Loomis Chaffee Magazine Summer 2017 by Loomis Chaffee

Summer 2017 VOLUME 79 |

NO. 3

ART MEETS SCIENCE Senior Claudia Liu stands in front of the large-scale, movable mural she created this spring for her Senior Project. The mural, painted in acrylic, captures the beauty and diversity of the planet’s flora and fauna, past and present, and depicts the intersection of art and science, Claudia’s two passions. Claudia was one of 23 seniors who engaged in self-designed, independent projects during their last two weeks on the Island in May, continuing a Senior Project tradition that started more than two decades ago.

web+ To read more about this year’s Senior Projects, go to www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.

Summer 2017

IN CONCERT Top: Sophomore Harper Follansbee solos at the Jazz/Guitar Ensembles Spring Concert. Above: The Wind Ensemble performance in May featured a concerto with a solo by senior trombonist Deborah Feifer. Right: Cellists perform in the Spring Orchestra/Wind Ensemble Concert. Photos: John Groo

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Loomis Chaffee Magazine

Meet seven members of the Class of 2017 as they reflect on their Loomis Chaffee experiences, their individual passions, and their hopes for the future.

Junior Emily Langston tells us about her spring term at The Mountain School in Vermont, where she embraced the challenges and rewards of alternative study.

Tibetan Buddhist monks created a sand mandala painting in Founders Chapel this spring and invited the community to observe their meditative process.

Senior Quotes

School of Life

DEPARTMENTS 4 FROM THE HEAD 5 ISLAND NEWS 23 FACULTY & STAFF NEWS 25 LETTERS 26 PELICAN SPORTS

56 58 6 9 80

OBJECT LESSON CLASS NOTES OBITUARIES REFLECTIONS

Mandala

Architectural Biography Loomis Hall, the school’s original dining room, contains hints to its own history as a place for gathering and conversing.

WEB EXTRAS web+

Look for this notation throughout the magazine for links to online extras, from podcasts and videos to photo galleries and expanded news coverage.

Loomis Chaffee SUMMER 2017 Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing Lynn A. Petrillo ’86 Managing Editor Becky Purdy Design Director Patricia J. Cousins Class Notes Madison Neal Obituaries Christine Coyle Contributors Timothy Struthers ’85, Nathan Follansbee, Christine Coyle, Lisa Salinetti Ross, Heidi Erdmann Vance McCann ’93, Cara Woods, and Fred J. Kuo

Submissions/Stories and News Alumni may contribute items of interest to: Loomis Chaffee Editors The Loomis Chaffee School 4 Batchelder Road Windsor CT 06095 860.687.6811 magazine@loomis.org

ON THE COVER Seven members of the Class of 2017 convene on the Senior Path. Photo: John Groo Visit Loomis Chaffee online at www.loomischaffee.org for the latest school news, sports scores, and galleries of recent photos. You also will find direct links to all of our social networking communities. For an online version of the magazine, go to www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.

facebook.com/loomischaffee twitter.com/loomischaffee user name: loomischaffee Instagram.com/loomischaffee Printed at Lane Press Burlington, VT Printed on 70# Sterling Matte, an SFI Sheet, Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Summer 2017

From the Head

Head of School Sheila Culbert greets the graduating seniors during the Commencement processional in May. Photo: John Groo

Hearing from You

ith the benefit of some quiet reflection, I am writing this column up at our house in Meriden, New Hampshire, away from the usual busyness of the campus and the cares of the world. On the Island we are coming to the end of a strategic planning cycle that began in 2009. The capital campaign, Our Time Is Now, has been hugely successful, and thanks to thousands of you, we have raised additional funds—almost $130 million—for financial aid, for faculty, and for the renovation and construction of new residential, student life, and athletic facilities. We have accomplished the long held strategic goal of becoming at least 4

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70 percent boarding, and we have added three new centers and a number of innovative academic programs. The campaign has enabled us to become our best self, and we are enormously grateful to the many people who contributed to this effort. Despite the overwhelming success of the campaign, the year has not been without its challenges. We have also dealt with past instances of sexual misconduct and the changing of the name of Mason Hall to Howe Hall. And, of course, the Trump election and a resulting national landscape that is as politically and ideologically divided as it has been in generations have YOU | continued 24

“One of the things I have most enjoyed this year was hearing from so many alumni and parents. You wrote in large numbers about the key issues that we confronted.”

Island News

Centennial Campaign Shatters $100 Million Goal

e did it! On June 30, Our Time Is Now: The Centennial Campaign for Loomis Chaffee closed its books, having raised $131 million, the largest campaign total in school history. The six-year fundraising effort, co-chaired by Joel Alvord ’56, Duncan MacLean ’90, Elizabeth Richmond ’80 and Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan ’87, shattered its $100 million goal set in 2011. While there were many areas of achievement, one that was particularly inspiring and successful was the outpouring of support for financial aid. Donors directed more than $35 million to this priority, greatly surpassing the $25 million initial goal.

The Financial Aid Initiative, launched in the early years of the endeavor, sparked 40 new endowed funds and substantial additions to 20 existing funds. Henry R. Kravis ’63 further enhanced this initiative through a renewed commitment to the Kravis Scholar Program, as did Robert P. Hubbard ’47 more recently through his transformative $12 million bequest. Richmond Hall, a 50-bed dormitory for girls in memory of Howard Richmond ’35 and his wife, Anita, that opened in 2014, and Cutler Hall, a 50-bed dormitory for girls in honor of Alexander “Sandy” Cutler ’69, Richard Cutler ’34, and William Cutler ’05, that opened in 2016, brought to fruition the critical strategic

goal of increasing the boarding student proportion to 70 percent. The increase in the residential population, coupled with forward-thinking adjustments to the curriculum, led to the prioritization of a Campus Center and the Pearse Innovation Center. This exciting renovation and large addition to the existing Loomis Hall will open in September 2018. As a comprehensive campaign encompassing all areas of the school, one of Our Time Is Now’s signature achievements was the growth in the unrestricted Annual Fund. Over six years, the fund grew from $2.8 million to $4.27 million, a more than 50 percent increase. In total, 8,800 CAMPAIGN | continued on page 8

The latest of the campaign’s many achievements is the current construction of a new Campus Center and the Pearse Innovation Center. The project’s architectural model is shown here. Photo: John Groo Summer 2017

Island News

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Island News

“You need to be you, but never forget [that] what you do matters to those close to you.” — Steve Tisch, Oscar-winning movie producer and co-owner of the New York Giants

Commencement Speaker Steve Tisch Photo: John Groo

Crafting a Life of Resilience and Hope

orrest Gump had it right, according to movie producer Steve Tisch, this year’s Commencement speaker. The title character in the Oscarwinning film, which Steve produced in 1994, encounters both adventure and tragedy during his life, but he never loses his optimism, his sense of wonder, or his fundamental goodness. And he doesn’t worry too much about that which he cannot control. As the 191 members of the Loomis Chaffee Class of 2017 looked ahead to creating their own life stories, Steve urged them to remember the resilience and enduring hopefulness of characters like Forrest Gump. Steve, who also is co-owner and chairman of the New York Giants football team and the father of graduating senior Elizabeth Tisch, was one of several speakers who offered inspiration and advice at the school’s 101st Commencement on May 28 in the traditional setting between the Head’s House and the Homestead, overlooking the Farmington River. “In my business — the movie business — the producer is the quarterback. He must find the story, choose the director and the cast, line up the financing, and oversee a thousand other things that get a film made,” Steve said. “You have the responsibility as the producers in your own lives. ... Beginning tomorrow, you are producing an independent film, and it will be a true story. Those are the best kind.” Four of the last five Academy Awards for Best Picture went to films based on true stories, he pointed out. Good life stories, he said, draw from the lead char-

acter’s experience of endurance and of overcoming injustice, oppression, personal flaws, and the challenges of the world around them, and many feature a pivotal moment of “awakening” in the lead character’s life. Steve shared pivotal moments in his own life when he came to understand the relationship between rebellion and responsibility. Steve said he was inspired to rebel by Bob Dylan’s embracing of the electric guitar, exemplifying Dylan’s refusal to be pigeonholed as an acoustic folk singer. Steve also was inspired by one of his teachers at the Gunnery School, who went out on a limb to save Steve from expulsion when, as a 16-year-old, Steve’s rebelliousness had become irresponsible. Steve came to understand that he owed it to himself and his teacher to return to school, work to his potential, and be the best person he could be. “You need to be you, but never forget [that] what you do matters to those close to you,” Steve said. Class Speaker Rachel Walsh delivered a witty and insightful address that gave words and imagery to the uncertainty that she and many of her classmates felt when they arrived at Loomis and felt again as they stood on the verge of graduation. “Yes, the path ahead is still sand, just like when we first came to the Island, last September or three Septembers before that, and we are probably beginning to ponder the magnitude of what lies ahead of us,” COMMENCEMENT | continued next page

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Island News

COMMENCEMENT | continued from 7

CAMPAIGN | continued from 5

she said. “What we imagine can be reality, or we can veer in a totally different direction. The sand ahead of us is ours to pave.” Also sharing their wisdom from the Commencement stage were Christopher K. Norton ’76, chairman of the Loomis Chaffee Board of Trustees; Head of School Sheila Culbert; and Trustee Harvey J. Struthers Jr. ’60. Several other Trustees, Erik A. Cliette ’84, Karin Kohler Finlay, Douglas W. Lyons ’82, Duncan A.L. MacLean ’90, and Steven P. Rosenthal, joined Sheila and Chris in presenting the Commencement Prizes. The names of all the graduates were read by Dean of Faculty Katherine H. Ballard, and the diplomas were presented by Director of Studies Timothy C. Lawrence and Sheila. In her remarks, Sheila couldn’t resist referencing the wisdom of Forrest Gump’s mother, who told him, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you

individuals contributed to the campaign. Of special note, alumni participation leapt to 49 percent in the Centennial year while averaging 38 percent during the campaign years.

Class Speaker Rachel Walsh Photo: John Groo

never know what you’re going to get.” Sheila said the new graduates’ education at Loomis equipped them well to take on whatever challenges they will face on the paths ahead.

you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong, and may you stay forever young.”

Harvey closed the ceremony by encouraging the graduates to reflect upon the passages that brought them to the Island and will carry them away, and he sent them off by reading the lyrics from the Bob Dylan song “Forever Young”: “May

To view photos from the event, watch a video montage from Commencement day, and read transcripts of Steve Tisch’s and Rachel Walsh’s addresses, go to www. loomischaffee.org/magazine.

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Two other significant, distinctive outcomes of Our Time Is Now were the funding of two new centers. The Norton Family Center for the Common Good and the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies established themselves as key additions to the school’s offerings and core values. On the success of the campaign, Chairman of the Board Christopher Norton ’76 remarked, “The outpouring of support has been overwhelming and has placed Loomis Chaffee in a very healthy financial position to take on our next century with confidence and further aspiration.” “We could not have accomplished this success without the tremendous support of our alumni, parents, and friends,” added Head of School Sheila Culbert. “They know the difference that philanthropy can make in the lives of talented students. Because of the generosity of so many people, our dedicated faculty will continue to foster in our students a commitment to the best self and the common good. Thank you!” Look for a comprehensive report on the campaign in early 2018.

Commencement dignitaries and prize winners gather in front of Warham Hall: (back) Dean of Faculty Katherine Ballard, Trustee Erik Cliette ’84, Trustee Steven Rosenthal, Trustee Douglas Lyons ’82, Trustee Harvey Struthers ’60, Commencement Speaker Steve Tisch, Head of School Sheila Culbert, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Christopher Norton ’76, Trustee Karin Kohler Finlay, and Trustee Duncan MacLean ’90; (front) prize recipients Zimeng “Lily” Liu, Patrick Craig, Benjamin Ryu, Preethi Kannan, Sydney Steward, Ifteda Ahmed-Syed, Justin McIntosh, and Isaac Guzman. Missing Catherine Lee Photo: John Groo

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Island News

Andre Dubus III: Write Honestly, Even If It’s Fiction

“I

f I want to stay me, I have to keep writing,” said author Andre Dubus III, this year’s English Colloquium speaker. Daily writing helped him overcome the self-destructive behavior he developed in his troubled youth and continues to sustain him today, he told the students, faculty, and community members who filled Hubbard Performance Hall for his April 20 talk, “Writing Into the Unknown.” Mr. Dubus has earned acclaim for his raw and powerful work, including his bestselling novel House of Sand and Fog, which was a National Book Award finalist and was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated motion picture; his novel The Garden of Last Days, soon to be a major motion picture; and his uncompromising memoir Townie, a New York Times Editors’ Choice that reached No. 4 on the Times’s bestseller list. In his colloquium talk, Mr. Dubus described his childhood and adolescence in depressed, postindustrial mill towns in Massachusetts, one of four kids living with their mother, who was married at age 18 and divorced nine years later. His mother struggled to make ends meet and provide a secure home life for the family. His father, the late Andre Dubus II, a talented author himself, worked and sent child support, but it was never enough to change their circumstances, Mr. Dubus said. The children and their mother moved often in search of an affordable place to live, landing them in increasingly depressed, drug-infested, and dangerous neighborhoods and in many different schools. Mr. Dubus described violent encounters that he and his family confronted on a regular basis — a seemingly unavoidable fallout of their financial situation and living conditions. “The two primary emotions I remember most from growing up were fear and self-hatred,” the author said. When he or a family member met with violence or injustice at the hands of an aggressor, “I just froze,” he recalled. “I despised myself because I never fought back.” After a bully brutally beat his younger brother and Mr. Dubus said he stood idly by, he vowed never again to be a bystander to hostility and

Andre Dubus III

Photo: John Groo

violence. He began an intense physical regimen in the gym and eventually emerged as a talented boxer. He shared an account of claiming revenge on a “local thug” by knocking out the man’s two front teeth in a bar brawl. Mr. Dubus said it felt good at the time, and he sought out more opportunities to take out his anger on bullies. But the fighting left him still filled with blind anger and self-hatred. Mr. Dubus read a passage from his memoir to narrate a turning point in his life: He was in his early 20s and was training for the Golden Gloves national boxing tournament when he began to write. In writing, he “peeled back the layers,” uncovering his true self, and discovered personal fulfillment by expressing himself in words.

“I felt more like me that I had ever felt before,” Mr. Dubus read from the passage. In answering questions from the audience, Mr. Dubus offered advice about measuring one’s success and being compassionate and nonjudgmental of others in order to write honestly. “Show up; open your hearts; embrace curiosity; and free-fall into what everyone’s got — your God-given imagination,” he advised. In addition to the evening talk, Mr. Dubus met with English classes during the school day and with English faculty members at a dinner with Head of School Sheila Culbert. Mr. Dubus’s visit was made possible by the Hubbard Speakers Series, the Loomis Chaffee English Colloquium, and the Ralph M. Shulansky ’45 Lecture Fund. Summer 2017

Interscholastic Dance Festival Expands in Second Year

fostering experiences just like this, with students from different schools, backgrounds, and experiences collaborating, learning from different teachers, and sharing their passion for dance.

n its second year, an interscholastic dance festival that was the brainchild of Loomis students Emily Dias and Leonie Kurzlechner bloomed into a 10-school event with more than 120 participants, nearly triple the size of last year’s inaugural festival. Held at Loomis Chaffee on a Sunday in April, the New England Prep School Dance Festival offered workshops in ballet, jazz, tap, modern dance, hip hop, and yoga as well as World Dance classes in Irish, Latin, and African dance. Participants ranged from the experienced to the novice, and all were welcome. Classes took place in several locations across campus, and at the end of the day, participants gathered in the Hubbard Performance Hall for short performances by dancers representing each school.

Juniors Emily and Leonie shared an emotional moment of satisfaction watching the culminating performances and reflecting on the festival’s growth. “We were … watching the dancers on

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Organizers Emily Dias and Leonie Kurzlechner speak at the dance festival. Photos: John Groo

stage and looking around at all the students and teachers gathered in the auditorium enjoying the performance. Then Leonie said, ‘They’re all here because of us,’” recalls Emily. One of the highlights of the day for the pair was watching a hip-hop dance performed by students from Choate and Cheshire together on stage while the entire audience cheered them on. Emily and Leonie created the festival in the hopes of

While the two girls dreamed up the idea for the festival and put in months of work organizing and preparing for the event, they also acknowledged the contributions of many others, including instructors from Loomis and other schools and tireless help and encouragement from Loomis dance teacher Kate Loughlin and Dean of Students and Student Activities Director Michael Donegan. Because of construction of the new Campus Center on the Island next year, Loomis may not be an ideal place to hold the third annual festival, acknowledges Emily. But she and Leonie hope, as they have from the outset, that the festival will rotate among participating schools’ campuses in future years.

Trustee News

Island News

he end of the academic year brought some changes to the membership of the Board of Trustees.

Warm Welcome for Howe Hall

Parent Steven P. Rosenthal rotated off the board, having completed eight years and two full terms. His son Alex graduated in May and will follow his brother Jon ’10 to their father’s alma mater, Harvard. During Steve’s tenure, he served on the Campaign Executive Committee; the Admission, Financial Aid, & College Guidance Committee; the Finance Committee; and the Steven P. Rosenthal Diversity Task Force. He was a terrific advocate and host for the school and a generous supporter of its various initiatives and of Our Time Is Now: The Centennial Campaign for Loomis Chaffee.

lover Howe ’48 and Jane Mackay Howe ’49 have a long, celebrated history at Loomis Chaffee, from their days as students — Glover at Loomis, Jane at Chaffee — to their many years as faculty members, dorm parents, deans, and guiding forces while they also raised their own family of four children on campus, all of whom attended Loomis Chaffee and went on to careers in independent schools. Glover and Jane’s legacy on the Island became even more tangible this spring with the renaming of Mason Hall to Howe Hall. “Glover would be highly honored and deeply touched, as am I, to know that Howe Hall will be part of the stately Grubbs Quadrangle,” Jane wrote in a letter to the school after she was informed of the renaming. Glover, who died in 2010, and Jane, who resides in New Hampshire, both served as dorm heads of Mason Hall, among their many roles at the school.

Glover Howe ’48 and Jane Mackay Howe ’49 Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

announced that they would rename the residence hall in honor of the Howes and their dedication to the school community.

“We always felt that the quality of residential life is a vital part of the boarding school experience,” Jane wrote. “Our own lives were certainly enriched by including the dormitory girls and boys in our family — sharing ideas and experiences, lending an ear, helping when needed, just being there for them, and over time becoming mentors; and true friends. Living in a dormitory and caring for and parenting students wove us into the fabric of the community and helped produce a healthy student body. Our years living on the Island were happy, fulfilling, and treasured.”

Although the decision to remove Mason’s name met with mixed reactions, the choice of Howe for the new moniker was roundly applauded. The girls who lived in the dorm this year welcomed the new name for their home away from home. “In fact, a couple of girls had suggested Howe Hall when [Head of School Sheila] Culbert had first informed us that the name would be changed,” says dorm head Lori Caligiuri. “Jane and Glover Howe impacted the lives of many students, both male and female, who resided in Mason throughout the years, and we are thrilled to honor their service in this way.”

When Jane returned to campus for Reunion Weekend in June, as she does every year, she stopped by the century-old dorm to see the new name above the door: Howe Hall. “Glover would be so tickled,” she said.

Senior Helena DuPont, a resident assistant in the dorm this past year, says the girls were pleased that the new name will “honor people who had a connection to the dorm and to the school.”

After more than a year of consideration, the Board of Trustees decided last fall to change the dorm’s name. The building originally was named for John Mason, who was a prominent figure in the town of Windsor’s early history, but whose role in the Mystic Massacre of 1637 has come under scrutiny due to the brutality of the attack on a Native American village. At the board’s May meeting, the Trustees

“And Howe Hall has a nice ring to it,” Helena adds.

web+ To read the letter from Head of School Sheila Culbert and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Christopher Norton ’76 announcing the decision, go to www.loomischaffee.org/ magazine.

Steve’s successors will be two alumni: John M. Bussel ’87 and Gardiner “Gardy” F. Gillespie III ’63. John is no stranger to the board, having previously served from 2001 to 2014. A four-year student from Coral Gables, Florida, John earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University. John is principal, chief investment officer, and regional director of the Miami office John M. Bussel ’87 of Hewins Financial Advisors LLC, a CPA-based financial advisory firm that provides investment management consulting services to individuals, families, and institutions. John lives in Miami with his wife, Laura Gallo, and their three children: Miriam, Adriana, and Samuel. Miriam will be a Loomis freshman this fall. Gardy came to Loomis from Rye, New York, and went on to Williams College and the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a partner in the Business Trial Practice Group in the Washington, D.C., office of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, where his practice focuses on complex judicial and administrative cable television and telecom litigation. Previously he was a partner with Hogan & Hartson Gardner Gillespie ’63 LLP, which merged to become Hogan Lovells. He is a member of a three-generation Loomis family, including his father, Gardner Jr. ’35; and his son, Nat ’93. Gardy and his wife, Stevie, live in Alexandria, Virginia. In other board news, three Trustees were elected vice chairmen: Jason H. Karp ’94, Duncan A.L. MacLean ’90, and Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan ’87. Summer 2017

Island News

Reunion

ore than 400 alumni, families, faculty, and friends flocked to the Island for Reunion 2017 on June 16–18, a weekend of gatherings, celebrations, presentations, learning, and enjoyment for class years ending in 2’s and 7’s as well as alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago. Friday’s activities included a golf outing at Tumble Brook Country Club, receptions for the 50th and 25th Reunion classes, and an all-class dinner and dancing under the tent in Grubbs Quadrangle. On Saturday, alumni and their families enjoyed presentations by Rebecca Pacheco ’97 on yoga, mindfulness, and meditation and by faculty member Scott MacClintic ’82 on cognitive science and lifelong learning; a “State of the School” session with Head of School Sheila Culbert; a talk by history teacher and archivist Karen Parsons on The Chaffee School’s Blue Willow china; pickup lacrosse and soccer games and round-robin tennis matches; kids activities; a lunchtime Food Truck Fair on Grubbs Quad; and a memorial service officiated by the Rev. Charles Purinton ’67. Saturday culminated with class dinners and a dessert reception and dancing under the tent. A farewell breakfast on Sunday morning fueled up Reunion celebrants for their trips home, carrying happy memories with them.

web+ To see a gallery of photos from Reunion 2017, go to www.loomischaffee.org/magazine. Background: Monica and Bill Hughson ’82 dance the night away under the Reunion tent. G reg Davis ’82, Nancy Niekrash Budd ’82, and parent of alumni Paul Reheis team up in the Loomis Chaffee annual golf outing. Rebecca Pacheco ’97 leads Reunion attendees in her session, “Do Your Om Thing,” a conversation about modern yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. Christine Schleicher Strife ’97, Kathy Agonis ’97, and Erin Shoudy Meyer ’97 display lunch items from the Food Truck Fair. Carolyn and Bryant Tolles ’57 relax in Katharine Brush Library. Chaffee graduates gather at Sill House on the Palisado campus for the annual Chaffee Breakfast. Members of the Class of 2002 get creative in the Reunion photo booth.

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Island News

A lumni from several classes participated in the Reunion Tennis Round Robin: Bill Fine ’67, Tim Struthers ’85, Derek Marcus ’97, Seth Shaw ’97, and George “Lefty” Valentin ’77.

A lumni gather under their class balloons in the tent for the Saturday evening dinner and dancing. R eunion celebrants Vini Norris Exton ’67, Hollis Harman ’67, and Jean Sanderson ’67 are all smiles about their Chaffee 50th.

S eth Fierston ’82, Sharon Flannery ’82, and Jo-Ann Clynch ’82 join Reunion Co-Chairs Doug Lyons ’82 and Nancy Niekrash Budd ’82 after their 35th Reunion class received the Stephen Conland ’35 Award for extraordinary volunteer effort. A nne Schneider McNulty ’72, Kitty Johnson Peterson ’72, Merle Kummer ’72, Susan Hamlet ’72, and Evie Smith ’50 admire Chaffee Blue Willow china from archivist Karen Parsons’s presentation.

S teve Douglas ’67, Fred Geisel ’67, and Wyley Robinson ’67 chat at the 50th Reunion reception. H ead of School Sheila Culbert is joined by 5th Reunion Co-Chairs Jarrod Smith ’12 and Annabel Hess ’12 as Sheila presents them with the Glover ’48 and Jane Mackay Howe ’49 Award for highest reunion attendance in the Loomis Chaffee years.

R achel Rosenblatt ’12, Zoe Cushman ’12, Adrienne Henderson ’12, Jordan Rubinfeld ’12, and Jacqueline Rigney ’12 enjoy the Saturday evening all-class reception. S cott MacClintic ’82 keeps a Reunion crowd fascinated with his presentation on the latest in neurobiology and cognitive science as it relates to lifelong learning.

Summer 2017

Island News

Clockwise from top left: “Harmony” exhibit in Mercy Gallery and student curators Anh Nguyen, Jason Liu, and Isaac Guzman

Photos: John Groo

Student Curators Collaborate with Alumnus for Exhibit

“H

armony,” the final exhibition in the Sue and Eugene Mercy Jr. Gallery for the 2016–17 school year, represented a unique collaboration among three student curators, the head of the Visual Arts Department, and Nicholas Fox Weber ’65, executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation.

try to forcefully bridge with violence and hatred. However, by looking at things from multiple, different perspectives, we truly appreciate not only the amazing diversity we possess, but also the many similarities that join us together.”

The exhibit featured works by Josef and Anni Albers, forerunners of 20th-century modern art and design, in various media selected by the students and loaned to the Mercy Gallery from the Albers Foundation. The Alberses’ exhibited work included screen prints, watercolor paintings, and lithographs, which were paired with the three students’ interpretive artwork selections in various media and from a variety of sources.

The curators, seniors Isaac Guzman, Jason Liu, and Anh Nguyen, came to the project with varying degrees of experience in the visual arts, and they approached the task of creating the exhibit from their own viewpoints. Over several months, the students worked individually and together and with direction from Nick and Head of the Visual Arts Department Jennifer McCandless, who is also director of the Mercy Gallery, to create a cohesive vision for the exhibit and locate and select artwork that represented their vision.

The students described the inspiration for “Harmony” in their artist statement: “In a world full of chaos and disorder, it can be hard at times to find a thread that is uniting. Differences in our preconceived ideas and critical views on society have formed many divisions, gaps that we often

Early in the process, the students met with Nick at the Albers Foundation conservatory and archives in Bethany, Connecticut, where he shared with them some of the history and legacy of the Alberses’ mission and helped the students to select works from the foundation’s collection for

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the exhibit. From Nick, they learned about the Alberses’ impact on art, art education, and philanthropy. They also gained an understanding of “universality” in art, the concept that similarities across different cultures and time periods that are expressed in art can help viewers to make personal connections. “The students were wonderfully open-minded,” Nick says. “They grasped the concept of universality in art and the way that certain works demonstrate universal points.” “I am in awe of this exhibit and of the curators’ care and passion for a better world and longing for connection,” Jennifer reflects.

web+ To find out more about the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, go to www.loomischaffee. org/magazine.

Island News

Connecting Literature and the Great Outdoors

dozen seniors explored poetry, fiction, and nonfiction related to the natural world this spring in Literature and the Environment, a new English term course developed and taught by department head John Morrell. “The primary texts we read in the course are Walden by Henry David Thoreau, an American classic, and The Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler, which is a science fiction novel from the 1990s that imagines a near future world changed by global warming,” John says. “Essentially, we look backward during the first half of the term, and forward during the second half.” The class also read poems by Kentucky farmer Wendell Barry, and by Mary Oliver, whose National Book

Award-winning poetry is influenced by the natural world. When weather permitted, the class met outdoors for observational exercises intended to encourage connections to nature and the texts, and to focus attention on the students’ class journals. Dan Reed, a Loomis English teacher who is also a geologist and nature photographer, served as guest lecturer for a class meeting. He talked about the geological formations on the Loomis campus and brought the students on an observational tour of the river banks and the Meadows. At the end of the term, students engaged in a “scenario thinking” writing project using narrative to imagine the earth either 100 years

in the future or 100 years in the past based on the influence and changing behaviors of humans. “Using narrative as a mode of analysis rather than for entertainment,” John says, exposed the students to a different type of writing exercise than they might undertake in other courses. John’s academic background, personal interests, and experience at a conference last summer informed his development of the new course. Literature and the environment was the focus of his graduate study at Vanderbilt University. When he joined the Loomis faculty in 2015, the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies had just expanded its mission to include study of the environment, and the school was looking to increase environ-

mental offerings beyond the science curriculum. John approached the Curriculum Committee with a proposal for the English elective. While developing the course, John attended the 2016 Environmental Literature Institute at Philips Exeter Academy, with a grant from the Jonathan M. Kelly ’81 Faculty Fund for Professional Development. John is pleased with the class outcomes in its first term. Ideally, he says, he would have liked to include more texts and more poetry. Since spring term is shorter than winter or fall and many seniors take time out for senior projects and Advanced Placement testing in the spring, John says he might consider offering the course in fall or winter in the future in order to cover more ground.

John Morrell’s Literature and the Environment class meets outside on a warm spring day. Photo: John Groo Summer 2017

Island News

brilliant!  Forty-one seniors earned Global & Environmental Studies Certificates this year. The certificates are granted to students who meet several requirements during their Loomis years: completion of at least five Loomis courses with the global studies designation; language study through the fourth-year level; participation in an off-campus program of two weeks or longer; involvement in Loomis extracurricular activities with international, multicultural, or environmental focuses; participation in the Global & Environmental Studies Seminar; and presentation of a final paper or project.  Six students are conducting Norton Fellowship projects in community engagement this summer in their hometowns. The projects include an enrichment program on leadership and empowerment for underserved girls; creation of photographic memory books with senior citizens in care homes; on-the-ground research of child trafficking problems in Connecticut; establishment of a “store” to provide household items at no charge to families that must move on short notice because of domestic violence or other situations; and a program to help people with dementia by providing iPods and headsets loaded with music, which has been shown to stimulate connections. After completing their summer endeavors, the fellows will tailor their projects as Loomis community outreach efforts.

Nanette Vonnegut

Photo: Patricia Cousins

Printmaker Visits Art Center

rint artist and writer Nanette Vonnegut spent the last week of March in the Richmond Art Center as a Visiting Artist, working on a series of monotype prints, many of which depicted old-fashioned shoes and boots. During her visit, Ms. Vonnegut met with Advanced Placement art students and demonstrated some of her techniques, including a layering method she uses to create what she called an “atmospheric” feeling in her work.

A member of Zea Mays Printmaking studio and workshop in Florence, Massachusetts, Ms. Vonnegut has exhibited her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including at The Forum Gallery in New York City and The William Baczek Gallery in Northampton, Massachusetts. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in printmaking from Rhode Island School of Design. Born and raised on Cape Cod, she is the daughter of author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Ms. Vonnegut’s writing has appeared in Take Magazine, The New Yorker, The Massachusetts Review, The Huffington Post, and other print and digital publications.

 Sophomore Jocelyn Chen was among the top 13 students of more than 300 who took the local Chemistry Olympiad exam in March. As the top scoring female student, Jocelyn received the Anna J. Harrison Award, named for a pioneer of women in science.  Junior Jet Elbualy won a National Silver Medal for her poem “years in the life” in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. More than 300,000 U.S. students submitted entries to the competition.  A U.S. History research paper written by Loomis junior Nezir Alic was selected as the winner of this year’s WALKS Constitution Essay Contest. The contest, established in 1962, asked entrants this year to address the topic of whether the Electoral College has outlived its usefulness. Finalist papers were submitted from the five WALKS. schools — Westminster, Avon Old Farms, Loomis, Kingswood Oxford, and Suffield — and a winner was chosen by Connecticut Superior Court Judge Carl J. Schuman. The finalists, including Nezir and Loomis junior Cathy Hyeon, were honored at an April dinner at Westminster.  The school’s science quiz team advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Northeast Regional High School Science Bowl at the University of Connecticut in March and then pulled off several big upsets. As the No. 12 seed, the Pelicans defeated the No. 5, No. 4, and No. 8 seeds before being eliminated by the No. 1 seed in the tournament.  Recipients of Gilchrist Environmental Fellowships presented their projects and were recognized for their work at a ceremony on May 23. The environmental stewardship and sustainability projects, conducted by a total of 11 students, included an apple cider press, a brown trout hatchery, an herbal tea garden, an environmentally-conscious “hang out” space in Ratté Quadrangle, and two travel experiences to study sustainability in Iceland.  In a program coordinated by the College Guidance Office, admissions representatives from nearly 150 colleges and universities came to campus this spring for a college fair exclusively for Loomis juniors.  Environmental activist, stand-up comedian, and broadcast personality Pete Dominick engaged in an on-stage conversation with eight students and a faculty member during an Earth Week convocation in April. Earth Week activities on campus also included a farmto-table family-style dinner, a student’s presentation on his solar power independent study, and a canoe excursion.

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web+ To find out more about Ms. Vonnegut, go to www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.

 Several students in Advanced Placement Chemistry and their teacher, Koby Osei-Mensah, were guests one morning this spring at Clover Street Elementary School in Windsor, where they conducted chemistry demos for a class of actively engaged fourth-graders.

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To find out more about these and other brilliant accomplishments at Loomis, go to www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.

Island News

Understanding China’s Trade Strategy

ollowing rapid growth and industrial development, China has a new “Great Game” strategy to take a lead role and expand its influence in global trade, said guest lecturer Xiangming Chen, a professor at Trinity College who spoke to students and faculty in Gilchrist Auditorium in April. Based on his research and study of China, Mr. Chen, a native of Beijing, asserted that the “deeply transformed and globally risen” nation has a wealth of experience in the energy, commodities, transportation infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors that the country is leveraging to expand its influence. China is working to form economic partnerships that will straddle Eurasia and is investing in the infrastructure to increase capacity, speed, and access to trading partners in oil- and gas-rich developing countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The infrastructure projects will establish railroad routes from industrial cities in China’s interior

and west to ports in Africa and the Middle East largely to import fuel. These overland routes also can bring consumer goods to markets in Europe and North America more expediently than the current sea routes, Mr. Chen said. This strategy is expensive, he explained, and not without risk. It will require cooperation with border nations, many of which are developing countries or have a history of unrest, posing a challenge for China. China’s development strategy is different than that of former colonial empires like Great Britain, Russia, and the United States in that China is “quietly” expanding its global influence, according to Mr. Chen. The strategy emphasizes economic measures such as international trade agreements and project finance, rather than political measures such as military and diplomatic approaches. He said the question remains whether China will use its economic might in a manner that also benefits developing nations, rather than in an opportunistic expansion of China’s power.

Alec McCandless with Xiangming Chen Photo: Patricia Cousins

Mr. Chen is the Paul E. Raether distinguished professor of global urban studies and sociology at Trinity and the dean and director of Trinity’s Center for Urban and Global Studies. His visit to Loomis was part of the Bussel Family International Lecture Series and was organized by the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies.

Physicist Discusses Efforts to Detect Dark Matter

theory pursued by the DarkSide project: the idea that dark matter is made up of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, or WIMPS.

ark matter was the subject of a talk on March 30 by guest speaker Alissa Monte, a graduate researcher and physics doctoral candidate at University of Massachusetts at Amherst, who told a packed Gilchrist Auditorium about this scientific mystery and clues to its existence.

The DarkSide project aims to explain dark matter through direct detection, said Ms. Monte. The researchers try to eliminate the “background noise” of radiation, which can confuse or disrupt the isolation of WIMPS, so that the scientists can test the hypothesis that WIMPS explain dark matter’s existence. She described an underground laboratory capsule, heavily shielded against radiation, that is used in the DarkSide experiments and the methods used to analyze the obtained data.

Ms. Monte, who was invited to campus by the Physics Club, participates in the international research project The DarkSide Collaborative. She discussed her research team’s work trying to detect and identify dark matter through experiments in an underground laboratory in Italy. “Dark matter is the perfect example of what the scientific process looks like when working on a question that really has no answer yet,” Ms. Monte said. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, less than 5 percent of the universe is visible matter, known as “normal matter.” Scientists estimate that 68 percent of the universe is dark energy and the remaining 27 percent is dark matter. The limited information known about dark matter stems from scientific observations and recordings of unexplained variations during the study

Alissa Monte

Photo: Christine Coyle

of normal matter. According to Ms. Monte, physicists know that dark matter forms “haloes” by interacting gravitationally; is electrically neutral; is more abundant than normal matter; and is stable, lasting longer than most of the universe. Beyond that, dark matter remains unexplained. Ms. Monte took the audience through some scientific theories about dark matter, including the

“So after all the analysis, the question really is, have we seen dark matter? Sadly, we have not yet seen it,” Ms. Monte concluded. But she said projects like the DarkSide and others are on the verge of making ground-breaking discoveries — possibly within the next decade — and solving this great unknown of contemporary physics.

web+ To listen to an interview with Ms. Monte by Loomis physics teacher James Sainz, go to www.loomischaffee.org/magazine. Summer 2017

Island News

The Spring Stage DANCE REVUE: The Spring Dance Revue, a much-anticipated annual event on the Theater & Dance Department calendar, was presented in the Norris Ely Orchard Theater May 17–19. The show culminates the work of student choreographers and dancers in the school’s dance companies, dance classes, and Choreography Club. Under the direction of dance teacher Kate Loughlin, more than 45 students presented numbers in a range of dance styles, including jazz, hip hop, ballet, tap, ballroom, Latin, and contemporary. A variety of musical genres, including pop, rock, classical, jazz, and Latin as well as spoken word, were featured. Photo: Anna Vdovenko

MUSICAL REVUE: The 2017 installment of a popular spring tradition, “Two Men Falling: A Musical Revue,” was presented in the Hubbard Performance Hall during the last week of April. The Musical Revue is entirely student run, and this year’s student leaders, senior Sam Zikos and juniors Cameron Purdy and Noah Yoon, and the cast worked all year on the production. The show featured a cast of 17 student performers, who presented a variety of songs from Broadway musicals, including Chicago, Hamilton, and Fiddler on the Roof. The name “Two Men Falling” resulted from the first Musical Revue years ago, when two male cast members fell over during the opening performance. The name stuck and has been passed down with each year’s staging of the event. Photo: Anna Vdovenko FRAMED-IN THEATER: The fourth annual Framed-In Theater Festival, featuring works directed, written, and performed entirely by Loomis students, took place in the NEO on May 4 and 5. More than 40 students participated in this year’s festival, which focused on the 2016–17 school theme of “Mind Over Matter.” Eight original short plays were presented, the action of which all took place within the pre-set “frame.” Photo: John Groo

web+ To see galleries of photos from the Spring Dance Revue, Musical Revue, and Framed-In Theater Festival, go to www.loomischaffee.org/magazine.

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Island News

Top left: senior Adin Farhat, Cecil Adams P’01 & P’05, and senior Anika Bhargava at Wadsworth Antheneum in Hartford Photo: Christine Coyle Above: Britt-Marie Cole-Johnson ’00, Kathryn Mullin ’08, and colleagues at Robinson & Cole in Hartford with seniors Shanelle Jones and Kevin Jung Photo: Courtesy of Robinson & Cole Far left: Sarah Napier ’03 and seniors Eric Wang and Grace Donegan at IMG in New York City Photo: Fred Kuo Left: seniors Yusef Ismaeel, Natt Jaitrong, and Sophie Christiano with Jen Podurgiel ’96 at Citigroup Headquarters in New York City Photo: Meret Nahas

Alumni Offer Seniors a Glimpse of Future Selves

hirteen seniors spent May 18 with Loomis Chaffee alumni, parents, and community partners at their workplaces in New York City and Hartford, Connecticut, for Shadow Day, a new program organized by the school’s Office of Experiential Learning. In New York City, a contingent of students spent the day at Citigroup, where Jen Podurgiel ’96 is senior vice president of investor services; at the global entertainment company IMG, where Sarah Napier ’03 is director of original content development; and at Rubicon MD, where Gil Addo ’03 is co-founder and chief executive officer. In Hartford, students observed the inner workings of the Wadsworth Atheneum alongside Director of Museum Design Cecil Adams, a par-

ent of alumni; Dunkin Donuts Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats minor league baseball team, with Steve Mekkelson, corporate partnerships executive; and the law firm Robinson & Cole, where students connected with partner Britt-Marie Cole-Johnson ’00 and law associate Kathryn Mullin ’08. Peter Knight ’85 is also a partner in the firm and helped make arrangements for the students’ visit. Senior Eric Wang, who shadowed at IMG, says the people he met talked with him about current industry trends, shared how they started in the business, and gave him educational and career advice. At the Wadsworth, Anika Bhargava was one of two students who learned about the artistic and administrative sides of museum

management. Anika says Cecil provided a comprehensive overview of the operations, including shipment and storage of paintings, loans of artwork between museums, and museum entrance pricing strategies. Yusef Ismaeel, who spent the day at Citigroup, says meeting with applications developers and mortgage trading specialists helped him gain understanding of and add context to what he was learning at school. Kevin Jung shadowed at Robinson & Cole and met Alfred Covello ’50, senior U.S. District Court judge in Connecticut, before attending a sentencing hearing with Kathryn. Kevin says the experience confirmed his interest in the law as a possible career. After a detailed tour of Dunkin Do-

nuts Park, Eisuke Tanioka and Warm Ayanaputra learned about sales, marketing, and graphic design — important facets in determining the Yard Goats’ financial success. “I learned that there were so many paths that one could take into the sports industry,” says Eisuke, a varsity baseball player at Loomis. Based on the success of the first Shadow Day, Director of Experiential Learning Fred Kuo says he hopes to expand on the program next year.

web+ To learn more about Experiential Learning at Loomis and volunteer opportunities for alumni and parents, go to www.loomischaffee. org/magazine. Summer 2017

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Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon

Iceland’s Secrets to Sustainability

Freshman Lilith Yu and juniors Olivia Tomassetti and Paris Cipollone plant black birch trees at Mount Hekla to offset the carbon footprint of the group’s travel.

nown as “The Land of Fire and Ice,” Iceland, with its breathtaking and dramatic landscapes, is home to a population of creative and enterprising people who remain connected to nature and live in ways that meet their own needs for resources without compromising the ability for future generations to meet theirs. On the first international education CEN program in Iceland organized RD T O by Loomis’ Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies, 13 Loomis students and two faculty traveled to the small North Atlantic island nation in AL TA & ENV EN June to experience its scenery, I RO N M learn about its history and culture, and consider the methods used there for harnessing renewable energy and embracing a sustainable lifestyle. ST

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The group’s 10-day journey began with a hike through Thingvellier National Park, which provided a visual history of continental drift and of Iceland’s geological origins and resources. Iceland produces upwards of 97 percent of its energy from renewable sources, especially geothermal and hydroelectric power, says Jeffrey Dyreson, director of

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Photos: Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies

Other Alvord Center Adventures Abroad

n addition to the Iceland trip, the Alvord Center for Global & Evironmental Studies organized three other educational travel programs this spring. In June, 11 students and two faculty members took part in a two-week immersive experience in Peru that included homestays with Spanish-speaking local families; an introduction to local agriculture, farming, cottage industry, and vil-

lage culture; and mountain treks to Peru’s ancient wonders. During March break, Loomis groups traveled to South Africa and the Dominican Republic. On the South Africa trip, the group learned about the history of social injustice and unrest under Apartheid; talked to citizens about the country’s future in education, industry, and international outreach; and experienced South Africa’s

natural beauty and wildlife. In the Dominican Republic, the travelers helped build a home for a local family and enjoyed the country’s landscapes, seascapes, people, and culture.

web+ To read travel blogs and see photos from the trips, go to www.loomischaffee. org/magazine.

sustainability initiatives at Loomis and a chaperone on the trip. Situated on the tectonic plate, Iceland has a high concentration of active volcanoes and underground hot springs that serve as sources of geothermal power. The journey included a tour of a geothermal power plant; a visit to a bakery that uses geothermal energy to make its wares; and a hike to take a dip in hot springs.

Seljalandsfoss waterfall Sophomore Jocelyn Chen and juniors Paris Cipollone, and Juliet Rhodes soak in the Reykjadalur hot springs.

The travelers spent several nights at Solheimar, a sustainable social community, and took part in service work in the community’s forestry and gardening projects. The group also visited with a local resident who uses geothermal energy on his small farm. After a tour of the farm, the travelers enjoyed a traditional Icelandic meal.

Photos: Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies

The travelers also hiked in Skaftfell National Park, where they observed a glacier and towering waterfalls, followed by an overnight stay in an 800-year-old traditional turf house as guests of the owner-curators, who shared a history of the house and of life for Icelandic families when turf homes were commonly occupied. Mindful of the carbon expense of the trip’s air travel, the group participated in a tree-planting project with a conservation organization at the base of the volcano Mount Hekla, as a way to offset the fossil fuel cost. Before the trip, participants met with Sally Knight, Loomis’ director of writing initiatives, to discuss reflective and travel writing as a way to broaden their travel experience and communicate their observations through the group’s travel blog. “Viewing the landscape in the flesh rather than on a desktop or background proved to the group that the environment is something worth fighting for,” wrote rising junior Burke Perrotta in his blog post. With a theme of renewable energy and sustainability, the trip aimed to examine Iceland’s approach to environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability, explains Marley Aloe Matlack, associate director of the Alvord Center and a trip chaperone. “Then we can think about what’s next — what we do with this experience,” Marley says. “It’s the epitome of experiential learning.”

Hannes Larusson teaches the Loomis visitors about turf houses. The group enjoys a meal at Fridheimar greenhouse.

Island News

“I Am the Proof”

earing witness to history, Rabbi Philip Lazowski, a Holocaust survivor, shared a moving account of his escape from the Nazis in Poland during World War II when he spoke to students and faculty in Gilchrist Auditorium on May 10. “I am here today to tell my story,” said Mr. Lazowski, who was 11 years old when Nazi soldiers first came to his village in Poland in 1941 to round up Jewish people for internment in ghettos and work camps.

Now 85 years old, Mr. Lazowski spoke of being separated from his family and of witnessing atrocities committed by Nazi soldiers against men, women, children, and even infants. He also recounted his eventual escape from Nazis who were

rounding up Jewish people in his village to take them to concentration camps. He fled to the woods, where he hid for two and a half years with other escapees, including several family members, trying to survive in harsh and perilous conditions.

Mr. Lazowski eventually made it to the United States, where he found work and earned a college degree. Mr. Lazowski has lived for many years in the Hartford area and has served as a Jewish faith leader in the community. His roles include serving as a chaplain to the Connecticut State Senate. Though it remains painful at times, Rabbi Lazowski continues to tell his story, and the story of the Holocaust, by speaking to audiences throughout the United States and worldwide. Examining history is

Rabbi Philip Lazowski signs his book for students. Photo: Christine Coyle

important because it helps us to educate ourselves, to understand ourselves and others, and to put our lives in perspective. “We must care,” he said. When a student asked him what he thought about people who denied that the Holocaust happened, Mr. Lazowski responded: “I am the proof. … But I won’t live

forever. I am here so you can tell your children and your grandchildren that you met a survivor of the Holocaust.” Mr. Lazowski’s visit to Loomis was organized by Sara Markman, director of student religious life, and made possible through the Belfer Fund and the Norton Family Center for the Common Good.

Service Stroll Caps Off Spring Community Service Efforts

ook no farther than this spring’s array of service projects on and off campus for ready examples of the Loomis community’s commitment to the intertwined goals of developing the best self and serving the common good.

community members took part in a Color Run, organized by the Pelican Service Organization and Girls International, to raise more than $1,000 in scholarship funding for the Fabindia School in Rajasthan, India.

“It’s been really encouraging to see the students take an active role in organizing and taking part in service-related and community outreach activities here, especially given their academic and extra-curricular workload,” says Heather Henderson, who took on the role of community service coordinator this year. “There’s an attitude of ‘it’s just something we do.’”

For the fourth May in a row, Loomis welcomed 500 athletes to the Island on a sunny Sunday for the Special Olympics Northern Connecticut Time Trials. Student volunteers who helped with the event were organized by seniors Grace Usilton, Patrick Craig, and Michael Greenberg.

Early in the spring, student and faculty performers took to the stage in the Student Council’s annual Benefit Concert, which this year supported Billings Forge, a program that offers job opportunities, training, and food benefits for underserved people in Hartford. The Pelican Service Organization organized a hair donation event for cancer patients, collecting 40 inches of donated hair for the Beautiful Lengths organization.

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Freshmen Angela Wang, Neala Sweeney, Thea Porter, and Calabria DeFazio enjoy the Service Stroll. Photo: Mary Forrester

Beginning in April, sophomore Molly Henderson organized a six-week ballet program for more than 30 local school-aged children on Saturday mornings on campus. Molly developed the curriculum and enlisted the help of 10 fellow Loomis dancers to teach the lessons, which were offered at no charge. Later in the month, the student-led Instrumental Music Club performed for an appreciative audience of developmentally challenged students at River Street School in Windsor. At the end of the month more than 100

The spring’s volunteer efforts culminated on May 13 with a Pelican Day devoted to sharing the passion for volunteering and community outreach. Organized by the Norton Family Center for the Common Good and the school’s Agriculture Program, students participated in a Service Stroll, featuring more than 25 student clubs and community organizations stationed around the Loop Road. Each station offered an opportunity for students to learn about the organization, to take part in an activity to gain awareness, and, in some cases, to contribute to the organization.

Faculty & Staff News

Ed Pond

Rachel Engelke

Susan Chrzanowski  The Student Council selected physics teacher, dorm head, and water polo coach Edward Pond as Teacher of the Year this spring. In a nominating essay, junior Louisa Gao wrote, “I will always remember Mr. Pond’s colorful bowtie, his smile every time he walks into our classroom, and, most importantly, how fortunate I am to be his student and to find my passion for physics because of his enthusiasm.”  The Austin Wicke Prize was awarded in June to science teacher Neil Chaudhary ’05 and Head of the Classical and Modern Languages Department Rachel Nisselson. The

Neil Chaudhary Photos: John Groo

prize, given in memory of Austin by his parents, recognizes faculty members with less than 10 years of service who demonstrate dedication to the discipline of teaching and commitment to fostering the growth and development of young people.

English teacher Jeffrey Scanlon ’79, mathematics and philosophy teacher Curtis Robison, Head of the Music Department Susan Chrzanowski, and Head of the History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Social Science Department Rachel Engelke.

 Four faculty members received the Distinguished Teaching Award at the Community Honors ceremony in June. The award, created in honor of former faculty member Dominic Failla, recognizes the dedication and excellence of faculty members with more than 10 years of service. The four honorees were

 Dean of Students Michael Donegan conducted a workshop on building student resilience at the annual conference of the National Association of Independent Schools in March in Baltimore, Maryland. Titled “Failure 2.0: Creating a Failure-Friendly School Community,” Mike’s workshop discussed

specific programs and ideas for fostering acceptance of failures and challenges as part of healthy student development.  The historic preservation work of retired faculty member Ronald Marchetti was recently highlighted in The Bloomfield (Connecticut) Messenger and The Hartford Courant. Ron volunteers with Ironwood Community Partners, which was helping to dismantle a 1936 two-bedroom ranch house in Bloomfield that has architectural and historic significance. The home, manufactured by General Houses of Chicago, was made of metal, Summer 2017

Faculty & Staff News

came prefabricated, and could be assembled on a concrete slab using screws, bolts, and ordinary tools. After the team of volunteers disassembled the house, it was to be rebuilt on the University of Hartford campus by students in the School of Architecture. Ron and his wife, former dean Ruthanne Marchetti, live in Bloomfield.  English teacher Will Eggers and English Department Head John Morrell were panelists at the International Congress of Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Mich., in May. They contributed to a panel discussion on the politics of exile in literary texts. Focusing on texts in relation to the political theorist Giorgio Agamben, Will presented on Beowulf, and John presented on Shakespeare’s As You Like It. John also spoke at Columbia University Teachers College’s Environmental Justice Conference in April as part of the panel discussion “Redefining Nature.”

 Economics teacher Elizabeth Leyden and Dean of Students Jake Leyden added a third child to their family with the birth of Eleanor Yale Leyden on April 18. She joins big sister Madeline, 3, and big brother Benjamin, 2.  Librarian Sarah Zimmermann ’97 and her husband, Phil Scopelliti, welcomed son Connor Joseph Scopelliti on April 1.  Donald “Trace” Robert McKillop III, son of Associate Athletics Director Donnie McKillop and his wife, Katie, was born on May 15.  The artwork of Jennifer McCandless, head of the Visual Arts Department, was included in the Utopia/Dystopia Exhibit in the Main Street Arts Gallery in Clifton Springs, New York, May 29–June 30.  Six employees were honored at the Community Honors ceremony for passing the 20-year milestone in their service to the school: Molly Pond, history teacher and associ-

YOU | continued from 4

also had an impact on the school. One of the things I have most enjoyed this year was hearing from so many alumni and parents. You wrote in large numbers about the key issues that we confronted: to either commend the school for handling the investigation into sexual misconduct in the way that we did or to suggest that it was unnecessary and even unkind to name names or to have opened up the past in this way. You wrote to suggest that the renaming of Mason Hall was well overdue and the right decision or to decry it as possibly the most ridiculous and misguided decision that the school has ever made. (Happily, the renaming of the dormitory for Glover ’48 and Jane ’49 Howe has received overwhelmingly positive support.) And you wrote about my last column in the magazine on President Donald Trump to either congratulate me on my courage in addressing the issues that Mr. Trump’s 24

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ate director of the Norton Family Center for Common Good; James Jubrey of the Physical Plant; English teacher Phyllis Grinspan; Director of Studies Timothy Lawrence; Timothy Dowd, grounds supervisor in the Physical Plant; and French teacher Delphine Robison.  Orchestra conductor Kalena Bovell was granted a Palmer Fellowship for professional and curricular development in recognition of her expert teaching with the goal of fostering innovative pedagogy. The fellowship was established by the Keller and MacLean families in honor of former faculty members Keith and Ann Palmer.  Loomis presents Service to the School Awards at the end of the school year to faculty and staff members for exceptional service and commitment to the school during the just-concluded academic year. Receiving the awards this year were staff members Debi Knight, Paul Gegetskas, Asmir Nurkic,

presidency raises for educators or to berate me for being critical of him, his administration’s positions, and, more generally, the office of the president. (Some of the letters responding to my column are reprinted in this issue of the magazine.) All in, I must have received hundreds of letters this year from alumni and parents. As you will have noted already, we did not always agree; indeed, it was extremely difficult to find a middle ground on many of the questions that surfaced. Yet the conversations provided an opportunity to engage with topics that matter to our school, to our students, to our faculty, and perhaps even to our world. The letters were almost always civil, replete with reasoned argument, and filled with an abiding sense of what the school means to so many of us—models indeed of civil discourse. As we head into the next round of strategic planning for the school, we will need to confront still other controversies and

and Joseph Billera; administrative faculty members Mary Forrester, James O’Donnell, and Eric Styles; and math teacher Andrew Bartlett.  The school bid adieu in June to the following faculty members who moved on to new professional endeavors: Associate Director of College Guidance Joshua Smith, Associate Director of Admissions Helene Ramirez-Guerra ’07, art teacher John Mullin, math teacher Amanda Holland, Spanish teacher Charles Bour, English teacher Geoffrey Silver, administrative faculty member Mary Alindato, Sarah Beres and Erica Lee of the Alumni/ Development Office, science teachers Melody Lee and George Ramirez, psychology teacher Rashaa Fletcher, and history teacher Huewayne Watson.

debates about priorities and directions. These issues will include questions about affordability and keeping Loomis accessible to a broad range of students; ensuring that the education that we provide continues to prepare our students for an ever changing world; and ensuring that we continue our commitment to inclusion by providing a safe environment for students from all backgrounds and for multiple perspectives. Your engagement in these important matters forces us all to think even more carefully about why we do what we do, how we best serve our students, and how best to foster our Founders’ vision for their school. It has been a complicated year, but through it all your letters have reminded me time and again of just how much this community cares about its school and of the importance of talking about the issues. So please, keep those letters coming. And now, it is time for more reflection and more gardening. 

Letters

Dear Editor,

am Loomis Class of 1962. My father, John B. Tillson now deceased, was Class of 1934. I have watched, mostly from afar, over the last half-century as my alma mater, which when I attended was an all-white bastion of privilege, morphed into an institution whose student body is more representative of the world in which its students will live and work. I applaud Head of School Sheila Culbert and others responsible for this transformation. Today I write specifically to thank Ms. Culbert for her extraordinary statement of values included in the [spring 2017 issue of] Loomis Chaffee Magazine. It made me very proud of Loomis Chaffee and the woman who leads it, as I know it would my dad. I have to believe her straightforward words will serve as a moral beacon for the students currently attending Loomis Chaffee, and I hope the sentiments expressed serve as a moral guide for the institution going forward. I assume Ms. Culbert’s statement required some courage and engendered some controversy. After all, approximately 40 percent of Americans think President Trump is doing a splendid job. I suspect more than a few of them are alumni of Loomis Chaffee. All the more credit to Ms. Culbert and those who support her. I also commend her for her comments about the role of educational institutions, like Loomis Chaffee, in encouraging and ensuring an open and robust debate on policy issues. It grieves me that the growth of intemperance in our society, modeled at the top by our president, has resulted in disgraceful episodes of intolerance of individuals

and ideas at many educational institutions. I am pleased that Loomis Chaffee is committed to open-mindedness and the free flow of ideas so important to a liberal arts education. —J. Bradford Tillson Jr. ’62 Dear Editor,

read with interest the “From the Head” article in the 2017 Spring edition of Loomis Chaffee Magazine. I am disappointed, but perhaps not surprised, that Loomis has taken such a pronounced side in the politics of the day to the extent that it appears that academic inquiry has been closed in certain areas. Ms. Culbert appears to have convicted President Trump on charges of assault and other “crimes” without allowing the defense to present their case. Additionally Loomis now, according to the article, embraces the view that climate change is caused by human activity and requires our immediate attention. Bolstered by liberal bias, the “immediate attention” will apparently only teach one side of the issue and reinforce dogma instead of permitting open debate. Ms. Culbert stated that [the school has] “consciously” built a diverse multicultural community while it appears to mean diverse thought is not welcome, only diverse characteristics, identified by race, religion, nationality or sexual preference. Blaming the Trump administration for the difficulty in doing your job of educating your students is to fall victim to the “snowflake” mentality. I trust Loomis students will be able to withstand this shortfall and bias in your leadership. —Allen P. Whitaker ’56

Dear Editor,

e … were dismayed by Sheila Culbert’s “Drawing the Line” contribution to the Spring 2017 issue of Loomis Chaffee Magazine. While high-mindedly announcing that Loomis should “eschew any political … test for either faculty or students,” the head of school casually but insidiously proceeds to announce that “the majority of both our students and employees fall on the liberal end of the spectrum” and then normalizes that observation by saying that such a stance is “not that unusual for educational institutions.” In other words, Loomis Chaffee finds comfortable company in the world of American higher education that so anathematizes conservative thought that liberals occupy 90+ percent of the teaching positions on college faculties. These are the same college institutions … where conservative speakers have been assaulted, prevented from speaking and disinvited, indeed, where students — aided and abetted by leftist goons — have rioted, rampaged, damaged property and injured people. … Then, Ms. Culbert proceeds to take an explicitly political stance by demonizing the president of the United States. Now, far be it from us to clothe President Trump in the garb of a saint; … But isn’t it just a bit glib, a bit of name-calling to just write “[A]ssaulting women/ girls” and suggest that the President would be disciplined were he a student at Loomis Chaffee. … But what is extraordinarily inappropriate is the head of school’s assumption that her “drawing the line” is the legitimate use of a bully pulpit. Ms. Culbert accepts the orthodoxy,

for example, of “climate change” and catechistically compares climate change skeptics like the “lukewarmers … to “creationists”. … It is unfair to the variety of the Loomis community Ms. Culbert so lionizes to assume or dictate what to believe about something we don’t particularly understand and we certainly don’t know what to do about … . Next, the head of school blithely assumes that the president is a bigot, and moreover that the great electorate of the United States who voted for him was thus either ignorant or bigoted itself. … Finally, the head of school gives the game away by complaining about the president’s attacks on media and blessing by name two notoriously anti-Trump and anti-conservative press organs, The New York Times and CNN. We don’t express an opinion, one way or the other, on the wisdom of the president’s use of Twitter to get his message directly to the American people, but it seems at least fair for him to do so in order to get his message out to the American people over the heads of the “mainstream media”… . In sum, in our opinion, the head of school was unwise in using her office to propound her version of political truth in “Drawing the Line.” We conceive that it is not her role, particularly in the pages of this magazine, to take sides in a national political struggle. ... … We hope too for the “reciprocal open-mindedness and tolerance for opinions not one’s own” Mr. Batchelder praised and wish only that that spirit had been more surely on display in Ms. Culbert’s drawing of her line. — Thomas E. Engel ’63 John C. Watts ’63 Jonathan D. Pond ’63 Summer 2017

Pelican Sports

DUSTY PLAY Senior Luis Guerrero makes a close play at second base. BASEBALL 15-2 Colonial League Champion Photos: Tom Honan

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GIRLS LACROSSE 14-4 Founders League Champion, Western New England Champion Pictured: Freshman Jenna Donohue

SOFTBALL 1-12 Pictured: Junior Hayley Balogh

BOYS GOLF 19-3 Coppola Cup team champion Pictured: Senior Brian Groom

GIRLS TENNIS 4-7 Pictured: Senior Abigail Worrell

GIRLS WATERPOLO 4-10 Pictured: Senior Emily Favreau

GIRLS TRACK 3-4 Pictured: Senior Skyler Dovi

BOYS TENNIS 7-6 Pictured: Junior Ramesh Shrestha

GIRLS GOLF 10-5-1 Pictured: Sophomore Elena Anderson BOYS LACROSSE 6-12 Pictured: Freshman Alex Stepney

BOYS TRACK 8-1 Founders League Team Champion Pictured: Junior Ryan Durkin Summer 2017

2O17

By BECKY PURDY

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SENIOR QUOTES PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOHN GROO

Introducing seven newly minted alumni, whose voices offer a sampling of the hopeful, passionate, unique, earnest, intelligent, talented, funny, insightful, discerning, collaborative, and curious Class of 2017.

Summer 2017

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ISAAC GUZMAN Hometown: Hartford, Connecticut Senior Courses: College-level AP Comparative Government; College-level AP Calculus AB; Spanish IV; College-level History Seminar: Presidential Election; College-level History Seminar: American Civil War; Short Story; Race, Roles and Religion; Voices of Dissent; Neuropsychology Extracurriculars: PRISM (People Rising in Support of Multiculturalism) president for three years, prefect in Flagg Hall (junior year), resident assistant in Flagg (senior year), role of Giles Corey in The Crucible in the Norris Ely Orchard Theater, Framed-In Theater director Of note: Kravis Scholar; received the Ammidon Prize at Commencement, which goes to a boy in the graduating class who “has been outstanding in his concern for other people”; was awarded the Matthew Whitehead Prize, which is presented to students who are instrumental in creating and maintaining an inclusive community at Loomis; received a Founders Prize and a Junior Art Prize Next year: Wesleyan University

“

I LOVE SOCIAL JUSTICE. It is my heart, my intellectual passion. I think that what really drew me to it was Hartford Youth Scholars [an intensive academic middle school program] because I took history that included African-American history. … In eighth grade I was learning about the Black Panther Party and the black arts movement and Stokely Charmichael and James Baldwin, my favorite author. … I’m Puerto Rican, and my family and I have always been proud of who we are. We have never been discouraged to be Puerto Rican. We have embraced our shades. We have embraced who we are. … We love our color, and we love our identity. That meant something to me. … I’m lighter[-skinned] than my mother. That fascinated me. I said, ‘Why is that?’ So at an early age, I was surrounded with ideas and conversations surrounding race. When I finally put things together and started understanding that there’s a system in place that oppresses people like me, I said, ‘Why is that? What’s the point? I have to change it. Someone has to change it.’

”

Summer 2017

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SAMANTHA ZIKOS Hometown: Manhattan Beach, California Senior Courses: Calculus; Collegelevel Creative Writing, College-level Satire; American Dream; Ecology; Human Populations & Impact; Germany and the Holocaust; Spanish V: Latin American Civilization; Spanish V: Literature – Generación del ’98 to ’27; Spanish V: Latin American Short Story; Psychology of Loss; Social Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Film/Video Production Extracurriculars: Dance Company II, Musical Revue student leader, prefect in Carter Hall (junior year), resident assistant in Palmer Hall (senior year) Of note: Plans to study film in college; only freshman in her class selected for Musical Revue cast, of which she was a member all four years; after missing selection to Dance Company II as a freshman, Sam spent the following summer taking intensive ballet classes and made Dance Company II as a sophomore. Next year: University of Toronto

“

I LOVED EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF BEING A PREFECT. What I really liked was that the freshmen who were a little more quirky — a little like me, artsy-fartsy, a little bit different in a cool way — clicked really well with me and would always come to me. It was kind of nice. I remember there was this one girl [who wrote]: ‘Sam, thank you for being my prefect. It’s always been really hard for me because I feel like people don’t understand me, and you make me feel OK to be my weird self. You make me feel accepted.’ The note made me cry because I knew that she didn’t have a lot of friends, and it was nice because I had made someone feel better about themselves. I had that connection with someone.” Sam’s brother, who is in the Marines, was deployed to Iraq when Sam was a sophomore:

“It was his first time going on deployment, and I was crying, and I was scared. I didn’t tell many people about it, but I told my advisor, Mrs. [Nancy] Cleary, and Dean [Patricia] Sasser knew. Dean Sasser pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, I know what you’re going through. My brother went on deployment. You can come and talk to me about it.’ It meant so much to me that someone understood and cared and knew the fear that I was going through and the thoughts that were racing through my head about what could happen. It meant a lot to me.”

”

Summer 2017

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KEVIN JUNG Hometown: Seoul, South Korea Senior Courses: College-level AP Senior Seminar in Literature; College-level AP Chinese V; Collegelevel AP Comparative Government; College-level Multivariable Calculus; College-level Biology II: Microbiology; Neuropsychology; Developmental Psychology Extracurriculars: Student Council boys vice president, Model United Nations delegate, prefect in Kravis Hall (junior year), resident assistant in Taylor Hall (senior year), JV soccer player and student coach, A Cappelicans member, flutist in Wind Ensemble Of note: Earned a Global and Environmental Studies Certificate; inducted into Cum Laude Society; received Founders Prize, Junior Foreign Language Prize, and Junior History Prize Next year: Harvard College

“

NEXT YEAR WHEN I GO OFF TO COLLEGE, I EXPECT TO FOCUS ON SOCIAL SCIENCES. There’s constant analysis that you can make with history or psychology or sociology. One of my favorite classes was AP U.S. History with Mr. [Eric] Laforest because he had a pedagogy that I’d never encountered before. I never saw a teacher who brought the text with him the first day and said, “This textbook is not the bible of U.S. history.” He introduced me to the concept of historiography, which looks at things from diverse perspectives. Mr. Laforest introduced constant debate. He had debates about the atomic bomb during World War II and whether its use was moral or not, and the civil rights movement — which part of the civil rights movement was most successful? Was it the work of the moderate white groups or the militant black groups like the Black Panthers or the moderate civil rights movement from people of color? We were often placed in a position that we didn’t really agree with, but we had to defend that position with something honorable. l had to defend why the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was their best military solution. I got into looking into every perspective of history, and there was more to it than that America was right or Japan was wrong. That’s when I realized I wanted to study people or do something social science-related.

” Summer 2017

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SYDNEY STEWARD Hometown: Brooklyn, New York Senior Courses: College-level Multivariable Calculus; Collegelevel Contemporary Literature; College-level Satire; Race, Roles and Religion; Spanish V: Latin American Civilization; College-level Biology II: Genetics; College-level Biology II: Cell Biology; Comparative Anatomy; Social Psychology; Psychology of Loss; Developmental Psychology; Digital Photography; Acting: Improvisation Extracurriculars: PRISM (People Rising In Support of Multiculturalism) president; Spectrum (student gay/straight alliance) president; playwright, director, and cast member for Framed-In Theater; roles in Oklahoma!, Cyrano, Young Frankenstein, and The Crucible; student assistant director for Thoroughly Modern Millie; Chamber Singer; Concert Choir member Of note: Received the Jennie Loomis Prize at Commencement, which is given to a senior girl in recognition of “outstanding contributions to the school”; the Frederick G. Torrey Senior Philosophy & Religion Prize; a Founders Prize; the Junior Theater & Dance Award; and the Matthew Whitehead Prize, which is presented to students who are instrumental in creating and maintaining an inclusive community at Loomis Next year: University of Pennsylvania nursing program

“

OVERALL I THINK I HAVE A VERY HUMANITARIAN PERSPECTIVE. I feel like everyone deserves the best life that they can live, and there shouldn’t be systems in which people are held back. That was what led me not only to join PRISM, but also to join Spectrum. I’m also part of other organizations related to debunking systems, such as the South Asian society. I am not South Asian, but I recognize that Islamaphobia exists. I realized that I need to fight not only for myself. I should fight for others too. … Something I really want to do when I’m a nurse is to integrate social justice and nursing. For instance, members of the LGBT community have higher rates of suicide and alcoholism, and they also have lower rates of health insurance out of fear that they won’t be able to get insurance because of who they are. I want to make sure that I can serve those communities as well as I can, such as through outreach programs. In the black community, mental health issues sometimes go untreated because of the black community’s stigma about mental health. As a nurse, I want to make sure that I keep that knowledge in mind so that I can serve communities appropriately and effectively.

”

Summer 2017

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JACK MILLER Hometown: Andover, Massachusetts Senior Courses: College-level AP Senior Seminar in Literature; College-level AP Economics; College-level AP Calculus AB; Advanced Guided Research; College-level Biology II: Genetics; College-level Biology II: Cell Biology; Developmental Psychology; Neuropsychology; Social Psychology; Digital Photography II Extracurriculars: Varsity swimming, varsity water polo (captain of both as a senior), prefect in Kravis Hall (junior year), resident assistant in Warham Hall (senior year) Of note: Elected head resident assistant, received the J. Newfield Senior Science Prize, inducted into the Cum Laude Society Next year: University of CaliforniaLos Angeles

“

I ALMOST DECIDED NOT TO APPLY FOR THE PREFECT POSITION. My brother [Tripp Miller ’14] was a prefect and an RA, so freshman year I thought, ‘I’m going to do that too.’ And sophomore year I thought, ‘I don’t have to. I could go in an upperclassman dorm where it’s a little bit more social.’ I didn’t want to miss out on that. I talked to Seebs [English teacher and swim coach Frederick Seebeck] about it for a really long time. The way he put it was, ‘Either way you’re going to disappoint someone. You’re either going to disappoint your friends or you’re going to disappoint’ – he didn’t really say who, but maybe Seebs, maybe my parents, maybe my brother. He said, ‘You have to weigh it and figure out who you’re going to disappoint.’ Seebs and I also talked about it as a way to give back to Loomis, being a prefect and an RA. I don’t have a lot of time for community service. That helped me think about prefecting as being worth it, and I ended up liking it a lot. There aren’t that many juniors in upperclassman dorms to begin with, and the group of prefects in Kravis was enough upperclassmen to be social. We hung out in the common room and grilled burgers late at night sometimes. It worked out well.”

”

Summer 2017

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JASON LIU Hometown: Windsor, Connecticut Senior Courses: College-level Multivariable Calculus; College-level Linear Algebra; year-long Science Independent Study in solar energy; College-level AP Art Seminar; College-level Shakespeare; Collegelevel Satire; Graphic Novel; Collegelevel History Seminar: American Civil War; Hinduism & Buddhism; Developmental Psychology Extracurriculars: robotics team, varsity golf (captain as junior and senior), Senior Project in glass art, student co-curator of “Harmony” exhibit in the Sue and Eugene Mercy Jr. Gallery Of note: Received Sanford B.D. Low Senior Art Prize, Donald M. Joffray Senior Mathematics Prize, J. Newfield Senior Science Prize, Junior Art Prize, and Junior Science Prize; earned a Global and Environmental Studies Certificate; named a National Merit Commended Scholar; inducted into Cum Laude Society Next year: Dartmouth College

“

Jason’s year-long Science Independent Study in solar energy

culminated in a detailed proposal to the Loomis Chaffee Board of Trustees for the school to establish a solar array that would produce one megawatt of electricity for the campus. Jason worked on the proposal with several faculty members and administrators, including Jeffrey Dyreson, director of environmental/sustainability initiatives and associate director of the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies, and Alexander McCandless, Christopher H. Lutz Director of the Alvord Center. Jason’s presentation to the board was met with enthusiasm, and the shcool is moving ahead with plans for the array.

“THERE ARE MANY THINGS YOU CAN LEARN IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO LEARN OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. Doing this project made me appreciate how much time and effort you need to run a school like Loomis or any organization or business. To look at all the economics, the legalities, even just researching how solar panels work — all that research plus contacting solar panel companies, soliciting their quotes, and drafting proposals — that was a real-life kind of experience that I definitely will use to my advantage in college and beyond. The great thing is that Loomis supports this kind of learning. This institution gives students the ability to create their own projects with faculty to support them. … I’m kind of amazed, almost a little bit shocked, to see this many people supporting a project that I developed and created.”

”

Summer 2017

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GRACE USILTON Hometown: Middlebury, Vermont Senior courses: College-level Advanced Placement Senior Seminar in Literature; Collegelevel AP Comparative Government; College-level AP Calculus AB; Advanced Physics I; College-level History Seminar: Presidential Election; Social Psychology; Theory of Knowledge; Ceramics Extracurriculars: varsity field hockey, varsity ice hockey, and varsity lacrosse (captain of all three as a senior); prefect in Carter Hall (junior year); resident assistant in Mason Hall (senior year); lead student volunteer for Special Olympics Northern Connecticut Spring Trials hosted at Loomis Of note: Received Barbara W. Erickson Senior Athletic Achievement Award, Junior Physical Education Prize, and Founders Prize Next year: University of Wisconsin

“

I GUESS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE [of playing three varsity sports] is never having an off season. I weighed all three of my sports pretty equally in terms of commitment and overall, so it never felt like, ‘Oh, I can kind of finally take a breath.’ It can be a long year. And then one of the plus sides is seeing [teammates] every afternoon. This year more than any other, there is a group of us that played the same three [sports], which has been a lot of fun. Some of them are underclassmen too, so it’s kind of cool to see how they grow throughout the year. … Each year I found my role and stuck to it, and as I grew up, that role kept changing. And as the teams changed, my role also shifted. We elected captains last year, so I knew I was going to be a captain for all three, and that helped me set a mindset coming into this year, knowing ahead of time what had to be done. It also helped working with the other captains in each sport and the coaches.”

” Summer 2017

Sustainable forestry practices are shared with students as The Mountain School harvests timber from its 250acre woodlot.

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School Life OF

A Loomis junior reflects on

her term at a Vermont farm school. By Christine Coyle Photos courtesy of The Mountain School of Milton Academy.

very year, a small number of Loomis Chaffee students take their learning experiences to a new level off the Island, immersing themselves in a new environment at one of several alternative study programs in the United States and abroad that maintain a partnership with Loomis. The Mountain School of Milton Academy, which enjoys a long-established affiliation with Loomis, welcomes a diverse group of 45 students to its rural Vermont campus each fall and spring for a semester-long program that integrates academically challenging coursework with collaborative and experiential learning on its mountainside campus. In addition to the coursework, students are challenged to live and learn in a communal setting and take an active role in the school’s sustainable practices, including looking after garden and greenhouse crops, hay-making and maple sugaring in season, forestry and timber harvesting, and tending to the school’s livestock. Junior Emily Langston, a Loomis student from North Carolina, joined The Mountain School’s 2017 spring program, which ran from February through early June of this year. She shared her experiences in an interview with Loomis Chaffee Magazine. Summer 2017

Q: What were your first impressions?

Junior Emily Langston presents at the spring semester closing ceremony in June.

Q: Why did you decide to attend The Mountain School? A: My father attended in spring 1989 and has often talked about how much fun he had and how much it benefitted him growing up. My father’s experiences combined with my desire for a change led me to apply. Boarding at Loomis is a great opportunity to live away from home and experience new things, but I thought living on a farm in Vermont would give me a chance to explore a completely different world.

A: Arriving at school in early February, I was impressed by how beautiful and raw the farm was in the winter, and my dorm was very homey. I was a bit overwhelmed at first by how seemingly extroverted everyone was, and by the fact that several of the students came from New York City and had met previously via mutual friendships. I quickly realized that a number of my classmates came from places as far away as Oklahoma, California, and Seattle, and the faculty, many of whom have been living in Vermont for decades, were all very welcoming, so the group bonded quickly. We all became very close.

Q: What was unique about the school’s location and curriculum? A: On a typical day we had classes in the morning until lunch. After lunch, there was a work period when students were hiking, farming, helping in the kitchen, and other assigned tasks, and then we had two more classes before dinner. The Mountain School’s remote location brings students closer together and allows them to work together in many ways — in class or like deciding what to do on campus together on Saturday nights. And Vershire, Vermont, is truly beautiful — covered with woods and farmland — perfect for exploring outdoors.

Q: How did the experience compare to your expectations?

Q: What kinds of lessons or learning took place at The Mountain School?

A: I was apprehensive at first because I never really enjoyed outdoor survival skills activities very much, so I was relieved that Mountain School is not like a boot camp. There was a great sense of community there, kind of like a summer camp, but we didn’t sit around the campfire at night and sing songs. More intense outdoor activities, like challenging hikes and skiing, are optional to students and are usually offered on the weekend.

A: I took subjects similar to ones that I would take at Loomis, and many of my classes employed the Harkness method. My Mountain School teachers took advantage of the Vermont location by finding learning opportunities in its landscape and history. In environmental science, we learned about how glaciers shaped the Vermont landscape as well as studying the flora

A highland landscape serves as a backdrop for academic classes — weather permitting.

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and fauna specific to the region. In English, we read poetry by Robert Frost, who spent time living and teaching in the area. Learning took place outside the classroom too — on the farm and doing chores and just in the daily interactions with teachers and classmates. For example, one day we all sat around and discussed what we considered too offensive even to joke about, which was interesting. Q: What subjects did you study? A: I took AP environmental science, precalculus, honors Latin 3, AP U.S. history, and English. In English class we read mostly poetry and short stories by authors like Robert Frost, Flannery O’Connor, Z.Z. Packer, and Raymond Carver. continued 48

Clockwise from top left: In a typical year, 30 lambs are born by April to the ewes on The Mountain School farm. Students and faculty work together in the gardens. Students make time to enjoy outdoor fun during the Vermont winter. Four thousand gallons of maple sap must be collected and boiled down to produce the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100-gallon annual yield of maple syrup, according to The Mountain School website.

Summer 2017

LIFE | continued from 46

Q: What was your greatest challenge? A: The lack of hours in the day was a major obstacle! My classes were about as challenging as at Loomis, but most days I also put in about three hours of physical work — working on the farm, cutting down trees, and the like. Staying up past midnight to do homework was impossible. Q: What would you say was the most rewarding aspect of your time there? A: The very small class sizes allowed me to develop close relationships with all the students, and we were able to have really constructive discussions in and out of class. Q: How else has the experience benefitted you? A: Working through the discomfort of finding my place among a group of strangers in a totally unfamiliar place and battling through some laborious winter weather has made me resilient. Learning in such a supportive class environment has helped me to grow into my own skin. And spending as much time outdoors as I did there seemed to make me a happier, calmer person.

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Q: How has the experience changed you? A: In addition to appreciating nature more, the lack of access to technology [internet access is limited] gave me more time to spend on other activities I am passionate about, like drawing and writing, instead of spending time on my phone. Also, with the confidence I gained in the classroom, I have become a better writer and public speaker. Q: What are you looking forward to when you return to the Island this fall for your senior year? A: I’m excited to return to Loomis ready to try new things and become more involved in campus life. With the confidence I gained at Mountain School, I plan to be a more active participant in group discussions in and out of class. Q: What’s your advice for a student interesting in pursuing an alternative study program like The Mountain School? A: Anticipate change! I didn’t think it would change my perspective on life, but reflecting on the experience now, I am grateful that it has made me a humbler, more confident individual. I was terrified to go, but I am glad I took the risk. 

Loomis Chaffee Off-Campus Programs

oomis Director of Studies Timothy Lawrence has worked to develop partnerships with alternative study programs that not only offer unique learning opportunities, but also mirror the school’s mission and match the academic rigor of the school’s curriculum. In doing so, says Tim, the students are set up for success. According to Tim, the “intensity and shared enterprise” of solid programs like The Mountain School’s have resulted in nearly every student’s speaking about a transformative experience upon their return to the Island. He adds that the programs are not right for every student, but for young people who are academically strong and intellectually curious, it’s a great way to “shake their frame,” like nothing they will have encountered before. Students return from these alternative learning experiences energized by their accomplishments and, perhaps with a new perspective, ready to take on more challenges at Loomis and beyond, Tim says. Other alternative study programs with which Loomis is affiliated in the United States include CITYterm at The Masters School, an interdisciplinary study of the history, literature, and urban environment of New York City; Chewonki Maine Coast Semester School on Chewonki Neck, Maine, a 400-acre peninsula on the ocean; The High Mountain Institute of Leadville, Colorado, at the base of two of the largest peaks in the Rocky Mountains; and The School of Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C., located on Capitol Hill, with an academic focus on ethical thinking and leadership development with immersion in the history and political landscape of the nation’s capital. Through its affiliations, Loomis also offers international alternative study programs with SYA (School Year Abroad) for immersive foreign language programs in China, France, Italy, and Spain; and with Kings Academy in Jordan for Arabic language and Middle-Eastern culture study abroad.

meditation on a

MANDALA

photographs by John Groo

and mandala painting, said to effect “purification and healing,” is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition that dates back 2,500 years. The rituals that accompany the SCHOOL THEME 2016–17 creation and subsequent destruction of sand mandalas represent the transitory nature of the material world. In keeping with the 2016–17 School Theme of “Mind Over Matter,” Loomis Chaffee welcomed seven Tibetan Buddhist monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery to the Island in April.

Mind Over Matter

As a part of their week-long visit, the monks created a sand mandala painting in Founders Chapel and invited the school community to observe their meditative process. At the end of the week, the grains of sand were collected and ceremoniously poured into the river. “Every individual has the ability to transform his or her mind,” explained Geshe Nima Tsering, the monks’ spokesperson. Summer 2017

The opening and closing ceremonies included chanting and mantra recitation with horns, drums, and bells.

The monks lay out the basic geometry of the mandala with chalk, a compass, rulers, and white markers. The design is a balanced composition with Akshobhya â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the unshakable victor for peace and conflict resolution â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in the center.

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Flowers, fruit, incense, and a photo of the Dalai Lama adorn the altar.

Summer 2017

At right, students stop by the chapel between classes to observe the process of making the mandala.

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Grains of pigmented sand are poured by rubbing a metal rod along the ribbed surface of a tool called a chak-pur. The vibration causes the sand to flow like liquid.

At left, the mandala is complete.

Summer 2017

At the closing ceremony, the mandala design is swept into a colorful swirl. The destruction of the mandala is a metaphor for the impermanence of life. The monks fill tiny bottles with sand for observers and gather the remaining sand in a vessel wrapped in silk.

The group processes to the river, where the sand will be released.

The sand is deposited in the river to be returned to the ocean, where the healing blessing is released to the world.

Summer 2017

Object Lesson

Biography of an Architectural Space By Karen Parsons

hree elaborate door surrounds define the architectural vocabulary of William H. Loomis Hall, the school’s original dining hall, designed by New York architects Murphy & Dana and completed in 1914. Each bears a broken pediment supported by half columns and capitals decorated with rows of acanthus leaves and scrolling, projecting volutes — this combination a hallmark of the Composite order, the most ornamented of classical architecture. Rows of dentils outlining the pediment’s triangular shape quietly echo more ample modillions running along the base of the room’s ceiling molding. A fourth surround frames the room’s fireplace. Events during Loomis’ early years suggest that the dining hall played a key role in facilitating the multi-threaded vision of Loomis’ first headmaster, Nathaniel Batchelder, for a homelike, democratic, and growing institution. Loomis Hall’s elegant Georgian Revival interior may have helped implicitly connect, and perhaps explicitly elevate, daily conversations shared around the dinner table with venerable ideals at the heart of the school’s mission. Walter “Fargo” Wood ’18 was among the first students to take meals at Loomis Hall. In memoirs collected more than six decades later, he recalled the building’s “wonderful family atmosphere.” Students at the boys school ate family-style with faculty and, as Wood remembered, “learned proper table manners and etiquette which served us well … the rest of our lives.” All boys took turns waiting on tables, underscoring Mr. Batchelder’s often-spoken words on the importance of shared labor for the common good. America’s April 1917 entrance into World War I transformed a lively campus discourse on the meanings of democracy. Mr. Batchelder announced in January 1918 that the school would institute meatless and wheatless menus on certain days in accordance with the U.S. government’s call for homefront sacrifice. The school made more remarkable efforts producing food consumed in the dining hall, and Walter 56

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During the school’s early years, the boys of the school and their teachers ate meals on the east end of William H. Loomis Hall. Elegant door surrounds were key elements in Murphy & Dana’s Georgian Revival design for the building. Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

“Murphy & Dana’s four impressive Georgian Revival door surrounds will continue to anchor the look and feel of Loomis Hall, drawing the biography of that architectural space into a 21st century chapter and new modes of conversation.” Wood, as a student in Loomis’ Agricultural Program, was extensively involved in these labors. He reminisced: “The nation now had accepted its responsibility of feeding this country … . So we at the Loomis farm worked from dawn to dusk seven days a

week to help.” During the spring and summer of 1917, cultivation of more than 65 acres produced all the vegetables consumed in the dining hall over the next year. The following spring, Wood worked the school’s fields as the farm prepared to raise another year’s worth of produce. He broke the standing Northeast record for number of acres plowed in a single day by a single man. Into his Loomis scrapbook Wood inked a caption under a photograph of the school’s tractor: “A country worth fighting for is a country worth plowing for.” (See photographs of the school’s agricultural efforts in 1917 and today in “Reflections” on page 80.) The design of Loomis Hall helped to advance the young school in other ways, too. Sam Olshin, principal at Atkin Olshin Schade Architects and architect of Loomis Chaffee’s planned Campus Center, set to open in the fall of 2018, notes the original interior was “forward thinking as it included provisions to allow adaptability for future planned changes; initially the grand

Object Lesson

Murphy & Dana’s 1913 design for William H. Loomis Hall featured elegant Georgian Revival details, including highly ornamented column capitals and dentil moldings outlining the door pediments. Architectural drawing, Murphy & Dana, dated December 22, 1913, in the collection of the Loomis Chaffee Archives.

room we know today … was subdivided. A number of smaller spaces were originally housed [there] including a separate Girl’s Dining facility, offices, and classrooms. However, as Murphy & Dana had always planned, the internal partitions were later removed and, in 1925, Loomis Hall became a fully functioning formal dining hall.” Now in its second century, Loomis Hall will have a key role in a renewed vision of school vitality. Olshin continues, “growth of the school and cur-

rent programmatic needs have called for Loomis Hall to shift from serving as the school’s dining room to the school’s living room. As planned, Loomis Hall is to be re-purposed again and become part of a larger Campus Center. [T]he space will be transformed into a commodious lounge with a series of study, gathering, and recreational spaces.” Murphy & Dana’s four impressive Georgian Revival door surrounds will continue

to anchor the look and feel of Loomis Hall, drawing the biography of that architectural space into a 21st-century chapter and new modes of conversation. While Walter Wood could not have imagined texting or Facetiming his classmates nor working on a class Google doc, the spirit of sharing words and ideas and the value of shared purposes that shaped his school years will continue in Loomis Hall.  Karen Parsons is archivist and teaches history.

Summer 2017

Class Notes

Photo: John Groo

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Class Notes

Catherine “Katie” Cox Reynolds writes, “Four of us from the class of ’45 gathered with Sam Blumenthal ’47 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Class of 1947. Time flies!”

Patricia Beach Thompson reports, “After two years, we have finally moved into our new house following a re-renovation following a fire in January 2014 — a happy gathering place for children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren.” Her husband, Calvin, 93, has retired. Patricia spends much of her time gardening at home and at the John Jay Homestead State Historic Site in Katonah, N.Y. She is a member of the Herb Society of America, gives some lectures, and is a lay reader and lay minister at St. Matthews Church in Bedford, N.Y.

Ann Storrs Kellogg reports that she is still living and painting in Boulder, Colo. She occasionally manages to get back to the East Coast and shares that she was happy to see Michael Carey ’52 in April at the Celebration of Life ceremony for Ann’s brother, Ted Storrs ’51.

Frank R.M. “Bob” Cook writes, “I was a post-graduate and an indifferent student, but I started a ski team which had a winning season. Our advisor was Ben Stoltfus. Team members included Rich Heym ’52 and Pat Healy ’55. I live where I lived 65 years ago with the girl I took to senior prom. The best thing about Loomis was

the English program — Al Wise, Norris Orchard.” Bill Thompson Jr. is hoping to soon publish his book on the public philosophies of five transformative presidents — Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan.

David Harmon retired after 48 years in the securities business and now teaches seven ESL students from various countries. He sings in large and small groups, works at a local hospital, and travels. David and his wife, Julia, recently took their two oldest grandchildren and parents to Paris and Istanbul. He writes, “I have my students write a paper each week and learn a lot about their various countries and lives. I also constantly recall my Loomis English classes when guiding students to learn better English. Loomis grads are fortunate to have such a good language foundation, though Mr. Stookins did not fully appreciate my “harmonized French,” as he called it. The life values that Loomis taught so well have been a basis for 50 years in politics until now.”

Carter Elwood writes, “I am currently grading my last set of final exams. After 49 years of teaching Russian history at Carleton University, I am looking forward to total retirement!”

David H. Arnold spent two and a half weeks traveling to the Great Danube River, Berlin, Prague, Dresden, Nuremburg, Eastern Europe, and World War

II sites with one full week on a Viking tour. David also notes that he has spent 48 years on active teaching duty at Exeter. “The last two classes in calculus were a special thrill for me.”

Barbara August Clifford is “enjoying life!” She lives in Florida and spends her summers in Maine. She writes, “I spent many years raising other people’s children (foster, adop-

tive, and step-grandchildren) — 180 in all!” Barry O’Neal is proud to share that his daughter Megan received her master’s degree in expressive therapy from Lesley University on May 13. Barry’s granddaughter turns 10 in August 2017. “Not sure how I feel about that! She is a continuing delight,” he notes, adding that he and son Colin still occupy Apt. 3H at their Upper Westside redoubt.

CHAFFEE BOOK CLUB

This spring, the Chaffee Book Club tackled Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life with the guidance of faculty discussion leaders Jeffrey Dyreson and Gratia Lee of the Science Department and the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies. Jeff and Gratia provided context for the discussion by offering interesting information from their campus sustainability work, and all members of the group shared their own food thoughts, practices, and experiences. Attendees included (front) Betsy Mallory MacDermid ’66, Evelyn Smith ’50, Gretchen Schafer Skelley ’45, and Mims Brooks Butterworth ’36; and (back) Anne Schneider McNulty ’72, Sue Fisher Shepard ’62, Kate Butterworth de Valdez ’67, Jane Torrey ’67, discussion leader Gratia Lee, Katie Cox Reynolds ’45, and Priscilla Ransom Marks ’66. Missing: discussion leader Jeffrey Dyreson.

Summer 2017

Class Notes

John Metcalf Taylor S O C I E T Y

Ray Andrews ’56: Staging a Comeback

“P

lus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” The smiling words of Joe Stookins in French class at Loomis were a prescient reminder of a way to see the world. And as Ray Andrews ’56 sees Loomis Chaffee today, despite its spectacular growth and changes, the school remains essentially the same fine educational institution he knew as a student many years ago. “After graduation from Loomis Chaffee (then all-male Loomis) in 1956, I strayed far from the Island and for many years seldom looked back. It was unmistakably clear that the school had prepared me exceedingly well for what I was to encounter in later years, but I pretty much took it for granted as I worked to struggle past a challenging adolescence into a productive adult life. But Loomis Chaffee reappeared in high relief as my 50th Reunion approached a few years ago. A most engaging and resourceful representative of the school invited me to have coffee with her. Absent was any sales pitch — she asserted quite straightforwardly that her mission was simply to “bring [me] back to the Island,” which she most certainly did. Revisiting and reconnecting was an amazing experience — so affected was I by the school community that I found myself volunteering to serve on the 50th Reunion planning committee and edit and illustrate our reunion book. And I resolved to attend future reunions and keep tabs on the school. “Everything about today’s Loomis Chaffee is extraordinary. My personal homecoming brought back memories that the perspective of years allowed me to fully appreciate. My Loomis grounding in English, French, Latin, and Humanities repeatedly resurfaced over the years as I went from military service into a law practice — the deceptively profound sound bites of ‘Ne cede malis,’ ‘best selves,’ and ‘common good’ remained etched in my mind as steadying inspirational influences. I came to realize the sizable debt I owed to the school that had so well prepared me, and it was an easy decision to include Loomis Chaffee in my estate plans and join The John Metcalf Taylor Society.” For more information on how you can join Ray and other members of The John Metcalf Taylor Society, please contact Tim Struthers ’85, chief philanthropic officer, at 860.687.6221 or tim_struthers@loomis.org or Heidi E.V. McCann ’93, associate director of development, at 860.687.6273 or heidi_mccann@loomis.org.

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Ray and Barbara Andrews during Reunion Weekend 2017 Photo: Wayne Dombkowski

Class Notes

’67

Bob Kopf reports that he stepped down January 1 as the CEO of Smithfield Trust Company. Bob remains chairman of the board.

Ingrid Backman writes, “I’m still working two part-time jobs in my ‘semi-retirement.’” Although she plans to leave one position later this year, she continues to enjoy her job working with social work graduate students. She relished her visit with Gevene “B.G.” Brown Hertz ’62 recently when Gevene was visiting her children from Denmark. Middlebury College announced that Fred Beams will be a member of its 2017 Athletics Hall of Fame class, to be inducted in November. Fred was a football, hockey, and lacrosse player at Loomis and played several seasons under longtime coach James “Grim” Wilson.

Reunion 2017 — Chaffee Class of 1967 — 50th Reunion: (front) Pam Michell, Jane Torrey, Jean Sanderson, Diane Dowd, Susan Fuller, Marion Ferguson Briggs, and Hollis Harman; and (back) Linda Levine Elliott, Vini Norris Exton, Rachel Berman Rabinovitz, Ann Stevenson Barber, Kate Butterworth de Valdez, Ellen Terryberry Dornemann, and Elizabeth Hicks

’67

Albert “Jed” Marshall informs that he is “happily retired in Edmonds, Wash.” He’s been in the Seattle area since 1975 and enjoys fly-fishing and international travel. Jed also supports various conservation and environmental causes. He writes, “Go Mother Earth!” He is sorry to have missed his 50th Reunion. Steve Douglas pens, “Living the dream in our lake house!” Brian Considine retired June 2016 after 33 years as senior conservator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Reunion 2017 — Loomis Class of 1967 — 50th Reunion: (front) John Rogers, David Taplin, Mike Kintner, John Schuyler, James Davis, Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, Charlie Purinton, and John Carmon; (middle) Steve Douglas, Brian McMillen, Wyley Robinson, Paul Travis, Dan Leary, and Bill Adkisson; and (back) Paul Selden, Charlie March, Peter Rowley, Deryl Kipp, Robert Palm, Bill Fine, Jim Ramaker, former faculty member Harvard Knowles, John Kantor, Fred Geisel, Rick Gleason, and Dean Crawford. To see an additional class photo taken at another point during the weekend, go to www. loomischaffee.org/magazine. Summer 2017

| Annual Fund 2016–17

In 2015, Lanning Melville earned his doctorate in psycho-analysis, and in 2016 he was asked to serve as president of the Psychoanalytic Training Institute in Los Angeles, Calif.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT — IT ALL ADDS UP!

5 1

ANNUAL FUND HIGHLIGHTS DURING

Our Time Is Now: The Centennial Campaign for Loomis Chaffee

WE broke a record every year since 2011–12, including 2016–17, when we had our most successful Annual Fund year in the history of the school, raising $4,270,808.

SINCE the start of Our Time Is Now, we raised $22,598,586 for the Annual Fund, surpassing the campaign’s $20 million goal.

OVERALL Annual Fund dollars increased 51 percent (from $2.82 million to $4.27 million), and current parent Annual Fund dollars skyrocketed 83 percent (from $861,000 to $1.58 million) since the start of Our Time Is Now.

8,600 donors supported the Annual Fund

during Our Time Is Now, and 1,844 of these donors gave every year of the campaign.

ALUMNI participation averaged 38 percent over the life of the campaign, compared to an average of 31 percent in the five preceding years, reaching an all-time high of 49 percent in 2014–15, our Centennial year.

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Beverley Earle retired in June as the Gregory Adamian Professor of Law at Bentley University, Waltham, Mass. She started working at Bentley in 1982. She and her husband, John, moved to Suffield, Conn., to live near their daughter, son-in-law, and grandson.

71 77

Robert “Biff” Schechinger writes, “Despite seeing each other several times this year, my brother Bruce ’75 and I are still speaking to each other.” William Jackson published his first book, Wisdom Too, Works By Love. He planned to release his new novella, The People Versus The United States, in July.

Patricia Collins reports, “My grandson is almost 2!” Patricia decided to expand her nutrition counseling services to Skype type platforms and encourages fellow alumni to share with friends and family (patriciacollinsrdlcpc@yahoo.com). Patricia saw Becky Hincks and Deene Morris Thielert last spring. “Wonderful!” she writes. “I feel so blessed to be part of the LC family. Thank you!”

Seth Beebe is proud to have completed his 33rd year at Loomis. “Coupled with my father Allen R. Beebe’s 42 years, that makes 75 years of combined service. That is notable somewhere!”

K. Heidi Fishman celebrated the publishing of her book Tutti’s Promise with a book launch on April 3. Specifically written for younger readers and intended to teach about tolerance, Tutti’s Promise is about her family’s miraculous Holocaust survival story. The publisher is MB Publishing, of which Jim Catler ’77 is a partner.

Suzanne Cambria writes, “Happily have moved to the Northern Neck of Virginia, where we are a stone’s throw from the Potomac River. It’s a lovely place to retire … though I’ve got a few more years to work! Still doing public policy and advocacy, just as I did in D.C. for 20 years.”

Elissa Jane Hillman Mastel reports, “With my new degree from Bard MAT, I am embarking on a relocation journey to start my new job as certified business teacher at Battle Mountain High School near Vail, Colo. I will be heading up a number of business-related education initiatives, mentoring Future Business Leaders of America students, and heading up the INCubator program at the school.”

ENGAGE with Loomis Chaffee JOIN US FOR FOUNDERS DAY

CONNECT ON TWITTER Who knew that Pelicans can tweet? Keep up with alumni news and events, 140 characters at a time, with our new Twitter handle: @LC_AlumniNet

LINK TO OTHER PELICANS Connect with other Loomis Chaffee alumni and share your work in our private alumni group on LinkedIn. Go to LinkedIn

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 • 1 0 home games, including Loomis v. Worcester Academy in football • Guest lecture by a retired faculty member •C ommunity BBQ, family activities, admissions information sessions, and more! More details at www.loomischaffee.org/foundersday

JOIN THE LOOMIS CHAFFEE CAREER NETWORK Get Advice — Give Advice Connect with younger alumni as a mentor. Get advice from seasoned alumni through:

Career conversations Mock interviews Resume critiques

FIND CLASSMATES NEARBY When you’re on the go, it always helps to know if there’s a classmate nearby through Evertrue, a handy mobile app. www.loomischaffee.org/alumni/alumni-mobile-app

CONNECT THROUGH ExCEL What is ExCEL? The ExCEL network helps students to explore their passions and interests through experiential learning opportunities. Alumni and parents make it happen. Here’s how: P rovide an internship or shadowing opportunity at your place of work. B e a guest speaker for a class.

The network is completely private and only accessible to those in the community. Joining is easy using

and search for “Loomis Chaffee alumni.”

www.loomischaffee.org/careernetwork

VISIT THE NEW ALUMNI FACEBOOK PAGE Join the migration from our old group page to our new alumni Facebook page. Now it’s easier than ever to find and share alumni news and events with your classmates. www.facebook.com/LoomisChaffeeAlumni

 Participate in a career panel. T alk one to one with a student in person or via Skype to discuss your career. For more information, contact Fred J. Kuo, director of experiential learning, at fred_kuo@loomis.org or 860.687.6091. www.loomischaffee.org/excel

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE SEND YOUR NEWS TO US! Email Alumni Newsnotes Editor Madison Neal at magazine@loomis.org to share news with classmates and friends. High-resolution photographs are welcome; please clearly identify all people. Summer 2017

Class Notes

’92

Reunion 2017 — Loomis Chaffee Class of 1992 — 25th Reunion: (front) Tiffany Herrick, Kristin Allen, Jennifer Broder, Anne Dixon, RuthAnne Visnauskas, Chris Parzych, Samantha Brickley Schweizer, and Brett Fahlgren; (middle) Mike Chen, Beth Rackow, Karina Bozzuto Weiss, Justin Vagliano, and Ricardo Roberts; and (back) Sarah DeLucia Bierman, Laura Pernaa West, Ted O’Brien, and Mark Oppenheimer

Amy Traverso was nominated for a City and Regional Magazine Association award for food/dining writing. Amy is pleased to share the honor with Jolyon Helterman. Her writing has been featured in New England’s Yankee Magazine.

Middlebury College announced that Jennifer Hefner Carbone will be a member of its 2017 Athletics Hall of Fame class, to be inducted in November. Jennifer was a three-sport athlete at Loomis and Middlebury, competing in soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse. In her senior year at Loomis, Jennifer was captain of the 1992 soccer team, coached by Chuck “Bruno” Vernon, that went 17-0 and 64

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won Loomis’ first girls soccer Founders League Championship and won the New England Championship.

Jessica Chatfield moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Middlebury, Vt., in January 2016 so that she could be with her fiancé, Jeff Howarth, when their son was born. Aldo Henry Howarth was born on February 19, 2016. Jessica says, “Life has changed dramatically fast, but I love being a mom.”

Katie Sharp, a sports researcher and statistician, took part in an alumnae panel discussion on campus this spring about women working

in STEM fields. Katie works as a researcher for Andy Benoit, who writes about the National Football League, and she writes and edits for the New York Yankees baseball blog River Ave. Blues. The panel discussion, hosted by the Women in STEM student organization and Loomis’ Office of Experiential Learning, drew two dozen students, faculty, and other community members.

Stephanie Garfield writes, “My husband and I became the proud parents of identical twin girls this year. Avery Olson Krill and Celeste Jameson Krill were born on February 1, 2017, and weighed 4 lbs. 10 oz. and 5 lbs. 2 oz., respectively. So far we are loving parenthood!

The girls look exactly alike and will enjoy playing tricks on their unsuspecting parents when they get older.” Neurologist Meghan Hickey returned to the Island on April 21 to participate in an alumnae panel discussion about women working in STEM fields. Meghan is a neurologist at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Two dozen students, faculty, and other community members attended the panel discussion. Jeff Kappler and wife Hagan Kappler welcomed their third child, Drew Shaughnessy Kappler, on August 11, 2016. He was 9 lbs. 14 oz. and is loved by big sister Kiernan, 6, and big brother Cole, 4.

’76

’55 Herbet C. Hallas ’55 published his third book, Guardians of the Record: The Origins of Official Court Reporting and the Shorthand Writers Who Made It Possible, in May. In it, using a variety of primary and secondary sources, he explains how official court reporting got its start in the United States and tells the stories of 11 pioneer court reporters whose work ensured that official court reporting would become a key component in the American pursuit of due process of law. Guardians is available at online and brickand-mortar bookstores.

’77

’71

’69

Jim Pegrift ’76, Sara Parton Pelgrift ’77, Mary Lowengard ’71, and Jim Parton ’69 met for dinner in July at the Dia Museum in Beacon, N.Y. Mary writes, “This photograph represents one-fifth of the 20 members of the PartonPelgrift-Lowengard families that have passed through the halls between 1930 and 2006.

’96

’97

Rebecca Pacheco ’97 and her husband, Dan Fitzgerald, welcomed daughter Edith “Edie” Elizabeth Rae Fitzgerald on March 23. The family writes, “Thank you for the love, support, and friendship you have all shown us throughout our lives and in leading up to the start of Edie’s. We are dazed with love and can’t wait for you to meet her!” On August 6, 2016, Lara Bonn ’96 married Matthew Socks “in a grassy field in Stowe, Vt., on a beautiful summer day. We had a great weekend of fun, hiking in the mountains, swimming in streams, tearing up the dance floor, and late night sparklers and s’mores,” Lara writes. Lara and Matt were expecting their first child in June 2017. “A busy and amazing year for sure!”

’08

’00

Kathryn Schleit ’00 married Adam Auch on October 9, 2016, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She writes, “I was thrilled that Patricia Chen ’00, Erin Onsager ’00, Lindsay Manice Sussman ’00, and Katherine Shea ’00 were able to travel to Halifax to attend my wedding.”

“Undeniably the best day of my life,” writes Julian Borges ’08, who married Nicolle Loura on June 3, in Bolton, Conn. The happy couple celebrated alongside adoring family and friends. Photo captured by Paige Rigoglioso Photography. Summer 2017

LC Gatherings

his spring, Loomis Chaffee traveled to New York City for two annual events. Alumni gathered at Harlem’s Rowe House on April 12 for the fourth annual Loomis in Harlem gathering, thanks to the efforts of hosts Courtney Ackeifi ’06, Erik Cliette ’84, and Julian Riley ’86. On April 27, hosts Tommy and Kim Craig P ’17, Tori Dauphinot and Ken Hubbard ’61, and Carolyn and Gene Mercy ’55 welcomed area alumni, parents, and friends at a New York City reception. Loomis Chaffee’s Pelicans at the (Ball) Park series of alumni baseball outings brought out fans in Boston on May 13 for a Red Sox game and in Hartford on July 16 for a Yard Goats minor league match up. (Photos from the Yankees event on August 13 were not available at press time.)

New York City reception hosts gather with Head of School Sheila Culbert: Tori Dauphinot, Ken Hubbard ’61, Sheila, Katie Craig, Patrick Craig ’17, Tommy Craig, Kim Craig. Photos: Aryanne Pereira

Megan Gawlak ’04, Mary Burr ’04, and Dom Mitchell ’04 Paul Nguyen ’14 and Dang Phan ’79

Emily Miller ’11, Olivia Acuna ’11, and Stephanie Niles ’11

Phil Apelles ’12, Jake Gorman ’11, Sam Broda ’12, Rob Carroll ’11, and Wes Fantini ’09

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Class Notes

Ariel Williams ’06 and Leecey Cameron ’06

Leslie Spivey-Jones ’84, Erik Cliette ’84, Miles Williams ’84, Dolores Garcia-Blocker ’83, and Peter Kolp ’90 Photos: Aryanne Pereira

Head of School Sheila Culbert and Associate Head of School for External Relations Nat Follansbee are joined by Loomis in Harlem event hosts Julian Riley ’86 (left), Courtney Ackeifi ’06 (center), and Erik Cliette ’84 (right). Gleennia Napper ’99, Martin Vulliez ’90, Sheria Butler ’99, and Brett Rodriguez ’90

The Loomis Chaffee Pelican is all smiles after throwing out the first pitch at the Yard Goats game. Photo: Fred Kuo

Hartford area alumni and friends filled the home dugout suite at Dunkin’ Donuts Park for the July 16 Yard Goats-Trenton Thunder game. Photo: Fred Kuo Go Sox! Loomis Red Sox fans gather in Carl’s Corner at Fenway Park prior to the Red Sox game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 13. Photo: Allison Beason Summer 2017

Class Notes

COMMENCEMENT 2017: Members of the Class of 2017 and alumni relatives gather near Huntington Wall on Commencement day in May: (front) seniors Alexander Scott, Carolyn Silverstein, Nathaniel Blumenthal, Gabriella Lugli, Katrina Lugli, Connor Rush, Schylar Jacobs, Graham Struthers, Charles Hanson, and Zayneb Kenney-Shawa; and (back) Michael Scott ’88, Kathryn Silverstein ’98, Nicole Morganthaler Lugli ’83, Mark Rush ’86, Lisa Kizilay Jacobs ’82, Timothy Struthers ’85, Harvey Struthers ’60, Fridolf Hanson ’85, and Ann Kenney ’71. Photo: John Groo

Jill Markowitz Cohen writes, “I am thrilled and honored to share that my law firm, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC, promoted me to partner this March. As a full-time litigator/ labor and employment lawyer and mother of two (Henry, 8, and Lucy, 3), I am content that I found a way to balance career and motherhood in a manner that works for my family and me. I remain grateful to my LC roots for fostering in me the confidence and perseverance to forge this path. I live and work in the Princeton/Philadelphia area and would love to hear from folks.”

Kathryn E. Kenney reports, “I will soon be finishing my first year as a drafting teacher at Diman Regional Vocational Technical high School 68

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in my hometown of Fall River, Mass. Teaching at a vocational technical high school has been equal parts challenging and rewarding. My 55 students are my inspiration — their drive, their creativity, and their sense of humor make each day an adventure! I believe I have found my true calling. I hope everyone from our 2002 graduating class is doing well and loving life.”

Jennifer Carne married Fredric Wiegel on April 7 in Burlington, N.C.

Dana Lerner is a producer of the hit Broadway play Indecent, which was nominated for Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Direction, and Best Lighting Design. Written by

Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel, Indecent was inspired by the true story of the provocative 1923 Broadway debut of Sholem Asch’s God of Vengeance. The critically-acclaimed play opened in April at Broadway’s Cort Theater.

Rebekah E. Lohnes attends Yale University, where she is studying to be an advanced practice registered nurse. She plans to specialize in pediatrics.

Shelby A. Pinkerton is studying for her master’s degree in European and Russian studies at Yale University.

Nina Sayles was a featured marimba soloist on the Rosauro Marimba Concerto No. 1 with the Brandeis Wellesley Orchestra earlier this year. Nina and some friends from the Class of 2014 visited the Island this spring. While a student at Loomis, Nina was a member of the Loomis Concert Band (percussion), Orchestra (violin), and Chamber Music program (percussion, piano, and violin). She was part of the Connecticut All-State and the Connecticut Northern Regional music festivals on percussion.

Obituaries

Photo: John Groo Summer 2017

Obituaries

Henry Birge Kellogg, on April 6 in Wolfeboro, N.H. Hank, as he was known, was a four-year student from Hartford, Conn. He was involved in Rifle Club and Activities Committee, and he served as secretary of the Darwin Club. Hank was active in Ludlow soccer, winter track, track squad, second soccer team, and Ludlow senior basketball. In 1943, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. Hank served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II as a weather officer at Moody Field in Georgia, and as a flight controller with several squadrons stationed throughout the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. He left the Army in 1946 with the rank of captain and maintained a keen interest in weather observation and aviation throughout his life. He served for several years afterwards in the Air Force Reserves through the end of the Korean War. In 1946, Hank married Zell Rogers, whom he’d met at a dance during military training in Florida, and returned with her to Connecticut, where they began their family life. Hank joined Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Conn., where he worked on aviation gas turbines, and then moved to Westinghouse Electric in 1949. There, he worked on jet engines and atomic power plants. In the following decade, Hank’s career at Westinghouse required relocating several times with his family to homes in Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Great Britain. In that time, Hank earned his MBA in 1970 from the University of Pittsburgh. After retiring from Westinghouse in 1979, Hank and Zell lived in Andover, Marblehead, and Chatham, Massachusetts, and he continued to work at a variety of jobs until age 85. Hank remained

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active in the arts communities where he lived and enjoyed taking art classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Mass. According to the family obituary, Hank held a lifelong fondness for word games, jokes, and puns as well as physically challenging activities, including cycling and rowing, and he remained a skeptic regarding religion and politics. He will be remembered for repeating a favorite maxim, “Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you read.” Though his memory declined in the last decade of his life, Hank continued to recognize visitors to his residence in Wolfeboro and recall episodes from his younger years in Connecticut. Preceded in death by his daughter, Sarah Kellogg Otis, Hank was survived by his wife of 70 years, Zell Rogers Kellogg; his three sons, Timothy Rogers, David Henry, and Mark Clifford, and their spouses; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held in April at the Newington Congregational Church, followed by interment in the family plot at Center Cemetery, Newington, Conn.

Hugh Montgomery, on April 6 in Virginia, after a brief illness. A four-year student from Windsor Locks, Conn., Hugh was active in Darwin Club, Chess Club, and Rifle Club, and he served on the Grounds and Plantation Committees. He was active in tennis, Wolcott junior football, and soccer. Hugh entered Harvard University in 1941, but his education was interrupted by the start of World War II. Hugh had attained a level of proficiency at acquiring foreign languages that served him well

as an infantryman in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division and later as a spy in the Army’s Office of Strategic Services. He used his linguistic ability while serving on clandestine missions behind enemy lines and eventually helped liberate survivors of the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. After the war, Hugh finished his Harvard education and went on to earn a doctorate in romance languages there. After spending a few years teaching at Harvard, Hugh joined the Central Intelligence Agency, where he remained for his professional career except for brief intervals working at the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Special Operations and as an ambassador to the United Nations. Active in retirement, Hugh served as a mentor to intelligence officers from a younger generation, served as chairman of the OSS Society, and assisted with the implementation of the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations in Falls Church, Va. He enjoyed reading, word games, and his swimming pool. Hugh spent more than 70 years proudly serving his country all over the world and was committed in service to his faith and family. Preceded in death by his wife, Annemarie Janak Montgomery, Hugh was survived by his son, Hugh Jr., and his daughter, Maria. A celebration of Hugh’s life was held at Money and King Funeral Home in Vienna, Va., and a Mass of Christian Burial followed at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington, Va. Interment was set to take place at Grove Cemetery in Windsor Locks, Conn., at a later date.

Hugh Hudson Arnold on November 15, 2016, in Greeley, Colo., just two days short of his 92nd birthday. A one-year student from Galesburg, Ill., Hugh was involved with Entertainment Committee, Spring Dance Committee, and Glee Club and served as study hall supervisor. He was active in first team football, first team basketball, rifle team, and track. Hugh began his freshman year at Amherst College but left the school when he turned 18 in November 1942 to join the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Hugh became an advanced flying instructor before going overseas to command a B-17 Bomber, also known as “the Flying Fortress.” He flew several missions over Europe with the 8th Air Force and came under enemy fire. Returning to his hometown of Galesburg in 1945, Hugh completed two years of his education at Knox College. In 1947 he married Phyllis Jean Short, whom he’d known since grade school. The couple moved to Colorado, where Hugh earned a bachelor’s degree in business at Colorado College in 1948, followed by a juris doctorate with distinction at University of Colorado Law School in 1951. Afterwards, Hugh and Phyllis moved to Greeley, where he practiced law for 17 years and was chosen as the first district judge appointed under the nonpolitical selection process in 1968. Committed to community service, Hugh was president of Rotary Club, was a founding director of the Cache National Bank, served as president of the Colorado District Judges Association, spent five years on the Colorado Judicial Discipline Commission, was honored for “Outstanding Performance in the Judiciary” from the Univer-

Obituaries

sity of Colorado, and was one of 12 judges on the executive committee of the National Conference of State Trial Judges. He was also active in the Chamber of Commerce, the Red Cross, and his church. An avid outdoorsman and Boy Scout troop leader, Hugh enjoyed hiking, skiing, golf, tennis, fishing, and other outdoor adventure activities. The Sierra Club, National Geographic, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Nature Conservatory were among the many charities he supported. He will be remembered as a fair and wise leader who enjoyed interacting with people of diverse backgrounds and ages and remained interested in learning throughout his life. Preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis, and his son, Clark Arnold, Hugh was survived by his two daughters, Laurie Arnold Walker and Allison Arnold Minnick, and their spouses; and his many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. A celebration of his life was held in November 2016, at the First Congregational Church, in Greeley.

Willis Foster Abbey on February 20, in Charlottesville, Va. A four-year student from Windsor, Conn., Willis was involved with Rifle Club and was active in Wolcott junior, intermediate, and senior football; Wolcott club baseball, hockey and tennis; and rifle team. Willis served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific theater during World War II. He earned a degree from the Hartt College of Music and was an accomplished pianist and musician. Willis was married to Esther Glassbrook and lived and worked in Connecticut as a math teacher at New Canaan Country School before

relocating to Charlottesville, Va. upon retirement in 1991. Willis enjoyed travel in retirement and was an active member of the Charlottesville Senior Center. Preceded in death by his wife, Esther, and his son, Willis F. Abbey ’75, Willis was survived by his daughter, Eliza Brooks Abbey. A memorial service was to be held this year with interment at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Conn.

James Scarborough Dissell, on March 9, 2014, in Louisville, Ky. A four-year student from West Hartford, Conn., Jim was involved in French Club and Military Drill and was cast in Dead End. A multi-sport athlete, Jim was active on first football, Ludlow senior basketball, and wrestling, and he lettered in Ludlow senior football and baseball. Jim also served as Ludlow senior football team captain. A graduate of Williams College, Jim served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean Conflict, and retired after enjoying a long career as an insurance agent. He enjoyed acting, and a highlight of Jim’s experience was his appearance in the 1975 film Sheba Baby, in which Jim, machine gun in hand, said the line, “OK, boys, let’s redecorate the place.” Jim was survived by his four children, Rick, Peggy, Donn, and Andy, and their spouses; his special friend, Mary Ann Johnson; and his many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, and friends. According to his wishes, Jim’s body was bequeathed to the University of Louisville Department of Anatomical Services. A memorial service was held at St. Luke’s Chapel of The Episcopal Church Home in Louisville.

Richard Carson Kline, on December 4, 2016. A two-year student from Scarsdale, N.Y., Dick was involved in the Ping Pong Club, Chess Club, Bridge Club, Radio Club, Glee Club, Photography Club, Stagehands Union, and Military Drill. He was active on Wolcott tennis team, Wolcott rifle team, ski team, and tumbling team, and he served as manager of Allyn soccer and Allyn basketball. Dick lived for many years near San Diego, Calif. Funeral arrangements were made under the direction of Eternal Hills Memorial Park, Mortuary and Crematory, Oceanside, Calif.

Donald Johnson Moore Jr., on November 3, 2015, at his home in Tubac, Ariz. A one-year student from Wellesley, Mass., Don was active in Glee Club, Choir, and Halloween Night Patrol and served as dining hall supervisor and library supervisor. He was also cast in a theater production of Trial by Jury. Don was active in Wolcott intermediate football, Wolcott intermediate basketball, and Wolcott tennis. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College in 1951 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1956. After graduating from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga., Don was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Don was the founder and CEO of Johnson Products Inc., which owned and operated Top Gas gasoline stations throughout New England. A longtime resident of Brookline, Mass., Don served for many years on the town Advisory Committee and as a town meeting member. His service to the community included membership on the

board of directors of the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, N.H., and the board of trustees of the New England Baptist Hospital. An avid flyer, sailor, and skier, Don enjoyed flying his private airplane to destinations in the United States and the Caribbean islands, and for many years his family enjoyed skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain from their vacation home in Carrabassett, Maine. In retirement, Don ferried boats up and down the inland waterway between New England and Florida. Don was survived by his wife of 53 years, Anne Sinnott Moore; his three sons, Christopher, Brian, and Daniel; his brother, David Moore; and his six grandchildren. In accordance with his wishes, Don’s body was donated to science.

William Eddy III, on April 11, peacefully, in Yarmouth, Maine. A three-year student from West Hartford, Conn., Bill was involved with the Rifle Club, Ski Club, Debating Club, Nominating Committee, and Senior Entertainment Committee. He lettered on first team football and was active in first team wrestling, Wolcott tennis, Wolcott senior football, Wolcott intermediate football, and Wolcott senior baseball. When Bill graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952, he promptly married his high school sweetheart, Georgeann “Jan” Fleming Eddy ’48, and was deployed to the Korean Conflict. Upon his return, Bill worked on submarines and enjoyed a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy, highlighted by his selection for command of the USS Chopper in Key West, Fla. During his military service, Bill had multiple tours of duty at the New London Summer 2017

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Naval Base. He and Jan owned a family farm-style homestead in nearby North Stonington for many years. Bill retired from the Navy in 1972 with the rank of commander and enjoyed a second career as an engineering specialist, supervising technical upgrades and refits of countless U.S. Navy submarines. Bill celebrated his second retirement in 1991 by hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail, capped by a celebratory ascent of Mount Katahdin in Maine. In their retirement years, Bill and Jan renovated a lakeside home in Rangeley, Maine, and Bill spent seven years as a ski instructor at nearby Saddleback Ski Mountain. In early retirement, Bill suffered a debilitating stroke and spent the last 18 years of his life coping with his decline in health. According to the family obituary, Bill was “a fighter to the end.” Preceded in death by his sisters, Barbara Eddy Brown and Jean Eddy Pullan, Bill was survived by Jan, his wife of 65 years; his two children, Samuel C. Eddy ’74, and Elizabeth Blair Eddy Lake ’84, and their spouses; and his four grandchildren.

Richard Warren Hungerford, on February 18. A three-year student from West Hartford, Conn., Rick was involved with the Rifle Club, Chess Club, Ski Club, and Ping Pong Club, and he was on the boards for Handbook and Loomiscellany. He was cast in several theater productions and served on the Grounds Committee, on the Committee of Review, and as study hall supervisor. Rick was active in Wolcott senior football, first team football, Wolcott intermediate basketball, winter track, 72

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and first team track. He met his first wife, Barbara “Bobbie” Quigley, while living in West Hartford, and they married in 1953. After some time studying at Trinity College, Rick attended dental school in Baltimore, Md., for three years before joining the U.S. Air Force. He was transferred to Dover, Del., where he completed his medical degree and practiced for three years before his overseas military service in Bermuda. In that time, Rick and Bobbie expanded their family to three children. After Bermuda, Rick studied at Washington University in St. Louis and did his oral surgery internship at Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Waukegan, Ill. Rick’s military assignments took the family to Sacramento, Calif.; Belleville, Ill.; and Cam Rahn Bay in Vietnam, where Rick performed surgeries to aid wounded soldiers and participated in dental civic action projects to help the local population. Rick left the military in 1970 to teach oral surgery at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., and maintain a private medical practice. He continued to serve in the U.S. Naval Reserves. In 1984, he retired early from teaching and the medical profession to “enjoy life to the fullest while his health was good,” according to the family’s obituary, and he had no regrets. Bobbie passed away in 2007, and Rick met Julie Huot on a cruise that same year. Rick and Julie were married a short while afterwards and continued to enjoy cruising together. The couple eventually moved to Sun City, Ariz. Predeceased by his first wife, Bobbie; his daughter Mary Regina Short; and an infant son, Edward; Rick was survived by his wife Julie, his son Richard W. Hungerford Jr., his daughter Diane Stroh, his six grandchildren, and his seven

great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial with military honors was held on March 6 at St. Clements of Rome Church in Sun City, with interment at a later date.

Charles F. Batchelder III, on October 11, 2016, in Rome, N.Y., after a long illness. A five-year student from Milton, Mass., Charley was involved in the Darwin Club, Ping Pong Club, Stamp Club, Jazz Club, and Halloween Night Patrol. He served on the Stagehands Union, Library Committee, Study Hall Committee, and Executive Committee Endowment Fund, and he was active in football, hockey, and baseball. Charley served during the Korean War in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. He married Anita McDonald in 1952 in Walpole, Mass., and they had five children together. Anita passed away in 1978. Charley met Virginia Weigel, and in 1982 the two were married and moved to Rome, N.Y, where they enjoyed a happy and peaceful life on a farm previously owned by Virginia’s grandfather. Predeceased by his first wife, Anita, and their oldest son, Bruce, Charley was survived by Virginia, his wife of 34 years; four children, Jane, Gail, Paula, and Charles E., and their spouses; his daughter-inlaw Brenda; his two stepchildren, John and Edward Weigel; and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A memorial service was planned at Trinity United Church of Christ in Rome at a later date.

Robert Eells Nettleton, on February 14 at home in Clinton, Conn. A one-year Honor Roll student from Mount Carmel, Conn., Bob lived in Taylor Hall. He was involved in the Darwin Club and Stagehands Union, and he was active in Ludlow senior football, winter track, and first team track. A 1954 graduate of Yale University, Bob attended Northwestern University for his MBA. His professional roles included working as a mortgage banker at Lomas & Nettleton, teaching real estate and property management, and serving on the President’s Advisory Council for the Small Business Administration. He enjoyed swimming, sailing, and figure skating, and his favorite pastimes included singing and acting with community choirs and theater organizations. Bob is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jane Russell; his five children; his 13 grandchildren; and his great-grandchild. A celebration of Bob’s life was held at the First Church of Clinton on March 4.

Sanford Hewitt Russell, on February 21 in Worcester, Mass., with his family by his side. A five-year student from Glastonbury, Conn., Sandy, as he was known, was involved in the Stamp Club, Chess Club, Radio Club, Bridge Club, Science Club, Nautical Club, and Photography Club. He was a member of the Stagehands Union and Halloween Night Patrol and served on the Senior Entertainment Committee, Grounds Committee, Senior Executive Committee, Dining Hall Committee, and firefighting squad. He was co-manager of the athletic and stationery store and manager

Obituaries

of winter sports. Sandy was active in Allyn intermediate football, Allyn junior hockey, Allyn tennis, first team football, Allyn senior hockey, first track squad, and first hockey squad. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Babson College in 1953. There, he founded the Babson Sailing Club and served as team captain. Sandy proudly served in the U. S. Navy as a supply corps officer. His career of more than 30 years in the Navy and Naval Reserves from 1953 until 1986 included service on the USS Albany CA123 and USS San Pablo AGS-30, and he retired with the rank of captain USNR. A resident of Northborough, Mass., for more than 50 years, Sandy was a charter member of the Rotary Club and a founding member of the Northcourt Swim and Tennis Club in the town. As a member of the Common Good Society, Sandy remained connected to the Loomis Chaffee community. Predeceased by his uncles, Sanford Hewitt ’21 and Alvah Russell Hewitt ’21, and his father, Robert W. Russell ’25, Sanford leaves his wife of 60 years, Betty Brown Russell; his two sons, Bill and Hew Russell, and their spouses; his sister, Avery Morgan; his five grandchildren; and extended family members. A funeral was held on March 2, at Hays Funeral Home in Northborough. A burial with military honors took place in Massachusetts National Cemetery on Cape Cod.

Edward Lee Storrs, on April 16. A four-year student from West Hartford, Ted was involved in the Political Club, Nautical Club, Ski Club, and Barbell Club, and he was a member of the Stagehands Union. He served on the

Sophomore Reception Committee, Student Council, Senior Entertainment Committee, Athletic Council, and The Log Business Board. Ted served as president of his class as a sophomore, and as class vice president in his junior and senior years. A talented athlete, Ted was active in Allyn junior football, Allyn junior basketball, Wolcott intermediate football, and Wolcott intermediate basketball, and he lettered on first team track and first team soccer. After earning a bachelor’s degree at Dartmouth College, Ted served in the U.S. Army for two years before joining Cigna Insurance Company in Hartford, where he worked in its Pension and Retirement Department. After 10 years with Cigna, Ted joined United Technologies as director of the Pension and Retirement Department. Committed to serving his community, Ted volunteered to deliver library books to the homebound; hosted underserved students as part of A Better Chance, a nonprofit organization of Simsbury, Conn.; and volunteered with Boy Scouts of America. Ted also served as treasurer of Simsbury Crew youth rowing organization, as treasurer of the O’Meara Scholarship Foundation, and as president of Spring Grove Cemetery, where a number of his relatives are buried. With several family members as Loomis Chaffee alumni, Ted remained connected to the Island over the years, serving as a class agent, as a grandparent alumni chair, and as a Common Good Society member. Throughout his life Ted was active in sports and physical activities and enjoyed watching and cheering for his favorite teams. In addition to earning letters in track at Loomis, Ted set a number of track records at Dartmouth, and he

was an avid skier. He served as president of the Hopbrook Tennis and Paddle Club, and spent many summers at Black Point Beach, where he sailed out of Niantic Bay Yacht Club. According to the family obituary, Ted will be remembered for being humble, happy, and unflappable and for putting others’ needs before his own. He was survived by his wife of 59 years, Margaret O’Meara Storrs; his three children, Edward Lee Storrs Jr., Deborah Storrs Broda, and Loomis Chaffee Trustee Kristen Storrs DeLaMater, and their spouses; his sister, Ann Storrs Kellogg ’49; and his seven grandchildren, who affectionately refer to him as “Poppy,” including William DeLaMater ’11, Samuel H. Broda ’12, Philip DeLaMater ’13, and rising senior Margaret DeLaMater. A celebration of Ted’s life was held on April 30 at Riverview in Simsbury, Conn.

William Alfred Schaffer, on February 5, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. A four-year student from West Hartford, Conn., Bill was involved in the Press Club and Le Cercle Français and was a Model U.N. Assembly delegate. He was cast in theater productions and served on the Business Board of Loomiscellany and in the Special Projects Group. Bill was active in Ludlow tennis, Ludlow junior football, Ludlow senior football, rifle team, and weightlifting. He studied at Columbia University in the Russian Institute (now Harriman Institute) and spent his junior year at Sciences Po in Paris, France. Bill earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1959 and went on to work for U.S. Sen. Tom Dodd of Con-

necticut. Fluent in French, Bill worked in the translating pool of the U.S. State Department, where he served as translator to President John F. Kennedy, and helped establish Peace Corps operations in French-speaking African regions. His diverse experiences included working at the International Rescue Committee, a non-governmental organization in Hong Kong; at international posts in Indonesia and Buenos Aires; as an international consultant in the United States; at the Department of Environmental Conservation near Boston; and as a visiting scholar at Harvard University before moving to Los Gatos, Calif., to work in international sales for Sun Microsystems. During his career in the technology industry, Bill wrote several books, including the novel Down in the Valley, a spoof on Silicon Valley, and non-fiction works High Tech Careers for Low Tech People and ErgoSense. Described as “larger than life” by his sister, Alice Schaffer Smith ’57, Bill was an exceptional writer, spoke many languages, sang, and played guitar. He was survived by his wife of 52 years, Gesine Grunzig Schaffer; his three sisters, Sally Schaffer Martin ’50, Susan Schaffer Patricelli ’57, and Alice; his two sons, Paul and Harry Schaffer, and their spouses; and his twin grandsons.

Malcolm Lathrop Johnson, on February 8 in New Haven, Conn., in the company of his family. A four-year student from West Hartford, Conn., Malcolm was involved in the Glee Club, Political Club, and French Club and was cast in several theater productions. He served on the Day Boy Committee and as K.P. supervisor. Malcolm was Summer 2017

Obituaries

active in Ludlow junior football, basketball, and baseball; Ludlow senior football; and first track team. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Yale University in 1959, and spent one year serving in the U.S. Army. Malcolm enjoyed a long career as a trusted and respected journalist at The Hartford Courant. His tenure there included roles as a national and international reporter, city editor, Sunday editor, editor of the “Our Singing World” poetry column, and the paper’s esteemed film and theater critic. Malcolm’s book, Yesterday’s Connecticut, was published in 1976, and he wrote articles for a number of publications, including The Boston Globe. Preceded in death by his wife, Betty Jean Johnson, Malcolm was survived by his brother, Roderick C. Johnson ’59; his seven children, Mark James, Martha Adrian, David Scott, Cassandra Lathrop, Angela Marjorie-Leishman, Malcolm Lathrop Jr., and Amanda Janet Bowman; and many grandchildren. Honoring Malcolm’s expressed wishes, no funeral services were arranged.

Norma-Rae D’Esopo Wachs, on February 5, in the company of her family in Worcester, Mass. A four-year Chaffee School student from Windsor, Conn., Norma-Rae was active in the Political Club, served as literary editor of Epilogue, and was secretarytreasurer of Chaffers. She was described in the yearbook as a creative “daydreamer” who was interested in reading, writing, dramatics, and international friendships. Norma-Rae studied at the Hartford College for Women and married Anthony 74

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Lee Wachs in 1960. Norma-Rae and Tony resided for a time in Hartford and then relocated to Massachusetts as Tony pursued a career in the fledgling computer industry. When her children were grown, NormaRae returned to her studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Wellesley College in 1990. Interested in politics, Norma-Rae served in a number of local government positions in Natick, Mass., and was a delegate to the state Democratic Convention in 2014. Norma-Rae’s appreciation for travel, art, and architecture led her to visit many beautiful destinations with friends and family. Preceded in death by Tony, her husband of 32 years, Norma-Rae was survived by her two daughters, Malory Truman and Laura Wachs; her three brothers; her four grandchildren; and many extended family members and friends. A celebration of NormaRae’s life was held on February 18 at Church of Christ Congregational, UCC, in Millis, Mass.

John Eldon Romig on April 27, peacefully, at his home in Cazenovia, N.Y. A three-year student from Fayetteville, N.Y., John was involved in the Glee Club, Classics Club, and Chapel Choir, and he served as a medical aide, president of Loomistates, and chairman of the Chapel and Assembly Committee. John was also an assistant organist and cheerleader. He was active in Ludlow senior football, wrestling, and tennis. In 1961, John earned his bachelor’s degree from Trinity College and was an organist in the college chapel during his study there. John enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1961, was commissioned as a lieuten-

ant in 1964, and served until he was honorably discharged in 1967. Afterwards, John joined his father, Robert E. Romig, in business at Functional Communications Corporation, a franchise of Muzak Corporation. John’s long career with the company included roles in sales, operations, and executive management and eventually led to his becoming owner and president of Functional Communications. John was involved in the International Planned Music Association, an organization of American Muzak Affiliates devoted to industry communication and business development. He was elected to the association’s board of directors, where he served for many years and eventually was named president. As association president, John represented more than 60 affiliates across the Unites States and built a reputation as a decisive leader and a demanding, but fair, advocate for the industry. An avid golfer, John served as president of the Onondaga Golf and Country Club in Fayetteville, N.Y., and he was a member of the Cazenovia Club, where he served as secretary to the Board of Governors. He was interested in Greek mythology, arts, and antiquities and was committed to philanthropic work. Despite life-threatening bouts with cancer, John always maintained his excitement for the new — especially in music. John’s classmate, John Paoletti ’57, wrote in a class note, “Just the month before he died John, a lifelong golfer, hit his first holein-one, a measure of his delight in the game as well as his refusal to let illness quench his passions. There is a lesson in John’s holein-one.” John was survived by his wife of 50 years, Mary Anne Romig; his sister, Jean Bengtson; his three children, John E.

Romig Jr., Thomas C Romig, and Elizabeth Romig Feitelberg ’93, and their spouses; his seven grandchildren; and his extended family members. A memorial service was held on May 5 at the May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society in Syracuse, N.Y.

Kendall Burford, on January 14, peacefully in Scarborough, Maine. A fouryear student from Teaneck, N.J., Ken was involved in the Chess Club and Athletic Council. A talented athlete, Ken was named co-captain of both first team football and first team basketball. He lettered on first team football, first team basketball, and first team track, and he was active in Ludlow senior baseball and Ludlow tennis. He attended Colby College for one year before enlisting in the U.S. Army, where he served in Germany for nearly two years. After an honorable discharge, Ken returned to Colby College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1964. At Colby he was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, and he met his future wife, Linda Doe. The two were married during Ken’s senior year and started their family shortly afterwards. Ken earned a law degree at Boston College Law School in 1967 and became a member of both the Maine and Massachusetts bar associations. He enjoyed a successful 33-year career as a trial attorney. After living in Holden, Mass., for more than two decades, Ken and Linda retired to Goose Rocks Beach, Maine, in 2000. Ken served his community on the Holden, Mass., Finance Committee and later on the Kennebunkport Planning Board. Ken especially enjoyed walks with Linda and their pets along the beach. He

Obituaries

had a special place in his heart for all the bulldogs in his life, according to the family obituary, and Ken was missed by his recent “bully” companion, Toby. Ken was survived by his wife of 53 years, Linda W. Doe Burford; his two children, Elizabeth Burford Breston and Kendall E. Burford, and their spouses; and his six grandchildren.

Douglas M. Fox, on February 28, peacefully, at home in Trumbull, Conn., surrounded by his loved ones. A four-year student from Waterford, Conn., Doug was involved with the Stamp Club, Stagehands Union, Library Committee, Key Society, and Loomiscellany. He was active in Ludlow soccer, winter track, cross country, baseball, Ludlow intermediate basketball, and spring soccer. Doug also served as manager of first team track. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a doctorate from Columbia University. Doug enjoyed a 35-year career as a professor of public administration at Western Connecticut State University, authored six books, and worked as a public management consultant. He will also be long remembered as host of WMNR–FM’s popular “Evening at the Opera” radio program from 1983 until 2016, which was enjoyed by a wide audience of opera enthusiasts. Preceded in death by his son Jeffrey Fox, Doug was survived by his wife, Diana Fox; his brother, Michael J. Fox ’62; his sister, Lyell Fox; his daughter, Marcia Sellner; his two grandchildren; and many extended family members. WMNR broadcast two onair programs as a memorial to Doug on March 21 and April 18.

Robert J. Priore, on February 25, peacefully, at his home on Martha’s Vineyard. A four-year student from Windsor, Conn., Bob was active in the Darwin Club, Chess Club, and Biology Club and in Wolcott soccer, rifle, and tennis. He lettered in first team rifle. Bob attended the University of Hartford and served in the U.S. Air Force as a medic during the Vietnam War. After vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1960s, Bob decided to find a way to earn a living there and eventually make his home on the island. Recognizing the potential for growth, Bob built vacation homes and established the Bernard Circle, Leonard Circle, and Canterbury Lane developments as well as properties in Vineyard Haven and Katama. In a career spanning 40 years, Bob oversaw the building of more than 200 homes on Martha’s Vineyard. Living on the island full time since 1992, Bob was pleased to be able to provide his children with an active outdoors lifestyle that included fishing, boating, swimming, and clamming. Bob enjoyed many outdoors pursuits, including fishing, clamming, stargazing, and sailing on his boat, Maribella, in the company of family, friends, and his dog, Quinn. Bob was survived by Maribeth, his wife of 17 years; his brother, Henry Priore; his two sons, Rob and Chris, and their spouses; his two grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Albert Graham Lee IV, on December 24, 2016, at home. A four-year student from West Hartford, Conn., Bert was involved in the Biology Club, Political Debating Club, Glee Club, and 5:10 Club, and he was a

reporter for The Log. He served on the Dining Hall Committee, Senior Scholarship Committee, Library Committee, and Pyramid Committee. Bert was active in Allyn soccer, Allyn junior basketball, Allyn junior baseball, Allyn track, and Allyn cross country and served as manager of club basketball. A Cum Laude scholar, Bert made the Honor Roll in all four years at Loomis. He went on to become a member of the Class of 1966 at Princeton University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and was a member of the Campus Club and the Princeton Glee Club. In 1968, Bert earned his MBA at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Afterwards Bert volunteered to serve in the U.S. Navy and entered Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I. An officer on the USS Independence, Bert served in the Mediterranean during the Vietnam War. In 1970, Bert joined Standard Oil/Esso in New York City and began a long career in international finance. He subsequently worked for Singer Sewing Machine in New York, Monsanto in St. Louis, Emerson Electric in Chicago, and Buckmasters Trophy Records in Rhode Island He also spent time as an executive recruiter in the financial and biotech industries. A talented musician, Bert was active in the Blue Hill Troupe and Canterbury Choral Society in New York City, and he enjoyed playing popular classics from the 1920s through the 1950s on the piano. A 35-year resident of Rumford, R.I., Bert spent many years restoring his 1850 farmhouse and gardens. In retirement, he remained connected to the community by tutoring English as a second language to students at International House, at

Literacy Volunteers of East Bay and Warren, and to students in Providence public high schools. Bert founded a discussion group called Socrates Café at Books On The Square in Providence and remained in touch with classmates from Princeton and Loomis, where he is a member of the John Metcalf Taylor Society. He was survived by his sister, Judith Lee Moeckel ’65, and her husband, Jeffrey; his first cousins, Lee and Don Chapman, and their spouses; and extended family members. A funeral service took place on January 10 at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Providence.

J. Bruce Ferguson, on March 17 in Morristown, N.J. A three-year student from Brightwaters, N.Y., Bruce was involved in Student Council and the Key Society, and he was president of the Sailing Club, treasurer of the Darwin Club, and treasurer of the Political Debating Club. He was involved inthe Volunteer Committee, Admissions Committee, and Senior Prom Committee. Bruce lettered in soccer and lacrosse, was active in Allyn senior hockey, and made the Honor Roll in the 1961–62 school year. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and Asian studies from Cornell University in 1967 and a law degree from University of Buffalo in 1972. After a time of service in the U.S. Army Reserves, Bruce practiced law at Hughes Hubbard & Reed in New York City before beginning a 30-year career working at the American Stock Exchange. Afterwards, he worked as a consultant to Bank of America until he retired in 2015. Committed to his community of Chatham, N.J., Bruce served on the Chatham Environmental CommisSummer 2017

Obituaries

Photo: Patricia Cousins

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Obituaries

sion and on the executive board of the Chatham Community Garden, and he volunteered at Sage Eldercare in its furniture restoration program. He was an active member of St. Paul’s Church, where he served on various ministries, including as a vestry member and usher. He remained connected to Loomis as an alumni volunteer, and his wife, Dawn, said he spoke fondly of his time at Loomis. Bruce is survived by Dawn, his wife of 32 years; his daughter, Katie; his son, Bryan; his sister, Janet Seidenberg; his brother, Robert; and many cherished family members. A memorial service was held on April 1 at St. Paul’s Church in Chatham.

Marshall D. Hay Jr., on October 28, 2015. A three-year student from Princeton, N.J., Marshall was involved in the 5:10 Club, the Political Debating Club, the Foreign Policy Association, the Sailing Club, the Chapel Committee, the Elections Committee, the Crackpot Committee, and Dramatics. He was active in Allyn senior football, Allyn tennis, club lacrosse, and club baseball. Marshall was a longtime co-owner of Latif’s Bakery and Restaurant in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He was survived by his wife, Marion “Mimi” H. Hay; his two children, Molly Irani and Benjamin E. Hay, and their spouses; his two step-children, Aaron Hodgin and Erica Hodgin, and their spouses; and his four grandchildren. A memorial celebration was held on November 2, 2015, in Myrtle Beach.

William Sherwood Swope, on January 25 at his home in Fort Meyers, Fla. A three-year student from Pelham Manor, N.Y., Bill was involved in the Debate Club, the Spanish Club, and Humanitas. He was active in Allyn tennis, football, and baseball, and he lettered in varsity rifle. After Loomis, Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Syracuse University. He served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst in Vietnam until 1973. Bill enjoyed a long career in project management, and his many residences included Boulder, Colo.; the suburbs of Washington D.C.; Incline Village, Nev.; and Fort Meyers. His many interests included travel, boating, skiing, and underwater photography. Bill was survived by his two daughters, Kathryn Cook Kourtz and Hilary Swope Barnes, and their spouses; his two granddaughters; and many friends. A celebration of Bill’s life was held on January 29 in Fort Meyers, and he will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Susan B. Howe, on February 16, surrounded by her family in Glastonbury, Conn. A two-year Chaffee School student from West Hartford, Conn., Sue was involved in Vocal Group and Glee Club. Sue spent many summers vacationing with her family on Fisher’s Island and at Lake Wentworth, N.H., and she attended Briarcliff College on Long Island, N.Y. An accomplished athlete, Sue excelled at golf, tennis, paddle ball, and pickle ball, and she enjoyed travel to her favorite destinations, which included Boston, Denver, and New York City. Dedicated to her family, Sue enjoyed spending

time with and took great pride in her children and grandchildren. Described as a “classy” woman in the family obituary, Sue will be remembered for her adventurous and fun-loving spirit, her fashionable dress sense, her quick wit and infectious smile, and her gentle heart. Preceded in death by her father, Edward R. Howe ’40; her uncle, Glover E. Howe ’48; and her brother, Edward “Tug” Howe ’66, Sue was survived by her daughter, Alexandra Parkhurst; her son, Quin Howe, and his wife, Carmen; her siblings, Peter E Howe ’71 and Tracy Howe Welling ’75, and their spouses; her aunt, Jane Mackay Howe ’49; her cousins Cynthia E. Howe ’74, Kenneth G. Howe ’77; Robertson P. Howe ’80, and Judith Howe Gobbi ’83; and her three grandsons. A celebration of Sue’s life was planned for a later date.

Robert Bonn Vogel, on January 25, after a courageous fight with cancer. A four-year student from West Hartford, Conn., Bob was involved in the Foreign Policy Association, French Club, and Printing Club, and he was business manager of Loomiscellany and business and advertising manager of The Log. He was active in the Loomis Athletic Association, Wolcott soccer, and club baseball, and he served as captain and earned three letters on varsity rifle. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Hobart and William Smith College and an MBA from Harvard University. His many and varied business ventures throughout his long career reflected his entrepreneurial spirit, which began in his youth delivering The Hartford Times newspaper. Bob’s many roles in business

included working as a brand manager for General Mills in Minnesota, opening a computer store in the late 1980s, and opening a retail chain of women’s fashion stores in Florida with his father, the late Stanley W. Vogel. According to the family obituary, Bob developed a keen interest in computers, technology, the internet, and how they could be put to valuable use in everyday business and life. He became adept at web navigation and developed computer programs and code for his retail stores. With an appetite for information about all that interested him, Bob was a voracious consumer of all varieties of content, including news, politics, shopping deals, and automobiles. His many interests also included travel and boating, and he said work was his hobby. He will be remembered for his love of exploration — from adventurous journeys by car to sampling lobster rolls across the state of Maine. Preceded in death by his aunt, Naomi Gaberman Vogel ’45, Bob was survived by his brothers, James W. Vogel ’70 and Philip J. Vogel; and his many extended family members. Memorial contributions may be made to The Stanley Vogel Family Fund at Loomis Chaffee.

William Alfred Wechsler, on January 15, unexpectedly, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Originally from Hartford, Conn., Bill, the son of the late Senator Alfred Francis Wechsler, had a keen interest in government, politics, and policy as a student at Loomis. He served as managing editor of the school newspaper, as treasurer of the Foreign Policy Association, as co-chair of the Political Debate Society, as committee Summer 2017

Obituaries

chairman at the World Affairs Center for the Model United Nations, as student representative to the Student Relations Committee of the Loomis Chaffee Board of Trustees, and as a member of the State Executive Board for Connecticut Young Democrats from 1972 to 1974. Bill was also co-captain of the golf team. After Loomis, Bill earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a law degree from Georgetown University. He earned a doctorate in international relations from McGill University. At the time of his passing, Bill was dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at American University of Dubai. His long career in international relations and foreign policy education was spent in teaching and administrative roles at many respected institutions worldwide, including American University in Kosovo, International Horizons College, McGill University, Concordia University, University of Victoria in British Columbia, University of Vermont, Barney School of Business in Paris, Montreaux School of Business in Switzerland, Sciences Po in France, University of Turin in Italy, University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, and Yale University in Connecticut. Bill was founder and director of the Balkan Institute, a nonprofit organization concerned with brokering peace and advancing development in the region through education. He was a partner in the law firm of Bailey & Wechsler. Committed to his vocation, Bill presented papers at numerous conferences; worked with many non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and public-private partnerships;and designed, implemented, and participated in a number of innovative international academic 78

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programs. Bill remained connected to Loomis Chaffee as a past Reunion volunteer and as a member of the LC Parents Association. Preceded in death by his brother, John C. Wechsler ’79, Bill was survived by his three children, Christophe Wechsler, Nichole O. Wechsler, and rising junior Maxwell Wechsler; his two sisters, Barbara Fleming and Suzanne Spear, and their spouses; several extended family members; and many friends. A funeral liturgy was celebrated in Bill’s honor on January 30 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Conn., followed by burial in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Karen Anne O’Brien, on August 12, 2015, unexpectedly, of heart failure at her Lititz, Pa., home. A four-year student from Windsor, Conn., Karen was involved in Student Council and singing, and she was active in field hockey, volleyball, and lacrosse. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Karen moved to Pennsylvania to complete her residency in family medicine and settled in Lancaster County. She enjoyed nature and being outdoors as well as researching and cataloging the genealogies of her families, the O’Briens and the Hoskins. In addition to her medical practice, Karen’s interests included painting, knitting, crocheting, and sewing. Preceded in death by her grandfather, Robert Hoskins, a Loomis faculty member from 1923 to 1951, Karen was survived by her parents, Robert H. O’Brien ’55 and Sarah Hoskins O’Brien ’55; her siblings, James J. O’Brien ’79, and his wife, Cathy, and Cathleen O’Brien ’83; and her niece and three nephews.

Ellen Grace Norton, on February 22, with her family by her side. A four-year student from West Hartford, Conn., Ellen was involved in Concert Band and the Peer Support Group, and she was a SPHERE volunteer tutor. She was active in club lacrosse and club soccer, as a student athletic trainer, and as manager of varsity wrestling. Ellen remained in contact with Loomis Chaffee in the years following Commencement, and she served as an alumni volunteer. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and spent several years working as a paralegal at the law firm of Hebb & Gitlin in Hartford, and in Boston. Ellen and her husband, Peter, raised their family of three children in Massachusetts, first in Billerica and then in Londonderry. According to the family obituary, Ellen was dedicated to her role as a full-time mother, claiming her children as a source of great joy and pride. Having enjoyed her summers at White Sand Beach in Old Lyme, Conn., Ellen continued in the tradition with her family. An enthusiastic “Hockey Mom,” Ellen faithfully attended her children’s sports activities; enjoyed snowmobiling and skiing; and showered her family, friends, and neighbors with thoughtful and heartfelt gifts. Ellen was survived by her husband, Peter; her three children, Thomas, Molly, and Phineas; her three siblings, Thomas Grace, Teresa Stanton, and Rachel Erickson, and their spouses; and her many extended family members and friends. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on March 2 at St. Mark the Evangelist Church in Londonderry, and a celebration of Ellen’s life was planned for the summer in Old Lyme, Conn., followed by burial in Duck River Cemetery in Old Lyme.

John Andrew Cannon, on February 10, unexpectedly, in Charlottesville, Va., from heart failure due to undiagnosed atherosclerosis. A four-year student from Scottsboro, Ala., John was a gifted musician and while at Loomis was involved in Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Chamber Music ensembles, and he played the organ in Founders Chapel. John won prizes for music in both his junior and senior years. He was active in club softball, tennis, and basketball. John returned to the Island for Reunion in June 2016 and gave an organ performance in Founders Chapel as part of the Reunion memorial service. According to former Loomis music teacher James S. Rugen ’70, “The discipline John brought to his organ study under Francis Angelo [organ teacher] and the remarkable progress he made in the chamber music program secure him a place in Island memory as one of the most accomplished student musicians in recent decades. His easygoing Southern charm and humor belied an unwavering, scholarly, and focused commitment to his art.” One of the first group of seniors to take on a Senior Project in 1996, John traveled to Colorado State University in Fort Collins as part of his project to study organ performance with the renowned organists on the CSU faculty and work on his own original composition. John continued his education at CSU after Commencement, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance there. He was inducted into the Golden Key International Honor Society in 2000 in recognition of his outstanding scholarship and achievement. From 2003 to 2007, John served as assistant university organist for the Uni-

Obituaries

versity of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., and while there, accompanied the University Choir on professional recording tours to Wells Cathedral and York Minster in England. In 2006, John worked under internationally acclaimed organist and composer David Briggs and later premiered an original Briggs composition at the Cathedral of St. John in Jacksonville, Fla. In 2009, John competed in the Luxembourg-based competition Organs without Borders, and he was semifinalist at the Rodgers Organ Competition in Phoenix, Ariz., in 2011. John served as organist and music director at Saint Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Estes Park, Colo., and organist and choir director at Christ Episcopal Church, Cooperstown, N.Y. John traveled the world giving organ recitals and performed at renowned venues, including Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.; St. Paul’s Cathedral in London; The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles; and his last concert, in November 2016, took place in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. John was survived by his parents, Henry Brevoort Cannon III and Kathleen Johnsen Cannon; and his brother, Henry B. Cannon IV. Funeral services were held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Scottsboro, Ala., on March 4.

Former Staff Mary Foley Connelly, on May 30, peacefully, at home. Formerly of Hartford, Conn., Mary was graduated from Hartford High School in 1944. She worked at Loomis Chaffee for a number of years in alumni relations. She and her husband, Timothy Connelly, lived in Windsor, Conn., where they raised their family of three children. In retirement, Mary worked as a paraprofessional at Sage Park School in Windsor. She was a communicant at St. Gabriel’s Church in Windsor and a member of the Windsor Women’s Club. Proud of her Irish heritage, Mary enjoyed listening to Irish music as well as playing cards, doing word puzzles, and watching game shows on television. Preceded in death by her husband, Timothy, Mary was survived by her children, Daniel J. Connelly ’71, Timothy Connelly Jr., and Maureen Connelly Williams ’76, and their spouses; her six grandchildren, including Jonathan D. Connelly ’02; and many extended family and friends. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on June 3 at St. Gabriel’s Church, followed by burial in Windsor Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Greeta Ruth Cubie on February 23 in Warren. Conn. Originally from Coffeyville, Kan., Greeta was a graduate of Coffeyville High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. She married Alexander Cubie in 1957 and spent several years working as a bookkeeper, as a real estate agent, and in Alumni/Development at Loomis Chaffee. Greeta was involved with her church, where she sang, played piano, and volun-

teered in missionary work and youth ministry. A talented baker and cook, Greeta was known for her pies, baked goods, and wedding cakes. In her youth she was active in volleyball, swimming, skiing, and tennis, and she enjoyed painting and relaxing at the beach. Predeceased by her husband, Alexander, Greeta was survived by her four children, Kim DeMichael, Karen Rydwansky, Bruce Cubie, and Dale Cubie, and their spouses; and her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held on March 18 at the College Wesleyan Church Chapel in Marion, Conn.

More News

The Alumni Office has learned of the passing of Doris Keffer Blair ’41 on June 29, 2014; C. Allan Borchert ’42 on May 5, 2017; James Hall Cunningham ’47 on May 7, 2017; George J. Hagi ’47 on May 30, 2017; William Kent Healy ’48 on May 31, 2017; Daniel Norman Chappelear ’52 on May 4, 2017; Robert Earl Marlin ’54 on April 4, 2016; and David B. Leblang ’74 on May 30, 2017. More information, as available, will be printed in future editions.

Ana Rodriques Louro, age 100, on February 24. Born in Portugal, Ana lived in Windsor, Conn., for more than 55 years. She was married to John R. Louro and worked at the Windsor Board of Education before coming to work for Loomis Chaffee as part of the maintenance staff for many years. Preceded in death by her husband, John, and her daughter, Linda Petrella, Ana was survived by her step-son, Anthony Louro; her son-in-law, Peter Petrella; her sister, Maria Luisa Sores; and her two grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial took place on March 3 at St. Gabriel’s Church in Windsor, followed by burial in Mount St. Benedict Cemetery in Bloomfield, Conn.

Summer 2017

Reflections

THEN: This 1917 photograph shows the school’s war-time efforts to produce vegetables for campus meals.

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

Homegrown Harvest One hundred years ago, students raised vegetables on campus fields, including what we now know as the Rockefeller Quadrangle. These crops contributed to Loomis’ homefront efforts during World War I. Today, students in the Agriculture Program tend to vegetable fields near the southwest end of Faculty Row, raising produce for the school’s communitysupported agriculture program.

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NOW: Students tend the Agriculture Programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vegetable crops this summer in the field southwest of Faculty Row. Photo: Patricia Cousins

The Loomis Chaffee School 4 Batchelder Road Windsor, Connecticut 06095 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Excitement is mounting as construction has begun in earnest on the new Campus Center, seen in this aerial view of Rockefeller Quad. The project is slated for completion by fall 2018. Photo: Andris Briga

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Loomis Chaffee School