INDIAN SPRINGS
A CAPSTONE BEGINNING
A look at our inaugural capstone projects with Sophia Graham ’24, Mylo Waara ’24, and Izzie Stump ’24 Page 4
INDIAN SPRINGS
HEAD OF SCHOOL
SCOTT G. SCHAMBERGER
ACADEMICS
Dr. Jonathan Gray
ADMISSION
Taylor Docking
ADVANCEMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Jim Simon
ATHLETICS
Greg Van Horn
COLLEGE ADVISING
Amelia Johnson
COMMUNICATIONS
Erica Richie
FINANCE AND OPERATIONS
Tanya Yeager
FACULTY
Weslie Wald
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
John Fahey
STRATEGY AND SPECIAL PROJECTS
Lauren Wainwright ’88
STUDENT LIFE
Hunter Wolfe
BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2023-2024
Elizabeth Goodrich
Robert Aland ’80
Martin Damsky ’68
Joe Farley ’81
Jerolyn Ferrari
Clara Chung Fleisig
Elise May Frohsin ’88
Braxton Goodrich ’93
Kyung Han ’85
John O. Hudson, III
Ben Hunt ’82
Leo Kayser, III ’62
Emily Hess Levine ’01
Ellen McElroy ’78
Randall Minor ’99
Hina Patel
Scott Pulliam ’85
Lia Rushton
Hanson Slaughter ’90
Andrea Engel Haines ’03 Ex Officio, Alumni Council
Erin Shaw Street Ex Officio, Parents Association
At Indian Springs School, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint. If you would prefer to receive Indian Springs Magazine or other school communications electronically, please let us know via email at indiansprings@indiansprings.org
MISSION STATEMENT Guided by our motto, Learning through Living, Indian Springs School fosters a love of learning and creativity, a sense of integrity and moral courage, and an ethic of participatory citizenship with respect for individuality and independent thought.
EDITORS
Erica Richie
Jim Simon
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Ellen S. Padgett
PHOTOGRAPHER
Quez Shipman
CONTRIBUTORS
Ralph Alswang
Will Carey
Kathryn D’Arcy
Taylor Docking
Peggy Fleetwood
Annie Galey
Mark Gitenstein ’64
Sarah Mills Nee ’03
Charles Robinson ’59
Edina Shrestha
Matt Soule
Leah Taylor
INDIAN SPRINGS MAGAZINE
Published twice a year, in fall and spring. Printed by Craftsman Printing in Birmingham, Alabama.
CLASS NOTES
classnotes@indiansprings.org
©2024 Indian Springs School. All rights reserved. 190 Woodward Drive, Indian Springs, AL 35124 Phone: 205.988.3350 | Website: www.indiansprings.org
NOTICE OF NONDISCIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS Indian Springs School, an independent school nationally recognized as a leader in boarding and day education for grades 8-12, serves a talented and diverse student body and offers its admission to qualified students regardless of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Located in Indian Springs, Alabama, just south of Birmingham, the school does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.
A Capstone Beginning
12 Indian Springs School’s Early Years
An excerpt from his yetto-be-published book about the history of Indian Springs School By Charles Robinson ’59
26 Outstanding Alum of the Year
Ambassador Mark Gitenstein ’64 was awarded OAY during Alumni Weekend
28 Alumni Weekend 2024
From L to R: Sophia Graham ’24, Mylo Waara ’24, and Izzie Stump ’24
ELIZABETH GOODRICH P ’20, ’23, ’28 Chair, Board of Governors Indian Springs School
FROM BOARD CHAIR ELIZABETH GOODRICH
One of my favorite parts of being chair of your Board of Governors is signing diplomas. I have a little ritual I’ve established over my two years in the role – I clear a table, sit down with the stack, and, as I sign each one, I pause over it and think about the student whose name is on the page. Many of these are students I’ve come to know. Some of them I’ve known since they were babies. But I spend a minute wishing each one well and giving thanks for their particular contributions to the Indian Springs community. It’s a small thing, really, but it gives me energy for the other parts of the work of the Board. It’s a concrete way of centering all we do around our students. Truly, it’s a privilege to have a role in launching these amazing kids into a world that really needs their intellectual curiosity, participatory citizenship, and moral courage.
As I write this, we have just finished our spring meeting of the Board of Governors, where we heard lots of good news. We were treated to an update from spring mayor Beth Scarborough ’24, and Sophia Graham ’24 told us about her incredible Capstone project on images of the goddess Athena (you may read more about it on page 6). These students are simply remarkable! Campus is green and so very alive. There are boats out on the lake and chatter in the air.
Indian Springs is thriving by every metric – record applications, record enrollment, a worldclass faculty that is the envy of our peer schools, the new Kayser-Samford Community Commons complete, and students who are curious, bright, and involved, if a little weary at the end of the semester. The hard work of the administration, staff, faculty, and volunteers, alongside the tremendous generosity of our donors, makes this possible. If you’ve read this far, you likely fit into one of those categories. Thank you. And, if you would like to help keep this good momentum going, please know there are a number of ways to support Indian Springs, through the annual fund (www.indiansprings.org/give), or through a gift to the capital campaign (www.indiansprings.org/ communitycommons). It’s not an overstatement to say your support changes students’ lives.
There is so much in our world right now that feels uncertain and unstable. Spending time on campus, in the company of this dedicated team and these fantastic students, is a good antidote for the noise out there. So I encourage you also to pay attention to the calendar and look for ways to connect with Indian Springs. Come hear a concert or see a play. Watch our kids on the field or the court. Come to a local alumni event, or join us when there’s an event in your city. We’re eager for you to see for yourself what your investment is doing.
These students are so full of possibility. They give me great hope.
by
Photos
Quez Shipman
FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL SCOTT SCHAMBERGER
As I write to you, the 2023-2024 school year is drawing to a close with our students in the midst of Advanced Placement exams, our seniors fully engaged in end-of-year rituals and shenanigans, and our Chamber Choir excited for a tour through Europe. Much of my time has been consumed in recent days with working with the four student graduation speakers on the content and delivery of their addresses. I look forward to this process every year as our secondsemester seniors wrestle with the reality that their time at Indian Springs is dwindling. The looming conclusion of their Springs careers provides an opportunity for them to reflect upon their years on campus and begin to prescribe meaning to their experiences. While they are filled with a unique combination of gratitude, angst, trepidation, excitement, and sadness, I observe them with awe and a sense of wonder knowing that they are each ready for the next step in their life journey. The Class of 2024 will be incredible leaders in whatever careers they choose to pursue. Regardless of the challenges that our world faces, I remain hopeful and optimistic about the future because of who and what I see daily in the Indian Springs community.
A highlight of every school year is the Indian Springs Alumni Weekend. This year’s festivities brought countless alums back to campus, many from graduation years ending in 4’s and 9’s. As I do every year, I enjoyed seeing old friends reacquaint themselves and pick up right where they left off when they were students. In the days leading up to Alumni Weekend came news that another institution in Birmingham was closing, forever changing the educational landscape in Alabama. Many alumni asked about Indian Springs’ financial position with the unwelcome news about Birmingham-Southern College. For all those wondering the same things, I am proud to report that Indian Springs School is in a sound financial position, carrying no debt with the exception of short-term funding for the construction of the Kayser-Samford Community Commons, generously underwritten by pledges from our alumni, parents, and friends of the school. I would be remiss if I didn’t share that there is still time to participate in the campaign that has made the new social hub of our campus possible (turn to page 18 for additional updates).
I am grateful for the strong financial leadership of the Board and the enviable position we find ourselves in. We work hard to live within our means while focusing on excellence and transformative experiences (included in these pages is an article on our new capstone experience as just one example of such opportunities). The future is bright for Indian Springs School. I am convinced that our best days are ahead of us, in large part because we are uncompromising in supporting the People, Program, and Place. There is no other school like Indian Springs, and we are committed to securing the future through insightful strategic planning and, ultimately, building a more robust endowment. I am excited about this next chapter in the school’s history and partnering with our alumni, parents, and friends of the school to ensure Springs remains vibrant and relevant for generations to come.
Thank you for your continued partnership in what Doc Armstrong aptly referred to as “participation in creation.”
SCOTT SCHAMBERGER Head of School, Indian Springs School
Sophia Graham ‘24, Mylo Waara ‘24, and Izzie Stump ‘24 on campus in May 2024
A Capstone Beginning
BY ERICA RICHIE
Assistant Head of School for Academics Dr. Jonathan Gray is always looking for ways to make the unique and diverse curriculum at Indian Springs School even better. As early as 2017, he had the idea to establish the Indian Springs Capstone Program, a culmination of the Springs experience. The program would create an opportunity for students to integrate, reflect on, and apply what they have learned on their academic journey in the form of a project such as a presentation, performance, portfolio, exhibit, research paper, or a combination of these experiences
While many universities and colleges have an established capstone program in place, it’s becoming more commonplace at secondary schools across the country. Dr. Gray envisioned a program where students could explore topics beyond what the limitations of our current independent study program could offer. The Indian Springs Capstone Program was made possible by a generous donation from an anonymous donor. With the funding secured, the Class of 2024 became the inaugural class for the Capstone Program, and students were introduced to the program during a presentation in the spring semester of their junior year.
As stated best in the Indian Springs curriculum guide, here are the parameters of what Dr. Gray deemed a successful capstone project:
The Indian Springs School Capstone Program allows students to explore an area of interest that extends beyond and augments the Springs classroom experience and independent study program. Students will be active participants in the learning process and will be the protagonist in their learning. A student-chosen faculty mentor will assist the student through the process by offering support, providing guidance, forming community connections, procuring necessary materials, and so on.
A successful Capstone Program marries the abstract with the practical, knowledge with life. It bridges disciplines by being interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary. It extends a student’s learning and, among its best forms, brings in or gives back to the broader community as part of the learning.
The Indian Springs Capstone Program experience is split into three phases: Process, Progress, and Product.
In the Process Phase, 11th-grade students are introduced to the Capstone Program in a class meeting at the start of the spring semester. Interested students use the next month to research potential capstone project ideas.
A final capstone project idea is turned into a proposal, which the Capstone Review Committee will review.
The results of the review will be provided to the student within two weeks of the proposal submission due date.
The student will use the following two months to review their capstone project in a more thorough manner. This review will include a general timeline, including tangible outcomes to be provided at three forthcoming check-ins. Also, depending on the nature of the capstone, the student may give a literature review, perform strategic readings, procure necessary resources, consult with experts, siteplan, secure approval by necessary organizations, and so on. In other words, the plan for how all foreseeable aspects of the capstone project will be created and then provided to the Capstone Review Committee for approval. If revisions, clarifications, etc., are needed, the student will have until the end of the spring semester to resubmit their capstone project plan.
The Progress Phase should take place over the course of the summer between the student’s 11th and 12th grade years. The student and their mentor will meet regularly for informal check-ins, usually for an hour each week.
Two formal check-ins will occur during June and July, where the students will grade themselves on meeting the goals provided in their plan. A final, formal check-in will be held as a group in August to share the mutual progress made by all. It is suggested that all capstone students meet over the summer as a learning cohort in addition to the group meeting in August.
For the Product Phase, every capstone project will culminate in a presentation of the artifacts of the student’s learnings. A written document will be among these artifacts and may take the form of a general thesis, an expository paper, a formal analysis, explanatory work, or creation statement as it relates to artistic work, and so on.
As part of their capstone project proposal, the student indicates a Capstone Defense Committee. The committee should include the faculty mentor, a member of a Humanities department, and a member of a STEM department. These three members will deliberate on the learnings conveyed from the capstone project and assign a final grade.
Ultimately, three students were chosen from the proposals of the class of 2024: Sophia Graham ’24, Izzie Stump ’24, and Mylo Waara ’24. The following is a summary of their capstone projects and what they learned along the way.
SOPHIA GRAHAM ’24
Assignment of Gender Domains to Athena through Modern/Ancient Lenses
Before Dr. Gray finished his presentation of the Capstone Program to the class of 2024, Sophia Graham ’24 already had a general idea in mind.
“My dad’s side of the family is Greek, so my bedtime stories growing up were filled with Greek myths,” she said. It sparked an interest, an intellectual curiosity, so to speak. “I’ve always been fascinated by it.”
Ultimately, Sophia’s interest in the Roman and Greek gods and goddesses led to her capstone project proposal.
“I wanted to do research on the Roman and Greek goddess Athena because she’s the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy and the crafts. And when you hear those lists, it’s like a very masculine domain, but she’s a female deity. ”
The Abroms Scholarship Program, which provides funding for educational summer programs, also played a role in Sophia’s inspiration. With the scholarship, she was able to study abroad in Italy during the summer between her 10th and 11th-grade years, where she studied art and learned something interesting about the goddess Athena.
“She was one of the only goddesses that was always wearing a top. Always. Across thousands of years of history.”
Sophia would research and create her own artistic interpretations of Athena to answer her questions about how Athena was viewed.
“How did they view her? Did they view her as a woman, or was she viewed as a man and just looked like a woman?”
Sophia’s research led to her conclusion that those were the wrong questions.
“Athena is a woman, and so is wisdom. If we look at it on a spectrum, Athena’s opposite is Ares, and he’s the battle of war and bloodlust, all of which are definitely male attributes. And so Athena comes from the goddess Minerva, who is cunning and represents deceit and intelligence. And now, when we reframe the question as, if charging straight into glorious warfare is the masculine side of things, using deception and cunning ways to outsmart your enemy must be tinged more feminine. And so that’s how Athena gets her connotation and why she has to be a woman.”
She also attempted a clay version of Athena, although things unfortunately went awry. “I tried to make a clay sculpture for Middle Greece, but it exploded in the kiln. So we don’t have that anymore,” Sophia laughed.
Sophia’s final representation of Athena was from modern times. “The modern one is made out of styrofoam. It represents how she’s evolved and changed. She’s not being worshiped anymore, but she still exists in the public conscience.”
One of her main takeaways from the research side of the project was how the ancient Greeks viewed wisdom and intelligence as feminine qualities.
“It was definitely the whole ‘wisdom is female’ thing because it’s not battle lust, and personally, I love that. I love that the ancient Greeks were like, oh, a lot of our heroes need to have this cunning – Odysseus was famed for his deceitfulness and ability to twist the situation to his advantage, and I love that they acknowledged that as a feminine quality, or like they gave women something.”
The value of the capstone project for Sophia was the completion of the project itself. “Don’t wait for someone to say you should do this or you should undertake a project because you never will if you’re always waiting for someone else to tell you to do it. Be a self-starter, even on creative endeavors.” She wants students to pursue their passions.
“The fact that I got to set aside time and do this research and come up with a unique academic idea that I’m proud to have my name behind, that’s really cool. It’s a great set of skills to have, and I’m glad that I did it.”
—SOPHIA GRAHAM ’ 24
Once Sophia got a feel for how Athena was viewed, she turned to her art as her own expression of Athena. She wanted to do something with sculpture, representing Athena throughout history.
“Another reason I did the capstone project, and this is something I’ve explained to many people this year, is that if there’s something you’ve always wanted to do and know you won’t find the time to do it unless it’s for a grade, do a capstone project.”
The “something” for Sophia was stone sculpting and bronze casting. As she delved deeper into her research, she found that both conveniently lined up with the different eras of Athena.
“The oldest version we have of Athena is a stone figurine,” said Sophia. She discovered that the next would have been bronze tabloids or statues in Mycenaean Greece. So, she took a bronze sculpting class and created a bronze sculpture of Athena.
“Even if it feels like, no, this is a waste of time, it won’t ultimately help or further my goals. Okay, but now I know how to bronze cast, and while it’s not the most useful information, I think it made me a more nuanced person and more interesting.”
Another thing Sophia learned during her capstone project: her creative pursuits were maybe just for her.
“I realized when I’m having to create on a deadline, it’s not creative anymore. So, I don’t need to be an artist, at least professionally.” For Sophia, her art is something just for her when she has the time.
“The fact that I got to set aside time and do this research and come up with a unique academic idea that I’m proud to have my name behind, that’s really cool. It’s a great set of skills to have, and I’m glad that I did it. I’m also glad I don’t have to have that question in the back of my head, like should I be doing this professionally? No, it’s a really good hobby.”
Sophia has also answered many questions from the class of 2025 about next year’s capstone projects.
“I’ve had students approach me about their proposals for the next cycle of capstone projects, and I’m really excited about some of them.”
Going forward, Sophia hopes that the students will ultimately decide how the Capstone Program is shaped, and that projects continue to be guided by their passions.
“I think the Capstone Program should be – here’s my passion, here’s something that I love doing, and it just makes my soul happy.”
LIFE AFTER INDIAN SPRINGS
After graduation from Indian Springs, Sophia’s current plans include a move to Dallas, Texas. She has been accepted into the prestigious Hunt Leadership Scholars Program at Southern Methodist University (SMU), and she is excited about the opportunities offered by SMU’s business school. She plans to study business management and political science with a pre-law concentration, along with a minor in educational studies. Sophia is deeply passionate about educational equality. She wants to attend law school, which she attributes to her experiences at Indian Springs: her Constitutional Law class (taught by alum Lauren Wainwright ’88), her time spent as part of the mock trial team, and her latest Abroms Scholarship opportunity, attending Alabama’s Governor’s School last summer.
LIFE AFTER INDIAN SPRINGS
Izzie will stay in state and begin her college career at Auburn University this fall. Her passion for STEM will most likely guide her career path. She sees herself potentially in the medical field, with current plans to be a pre-med major. Izzie has an interest in psychiatry and believes she will attend medical school in the future. However, she has not ruled out a career in creating new technology using her coding skills just yet.
IZZIE STUMP ’24
Constitutional Questions with a Thomas Jefferson AI-Chatbot
Izzie Stump ’24 was contemplating a career in computer science, potentially coding, when the Capstone Program presentation took place last spring.
“At the time, computers, coding, I guess more like intelligence and, maybe even working with the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) was the main idea I had in mind as a career path,” Izzie said.
That being the case, Izzie saw the capstone project as a way to challenge herself and create time in her busy schedule to put her coding skills to good use. She wanted to create something that fused coding with political philosophy. Her idea was to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create a ChatGPT-styled language chatbot model that would, in theory, respond to questions as a specific person.
“My project ended up being a mix of coding and political philosophy.”
Izzie learned much more than she originally planned, not just about coding but also about her chosen political figure.
“I learned so many different coding techniques. I knew there were a lot of different ways to code, but I didn’t know how different they were because I’ve only taken Java.”
Writings and other works of a person were an essential part of the project. With that in mind, Izzie narrowed down her choices to Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Indian Springs History Department Chair Dr. Dan Clinkman helped Izzie sort through and analyze writings for the project.
“They both wrote so much. I chose Thomas Jefferson just because he has so many available writings and things like that. I spent my whole summer reading them, breaking them down, and analyzing them with the help of Dr. Clinkman.”
has. It has a massive, massive schema.”
After reviewing the available programs with her mentor, Indian Springs Computer Science Department Chair William Belser ’80, Izzie chose Ollama to use for the project.
“We ended up using something called Ollama, which essentially has a precoded chatbot. It has a schema similar to ChatGBT so it can call on a lot of different things. You put in a prompt as to how you want it to answer. So we entered something similar to ‘I am Thomas Jefferson, and I believe in life, love, and the pursuit of happiness,’ and ‘I am snarky and sarcastic,’ because he definitely was.”
As with most things using AI these days, the question turned to ethics. Would it not be an amazing resource to ask our Founding Fathers questions about how they would handle modern problems? Or would it be ethically and morally wrong?
“I feel like with Springs… you get to dictate your overall course of study in a lot of ways. It’s part of the Springs experience and it’s one of the things that makes Springs so unique to other schools. You get to do all these fun things. And with this being the pilot year of the Capstone Program, it was exciting that I got to do this and be a part of it.”
—IZZIE STUMP ’24
One of Izzie’s takeaways from the project was learning more about Thomas Jefferson than she ever knew before.
“I sort of vaguely knew this, but it’s so weird he actually believed that slavery was wrong, but he owned the most slaves out of all the Founding Fathers. He believed that America was not ready to get rid of slavery, and so he decided to take full advantage of that. He also, fun fact, loved mac and cheese. It was his favorite food, and it’s my favorite food too.”
The original plan was to use a Python-based program and create a schema using Jefferson’s writings that the program could draw from.
“I learned Python, which we originally were going to use for my project. You use the writings to create a schema, which is basically like a dictionary that it draws from. You ask it a question, and it’s like, okay, are there any questions similar to this in the schema? How should I answer it based on what’s in the schema? You put in questions and answers in a very specific format. That’s what ChatGBT
“I ended up questioning myself what the application of this technology would be, and whether it would be ethical to use, like in modern politics. This would obviously be what you would want to create something like this for; to ask a former politician or president. I think, no personally.”
For the most part, Izzie considers the project a “half-success.” The program had its flaws, and she saw ways it might have been improved.
“During my presentation, I did a slideshow, and I asked the question at the beginning of the presentation. Because the program took so long to actually answer, I presented and then had to wait a few more minutes before it finally answered. So that was a little annoying. It did respond in a way that maybe it thought Thomas Jefferson would respond, but I think it was probably not at all accurate. So, we considered it a half success. But, I think if we were to have used Python, it would have been more specialized, more trained, and might have been a little more accurate.”
Even though it didn’t turn out quite the way Izzie envisioned, she was glad she volunteered for the opportunity.
“Am I glad I did it? In a lot of ways, yes. I love that I have that experience now. At times it was infuriating, and learning a new way of coding was upsetting at times. It had its downs, but it had more ups.”
For Izzie, it just added to her Indian Springs experience.
“I feel like with Springs, we have the independent studies and you get to dictate your overall course of study in a lot of ways. It’s part of the Springs experience and that’s refreshing. It’s one of the things that makes Springs so unique to other schools. You get to do all these fun things. And with this being the pilot year of the Capstone Program, it was exciting that I got to do this.”
MYLO WAARA ’24
Portuguese: Linguistics and Dialectal
Geographical Differences
When the Indian Springs Capstone Program was introduced in early 2023, Mylo Waara ’24 was already on a personal journey to learn Portuguese. He loved listening to all different kinds of music and found a band that quickly became his favorite, O Grilo (meaning “grasshopper”). The problem was that the band was from Brazil and only performed in Brazilian Portuguese.
“I liked the songs for a long time, so it was just like, I really wanted to learn how to say what they’re saying in the songs and to be able to sing along,” Mylo explained.
It took some convincing, but Mylo enlisted the help of Indian Springs French teacher Jean Bassene. “Mr. J” to his students, Bassene speaks 14 different languages and agreed to work independently with Mylo to help him learn Brazilian Portuguese.
“I knew I wouldn’t have time during the regular school year, so when I learned about the Capstone Program, I signed up to do this as my project because I could do it over the summer and have easier access to Mr. J, who would be my mentor,” said Mylo.
The mentoring process for a capstone project can vary greatly between projects and the students working on them. Mylo needed a more hands-on approach while learning a new language.
“I
“Duolingo is not exactly the most helpful for learning how to read and find primary sources in Portuguese. And so I really needed to learn just like sentence structure and basic grammar. When I talked to Mr. J about learning Portuguese, we just made a whole list of everything I should learn before I started researching. We started that process in January (2023), and then we met once a week over the school year. I ended up focusing on how a language is influenced by history, how language develops, and how the Brazilian Portuguese dialect developed.”
does a lot of talking but not a lot of action. And I took a lot of offense to that.”
The result was Mylo forming a new club at Indian Springs, the Indigenous Peoples Club, with fellow classmate Lai’ana Reeves ’24
“When I would talk to people at school, non-Native American people, it’s hard to communicate that sort of history and culture.”
For Mylo, it was more about creating a safe space not only to chat with like-minded people, but also for those who wanted to learn more about other cultures.
“I like learning about different cultures and working with other people in that kind of aspect because, with the EDI Committee, you learn a lot from different people. I feel like learning about different cultures just opens your world view, and it makes you a better person.”
Even though he claims he’s not a fan of studying history, Mylo reached out to faculty members and found that the history department was a wealth of information, especially the now-retired Dr. Colin Davis.
“Dr. Davis had a really interesting history with indigenous people. He visited Australia so he learned this really interesting part about Australian indigenous people, and I thought that was a really good learning opportunity.”
like learning about different cultures and working with other people in that kind of aspect because… you learn a lot from different people. I feel like it just opens your world view, and it makes you a better person.”
—MYLO WAARA ’24
One of the most interesting aspects of learning the Brazilian history of Portuguese for Mylo was the numerous different regional variants of the language.
“I was most entranced to learn about how Brazil has a language policy. Brazilian Portuguese is actually influenced by a ton of different indigenous tribes, and it is so varied across the country that it makes it hard to communicate. So, in 1999 Brazil established a formal language policy that made everyone speak one form of the language and teach one form of the language. Public advertisements, public signs,—all public language is one official version of Brazilian Portuguese.”
It was controversial at the time, as there are more than 200 indigenous languages in Brazil. It made the project a little more personal for Mylo, who has Native American roots.
“I’m indigenous; I’m Native American myself. It’s a big part of how I grew up and stuff. After I joined the EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Committee, there was a thing that came up during a speech or something for student government elections where someone said the EDI committee
Mylo’s capstone project not only allowed him to explore his passion but also provided the time and motivation to complete it.
“Really, I just wanted to learn a language that wasn’t offered at the school. And with all the stuff that I was doing last fall with student government and college essays, I just knew that I wouldn’t be able to learn it the way I wanted to. So I just wanted that sort of time and motivation to do it. All my own time.”
(Mylo was a Commissioner of Citizenship in the fall of 2023, along with Coco You ’24).
While most of Mylo’s inspiration came from his own personal experiences, an unlikely source presented itself last summer when he visited the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
“During college visits and traveling over the summer, I went to New York City where they have the MoMA, and there was this specific exhibit dedicated to Latin American art in the 1900s based around social justice and commentary.”
Inspired by the social upheavals of the early 20th century, the exhibit “Indigenism and the Avant-Garde,” focused on Indigenism in Latin American art, particularly those of the 1920s and 1930s. It was a wealth of information for Mylo, who took several photos, specifically of anything from Brazil. He was also able to purchase a book with additional photos and the history of Brazilian daily life.
As for plans with his new-found skill, Mylo isn’t sure what the future holds.
“I don’t think Portuguese itself will ever be a career, but maybe I’ll get a linguistics degree to pick up some more native languages. I don’t know my own native language, and I think that’d be kind of interesting.”
LIFE AFTER INDIAN SPRINGS
Mylo will head to New Hampshire in the fall to begin his freshman year at Dartmouth College with a plan to study mechanical engineering. While visiting Dartmouth during an admitted students’ event on campus earlier this year, Mylo had the opportunity to attend an intensive Portuguese class. He believes he might also pursue a linguistics degree to continue studying Portuguese and hopefully other languages, as he would like to learn his own Native American language. Mylo is also passionate about working with different indigenous tribes in the future believing it is a community that needs help.
The Beginnings of Indian Springs and the Legacy of HARVEY G. WOODWARD
Below is the second installment/excerpt of the comprehensive school history born out of a 10+ year collaboration between Charles Robinson ’59 and longtime teacher and school archivist Mac Fleming. Note that these excerpts are drafts of chapters that will eventually populate a more thorough school history.
BY CHARLES ROBINSON ’59
The concept of Indian Springs School came to fruition with the probate of Harvey G. Woodward’s Last Will and Testament in 1930. Although Woodward never had any children of his own, he was fascinated by the progressive education research and philosophy of educators like John Dewey. Woodward attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was profoundly aware that southern educational programs did not measure up to their northeastern counterparts. Woodward sought to remedy that educational inequity through his legacy of a generous testamentary trust that supported the establishment of multiple small schools that fostered values of self-sufficiency, self-governance, innovative programs, and the love of learning.
Unfortunately, Woodward’s progressive approach to education was marred by a pattern of exclusionism derived from a misplaced reliance upon notions of social Darwinism. To put it diplomatically, Woodward was a product of his time.
Woodward was born in a northern border state of wealthy English stock, the year after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. Mac Fleming observed that the Civil War finally removed the thorn of slavery from the talon of the American Eagle. However, the vestiges of slavery and the denial of full citizenship to minorities continued unabated until the passage of the federal Voting Rights Act in the 1960s.
Thus, Woodward’s “progressive” concept for a school was accompanied by a detailed and rigorous program that neglected many of the movers of his time. He was also deeply committed to the principles of Jeffersonian democracy and the establishment of an electorate of small independent farmers who would exercise sound judgment in running the affairs of state. His dream school would not prepare students for college but rather the pursuit of agriculture. Unfortunately, this did not take into account the advent of the Industrial Revolution which
had recently made inroads into the South and particularly the area lying in the foothills of the Appalachians in north-central Alabama. Any exclusions to the student population were duly discarded, and the Indian Springs of today enjoys an international, racial, religious, and gender diversity that has enhanced its contemporary academic excellence.
The delay between the probate of Woodward’s will in 1930 and the establishment of Indian Springs School in 1952 was primarily due to his widow’s dissent of the last will and testament.
In 1947, the Alabama Supreme Court finally delivered a rare perspicacious opinion that authorized the Alabama Educational Foundation (and Indian Springs School) to proceed with the Woodward experiment as near as practicable to his original intent. During the two decades between 1930 and 1952, the nation had been occupied by the Great Depression and World War II. The primary challenges the nation faced in 1952 were the Cold War and the adjustment to peacetime.
Woodward’s trust had been substantially reduced by the settlement of his widow’s dissent and legal fees, and what remained was insufficient to fund all of Woodward’s bounteous plans for the establishment of twenty or more model schools. In fact, it would only support one model school. The Alabama Supreme Court applied the principle of equitable approximation which allowed Woodward’s testamentary intent to be carried out as near as may be when it would be impossible to give it literal effect. This departure from the literal testamentary instructions granted flexibility from the outset. Coupled with the fact that the founding Board of Governors had the power to make desirable changes to Woodward’s specific instructions, considerable latitude was granted in the applications of the Woodward will.
Woodward was indeed a colorful and complex character. Born into a wealthy industrial family, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in pursuit of a mining
“WOODWARD OUTLINED IN GREAT DETAIL THE TYPE OF SCHOOLS HE HAD IN MIND, A PROVISION IN THE WILL LEAVES MUCH OF THE POWERS OF REVISION AND DISCRETION TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS. HE WROTE: “I AM NOT UNMINDFUL OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ERROR IN JUDGMENT ON MY PART.’”
THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS, DECEMBER
1930
The only known image of Harvey G. Woodward, a portrait which hangs in the Kayser Academic Center on campus.
engineering degree. After his graduation in 1888, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama, the site of his extended family’s mining and iron-making business. Woodward gravitated into the real estate procurement arm of the family business and was highly successful in purchasing eroded and unproductive Alabama farms, which also contained valuable mineral rights.
Woodward was very adept and financially successful in this vocation, and he amassed a personal fortune in local real estate holdings. During all these real estate negotiations,
Woodward became acutely aware of the plight of the rural Alabama farmer owing in large measure to inadequate educational opportunities. He vowed to remedy the disadvantages of ignorance in the rural South.
Woodward lived like the wealthy aristocrat he was. He built a beautiful stone mansion on Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. He also built an elegant vacation home in Weld, Maine, complete with all manners of amenities, including a bowling alley, pool room, fancy cars, and, of course, servants and a chauffeur. Woodward was in his 40s before he took a wife, the former Annie Louise Chase, a younger lady in her 20s, thus having a partner to share his good fortune.
Annie became active with many charitable causes in Maine to the disdain of her husband.
The folklore of Weld, Maine, includes the tale that Annie would stage luncheon lawn parties for the benefit of the local library. After all the guests had been served, Woodward would emerge from his garage covered with oil and grease and stride silently through the prim and proper gathering, fix his own lunch in silence, and then return to his lair in the garage. The present owner of Woodward’s summer house in Weld, Maine affirms that Woodward’s unique personality is still alive and well in the community folklore.
The garage was home to Woodward’s most prized possession, a yellow Pierce-Arrow automobile, a rarity in the United States. This elegant automobile, complete with a chauffeur, would have made even “Citizen Kane” proud.
Woodward passed away on November 18, 1930, at the hospital in Portland, Maine after an illness. His will, written in 1929, instructed the fulfillment of his singular dream of establishing quality, progressive education for generations of Southerners. Thus began two decades of legal wrangling over Woodward’s will.
Another stipulation of the will instructed Woodward’s chauffeur in the disposition of his yellow Pierce-Arrow. Upon his death in 1930, the dutiful chauffeur drove the elegant automobile to the top of a cliff as instructed and plunged it to its destruction in the gorge below. Remnants of the bright yellow metal can still be seen from the cliff’s edge.
Within months after Woodward’s death, that dutiful chauffeur married the widow, Annie. The marriage vows between widow and chauffeur were barely concluded when the upper society in Weld, Maine, began to take stock of the nuptials. A memorable wedding announcement was published by the local Weld newspaper. The “East Egg” section of Weld society was disapproving of the novel nuptials from the “West Egg” section. One other fact
was certain: the new couple did not take their honeymoon trip to Birmingham in Woodward’s yellow Pierce-Arrow.
This chapter of Woodward’s family life was later closed when his widow aged, got sick, and died. That dutiful chauffeur husband had engaged a full-time nurse to care for his ailing wife and later married that same nurse.
Most states have statutes that protect a widow from partial disinheritance. Annie availed herself of this protection by dissenting from Woodward’s will which had provided her an annuity of $2,000 per month and the family homes. Woodward’s estate was worth approximately $7,500,000 at his death, and Annie sought her statutory share. Nearly two decades passed before a settlement was reached whereby Annie’s dissent was given effect, and the trustee of the Woodward testamentary trust was given permission by the Alabama Supreme Court to proceed with the establishment of Woodward’s dream school with a reduced trust corpus endowment. To Annie’s credit, she made financial contributions to the school over the years.
Woodward’s will suggests that he did not consult an estate attorney and thus was unaware of his wife’s statutory right to dissent in Alabama. This was a costly error as far as his testamentary intent to fund his dream schools. Woodward could have funded an “inter vivos” trust during his lifetime with the school funds, thus removing those funds from his probate estate and any widow’s dissent. He would also have been able to collect the income from the “inter vivos” trust for his lifetime.
How would Woodward have judged his handiwork which became the Indian Springs School of 2024? Assuming that Woodward would have lived late in the mid-twentieth century, one may speculate that the social and cultural changes in our society would not have been lost on him. After all, he was a proponent of progressive education, independent thinking, moral responsibility, and Learning through Living; all instruments of constructive change for the betterment of our society and culture. Given the record of achievement by his school’s alumni, Woodward would surely have
approved. Moreover, the record of financial support for his “dream school” by the alumni would have pleased him greatly. Indian Springs School flourishes today because the alumni took the responsibility of financial support from the Woodward testamentary trust and kept Woodward’s dream alive.
ABOVE RIGHT: Charles Robinson ’59 photographed on campus in 2022. BELOW: Indian Springs School campus in early 1951 as construction began.OPPOSITE: In November 1949, representatives from Birmingham architects Warren, Knight & Davis, and Brookline, Mass. landscape architects, Olmstead Brothers, surveyed the site where Indian Springs would be constructed.
TAYLOR DOCKING
Director of Enrollment Management
SBSA CONFERENCE 2024
Indian Springs was honored to host the 2024 SBSA (Small Boarding School Association) Conference during our spring break, March 25 through March 27. As the host school, we welcomed approximately 220 people to our campus over a three-day period.
SBSA’s annual conference, a platform for small boarding schools to unite and share best practices, proved to be a rich and enlightening experience. This year, our guests had the opportunity to attend sessions on a variety of topics, including “Supporting Neurodiversity in a Traditional College Prep Environment,” “Admissions and Marketing Strategies to Boost Enrollment,” and more. As is often the case during conferences, some of the most meaningful conversations and interactions occurred between and after sessions as folks networked and discussed what they are seeing on the ground in their specific work. The new Kayser-Samford Community Commons, among other spaces on campus, provided an ideal setting for these meaningful conversations to occur.
The vast majority of attendees—educational consultants, heads of schools, admission directors, marketing professionals, and more—work in the Northeast, West Coast, or internationally. Thus, it was a pleasure to showcase the ways in which Indian Springs’ unique location allows it to offer a singular experience to students. Attendees repeatedly remarked on the beauty of Indian Springs’ campus, the rich natural ecosystem that our students have access to each day, the palpable southern hospitality, and the deliciousness of the food and sweet tea (Milo’s, to be precise). All told, guests were left with the insight our community has known for a long time: this school is a hidden gem. Hosting the conference was one step towards ensuring that it does not remain hidden for much longer.
1. Admission Associate Mandy Griffin and Edith Guan ’27 welcome conference attendees at check-in 2. Director of Enrollment Management Taylor Docking welcomes everyone to Indian Springs during the opening of the conference 3. Head of School Scott Schamberger leads a group on a tour of campus 4. Faculty member Dr. Bob Cooper P ’94, ’98 GP ’27, gets ready to lead a group on a tour 5. Ibrahim Hamo ’25 speaks to consultants during the panel on Indian Springs School 6. SBSA board members welcome attendees 7. First-time attendees to the conference pose for a group photo on Engel Terrace 8. Attendees take a break on Engel Terrace 9. During a session, attendees break into small groups for discussion 10. SBSA Board President Lisa Pelrine with conference presenters from the Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School, Lizzy Rosen and Shannon Fortin, in the Kayser-Samford Community Commons 11. Educational consultants from across the globe gathered in the Swan Studio for a presentation on Indian Springs School from administrators, faculty, and students 12. Dinner was served each night at the Kayser-Samford Community Commons 13. First-time attendees at the end of the conference wait for their rides
Photos by Matt Soule
CONTRIBUTE To The Commons
Thank you to the 200+ donors who have supported the capital campaign for the Kayser-Samford Community Commons. Alumni, parents, grandparents, friends, and faculty have answered the call to make a special investment in this transformational new facility, and we are pleased to report that Indian Springs has raised approximately $12 million of the $13.5 million needed to fully fund this effort.
While we expect to finish this campaign inside of the next year, there is still time to consider how you can be a part of this historic endeavor. We respectfully ask for your support so that Indian Springs can move forward with the next chapter of the school’s strategic priorities. Indian Springs has continued to
balance its budgets and has the rare distinction of being a debt-free school. Please help us continue that tradition by making your contribution to the Kayser-Samford Community Commons Capital Campaign if you haven’t already done so. Gifts of any amount are welcome and needed!
For those who are able, gifts of $1,000 or more will come with recognition on our donor board, and gifts of $5,000 or more will name a table. For more information and a full list of remaining naming opportunities, go to www. indiansprings.org/communitycommons.
Please reach out with any questions or to make a pledge. Thank you for your consideration of support!
JIM SIMON | Assistant Head of School for Advancement & External Affairs james.simon@indiansprings.org | 205.332.0615
Association Annual Fund Celebration in
FUNDRAISING GOAL
$13,500,000
AMOUNT RAISED $12,000,000 AMOUNT NEEDED $1,500,000 As of May 31, 2024
Parents Association Potluck for seniors and families, August 2023
Students during lunch, February 2024
Senior Picnic, May 2024
2023 Harvest Market fundraiser utilizing the outdoor spaces, October 2023
Parents
the R.J. Stegner Memorial Dining Room, April 2024
To The IndianCommunitySprings
Indian Springs School is grateful for the community’s generous giving to our Annual Fund. Each year, hundreds of members of the extended Indian Springs family make critically needed annual gifts to help fund the school’s operating budget. This supports everything from our faculty’s salaries and professional development to our facilities, academic and extracurricular programming, and financial aid for our students. A strong Annual Fund is an important element of how we finance the school on a year-to-year basis and impacts admissions, rankings and our ability to maintain a balanced budget. To the many alums, parents, and friends who gave to the 2023–2024 Annual Fund, thank you! We look forward to acknowledging you in this fall's annual report. If you would like to make a gift to Indian Springs, go online to www.indiansprings.org/give to donate by credit card or call 205-332-0592 to speak with someone in our Advancement Office. THANK YOU!
The last edition of Indian Springs Magazine contained inadvertent omissions in our Annual Report of Giving for which we apologize. The following leadership donors to the 2022-2023 Annual Fund were not listed in their proper giving categories:
TOWN MEETING LEVEL
($1,500–$2,499)
Caryn and Steven B. Corenblum ’75
Henry S. Long, III ’01
MAYORS LEVEL ($500–$1,499)
Vicki and Jeffrey H. Pettus ’73
ACADEMICS
Members of the Class of 2024 earned national recognition for their excellent academic records and standardized test scores.
Mason Coleman ’24 was named a Semifinalist in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program. Selection is based on academic excellence, outstanding leadership, and service demonstrated in school and community activities. Those selected represent the top 1.45% of all applicants across the nation, and Mason was one of only 20 students selected in the state of Alabama.
Matthew Thomson ’24 was named a National Merit Scholar, receiving a $2,500 scholarship to his college of choice: Wesleyan University. Matthew was also named a candidate in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.
In addition to Matthew, Duncan Earl ’24, Mason Forman ’24, and Misbah Meghani ’24 were all named Finalists in the National Merit
Scholarship Program. Students who are named Finalists represent less than 1% of all graduating seniors nationwide for the Class of 2024, and most are eligible for thousands of dollars in scholarships at their respective colleges.
Approximately 100 students from Alabama and more than 5,000 students nationwide were selected as candidates in the U.S. Presidential Scholar Program from nearly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in 2024. Among those were Will Mashburn ’24, Mylo Waara ’24, Matthew, and Yusuf Zengul ’24. Will was also named a Commended Student by the National Merit Scholarship Program, placing in the top 50,000 out of the more than 1.5 million students.
Congratulations to all of our recent graduates and their many acomplishments!
Read more about the Class of 2024 and see photos from their commencement ceremony in the next issue of Indian Springs Magazine.
MASON COLEMAN ’24
MASON FORMAN ’24
MISBAH MEGHANI ’24
WILL MASHBURN ’24
MYLO WAARA ’24
YUSUF ZENGUL ’24
MATTHEW THOMSON ’24
DUNCAN EARL ’24
STEM
Alabama Science & Engineering Fair
MAX LIZEE ’25
Future Scientist or Mathematician Award
1st Place: Earth and Environmental Sciences & Environmental Engineering
Max was also one of three students chosen during the state fair to present his project, “Using Machine Learning to Predict Sanitary Sewer Overflows” at the 2024 Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair.
IBRAHIM HAMO ’25 AND ERIK LEDVINA ’25
1st Place: Animal and Plant Sciences
RADYN MORADKHANI ’25
Geosciences Award
Talent in Mathematics and Statistics Award
TUAN TRAN ’26
1st Place: Computational and Bioinformatics Sciences
Lizee ’25 ABOVE RIGHT: Max Lizee ’25 at the Alabama Science & Engineering Fair
ROBOTICS
It was quite a year for the Indian Springs Robotics team: Minh Do ’25, Aviva Goldberg ’25, Misbah Meghani ’24, Lily Nguyen ’26, Miso Park ’27, Chloe Tran ’25, and Justin Wang ’24, along with faculty advisor William Belser ’80. They were named Top All Around Team and presented with the VEX Robotics Competition Excellence Award during regional competition, qualifying them for the Alabama State VRC Championships at Auburn University. There the team secured the Create Award which qualified them to attend the WORLD championships! The 2024 VEX Robotics World Championship was held from April 25 through May 3 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
ABOVE LEFT: Team members with their awards, From L to R: Misbah Meghani ’24, Miso Park ’27, Lily Nguyen ’26, Minh Do ’25, Justin Wang ’24, and Aviva Goldberg ’25. ABOVE RIGHT: Faculty Advisor William Belser ’80
ABOVE LEFT: Award winners at UAB regionals, From L to R: Tuan Tran ’26, Ibrahim Hamo ’25, Erik Ledvina ’25, Radyn Moradkhani ’25, and Max
ARTS & LANGUAGES
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
GOLD KEY WINNERS
ETHAN ARIAS ’26
Personal Essay & Memoir
JADE CALVERT ’24
Personal Essay & Memoir
SOPHIE MAICHER ’24
Poetry
ELLIE POMEROY ’24
Personal Essay & Memoir
RACHEL ROBERTS ’26
Personal Essay & Memoir
JUPITER SPENSLEY ’26
Poetry (2)
Erin Sides ’24 was recognized nationally for her poem, “Seventeen,” earning a national Silver Medal in the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Thirty-three Indian Springs students received recognition at the regional level, earning a total of 17 Gold Keys, 31 Silver Keys, and 36 Honorable Mentions. Students are able to submit work in 17 different art categories, or 11 writing categories.
Breyana Myers ’25 received a total of 15 awards, including five Gold Keys in the poetry category, one Gold Key in critical essay, one Silver Key in personal essay & memoir, and seven Honorable Mentions. Additionally, her poem “You Are My Sunshine” was named an American Voices Nominee, one of only five selected for the entire region.
ELIZABETH TAGTMEYER ’24
Poetry
ANNA GRACE TREMBLAY-COX ’26
Poetry, Short Story
WORLD LANGUAGES DAY
Indian Springs School was honored to be the host site of the 70th Annual Alabama Junior Classical League (AJCL) convention on Friday, March 1, in celebration of World Languages Day! Each year, the AJCL hosts a series of academic, athletic, and artistic olympiads and a certamen (a scholar’s bowl for the classically minded) for all AJCL member schools. Additionally, students from throughout the state participate in creative and graphic arts contests.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Jim Lanier ’27 and Edward Davis ’25 participating in the 3-legged race.
Kennedy Doyle ’25 with her secondplace ribbon.
Matthew Thomson ’24, Misbah Meghani ’24, Jupiter Spensley ’26, and Nate Albert ’25 represent Indian Springs in certamen.
BREYANA MYERS ’25
ERIN SIDES ’24
Track & Field
Our runners and athletes had great success at local, sectional, and state meets this school year. They began with a solid start last November at the AHSAA Class 3A Cross Country State Championships. Catherine Hinson ’25 and Quinn Conroy ’27 finished fourth and 14th, respectively. Both were named to the All-State team.
In February 2024, Catherine claimed her first state title in the 1600m race during the AHSAA Class 3A Girls Indoor Track & Field State Championships, finishing almost five seconds ahead of second place. In May 2024, at the AHSAA Class 3A Outdoor Track & Field
Championships, Catherine made it to the podium twice, finishing third in the 1600m race and as state runner-up in the 3200m race. Quinn qualified for three events at the outdoor state championships and came away with three personal best times in all three races. He placed 15th in the 800m race, sixth in the 1600m race, and finished as state runner-up in the 3200m race!
Cara Huff ’26 claimed state runner-up in the discus and shot put events at the outdoor state championships. She finished in 12th place in her newest event, the javelin. Cara was named the Most Valuable Athlete at the sectional meet.
Willa Rose Akins ’24 will be attending Berry College this fall as part of its Division III Equestrian Team. She was celebrated on Engel Terrace in early May as she signed her letter of intent. Willa plans to major in animal science.
Boys Varsity Soccer Coach Rik Tozzi P ’20, ’22 reached a milestone 400 wins this season. Tozzi has coached at Indian Springs since 2002, and has five state championships. He has been named “Coach of the Year” twice by the NFHS Coaches Association.
ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: Catherine Hinson ’25 with her state title. Catherine Hinson ’25, Cara Huff ’26, and Quinn Conroy ’27. Cara Huff ’26 with her Most Valuable Athlete award at sectionals
WILLA ROSE AKINS ’24
COACH RIK TOZZI IN ACTION DURING THE 2022 AHSAA CLASS 4A-5A BOYS SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
OUTSTANDING ALUM OF THE YEAR 2024
U.S. AMBASSADOR MARK GITENSTEIN ’64
On Friday, April 20, 2024, I had the pleasure of (virtually) presenting U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Mark Gitenstein ’64 with the 2024 Outstanding Alum of the Year award.
After graduating from Indian Springs in 1964, the Ambassador earned his B.A. from Duke University and his J.D. from Georgetown Law. His career as an attorney at Mayer Brown LLP spanned 30 years, where he served as
partner and counsel. From 2009 to 2012, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Romania. He also served on the U.S. Senate and Judiciary Committee for 17 years, and for 13 of those years he worked alongside then-Senator Joe Biden. In 2022, he began his tenure as the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union.
Ambassador Gitenstein ’64 is truly deserving of this honor for his distinguished career in public service and his commitment to equity
and social justice. It was an honor to present the award to him in his 60th reunion year.
The Ambassador was unable to be present for the ceremony as he serves at the pleasure of the President of the United States and is currently navigating two international conflicts. However, he prepared a video acceptance speech and answered questions from students. The text which follows was transcribed from that prepared video.
From Outstanding Alum of the Year Committee Chair Sarah Mills Nee ’03:
“First of all, I would like to thank Andrea Engel Haines ’03, Sarah Mills Nee ’03, the entire Alumni Council, Scott Schamberger, Jim Simon, Elizabeth Goodrich, the Board of Indian Springs, and all the faculty and students for this distinct honor. I particularly regret I cannot be with you in person to be presented with this award. I especially regret that I cannot be with Erskine Ramsey ’64 and the other members of the Class of ’64, who he will assemble later this weekend. I have a good excuse. When you’re an ambassador, you serve literally at the pleasure of the President and the Secretary of State. And when Tony Blinken tells you to stay in Brussels to host a congressional delegation, you stay in Brussels, even at the expense of missing this distinct privilege in person. I’m sorry.
I have a very clear memory of my first day at Indian Springs in September of 1960, as a 14-year-old uncomfortable in my suit and tie, fresh from a four-hour drive up the 200 miles from my home in Florala. The first thing that struck me was that as I was introduced to each faculty member and student, they stuck out their hand to shake mine. It was an endearing but clear message that I was entering a new world. It was a community created in large measure by Doc Armstrong, then Director of Indian Springs. It opened a new world of learning and opportunity that would shape my life in ways I could never possibly imagine at the time. ISS was an oasis of learning and warmth in an otherwise difficult world. Birmingham was ground zero for the Civil Rights Movement, with the infamous Bull Connor siccing his attack dogs on students, marching for equal rights, shocking the nation. It’s where I experienced the energy and hope of the Kennedy administration, the existential danger of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the crushing tragedy of the Kennedy assassination.
I remember clearly sitting in front of the television at the old gym with Fred Wooten ’61, then mayor of ISS, just the two of us watching President Kennedy deliver his inaugural address. ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Likewise, I remember sitting at Mr. Moore’s table in the dining room when one of the cafeteria workers came out in November of 1963 to whisper in his ear that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. Could I have imagined 61 years later that I would be
serving as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, that my friend of over 40 years would be our President, or that I would receive this award? Certainly not. I didn’t even know what the European Union was. The EU didn’t even exist. And being an ambassador had never crossed my mind.
But Doc Armstrong, Mac Fleming, and others did give me the fundamental tools that led to this moment. Doc, Mac, and others taught me how to learn. Curiosity, drive, commitment to service, values that made America great. Indeed, Doc had a “great man” program. We were required to choose a great man to study. Shamefully at the time, we didn’t yet recognize the great women in our history as we should have. My choice was Abraham Lincoln. My mom was so proud I chose Lincoln. It confirmed to her that ISS was the right place for me as a privileged white boy in the still segregated South. In the end, I thank my parents for finding this place, which by the way, they read about in an article in The New York Times. My parents got The Times in the mail every day, two days late. So if I thought of my career goals at all as a young teenager, it was probably to be a lawyer, a civil rights lawyer.
Indeed, I got a law degree and became involved in politics, serving 17 years as a U.S. Senate staffer in the 1970s and 80s. While I thought I would be serving in the Justice Department, President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden in 2009, and then later President Biden in 2021, had other ideas. First as Ambassador to Romania and now as
Ambassador to the EU, I have focused my energies on national security and diplomacy. I must say I love it. It’s an incredible honor to serve our country. As you all look ahead, I encourage all of you to think about ways you can serve, or as President Biden says, “to keep the faith and tend the flame that keeps all of us believing in democracy.”
As I look back on my years here on campus, I now recall in particular my classes with Mac Fleming, a founding faculty member who served ISS for 70 years, where we spent hours talking about the Kennedy administration and its own long twilight struggle against autocracy and for democracy. Mac was taken with military and diplomatic history. In particular, I remember learning about the Congress of Vienna, which Henry Kissinger thought was the foundation of his own beliefs on the power of transformational diplomacy. I can still hear Mac’s raspy voice with a chuckle speaking of Metternich, and Talleyrand, and Castlereagh. Thanks, Mac. I guess some of that sunk in. But most of all, it was the environment there, a unique learning environment. There’s nothing like Springs, especially in Alabama.
So those of you who are students at ISS today, take advantage of all it has to offer. Cherish these moments. And who knows? One day you may end up as Secretary of State. Discere Vivendo Learn through Living. Thank you.”
Mark Gitenstein ’64
U.S. Ambassador to the EU
“I have a very clear memory of my first day at Indian Springs in September of 1960… The first thing that struck me was that as I was introduced to each faculty member and student, they stuck out their hand to shake mine. It was an endearing but clear message that
I
was entering a new world.”
—MARK GITENSTEIN
’64
Photos by Quez Shipman
1. Elly Shelswell-White; faculty member Dr. Mac LaCasse P ’88 ’88 ’95; Edward ShelswellWhite ’79; and Head of School Scott Schamberger 2. Michael Payne ’84; Kazuo Moriya ’84 P ’19, ’25; John Curington ’84; faculty member Dr. Bob Cooper P ’94, ’98 GP ’27; Siyang Shen; and Isaac Zhou ’19 3. Will Barclift ’99; Sommerville Johnston ’99; Rawlins Parker ’99; and Josh Mitchell 4. Niamh Tuohy ’89; Blythe Monheit ’92; and Michele Reisner P ’18 5. Clara Creel and faculty member George Mange 6. Jane Tavakoli; Kevin Tavakoli ’98; Director of Athletics Greg Van Horn; Guy Nsanza ’14 7. Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Jim Simon; Clark Smith ’69; Sid Smyer ’70; David Livingston ’69; and Bill Weeks ’69 8. Jim Bailey ’79; Sharon Bailey; Sam Pointer ’81; and Diane Coffin 9. Randy Dent ’74; Dody Dent; Lisa Schweitzer; Dickie Schweitzer ’74; and Fred Wallace ’74 10. Faculty member Chris Tetzlaff; Susan Gauntt; Jim Gauntt ’74 11. Robin McRae ’75; Holly McRae; and Sid Smyer ’70 12. Greg Van Horn; Chris Cox ’84; and John Curington ’84 13. Carolyn Maddox; Tom Maddox ’69; David Ovson ’69; and Clark Smith ’69 14. Will Barclift ’99; Jeff Zanotti ’99; Head of School Scott Schamberger; Alton Parker P ’94, ’99; Rawlins Parker ’99 15. Dr. Lacasse and E.T. Brown ’74 16. Lealand McCharen ’69 and Bill Warren ’69
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2024
Alums gathered for milestone class reunions on Saturday, April 20
CLASS OF 1969 55-YEAR REUNION
CLASS OF 2004 20-YEAR REUNION
CLASS OF 2009 15-YEAR REUNION
CLASS OF 1999 25-YEAR REUNION
CLASS OF 1994 30-YEAR
CLASS OF 2019 5-YEAR REUNION
Photos by Will Carey
CLASS OF 1984 (AND FRIENDS) 40-YEAR REUNION
CLASS OF 1974 50-YEAR REUNION
CLASS OF 1964 60-YEAR REUNION
REUNION
Indian Springs
CLASS OF 1959 (& FRIENDS) 65-YEAR REUNION
CLASS OF 1979 45-YEAR REUNION
CLASS OF 2014 10-YEAR REUNION
CLASS NOTES
CLASS OF 1959
During Alumni Weekend 2024, Allan Cruse ’59 held a screening of a film he executive produced, “The Most Beautiful Noise.” The film is about a violinist who dreams of making music education free and accessible for every child in London. Attendees included alums Rick Hernandez ’74, M.D. Smith ’59, and Clark Smith ’69, and Indian Springs Advancement Office staff members, Jim Simon, Peggy Fleetwood, and Leah Taylor.
CLASS OF 1964
Jim Clower ’64 has kept busy in his retirement from family medicine. He works with Bridge the Gap, Inc., a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, whose Garden of Eden community garden not only provides food for those in need, but also teaches members of the community how to grow their own food. Head of School Scott Schamberger recently caught up with Jim during a recent trip to Florida.
CLASS OF 1966
Members of the Class of 1966 gathered on campus for lunch in May 2024.
CLASS OF 1973
Members of the Class of 1973 decided during their 50th-year reunion to donate funds to the capital campaign to name “The Commons Rocks,” an area outside the Kayser-Samford Community Commons.
CLASS OF 1990
Doug Brook ’90 has released a book, “Rear Pew Mirror: Reflections From the Back of the Sanctuary,” a collection of his Jewish humor columns, the back page feature in Southern Jewish Life magazine since 1996 and a podcast since 2021. He generously donated a copy to the Indian Springs Library during Alumni Weekend 2024.
CLASS OF 1995
Daniel Alarcón ’95 was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences earlier this year, joining some of the world’s most accomplished leaders from academia, the arts, public policy, and research. Daniel joins Class V: Leadership, Policy, and Communications, Section 1: Journalism, Media, and Communications for his work with National Public Radio and Columbia University Journalism School.
The film Turtles All The Way Down, based on the novel by John Green ’95, made its debut on the streaming service Max on May 2, 2024. John was the film’s executive producer and also appeared on camera as the character Mr. Adler.
CLASS OF 2000
Megan Fortson Fry ’00, attorney and shareholder at Clark Partington in Pensacola, Florida, was recognized in the 2023 Florida Trend Legal Elite NOTABLE – Women Leaders in Law, published in Florida Trend’s December 2023 issue. As recognized leaders within their industry, these peer-nominated Women Leaders in Law are regarded for their leadership, vision, and ability to effect growth in the professional and civic organizations they serve.
CLASS OF 2002
Chris Martin ’02 was appointed a Master of Wine (MW) following extensive and demanding theoretical and practical examinations. Chris is one of 417 active Masters of Wine from 31 countries. He judges regularly in international wine competitions, hosts masterclasses at trade shows, and teaches regularly. Chris currently lives in London and serves as the Director of Education at Wine Scholar Guild, where he oversees a team of 8 to deliver exceptional educational materials and courses focusing on Italy, France, Spain, and Germany.
ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: David Oh ’87 holding his first grandchild. David and wife Bryn with Assistant Head of School for Advancement & External Affairs Jim Simon, and Dean of Students Hunter Wolfe. BELOW: The successful launch of Psyche aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
DAVID OH ’87
David Oh ’87 was the keynote speaker for The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) annual conference in November 2023. David recounted his time at Indian Springs, and spoke about his journey, “From Dorm Rooms to Mars Dunes: Reflections on a Boarding School Launchpad to Space Exploration.”
David and his wife Bryn were overjoyed as they also welcomed their first grandchild, Aria, in the fall of 2023.
It was a busy fall for David, who has worked for 20+ years in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He currently serves as Chief Engineer for Psyche: Journey to a Metal World, a mission in NASA's Discovery Program. The Psyche spacecraft David helped engineer launched on October 13, 2023. The Psyche mission will explore, for the first time ever, an asteroid made not of rock or ice, but of metal, and scientists seek to determine whether the asteroid was a planetary core. The spacecraft should reach the asteroid in 2029.
MEGAN FORTSON FRY ’00
DANIEL ALARCÓN ’95
CHRIS MARTIN ’02
JOHN GREEN ’95
STARR TURNER DRUM ’02
JIM CLOWER ’64
DOUG BROOK ’90
CLASS OF ’66
CLASS OF ’73
ALLAN CRUSE ’59
Starr Turner Drum ’02 was named to the Birmingham Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list for 2024. The list honors up-and-coming stars of the Magic City’s business scene who have distinguished themselves in their fields before the age of 40. Starr is a shareholder and attorney at Polsinelli, advising clients on data privacy and related compliance, litigation, and enforcement.
CLASS OF 2005
William Blackerby ’05 and wife Kristin welcomed their son William Hanson Blackerby in Birmingham on April 11, 2023. In May 2023, William (the elder) completed his master’s in library and information studies from the University of Alabama. After seven years on the faculty at Indian Springs, including two years as Dean of Students, William is now a Legislative Data Specialist at the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, where he works on Congress. gov, the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The Blackerbys live in Alexandria, Virginia, where Kristin is pursuing a master’s in divinity from the Virginia Theological Seminary.
CLASS OF 2007
Blanton DePalma ’07 and wife Kat welcomed daughter Charlotte Katharine DePalma on October 17, 2023. Proud grandparents Rebecca Garity DePalma ’80 and Loren Gary ’76, along with aunts Katherine DePalma ’14 and Elizabeth DePalma ’20, find Charlotte delightful! Loren is especially charmed by her innate understanding of Discere Vivendo
CLASS OF 2009
Collin Janich ’09 is pursuing his MBA at the University of Cambridge. He has founded a global initiative program, the Climate Legacy Commitment, a call to action to make sustainability a key element of leadership. MBA students—past, present, and future—at 15 of the world’s top business schools are asked to pledge to “transform global business practices by integrating sustainability into the heart of their leadership.”
CLASS OF 2020
Matt Dale ’20, along with dozens of other Birmingham-Southern College students, traveled to Montgomery and spoke on the steps of the state capital building in an effort to save the college. Matt also returned to Indian Springs and spoke to our students to help kick off our spring semester diversity week.
CLASS OF 2021
Jordyn Hudson ’21, a rising senior at Spelman College, spoke with our students as part of our Black History Month programming. She shared information on her digital platform and documentary, “Shape the Culture,” and gave a preview of her next documentary, “Shape the Culture: Then & Now.”
WILLIAM BLACKERBY ’05
JORDYN HUDSON ’21
COLLIN JANICH ’09
BLANTON DEPALMA ’07
MATT DALE ’20
YOUNG ALUMS IN NEW YORK
Dr. Katrina Armstrong Randall ’82 hosted some of our young alums in NYC at Columbia University in February 2024. All are pursuing bachelor’s or graduate degrees at Columbia and NYU and/or are considering careers in medicine. From L to R: Cecilia Reisner ’18, Enoch Xiao ’23, Hooper Markert ’21, Katrina Armstrong Randall ’82, Julia Goldberg ’20, Ethan Xiao ’23, and Dewey Wilbanks ’17. Katrina was awarded the Outstanding Alum of the Year in 2022 at Indian Springs, and she currently
IN MEMORIAM
ALUMNI
Jesse Eugene Graham, Sr. ’56 passed away on September 17, 2023, in Winter Park, Florida. Jesse was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 9, 1938, and was a member of the first four-year class to graduate from Indian Springs. He graduated from the University of Virginia with his bachelor’s in 1960 and earned his juris doctor from the UVA School of Law in 1964. He was a member of the ROTC during undergrad and served with the U.S. Army after graduation. He married his wife, Kathleen, in 1961, and their love of warmer weather moved them to Winter Park, Florida. There, Jesse practiced law, retiring after 50 years. He was an active member of the community and an avid golfer, playing courses across the U.S. and parts of Europe. He enjoyed the thrill of the occasional hole-in-one and acquired an eight handicap during his golfing days. Jesse is survived by his wife, Kathleen; two
leads Columbia University’s medical campus as Chief Executive Officer of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is also Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences for Columbia University and the Harold and Margaret Hatch Professor in the Faculty of the University. Katrina is the first woman to lead Columbia’s medical school and medical center.
children, Georgia and Jesse, Jr.; and five grandchildren, Parker, Emily, Alexandria, Jesse III, and Wakefield.
William “Bill” Alan Robison ’56 passed away on May 10, 2024, in Anniston, Alabama. After graduating from Indian Springs, Bill earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech and later earned his master’s in engineering from the University of Florida. He served in the U.S. Army for seven years and was Director of Calhoun County Community Corrections for 25 years, retiring in 2019. Bill was part of the Anniston City Council, serving on the City Planning Commission, the Board of Education, and as mayor for eight years. Bill was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for 48 years, during which he served as a deacon and an elder. Bill is survived by his wife of 62 years, Emily; his children, Laura Robison Kile (Dorn), William Alan Robison, Jr. (Jehna), and Michael Evans Robison (Tobie); nine
grandchildren, Rebecca Dison (Tyler), Thomas Kerr, Gabbi Kile, Billy Robison, Ellie Robison, Carlisle Robison, Birdie Robison, Hannah Emily Robison, and Michael Robison; three great-grandchildren, Genevieve, Madeline, and Oliver; sister Hilda Hunter and sister-in-law Jamie Robison; and several nephews and nieces. Joseph Frank Bear, Jr. ’61 passed away on November 11, 2023, in Montgomery, Alabama. After his graduation from Indian Springs, he followed in the educational footsteps of his father and uncles, attending Washington & Lee University. Shortly after earning his bachelor’s degree, Joe married his wife, Mallory, and embarked on a career as a general contractor and third-generation member of Bear Brothers. During his career, he became a member of the State Board of Alabama General Contractors Association, serving as President of the Central District. Joe was an active member of the Men of Montgomery and was elected to
TENNANT SCHULTZ MCWILLIAMS ’61
BY JIM SIMON
Indian Springs is sad to report the passing of Tennant S. McWilliams ’61 who passed away after a short illness on October 23, 2023, in Fairhope, Alabama. Tennant was a respected scholar, prolific author and historian, and the longtime Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He mentored and inspired countless students and fellow faculty during an academic career spanning over three decades that saw UAB expand in size and prestige, in no small part thanks to his efforts. Tennant also served on the Indian Springs Alumni Council from 1989 to 1991 and on the Board of Governors for 12 years from 1990 to 2002.
Following his graduation from Indian Springs, Tennant pursued a degree in history from Birmingham-Southern College, where his father had been a longtime professor, followed by a master’s degree from the University of Alabama and, subsequently, earned a doctorate in diplomatic history from the University of Georgia. He was responsible for authoring numerous influential academic articles and books, including the book “Dixie Heretic: The Civil Rights Odyssey of Renwick C. Kennedy,” published just before his passing.
His lifelong friend and former New York Times editor Howell Raines beautifully summed up some of Tennant’s most memorable personal and professional attributes in a stirring eulogy. “Tennant was a performative, even theatrical conversationalist who delighted in dazzling his audience - whether in a classroom or at the dinner table,” Raines said. “As a historian, Tennant knew that evil never sleeps, and he never ceased shining his light into dark corners, and his sense of outrage never wavered...Alabama may seem odd to some, but I assure you a belief in the need for political reform and the power of higher education was the essence of who he was, the cornerstone of a principled life of public service.”
His wife Susan knew how valuable Tennant’s Indian Springs education and experience were to him, “Tennant contributed so much to this world, and it basically started at Indian Springs. He believed that Springs taught a diverse student body to develop a commitment to think logically and critically about social and political ideas and to become involved in their respective communities.”
Tennant is survived by his wife Susan; children Lauren Wainwright ’88 and Danielle and Jason Vacca McWilliams; brothers Richebourg McWilliams (Jane) and Burk McWilliams ’65 (Cheryl); nephews Vaughn McWiliams ’92 (Callan) and Thomas McWilliams ’97 (Rebecca); nieces, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
serve on the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Country Club. After retirement, Joe and Mallory split their time between Montgomery and Seagrove Beach, Florida. Joe is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mallory; three children, Joseph “Jody” Bear, III (Terri), Travis Bear (Laura), and Mallory “Molly” Drumwright (Kyle); grandchildren, Oliver, Duncan, Isabel, Joe, and Charlie (who knew and loved his as “Poppy”); siblings, Mary Todd Norman, Caroline Novak (Tabor), Evelyn Altheimer (Lee), and brother-in-law Tommy Gallion (Lannie). Perry Timberlake ’65 passed away on September 6, 2023, in Greensboro, Alabama. Perry grew up in Birmingham and attended Highlands Methodist Church, where he was christened and confirmed. He graduated from Indian Springs and then Virginia Military Institute in Staunton, Virginia, before earning his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He served with the U.S. Army in Turkey before returning to Birmingham and setting up a medical clinic to help the underprivileged. After much research, Perry moved to Greensboro, Alabama, and practiced family medicine at the Hale County Hospital Clinic for over forty years. He traveled many times to Luweero, Uganda, to show villagers how to make porridge for children, how to use mosquito nets he provided, and how to take the vitamins he brought. Perry is survived by his sister, Betty Timberlake Knight (Bill); nieces, Elizabeth Knight Hubbard (Shane), Mary Virginia Knight Cater (Ken), Sumner Timberlake Starling (Jeff), and Jane Timberlake Cooper (Lloyd); and several great nieces and nephews, as well as great-great nieces and nephews.
John Gregory Ballentine ’66 passed away on March 21, 2024, in Arlington, Virginia. Born in Buffalo, New York, Greg’s family moved to Montevallo, Alabama, at an early age. After his graduation from Indian Springs, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Spring Hill College and his doctorate in economics from Rice University. He married his teenage sweetheart, Bess, at the young age of 19. Over a long career, Greg was an associate professor of economics at Wayne State University and the University of Florida, served the U.S. government in the Treasury Department and Office of Management and Budget, and was a principal at large firms such as KPMG and PWC before moving on to economic consulting at Bates, White & Ballentine and The Ballentine Barbera Group. He was also a prominent economic litigation consultant for some of the country’s leading law firms. Greg is survived by his wife of 56 years, Bess; daughters Greta Henry (Gary) and Dorothy Sneider (John); grandchildren, Katarina, Alix, Kori, and Jack; sister, Barbara Sinnott (John); and several nieces and nephews.
Richard “Scott” McFarland ’70 passed away on December 1, 2023, in Wilmington, North Carolina. After graduating from Indian Springs, Scott earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed a surgical residency at the University of Miami Health System and remained in Florida for the remainder of his career. He spent many years in emergency medicine as the medical director at Palm Beach Gardens, “Miracle Center.” Scott was the host/narrator of the show “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind” on PBS, which was at one point the number one public television show in the U.S. He was also a published author, releasing the book “Real Stories from a Real E.R. Doc” in 2022. Scott is survived by his wife, Deborah Cone McFarland; sons Christian and Jackson McFarland, and daughter, Katherine McFarland.
FORMER FACULTY
ELIZABETH MARY “ELMA” TUOHY
April 1, 2024
Mother of Niamh Tuohy ’89 and Fergus Tuohy ’96; grandmother of Aidan Clarke ’22
Former faculty member Elma Tuohy passed away on April 1, 2024, in Birmingham, Alabama. Mrs. Tuohy served the Indian Springs community as an English teacher for nearly two decades. Her passion for poetry and literature and her pride in her native Ireland became legendary. She required her eighth graders to memorize sonnets every week. At the time, the students groaned, but years later, many thanked her for the gift of poetry that has stayed with them. Mrs. Tuohy and her husband, Jim, took groups of Indian Springs students to Ireland during the summers to show off their native land of saints and scholars. While Jim drove the bus and led everyone in song, Elma served as organizer and tour guide, educating them about many holy sites, including Yeats Country and the various Dublin venues James Joyce introduced to the world through Ulysses. Her love for teaching endured after retirement, as she often tutored students in her home. Several alums put together a tribute for Mrs. Tuohy during Alumni Weekend, which you may view by visiting www.indiansprings.org/ elmatuohy
FAMILY & FRIENDS
THOMAS NEELY CARRUTHERS
November 15, 2023
Father of Tom Carruthers ’78; grandfather of Auston Smith ’09, Everett Smith ’10, Virginia Smith ’12, and Scout Carruthers ’20
EVA V. DUBOVSKY
July 29, 2023
Mother of Ivan Dubovsky ’79 and Filip Dubovsky ’83
JANE HESTER ELLIS
April 12, 2024
Spouse of long-time faculty member Charles Ellis; mother of Holly Ellis Whatley ’84; and grandmother of Alice Whatley ’12 and Katie Whatley ’14
MARY LOUISE SHIRLEY HODGES
June 2, 2024
Mother of Greg Hodges ’66, grandmother of Eleanor Hodges Tolbert ’05, Jane Latham Hodges Nance ’07, and Elizabeth Hodges ’09
THOMAS BARR LINTON
January 3, 2024
Father of Annette Linton ’25
HERBERT BERNARD LURIA IV
September 4, 2023
Father of Elaine Luria ’93, Uncle of Alan Engel ’73
HENRIETTA ANN
MCDOUGALD MONK
April 22, 2024
Spouse of Richard Monk, Jr. ’57; grandmother of Richard Monk, IV ’23
NANCY MYERS NEMETH
May 15, 2023
Mother of Carolyn Nemeth ’78, former faculty member Paula Nemeth, and the late Sally Nemeth ’77
CAROL ANN FISHBURNE
NUNNELLEY
December 3, 2023
Mother of Meg Nunnelly Olsen ’94; grandmother of Nora Olsen ’26
MERRIT LOUIS PIZITZ
March 14, 2024
Father of Paget Pizitz Taylor ’97
DANIEL JOSEPH THOMAS
April 23, 2024
Spouse of faculty member Stephanie Thomas; father of Madeleine Thomas Wilcox ’15 and Ethan Thomas ’20
CONTRIBUTE TO INDIAN SPRINGS MAGAZINE
Alumni, did you recently reach a milestone in your career, such as a new position, promotion, or retirement? Did you enjoy big news in your personal life, like a wedding or a new addition to the family? We want to celebrate you in the next issue! Please submit your class notes to classnotes@indiansprings.org.
WILLIAM “BILL” MAYFIELD SLAUGHTER ’56
BY JIM SIMON
Indian Springs is mourning the loss of William “Bill” Mayfield Slaughter ’56 who passed away in Birmingham on January 14, 2024, after a long illness. He was 84 years old. In addition to the distinction of being one of the first students to enroll in Indian Springs when the school opened in 1952, Bill served on the Board of Governors for 25 years (1977 to 2002), including 15 years as its Chair. His involvement as a student, supportive alum, parent, grandparent, and board member has spanned every decade of the school’s existence.
After graduating from Indian Springs, Bill attended Harvard College, followed by the University of Virginia Law School, which was the catalyst for a long, distinguished career as an attorney and corporate officer for firms in New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and eventually back in Birmingham where he was a partner at the firm of Haskell, Slaughter, and Young with fellow Indian Springs alum Wyatt Haskell ’57. Bill also served a term in the Alabama State Legislature, where he was liked and respected by colleagues from both parties, devoting his time as a volunteer on numerous other non-profit boards, including Cooper Green Hospital, South Highland Hospital, and the University of Virginia Law Foundation. He was an active member of the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent for over 40 years.
Bill’s wife of more than 55 years, Diana Rediker Slaughter, recently recalled that ‘Indian Springs was the making of him,’ a recognition that was a driving force behind Bill’s desire to give back to his alma mater, which he saw ascend from a start-up with a few dozen students to one of the top private schools in America.
Longtime friend Grady Richardson ’57, one of many who made memorial gifts in Bill’s honor, wrote, “While we did not agree on most things, I must acknowledge that he was one of the most accomplished people I have ever known. He was absolutely brilliant across the board! And, most importantly, I believe he was a good and generous person.”
In their eulogies at Bill’s memorial service, sons Hanson Slaughter ’90 and Will Slaughter ’91 remembered their father’s love of reading and history, his love of his dogs, and how easily he could become frustrated. “Dad was at heart an idealist and had a strong vision of the world as it ought to be rather than the messy one it actually is,” Will remarked. His son Hanson admired his father’s ability to “parent by example and do the best you can do. The example he set of hard work, honesty, competence, thoughtfulness, and compassion is tremendous. The legacy he leaves is immeasurable.”
Bill is survived by his wife Diana; sons Hanson Slaughter ’90 (Melissa) and Will Slaughter ’91 (Sarah); grandchildren John Slaughter ’20, Virginia Slaughter ’22 and Ada Slaughter ’26; and sister Carol Slaughter. Indian
Springs
Photos by Will Carey
1. Cecilia Reisner ’18 and Chloe Miller ’18 2. Erika Grooms ’96; Former Faculty Member Dr. Jonathan Horn ’75; and Joanna Jacobs ’93 3. Mike Goodrich ’90 and Board Chair Elizabeth Goodrich P ’20, ’23, ’28 4. Board member Emily Hess Levine ’01; Violet Levine ’27; and Bob Levine 5. Nirmal Roy ’02; Starr Turner Drum ’02; Rebecca Smith ’02; Nina Lanier; and Kate Konecny Pope ’02 6. Jessie Hook ’13; Julia Horn ’11, Khadija Jahfiya ’11; and Ambria Hardy ’13 7. Catherine Goodrich ’20; Lexi Hodson ’20; Ashton Dudley ’20; and Grace McCarty ’20 8. Cynthia Li ’23; Kailyn Oppenheim ’23; and Vickie Kim ’23 9. Olivia Honeycutt ’22 and faculty member William Belser ’80 10. Faculty member Dr. Mac LaCasse P ’88, ’88, ’95, faculty member Dr. Bob Cooper P ’94, ’98 GP ’27; board member Elise May Frohsin ’88 P ’20, ’25; and board member Kyung Han ’85 11. Clara Rominger ’21; D’aria Lane ’21; Phoebe Rominger ’23 12. Joseph Katz ’22 and Lawrence Katz ’82 13. Victoria Spencer ’05; Melody Lovvorn; Brittney Bass Gray ’05 14. Deborah Hobbs and Larry Read ’77 15. Katie Whatley ’14 and Benjamin Kitchens ’13 16. Head of School Scott Schamberger; Larry Brook ’87; Eli Brook ’27 17. Zack Aldaher ’14; Parker Schell ’20; and Emma Storm ’19
CHOIR TOUR 2024
The choir sang in a joint performance with the American University Chamber Singers (Laurel Impello ’23 is a member!) on Thursday, February 15, at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America located in Washington, D.C.
1. Director of Choral Music Dr. Lee Wright conducts the Indian Springs Chamber Choir with accompaniment from
’24 (cello) and Director of Instrumental Music Dr. Hye-Sook Jung (piano) 2. Indian Springs Concert Choir
Choir with the American University Chamber Singers 4. Julia Gale ’25 and Chance Smith ’25
3.
YOUNG ALUMS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
We were excited to catch up with some of our young alums during the February 2024 choir tour.
1. Ryan Le ’24, Nate Street ’24, and Jack Swanner ’21 (who is currently attending Georgetown University) at choir rehearsal. 2. Laurel Impello ’23 (American University); Cason Swaid ’23 (Georgetown University); Head of School Scott Schamberger; Victoria Kindall ’21 (Carleton College); Anne Maison Barbaree Tasker ’23 (American University); and Assistant Head of School for Advancement & External Affairs
Jim Simon out to dinner.
by
Photos
Ralph Alswang
Miriam Beschliesser
performs
Indian Springs Chamber
5. Laurel Impello ’23 and Dr. Jung at the piano
ALUMNI EVENTS
New York City Reception
Thursday, November 7, 2024
Washington D.C./Northern Virginia Reception Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Alumni Holiday Party
Friday, December 23, 2024
Learn more at www.indiansprings.org/alumni peggy.fleetwood@indiansprings.org 205.332.0610
ADMISSION EVENTS
Open Houses
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Sunday, January 8, 2025*
*virtual event
Learn more at www.indiansprings.org/admission admission@indiansprings.org 205.332.0563
Photo by Sylvia Zhang ’27
190 Woodward Drive Indian Springs, AL 35124
205.988.3350
www.IndianSprings.org
