, Tony Springman, just a girl with big dreams and an even bigger heart. Reese Witherspoon, Dr. Jim Cooper, Dr. Art Eckerd, Margie Martin, and Margaret Renkl. Winter 2016
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business ventures •
In March 2012, Reese Witherspoon merged her Type A Films with producer Bruna Panadrea’s Make Movies banner to create a new production company entitled Pacific Standard. In 2015, the production company produced the critically acclaimed Wild, in which Reese starred, and Gone Girl. With Pacific Standard, Reese’s goal is to adapt more books by female authors and bring more complex, interesting female roles to the big screen. Pacific Standard has 32 projects in the works that put women front and center.
•
In May 2015, she launched Draper James, a retail brand with a focus on fashion, accessories, and home décor inspired by the American South. The brand is named after her grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon, who greatly influenced her. The brand launched to consumers online. Its first store opened in Nashville in October.
“I went to Harpeth Hall, a wonderful all-girls school in Nashville that encouraged us to see ourselves as working women in the world, to speak up for ourselves, to ask for equal pay, and to advocate for gender equality.” — E! Online
e 31 movie awards e 81 nominations
2016
Reese Witherspoon ’94
e 2016 Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Distinguished Alumna Award in November 2015
e Glamour’s Woman of the Year event in November 2015
e 29th American Cinematheque Award in October 2015
e Forbes’ list of world’s highest-paid actresses in August 2015
e Time’s list of 100 Most
Influential People in April 2015
e 2014 — Her portrayal of Cheryl
Strayed in Wild earned Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG, Critics’ Choice, and BAFTA Award nominations
e 2006 — Her extraordinary performance as June Carter Cash in the 20th Century Fox bio, Walk the Line, earned her the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role as well as the:
• BAFTA Award • Golden Globe Award • Screen Actors Guild Award • New York Film Critics’ Award • Broadcast Film Critics’ Award • People’s Choice Award • Teen Choice Award
e Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2010
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“The best advice I can give to anyone about the future is be curious. If you’re curious, you’ll never be bored. The world will open up to you over and over.” — To Harpeth Hall students, November 12, 2015
philanthropy Strong supporter of the •passage of the International
Violence Against Women Act, which creates a comprehensive approach to combat violence Supporter of the Rape •Treatment Center at Santa
Monica-UCLA Medical Center
supporter of Save •theLongtime Children, an organization that helps provide children around the world with education, health care and emergency aid
Serves on board of the •Children’s Defense Fund, a child advocacy and research group First global ambassador of •cosmetic company Avon
Products and serves as honorary chair of the Avon Foundation, a charitable organization that supports women and focuses on breast cancer research and the prevention of domestic violence Supporter of Stand Up to •Cancer, an initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now
Retail company Draper James •supports Girls Inc. and its incredible commitment to helping young women become entrepreneurs, effective leaders, and creators of social change
Winter 2016
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ACTS OF KINDNESS: 2016 ALUMNAE SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT
Kitty Davis Murfree ’65
Kitty Murfree ’65 at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. HALLWAYS
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he more I learn about Kitty Davis Murfree, the more I admire her.
I honestly don’t know how she gets so much done, and with the thoroughness for which she is known. My favorite quote about her as the Harpeth Hall National Advisory Council considered her nomination for the 2016 Spirit of Service Award was, “She doesn’t just give money. She contributes pure grit to any cause she takes up.” However, what struck me most was while she does numerous big volunteer projects, the people I spoke with were replete with stories of small, individual acts of kindness and service that no one ever knows about. Kitty grew up in Nashville and has made her mark in several different areas of service in Nashville and in Murfreesboro where she lives currently. She volunteers for the medical community by serving on three different hospital/medical boards — Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Canby Robinson Society, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. She didn’t just serve as a board member, but eventually served as the chairperson for each one of these boards. In 2003, she led the board of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital when it ceased to be a wing of Vanderbilt Medical Center and became the free-standing entity it is today. She helped shepherd the children’s hospital through building its own facility at this same time. She has also served as chairperson of the Steeplechase, the children hospital’s main annual fundraiser, which involves a 15-month commitment averaging 30 hours of work per week. As a supporter of Vanderbilt Medical School, Kitty helps greet, tour, and inform more than 200 potential medical students during Second Look Weekend enabling Vanderbilt to compete successfully for the best and the brightest students for its medical program. The stakes are high as only 88 students are ultimately selected out of 5,000 applicants, and Kitty makes sure Vanderbilt attracts the top candidates for those 88 spots. She also serves on and has chaired the Canby Robinson Society, where it is her job to review 50 of those 88 candidates in order to award two scholarships. Board members spend days reading all the materials on each one of the candidates and then meet numerous times to discuss them thoroughly. Once the two candidates are selected, the board members mentor them through their ensuing four years of medical school, meeting with them regularly, often having meals with them, advising, and encouraging them. Kitty doesn’t just have a meal with the students she mentors — she invites them to her home for dinner, celebrates their birthdays, and attends their graduations.
She has supported education on a grand scale. She led the fundraising effort to endow a chair at Middle Tennessee State University in dyslexia studies at a time when people didn’t speak about dyslexia, much less raise funds to study it. Kitty has helped bring dyslexia to the forefront of dialogues about disabilities and the search for solutions. She is committed on a personal level and still takes calls from families who have just found out they have a dyslexic child and don’t know what to do or where to turn. Kitty supports the arts and civic life. She served as chairperson of the Swan Ball to raise funds for Cheekwood in 1999. She led the campaign to bring a YMCA to Rutherford County with her wish that families outside of Nashville would have the same facilities and opportunities that people in Nashville had. She is a member of the Colonial Dames and an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. It is remarkable that when Kitty married and moved to Murfreesboro, she did not give up any of her volunteer work in Nashville. Instead she remained committed and kept a schedule that would exhaust anyone. She then looked around her new community for causes she could champion to benefit the people there. She has made such a difference in Murfreesboro that she was named the 2009 recipient of the Rutherford County Humanitarian Award. One nominator told me that her mother lived in Rutherford County, and Kitty always picked her up for any social function her mother wanted to attend. As her mother aged and became less mobile, Kitty continued to do this even though “it became increasingly difficult to transport my mother anywhere.” According to her friends and colleagues, Kitty is “not a one and done” volunteer. She has been committed to serving others her entire life. She does not roll off of a board or complete a project and take a rest. She remains a committed and invested leader. Another individual said that Kitty is “not only good at getting people to part with their money, but getting them to volunteer to do things.” She was described as someone who “is straight forward, but kind” and “someone who always notices what others need.” For her decades of serving the Nashville and Murfreesboro communities since her graduation from Harpeth Hall in 1965, we are proud to honor Kitty Davis Murfree for her lifelong Spirit of Service. by Margaret Napier Morford ’73, Harpeth Hall National Advisory Council member
Winter 2016
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What does it mean to have a
A
S R E P P E C L
T IV E?
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GLOBAL FOCUS
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New Zealand
England
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Japan
Uganda
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Spain
Harpeth Hall develops responsible citizens who have global perspectives and make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world. — Excerpted from Harpeth Hall’s Mission Statement
Ever consider
what happens to that desktop when you upgrade to a new iMac or your iPhone 6 when you are ready to upgrade this summer for the iPhone 7? Harpeth Hall senior Maddie Peterson does. In fact, she’s become obsessed with electronic waste. “In the current digital revolution, we are producing gadgets at a rate that makes disposing of them impossible. The dramatic impact on the communities where waste from larger, developed countries is dumped to be turned into raw materials is incredibly sad. Some of the effects have included sterility in women and birth defects in children. But, despite all these adverse effects, no one seems to know about this issue or thinks about where their old iPhone goes,” explains Maddie. Maddie is one of seven seniors who will graduate in May with the Global Scholars designation. Begun in 2014, the Global Scholars program is an upper school initiative that:
• Pushes students to think beyond the geographic and cultural boundaries of the familiar in order to develop leadership skills necessary to become effective and responsible global citizens.
• Encourages cross-cultural connections and interdisciplinary modes of thinking in order to help students develop not only empathy but also the capacities with which to act.
• Cultivates analytical skills necessary to synthesize, communicate and collaborate in creating solutions to the most pressing problems of our ever-changing world.
“The designation of being a Global Scholar means that these students went above and beyond the required Harpeth Hall curriculum. They don’t get any special designation on their transcript or a special ribbon on their diploma. They signed on just to learn and to broaden their knowledge,” said Elizabeth Allen, co-director of the program and upper school world language department chair. Interested students apply the spring of their sophomore year. After acceptance, they agree to go beyond Harpeth Hall’s graduation requirements and choose from a list of nine electives focused on global issues, such as environmental science, religions of the world, contemporary issues or AP European History. In addition, most will take a fourth year of language. continued on page 30
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The designation of being a Global Scholar means that these students went above and beyond the required Harpeth Hall curriculum. They don’t get any special designation on their transcript or a special ribbon on their diploma. They signed on just
to learn and to broaden their knowledge. — Elizabeth Allen, co-director of the program
2016 Senior Capstone Projects
Courtney Dunn Courtney Dunn CAPSTONE PROJECT: Religions of the World My senior project is focused on religious coexistence among diverse groups. During my fall semester, I am taking an elective called “The Religions of the World” to learn detailed backgrounds of each theology. I will be interviewing various religious leaders in the community at their houses of worship. I plan to educate peers on HALLWAYS
Sloane Fuller the diverse faiths that we have in one city to ultimately open people’s eyes to coexistence.
Sloane Fuller CAPSTONE PROJECT: Nuclear Nonproliferation My capstone project concerns nuclear nonproliferation and the recent deal brokered between the United States and Iran. Last year, I led a discussion about the broader implications of a nuclear Iran and
Taylor Hardin felt that there was a lot left unsaid. As someone who avidly watches the news, I have been surprised by how drastically facts can be taken out of context by the media in order to elicit certain opinions either in favor of or against the deal.
Taylor Hardin CAPSTONE PROJECT: Global Equal Education My capstone project is on how girls’ education differs globally focusing
Keely Hendricks on the United States, China, and Afghanistan. I think equal education is a human right. It troubles me that 62 million girls are not given this right. I have learned that often times the lack of female education is a cultural issue. It is hard to change something that has been the culture for thousands of years. I also have learned that countries with educated girls and women on average have higher life
Hannah Huth expectancy rates, lower infant mortality rates, and higher quality of life.
Keely Hendricks CAPSTONE PROJECT: Bilingual documentary on Hispanic immigrants in Nashville My capstone project is a bilingual documentary on Hispanic immigrants in Nashville. Ever since I learned Spanish, I have had touching conversations with immigrants from
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Megan Pask, laboratory manager in Biomedical Engineering, and Dr. Rick Haselton, professor of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, discuss the spread of infectious diseases around the world.
Maddie Peterson Central America who have made astounding sacrifices for the sake of education, safety, and opportunity. I wanted to dig deeper into these conversations as well as to share their hardships and triumphs with the greater Nashville community. My hope is that the topic of immigration will be humanized by their stories, and that those watching will gain a new respect and empathy for their Latino neighbors. HALLWAYS
Emma Roke Hannah Huth CAPSTONE PROJECT:
interest in the topic of nation development and the fact that health rank is not factored into these calculations.
Examining the Global Health Statistics and Rankings
Maddie Peterson CAPSTONE PROJECT:
I joined global scholars to gain a greater understanding of global issues with a specific interest in health. When I was thinking about my capstone project, I wanted to study a topic related to health but relevant in every country. I reflected on our speakers and topics and found most
My capstone project is about electronic waste. I have been most surprised by the massive impact of this issue. In the current digital revolution, we are producing gadgets at a rate that makes disposing of them impossible. The dramatic impact on the communities where waste
Electronic Waste
from larger, developed countries is dumped to be turned into raw materials is incredibly sad. Some of the effects have included sterility in women and birth defects in children. Despite all these adverse effects, no one seems to know about this issue or thinks about where their old iPhone goes.
Emma Roke CAPSTONE PROJECT: Urban Space and Sustainable Living My capstone project focuses on urban space and sustainable living. The
goal is to create a model of a living arrangement that is both self-sustaining and makes the most of the little urban space we have left. I find it very interesting how we are essentially running out of space, and instead of dealing with it we just keep building higher buildings. We need to take care of the Earth around us and make the most of the space that is given to us. I hope to be one of the many helping to start this conversation.
What Does it Mean to Have A Global Perspective?
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An individual with a global perspective has these skills and knowledge:
• Knowledge of modern geographic locations • Familiarity with current events • Practice in world languages • Communication and conflict resolution skills
An individual with a global perspective has these values:
• Awareness of and respect for cultures and perspectives • Appreciation of global interdependence
• Moral Courage
— SOURCE: HARPETH HALL GLOBAL COMMITTEE, 2015 continued from page 26
In their junior year, scholars participate in at least one globalcentered school club and fulfill service learning with a global mission. The juniors, and there are 12 in this year’s group, also lead monthly conversations on topics of their choosing. They research the topics, distribute out articles and materials in advance, and facilitate the discussions.
the scholars. “He returned to Afghanistan in his retirement to build schools for young girls. His heart had been moved by one destitute girl he met in a refugee camp, and he returns year after year to ensure that girls like her have hope and a future despite the war, poverty, and institutional sexism surrounding them,” said Keely.
“This provides more students the opportunity to explore global and diverse perspectives in a variety of ways. It inspires more conversations to address what’s going on in the world,” said Katy Bowers, co-director, adding, “One student mentioned after participating in conversations here, she felt she could hold her own at home during dinner conversations.”
Through their own research, monthly conversations, and guest speakers, juniors begin to formulate ideas for a senior capstone project. Once the topic is selected, students are paired with on-campus mentors.
Senior Keely Hendricks recalled the topic she offered as a junior: “I led a discussion on the conundrum of development in regards to native people around the world. There is concern amongst policy-makers and anthropologists over the extent to which indigenous communities can develop before they lose their culture. “I experienced this friction first-hand during Winterim when I stayed in an indigenous Embera village in Panama. Using Panama as a case study, I asked my Global Scholars group if curtailing development for the sake of identity is ethical. We had a lively discussion on the elusive definition of ‘development’ and how historical communities should, or shouldn’t, be allowed to evolve,” said Keely. Some of this year’s topics have included global wealth distribution, colonizing Mars, the Syrian refugee crisis, and child slavery in Haiti. The Global Scholars also host guest speakers who share experiences and stories from their global perspectives. Retired Lt. Gen. John Bradley’s presentation had a deep impact on HALLWAYS
Keely Hendricks is focusing on the immigrant population in Nashville. “So far, I have been most surprised by how strong Hispanic immigrants are despite the odds. Despite financial and linguistic barriers, despite heartbreaking separation from family, and despite grueling work hours to make ends meet, they are resilient, optimistic, and grateful,” said Keely. The students in this inaugural program have a much deeper and broader understanding of what it means to live out Harpeth Hall’s mission of being a responsible citizen who has a global perspective and will make a meaningful contribution to her community and the world. “In order to be a good citizen it is imperative that you understand what is going on around you, and that you can understand all sides of the issue,” said Emma Roke. Echoing her, Keely added, “I decided to join Global Scholars because there were one too many dinner discussions in which I felt too self-conscious to participate. I wanted to feel informed enough to form my own opinions about current events, and I wanted to be a more engaged, active global citizen.” by Joanne Mamenta, director of Communications and Public Relations
NEW HARPETH HALL TRUSTEES
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Brie Brown Buchanan ’99 Brie Brown Buchanan ’99 is an associate attorney in the intellectual property litigation group at McGuire Woods in Atlanta. Brie received her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and her undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern University. She has served on the Harpeth Hall National Advisory Council and on the Distinguished Alumna Selection Committee. She and her husband Ryan have two young daughters, Brynn and Keller.
Craig Buffkin Craig Buffkin is the founder and managing partner of The Buffkin Group, a boutique retained search firm. Craig graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his M.B.A. from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Craig and his wife Heather have three children: Caroline ’16, son Charles who is in ninth grade at Montgomery Bell Academy, and Francie who is in fifth grade at Oak Hill School.
Patty Litton Delony ’66 Patty Litton Delony is a retired financial consultant. She has an undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University and an M.B.A. in finance from Georgia State University. Patty has served on the National Advisory Council, the Distinguished Alumna Selection Committee, the Annual Fund Alumnae Gifts Committee, and was the 2001 Alumnae Reunion Chair. Patty is the daughter of Jane Chadwell Delony ‘39 and the niece of Patty Litton Chadwell ’35, for whom the fitness center and the upper tennis courts are named. She resides in Chicago.
Frank Majors Frank Majors is a co-founder and director of Nephila Capital Ltd., which is the leading investment manager specializing in reinsurance risk. He received his B.A. in economics from Vanderbilt University, an M.B.A. in finance from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, and is a holder of the CFA designation. Frank and his wife Maxine are the parents of Lily ’21 and Olivia ’23.
Amit Misra Amit Misra is vice president and product owner at naviHealth. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University, where he also earned an M.B.A. in finance and strategy. Amit completed his undergraduate work in electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi, India. Amit and his wife Sumi have two daughters, Mohini ’19, Maya ’18, and a son, Nikhil, who is in second grade at Julia Green Elementary. The Misras chaired the ninth-grade class for the Annual Fund last year.
Carol Len Frist Portis Carol Len Frist Portis is the founder of LifeReach, LLC., which provides the public with equipment, effective skills, and necessary services to reduce anaphylactic deaths in America. She received her B.A. in health and exercise science from Furman University and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Belmont University. Carol Len and her husband, Scott, own and operate eight Moe’s Southwest Grill restaurants in Nashville. They have three children: Leah ’15, a freshman at Furman University, son McClain, a 10th grader at Montgomery Bell Academy, and Crissa, a sixth grader at Harding Academy. Carol Len is the granddaughter of Dorothy Cate Frist ‘30 for whom the first floor of the middle school is named. Winter 2016
Fall Events: Ward-Belmont and Beyond Coffee
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HALLWAYS
Fall Events: Sweet Send Off for the Class of 2015
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Birmingham, AL
Fall Events: Halloween Carnival Winter 2016
Winter Events: College Age Brunch
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WASHINGTON, DC
Winter Events: Holiday Party
Chicago
DALLAS
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Regional Gatherings
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WASHINGTON, DC
WASHINGTON, DC
WASHINGTON, DC
WASHINGTON, DC
DALLAS
DALLAS
DALLAS
WASHINGTON, DC
DALLAS
Winter 2016
Regional Gatherings
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NEW YORK
ATLANTA
CHICAGO
NEW YORK HALLWAYS
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IN MEMORIAM
Margaret Helen Lowe, Class of 2012
I
n the summer of 2015, Margaret Lowe did something extraordinary. With an organization called Bike & Build, she cycled 4,100 miles from coast to coast, building homes and advocating for affordable housing with her cycling mates—for the second summer. She returned to the University of Virginia to begin her fourth year as a Classics major with her sights set on taking the MCAT, fulfilling her dream to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail after graduation, and then going to medical school. On August 31, 2015, Margaret Helen Lowe unexpectedly and tragically suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while running on the track at Lannigan Field and passed away on September 1, with her parents, brothers, and Harpeth Hall classmate Anne Coogan by her side.
The Harpeth Hall community gathered together on December 18, 2015 in the Frances Bond Davis Theatre to demonstrate its love for Margaret and to share its grief. Moving musical performances were given by harpist Emily Stewart ’13, violinist Ellen DeWitt ’12, and the Harpeth Hall Chamber Choir. The Class of 2012 presented a painting by Taylor Heinze ’12 to hang in the upper school in Margaret’s memory. Anne Coogan ’12 and Caroline Hawkins ’12 shared remembrances of their beloved friend. Caroline read from a letter she received from Margaret while on her Bike & Build trip: “To everyone I had the pleasure to meet and the honor to know: I would like to reassure you that you are beautiful. But more importantly I would like to reassure you that your beauty is inconsequential when compared with your sense of humor, your charisma, your courage and kindness. Do not allow silly things like the color of your hair, the size of your thighs, or the shape of your toes to define you, or prevent you from doing anything so bold as being yourself. I dare you to be different, be unique, be YOU because the world would be a far less incredible place without you in it.” Varsity volleyball coach and assistant athletic director Jenny Greenstone remembered Margaret as a scholar athlete and an invaluable volleyball and tennis teammate. “Margaret lit up whatever room she was in with her energy and smile. She knew nothing less than giving 100 percent in everything that she did, whether it was in her leadership role on the volleyball court, on a bike ride across the country, or in her relationships with her peers. Her relationship with the Lord shined through in all that she did, serving and loving others with everything that she had. ” Latin teacher Ben Abraham, who sparked Margaret’s passion for Latin and the Classics, provided insight into Margaret’s brilliance and drive. He also expressed her impact as a student. “I can say as an absolute fact that Margaret’s presence in my classroom made me a better teacher. She was always able to ask the next logical question, take the next logical step in understanding. Or ask the question that no one was willing to ask. In short, she was willing to lead the way for her classmates. It was a gift to have such a gifted student in my classes for so long.” Margaret’s mother, Dr. Sandy Lowe, lifted up everyone in the theatre with sincere thanks on behalf of her husband Dr. Whitson Lowe and sons John and Mark for all the love and support they had received in this time of unimaginable loss. Sandy painted a poignant picture of her courageous daughter on her last cycling trip: “Margaret spoke of a tailwind as a symphony and a headwind as a monster. It was fitting that her nicknames were ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Monster.’ The time she spent looking down sweetened her views gazing up. These are experiences many of us will not have in a lifetime. She filled hers up. She fully lived every precious moment.” Margaret leaves a great legacy of brilliance, service, and kindness. At UVA, she was a beloved member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, a leader in the Inter-Sorority Council, a member of Reformed University Fellowship, co-chair of ADAPT (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team) where she counseled over 2,000 young people, and a volunteer coordinator for Camp Kesem in Charlottesville for children whose parents have cancer. At Harpeth Hall, Margaret served as an ambassador, Student Council treasurer, Logos staff writer, Students Against Drunk Driving president, Operation Smile treasurer, and she tutored children at Julia Green Elementary School. Margaret received the Eta Sigma Phi Latin Award, the Emmons Woolwine Outstanding Scholar Athlete Award, and the Elizabeth Pope Evans Award for having one of the top five GPAs in her class. Continuing to do the extraordinary, Margaret was an organ donor and provided five people with nine greatly needed new organs upon her death. Scholarships in Margaret’s name at Build & Build, Camp Kesem, and Harpeth Hall will carry on her beautiful spirit while supporting the organizations and causes she loved so much. Winter 2016
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1940 Dr. Mildred Stahl-
man was inducted into the inaugural class of eight to the Tennessee Health Care Hall of Fame. The hall of fame was created by Belmont University and the McWhorter Society with support from the Nashville Health Care Council as founding partner. Throughout her time as an instructor, professor, and practitioner of pediatrics and neonatology, Dr. Stahlman had more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and assisted in the training of more than 80 post-doctoral fellows from approximately 20 countries. During her career, Dr. Stahlman revolutionized the care of high-risk newborns by creating the world’s first modern neonatal intensive care unit in 1961. In addition, she helped establish the first Angel Transport Mobile Intensive Care Unit.
1944 Emmie Jackson
McDonald was selected as a 2015 Sage Awards Honoree by the Council on Aging in Nashville. The Sage Awards recognize older adults whose lives demonstrate a lifelong commitment of service to the local community.
1956 Carole Minton
Nelson is married to Edward Gage Nelson and spends her time volunteering, serving on multiple boards, and loving being a wife and mother. One of the fun facts about her is that she drew the logo for the Monroe Carell Jr. Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Irene Jackson Wills is an artist in watercolor and oils in Nashville, Tennessee. Her husband, Ridley, is the author of 21 historical HALLWAYS
class notes books about Tennessee. They have three sons who live in and help to make Nashville be a better place. Her sons are Dr. Morgan Wills, the president and CEO of Siloam Medical Clinic, a clinic that cares for underserved and culturally marginalized patients in our diversifying city; Tom Wills, the founder of The Contibutor a newspaper sold by the homeless and the former homeless people in Nashville; and Ridley Wills lll, the co-owner of the Wills Company, an awardwinning design, remodeling, and handyman firm located in West Nashville.
1957South Bound, Luann
Evans Landon’s book of narrative poems, will be published in the spring of 2016, by Turning Point. South Bound is a book of stories, told in verse, of both the old South and the new South. At times funny, at times sad, “This book,” to quote poet Rhina Espaillat, “is a treat and challenge to the imagination, and a pure pleasure.” It will be available on Amazon.com. Annie Orr Trost spoke at the Harpeth Hall Mother (Special Friend) — Daughter Coffee in October. Annie has a long history with Harpeth Hall. She and her three sisters are graduates of Harpeth Hall. Her daughters, Caroline Trost ’83 and Edith Trost Kirkland ’88, are both Harpeth Hall graduates; and she has four granddaughters who are current students, Eliza Trost ’16, Marguerite Trost ’18, Millie Kirkland ’19, and Evelyn Trost ’22. She spoke on the topic of longevity and continuity.
1961Vicki Pirkle
McCready retired from her position as the director and clinical professor of the Univeristy of North Carolina at Greensboro Speech and Hearing Center. She remains active professionally with the American Speech-LanguageHearing Association (ASHA) and as a volunteer tutor with a non-profit organization called Reading Connections.
1965 Jeanie Nelson
received an honorary degree of doctor of civil law from Sewanee: The University of the South at its Founders’ Day Convocation on October 16.
1966 Patricia Finks Gold-
en moved back to Nashville in 2014 following the death of her husband of 45 years, William Golden. She has two sons and five grandchildren. Patricia is a retired licensed clinical social worker. She retired in 2010 from a career working in a hospital with patients suffering from Alzheimer’s. Since she moved back to Nashville, she has been volunteering at her church and at a local senior and dementia care community. Patrica also enjoys playing tennis. Andrea Davis Harris lives in Montgomery, Alabama. She feels blessed that her children, grandchildren, and longtime significant other, Steve, all live in Montgomery near her. She is regent of the local DAR chapter and is active in her church and numerous other organizations. Andrea enjoys writing poetry. Margo Miller Kenney is thrilled that her oldest grandchild got married in November and hopes she will be a great grandparent soon.
Betty Harlin King moved to Atlanta after graduating from Vanderbilt where she met and married her husband, Sam. She has three grown children, Elizabeth, who worked at Harpeth Hall in the alumnae office before having Betty’s first three grandchildren: Margaret a second grader, Mary Waits a kindergartener, and Rutland who is 2 years old. Betty’s other daughter, Catherine, lives and works in Franklin, Tennessee and has 2-year old Lula and is expecting another baby during the spring of 2016. Ten years ago, Betty and her husband moved to the mountains of north Georgia and are enjoying the beauty of that area. They stay busy with various charity and church activities but try to get back to Franklin to see their family as often as possible. Sarah Stifler Lucas is a self-employed artist in Connecticut and was selected to paint the cover image for the Ocean House annual magazine. The Ocean House is a five star resort in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Also, she recently won first prize in the Annual Regional Exhibition at the Mystic Arts Center in Mystic, Connecticut. She is represented by six galleries from Florida to Newport, R.I. She and her husband, Tim, have two grandsons, Sasha and Sloan, with whom they love to spend time. Mary Hill Sanders has retired from nursing and owns a gifts and accessories online boutique called Peony Lane. She and her husband, Ben, live in Louisville, Kentucky. Ben has retired from active priesthood, and together they enjoy visiting with their three sons, two step-daughters, and their families, especially their three
grandchildren, all of whom are spread out across the country.
1971Craig Kelley
Adkisson is retired and enjoys spending time with her husband, Ken, who is the president of a Nashville architecture firm. She has two other architects in the family: her oldest son who is a candidate for master’s degree in architecture and urban design from Harvard University in May 2016, and her younger son who works at the Rockefeller Center headquarters for the world’s largest architecture firm in New York City. Sallie King Norton is enjoying her retirement from Harpeth Hall and fills her free time with her six grandchildren, including three new grand babies this year. She loves to volunteer and continues to work and travel with husband, Bill. Betsy Shapiro Silverman has been elected as the chair of the Board of Trustees for the Peddie School in Highstown, New Jersey.
1975 Lindy Neff Mamer
is the senior vice president of Commercial Banking at City National Bank in San Diego, California. She has been married for 35 years, has two daughters, and loves to travel.
1976 Kathy Herbert
Granger recently moved to the beautiful mountain area of San Diego County, California where she serves as superintendent for the Mountain Empire Unified School District, a K-12 school district in southeastern San Diego county. She and her husband, Rob, enjoy their free time gardening, hiking, and spending time with children and grandchildren. Joyce Johnson practices medicine at
Vanderbilt University Hospital and the Nashville Veterans Administration Hospital. Her youngest child, daughter Margaret, is an eighth-grader at Harpeth Hall; her son Matt, 25, is in graduate school, and daughter Anna, 22, recently finished college.
1977Julie Carell Stadler is the co-founder and creator of the Dance Network, a 24-hour subscription-only streaming channel devoted to dance. The network is based in Nashville and is the flagship tenant of the new Skyway Studios LLC, of which Julie is a partner. The newly opened studio is on 16 acres and in a 120,000-squarefoot campus formerly known as NorthStar Studios. It hopes to be an incubator of TV and film production in Nashville.
1978 Amy Grant Gill was
the first woman to be inducted into the Junior Achievement’s Business Hall of Fame. Amy was honored and celebrated by family, friends, students of Junior Achievement and community leaders at the induction ceremony in October. The Nashville Business Hall of Fame was established in 1991 by Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee to venerate icons of commerce and industry. The criteria for laureate selection include a demonstration of business excellence, courageous thinking and acting, inspired leadership, and community mindedness. Kristen Glasgow Solt has taken a new position with the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge Network as the strategic director of Global Market Engagement. In this position she will be driving the involvement of key stakeholders to
further the strategic implementation of American Cancer Society’s global initiatives across corporate, social, and public sectors. She also serves as the senior technical advisor for the expansion of Hope Lodges in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
1979 Susan Spickard
Gray has moved back to Nashville from North Carolina and is an adult nurse practitioner at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Nicki Pendleton Wood’s book, Southern Cooking for Company featuring more than 200 hospitality secrets and “show off ” recipes was released last summer with several local book signings.
1982 Kathleen Jackson
Estes chaired the 53rd Annual Swan Ball alongside fellow Harpeth Hall alumna Barby Speight White ’83. The Swan Ball benefits Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art.
1985 Lela Hollabaugh was
named as one of the Nashville Business Journal Women of Influence award recipients for 2016. The recipients are recognized for standing out in their fields, bringing their businesses to the forefront and helping others achieve success. Lela is the managing partner for Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. Katie Quillen Miller lives in Durham, North Carolina and is associate director at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She works with students who are pursuing a Health Sector Management Certificate while earning their MBA. She and her husband, George, have a son, Ben, who is a freshman in high school. They also have identical twin
daughters, Eliza and Grace, who are in seventh grade. Classmate Scottie Hill Belfi is godmother to all three children.
1986 Carol Cavin-Dillon
is the lead pastor at Christ United Methodist Church in Franklin Tennessee. She is pursuing her Doctor of Ministry degree from Wesley Theological Seminary. Carol’s daughter, Martha, is a member of the Harpeth Hall class of 2023. Jacqueline Saturn Dakar has been appointed as a co-general manager of Caroline, the Capital Music Group’s indie services division. She serves alongside Piero Giramonti, and the two of them oversee Caroline’s operations across its roster of labels and artists in addition to their current roles of heading up Capital’s Harvest Records. She was also named as one of Billboard’s Top 50 Women in Music. Carrie Doyle moved to Denver from the west coast in 2001. She married Matt Baker in 2002. They have a son named Charlie who was born in 2004. Carrie and her family moved from Denver to the Bay Area, California in 2012. The Episcopal School of Jacksonville’s Davis Award for Excellence in Teaching was given to Cathy Kanaday at the end of the 2014-15 school year. An English teacher in ESJ’s upper school, she was described as being “as serious about teaching as she is whimsical and witty. She takes risks and ventures into new territory always keeping the best interests of her students as her focus.” The purpose of the Davis Awards is “to recognize and reward teachers who personify quality in their teaching and in their influence Winter 2016
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40 on student learning. To recognize and reward teachers who consistently and unselfishly go above and beyond normal expectation of time, energy and devotion in working with students. To recognize the rare ability to motivate students to higher and higher levels of achievement. To recognize and reward teachers who have consistently made use of opportunities for continuing education to improve themselves professionally. To inspire all Episcopal teachers to pursue uncompromising excellence and caring in the classroom.” Shan Overton has completed her Ph.D. in theology and education at Boston College and is now the head chaplain at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Atlanta. Devereux Cummins Pollock has another Harpeth Hall alumna in the family. Her daughter, Grace Pollock ’15 is attending the University of Georgia. She also has twin sons, Fenner and Gordon, who are sophomores at MBA. She just celebrated her 22nd wedding anniversary with husband, Gordon.
1989 Jessica Gutow Viner has been hired as the associate director of Admission and Financial Aid at Harpeth Hall. Jessica has worked in undergraduate admissions for Vanderbilt University, Case Western Reserve University, and Conneticut College. She received her Bachelor of Arts in American studies from Wesleyan University and her Master of Education from Harvard University.
1991On August 6, Angie
Emery Henderson was elected to serve on Nashville’s Metro HALLWAYS
class notes Council as the representative for the 34th District. Marnie Reasor relocated from California to Nashville two years ago. She helps women struggling with menopausal symptoms find relief with effective natural solutions. Marnie is a certified classical homeopath and was voted Best Alternative Healing by the San Francisco Chronicle.
1994 Miller Wild Callen
returned to her alma mater as the advancement events and parent relations liaison. During the 2015-16 school year, she is coordinating events related to Harpeth Hall’s 150th Anniversary. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Washington & Lee University. She was previously the development coordinator for St. George’s Kindergarten. Appy Frenchman is an internal medicine physician with Heritage Medical Associates in Nashville. She has a broad scope of experience, previously working in private practices in Miami, Chicago, and New Jersey, ranging from adolescent medicine to geriatrics. Prior to joining Heritage Medical Associates, Appy served as an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University while working at the Nashville Veterans Administration Medical Center. Her current practice specializes in preventative medicine and focuses on the whole person to achieve optimal health and wellness. She especially enjoys the arts, particularly music and dance, and enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. Jaime Heller is an entertainment and corporate attorney in Nashville and has formed her
own law firm called, JR Heller Law, which is a national practice focusing on a wide array of the entertainment industry.
1995 Vadis Turner
displayed her feminine textile paintings at an exhibit entitled Time of Day at David Lusk Gallery in Nashville during the fall of 2015. The Nashville Scene has said that her “work recalls and builds upon the generations of feminist artists who came before her but the conversation is far from over” and that her “feminist textile paintings ask pointed questions of art viewers.” You can read more about Vadis and her art on her website: www. vadisturner.com. Anna Kristin Coker Yarbrough launched her first fabric collection under the label, Interior Canvas Home, in October. You can learn more at www.interiorcanvashome.com. She also continues to write her popular interior design blog, Interior Canvas, which is also featured on the same website as her fabrics. Anna Kristin lives in Nashville with her husband and three daughters, including Harpeth Hall fifthgrader, Cadman.
1996 In September 2014,
Leslie Caldwell Severns started her own business, Bosom Buddy, LLC in Nashville. Bosom Buddy provides in home lactation consultations, postpartum doula support, and pre and post natal private yoga sessions. Leslie loves working with mothers and babies, and her next goal is to complete a midwifery apprenticeship program. She is passionate about supporting other women in their journey of pregnancy,
birth, and motherhood. Kristin Smith lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil with her husband and 2-year old son, Gabriel, and is an IB English language and literature teacher at the Chapel School.
1997Holly Meadows
Baird has been hired as the executive director of the US Green Building Council Tennessee Chapter (USGBC TN). In this position, she will work with the nonprofit’s Board of Directors to transform buildings and places to create healthy, prosperous, and sustainable communities. Utilizing education, advocacy, and action, USGBC TN strives to regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life throughout Tennessee. Holly is a registered interior designer, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited professional, and has her Evidence-based Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC). Melissa Batchelor Rick has joined the Harpeth Hall faculty part-time as the drama teacher for sixth grade. Melissa has a Bachelor of Arts from Rhodes College in theater and a Master of Education in special education from Vanderbilt University. She taught for six years at The Oak Hill School, directed various productions and tutored both language arts and math. Catherine Workman is the senior director of National Geographic’s Protecting Wildlife Initiative. Her comments about mass extinctions of plants and animals due to habitat loss, hunting, climate change, and the combination of all these threats were aired on CBS Sunday Morning. Workman’s remarks are part of a story on “The Photo Art” by
National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore.
2000 Jessie Morris Adams
returned to Harpeth Hall as the service learning coordinator. Jessie has worked in classrooms from preschool to college and as a grant writer and researcher in the field of children and special education. She received her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, master’s degree from Harvard University and Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University. In June, Rachel Bressman Hart accepted a position as a tax accountant for Arvest Bank in Little Rock, Arkansas. She and her husband live in Conway, Arkansas. Katie Hill has a new position as an assistant press secretary on The White House communications team.
2001Stephanie Beatty
Cook married her husband, Win, in 2011 in Grant Park, a local historic neighborhood near downtown Atlanta. They bought and renovated a house nearby. In 2013, Stephanie opened her private practice, a mental health counseling center, where she specializes in couples therapy. Nashvillebased blogger Cassie McConnell Kelley has formed a unique partnership aimed at growing her women’s lifestyle blog Womanista. The local executive team behind 247Sports and ComicBook.com took over the website and have since relaunched Womanista in what Kelley calls a “new generation” for her three-year-old brand. Cassie will continue to produce articles for Womanista and play a role in shaping the creative direction of the new website. Carey Floyd McDonald is a
pediatric palliative and complex care nurse practitioner at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. She was named by the Nashville Chapter of the March of Dimes as the Hospice and Palliative Nurse of the Year for 2015. Lauren Toth Stark was recognized by Consulting Magazine as a “Future Leader - Women in Consulting.” There were over 1,600 nominees for this recognition and only 12 award winners.
2002 Lindsay Owens
was the 2014-2015 American Sociological Association’s Congressional Fellow. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from Stanford University where she was a National Poverty Fellow at the Center on Poverty and Inequality and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Lindsay now serves as an economic policy fellow for U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren in Washington, DC.
2003 Kendra Abkowitz
Brooks received her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in environmental management and policy. Her dissertation research focused on assessing the vulnerability of park system infrastructure to impacts from extreme weather events in Tennessee. She is a senior policy analyst for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Sara Morris Garner was named one of Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Top 30 Under 30 for 2015. This listing honors the area’s top professional and philanthropic community members under the age of 30.
2004 Amanda Powell
Smith was named one of Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Top 30 Under 30 for 2015. This listing honors the area’s top professional and philanthropic community members under the age of 30.
2005 Morgan Stengel has
joined the commercial real estate firm of Girratana Nashville LLC as the project manager for the construction of 505, a 45story, mixed-use skyscraper on the corner of Fifth and Church Street that will be Nashville’s second tallest building. The skyscraper is expected to be completed in late 2017.
Top 30 Under 30 for 2016. This listing honors the area’s top professional and philanthropic community members under the age of 30. Tipps is an attorney based in Stites & Harbison’s Nashville, Tennessee office. She concentrates her practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation and Torts and Insurance Practice Service Groups. Outside of the firm, she is a member of the Ten Thousand Villages — Nashville Board of Directors, Junior League of Nashville, Preston Taylor Ministries Lunchmate Mentor Program, and Nashville Junior Chamber of Commerce.
2006 Emily Hassell gradu- 2008 Elizabeth Belk was ated from the Owen School of Business at Vanderbilt with an MBA and moved to Seattle, Washington to take a job in marketing strategy consulting. Ellen Regan is pursuing an MBA at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and will graduate in 2017. Diana Wallace moved back to Nashville in 2014, following a three-year stint in Los Angeles where she worked in casting for unscripted television. Since returning to the south, she continues to work as an independent casting producer and has cast shows for networks such as NBC, ABC, and Food Network, among many others. Most recently, she oversaw the casting for HGTV’s new, Nashville-based series, “Listed Sisters.”
2007The Middle Ten-
nessee Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Annie Tipps to Nashville’s
named one of Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Top 30 Under 30 for 2015. This listing honors the area’s top professional and philanthropic community members under the age of 30. Mary Julia Bressman Hannon earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and has joined Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP in Nashville as an associate attorney specializing in mergers, acquisitions, recapitalizations, and joint ventures involving hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and laser vision correction facilities. Lauren Quinn has joined the team at Triumph Services in Birmingham, Alabama as the marketing and development assistant. Triumph’s goal is to help adults with developmental disabilities learn to live independently by growing in independence, assuming greater personal responsibility, and increascontinued on page 43 Winter 2016
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Ashley Cole ’03 to Rachel Rogers on September 10, 2015
ALUMNAE
Sara Rodriguez ’03 to Steven Hanley Ludlam on January 2, 2016 Caroline Johnson ’03 to Greg Sirko on June 20, 2015 Case Szarwark ’03 to Ryan J. Soskin on September 12, 2015 Katheryn Dennison ’04 to Jay Pilkerton on September 19, 2015 Laura Lea Bryant ’04 to Max Goldberg on September 19, 2015 Hadley Hines ’04 to Danny Pettway on December 5, 2015 Nancy Sisk ’04 to Peter Lempesis on March 20, 2015 Nancy Sisk
Margaret Dodson ’05 to Benjamin Anthony Baden on September 26, 2015 Claire Berry ’05 to Elijah Barrett on August 15, 2015 Rachel Ashwood ’05 to Walker Matthews, Jr. on August 29, 2015 Sarah Lovett ’05 to Matthew Edward Ryan McFarland on June 27, 2015 Katie Shaub ’05 to John Thackston on August 15, 2015 Perry Del Favero ’05 to Zach Wexler on October 3, 2015 Helen Rankin ’05 to Dr. Jeremy Willsey on June 27, 2015 Stacey Stanton ’05 to James Woidt on July 5, 2015 Kathleen Ambrose ’06 to Andy Kesstermann on October 24, 2015 Paige Watson ’06 to Chase Russin Bacon on April 25, 2015 Susan Barcus ’06 to Todd Michael Abbott on December 5, 2015 Anne Clarke Pirkle ’06 to Jeffrey Snyder on October 10, 2015 Kate Corcoran ’07 to William Sias on December 5, 2015 Claire Burks ’07 to Glenn Kyle Davis on June 20, 2015
Katherine Falk ’91 to Neal Carpenter on October 30, 2015
Lindsey Gould ’07 to Peter Davis on September 26, 2015
Merrill Lackey ’94 to Jesse M. Barger on October 10, 2015
Caroline Hallemann ’07 to Patrick Farno on October 10, 2015
Cristin Carter ’96 to Justin Kay on October 25, 2014
Kathryn Harvey ’07 to Tyler Moore on November 7, 2015
Jenny Wray ’97 to Matthew James Kaminski on September 19, 2015
Casey Robinson ’07 to Rob Horton on July 18, 2015
Lana Housholder ’98 to Erik Sundvall on October 15, 2015
Allie Kirkpatrick ’07 to Jack Long-Innes on June 27, 2015
Kristin Polak ’98 to Jon Treadon on May 2, 2015
Mary Olivia Mullin ’07 to Trent Magdos on December 12, 2015
Andrea Mazer ’99 to Matt Clos on March 8, 2015
Mamie Nichols ’07 to Carl David Murphy on October 10, 2015
Evins Cameron ’01 to Stephen Gibson on August 29, 2015
Mary Tek ’07 to Lester Sykes on June 7, 2015
Lisa McWilliams ’01 to Jonathon Harris on August 22, 2015
Sarah Zimmerman ’07 to Zachary Lewis Jordan on September 15, 2015
Kendall Fort ’02 to Ronald Barton Laycock on June 27, 2015
Sharlene Rivers ’08 to Jared Crews on June 20, 2015
Melissa Pinsly ’02 to Franklin Zitter on October 3, 2015
Macy Hughart ’08 to Chris Johnson on June 27, 2015
Merdeith Ramsey ’02 to Andrew James Kalt on October 10, 2015
Allison Stark ’10 to Sam Walker on July 11, 2015
Betsy Beveridge ’02 to Randy Cotten on June 13, 2015.
Jesse Steere ’10 to Filipe Vieira da Rocha on December 5, 2015
Catherine Thompson ’03 to Gabe Borman on May 17, 2015
Madison Longmire ’11 to Cody Fisher on July 25, 2015
HALLWAYS
Apple
Ashford
Billington
Davis
Rose
BIRTHS
Amanda Norman McGuire ’00 son, Robert Edward “Ward” McGuire II on October 26, 2015
Holly Conner ’84 daughter, Martha Ashley Boyer on December 23, 2015
Amy Campbell Pearson ’00 daughter, Bailey Elizabeth Pearson on July 2, 2015
Elizabeth Cherry Barrett ’92 daughter, Sara “Collins” Barrett on August 19, 2015
Laura McAlister Summers ’00 son, Coleman Brandon Summers on November 23, 2015
Shalini Upadhyaya Rose ‘93 son, Elias Milan Rose on December 8, 2014
Mimi Mayo Beaver ’01 daughter, Elizabeth Lee “Ellie” Beaver on June 1, 2015
Jennifer Towbin ’94 son, Matias Emilio Guerra on June 13, 2015
Elizabeth Ramsey Hines ’01 daughter, Mary Claire Hines on August 12, 2015
Vadis Turner ’95 son, Vreeland Ezell on October 1, 2015
Lisa Shipp Kimbrough ’01 twin sons, George Birchard Kimbrough and Henry Gannon Kimbrough on October 5, 2015
Lesley Grantham Grandstaff ’96 daughter, Rebecca Diane Grandstaff on April 22, 2014 Margaret Bass Tyler ’96 son, John Tillery Tyler on June 16, 2015 Ashley Haury Travis ’97 daughter, Elizabeth Baker Travis on July 15, 2015 Nicole Mynatt Bickerstaff ’98 son, Ford Bickerstaff on July 6, 2015 Catie Cowan Dougherty ’98 daughter, Adeline Kartus Dougherty on December 30, 2014 Elizabeth White Noble ’98 son, Bakewell Bruce Noble on October 1, 2015 Ellen Bucy Andersson ’99 daughter, Astrid Nina Andersson on April 20, 2015 Emily Cummings Berry ’99 son, Joseph “Cooper” Berry on September 13, 2015 Blaire McMeans Murfree ’99 daughter, Kathryn Blythe Murfree on July 22, 2014 Katy Manier O’Shea ’99 daughter, Evelyn Lee O’Shea on June 27, 2015 Sarah Lodge Tally ’99 son, Earl Burton “E.B.” Tally IV on July 25, 2015 Rachel Wieck Cupit ’00 son, Emmett Jackson Cupit on November 23, 2015 Susan McGugin Davis ’00 son, George Alexander Davis on August 25, 2015 Nicoll Doramus Hannaway ’00 daughter, Finley James Hannaway on November 29, 2015
Moses
Noble
Oldacre
Greathouse
Pargh
Michaelanne McConnell Lauderdale ’03 daughter, Francine “Frankie” Lou Lauderdale on July 28, 2015 Lana Sorin Pargh ’03 son, Jacob Madden Pargh on May 9, 2015 Mariel Bentz Rich ’03 son, Robert Bentz Rich on December 17, 2014 Abby Sinks Spaulding ’03 daughter, Sally Jo Spaulding on June 26, 2015 Keeley Wamp Powell ’04 son, Palmer Davis Powell on June 3, 2015 Caroline Ramsey Rossini ’04 son, James Marshall Rossini on August 20, 2015
Julie Cato Marshall ’01 son, Miles Thomas Marshall on May 13, 2014
Ceci Creagh Billington ’05 son, William Wallace Billington IV on May 31, 2015
Katie Harrell Murphy ’01 daughter, Charlotte Baker “Charlie” Murphy on June 10, 2015
Aly Armistead Greer ’05 son, Nicholas Turner Greer on October 1, 2015
Susan Oliver Sobel ’01 daughter, Eleanor Katherine Sobel on March 3, 2015
Catherine Oman Hendrick ’05 daughter, Elizabeth Theodora Hendrick on September 9, 2015
Ann Ezzell Williford ’01 son, William “Battle” Williford on September 11, 2015
Whitney Downs Hermandorfer ’05 daughter, Hayley Irene Hermandorfer on January 7, 2016
Katie Kennedy Armstrong ’02 son, Keith Andrew Armstrong on December 25, 2015
Katherine Wood Moses ’05 daughter, Hadley Shepherd Moses on July 20, 2015
Amy Warner Greathouse ’02 son, Edward “Miller” Greathouse on August 30, 2015
Maddie Martin Waud ’05 daughter, Wendy Evelyn Waud on September 16, 2015
Caylan Cheadle Jarman ’02 daughter, Mary Walton Jarman on September 24, 2015
Argie Johnson Campbell ’06 daughter, Argie Virginia Campbell on November 22, 2014
Mary D. Bartoe Oldacre ’02 daughter, Alice Ann “Allie” Oldacre on July 3, 2015
Elizabeth Grote Frist ’06 daugher, Amelia Fearn Frist on November 15, 2015
Rachel Price Apple ’03 daughter, Kathryn Scott “Scottie” Apple on June 11, 2015
Julie French Strongin ’06 daughter, Mary Kathleen Strongin on September 28, 2014
Clare Harbison Ashford ’03 son, William Parker Ashford on June 7, 2015
Amy Bowers Myers ’10 son, Clyde McKenzie Myers on August 1, 2015
Elizabeth Woodson Curry ’03 daughter Imogene Adeline Curry on July 14, 2015
Griffin Saunders Nicholl ’11 daughter, Wilhelmina Ophelia Nicholl on March 10, 2014
Margaret Riley King ’03 daughter, Amelia Reed King on May 6, 2015
We welcome photos in our Class Notes, Marriages and Births sections. We prefer high resolution, 300 dpi jpegs. Email your digital photos to Alumnae Relations Coordinator Lisa Harrison, harrison@harpethhall.org.
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44 ing community involvement. Stephanie Rothenburg returned to campus on September 21, to celebrate Harpeth Hall’s 150th Anniversary as the alumna featured speaker at the Founder’s Day Assembly. Lindsay Turner runs a nonprofit called the Druid City Garden Project that builds gardens in underprivileged schools and uses them to teach core academic skills as well as teaching the children about growing food and healthy eating. The organization is currently working with seven schools in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and also works with the Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center.
2010 Stephanie Miller
attends Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and is working on her master’s degree in the pre-licensure program.
2011Sara Anderson
graduated from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business with a BBA in risk management and insurance and is working in Washington, DC as a health and benefits specialist for Aon. Aubrey Austin graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in child and family studies and a minor in psychology. She is pursuing her nurse practitioner degree at Vanderbilt University Nursing School. Kiki Bandlow graduated from the University of Virginia in May with a degree in commerce with a concentration in marketing. While at UVA, she was a media studies Echols Scholar and was on the dean’s list. She works for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the Atlanta office in HALLWAYS
class notes management consulting in their Customer Impact group. Katie Beach graduated from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of the Arts in history. She is currently working as a production apprentice at Jellyvision Labs in Chicago. Kelsea Best graduated from Princeton University with a BSE in chemical and biological engineering and a minor in environmental studies. Kelsea works with ExxonMobil Strategic Procurement in supply chain environmental and human rights risk assessment in Houston, Texas. Sara Brown graduated from the University of Virginia with a BS in foreign affairs and art history and was asked to join the Jefferson Trust Board. She has taken a job in San Francisco with Bloomberg LP as a financial analyst. Isabel Concepcion graduated from the University of Virginia in May with a Bachelor of Science in nursing and is working at the Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Alli Crew is a graduate of Trinity University. She received a BA in French language and literature. She was the president of Trinity University’s chapter of Pi Delta Phi and a member of the French National Honors Society. She is an assistant wedding coordinator with Wolf Weddings and Events in San Antonio, Texas. Parker Davis graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with an A.B. Honors Degree with a major in government, a minor in global health and health policy and a language citation in French. She was a member
of Phi Beta Kappa, was a Harvard College Scholar and received the CIC Foundation Award. She works for The Blackstone Group in New York City as a Blackstone Alternative Asset Management Legal and Product Structuring Analyst. She has been accepted to and will be pursuing a joint JD/ MBA at Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School after she works at The Blackstone Group for the next two years in New York. Rebecca Factor graduated summa cum laude from University of Alabama with a BBA in marketing and sales. She lives in Nashville and is a professional clothier at Tom James Company. Madison Longmire Fisher graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in English literature with a minor in religious studies, Christianity and Judaism focus. Madison was given the honor of serving as a student marshall at graduation and was a member of multiple honors societies. Madison lives in Charlottes-
ville, Virginia with her husband, Cody, and is an intern with Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Virginia. In her role on campus, Madison counsels students and is completing an extensive study program with a ordained minister. Suzanne Gill graduated from the University of Virginia, with a BSN in nursing and works as a registered nurse in the PICU at the University of Virginia Medical Center. Mary Lynne Graham graduated from the University of Tennessee in August with a BS in accounting. She was a member of Mortar Board Senior Honor Society and Beta Alpha Psi. Mary Lynne is furthering her education at the University of Tennessee in the Master’s of Accountancy program. Following the program, she has accepted a full-time offer with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Nashville. Monique Hagler graduated from Rhodes college with a BS in neuroscience. She works in the marketing and consulting field. Margot Henderson graduated from
Vanderbilt University with a BS in human and organizational development. While at Vanderbilt, she was the recipient of the Joel Gordon Scholarship that is given to students interested in health care fields with academic and extra curricular success. In August, she started a two-year master’s program at the Vanderbilt School of Nursing where she will specialize in pediatric primary care and graduate as a nurse practitioner. Abby Henry graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Furman University and was a member of both Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta Premedical Honor Society. She is pursuing her master’s in public health in epidemiology at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. She works at the Center for Disease Control while in school. Eleanor Hudson lives in Washington, D.C., and works on Capitol Hill. Last summer, she worked for Angie Emery Henderson ’91 who ran for
Metro Council in Nashville. Meredith Lang graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a BBA in finance and with an international business certificate. Meredith has joined the Chicago office of Ernst and Young as a valuation and business modeling staff member in its transaction advisory services division. Caroline Miller graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in May with a Bachelor of Business in economics. She started law school at the University of Tennessee this fall. Wallace Morgan wrote an article entitled, The Year in Drake that was featured in Rolling Stone’s digital magazine on December 9, 2015. Lexi Mossman graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and is getting her MA in athletic training/sports medicine at the University of Utah. She is the head athletic trainer for the University of Utah Ski Team and is helping with the U.S. Ski Team medical team. Ayla
O’Neal graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in animal and dairy sciences. While at Mississippi State, she served as the treasurer and president of the Collegiate Cattleman’s Association. She received the Outstanding Senior Award in the Animal and Dairy Sciences Department and the Rev. and Mrs. Brown Scholarship Award (twice). Last summer, she traveled and worked in Brazil for three months as part of her training for her work with Alianca da Terra and Alianca Commercial. She works for Alianca Commercial primarily in the beef cattle production and exporting field. These companies are conservation companies that work with producers to promote more sustainable agriculture, and in turn, more profitable and better products. Hillary Radcliff graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies and minors in political science, Mandarin Chinese, and business. She moved to Zhuhai, China in September to teach college English through a program with Miami University. She plans on applying to graduate school in two years for public health or conflict, peace, and diplomacy. Olivia Reeve graduated from American University with a BS in business administration with a specialization in management and marketing and a minor in art history. She was a member of the Patriot League Academic
Honor Roll (2012-2015) and the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Academic Honor Roll (20132014). She is living and working in New York City as a production assistant for inVNT, a global brand communications agency. Bryanna Sherman graduated magna cum laude from Appalachian State University with a majors in community and regional planning and geography and a minor in sociology. She also received a certificate in geographic information systems. She was a member of The Honors College and received university and departmental honors as well as the award for Outstanding Planning Student. Bryanna is a GIS specialist intern at Destination by Design, a planning, design, and promotions firm focusing on vibrant downtowns, outdoor recreation, and place branding in Boone, North Carolina. Elaine Sulc graduated from Rice University with a BA in computer science. Elaine relocated to Seattle, Washington where she works at Tableau Software as a software engineer. Saxby Wiles graduated from DePaul University with a BA in history and is pursuing her JD at DePaul University College of Law. Kate Wiseman graduated from Swarthmore College with a BA in English literature with minors in theater and Spanish. She is part of the Teach For America Program in Chicago continued on page 46
Members of the class of 2010 enjoying a beach reunion! From Left: Sara Martin, Chelsea Stessel, Alex Bryant, Kelly Earthman, Emily Whitson, Lia Pendleton, and Hannah Claybrook. Winter 2016
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in Memoriam Sarah Adelaide Shull Davis ’31 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away January 19, 2016. She supported many community organizations and was the only female Life Board member of the Salvation Army. Adelaide is survived by one son, a daughter-in-law Florence Stumb Davis ’55, three grandsons, six granddaughters including Denis Sarratt Brock ’65, Adelaide Davis ’79, and Dearing Davis ’99, 15 great-grandchildren including Mary Sarratt Perkins ’86, Janie Hannon ’11, and Davis Stevens ’17.
Geneva Jones Bryan ’32 of
Nashville, Tennessee, passed away June 6, 2015. She is survived by two sons, three granddaughters, including Wendall Bryan Lowe ’87, Berry Bryan McNair ’88, and Tricia Bryan Bass ’93; two grandsons, and 13 great-grandchildren.
Marjorie Crume Bynum ’36 of Fort Worth, Texas, passed away May 27, 2015. She was very involved in Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Presbyterian church. Marjorie is survived by two daughters, three granddaughters, two grandsons, one great-grandson, and three great-granddaughters.
Mary McHenry Tarpley Nightingale ’36 of Hendersonville,
North Carolina passed away November 11, 2015. Mary taught kindergarten for many years, and she was a member of St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church. She is survived
by two daughters, one son, one granddaughter, and two greatgrandsons.
Anne Rudolph Cunningham ’37 of Clarksville, Tennessee,
passed away September 22, 2015. She was a member of Madison Street United Methodist Church, the DAR, and the Art Study Class. Anne is survived by two daughters, five grandchildren, and 10 greatgrandchildren.
Mary Elizabeth “Lee” Kirsch Brenneisen ’38 of Hillsborough, California, passed away September 28, 2015. Lee was a strong and active woman who loved life and lived it to the fullest. She is survived by several cousins.
Allison Caldwell Byrd ’42 of
Nashville, Tennessee, passed away December 7, 2015. She is survived by her sister, five sons, her daughter, Evelyn Byrd Blackmon ’73, 11 grandchildren, including Marianne Byrd Sabis ’94, Valere Byrd Fulwider ’96, Allison Byrd Freeman ’00, Ellen Byrd ’05, Meredith Byrd ’07, Madeleine Byrd ’09, and Ainsley Byrd ’18, and six greatgrandchildren.
Sarah Hunter Hicks Green ’42 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away October 12, 2015. Sarah was the seventh generation descendent of John Davis, the original surveyor of the city of Nashville. She is survived by one son and one daughter.
class notes at EPIC Academy as she pusues her MAEd from Dominican University, simultaneously.
2013 Charlotte Shy a
junior at Furman University is a senior intern at The European Health Management Association (EHMA) in Brussels, Belgium. At EHMA, she is HALLWAYS
continued from page 45
involved in both event planning and project management. She coordinates various events put on by the association and is responsible for gathering participants, setting up meetings, and communicating event details via social media. Her involvement includes some of EHMA’s EU-funded projects
Betty Wheelock Kennaugh ’43 of Corsicana, Texas, passed away May 30, 2015. She was very passionate about raising and showing Arabian horses. Betty is survived by her daughters, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Betty Donaldson Sweat Shirley ’43 of Jackson, Mississippi, passed away December 31, 2015. She was a social worker and a member of the Presbyterian church. Betty is survived by two daughters and six grandchildren.
Mary Taylor Williams Gant ’44 of Franklin, Tennessee, passed away January 13, 2016. Prior to returning to Franklin, she worked at Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama where she raised her family. Mary is survived by one daughter, three sons, 10 grandchildren, one greatgrandson, nieces, and nephews.
Edith Ann Young Hogue ’44 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away November 17, 2015. Edith retired from American Airlines and was a member of St. George’s Church. She is survived by her sister, Margaret Young Milam ’40, three nephews, and two stepgrandchildren.
Ruth Dale Goldsby Brown ’45 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away June 16, 2015. She was a “master teacher” in Metro Nashville Public Schools. Ruth Dale is survived by five sons, six grand-
such as the EU Joint Action on Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting. Liza Southwick and her mother, Harpeth Hall tennis coach Lia Southwick, placed third in the USTA Mother/Daughter Hard Court Nationals. In addition, Liza and her tennis partner Marie Lutz, captured the USTA/Intercollegiate Tennis Association
children, including Suzanne Brown Bryant ’02, Allison Brown Lott ’97, and Amanda Brown ’99, as well as four great-grandchildren.
Jessie Stumb Wemyss Burton ’46 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away November 5, 2015. A fourth generation Nashvillian, she was a devoted member of First Presbyterian Church where she worked for 17 years. Jessie is survived by one son, three daughters, including Mary Ellen Wemyss Lovell ’71 and Jessie Wemyss Rucker ’75, 15 grandchildren, including Lucy Kay Wall Haggard ’00, and four greatgrandchildren.
Dorothy Primm Joyner ’46 of
Nashville, Tennessee, passed away October 18, 2015. She was a member of Calvary United Methodist Church. Dorothy is survived by one niece and nephew.
Phila Rawlings Hach ’47 of
Joelton, Tennessee, passed away December 2, 2015. Phila was a notable caterer, chef, cookbook author, and innkeeper. She is survived by one son, two grandsons, one granddaughter, Liza Hach ’14, one sister, and a brother.
Elizabeth (Blondy) Nixon Stevens ’47 of Nashville, Tennessee,
passed away November 24, 2015. She enjoyed spending her time painting, reading, and playing golf. Elizabeth is survived by one son, a daughter, Susan Stevens Logan ’70, seven grandchildren, including
Southwest Region Women’s “A” Doubles Championship for the second consecutive year.
2014 Lauren Grace Himes is a sophomore at Davidson College. She was the recipient of the Alumni Association Award for top academic average for the class of 2018 during the first year of study.
Jennie Stevens Witherspoon ’94 and Katie Stevens Waymire ’96, and seven great-grandchildren.
Jeanne Heise Adams ’49 of
Wooster, Ohio, passed away December 13, 2015. She graduated from Ward-Belmont and Radcliffe College.
Mary Jo Cundiff Crawford ’49 of North Redington Beach,
Florida, passed away August 4, 2015. She enjoyed cooking, traveling, and horse racing. Mary Jo is survived by three daughters and four grandchildren, including Madison Longmire Fisher ’11.
Fredrica Caroline Smith Kenan ’49 passed away January
1, 2016. She was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the National Society of Colonial Dames of America. Caroline is survived by four daughters, one son, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Gloria Davitt Shaw ’49 of
Nashville, Tennessee, passed away October 30, 2015. She was a community volunteer and member of First Presbyterian Church. Gloria is survived by her husband, one daughter, two grandchildren, and one niece.
Marilyn “Lynn” Jeanette Byer ’51 of Austin, Texas, passed away
October 31, 2015. She had a Doctor of Education degree and a career in special education. The “Hurdle Award” was presented to
2015 Annika Brakebill, a
freshman at Stanford University, co-founded an online science publication called Fascinate. The publication is intended to bring interesting and cuttingedge science to high school and college students. Annika contributed three of the original articles for the launch of the site: “What is
Dr. Byer in Dallas for outstanding professional service by a person with a disability. After she retired, she was a volunteer with at-risk teenagers in Austin.
Barbara Gray Steinsberger Phillips ’51 of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away August 27, 2015. She was a successful real estate agent. Barbara is survived by her husband, one son, one daughter, two grandsons, and one brother.
Jean Fuller Guy ’53 of Hum-
boldt, Tennessee, passed away January 6, 2016. Jean was an avid reader, gardener, and loved to travel. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, one son, two grandsons, one granddaughter, and one great-granddaughter.
Grace Ward Hall ’53 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away October 1, 2015. Grace was a member of First Presbyterian Church and many community organizations. She is survived by her daughter, Wende Hall Stambaugh ’85, one son, two sisters, including Irene Watkins Ward ’64, two brothers, two grandsons, one granddaughter, Gracie Watkins Stambaugh ’19, a step-daughter Drusilla Hall Bishop ’74, a step-son, and three step-grandchildren.
Gayle Elam Smith ’55 of
Nashville, Tennessee, passed away July 8, 2015. Mrs. Smith was an active volunteer and generous supporter of numerous charitable
El Nino?”, “The Mysterious California Tiger Salamander,” and “The Brain Trust: Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Management.” The web address is: fa-sci-nate.com. Lara Nunn, a freshman at Bucknell University and her sister Madi Nunn, a senior at Harpeth Hall are the co-founders of the Hill YEAH! 5K, a 5K race in Nashville that
and educational organizations and was a Harpeth Hall Trustee from 1976-1980. She is survived by her husband, three daughters including Dibbie Smith Martin ’78, Dell Smith Mitchell ’81, and Gayle Smith Ferguson ’83, and six grandchildren, including Sara Martin ’10, Katherine Ferguson ’13, and Meg Mitchell ’13. Her sister-in-law is Mary Virginia Cecil Smith-Williams ’58.
Patricia Proctor Carlson ’61 of
Vallejo, California, passed away May 27, 2015. She and her second husband served as ambassadors to Columbia. Patricia is survived by her daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and niece.
Joyce McLean Caldwell Shepard ’66 of Nashville,
was a successful event designer and planner and was devoted to numerous nonprofit groups. Elizabeth is survived by her parents, her sister, Jeannette James Whitson ’81, her brother, one nephew, and three nieces, including Elizabeth Whitson ’15.
Susan Corbett Banks ’94 of
Alpine, Wyoming, passed away December 30, 2015. She was devoted to working with teens at the Department of Family Services and passionnate about yoga, cooking, family and friends. Susan is survived by her husband, parents, her sister Jennifer Corbett ‘90, one brother, nieces, and nephews.
Mary Cresap Szarwark ’01 of
Tennessee, passed away August 31, 2015. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, one stepson, one step-daughter, and six grandchildren.
Boynton Beach, Florida, passed away October 10, 2015. Ms. Szarwark was a counselor and therapist and volunteered for many community organizations. She is survived by her parents and her sister, Case Szarwark Soskin ’03.
Lucinda Thornton Trabue ’66
Margaret Helen Lowe ’12
of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away December 2, 2015. After a career in the advertising industry, Lucinda enjoyed spending time on artistic pursuits and gardening. She is survived by one sister, Mary Dale Trabue Fitzgerald ’64, one niece, one nephew, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away September 1, 2015. She was pursuing a classics major at the University of Virginia with plans to graduate in May, hike the Appalachian Trail, and attend medical school. She was involved in and supported many community and spiritual organizations. Margaret is survived by her parents and two brothers.
Elizabeth Royster James ’85 of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away September 30, 2015. She
benefits Room in the Inn. The 5K route goes through the rolling hills of West Meade; this year’s event was held on January 1. The sisters founded the event while they were runners on the Harpeth Hall cross-country team and decided to combine their love of 5K races with a charitable component.
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stay connected!
More than 6,000 Reasons to Stay in Touch Harpeth Hall’s social media sites have more than 6,000 participating members. Join us and stay connected with alumnae from around the globe.
Winter 2016
RETROSPECTIVE
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WARD SEMINARY STUDENT
J
Active in Women’s Suffrage Movement
ust over 100 years ago, the women of Tennessee took to the streets and paraded for their right to vote. Ward Seminary graduate Anne Dallas Dudley organized the Nashville parade in May 1914. More than 2,000 people gathered at the Parthenon and listened to Mrs. Dudley’s speech. She believed a woman’s right to vote was “a matter of simple justice.” Throughout her life and political career, Anne Dudley lived and modeled her conviction regarding women and the rights they were due. She said, “This is a government of, by and for the people, and only the law denies that women are people!”
“This is a government of, by and for the people, and only the law denies that women are people!” Anne Dudley founded the Nashville Suffrage League, became president of the Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association, and vice president of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. “Like many other white southern suffragists, Mrs. Dudley presented her cause as unthreatening and in tune with the prevailing values of her regions and she employed the traditional ‘weapons’ of the Southern Lady — charm, flattery, and appeals to chivalry — as she tried to persuade the men of her region to share power,” from “Votes for Women: The Women Suffrage Movement in Tennessee,
HALLWAYS
in the South, in the Nation,” edited by Marjorie Spruill Wheeler. Anne Dallas Dudley wholeheartedly believed that Tennessee would become the first Southern state to enfranchise women. On August 18, 1920, after all the other Southern states had rejected the 19th Amendment, Tennessee became the important 36th state needed to ratify the amendment, clearing the way for its adoption. Anne Dudley was instrumental in pushing for Tennessee’s ratification and granting the right to the vote to 20 million women.
What Matters Most
Sustaining Educational Excellence for Girls
A
s we approach our final stretch at Harpeth Hall, we reflect with thankful hearts upon what we consider our most precious lifetime investment. With our daughter, Lara Lillian, now a senior, we clearly see our “return” on this investment in her Harpeth Hall education. Entering as a seventh-grader in middle school, Lara Lillian’s years spent at Harpeth Hall have been nothing short of extraordinary. We have watched as she has grown into a young woman with countless opportunities ahead. What she has experienced and learned has helped to mold her into who she is today and who she will continue to become.
Each girl’s experiences may be different, but each girl shares a common bond through Harpeth Hall that will last a lifetime and will shape her path. We have been honored to chair the Annual Fund in 2015-16 and have seen first-hand the generosity of families, alumnae, and friends. We thank you sincerely for your philanthropy. As a community, we are steadfastly united in our belief in the mission of Harpeth Hall and the importance of the Annual Fund, which, year after year, has supported each girl entering the school’s doors — past, present, and future.
Kerrie and John T. Johnson 2015-2016 Annual Fund Chairs Parents of Lara Lillian ’16 and Tate
H AR PET H HAL L 2015 -16 ANNUAL FUND Continue our tradition of excellence and support the young women at Harpeth Hall today. Click the Giving tab at www.HarpethHall.org or call Tracy Campbell, Director of Annual Giving, 615-346-0083.
Non-Profit U.S. Postage
PAID Nashville, TN Permit No. 1857
The Harpeth Hall School
3801 Hobbs Road Nashville, Tennessee 37215
WARD SEMINARY • WARD-BELMONT • HARPETH HALL 150 YEARS OF GIRLS’ EDUCATION
1956 • 1961 • 1966 • 1971 • 1976 • 1981 • 1986 • 1991 • 1996 2001 • 2006 • 2011 • 1956 • 1961 • 1966 • 1971 • 1976 • 1981 1986 • 1991 • 1996 • 2001 • 2006 • 2011 • 1956 • 1961 • 1966
Reunion 2016
FRIDAY, MAY 6 AND SATURDAY, MAY 7 Even if it isn’t your year, please come and enjoy the on-campus festivities! Illustrations created by Caroline Harwood ’13 for the 150th Anniversary Hallways Cover