Class Reunions

REUNITING WITH THEIR ROOTS

The first group of students to have classes in Luck Hall, the Class of 1987 returned to their Kindergarten classrooms to celebrate their 35th reunion on Homecoming weekend.

Gretchen Loree Crawford ’87 remembers the short walk, taken one morning in the winter of 1974, from her previous Kindergarten classroom to Luck Hall, a brief stroll with her classmates that marked the beginning of the rest of her time in the Lower School. She remembers the connections with classmates and the countless bits of wisdom passed down from teachers — all of those crucial early stages of development contained in her Kindergarten classroom. The first group of students to have classes in Luck Hall, the Class of 1987 returned to their classrooms of origin for their 35th reunion on Homecoming weekend, and the memories made there came rushing back to the Collegiate alumni.

Coming back to Collegiate, the alumni explored the classrooms of their childhoods, still as spacious and fruitful for discovery as the 1987 graduates remember it back in the 70s. “I think we just had such a nice sense of values at Collegiate, a sense of honor, a sense of loyalty and a lot of lessons that helped build character in every student,” Crawford reflects. “It was a gift to go to Collegiate, and it makes me so happy to see other students still receiving those same experiences.”

During the construction of Luck Hall, the Class of 1987 took their classes in the church across from what is now the Lower School parking lot. The space was initially designed to house four classrooms, each one containing access to an outdoor area, the intention being to encourage individual student growth and exploration. Now, after nearly 50 years, Luck Hall continues to offer a space for students to thrive in every aspect of life, providing a unique education for each unique student.

“Reading time was the best in Luck Hall,” recalls Glen Pusey Meck ’87, another graduate of the Class of 1987. “My enduring love for books began there and then fully flourished under the instruction of Dr. Hailes.”

The space holds significance for each member of the class, but the people, those who created the warm energy within the space, are what made the alumni’s time at Collegiate special. The Class of 1987 revisited the pivotal years of their lives with the classmates that made their education at Collegiate impactful.

“The fabric of my childhood is still important to me, and I’m always happy to see anybody I spent my childhood with and catch up with people who were there to help me grow,” Crawford says. “Collegiate was such a big part of my life growing up, and reunions give me the opportunity to reconnect with my classmates to find out all the interesting things they’ve done and seen since graduating. That’s why I come back for Homecoming: to revisit the place and the people who have meant so much to me throughout my life.”

CLASS OF 1987

CLASS OF 1972 CLASS OF 1977

CLASS OF 1982 CLASS OF 1992

CLASS OF 1997

CLASS OF 2012

CLASS OF 2002

CLASS OF 2007 CLASS OF 2017

Editor’s note: The classes of 1962 and 1967 had a great time gathering during Homecoming weekend. To view photographs of their reunions, please see page 76.

HONORING

Distinguished Service

One of the highest-ranking officers in the United States military, Trey Whitworth, ever humble and a servant leader, was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award during Homecoming.

By: Weldon Bradshaw

A gentle breeze wafted through Collegiate’s North Mooreland Road campus, and wisps of clouds drifted across the cerulean sky on this picture-perfect Homecoming afternoon. As the Cougars and Norfolk Academy matched strength and skill on the Grover Jones Field before an enthusiastic sea of onlookers and youngsters frolicked on the playground nearby and the open field behind the bleachers, sounds of joy filled the air. Amidst the celebration, VADM Frank W. “Trey” Whitworth III ’85 sat quietly and inconspicuously on a bench in the gazebo overlooking the festivities and spoke softly, almost reverently, of the lessons he’d learned during his eight years at Collegiate that have served him well throughout his 34-year career in the United States Navy. “Even though the physical plant may have changed since I was a student here, the sense of family, community and values is as strong as ever,” he said in measured tones. “That’s the staying power of Collegiate.” Earlier in the day, Collegiate’s Alumni Association honored Whitworth with its Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes excellence in the recipient’s field of endeavor. “This was a very special day,” he said, then deflected the credit as is his wont. “A lot of people have helped me beginning with the faculty, administrators and my fellow students at Collegiate. Obviously, my family. My wife Amy. The sailors and officers who have worked with me. There are many people I could share this award with.” During his illustrious career, Whitworth has earned numerous citations for meritorious service and leadership as well as the abiding respect of those with whom he has shared the journey. Among his many assignments, he has served as Commander of the Joint Intelligence Center Central, Director of Intelligence for the U.S. Africa Command, Director of Intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and, since June 2022, Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. The underpinnings of his career go back, he says, to the time-honored lessons of integrity, character, leadership and humility that he learned at home (from his parents Dixon and Kay) and church and in the classrooms and on the playing fields of Collegiate and has done all within his power to pay forward. “I have vivid memories,” he said, referencing his formative years. “Tradition is everything. Shared experiences: stickball, Yule Log, chapel services, an intense, competitive academic environment yet good-natured competition. We were happy for each other when someone did well. Small class sizes. You knew the people in your class, their parents, and their histories. “Other than my family and the church, I don’t think I’ve had a more important academic, social and moral foundation in an institution than at Collegiate. I really mean that.” Though intelligence is his professional specialty, Whitworth dreamed of being a pilot when he received his ROTC commission upon graduation from Duke University in 1989. “That was not part of the plan,” he said of his career direction. “If a faithful person looked at it, they might say that was part of a plan. I was on my way to Pensacola, Fla., to join the aviation community. My left eye would not correct to 20/20. I tried as hard as I could, they tried as hard as they could, and it just couldn’t correct at that critical time so I had to find an alternative immediately. “I actually picked intelligence against the odds. It was unlikely that I’d be accepted given that I came from ROTC. I was fortunate. The rest is history, I guess.” He never looked back. “I’ve really enjoyed the people I’ve worked with and learned with,” he said. “I related to them, and we became good friends. And as long as they kept giving interesting jobs and the work seemed impactful, I never thought about an alternative. I joke that I think we’re going to make it a career now.” Whitworth was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate for his current post heading the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. “This is a very fulfilling opportunity,” he said. “NGA is in charge of the intelligence we derive from imagery and observations from all sorts of different sensors. We’re also in charge of the safety of navigation inherent to our cartographic missions and the certification of some of our data for charts. “One of the hardest things we do, and maybe the hardest things to do in the military, is deconflicting combatant from non-combatant. This is one of the core missions of NGA, so I’m honored to be in charge of this agency.” The three stars on Whitworth’s shoulder identify him as one of the highest-ranking officers in the United States military, but Whitworth, ever humble and a servant leader, sees himself as just another Collegiate alumnus enjoying the ambiance of Homecoming. “Faith reminds us that we’re all together and that we’re relatively small in comparison to the rest of the world,” he said. “Faith reminds us to remember that people have feelings, so what we say or do and how we conduct ourselves around others can have a lasting effect. “No matter your rank or stature, those are people you’re talking to. We’re all just people. On this particular day, we’re all Cougars.”