Fr om t he Head
Remembering George Shultz ’38 By Sheila Culbert
One of the great pleasures of my term as head of school has been meeting with former Secretary of State George Shultz ’38. I visited with him several times with my colleagues Nat Follansbee and Tim Struthers ’85o0— sometimes in his lovely San Francisco apartment, sometimes at his office at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and once I had the honor of welcoming him to the campus. It was especially memorable and enjoyable when he attended our receptions in the city. With him, the conversation was always animated and fascinating. This was a man who had advised presidents, met with world leaders, and led a life of public service as a diplomat and economist. My first meeting with him was at his home in San Francisco with possibly the most spectacular view imaginable overlooking San Francisco Bay with the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and the Bay Bridge all within sight. I was beside myself nervous at meeting this great man, but he quickly put me at ease. Because of my British background, he talked about his meetings with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her relationship with Ronald Reagan. While Secretary Shultz had held four cabinet positions and had served multiple presidents, President Reagan was clearly his favorite. He also talked about the school and what it meant to him. He had clear and wonderful
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Loomis Chaffee Magazine Spring 2021
memories of his time on the Island. He served on the Student Council and was a varsity athlete, competing on the football, basketball, and tennis teams. He was especially proud of the 11-1 record of the basketball team in his senior year. One story that he liked to tell involved Mr. Batchelder and the annual Thanksgiving dinner. The kitchen would provide a turkey for every table of boys, which the faculty would carve—but no faculty member dared to carve the table’s turkey more quickly than Mr. B. Consequently, the boys would watch with amusement as their faculty checked on Mr. B’s progress and carefully calibrated their own carving. Over several more meetings, it quickly became very apparent just how connected and involved Secretary Shultz was in current politics. He remained an advisor to and confidante of several presidents and political figures, and he was passionately involved in the issues of nuclear proliferation and climate change. Right up to his passing, he remained engaged and involved in trying to solve these two issues. In October 2017, Secretary Shultz visited the Island to address the whole school. We must have had well over 800 students, faculty, and staff in the Olcott Center, but you could have heard a pin drop as everyone sat in rapt silence listening to this 98-year-old man who had had a front row seat at so many historic
events talk about his career, the leaders whom he had met, and what matters in the world, providing sound advice to our students. Following his convocation, Secretary Shultz met with the Shultz Fellows. First organized in 2017 by then Student Council President Taseen Anwar ’17, this bipartisan group meets regularly to discuss current political issues. With his wife Charlotte at his side, Secretary Shultz gave each Shultz Fellow a signed copy of his 2016 book Learning from Experience and spent a minute or two talking with each girl and boy. He always had time for me and our school. May he rest in peace.
He was passionately involved in the issues of nuclear proliferation and climate change. Right up to his passing, he remained engaged and involved in trying to solve these two issues.
