Winter 2011 Loomis Chaffee magazine by Loomis Chaffee

M AG A Z I N E WINTER 2011

Identity | Good Reads | The Sartorialists

Winter 2011/ Volume LXXIII, No. 1 ON THE COVER Favorite books inspired the cover illustration by Beth Adams and the feature article “Good Reads” (page 16). ON THIS PAGE The painterly style of this photograph by sophomore Jaehwan Kim captures the beauty of a traditional Korean dance, performed by visiting students in the Hubbard Performance Hall. EDITOR | Louise D. Moran MANAGING EDITOR | Becky Purdy CLASS NEWS | James S. Rugen ’70 OBITUARIES | Seth N. Beebe ’78 CONTRIBUTORS | Mary Coleman Forrester, D. Mercedes Maskalik, senior Nicholas Yannopoulos, Jeuley Ortengren, Molly Pond, KeriAnne Travis, senior Jacqueline Mishol, junior Isaac Kornblatt, James S. Rugen ’70, Marc Cicciarella, Nathan Follansbee, and Kari Diamond ’97 DESIGNER | Patricia J. Cousins PRINTING | Finlay Printing SUBMISSIONS/STORIES AND NEWS | Alumni may contribute items of interest to: Loomis Chaffee Editors The Loomis Chaffee School Windsor CT 06095 860 687 6278 or 6811 magazine@loomis.org With the environment in mind, we print this magazine on Finch Casa Opaque Bright White Smooth, made with 30 percent postconsumer waste fiber. The paper is certified by SmartWood to the Forest Stewardship Council as a well-managed timber product. Printed in the U.S.A.

2 |

Postmaster Send address changes to The Loomis Chaffee School Windsor CT 06095

INSIDE LoomisChaffee 3 | IDENTITY Questions and quandaries of identity, this year’s school theme, tie together the diverse topics of the 2010–11 Hubbard Speakers Series.

16 | GOOD READS Loomis Chaffee faculty members share their all-time favorite books and best recent reads, compiling a list as eclectic and thought-provoking as the faculty themselves.

22 | THE SARTORIALISTS The threads of creativity and entrepreneurial savvy run through the successful fashion-design careers of several Loomis Chaffee graduates.

Visit Loomis Chaffee online at 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. Scan the QR code at left with your smart phone and instantly link to the magazine or go to loomischaffee.org/magazine.

DEPARTMENTS

Photo: Alexei Hay

HEADLINES | BY SHEILA CULBERT

Changing Courses

HE 1920 edition of The Loomiscellany includes the following exchange in the summary calendar for the year: Mr. Sellers in Physics class: “Shuman, what is a vacuum?”

ments compare to those of other schools. Ultimately, we need to do the best possible job of preparing our students for the next phase of their education and for life.

In the late 1870s Osbert Loomis, one of the school’s Founders, Shuman: “Er-a-it’s in my head became responsible for The Loobut I can’t quite explain it.” mis Institute, a responsibility he took extremely seriously. He The Loomis, Chaffee, and traveled to Europe to visit the Loomis Chaffee yearbooks are leading academies there to see full of humorous ditties, as well what sort of a program would as remembrances of classmates suit The Loomis Institute. What and teachers, and are often fun to read. We easily recognize our- he brought back was a commitment to pedagogical innovation selves and see the continuities and to an education individually with our past. Names that have tailored to the child. become so much a part of the school — Taylor, Flagg, LongThe first prospective of 1914 set man, and Erickson among them out the school’s goals, including — run through the stories, as do “to fit young people for effective the rituals and traditions of the citizenship; and to equip them school. A close reading of these for intelligent and expert work yearbooks also reveals the evoin certain definite pursuits by lution and changes at the school, such a carefully related sysespecially changes in the curtem of cultural and vocational riculum. Today’s students would studies as individual needs may recognize the question posed require.” Every student would by Mr. Sellers (and undoubtedly take English, mathematics, some wit would answer in just history, civics, drawing, and the same fashion), but so much manual training, in addition to else of what we teach and how a more specialized course of we teach it has changed. study. Boys had the option of a business course where they Currently Loomis Chaffee is in the second year of a curriculum learned bookkeeping, business economics, and science; an review, a review that should agricultural course; and a colleave us all — faculty, students, lege preparatory course, which parents, and alumni — satisrequired two languages from a fied that the academic course choice of three: Latin, French, of study is all that it should be. or German. The choices for girls Faculty are looking at their included a domestic science specific courses as well as the course, which offered a comoverall course of study, while several school-wide committees prehensive approach to “practical household economy and are examining how the indidomestic handicrafts,” but they, vidual departmental courses of too, had the option of a college study complement one another and how our graduation require- preparatory course. 4 |

“

Photo: John Groo

Our pedagogy has evolved as has our understanding of how students learn. We continue “to fit young people for effective citizenship; and to equip them for intelligent and expert work,” but the ways in which we do that have developed significantly.

”

Today, English scholars continue to acknowledge Shakespeare as a great playwright, learning a second or third language is still an essential marker of an educated person, and the laws of physics remain the same. But much of the content of what we

teach has changed. In 1914, the tragedy of World War I still lay in the future, as did the widespread bloodshed of the 20th century. William Faulkner, Toni Morrison, Virginia Woolf, and countless other great writers CHANGING COURSES | continued 13

AROUND THE QUADS

Hubbard Speakers Focus on Identity T

HE protagonist of Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451, teenage boys who fled a polygamist community, adolescents who bully or are bullied, a musician roboticist sculptor photographer at MIT, and a novelist who believes storytelling holds a key to defending human rights all have something in common. They have important messages to share about identity, the all-school theme this year, and they all figure prominently in this year’s Hubbard Speakers Series.

The first three convocations in connection with the identity theme took place during the fall term. Latin teacher Nicholas Pukstas, head of the Modern and Classical Languages Department, kicked off the series with an analysis of Fahrenheit 451, the all-school summer reading. Speaking in the Olcott Center, Nick traced the emerging individuality of the novel’s main character, Guy Montag, in a society that squelches independent thought. Montag’s development of a unique

Rosalind Wiseman discusses a hypothetical conflict between teenagers. Photo: Patricia Cousins

Jennilyn Merten speaks with a student after her presentation on Sons of Perdition. Photo: senior Justin Zheng

Latin teacher Nicholas Pukstas analyzes the all-school read, Fahrenheit 451, at a convocation. Photo: senior Justin Zheng

identity makes him an outlaw and an outcast, and, Nick noted, only when Montag escapes society and enters the wilderness does the story turn from destruction to creation. The examination of identity and society continued with the visit of Hubbard Speaker Jennilyn Merten in early October. The filmmaker spent a day on campus in October to address the school community and attend a special screening of the documentary Sons of Perdition, which she co-directed and coproduced with Tyler Measom. The film chronicles the lives of several young men who were exiled from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, one of the largest and strictest polygamist communities in the United States. In 2003, when Warren Jeffs, a new leader of the polygamist community came to power, he attempted to cleanse his flock. He forbade public schooling, recreation, movies, and television; banned and burned books; and exiled hundreds of teenage boys to the streets of neighboring towns, as Ms. Merten explained in an all-school convocation and a later discussion with students in the Great Religious Leaders class. The documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April and was recently acquired by the Oprah Winfrey Network, follows the lives of three of the exiled “lost boys” as they try to find their way in the outside world and understand themselves in the context of mainstream America. A different dilemma of identity — bullying — was the focus of author Rosalind Wiseman’s conversations on campus at the end of October. For more than 17 years, Ms. Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabees, has worked with high

school students and young adults as they navigate the sometimes murky, often rocky waters of adolescence. During her two-day visit to the Island, she spoke with students about resolving conflicts, talked with parents during an evening program about cyberbullying, and spoke at the Independent School Health Association annual meeting, which was held on campus. In her convocation talk, she asked students to consider approaching confrontation by using a system she calls “SEAL”: Stop, Explain, Affirm, and Lock. The method encourages people to think about the right time and place to approach someone such as a bully, tell the person what happened that they didn’t like and how they feel as a result, affirm the inherent dignity of the other person, and “lock in the friendship, lock it out, or take a vacation.” Ms. Wiseman cautioned that expectations for a complete and harmonious resolution sometimes prevent people from recognizing the success of the SEAL. “People think the only reason to confront a person is that they are going to totally agree with you,” she said. “The other person isn’t going to thank you and say, ‘Oh, you’re right. I was wrong. Now everything’s fine.’ It doesn’t work that way. The real reason to confront a bully is speaking truth to power.” That evening, the author spent time with parents addressing many of the same issues, and she offered advice for parents trying to navigate themselves and help their children through the tumultuous teenage years. Ms. Wiseman spent the next day at the health association’s annual meeting. The association is a nation-wide, nonprofit orloomischaffee.org | 5

AROUND THE QUADS

ganization of independent schools dedicated to promoting good health and enhancing the quality of life for students, faculty, and staff on independent school campuses. The conference’s theme this year was “Hiding Behind the Screen: The Impact of Cyberbullying.” The Hubbard Speakers Series continues to explore the idea of identity in February when Jeff Lieberman, host of Discovery Channel’s Time Warp, comes to campus. Mr. Lieberman describes himself as a musician roboticist sculptor photographer. In his doctoral work at MIT, he is studying the interconnection of art and science and its potential for bringing people together. His talk at Loomis Chaffee will focus on the nature of curiosity and the use of technology to see the world in new ways. The final Hubbard Speaker of the year and the featured speaker at the Loomis Chaffee English Colloquium will be award-winning novelist Chris Abani, whose talk is titled “Stories of Struggle, Stories of Hope: Art, Politics, and Human Rights.” Recipient of the PEN Freedom-to-Write Award and many other prizes, Mr. Abani was imprisoned as a teenager by the Nigerian government for his writings. His 2004 bestselling novel Graceland, the story of an Elvis impersonator in Lagos, won the Hemingway/PEN Prize, and his other works of fiction also have earned critical acclaim. His visit, funded by the Hubbard series and the Ralph Shulansky Lecture Fund, will include a public lecture in the evening of April 13 and an address to the school on April 14.

Illustration: iStock

Experiment in Time

XPLAINING Loomis Chaffee’s complex class schedule has for many years required a chart, preferably a color-coded one. The schedule involved 11-day cycles, 7/8 doubles, Week 1 Saturdays, and a host of other quirks that inspired jargon. New students spent their initial days on campus wondering whether they were keeping it all straight before they assimilated into the unique daily patterns of the Island. Students and faculty of all ages and tenures shared in that “freshman” confusion this year as the school introduced changes in the class schedule. The changes, studied and approved by the faculty and administration last year, brought several significant benefits: a later start to the day; more variety in the meeting times of long class periods; more gaps in the schedule for guest speakers, convocations, and club meetings; and perhaps, although the jury is still out, more breathing room in the pace of daily life. As with most alterations in societal routines — witness the fog that descends on us all when we change the clocks for Daylight Savings every year — the changes to the Loomis Chaffee class schedule also rendered the entire campus community temporarily disoriented. Here’s what senior Nicholas Yannopoulos, a returning student, wrote humorously about his experience on the first day of school in September: “My pencils sharpened, books purchased, shoes tied, I appeared and felt ready for the new school year. Everything seemed in place until I made the astonishing revelation that I had no idea where I was supposed to be. With no destination, I became a wandering fool, helpless and ignorant.” Nick, like everyone else, adjusted, and most students and teachers see the new schedule as a positive change. In particular, students welcomed the shift from a daily start of 8:10 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. The

6 |

change reflects recent findings that adolescents’ circadian rhythms skew much later than those of adults and that better sleep leads to better performance in the classroom and beyond. Whether students are, in fact, sleeping 20 minutes longer as a result of the schedule change is unclear, but students report feeling more alert during their first class of the day. Faculty have noted that more students are eating breakfast regularly, a sign that they are readier to start the day than in the past. Because of a later start, the class day ends about 10 minutes later than it did last year. That means team practices and other after-school activities start at 3:45 p.m. instead of 3:30 p.m., but fall teams reported few problems with the shift until fleeting daylight in the late fall cut practice times short. Another change in the schedule was to reposition some of the longer periods of the class day. In the past, all double periods occurred during the afternoon. Now, some of the 80-minute periods take place as early as 10:30 a.m. All-school free periods are more frequent under the new schedule as well, allowing more space in the week for guest speakers, club meetings, advisor meetings, and other events. The faculty had discussed experimenting with an entirely new schedule later this year, but for this year and next at least, that proposal has been tabled. The new schedule has engendered some new jargon. “Doubles” are no more, in part because the longer, 80-minute periods are not precisely double the length of the regular, 45-minute periods. Instead, they are called “longs.” And class blocks are no longer referred to as first period, second period, and so on. Now students and faculty talk of “T”s. A student might have math class in T3, for instance, which means the class meets during a timeblock that runs from 1:40 to 2:25 p.m. on Mondays, from 2 to 3:20 p.m. on Tuesdays, and so on. Thus, a color-coded grid still comes in quite handy.

Around the World in 80 Days of Admission Outreach

HE Office of Admission expanded its national and global reach this fall. Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Erby Mitchell and Associate Director of Admission Joshua Smith flew to Mexico City in September, marking the first time admission representatives have visited Mexico on behalf of Loomis Chaffee. With the help of Mexico City native Jesús Peña ’08, now a student at Princeton, Josh and Erby connected with the principal and director of international programs at the Technologico de Monterrey, campus Estado de México. They also met with the curriculum coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program at Colegio Ciudad

de México and with an educational consultant and U.S. education advisor. In addition, Erby and Josh interviewed several prospective LC students. Between their interviews, the two men met with the family of Mauricio Arellano ’09, who live in Mexico City. The Arellanos explained some of the cultural and educational differences that students may face when going to a new country and a new school. Erby reflects that his trip to Mexico reminded him of the value of boarding school and the importance of studying with people from parts of the world about which we often learn only second hand. Current Loomis Chaffee students represent 29 states and 32 countries, and the school would like to further enhance this geographic diversity. Erby also traveled this fall to India, where he met with William Bissell ’84, the founder of a local school in Rajasthan and the managing director of Fabindia, a traditional textile manufacturer near New Delhi. Erby spoke with the teachers and students and observed the educational system at this private school. Erby traveled to India last spring as well. Meanwhile, Josh and other admission associates were traveling around the United States, including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, and Las Vegas in the Southwest; Charlotte, Charleston, Tampa, and the Washington, D.C., area in the Southeast; Texas, Oklahoma, and other points south; the Pacific Northwest; and the Midwest as well as throughout the Northeast.

Two students at the Fabindia School in Rajasthan, India, give a tour to Loomis Chaffee Assistant Head for Enrollment Erby Mitchell, right. Photo: Courtesy of Fabindia School

To complete the fall recruiting season, Head of School Sheila Culbert, Director of Development Timothy Struthers ’85, and Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Thomas Southworth traveled to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, and Vietnam in November. Their trip included visits with current parents and alumni as well as interviews with prospective students.

Self-Study for Reaccreditation Nears Completion

OOMIS CHAFFEE has entered the second year of its reaccreditation process through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Faculty, staff, and students worked throughout 2010 to draft a nearly 100-page selfstudy, and this report will be the cornerstone of the four-day NEASC reaccreditation visit in April 2011. After drafting 13 program committee reports that addressed program, experience of the students, and resources to support the program, the school established 14 separate standards committees

ranging in content from “mission” to “infrastructure.” These committees met several times last winter and spring to draft Part 1 of the self-study. Faculty member Molly Pond, the reaccreditation coordinator, and Katherine Ballard, associate dean of faculty, reviewed those reports and presented their initial findings to the Board of Trustees in July. Once back on campus this fall, chairs of the standards committees polished their reports, and the final committee of the self-study process is writing Part II of the

self-study, “Reflection, Recommendations, and Issues for Further Discussion.” Once the two sections of the hefty report are complete, Molly will present the report to the faculty and then to the board at the end of January. The report then will be distributed to the Visiting Committee, chaired by Margarita Curtis, head of Deerfield Academy. “Loomis Chaffee has dedicated itself to take a close look at who we are and what we do, and we are excited to welcome the visiting committee to campus,” Molly says.

Photo: John Groo

loomischaffee.org | 7

AROUND THE QUADS | THE BIG PICTURE

Light in Autumn Late-afternoon sunlight rakes across Grubbs Quadrangle in this aerial photograph taken in November. Photo: Robert Benson

AROUND THE QUADS

“Fresh” Thinking on Campus

WO alumni who are passionate about sustainable agriculture spoke to students and faculty this fall, on separate occasions, about their efforts to improve the food we eat and the way we grow it. Tom Gilbert ’96, executive director of the Highfields Center for Composting in Vermont, worked with environmental science students, spoke at an evening meeting open to the larger community, and met with the school’s Committee on Sustainability, which he will continue to advise. “Take a moment to imagine what you want from [the earth],” he encouraged environmental science students. “What would you want for your little brother or sister growing up, or your parents as they get older? We’re on a course right now where we’re not making very intentional decisions.” His presentation, “Local Food, Local Economy, Local Solutions: Building Regenerative Food Systems from the Ground

Up,” asked students to step back and evaluate their environmentally responsible behavior. “Everyone in here is a policy maker,” Tom said, addressing the outcry about the pervasion of products made in China and sold in America. He challenged students to make more intentional choices and to realize that American citizens contribute to the demand for products made outside of the United States. Local food systems, he said, offer individuals and the global community accessible strategies with tremendous leverage for change in addressing hunger, quality of life, environmental destruction, economic stability and vitality, and the capacity of communities to chart their own future. A founding board member of the Center for an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick, Vermont, Tom plays a critical role in leading the communities in and around Hardwick in their efforts to redesign their local food system using the composting method.

In a presentation about building sustainable food systems, Tom Gilbert ’96 explains a slide that details “The Oil Age.” Photo: senior Eugene Cho

Earlier in the fall, students and faculty gathered in Gilchrist Auditorium for a public screening of the movie Fresh, an 80-minute documentary on the alternative food movement. Pruittiporn “Pat” Kerdchoochuen ’07 returned to campus to introduce the film and share her passion for sustainable agriculture. A senior at Yale University, Pat first became interested in the field when she studied at The Mountain School during her junior year at Loomis Chaffee. Pat later became president of the student-led environment club, Project Green. She continues to take an interest in the social, economic, and environmental issues surround-

ing the sustainable food debate, and last summer she interned on the Yale Farm, where a typical week included planting, turning compost, weeding, harvesting, and taking the crops to market. When she looks at her meals, Pat says she asks, “Where did this food originate?” It’s the kind of question Tom Gilbert asks as well. To listen to a full audio recording of Tom Gilbert’s talk, and for a link to his interview on The Colin McEnroe Show on WNPR, go to loomischaffee.org / magazine

Visiting Folk Singer Brings Culture of Rural America to the Classroom

OLK singer and musician Jeff Warner spent three days on campus this fall working with history, English, and, of course, music classes as part of the school’s Visiting Musician Program.

10 |

Theory class and led the Concert Choir with Choral Director Susan Chrzanowski.

Singer and musician Jeff Warner

From the seas of old New England to the mountains of the Appalachia, Mr. Warner brings alive the folk music and the history of America that it reflects. And as a resident artist, he gladly shared the music, theory, history, and his love of the genre.

A product of a family tradition of folk singing, performing, and traveling throughout rural America, Mr. Warner has performed at schools, colleges, clubs, and concerts around the United States and Europe. NPR has profiled his work, and he has recorded several CDs and written a book, Traditional American Folksongs: From the Anne and Frank Warner Collection.

Photo: Peter Heywood

Mr. Warner met with Barrington Edwards’ and Fiona Mills’ American Civilization history classes and Berrie Moos’ and Ron Marchetti’s Literature of the Sea classes. He also spent one-on-one time with Faith Miller’s Music

His visit culminated in a concert in the Hubbard Performance Hall. Mr. Warner shared the history of many folk tunes, then asked the audience to sing along as he demonstrated his many skills on the banjo, concertina, and

guitar as well as such unusual instruments as spoons and bones. His biggest hit was the Dancing Man, a small wooden figure of a man that “danced” on a small board as he tapped along and sang “Buffalo Gals.”

Laramie Project: The Aftermath of a Hate Crime

HE Norris Ely Orchard Theater this fall took on the powerful, true story of a gay college student who was murdered in 1998. The heart-rending student production of The Laramie Project brought many in the audience to tears during the show’s four-night run. “The kids really embraced the challenge of telling a true story in the words of living people, [a story] about such a complex and difficult event,” says Director Connie Grappo. Written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project, The Laramie Project draws upon more than 100 interviews as well as journal entries and news reports to tell the story of Laramie, Wyoming, and the hate crime that claimed the life of Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student. Loomis Chaffee’s production of the show relied upon the talent of a small ensemble cast, framed by a powerfully minimalist set. Audiences emerged from the NEO impressed by the acting and staging and moved by the story. “The Laramie Project has never been more relevant,” Connie says. Not long after work on the play began, the national news was dominated by the story of a Rutgers University student who committed suicide after he learned he had been secretly filmed having a sexual encounter with another man. The country also debated the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy this fall.

Workshop on College Guidance Draws Local Interest OLLEGE guidance officers and teachers from more than 20 area private and public schools attended a Loomis Chaffee-sponsored workshop on writing college recommendations. Ann Fleming Brown, director of admissions at Union College, led the October workshop, which was organized by Webster Trenchard, Loomis Chaffee’s director of college guidance, and Scott MacClintic, director of LC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching. Ms. Brown, who has worked at Union for more than 20 years, estimates she has read 48,000 recommendations at the college. She offered advice and guidelines for writing recommendation letters that would best serve the students who are applying to colleges.

In a scene from The Laramie Project, sophomore Sarah Horowitz portrays Aaron Kreifels, a University of Wyoming student who was mountain biking when he discovered classmate Matthew Shepard beaten beyond recognition and tied to a fence post in a remote area outside of Laramie, Wyoming. Photo: Wayne Dombkowski

Connie and Assistant Director Neil Chaudhary ’05 worked with the cast to consider tough questions about the issues that the play raises. “What we have strived to do is to allow ourselves to be surprised by the answers, and to go beyond simple judgment or condemnation … [to] be willing to struggle with the gray areas that most of us live in … and come away more in touch with our humanity,” Connie said shortly before opening night. Neil and Connie are working with theater students this year while Brian Kosanovich, head of the Theater & Dance Department, is on sabbatical. Neil,

who attended Bowdoin College after graduating from Loomis, was a NEO regular in his time on the Island, and he acknowledges he has enjoyed coming back and spending time in the familiar environs. Connie has extensive experience in professional theater. She served as the artistic director of Working Theater in New York City and has worked on shows in both New York City and Los Angeles. She also taught acting in the Yale University Theater Studies Department and in the master of fine arts program at the Yale School of Drama. —Senior Jacqueline Mishol

To listen to a full audio recording of Ms. Brown’s talk, go to loomischaffee.org / magazine

F.Y.I. The Debate Society is off to a strong start in the 2010–11 season. The group compiled a 10-5 record in two tournaments over a weekend in October. In November, junior Kelvin Gonzalez placed third among novice speakers at the Phillips Academy debate tournament. And the debaters squared off against 15 other schools at the Hotchkiss Parliamentary Debate Tournament in December, where Loomis Chaffee’s top advanced duo, senior Ye Dam Lee and junior Isaac Kornblatt, and top novice team, Kelvin and junior Elizabeth Titterton, both went 2-1. The Loomis Chaffee Invitational Debate Tournament takes place on January 23.

loomischaffee.org | 11

AROUND THE QUADS

’ ʹ* aretη

Molds and Wax, Pigments and The Last Supper

ROFESSIONAL artists working in lithography, painting, sculpture, and art restoration, among other areas of expertise, shared their knowledge and skills with art students on campus this fall. Sculptor Kelly McGrath visited the Island in September from her studio in Upstate New York. Working with students in the new course Advanced Projects in Sculpture and Ceramics, Ms. McGrath demonstrated casting objects with the molding materials alginate and encaustic wax. Students worked with Ms. McGrath to make molds of their faces, hands, and feet. Lithographer Dwight Pogue spent a week on the Island in October through the Visiting Artist Program. During his stay Mr. Pogue worked on preliminary drawings of an amaryllis flower and demonstrated his process for creating a lithograph, first capturing a flower’s beauty in a photograph, then developing sketches, and eventually transferring the image onto specially treated plates, with each color getting a separate drawing. The process can take two months or more, depending on the number of colors and the amount of detail involved. Mr. Pogue, a Smith College art professor, also worked with individual students, shared his experiences with many of the art classes, and explored new ways to do silk screening in collaboration with Jennifer McCandless, head of the Art Department. In November, exhibiting Mercy Gallery artist Fethi Meghelli spoke with students in the Painting I and Advanced Placement art classes. He encouraged his audience to move past finding themselves as artists. “Do less thinking and more work,” he said. “We, as artists, are not

12 |

Artist Fethi Meghelli speaks with Advanced Placement Art students in the Mercy Gallery. Students made molds of their faces during a visit from sculptor Kelly McGrath. Photos: Mercedes Maskalik

looking for who we are because we are constantly changing through our art and cannot think inside a box.” Mr. Meghelli, who has a studio in New Haven, Connecticut, stressed the need for an artist to create using a variety of methods, and he said he usually works on at least five different projects at the same time. “I’m constantly producing art,” he said. “I love to expand my repertoire.” Art conservator Nick Pedemonti also visited campus in November to discuss his field with art history students. Mr. Pedemonti told the students that conservation goes beyond just cleaning and patching. “You need a good grasp of science,

especially chemistry, plus art skills to understand the different backings and pigments, and a depth of knowledge in history and philosophy to understand the period of the artist’s work,” he said. He noted that Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting The Last Supper has been “restored” many times over the past 500 years. Many restorers in the past repainted over the actual painting, or used techniques that damaged it, he told the students, and as a result, it is hard for a modern restorer to know what is the true work of da Vinci. Providing opportunities for students to interact with working artists is a central principle of the Art Department’s philosophy. Not only does the department host visiting artists and professionals in the art world, but also Loomis Chaffee’s art teachers are working artists themselves. To view student art work from the fall, go to loomischaffee.org / magazine

 29 Loomis Chaffee students earned recognition this fall for their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Six seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists, and 22 students were named Commended Scholars in the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. In addition, one student was named an Outstanding Participant in the National Achievement Program. In the past five years, 39 Loomis Chaffee students have earned National Merit Finalist recognition and another 101 have been named Commended Scholars.  The Math Team earned a perfect score in its first New England Math League competition this fall.  Sophomore Lauren Horn visited the White House in October with several other members of the Artists Collective of Hartford as the organization received a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from First Lady Michelle Obama. Chosen from a pool of more than 400 nominations and 50 finalists, the Artists Collective program “Training in the Arts and Culture of the African Diaspora” was one of 15 after-school and out-of-school programs across the country to receive the award, the highest honor such programs can receive in the United States. A tap dancer, Lauren has studied at the Artists Collective since she was 3 years old.  24 LC musicians were selected to perform in the Connecticut Northern Regional Music Festival in January.

* areté: Greek for

“excellence of any kind”

AROUND THE QUADS | ISLAND ARRAY

Fall and early winter happenings, night and day, inside and outside, at Loomis Chaffee INSIDE

Dodgeball action College fair Demonstration by glass bead artist and current parent Liz Kavanaugh

Admission associate Elizabeth Stewart and admisistrative assistant Debi Knight, the winning team in the Admission Office gingerbread house contest

Guest chef from Taft at work in the dining hall Flagg boys at the holiday family-style dinner Hypnotist effects

Andrew Sanders during Senior Meditations

Senior Alexander Huseman with dad, Jeffrey, and mom, Andrea (Arons) ’78, on Parents Weekend

Seniors Robert Carroll, Bronwen Gregg, and Nell Pinkston and sophomore Andrew Segal on their way to class

Senior Christopher Gallerani as guest conductor

Opening day at the Ropes Course Quarter moon over campus

NIGHT

DAY

Art by senior McDonald Tjirare

History teachers Patricia Chambers and Kevin Henderson at the Alhambra Banquet

Cross country runners during the team’s annual Glow-Stick Run

Loomis v. Choate under the lights Halloween “sumo wrestler” Faculty member Nicholas Pukstas and Horace (the jowly one)

BBQ Club

A pumpkin pathway

Photos: Eugene Cho, Patricia Cousins, Rachel Engelke, Mary Forrester, John Groo, Mercedes Maskalik, Jeuley Ortengren, Fred Seebeck, Betsy Tomlinson, Justin Zheng

OUTSIDE loomischaffee.org | 13

AROUND THE QUADS | OF NOTE | FACULTY & STAFF

Kenneth Fischer at the piano

Photo: Patricia Cousins

14 |

 Jazz pianist and teacher Kenneth Fischer performed a public concert in the Hubbard Music Center on September 30. Accompanying him was the rhythm section of the Norman Johnson Group: Norman Johnson, guitar; Tyler Van Ostrand, bass; and Arti Dixson, drums. Ken has taught part time at Loomis Chaffee since 1986. In 2000, he joined the faculty to teach the jazz improvisation, jazz band, and piano lab classes. He also teaches at Simsbury High School and at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. As a professional jazz pianist and keyboardist, Ken has played in many Connecticut venues and clubs. He is a member of the Bristol Reunion Big Band and the Norman Johnson Group. Among the selections on the concert program were “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise,” “Stella by Starlight,” and “How Insensitive.” Ken and the rhythm section also performed two selections by Norman Johnson from the CD If Time Stood Still: “It’s Time to Fly” and “Starting Tomorrow.”

president of finalsite, the school’s website service provider, Mary led the session “What’s Next? Future Trends for School Web Communications.”

 Web Manager Mary Forrester presented at The Association of Boarding Schools annual conference in December in Baltimore, Maryland. Along with Jon Moser,

 The professional flute choir Charter Oak Flutes, whose seven members include LC music faculty member Mary Sand, presented a Holiday Concert on December 15 in

the performance hall of the Hubbard Music Center. The program included the Overture from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, arr. R. Parry; “Benedictus” from The Christmas Oratorio by Saint-Saens, arr. M. Meicharek III (with soloists Virginia Church and Mary Sand); “Jingle Bell Rock” by Joe Beal and Jim Boothe, arr. Ricky Lombardo; and “Alleluia” by Ralph Manuel, arr. Victoria Jicha. Loomis senior Belle Jung, freshman Seyun Kim, and Catherine Thompson ’03 joined the flute choir for “Alleluia.” Charter Oak Flutes, founded in 1991, won a

national audition to perform at the National Flute Association annual convention in 2009. At Loomis, Mary teaches flute and coaches chamber music ensembles.  Several members of the Loomis Chaffee faculty and staff are participating in a series of Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) seminars to discuss issues related to multicultural and genderbalanced scholarship and its implications for teaching methods and a more inclusive curriculum. SEED is a national project on inclusive curricula, coordinated by Peggy Mc-

 Science teacher Jeffrey Holcombe exhibited his photographs in a members’ show at PhotoSynthesis in Manchester, Connecticut. The show and sale ran from December 4, 2010, to January 8, 2011, and also featured the work of Matthew Longobardi ’06.  The lyrical play Bottom of the World, which was produced offBroadway this fall, features music written by Associate Director of Studies Timothy Lawrence. The Lucy Thurber play, which centers on a woman grieving the loss of her novelist sister, opened the season for the Atlantic Theater Company in New York City. Live bluegrass music composed by Tim and three others was “evocatively used to add emotional coloring to various scenes,” according to a New York Times review of the play.

“Arches”

Photo: Jeff Holcomb

Intosh and Emily Style. LC’s SEED chapter is headed by Elizabeth Parada, director of Multicultural Affairs, and Fiona Mills, who teaches history and English and works with Elizabeth in Multicultural Affairs. The group is meeting throughout the year to push forward wider conversations at the school on issues of race, class, gender, age, religion, physical ability, and sexual orientation. The seminars provide an opportunity for participants to meet in a safe and respectful environment to discuss and develop strategies for continuing to develop an inclusive environment on campus through curricular and extracurricular programming and in residential life. Participants prepare for each two-and-a-half-hour session through readings and by drawing on their own experiences. After each seminar, participants reflect on the discussion and how it relates to their work as educators. “SEED discussions are always timely, always relevant,” says Elizabeth. The group’s first two seminars focused on the impact of race and gender, both defining aspects of identity that affect the ways in which people teach and learn.

 New faculty members this year include several familiar faces. Neil Chaudhary ’05 has returned to the Island to teach theater courses and to direct the winter musical while Brian Kosanovich, head of the Theater & Dance Department, is on sabbatical. Neil graduated from Bowdoin College in 2009 and helped part time in the Norris Ely Orchard Theater last school year. John Robison ’05 joined the faculty as an adjunct in the Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion Department, where he teaches introductory courses in logic and philosophy. John, a 2009 graduate of University of Rochester, where he earned highest distinction as a philosophy and music major, also is helping with the LC jazz improv groups, and he has not entirely relinquished his “fac brat” role as he continues to live with his faculty member parents, Curt and Delphine Robison, on campus. Fran Aniello returned to the Grubbs Quadrangle as he and his wife, Director of Health Services Debra Aniello, moved back into Palmer Hall after a few years out of the dorm. Fran, who retired after 33 years of teaching and coaching at Suffield High School, is an advisor and dorm faculty member on the

CHANGING COURSES | continued from 2

were yet to add their genius to the canon, and non-western literature was not included in the curriculum at all. The great civil rights movement and the human rights struggles lay ahead. Almost 100 years of history had not yet occurred. Today, we still teach Latin and French — although sadly not German — and we have added Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. Penicillin, DNA, and recent discoveries about space were not part of the knowledge base back then. Today, students study microbi-

Island. Terri Reid joined the Loomis Chaffee community last year when she and her husband, Chuck Reid, and their three children moved from Proctor Academy to Loomis for Chuck to teach math and head coach the football team. Terri, who worked in a dorm and advised students at Proctor, joined the LC faculty this year as a dorm affiliate in Carter Hall, and she continues the tutoring work she began last year. New faces on the faculty include Elliot Beck, a math intern and coach out of Bowdoin College; Connie Grappo, an experienced theater professional who is teaching playwriting and directing as well as serving as director of the fall show and spring One Acts in the NEO during Brian’s sabbatical; Katherine Keen, a counselor, coach, dorm affiliate, and director of the Peer Counseling program who recently completed her certificate of advanced graduate studies in school psychology from Northeastern University; Jake Leyden, a dorm faculty member in Batchelder Hall and three-season coach who previously taught, coached, and served as a dorm head and dean of students at Hebron Academy and who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Miami;

ology and molecular biology, and take as common knowledge concepts and theories not even imagined in 1914. Over those same decades our student body has changed quite dramatically, too. Boys and girls now study together the same curriculum. More than 20 percent of our students are students of color and another 15 percent are international. Our pedagogy has evolved as has our understanding of how students learn. We continue “to fit young people for effective citizenship; and to equip them for intelligent and expert work,” but the ways in which we do that

Erinrose Mager, an English intern, coach, and dorm faculty member in Palmer Hall who has experience working in inner-city schools and graduated from Carleton College; Andrea Rooks, an associate director of college guidance and dorm affiliate who spent the last four years working in undergraduate admission at Washington University in St. Louis, where she also earned her master’s degree in international affairs; Lucy Thiboutot, the school’s new Arabic teacher, Mason Hall dorm faculty member, and A Cappelicans advisor, who graduated from Williams College and has studied and worked in Damascus, Syria, and Beirut, Lebanon, as well as earning a master’s degree in Arab studies; JR Zavisza, a history teacher, Warham Hall faculty member, and coach who was a stand-out ice hockey player at University of Massachusetts and most recently taught at Avon Old Farms; and Nick Van Sant, a Spanish teacher, coach, and Longman House dorm faculty member, who was a Fulbright Scholar in Argentina after graduating from Brown University in 2007.

have developed significantly. As we strive to remain relevant to and for our students, we need to review and renew our curriculum continually. What should we be adding? What should we drop? How should we adapt our teaching styles? How should we incorporate technology? These questions are all part of our curriculum review. The faculty and I look forward to seeing the results and to sharing them with parents and alumni when we have completed this critically important work.

loomischaffee.org | 15

AROUND THE QUADS | ATHLETICS | BY BOB HOWE ’80

Undefeated Football Squad Reunites for Celebration

ALF a century ago, the Loomis football team put together a remarkable 7-0 season. The undefeated campaign, the last time a Pelican football squad has achieved a perfect record, enveloped the whole school in Loomis pride, and this fall on Kent Day the school invited the 1960 team back to campus for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of that memorable season. The day of celebration, hosted by Associate Head of School for External Relations Nathan Follansbee, began with a campus tour, followed by a luncheon in the Athletics Center’s Burton Room with several members of the current football team and head coach Chuck Reid. The celebration culminated in a ceremony at half time of the Loomis-Kent spoon football game. Throughout the day, as members of the 1960 team shared stories from the season, it was clear that the special season had produced lifelong memories and enduringly positive perspectives among these former players. “Athletics, for many of us, was one of the only respites from an all-pervasive academic life,” recalls Stephen Karp ’61, a captain of the 1960 team. “As the football team moved victoriously through the competition, you could feel the excitement and anticipation of a possible undefeated season build. It seemed to energize the whole school. And, in turn, it energized the players. … The memory of that glorious season has lasted a lifetime.” The early reports on the team that year offered little indication of the winning season to come. In a September 23, 1960, report

16 |

At halftime of the Kent Day game, Director of Athletics Bob Howe ’80 introduces members of the 1960 football team: Michael Fox ’62, Daniel Gleason ’62, Huntington Breed ’61, Edward “Ned” Babbitt ’61, Frederick Beams ’62, Richard Beams ’61, former coach Donald Joffray, Stephen Karp ’61, Timothy Day ’62, John O’Brien ’62, and John Smith ’61. Below, a photograph from the 1960 season shows the scoreboard at the end of the Wilbraham game. Photo: Tom Honan

in The Log, John Smith ’61 wrote: “The outlook for the 1960 Loomis football team is still very much in doubt after a week of pre-season practice. The main problem now is to develop a green line into a unit that thinks well and hits hard.” He continued: “With only four returning lettermen, all in the backfield, the gridders will have their work cut out for them.” Fast-forward to the end-ofseason yearbook summary, and the early-season predictions are overturned: “Seven victories and no defeats marked the record of this year’s football team. Led by tri-captains Pete Cummings, Rich Beams, and Steve Karp, Loomis’s first undefeated, untied team since 1946 gave an enthusiastic student body a season lacking nothing, scoring 228 points

Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

and allowing only 47. In front of the powerful backfield of the three captains and Fred Beams was a strong line of Fran Pease, John Smith, Mike Waterman, George Hamilton, Pete Steinhausen, Bill Schmidt, and John Deming.” In meeting members of the 1960 team who returned to campus, I learned that these former Loomis students think in much the same way as the kids do today in our

programs. In 1960 Loomis competed in interscholastic sports just as we do today, and 50 years ago, just like today, there was tremendous pride in school and program. At one point during the luncheon, Steve stood up and led the room in a verse of the old Loomis fight song. The team’s success meant a great deal to the school. The last sentence in the 1961 yearbook summary reads, “The entire school is grateful to the team for a season long to remember.” Success in our programs is still important today. We are in the business of teaching young people to do their very best at everything they take on. The 1960 football team is one example of what can happen when the right ingredients — coaches, players,

and many other factors — come together at the right time. Meeting the former players also gave me reason to assess the exciting changes that are taking place in Loomis football today, giving momentum to a program on the rise. Two years ago a group of us took a long, hard look at the school’s lack of success in recent years with its football program and decided to make some necessary changes. The first decision was to leave the Erickson League. The athletics recruiting landscape has changed dramatically in the last few decades, and this league limited its schools to having no more than four postgraduates on their rosters each year. A close look at the league showed that while schools abided by the postgraduate limit, the number of five-year high school students at other schools in the league was significantly higher than ours was. We wanted to align ourselves with the Class A schools we already were playing, including Exeter, Andover, Deerfield, and now Choate. The second major decision was to hire a head football coach who could teach in the classroom, find outstanding student athletes, and work effectively with college coaches to help place our students who wish to continue at the next level. That person was Chuck Reid. Chuck came to campus and found an already talented group of football coaches in our ranks. In the past two years, participation in the Loomis Chaffee football program has risen from 35 or 40 players a year to more than 70 players this fall. The program has a strong work ethic, and the

players enjoy their time on the gridiron. The 2010 season ended on Kent Day with a 31-19 defeat, and the Spoon will have to rest for one more year in some cabinet in Kent, Connecticut. However, the team ended its season with a 4-4 record, and with a little luck this record could have improved further. It has been a long time since Loomis football has come close to a season record better than .500. There is a sense of pride working its way back onto Pratt Field. Steve Karp, Richard Beams, Peter Cummings, Fred Beams and all their teammates from the 1960 team have influenced how we feel about program success and what we want for our students. The energy I felt in the Burton Room that day during the luncheon will remind me for a long time why all our programs deserve the opportunity to excel. ©

SPORT

RECORD

Field Hockey 11-5-2 Football 4-4 Boys Varsity Soccer 11-6-1 Girls Varsity Soccer 12-3-2 Boys Cross Country 4-2 Girls Cross Country 5-1 Boys Water Polo 5-8 Girls Volleyball 12-6

ACCOLADES New England Class A Semifinalist 3 Academic All-Americans 2 All-New England Team selections 2 All-New England Team members 1 All-New England Honorable Mention New England Class A Quarterfinalist 2 Western New England All-Stars New England Class A Semifinalist 1 All-New England selection 2 All-State selections 2 Western New England All-Stars 1 Boston Globe MVP 2nd place in Founders League 1st place at Shaler Invitational 1 All-Founders League Team member 3rd place in Founders League 3 All-Founders League Team members New England Class A Quarterfinalist 3 New England All-Stars

Bob Howe is director of athletics. To see more vintage photos from the 1960 football season, go to loomischaffee.org/magazine

Senior Ignacio Otero with junior Jesse Wasserman in background

Senior Casey Macdonald, junior Rachel Rosenblatt, and senior Emily Miller

Junior Gabriela Angelini

Seniors Lindsey MacDonald and Mallory Collins

Senior quarterback Daniel Farley and senior fullback Anthony Knowlton

loomischaffee.org | 17

18 |

GOOD READS

STORY by BECKY PURDY | ILLUSTRATION by BETH ADAMS

favorite book says a lot about the person who loves it, so it should come as no surprise that Loomis Chaffee faculty members â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a many-faceted and independent-minded bunch â&#x20AC;&#x201D; should produce a vast and varied list of favorite reads. We asked 16 LC teachers to tell us their favorite books of all time and their best reads from last summer. Although some deemed it impossible to choose an all-time favorite and others explained that they had little to recommend from their summertime stacks, together they offered a collection of favorites as diverse and interesting as the intellectual interests, personalities, and backgrounds of the Loomis Chaffee faculty themselves. For a good read (or several dozen), read on:

loomischaffee.org | 19

PATRICIA CHAMBERS, History Teacher Best last summer: The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto “A narrative history of the Dutch colony of Manhattan, it offers humorous anecdotes, historical happenstances, and an intriguing look into an alternative explanation for the way the United States developed some of its founding ideals. While U.S. history tends to focus on the British settlements and their impact on the nation that later emerged, this work forced me to consider the creation of the American democracy from another perspective. All in all, it was a very enjoyable and highly pertinent read.” ELIZABETH CONGER, Science Teacher All-time favorite: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

“It’s hard for me to articulate why I love this book;

All-time favorite: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton “[This is] a book that has stuck with me for quite a while. It was a tremendous story creating a wonderful fantasy world, yet it showed the ill effects that man’s interference can create. I loved it back in the early ’90s when it first came out and still love it.” Best last summer: Die Trying by Lee Child “A mystery novel, it is an early book in the Jack Reacher series about an ex-military man who is just wandering the country trying to stay out of trouble, but trouble keeps finding him. Lee Child has the ability to keep the reader wondering right to the end how it will end.” BARRINGTON EDWARDS, History Teacher All-time favorite: The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould

“Owen Meany, in particular, is both fascinating and endearing, and I love his wonderfully complex relationships with the other characters in the book.”

“As I child, I read all of the classic fairy tales, and they shaped my world view — then. But as a natural-born skeptic, I read deeper meaning into those stories, as narratives about real life itself. As I grew into my teenage years, I stopped reading fiction and became turned on to nonfiction. I wanted empirical answers. To what, who knows? The Mismeasure of Man was the book that changed my outlook and world view. It realigned my existential axis. For the first time, I read a book that dealt with the science of race and the social nature of science itself. The Mismeasure of Man is a history and critique of the methods of biological

“[This is] the best book I didn’t read last summer. It’s been on my list for a while, and I finally started it right at the end of the summer but never had time to really get into it, as class preparations weighed heavily. It caught my eye as a biology and environmental science teacher; the issue of where our food comes from and how our food choices affect the environment

takes the readers into the inner sanctum of human wonderment and desperation, illuminating a people’s passion not for truth (whatever that is) but for salvation. The book, however, paints a NYC I could not picture in my mind; it was translucent, sort of gray and quiet, sparse even. That was not the New York I knew about then, and it sure isn’t the New York I know now. Nonetheless, Breath, Eyes, Memory is a nice summer travel companion novel.”

ROBERT DECONINCK, Science Teacher

there is something about Irving’s characters and stories that just get to me.

Best last summer: The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

20 |

is complex and compelling. I can’t wait to find the time to really delve into it.”

PETER GWYN, Director of the Work Program determinism. Gould, a Harvard paleontologist, argued that there was little scientific evidence to support genetic claims about race. “I was only 20 years old when I read this book, and it inspired me to go to graduate school where I studied the historical phenomena race, science, and human difference. Basically, this book gave me a language and a confidence to challenge orthodox beliefs of all sorts.” Best last summer: Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat “It is a fiction about Sophie Caco, who is sent from her poor Haitian village to New York City, where she is reunited with a mother she barely knows or remembers. She discovers that she is the product of a rape, a secret that her mother kept from her. The melodrama notwithstanding, the book was a delightful summer read because in the aftermath of the actual earthquakes, it took me back to a time — the 1980s — when flights from Port au Prince to JFK brought many individuals to a dream. For me personally, my mother took such a flight from Kingston to Washington National Airport in 1968: She came to her dream. Danticat provides some rich texture of love, hope, and desire, not focusing so much on poverty and political crimes. It

All-time favorite: Reflections from the North Country by Sigurd F. Olson

“What’s exceptional about this book is that I just keep coming back to it. … It lets the spirit soar wherever you’re reading it.”

Pete reads sections of this book aloud to adolescents he leads on wilderness canoe trips in Canada each summer. Olson was a trip leader and writer, and the book is about his travels on the land and water with people young and old. One of Pete’s favorite quotes from the book is “Simplicity in all things is one of the secrets of wilderness.” Best last summer: Paddling the Boreal Forest: Rediscovering A.P. Low by Max Finkelstein and James Stone From 1890 to 1910, Low traveled through northern Canada for the Geological Survey of Canada, and the authors retraced part of his journey for this book. Low, whom Pete studied in college, journeyed from “ice out to ice in” on birch-bark canoes and during

the winters sometimes trekked on snowshoes and by dog sled. “I retraced some of his steps this summer on the Rupert River,” says Pete, who also has high praise for the maps in the book. MARA LYTLE, History Teacher, Dean of Sophomores Best last summer: The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

Whenever persons are subject to unfair external control, communication becomes unclear and personalities emerge unnaturally. “Edith Wharton spent a girlhood with sensibilities and mores steeped in the values of 19th-century high society in New York, and she wrote with the perspicacity of a woman who was at once an artist, a lover, a socialscientist, and a psychologist.

All-time favorites: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

“The House of Mirth, published as the 20th century began, portrays a protagonist made pathetic because she could not combat the forces of the new era that dragged her, at times unwillingly, at times unaware, out of her dimming vision of the 19th century. Lily Bart saw the possibilities of fulfilled womanhood and the possibilities of the newly emerging American psyche, but she was unable to maintain a level of personal integrity which might have opened these possibilities to her. Wharton poignantly depicts a woman whose world and life are slipping away from her even as those she has rejected forge successful lives that are consistent with the society that America ultimately becomes. The doors of potential freedom, open to so many of us 100 years later, cracked open for Lily Bart, if only she had the courage or vision to walk through them.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

“The Sound and the Fury is a work of monumental vision,

“This novel, set in modern-day Mumbai, is a poignant and searing look at how people’s friendships, occupations, and world outlook are indelibly influenced by issues of class and gender. [Because I] traveled to India this summer, the novel resonated with me even more. I spent a week in Delhi where, just beyond the gates of privilege and great wealth, lies squalor and poverty. Umrigar’s characters are beautifully drawn and explore how one can rise above adversity and maintain one’s dignity in the face of great odds.” RONALD MARCHETTI, English and Latin Teacher, Former Director of Studies

“I chose two favorites. The theme that connects these books has to do with behavioral and emotional censorship, to borrow

the expression from Ruthanne [Marchetti, Ron’s wife and Loomis Chaffee dean of juniors].

even if it is as unhappily dark as Wharton’s. Faulkner explores the paradoxical futility of language as a tool to communicate, especially on an emotional level. Throughout the novel, a core body of words reappears in the voices of the various characters narrating their stories, and it gradually becomes clear to the reader that each of these players is using vocabulary that is understood by each other on the denotative level, but not at all on the level of emotional, experiential connotation. The loneliness to which each character is doomed forms a paradigm and an admonition to us all: Communicate with the heart.” BARRY MORAN, Mathematics Teacher, Former Director of Studies All-time favorites: East of Eden by John Steinbeck Germinal by Émil Zola The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

“Thoreau wrote, ‘The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.’ These three books are not shy about depicting personal and societal desperation. Each, however, issues a counterbalance to that desperation by providing abundant hope that our personal and public choices are meaningful and can make a difference. That notion helps me get out of bed in the morning. “If I were to seriously answer the overall favorite book question, I think I would have to pick different favorites from different periods of my life.

“As an example, I still love the Sherlock Holmes stories, but I can’t duplicate the feeling that I had when I first read them. Nonetheless, those stories along with the books of Jules Verne and Mark Twain helped make me a reader for life, so they have to be considered favorites. The best I can do is offer these three books that have stood the test of time. Truthfully, if you ask me again next week, I might report a different answer.” Best last summer: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest by Stieg Larsson Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein “These three novels were pure summer recreation. Each is a good story and pretty well written — better, I think, than the average beach book. Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates is a laugh-out-loud exposition of philosophies dealing with death, eternity, and the hereafter. Laughing, even rueful laughing, can be a healthy activity.” BENJAMIN NORLAND, Science Teacher All-time favorite: Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

“Alternately and simultaneously a love story about the wilderness and a scathing diatribe against modern society, this book set the loomischaffee.org | 21

foundation of my environmental philosophy. Some-

times he gets a bit wordy in his descriptions about the beauty of the American Southwest, and his anger toward modern society is maybe too apparent, but the way in which he appreciates all aspects of nature truly resonates with me. His passion for protecting the wild for those yet to come and not changing it for the convenience of those here now galvanized my budding environmentalism back in eighth grade when I first read this book.” Best last summer: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins “[This novel is] a weird story about some bizarre people fighting against the ideas of fate and expectations. I really like all of Tom Robbins’ books, especially The Jitterbug Perfume, and they all have very interesting characters whose adventures are just real enough and their personalities just believable enough to make you truly care about and identify with them. Tom Robbins is extremely funny as well, so that helps.” KATHY PIERSON, Mathematics Teacher Best last summer: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest by Stieg Larsson Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri The Laguna by Barbara Kingsolver To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

“Last summer, I read to satisfy my mind in several ways. For fun, my favorite was The Girl 22 |

who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest. To satisfy my intellect, my favorite was Interpreter of Maladies. For a longer book for immersion, I loved The Laguna. And last, to satisfy my need for something different, To Say Nothing of the Dog.” EDWARD POND, Head of Science Department All-time favorite: A Separate Peace by John Knowles

“I’ve always had a soft spot for A Separate Peace. The friendship/ prep school story is compelling, and while I was at Bowdoin, I met an alum — Phineas Sprague — who was Knowles’ roommate at Exeter and apparently the inspiration for the book’s character. More recently I’ve been reading Phillip Roth, Richard Russo, and Ian McEwan: The Human Stain, Straight Man, and Saturday all blew me away.” NICHOLAS PUKSTAS, Head of Modern and Classical Languages Department All-time favorite: The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

“I don’t know if I ever could have read it alone — we read it as part of my junior year English class — but its prose exploded my idea of the form and genre

of fiction. The first 70-

plus pages created an immersive experience — disorienting, bewildering, engrossing, all at the same time — and I had never read an author who had taken such risks and succeeded at every turn. I felt like I had gained access to an otherwise secret language, one that I only could have learned in the context of other students with the assistance of an instructor.” Best last summer: Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal “As I was sequestered at Middlebury for most of the summer studying French, my reading list in English wasn’t terribly long, and my reading list in French looks predictably elementary. However, the best book I read this summer, other than [rereading] Fahrenheit 451 [the all-school read by Ray Bradbury], was Blue Boy by Rakesh Satyal, who is a friend of mine from Princeton. … [I]t is so exciting that his novel, which is a coming-of-age story of an Indian-American boy, has been reviewed so well. It’s a delightful read.” GENEVIEVE RELA, French Teacher All-time favorite: Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire “Baudelaire was a 19th century symbolist poet. I had to read him in French high school, and although it was not “cool” back then to say I was impressed, I rediscovered the author later on in my life, and to this day I love him.

Most poems talk to me, elevate me. [They are] true art.” Best last summer: Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant “Nothing outstanding [among new reads] comes to my mind. However, I had to reread some French material to prepare for my current French 6 class, and I fell in love again with Guy de Maupassant, especially his novel Bel Ami that I would translate as “True Friend.” [He’s] another 19th-century French guy. I am sorry to say that, although I have loved lots of books written in English, to this day I am still more sensitive to the French language. I am still learning.” DENNIS ROBBINS, Head of Philosophy, Psychology, and Religion Department All-time favorite: The Discourses by Epictetus

“This is a difficult question. An important book, one that Thoreau said could serve as an introduction to a new epoch in one’s life, has to inspire as well as to illuminate. It allows one to feel as well as to see differently. A handful of books have done that for me, but most recently it was The Discourses. [Epictetus] was a Stoic philosopher of the 1st century who began life as a crippled slave and yet, despite these obvious limitations, became one of the freest and most self-reliant persons who ever lived. His impact on his contemporaries was analogous to that of Socrates. He personified the classical virtues and was an inspiration to American

luminaries like Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Sage of Concord; and Henry Thoreau, the Yankee Diogenes.” Best last summer: Eden’s Outcasts by John Matteson “[This book] is a dual-biography about Bronson Alcott and his daughter, Louisa May. In addition to being a moving story of two lives, it somehow vividly evokes a whole era in American intellectual history. It’s all there: Bronson’s inept and often impoverishing other-worldliness, his failed attempt to establish a utopia in Harvard, Massachusetts, aptly named ‘Fruitlands,’ his genius for educating children, Louisa’s struggle to live up to her parents’ enormously high expectations, her service as a nurse in the Civil War (Bronson referred to her as the “son” he offered on the altar of liberty.), and Louisa’s struggle to nurture her gift as a creative writer in the face of a culture uneasy with social roles for women defined outside of the domestic sphere.” JAMES RUGEN ’70, Music Teacher, Associate Director of Communications, Former English Teacher All-time favorite: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

“I really don’t think I could come up with a single favorite book any more than I could a movie, a meal, or a piece

of music. But the novel I have reread the most times in my life purely for my own pleasure — and not because I was using it in a class — is David Copperfield. “I place it in the top tier of

books that I love and that carry special personal meaning. It changed me when I was 14; it still offers wisdom and insight as I near 60. I think I have probably read the novel 10 times. “I first read this great classic the summer of my 14th year. It was required reading for incoming freshmen at Loomis. … I was at first daunted by its size, but I was hooked after the first chapter. I fell in love with the first sentence, memorized it on the spot, and can still summon it with no effort. You just know after that great first sentence that you’re in the hands of a master who is going to usher you through this sprawling narrative with a unique voice — and humor. “Dickens gives us a sensitive boy trying to find his way in the world, buffeted by misfortune, sometimes experiencing good fortune, accruing experience, and an unforgettable array of characters along his journey to manhood. Who can resist this long coming of age? And the characters in David’s world! Some good, some bad — but all so vivid and richly delineated. … “I go back to this novel every few years and reread it with renewed appreciation for Dickens’ humanity, his deep understanding of aspiration, and his mastery of the craft of storytelling.” Best last summer: Woodrow Wilson: A Biography by John Milton Cooper “I love to learn about history through biography, and this is a very good one indeed. A recent biography by one of the leading experts on Wilson and his time, this book presents Wilson’s life chronologically and offers many insights into his political career, his personal life, early influences on his beliefs, and his historical influence. Of great interest to me was how Wilson rose so quickly politically after his academic career, which culminated in his presidency of Princeton

University. Much of the way he conducted himself as a university president shows itself in his later political career. Of course, the presidential years are dominated by World War I and by Wilson’s debilitating stroke and the important role his second wife, Edith, played when he was incapacitated. Wilson embodies for me a struggle between idealism and pragmatism, and I was interested to find him both more likable and less likable than I had expected. Wilson was greatly admired by my grandfather, who was a student at Princeton when Wilson was president, so there was something rather personal for me in reading this book: I felt I was also learning about my grandfather who, like Wilson, grew up in a Presbyterian family and attended Princeton.” JEFFREY SCANLON ’79 Head of English Department All-time favorite: All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren

“I’ve taught, and therefore read, it for 12 years in a row now, and it still amazes me. I find the prose particularly dazzling, and the voice of its narrator, Jack Burden (similar to The Great Gatsby’s Nick Carraway), always captivates me with its odd blend of irony, insouciance, and insecurity.” Best last summer: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

a fascinating and galvanizing premise (Phillipe Petit’s tightrope walking between the twin towers of the World Trade Center), nuanced characters, intricate (but not vexing) plotting, and elegant writing.” MARK ZUNINO Art Teacher All-time favorite: Narcissus and Goldmund by Herman Hesse

“[Hesse’s] novels were very relevant to me as I was growing up

and trying to figure out things for myself. His writing style is simple yet lyrical and very visual, and he wrote often about conflicting life experiences through the eyes of artists.” Best last summer: The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano “[Bolano has an] ability to achieve and sustain a complex evolution of characters and inter-relationships. I have never read a novel quite as entwined and sophisticated, where the action is so passive and yet feels natural and plausible.” © What is your all-time favorite book and why? We invite you to email us at magazine@loomis.org with your most treasured reads, and we’ll post some of your responses on the Loomis Chaffee magazine website, loomischaffee.org/magazine. Please include your name and connection to the school (e.g.: class year, parent, grandparent, friend of the school) with your response.

“[This novel was] a recommendation from my former advisee, Jacob Zachs ’09, who read it for a course at George Washington University. This novel has all that we want in a great read: loomischaffee.org | 23

The Sartorialists What happens when you mix

architecture, business, art, and a First Lady? You get a collection of Loomis Chaffee alumni making strides in the world of fashion.

Story by Mercedes Maskalik EW FASHION DESIGNERS have garnered such instant celebrity as Jason Wu ’01 did on the evening of the Presidential Inauguration Ball when First Lady Michelle Obama wore the New York-based designer’s floor-length, silk chiffon, oneshouldered dress for her evening gown. At 26 years of age, Jason was catapulted to international fame. The organza floral gown, photographed from every angle and featured in fashion magazines across the globe, now resides in the Smithsonian Museum. “It’s priceless to be a part of history,” Jason said in a 2009 New York Times interview. Jason is one of several Loomis Chaffee alumni who, through various backgrounds in architecture, business, and fine arts, have been instrumental in reshaping the fashion industry with new interpretations of classic designs. Ruthie Davis ’80, Adam Kimmel ’97, and Alex 24 |

Jason Wu ’01

Photo: Dan King

Casertano ’01 all share with Jason the thrill of riding in the fashion fast lane. Jason’s creativity was evident from childhood, sketching and experimenting with fashion using dolls and mannequins. According to The Times, “His mother sometimes drove him to bridal stores so he could make sketches of the gowns in the windows.” When he came to Loomis Chaffee, Jason took the first steps in making his dream of fashion design a reality. During his senior year at Loomis, Jason studied abroad in France, and it was during his time in Europe that Jason was inspired to create the Fashion Royalty doll collection, which featured high-end dolls with couturequality garments. Sold by Integrity Toys, the dolls boasted a price tag of nearly $100. Following Loomis Chaffee, Jason studied at the prestigious

Parsons School of Design in New York City and afterward apprenticed under international designer Narcisco Rodriguez. Jason’s eponymous line was born in 2006, and from his younger days styling couture dolls to creating his soughtafter brand today, Jason always has paid close attention to detail with an emphasis on sophistication and romance. Influenced by the classic photography of Richard Avedon, the Jason Wu brand is fast becoming known for its crisp tailoring, delicate fabrics, and feminine touches. In September, Jason showcased his spring 2011 collection and challenged the idea that sex appeal must come with skin-tight pants and plunging necklines. His collection, with tulle blouses, below-theknee skirts, and floral prints, celebrates elegance, complexity, and a refined sense of ladylike beauty.

Models from Jason Wu’s spring 2011 runway show present the official launch of the label’s range of accessories. Photo: Getty Images First Lady Michelle Obama beams in the one-shoulder, organza-embroidered Jason Wu chiffon gown that changed the young designer’s life. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

loomischaffee.org | 25

The Ray fluorescent platform pump with matching clutch is part of Ruthie Davis’ upcoming spring 2011 collection. Photos: Courtesy of Ruthie Davis

In June Jason received the Swarovski Award for Womenswear at the Council of Fashion Designers of America fashion awards. He recently expanded his collection to include accessories, eyewear, and high heels. The Jason Wu line is available in Barneys, Bergdorfs, and more than 140 retail stores across the globe.

Steel President and CEO Donald Davis, Ruthie was raised well aware of the inner workings of the manufacturing industry. “I get inspired by things that have nothing to do with fashion, like corrugated metal, glass, and rubber,” she says. “Sleek, highshine objects inspire me, like a sexy, black 4x4 or a glass-and metal high-rise.”

While Jason has just begun to explore the world of high heels and accessories, Ruthie Davis ’80 has made a lifestyle out of the creation of women’s footwear. And if she had her way, five-inch stilettos would be an everyday necessity. “Taller is always going to be better in my mind,” says the shoe designer, from her studio nestled in the heart of New York City.

One skyscraping example is her calfskin leather, Angelina peep-toe platform pump, which features a 5.5-inch, three-part heel with an exposed stainless steel rod. Another creation, aptly named the Stanley Pump, includes a patent-leather encasement with a trio of nuts and bolts molded into the back of a 4.5-inch heel. “I use the nut and bolt because it’s special to me,” Ruthie says. “I love the juxtaposition of things that don’t normally go together.”

At Loomis Chaffee, Ruthie was a three-sport varsity athlete and the first girl to join the all-male ski team. It’s a background that Ruthie brings to her work. “When I was at Loomis, I was involved in tennis, field hockey, and skiing … I was so aware of my footwear growing up, whether they were my field hockey cleats, my running shoes, or my ski boots. … My original love for fashion came from athletic wear.” The daughter of late Stanley 26 |

Ruthie began sketching shoes during her time on the Island and continued while an undergrad at Bowdoin College. Prior to launching her own brand, Ruthie earned an M.B.A. in entrepreneurship from Babson Graduate School of Business, then began her career in footwear at Reebok, where, over time, she became the director of the Reebok Classic Division. Following Reebok,

Ruthie Davis ’80, in her Manhattan studio, is wearing her Sushi Rock & Roll double platform, peep-toe pumps.

Ruthie joined the UGG brand as vice president of marketing and design and, after updating the style, she repositioned the iconic sheepskin boot as a fashion must-have. Before striking out on her own, however, Ruthie accepted the position of vice president of marketing and design for Women’s Footwear at Tommy Hilfiger and launched a new division, “Tommy Girl Shoes,” aimed at the young female consumer. “I’m not your typical designer,” she says of her extensive business background. “I love multitasking and working on the whole package, being an entrepreneur and having my

hands in everything,” including the marketing, production, and merchandising of her brand. “This is a very difficult industry, and the reason I’ve had staying power and success is [that] I know how to write a business plan, I know how to merchandise, I know how to price shoes … 95 percent of what I do is business and 5 percent is design.” Ruthie’s designs are not for the timid consumer. “I design for a woman who is independent, confident, smart, and sexy,” she remarks. Ruthie’s passionate about building her brand with a career woman in mind, one who “feels she can have it all

Four shades of “Modern”: the platform spring/summer 2011 sandal with bolt and zipper detail on a 5.5-inch heel

and doesn’t have to sacrifice anything in life. She knows how to manage her time so that she can balance her career, family, friends, and also has time to look fabulous. She is a modern and forward-thinking person, and she loves to take the occasional risk in both life and fashion.” That passion connects with Ruthie’s work outside of the showroom. “As a business woman who has succeeded in a heavily male-dominated industry, I hope to inspire others,” she says. She travels throughout

the country to speak at colleges, business conventions, and entrepreneurship forums. Ruthie also speaks with high school students and with several organizations that guide underprivileged girls. “I want girls in today’s society to know that they can achieve their dreams, take risks, and be successful without having to sacrifice their femininity.” Ruthie’s celebrity fan base reflects that fearless and empowering attribute and includes some of the most successful women in entertainment today.

Lady GaGa, Beyonce, Penelope Cruz, Rihanna, Avril Lavigne, and Kim Kardashian are just a few household names photographed in Ruthie Davis heels. Her heels have graced the Fashion Week runways at New York and London every season since the brand’s inception. So what’s next for the Ruthie Davis brand? “I’m launching handbags in the spring, and plan to have the whole package, so the next five years will be very interesting,” she says. Accessories have a different

meaning for menswear designer Adam Kimmel ’97. Taking inspiration from his background in architecture (He earned his degree from NYU in 2001.) and love of art (He’s quoted as having been influenced by William de Kooning and Jackson Pollock.), Adam is one of few designers The New York Times credits with bringing style and fashion back to American menswear. His line, created in 2002 after Adam apprenticed under Italian pattern makers, is for everyman, infusing the most basic work-wear fabrics with loomischaffee.org | 27

luxurious furs and cashmeres. As he put it in a 2008 interview, “I take a rough idea but make it as soft as can be.” It was the New York native’s fall 2010 casino collection, however, that rocked the fashion industry. Staged in the Yvon Lambert Gallery in France, Adam’s production steered clear of the traditional runway show and instead featured models in a casino setting wearing his jewel-toned velvet suits and baccarat-printed jackets with masks created by New York artist George Condo. Adam’s look-book, a printed showcase of still images for each season, is equally theatric. Adam taps his brother, famed photographer Alexei Hay, for his collection images, which artfully capture models ranging from actors Dennis Hopper and 28 |

Michael Pitt to artists Ryan McGinley, Dan Colen, and Neville Wakefield.

Adam Kimmel’s ’97 collections reflect the varied influences on the designer’s creations, from the George Condon masks used in his Casino collection to the dapper Snoop Dogginspired S/s 2011 line. Photos: Alexei Hay

In 2008 Adam was honored as a featured designer at the Pitti Immagine Uomo, the Italian organization famous in the industry for its international clothing and textile fairs and events that feature menswear, womenswear, and lifestyle. His fall collection from that season was later installed at the Instituto d’Arte di Porto Romana in Florence. The creative way Adam presents his line, combined with his ability to create well-cut classic menswear, has paid off. His label is available in upscale stores such as Barneys and Jeffrey in New York, Colette in Paris, Browns in the U.K., and 10 Corso Como in Italy. This past June, Adam was invited to

Adam Kimmel ’97 at work

become a member of the highly respected Council of Fashion Designers of America.

subtle nuances in detail and fabric selection more typical of a seasoned designer.

Minutes away from Adam’s studio in New York is Alex Casertano’s ’01 showroom, an airy loft situated in the heart of the Fashion District. The showroom’s cream furnishings, white walls, and stainless shelving mimic the minimalist look and color palette of his recent spring line. New York Magazine touted the Millbrook, New York, native and LC “fac brat” (His father is Millbrook School headmaster and former LC faculty member and director of admission Drew Casertano.) as a talent to watch. And while he may be the new kid on the block (debuting in February 2010 for the fall season), his women’s sportswear line suggests the

For this quietly confident designer, fashion was not a calling when he was growing up. “It was not as if I was reading Vogue or choosing my mother’s outfits when she had an event,” Alex says, “but I have always been interested in clothing. I started to really consider exploring the possibilities of designing clothing when I was in college.” One thing that has always captivated Alex’s attention is art, and Loomis played a role in nurturing his love for the creation of beautiful things. “I think I took advantage of the breadth of programs at Loomis and the diversity of the students,” he reflects. “Being an athlete

came very naturally to me, and I played a lot of sports. However, my interest in arts and time [spent] in the Richmond Art Center ultimately defined me as a person far more than my athletics pursuits.” Alex recalls his many conversations with Walter and Marilyn Rabetz in the RAC. “I would usually go there for study hall and during the day between classes. It was a sanctuary of sorts,” he says. “The Rabetzes were wonderfully supportive and always made me feel that art was as worthy a pursuit, if not more worthy, than my other classes.” “Alex is very special to us, “ Marilyn Rabetz comments. “Having known him as a faculty child, and watched him grow into a wonderful young man

Alex Casertano ’01

Photo: Bjorn Iooss

with serious artistic gifts, it is no surprise that he is now enjoying success in the fashion world.” For Marilyn, Alex’s grace and confidence is rooted indelibly in his character. “Not only was he a talented artist, he was always such an elegant person. I have a very clear memory of him on a ladder, painting lines on the south wall of the Mercy Gallery as per the instructions of the artist Sol Lewitt for his installation show at our gallery. Alex showed flair even then that augured well for his own shows in the future.” Encouraged to explore art further, Alex majored in fine arts at Amherst College and studied costume design, film, and art history while studying abroad in Prague. After graduating from college, Alex enrolled in an associate program in applied science at Parsons the New School for Design. Alex assembled a portfolio of drawings and designs during his time at Parsons, was hired by New York-based designer Yigal Azrouël, and eventually became an assistant designer for the menswear line. It was Modern designs from Alex Casertano’s collection include chic, silhouetted color blocks in muted tones, tailored jackets, and loose trousers. Photo: Drew Innis

loomischaffee.org | 29

only after spending time designing menswear for the J.Crew brand that Alex struck out and created his own womenswear collection. Alex’s designs reflect “ideas about craft, composition, and fabrication,” he says. The result is a minimalist collection that is modern and architectural with an emphasis on tailoring. His two collections both have produced an ease and sportiness that, to Alex, is “the linchpin of American dressing.” His spring collection’s functional and understated dresses, unstructured blazers, and loose trousers are testament to Alex’s desire to keep silhouettes “familiar and cut with a slouchy ease.” “A lot of my inspiration comes from the textiles that I choose for the season,” Alex explains. The process of building a collection, from idea to conception, takes about five months, he estimates. “I try hard to design clothing for a woman that is new and fresh. … Clothing is meant to be worn, so as a designer, that is often the most important concern. A dress is not much of a dress if it cannot fit over a woman’s head.” The Casertano woman, in Alex’s conception, is “smart, curious, and inspired.” She is not flashy or interested in trends. She is cultured, cerebral, and chic. The fall 2011 collection will reflect these qualities, and Alex already has begun work. “It is an exhausting industry,” he says. And though it may be tiring, it’s become quite clear that Alex plans to take the industry by storm. Womenswear, menswear; architecture, design, business, and fine arts — fashion is born from inspiration, nurtured by history, and sustained through the passion and talent of designers. Is fashion art and are designers artists? Look no further than the galleries showcasing the work of these LC alumni. © For a gallery of sketches by Ruthie Davis and Alex Casertano, go to loomischaffee.org / magazine

30 |

Baubles and Gems: Crafting a Career in Jewelry Making

HEN Ashley Green ’97 entered her junior year at George Washington University, she had little idea she’d be an entrepreneur before completing her fall term. Ashley and her older sister Emily launched the jewelry and accessories line Greenbeads in 1999 after discovering serious interest in their knack for beadwork and jewelry making. “We always thought we would go into business together but we never expected to start a jewelry company,” the West Hartford, Connecticut, native reflects. Greenbeads offers allbeaded bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, retailing just under $200. Each Greenbeads bracelet begins and ends with a tiny green bead for the sister’s last name. “We were surprised at how fast people took to our jewelry and how quickly the company grew,” says Ashley. In November of 1999 Greenbeads received its first large merchandise order from Neiman Marcus and has continued to grow in sales and distribution since. In 2005 Ashley and her sister launched their fine jewelry line, Emily & Ashley, which features topaz, citrine, peridot, amythests, and diamonds, all set in 18-carat gold. “We are always about color and stones. We feel that women of all ages can find something fabulous in our collections, jewelry that is unique and special to them,” Ashley says when asked about the company’s philosophy. The Emily & Ashley line sells at Bergdorf Goodman, Max & Chloe, and fine jewelry stores throughout the country. GB Couture by Emily & Ashley was introduced as statement jewelry with a more affordable price in the spring of 2009. “We wanted to give our customers something fun to wear,” Ashley says of the

Ashley handles much of the business end of the jewelry lines and credits her time on the Island as having provided her with the foundation and skills to help build her entrepeneurial sagacity. “At Loomis I learned not only to work hard but to ask questions, and I gained the courage to keep trying. Most importantly, I became confident … these traits help me daily to make decisions and to persevere in life and in business.”

Jewelry designer Ashley Green ’97 takes her ideas and artistry and makes them reality, as evidenced by the 18k White Gold, White Sapphire, and Rainbow Moonstone earring, sold at Bergdorf Goodman.

statement pieces with draped silvertone chains and rhinestone-detailed black-ribbon insets, and layered golden chains with net backing and strands of naturally hued freshwater pearls, shell pearls, and Swarovski chaton crystals. GB Couture by Emily & Ashley is inspired by the vintage images Ashley and her sister have of their grandmother and the use of color and fabric they have inherited from their mother, an interior designer.

No day is the same in the world of diamonds and pearls; “It’s been 11 years,” Ashley says, “but I still feel like I am learning as I go, how to run a company and always keep it new and exciting.” The recent economic downturn has not been without teachable moments for Ashley and her sister. “With gold prices at an all-time high, it has been extremely challenging, and we have had to be creative to really be competitive in the market,” she comments. Face time is important to Ashley, who meets her clients regularly at in-store appearances, trunk shows, and the like. “We love working the floor at Bergdorf Goodman. During the holidays we are always there meeting our customers and telling them about the pieces they are buying. It gives us a chance to see who our customers are and what they are looking for in Emily & Ashley. We love building that relationship year after year and seeing the same customers come back to us. It means the world to us to see them excited about one of our creations.” “I always feel pride when someone asks where I went to high school and I say Loomis Chaffee. I will forever be thankful that I was fortunate enough to attend Loomis.”

OBJECT LESSONS | BY KAREN PARSONS

Witnesses to History

N the years preceding the opening of The Loomis School, the Island was home to families and farms. A photograph taken in 1902 by itinerant photographers, the Howes Brothers of Ashfield, Massachusetts, captures one view from this neighborhood, and in particular, the Phelps House. Later used as a faculty residence and eventually torn down to make way for the Katharine Brush Library, this stately Georgian-style house was first home to generations of the Phelps family, their servants and farm hands, boarders, and extended family members. As with many of the more than 20,000 surviving glass-plate negatives documenting the

Howeses’ work, residents posed in front of their home. But instead of photographing the head of the household, well known Civil War veteran and prominent tobacco farmer Ellsworth N. Phelps, with his wife and son, the Howeses depicted two women, one possibly being Phelps’ longtime domestic servant Lucy Scott. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Lucy took up employment in the Phelps household around 1895. She was 24 years old and later appears in the Phelps household listings in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census records. Lucy married Enfield, Connecticut, native Dan Scott in 1905, and

he joined her on the Island. In an oral history interview conducted in celebration of Dan’s 100th birthday and now in the collection of the Windsor Historical Society, Dan recalled using oxen and horses for plowing and working the 46 acres of meadow land to the east of the house. Lucy did the domestic work of the household, which most likely included laundry, food preparation, and cleaning. A local newspaper published a photo of Dan in front of the Phelps House driving a sulky with his favorite horse, North Star. By 1915, deaths in the Phelps family left Lucy and Dan as the caretakers and residents of the farm. They raised tobacco A 1913 plan for the school marks the location of the Phelps House. The Howes Brothers photograph shows the house in 1902.

and cows for about three years before the home was purchased by the school. In their final half decade on the Island, Lucy and Dan witnessed the area’s transformation into a school. Headlines in The Hartford Courant read, “Ceaseless Activity Marks Erection of the Buildings for the Great Preparatory School” and “Steam Shovels Going All Day Long.” The Courant reported on “the large crowds [that came] to watch the operations.” The excavation of the building sites marked the first use of steam shovels for this purpose in Windsor. The modernization of one of Windsor’s oldest parts became a spectacle for visitors and local residents. Eleven years earlier, the Howes Brothers had traveled to see the Island, too. With their 8-by10 large-format view camera poised on the back of a wagon, they found what an author called “one of the beauty spots of the historic town. … The large old-fashioned house … with the stately trees in front and the green fertile meadows stretching to the Connecticut River … made it a place which many liked to see.” Their photograph documents the place and the witnesses to history who resided there. ©

Photo: Windsor Historical Society, Windsor, Connecticut

loomischaffee.org | 31

Chaffee

ALUMNI NEWS | EDITED BY JAMES RUGEN ’70

BOOK

1944

Dick Warner writes: “We’re doing OK, but we have observed that it doesn’t get any easier. I enjoy planting and growing stuff — always have. We do the gym three times a week and tool around on my motorcycle.”

1946 | Reunion 1950

“I regret that I could not attend our 60th Reunion on the Island,” writes Dick Murphy. “Peter Maytham and I intended to come. We plan to have our own 60th Loomis Chaffee mini-reunion at a Yale Class of 1954 luncheon in Washington, D.C. I have just finished reading Turmoil and Triumph: My Years as Secretary of State by one of our most distinguished graduates, George P. Shultz ’38. This outstanding public servant’s magisterial work is worth reading, particularly for its insights into governmental policy making and decision making.”

With his daughter visiting from California, Dick Murphy ’50 enjoys a visit to Harper’s Ferry, W.Va., in October 2009.

1951 | Reunion

John Foster has assembled a second collection of his poems in a volume titled Chuckles — Verses to a-Muse. He is at work on the manuscript of his third book, Where There’s a Quill, coming out in the spring. John is a recent first-place winner for metered verse, awarded by the Florida State Poets Association. His poetry has been selected for recent editions of the FSPA Anthology, and five poems were chosen for inclusion in the Yale Anthology of Poets. He served on a poetry panel at Yale during his 55th Reunion, and he addressed the Yale Club of Tampa Bay last fall. In addition, John gives readings and workshops in west central Florida.

1953

“I find it hard to retire,” reports Dave Harmon. “I still find the investment business fascinating after 42 years mostly at Paine Webber/UBS working with a very large family office and many retail families. Working

’50

Twins Graham and Ryder Pietsch sport their natty T-shirts. They are grandsons of Bette Burnham Pietsch ’55. Loomis 1960 classmates Tom Jones, John Bigelow, Bob Kaiser, David Carroll, Rick Beizer, Mackie MacLean, and Harvey Struthers enjoy a post-50th Reunion weekend at Harvey’s home in Tannersville, N.Y., in September 2010.

’55

32 |

CLUB The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Discussion leader, Katherine Ballard Wednesday, February 2, 2011 Burton Room in the Athletics Complex Buffet Dinner — 6:00 p.m. Book Discussion — 7:30 p.m. Information: 860.687.6273 or nicole_jamieson@loomischaffee.org

in Boston is a major stimulant with new cancer technology companies like Synta, and being on the board of the Council on Foreign Relations. My Loomis experience has come full circle, being a member of the school board of the regional vocational technical high school. Though I was not a good student, I have come to realize the benefit of high standards and self-starting that Loomis instilled. It is a great institution. I sing in two groups with Peter L. Fenton ’60 of Pelicans’ fame. We have been

to Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall many times, and I look forward to singing with the Yale Alumni Chorus and friends on the trip to Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia next June. I look forward to seeing John Little, Ray D’Antonio, and other singers/classmates at reunions.”

1955

In October 2008, the priory secretary of the Order of St. John wrote to Frederick Davidson informing him that “Her Excel-

’60

lency the Governor-General of Australia, acting on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, the Sovereign Head of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, has been graciously pleased to sanction (his) promotion to Knight of Grace in the Order of St John.” On February 28, 2009, Frederick was knighted at Government House in Melbourne, Australia, by the governor, as Queen’s representative in Victoria for the Order. Frederick’s name is now followed by K St J, reflecting that he is a Knight Hospitaler. Bette Burnham Pietsch sends thanks to all who made the 55th Reunion such a special occasion. “We, at Chaffee, were fortunate to have 10 out of a possible 15 women return. We had a gathering to pay tribute to our classmate, Mary Jane Durnford Lewis, who is no longer with us. We miss her! Classmates, it was wonderful to be with you, and I hope the others will join us for the next reunion.”

1956 | Reunion 1959

Debbie Savitt First writes: “Son Richard First ’86 welcomed Savitt Kingston Evans First, adopted April 2010. Total grandkids — seven! I am still doing public relations, biking the PMC, loving life with Bob, being more involved at Loomis Chaffee.”

1960

News from Barbara August Clifford: “I have spent the last 45 years raising children, many

handicapped: two natural children, four adopted, two grandchildren, 180 in all. I have 12 children between natural, step, and adopted; 31 grand and 33 great-grand. I held a state license as a community training home.” “My wife and I really enjoyed the 50th Reunion,” writes Frank McGuire. “It was inspiring to reconnect with classmates and see the school in such fine shape. A first-class celebration!”

1961 | Reunion

Owen Nee is the author of a new wartime novel: The Phoenix is a Strange Bird, published by Friesen Press. In the novel, an American colonel and captain assist a provincial government north of Saigon and face a weakened enemy that controls villages through terror. The Americans devise a plan to make pacification work. A former U.S. intelligence officer, Owen served in Vietnam, 1970– 71, and he earned the Bronze Star as well as the Medal of Gallantry of the Republic of Vietnam. He spent 30 years as an attorney in China and now practices in New York.

Charitable Gift Annuities W HO said there are no guarantees in life?

We have all heard the age-old adage that there are no guarantees in life, but when you partner with Loomis Chaffee by establishing a charitable gift annuity, the guarantee is just that — for life.

A charitable gift annuity is a simple contract between you and Loomis Chaffee through which, in exchange for a gift of cash or securities of $10,000 or more, the school agrees to pay you, and a survivor if desired, a fixed income for life. In these uncertain times, a gift annuity can be an attractive way to supplement your retirement with no investment worries. Why is Loomis Chaffee’s charitable gift annuity program so popular? Beyond the satisfaction of making a special gift that benefits you and the school, the answer is simply in the numbers: Charitable Annuity Sample Rates – Single Life AGE 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 and over

FIXED RATE 5.2% 5.5% 5.8% 6.4% 7.2% 8.1% 9.0%

Creating a charitable gift annuity is simple to do, and we are here to help walk you through every step of the way. To get started or for more information, please contact Director of Gift Planning Marc Cicciarella at 860.687.6087 or marc_cicciarella@loomis.org or go to www.loomischaffee.org/giftplanning.

1964

The Reverend Curtis W. Hart was appointed editor-in-chief of the Journal of Religion and Health, effective January 1, 2011. Curt is lecturer in the Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College. He succeeds former Editorin-Chief Donald R. Ferrell. The journal publishes highquality, peer-reviewed original research and review papers,

Photo: senior Justin Zheng

loomischaffee.org | 33

ALUMNI NEWS

’71

’81 Stacey Katz Bourns ’81 and Jeffrey Bourns were married July 18, 2010, in York Harbor, Maine. Jim Katz ’83, Melissa Katz Hudson ’87, and Kathy Calnen McKinley ’81 were among those attending.

’67

Tim Carney ’71 and Phelps Gay ’71 enjoyed a nine-day trip “cascading down the the Grand Canyon in a raft 29 years after graduation.” They reminisced about their Loomis days, shared their personal struggles, and enjoyed “the delight of a reunion long postponed in the unequalled beauty of the wilderness.” Tim continues: “We recall reading the alumni magazine after graduation and the ‘old guys’ featured in its pages. Now, we’re just two more!”

1973 Hollis Harman ’67 receives an Emmy Award, July 31, 2010, for the KidsFinance public service announcement she made with CityTV Santa Monica. She writes, “Help me teach our nation’s kids and their families a quick way to save. Save, America, save.” For more information, see www.kidsfinance.com.

disseminating them across the globe to researchers, academics, scholars, other professionals, and libraries.

Peter Samis writes: “Still working at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art with a slightly different title: associate curator, interpretive media. Living happily in Berkeley with longtime partner Mary Curtis Ratcliff, and teaching each fall at the University of Lugano.”

1966 | Reunion 1967

1974

1971 | Reunion 1972

1975

Steve Douglas recently received his fifth patent, for the consumer product “Love Handles” exercise device.

From Pamela Kneisel: “I took my kids to California last April and stayed with Suzy Rothfield Thompson and her husband, Eric. We had a great dinner together with Glenn Shor ’71 and his wife, Nancy. Glenn took us north of the Bay Area past vineyards and redwoods to the ocean. Wonderful visit.”

34 |

Due to a job change, Robert Litter; wife Mel; daughter Jordan, 16; son Rowan, 13; 11 horses; three dogs; and two cats have moved to Forest Hill, Md.

“In May 2010,” writes Michael O’Malley, “our family spent a spectacular three weeks in Turkey, visiting ancient ruins, warm beaches, and exotic bazaars.”

From Deborah Henken: “Sorry to have missed our 35th Reunion. We were busy with our eldest daughter’s high school graduation! Time does fly.”

1976 | Reunion

As president of the Scantic River Watershed Association, Rex Joffray has worked for the past five years to develop a greenway corridor along both banks of the river, from Staf-

ford to East Windsor, Conn. On National Trails Day last summer, June 5, 2010, Rex was commended along with 12 others by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell for significant contributions to the promotion, development, and enhancement of linear open space in the state. Rex kayaks on the river, clears trail, installs riverside benches, leads work parties, does winter maintenance on cross-country skis, and develops maps of the greenway. He lives in Somers. Bob the Book, a novel by David Pratt, was released in October 2010. A witty, amusing, and sometimes poignant romance, David’s novel concerns a gay book, Bob, for sale in a Greenwich Village bookstore; his growing affection for another book, Moishe; their separation; and numerous adventures involving other books and humans. The novel is published by Chelsea Station Editions and can be found on Facebook under “Bob the Book, a novel by David Pratt.” David has published short fiction in Christopher Street, The James White Review, Blithe House Quarterly, Harrington Gay Men’s Fiction Quarterly, Velvet Mafia, Lodestar Quarterly, and other periodicals and anthologies. He has di-

rected and performed his own work for the theater, including appearances in New York City at the Cornelia Street Café, Dixon Place, HERE Arts Center, the Flea Theater, Theater of the Elephant, and the Eighth Annual New York International Fringe Festival. David holds a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the New School. Associate director of development for the Carnegie Council, David is at work on the book of a new musical.

1977

Debra Shulansky recently accepted a full-time position as director of community outreach and support at the Brain Injury Association of Connecticut, where she directs community outreach and education efforts on brain injury and injury prevention. She also coordinates the association’s support groups.

1981 | Reunion

“My husband and I are official empty nesters!” reports Tina Smith Bolowich. “Our daughter is a senior at Appalachian State University, and our son is a freshman at Florida International University. Where does the time go? Yikes!”

1983

Linda Huang Tolentino graduated from the New England School of Acupuncture in May 2009 with a master’s degree in acupuncture. She opened her practice with a colleague in November 2009: Winchester Center for Acupuncture and Health, Main Street, Winchester, Mass.

’85

SAVE THE DATE | REUNION 2011, June 10–12 Classes ending in 1 & 6: This is your year! Mark your calendars now and encourage your classmates to join in the celebration, Look for your invitation in early April.

Scan the QR code at left with your smart phone and instantly link to more information about Reunion 2011, or go to loomischaffee.org/reunion.

1986 | Reunion 1987

Charles Barwell and Juliet Allen, a concert pianist, were married August 14, 2010, in the chapel at Juliet’s former college at Oxford University, England. More than 300 friends filled Christ Church Cathedral; a choir made up of members of the Chorus of The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra sang; and Erik Synnestvedt read John Donne’s “The Good Morrow.” Bill Flanagan and his wife and three sons were in the congregation. A message of congratulations to the bride and groom from Prime Minister David Cameron was read during the speech of Charles’ best man. Charles and Juliet met two years ago when Juliet was the soloist in a performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Charles continues to work as a private banker with Barclays Wealth, providing financial strategies to successful families in the U.K. and Europe. He is much involved in politics and serves as president of the National Convention of the Conservative Party, chairman of the party’s Finance and Audit Committee, and a member of the party’s board. He recently chaired the Conservative Party’s annual conference, a gathering similar

to U.S. political party conventions, giving three speeches that were relayed live on the BBC. Charles remains a trustee of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and he sings tenor in the orchestra’s chorus. Charles and Juliet make their home in Birmingham. A Professor, a President, and a Meteor: The Birth of American Science, a new book by Cathryn Prince Saldinger, was released last November. It is published by Prometheus Books.

1988

Last July, Todd Hartung took up his new duties as director of advancement at Cannon School, Concord, N.C., an independent K-through-12 college preparatory school. He oversees development, marketing, and alumni relations initiatives. Previously, Todd served as vice president of Queens University of Charlotte, where he directed the annual giving program, alumni programs, and the parents’ council. A graduate of the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, he received a master’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University’s Babcock Graduate School of Management. Todd is an avid runner who has completed 19 marathons, including the 2009 and 2010 Boston Marathons. He; his wife, Regina; and their

’87 daughters, Isabella and Emma, live in Davidson, N.C. Steve Rogenstein writes that he is “alive and kickin’.”

1989

Sue Henshon recently presented a paper, Popular Culture for Young People: A Look at Recent Trends, at a conference sponsored by Homerton College, the University of Cambridge, England. While in the U.K., Sue met up with Beth Lasher Gombala. Michael Higgins was recently named the head men’s lacrosse coach at Trinity College. He was previously head coach at Thayer Academy and defensive coordinator for five years at Tufts, where he coached nine All-NESCAC selections and two All-Americans. As a student at Hobart, Michael was a member of three NCAA Division III national champion squads, team captain, and an All-American defender. The Trinity Bantams have qualified for the NESCAC Championship Tournament in four of the last seven seasons. DeDe Lahman’s new cookbook, The Clinton Street Baking Company Cookbook: Breakfast, Brunch, and Beyond from New York’s Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant was released last November.

’90

Tim Struthers ’85, Jeffrey Bilezikian ’87, and Dave Albert ’87 teamed up with nine other friends to run “Reach the Beach,” a 200-mile relay race in New Hampshire last September. Their team finished in 26 hours. The wedding of Juliet Allen and Charles Barwell ’87, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, England, August 14, 2010 Christian Schulz ’90 and Sharmilla ArayaSchulz were married October 2, 2010, in a small backyard ceremony in New York City. Morgan Frank ’90, Lee Guzofski ’90, the bride, James Wolf, the groom, and Gaby Araya celebrate the day and each others’ company.

Emmy-Award winning Fox CT loomischaffee.org | 35

ALUMNI NEWS

’92

reporter Laurie Perez was honored with a 2010 Latino de Oro Award in the media category from Identidad Latina. Sara Rosenberg and Warren Jaworowicz were married October 16, 2010, in Bolton, Mass. Sara writes: “Karen Smith, Beth Lasher Gombala, and Wendy Geehreng Walters were all there to help us celebrate.” “Still living in New York City,” writes Denney Derr Uffelman, “now with three kids: Charlie, 9, Will, 7, and Helen, 1. Had a blast at our 20th Reunion, and looking forward to our 25th.”

1991 | Reunion

J.P. Morgan has appointed James Walker head of investments for private clients in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Based in Geneva, he will oversee the development and delivery of the firm’s multi-asset class leading investment capabilities. With J.P. Morgan for 12 years, James was formerly head of investments for the Private Bank in the Western United States.

1992

From Allison Bruch: “I’m very much enjoying inspiring and cheerful work as the junior interior designer and buyer at Lotus Bleu, a small design firm in San Francisco. I recently attended the graduation of my triplet siblings, recalling sprinting from the far lacrosse/field hockey fields to retrieve word of their birth in September of my senior year at Loomis — greeted by knowing smiles while I ran. Everyone knew the time had come! I can’t believe 18 years have passed since that day. 36 |

Jacqueline Gange Lovett ’92 and William C. Lovett were married August 7, 2010, in Watch Hill, R.I. The wedding party: Treb Becher, Christopher Gange ’95, Jeff Strouse, Pete Gilligan, Thomas Lovett (best man), the groom, the bride, Meghan Gange (matron of honor), Camila Lovett, Marisa Dudack Betts ’92, Samantha Primiano ’09, Laura Parese, and Heather Parker. Also attending the wedding was Christopher Primiano ’98. The couple honeymooned in Costa Rica and make their home in Needham, Mass.

Their own prep school graduation made me very nostalgic for our days at LC. We were lucky indeed.”

’92

’95

1993

After eight years at Loomis Chaffee working on the launching and development of the school’s reunion giving program, Heidi Erdmann McCann has taken a position at the Ethel Walker School, Simsbury, Conn., as director of centennial reunion giving. She is responsible for creating and implementing the reunion giving program as well as for conducting some development visits with alumnae.

1994

Chris Thurber and his wife, Jaime, welcomed the birth of their daughter, Ainsley Margaret, on September 10, 2010. Ainsley’s grandparents are former Loomis history teacher Bert Thurber and his wife, Jane.

Doris Catlin ’92 and Julie Piacentini welcomed their third child, Phoebe Piacentini Catlin, August 7, 2010. Doris writes: “Phoebe’s brother, Riggs, and her sister, Tali, were thrilled to meet the newest addition. Life is busy, but great!” Akina, 2, is the very happy daughter of Virginia and Masayuki Takahashi ’95.

1995

Erin and Andrew Carroll had their first child on May 9, 2010: daughter Caitlin Cavanaugh Carroll. Meredith Murphy Kempf and her husband, Tory, are proud to announce the birth of Maeve Kathleen, April 6, 2010. Maeve joins big brother Parker, and all are happy and healthy.

Masayuki Takahashi visited the Island last October, and spent time visiting former teachers and touring the new Hubbard Music Center and the renovated Clark Center for Science & Mathematics. He has completed his doctorate in chemistry at Yale and lives in Florida. Mas is working to synthesize an H.I.V. drug that originates from flora in Costa Rica.

’97

Kathy Agonis ’97 and David Friebus were married June 19, 2010, at North Pond Restaurant, Chicago, with their dear friend, the Honorable Ilana Diamond Rovner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, officiating at the intimate ceremony. Here classmates Christine Schleicher Strife ’97, Erin Shoudy Meyer ’97, Kari Diamond ’97, and Melody Diegor Caprio ’97 join the bride on the special day.

’96

Theodore Clark Gleason was born May 6, 2010, to Nancy Webster Gleason ’96 and her husband, Alex. Nancy writes that Theodore is “a Pelican in training, and he can’t wait to be a member of the Class of 2028.”

1996 | Reunion

“I’ve moved back to Connecticut after having been away for 10 years,” writes Thomas Gallagher. “I live in East Granby with my wife, Nicole, and two daughters, Anna, 3, and Grace, 1.” A note from Lindsay Hower: “I’ve recently moved to San Francisco, opening a west coast office for Rare (www.rareconservation.org).” Rare is the leader in social marketing for biodiversity conservation, training and supporting leaders from the world’s top environmental

organizations, local grassroots groups, and governments. James B. Ricci II completed his doctoral degree in the fall of 2009 in Canterbury, U.K., and is now a teaching fellow with the City College of London. He teaches political science in Kazakhstan to prepare students for their first year at City College. Keith St. Germain and his wife, Maureen, welcomed the arrival of their second child, Margot Parsons St. Germain, August 2, 2010.

Henry Riesenberg, son of Bridget Grant Riesenberg ’97; Benjamin Marsi, son of Liz Dunn Marsi ’97; Samuel Meyer, son of Erin Shoudy Meyer ’97; and Owen Maida, son of Sara Sheldon Maida ’96, enjoy their playdate. Their mothers hope that all will be members of the Loomis Chaffee Class of 2028.

1998

Lila Bryce Marchetti was born September 16, 2010, to Courtney and Dan Marchetti. Lila’s paternal grandparents are longtime Loomis Chaffee faculty members Ruthanne and Ronald Marchetti. Jacques Stanislaus was profiled in the Philadelphia Business Journal in an article by Jared Brey (August 6, 2010). Jacques started a real estate investment company, Box Development Group, in Philadelphia in 2004. Since then, he’s started two others, and all three acquire, reha-

ERIN CARSTENSEN ’93: The “Superwoman” at Essex Street Academy

RIN Carstensen’s ’93 Essex Street Academy is located in a large building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Prior to housing its five current schools, the building served as the neighborhood’s sole public high school. David Guggenheim, who directed the sobering documentary Waiting for “Superman,” would have called that high school a “failure factory” because approximately 29 percent of students entering as freshmen dropped out before graduation and a very small percentage eventually attended college. Realizing that smaller is better for school size as well as class size, Essex Street Academy and the other schools in the building enroll only 350 girls and boys each. School choice allows the city’s students to rank the schools that they wish to attend. Having earned high ratings for three consecutive years, Essex Street Academy has no shortage of candidates, and that demand stems from Principal Erin Carstensen’s efforts. After graduating from Loomis Chaffee, Erin majored in history, with a minor in French, at the University of Pennsylvania. After a year at a public relations firm, she joined Teach for America, spending her two-year commitment teaching fourth grade in a New York City elementary school. For the next two years, she taught at KIPP Academy Charter School in New York City, then earned a master’s degree in social work at Berkeley and interned as a therapist in a therapeutic preschool and as an elementary

and high school counselor. Returning to New York in 2004, she rejoined friend Alex Shub in opening Essex Street Academy. One of the school’s founding teachers, Erin became the assistant principal in 2007. When Alex Shub became the director of new schools in New York City in June 2010, Erin was named principal. Essex Street Academy boasts an innovative, project-based, college-bound curriculum and a determined, motivated student body, approximately 70 percent of whom live at or below the poverty line. Students graduate based on the completion of projects in the core subject areas of art, foreign language, literature, history, mathematics, and science, demonstrating accomplishment in analytical thinking, reading comprehension, research writing skills, the application of mathematical computation and problemsolving skills, the utilization of the scientific method, and appreciation of and performance skills in the arts. Advisors counsel 15 students each; students participate in after-school clubs, community service, and competitive athletics; and teachers are available for tutoring and SAT preparation after school and on Saturdays. Ninety-five percent of the academy’s graduating seniors enroll in colleges and universities for the following year, many with full scholarships. The students at Essex Street Academy are no longer waiting for “Superwoman.” — Nathan Follansbee

loomischaffee.org | 37

ALUMNI NEWS

Ali Thurber ’98, Liz Failla ’99, Laura Richards Milligan ’99, and Rachel McAllister Sadler ’99 enjoy a “former faculty kids” reunion last July. The young gentleman in Rachel’s arms is Henry Sadler, born to Rachel and her husband, Hank, in May.

’04

of U.S. refugee resettlement operations in Europe and Central Asia. She and her family are originally from Azerbaijan.

2002

Afton Pavletic ’04, in the white jersey, strikes her cornerback stance. Danielle Flores ’00, Jessica Flores ’06, Melissa Flores ’03, and Kurt Malec ’00 celebrate Danielle’s birthday in New York City, July 2010.

bilitate, and maintain residential and commercial buildings in Philadelphia neighborhoods. Jacques works with homeless advocacy groups to help stabilize neighborhoods and help homeless people make the transition to home occupancy.

1999

Quin Breland and Martha Claire Hollis were married August 14, 2010, in Baton Rouge, La. They make their home in Jackson, Miss.

2000

Nicole Brown is programme manager, Department of Youth Affairs, Tobago House of Assembly. She writes: “I have written an article that was published on the Commonwealth Secretariat’s website: www.thecommonwealth.org (search for Nicole Brown). “I am particularly thankful for my LC education because of the strong emphasis on writing.” Amir Satvat recently qualified for the Jeopardy contestant pool 38 |

by taking an online test and then participating in a tryout session. As a high-scoring contestant who also earned high marks for interviewing skills and presentability, he qualified for the contestant pool until January 2012. Amir rates his chances of getting the call as about 60–70 percent. Amir was recently accepted to the University of Pennsylvania’s master’s in biotechnology program, which he will finish as a dual degree with his master’s in business administration at The Wharton School in May 2011, adding to his recently completed master’s in health policy from N.Y.U. He recently won the Ford Foundation MBA Research Fellowship, Wharton’s highest research prize for MBA students, to write an extended report on electronic medical records and their potential value for healthcare improvement. Additionally, Amir recently finished writing, by invitation as the textbook’s only student author, the new chapter on comparative effectiveness for Jonas and Kovner’s seminal

healthcare textbook Healthcare Delivery in the United States, 10th edition. Amir is co-writing a book on the transformation of healthcare organizations with Lawton Burns, head of Wharton’s Healthcare Management Department.

2001 | Reunion

Elina Sarkisova is one of the 31 recipients of the 2010 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. Since 1968, the Soros Fellowships have supported nearly 400 immigrants and children of immigrants for two years of graduate education. Selection criteria include creativity, originality, initiative, accomplishment that required sustained drive and effort, and commitment to the values expressed in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights and to advancing the responsibilities of citizenship in a free country. Elina pursues a master’s degree at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. Her undergraduate degree is from Georgetown. She has held many positions and internships in federal government, most recently as head

After serving as assistant women’s soccer coach at the University of California-Irvine for the 2009 season, Heather Hathorn was named Stony Brook assistant coach. Heather coached Loomis Chaffee to a 324-1 record in 2007 and 2008.

2004

From Mamie Dowling: “I am attending UVM again, this time in the adult nurse practitioner program. I still work at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in the I.C.U., and love it!” This past spring, Afton Pavletic played for a short time with the Southern Maine Rebels, the women’s semi-pro football team, as a cornerback while also working as a paralegal at law firm Linnell, Choate and Webber in Auburn, Maine. She is now a full-time first-year law student at the University of Iowa.

2005

Former All-American Jordan Trautman has joined the Yale women’s lacrosse coaching staff. A four-year starter and 2008–09 captain at Georgetown, Jordan helped lead the Hoyas to three NCAA tournament appearances and two Big East championships. She was an assistant coach with Navy and serves as head coach and director of girls programs for the Breakout Lacrosse training company, Washington, D.C.

’05

’08 A Fulbright Fellow, Stephanie Aigner ’05 conducts projects on culture and education in Athens, Greece. She is an English teaching assistant at The Hill School in Plaka, and she’s learning Greek. All-American Scholar Michelle Winkler ’08 shows her form.

2006 | Reunion

Chinese major Tom Burns graduated from the University of Massachusetts last May. He was thrilled to be accepted by Teach for America and is working in Phoenix, Ariz., for two years. Charles M. Moroni graduated with departmental honors in economics from Skidmore and is working in New York City as an investment banker. Annaria Nardone is one of seven doctoral students at the University of Kansas to have been selected to receive the university’s prestigious Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowships for the 2010–11 academic year. The fellowships are four-year awards to new or first-year doctoral students that cover full tuition and fees, provide a $28,500 annual payment, and offer a unique development program. The fellowship’s mission is to identify and recruit exceptional doctoral students who demonstrate the promise to make significant contributions to their fields of study and society as a whole. Bioengineering student Annaria intends to research materials used in hip and knee replacements with an overall goal of improving the quality of human life. She received a bachelor’s degree in physics-engineering in 2010 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. Her undergraduate research

work included one summer at Kansas University working with the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets and one summer at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where she received the Outstanding Presentation Award. She also was involved in directed independent research at Washington and Lee on selfhealing behavior in polymers and ionomers and investigating plasticity and information processing in cultured neural networks. Her numerous undergraduate awards include the Edward R. Mitchell Memorial Honor Scholarship, a prestigious award given to one student every four years, and the German Department StadlerBollman Award. At Washington and Lee, Annaria was a varsity letter winner on the women’s swimming team, an officer for Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and a tour guide for the Student Recruitment Committee. Steve Parrillo, a recent graduate of the University of Rhode Island, is the recipient of the Girolamo De Rada Grant for International Study. Steve used the grant to travel to Calabria, Italy, last summer to study Italian cinema, focusing on the Italian Neorealism movement. While there he did pre-production, production, and post-production work on a documentary film on Calabria as well as producing short films promoting the mission of the De Rada Italian Institute. Steve also traveled to Milan to work

on a film project with Academy Award-winning cinematographer (Avatar) Mauro Fiore. David Simon, creator of the HBO series The Wire and Treme, is currently interested in one of Steve’s screenplays and is in discussion with Steve on a featurelength production. Steve is back at URI as a teaching assistant for film history, theory, and production courses and is planning to attend graduate school next fall.

2007

“Can’t believe it’s senior year,” writes Jeff Roberts. He interned last summer at Deutsche Bank in New York City, an experience he describes as “intense but exciting.”

2008

Jennifer Chung was recently named Scholar All-American by the Swim Coaches Association. The University of Rochester junior political science major holds two university records, and the College Swimming Coaches Association of America named her as an Individual Honorable Mention Scholar All-American for the 2009–10 school year. In that year, Jennifer swam a 2:26.20 in the 200-yard breaststroke at the University Athletic Association Championships. That time surpassed the NCAA provisional standard of 2.26.86. As a freshman in 2008–09, she broke the university’s record in the 100-yard breaststroke, swimming a 1:06.84 and bettering the previous record of 1:09.11 set in 2001.

Hamilton two years ago. They hosted a league championship that led to an invitation to the NCAA DIII Club Championships in Minnesota, where their team, including Kevin Fitzpatrick ’07, placed fifth overall, and Chris made the 2nd All-Tournament team. Katie Earle spent the fall of 2010 in Irkutsk, Siberia, as part of the International Studies Program at Middlebury. Michelle Winkler was honored with selection to the 2009–10 National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar team. Michelle is a sport management major at Xavier University, where she is a member of the women’s golf team.

2010

Bowdoin cornerback Griffin Cardew was named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week last October after leading the Polar Bears to a 22–15 victory over Tufts. In July 2010, Kate McCarthy was named by U.S. Lacrosse to its high school All-American team. She joined Boston College’s women’s soccer team last fall. First-year Columbia soccer mid-fielder Chelsea Ryan was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week in September when the Lions went 3–0 with three shutout victories. Chelsea’s impressive play last season took the Ivy League by storm.

Chris and Jake DeConinck started a water polo club at loomischaffee.org | 39

IN MEMORIAM

1935

Clare Butterworth Hardham, peacefully, on September 3, 2010. Clare was a three-year student from Windsor. She served as secretary of the sophomore class. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, did graduate work at McGill University, and received her master’s in botany from University of California at Santa Barbara. In college, she met longtime Paso Robles, Calif., physician, John F. Hardham. They married and after World War II moved to California. They joined Clare’s parents, who owned two ranch properties in the El Pomar area. There she enjoyed a long career as a botanist and cattle rancher. Clare made extensive studies of the flora of California, concentrating on the Santa Lucia Mountains and Mono County. She discovered and named several new species in the Monardella genus. In later years, her other main interest was developing the ranch she inherited from her father to produce topquality polled Hereford cattle. Clare, who was predeceased by her husband, is survived by her three children: Ann E. Hardham, Virginia B. Hardham, and John C. Hardham; and her one grandchild.

1936

William Leslie Pellington, on October 22, 2010, at his home in Charlotte, N.C. Bill was a four-year student from Windsor. He was on the soccer team, captained the fencing team, played golf, participated in track, served on the Athletic Council, and sang in the 40 |

Glee Club. Bill graduated from Dartmouth College and served in World War II as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater. He was an attorney in private practice in Wethersfield; an attorney for Peerless Insurance Company in Keene, N.H.; and a size standard specialist for the Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C. Bill’s hobbies were golf and gardening. Bill was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Jane Estabrook Pellington ’41. He is survived by his daughter, Debbie O’Hara; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Burial was to be in Palisado Cemetery, Windsor.

1937

John Worth Lund, on July 31, 2010, in his home in Worcester, Mass., surrounded by friends and family. Jack was a threeyear student from Riverside, Conn. A member of the Honor Roll, Jack was involved with the Endowment Fund Executive Committee, the cruising division of Nautical Club, the Batchelder Dorm Committee, the Table Tennis Club, and the first soccer, hockey, and tennis teams. Jack graduated from Williams College in 1941. During World War II, he served with the British 8th Army in North Africa and as an ensign in the United States Merchant Marine. Jack’s career from 1945 to retirement in 1970 was mainly in the paper industry. He was president of New England Envelope Company, S&S Paper Company, and Worcester Converting Company. He also served as a director of a number of corporations including Mechanics Bank, International

Packings, and Concordia Co. After retirement he became involved in several organizations dealing with health. He was director of Memorial Hospital, president and honorary life director of Massachusetts Easter Seal Society, and served several years at the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Planning Agency. He also was a founder and director of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation and served as a director of a number of human service and educational institutions. He established the John W. Lund Fund Community Achievement Award with Clark University and the Renaissance Award Fund with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. Jack received the Parker Trowbridge Founders Award for his outstanding contribution to the Massachusetts Easter Seal Society. Jack was a source of inspiration for all those who knew him, particularly his family. Jack was the yo-yo champion of Norway, flailed away at racquet sports for much of his life, skied for 75 years on many of the world’s mountains, and was a devoted sailor who cruised more than 80,000 miles in his own sailboats. He shared his passion for the sea, the outdoors, and discovering new things with family and countless friends. He leaves three daughters, Tina, Wendy, and Lilla Lund; two grandsons; and a great-grandson. He also leaves his brother Mark Lund ’41. A memorial service was held on August 4, 2010, at the First Unitarian Church of Worcester in Worcester, Mass.

1939

Charles Wayne Holsworth, on May 3, 2010. Charles was a four-year student from Windsor. He was active on the Log Board, the Activities Committee, the Darwin Club, and the Radio Club and participated in track, second hockey, Allyn senior football, and freshman baseball. He was also a member of the Honor Roll. Charles received a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a master’s from Yale Forestry School. Charles was a forester for the State of New Jersey for more than 30 years and was a resident of Vineland, N.J., for 56 years. Following his retirement, he owned a forestry consulting business in South Jersey until shortly before his passing. Charles also retired from the Coast Guard as a lieutenant commander after serving for more than 20 years. He was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Vineland. Charles is survived by his wife of 65 years, Margit Larsen Holsworth; their three children, Charles “Chip” L. Holsworth, Katharine B. Holsworth, and David C. Holsworth; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. His brother Donald C. Holsworth ’42 predeceased him. A memorial service was held on May 8, 2010, at the First Presbyterian Church in Vineland. Alexander Morton Maish, on December 25, 2009, of pneumonia. Alex was a two-year student from Washington, D.C. He was a member of the Log Board and the Loom Board; was active in the Glee Club, dramatics, and the Nautical Club;

and participated in fall fencing, Allyn club soccer, and club tennis. The son and grandson of Army officers, Alex was a 1944 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., where he had earned a presidential appointment. He was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. He served in Europe at the end of World War II and in Tokyo and Manila immediately after the war ended. He received a master’s degree in civil engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1949 and a doctorate in public administration from American University in 1976. He also did post-graduate work at the University of Virginia and graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He later supervised the computer support provided to the National Bomb Damage Assessment Center in the executive branch and was appointed to integrate the multi-agency effort that produced the National Fallout Shelter Survey in 1962. Alex retired from the military in 1967 after serving with the Automatic Data Field Systems Command at Fort Belvoir. He then worked at Mitre Corporation, where he designed computer support systems to be used for emergency planning by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military’s Pacific Command, and the United Nations command staff in Korea. He left Mitre in 1985 and worked for SRA International in Arlington, Va., retiring in 1988. Alex was a member of the Cosmos Club, the Army Navy Country Club, and St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Washington. He served as an officer and trustee of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at local and

national levels. His twin sons, Alexander Bourke Maish and Frederick Irving Maish, both predeceased him. His survivors include his wife of 55 years, Elizabeth Irving Maish; their daughter, Darby Maish Woolley; and three grandchildren.

1940

Donald C. Bachem, on May 17, 2010, peacefully, with his family by his side. Don was a one-year student from Port Washington, N.Y. He was in the Music, Glee, and Nautical clubs; was in the cast of The Sorcerer; and participated in Wolcott senior football, Wolcott hockey, and tennis. Don attended Amherst College before joining the “Army’s Navy,” serving for six years during World War II. Returning from service in 1946, Don married Barbara Powell, beginning a marriage which lasted 62 years and produced four children. Don and Barbara began married life in Haines, Alaska, before moving to Friday Harbor, Wash., for several years. They returned to New York and settled in Glen Cove as Don began a career in marine insurance brokerage in partnership with his father-in-law. Throughout his long career, Don enjoyed raising his children, sailing, fishing, and traveling with Barbara to Europe and throughout the Caribbean before retiring to Wilmington, N.C., in 1981. In retirement, he especially enjoyed walking the beach and exploring the area. Don is survived by wife Barbara; children Christopher, Leslie, Paul, and Laura; three grandchildren; his brother; and several nieces and nephews. A private service was held.

Stephen Day Fellows, on December 18, 2009. Steve was a two-year student from Maplewood, N.J. He served on the Student Council and the Activities Committee; was involved in the Maroons and the Band; participated in second football, Allyn senior basketball, and Allyn senior baseball; and served as assistant coach of freshman baseball. He attended Wesleyan University in 1942 and then was drafted by the U.S. Army. He served four years in the Southern Philippines in the Intelligence Division. Captain Fellows was honorably discharged in 1946. He married Jeanne Tompkins of West Orange, N.J., and they returned to Wesleyan University, where Stephen graduated in 1948. Stephen began his banking career in 1948 with Fidelity Union Trust Company of Newark, now known as Wachovia Bank. His gift of diplomacy and love for people made him popular among his employees and customers throughout the numerous branches he managed. He retired as a district branch manager and vice president in 1987. Stephen is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jeanne; and five children: Denise Sipple, Robert Fellows, Stephen H. Fellows, Ejeanne Costine, and Kristin Feller. Stephen is also survived by his six grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his older brother, Haynes H. Fellows ’36, and by his twin brother, Pierson Day Fellows ’40. A memorial service was held on January 16, 2010, at Christ Church, Summit, N.J. Walter Swornsbourne Lindstrom, on March 14, 2010. Walt was a four-year student from

Windsor. He was a member of the Political, Glee, Music, and Chess clubs; was involved in dramatics and the Library Committee; and participated in first soccer, Allyn club hockey, track, and winter track. Walt attended the University of Michigan and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Walt was employed by The Denver Post for 33 years and retired as world news editor. Walt was an avid outdoorsman with a passion for skiing, hiking, and later, swimming, for which he co-founded the Colorado Masters Swimming Association. He was also a 20-year volunteer for the American Red Cross. He is survived by his wife, Alice; and three children: Karin, Lisa, and Carl. A private memorial service was to be held.

1942

Lucy Stockwell Whitney Clark, on September 2, 2010. Lucy was a four-year student from West Hartford, where she was a lifelong resident. Lucy was Chaffee’s badminton champion in her freshman year, when she defeated all comers, including all the upperclassmen. She attended Duke University and graduated from Stratford Junior College in Danville, Virginia. A survivor of the Hartford Circus Fire in July of 1944, she was saved by a stranger, and Lucy, in turn, led a young boy to safety. She met her late husband, E. Leonard Clark Jr., at Aetna, where she worked during and after World War II. When her children were older, she worked at the Connoisseur Shop in West Hartford Center and at Connecticut General. Lucy was a lifelong member of Immanuel Congregational Church, where she taught Sunday school, loomischaffee.org | 41

IN MEMORIAM

served on the Board of Education, and was a deacon. She was active in local Republican politics and served for a time as a justice of the peace. She is survived by her daughter, Sarah Whitney Clark Gerrett; her son, Douglas Whitney Clark; and three grandchildren. Services were to be private. The family requested that memorial donations be made to The Loomis Chaffee School. John Deyo Cowan, on July 13, 2010. Jack was a one-year student from Springfield, Mass., having previously attended Springfield Classical. He was a member of the Gymnasium Committee and participated on first soccer and Ludlow club hockey. He attended Wesleyan University, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and graduated with honors in 1949. During World War II, Jack served as a staff sergeant with the U.S. 10th Air Force in the China, Burma, and India theater of operations. During that service he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He also received battle stars for the India/Burma and Central Burma campaigns. As a member of the 443rd Troop Carrier Group, he was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was employed for 36 years in the Group Insurance Division of Aetna Life and Casualty. He retired as an assistant vice president in 1985. Jack was a member of the First Church in Windsor for 59 years, where he also resided. He served in many capacities over the years, including deacon, chairman of Church Cabinet, chairman of Prudential Board, stewardship chairman, and member of the 42 |

Board of Trustees. He was a member of the John Warham Society for those with membership exceeding 40 years. He was also active in Windsor civic affairs, including 17 years on the Windsor Zoning Board of Appeals. He was a past member of the Human Relations Commission and the Windsor Citizens Advisory Committee. In addition, he served several years on the Windsor Park Development Committee (Riverfront Recapture). Jack was a longtime member of the Windsor Civitan Club, where he served as president, treasurer, and director. He was a holder of the club Honor Key and the Gordon Taylor Award. Following his move to West Hartford, he became a member of the Squires, an organization for retired men. Following his retirement, he served as a volunteer at Northwest Park in Windsor, where he helped maintain the trail system. He also was a member for many years of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of Northwest Park. Jack enjoyed playing golf in the Windsor Senior Golf League. He also played tennis for many years. The John D. Cowan ’42 Scholarship was created in his honor in 2006 by family members to specifically aid a day student from Windsor. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Elinor Chapin Cowan; a daughter, Judith C. Quinn; sons John C. Cowan ’69 and Keith O. Cowan ’74; eight grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. The funeral was held on July 17, 2010, at the First Church in Windsor, Congregational.

Dudley H. Fay Jr., on September 4, 2010, peacefully with his family beside him. Dudley was a three-year student from New York City. He was the editor of The Loomiscellany, was a member of the casts of both 4:10 for Washington and You Can’t Take It with You, served on the Senior Grounds Committee, and was involved in the Nautical Club. He participated in second football, wrestling, and Wolcott club tennis. From 1943 to 1945, he was a captain in the 8th U.S. Air Force, 306th Bomb Group. As navigator, he flew numerous missions in the European Theater of Operations, including the Schweinfurt Raid, the largest air battle of its time, before his plane was shot down. He was a prisoner of war near Barth, Germany, until the liberation in 1945. Dudley graduated from Georgetown University in 1948 and from the Harvard Advanced Management Program in 1966. He was married to Jean Isabel Preston in Washington, D.C., in 1948. After working several years for Kraft Foods, Dudley led a successful career in advertising, as executive vice president of J. Walter Thompson in New York and William Esty Advertising. He lived the majority of these years in Weston, Conn., with his wife and four children. He spent the last 10 years of his career working for Merrill Lynch in Palm Springs, Calif. In 2001, he moved back to Connecticut to be closer to his family and resided at Spring Meadows, Trumbull. Throughout his adult life, Dudley was an avid bridge player, playing in regional and national tournaments and attaining the rank of life master with the American Con-

tract Bridge League. He was a passionate reader and writer and a devoted political supporter, loved to travel, and enjoyed playing golf at Aspetuck Valley Country Club in Weston. He is survived by his four children: Susan Fay, Julie Fay, Dudley H. Fay III, and Cynthia Fay. He also leaves four grandchildren, a niece, and a nephew. A memorial Mass of Christian burial was held on September 10, 2010, at St. Stephen’s Church in Trumbull and was followed by full military honors. Frederic Newcomb Lattin, on April 26, 2010. Fred was a two-year student from Short Hills, N.J. He was a member of the Stagehands Union and the Theater Work Squad and participated in rifle, first track, and Ludlow club soccer. Fred graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1945 and then served on active duty until 1948. He is a veteran of World War II. From 1956 until his retirement in 1991, he worked as a mechanical engineer at Electric Boat. A resident of Old Mystic, he was a registered professional engineer in Connecticut. He was first married on June 6, 1945, to Marie Robertson Lattin and then was married on Dec. 7, 1973, to Barbara Tremper Lattin, who died on Oct. 28, 1999. On Aug. 19, 2001, he was married in Deep River, Conn., to Elysabeth Perkins Lattin. He was an Eagle Scout, and had a lifelong interest in music, boats, any kind of engine, and model trains. He was also a blacksmith. Fred became a member of Alcoholics Anonymous on Jan. 1, 1961, and enjoyed 49-plus years of sobriety. In addition to his wife, Elysabeth, he is survived by

Beloved former faculty member Glover E. Howe Jr. ’48 passed away on December 16 as the magazine was going to press. “We have lost a man whose life was Loomis Chaffee,” said Head of School Sheila Culbert. Glover is survived by his wife, Jane ’49, former Loomis Chaffee dorm head and dean of boarding girls; their four children, Cynthia ’74, Kenneth ’77, LC Director of Athletics Bob ’80, and Judith Gobbi ’83; and many grandchildren, including Tyler Dewdney ’07. A full obituary and remembrance for Glover will appear in the spring issue. Photo: Loomis Chaffee Archives

three daughters, Nancy Davis, Jennifer Julier, and Jean Lattin; five step-daughters, Karen S. Harris, Diane S. Elahan, Leslie S. McHugh, Cheryl S. Crocker, and Kathleen Pepin; five stepsons, James Tischer, Michael Tischer, Joseph Tischer, John Tischer, and Robert Tischer; a sister; 23 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. A funeral service was held on April 30, 2010, at the Byles Memorial Home in New London, Conn.

1945

Nancy Matthews Swain, on August 22, 2010, of complications from pneumonia. Nancy was a four-year student from Windsor who was voted most feminine by her classmates. She attended Pembroke College, where she majored in English. Nancy was a reporter for The Hartford Courant in the early 1950s and for the Imprint Newspapers in the 1970s and was associate director of the news bureau at the University of Hartford, from which she retired. An expert on antiques, she wrote for multiple publications. For 50 years, she lived atop

Avon Mountain in Avon, Conn., which she worked to protect and where she enjoyed observing wildlife, including the occasional bear. A civil rights activist throughout much of her life, she was a committed volunteer for the Interracial Scholarship Fund of Greater Hartford. Nancy was a renowned fisherman on Nantucket Island in the 1970s, winning countless trophies for striped bass and bluefish. Some of her happiest days were spent on adjoining Tuckernuck Island, fishing until dawn. During those years, she learned to fly a small plane. After retirement, she traveled extensively with her friend, the late Ian MacKinnon. She spent many summers on Vinalhaven Island in Penobscot Bay, Me., where she was a beloved member of that island community. When macular degeneration deprived her of her lifelong passion for reading, she turned to audio books to satisfy her quest for knowledge and a good story. Her stoicism and interest in others, along with a feisty streak, were defining qualities. Nancy kept in touch by telephone when

she could no longer write letters or drive a car. Her friends from their days at the Imprint Newspapers 30 years ago still meet regularly. Independent and thrifty, she was a true Connecticut Yankee. Nancy was married to Edward Swain for 25 years. She is survived by their two children, Elizabeth and David; five grandchildren; and her brother, Edgar W. Matthews ’43. She was predeceased by her father, Arthur N. Matthews ’17, who shared her love of antiques. A memorial service was held at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Simsbury, Conn., on September 25, 2010.

1951

Susan Abbe Tryon White, on September 3, 2010, at Kimberly Hall in Windsor. Susan was a four-year student from Windsor and served as the business manager of The Epilogue. She graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1955. She worked for Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance for more than 25 years before retiring. Through her involvement with the Newington Ski Club, of which she was a longtime member, Susan passed along her love of the outdoors to her children. She also instilled in them her love of music. She is survived by her son, Thomas E. White Jr., and by her daughter, Elizabeth White-Pultz.

1952

David Jessop Loomis, on July 12, 2010, from complications of cancer. Dave was a two-year student from Pelham, N.Y. He was president of the Chess Club and served on the Endowment Fund, the Senior Reception

Committee, and the Senior Ethics Planning Committee. A Loomis family member, Dave was in the Glee Club and the cast of Madwoman of Chaillot. He participated in golf and Allyn senior football. He graduated with honors from Williams College in 1956, and in his junior year he was tapped for the Gargoyle Honor Society, which chose 20 members in each junior class. In his senior year he was the president of the Williams College Chapel and a member of the Washington Gladden Society. He received a theology degree from Union Theological Seminary, New York, in 1960. He earned a master’s degree in human development from Harvard University in 1965. He served as chaplain for the University of Maryland from 1965 to 1975. He went on to work as a pre-kindergarten teacher for a year, a union organizer for three years, and as a minister of the Presbyterian Church in Bowie, Md., for seven years. He was awarded a doctorate in 1982 from the University of Maryland. When he moved to Prescott, Ariz., in 1985, he used his education on behalf of some of the least able people in our society: those with severe mental and physical handicaps. For 10 years he worked with Yavapai Exceptional Industries to help train personnel to deal with the developmentally disabled and trained the disabled to perform basic assembly work. In 1995 he moved to Jerome, Ariz., with the goal of writing a book to explore why so many severely disabled people are full of the joy of life while others, far more capable and even wealthy, find life frustrating, worrisome, and at times intolerable. loomischaffee.org | 43

IN MEMORIAM

Happiness, Use It or Lose It was completed in 2004 and picked up for publication by White Knight Productions in Canada in 2005. Dave celebrated the life and happiness about which he wrote so eloquently. He turned his Jerome yard into a miniature golf course, an obstacle course of hilarious sculptures that were made of the junk that people threw away. His monument to Deni the Woodworker, his “beloved companion” for the last 14 years, was a wall made of hundreds of rocks that had the shapes of hearts. The front yard sign that greeted cars as they went back and forth from Jerome was “Love Life.” He is survived by his companion Deni; his two sons, Aaron and Adam; and a brother, John Loomis ’50. A memorial party was to be held in his Jerome home in July 2010. Eileen Kaufman Rosson, on August 30, 2010, at home in West Hartford after a long illness. Eileen was a four-year student from West Hartford. She was editor of The Epilogue and a member of The Chiel, the French Club, and the Glee Club; and was involved in theater productions. She was a 1956 graduate of Smith College. She earned a master’s degree in education from Boston University in 1957 and taught second grade in the Norwood, Mass., public schools from 1957 to 1960. In 1985 she earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut. She worked as a clinical social worker at Jewish Family Services in West Hartford from 1986 to 2001. Eileen served on Loomis Chaffee’s Board of Trustees, completing her term in 1985. Former Headmaster John Ratté writes: 44 |

“Eileen was, for me, an absolute rock. Whatever crises we shared as servants of the school, she always had the perfect response: a grin, a roll of the eyes, a promise of a quick call to Parent X or Y. Few of the men and women who have served the school — alumni, parents, trustees, or some combination of all three roles — have the gift of perspective and of optimism tinged with realism which she brought to advocating for parents and children. Her deep understanding of the process of the education of her children merged with her loyalty to her Chaffee experience and made her an admired and trusted leader and a wonderful friend.” She also served as a class agent, a reunion volunteer, and a member of the Chaffee Advisory Committee. Among her many other civic contributions were membership on the Wadsworth Atheneum Women’s Committee, the Hartford Hospital Auxiliary, the Waldron Bay Lot Owners Association Board, and the United Way Allocations Committee. She is survived by Robert S. Rosson, her husband of 53 years; her three children: Julia Rosson Small ’78, Andrew D. Rosson ’80, and Richard D. Rosson ’84; five grandchildren; and a sister and brother-in-law: Ruth Kaufman Shulansky and Ralph M. Shulansky ’45. She is also survived by her nephew, John D. Shulansky ’72, and her niece, Debbie Shulansky ’77. Funeral services were held on September 1, 2010, in the Sanctuary of Beth El Temple in West Hartford. The family asked that memorial contributions may be made to The Loomis Chaffee School.

John Hill Tucker Wilson, on August 12, 2010, at his home in Greenwich after a valiant, fiveyear battle with cancer. John was a four-year student from West Hartford. He was secretary of the Student Council, president of the Press Club, a member of the editorial board of The Log, co-chairman of the Dance Committee, and a member of the French Club, Day Boy Committee, and Student Exchange Committee. He earned his varsity letter in first basketball and participated in first track and first football. He was a three-year member of the Honor Roll. He graduated in 1956 from Princeton University, with a bachelor’s degree in history, magna cum laude honors, and a Phi Beta Kappa key. He was a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School, graduating in 1960. He served in U.S. Army Intelligence from 1956 to 1958. He joined Morgan Stanley in 1960. At Morgan Stanley, John was a managing director, serving in many capacities, including head of the Financial Institutions Group and co-head of the Investment Banking Division. During his 33-year career with the firm, his clients included many of the major corporate enterprises of the country. In 2005, he was one of the so-called “Group of Eight,” former senior executives of Morgan Stanley and significant shareholders who organized to express their concern over the leadership, governance, and direction of the firm. He served as an Annual Fund volunteer for Loomis Chaffee and established the Millard T. Wilson Scholarship in 1996, named for his father. His charitable endeavors also included his service

as trustee and, for five years, chairman of Environmental Defense, a leading advocate for environmental causes. He also served as trustee of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; chairman of the Union Settlement Association in East Harlem; advisory board member of the Princeton University Environmental Institute; and a co-founder, director, and officer of Classroom Inc., a non-governmental organization that developed innovative technologically-based teaching methods for use in public schools nationally. As a resident of Greenwich for more than 45 years, John was an active member of the community. His involvement included serving on the Board of Trustees of Greenwich Hospital, as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Brunswick School, and as co-president with his wife, Sandra, of the PTA at North Street School. John for many years also coached the Greenwich Grenadiers youth football team while his sons participated in the program. Throughout his life, John distinguished himself through force of intellect, boundless energy, innate leadership, extraordinary sense of humor, and, most importantly, kindness and concern for family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Sandra; his four children, Tucker, Will, Emily and David; and 10 grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, M. Thomas Wilson Jr. ’50. A memorial service was held on September 24, 2010, at the Round Hill Community Church in Greenwich.

1954

Jean Lyman Cook Brown, on August 17, 2010, at Avery Heights Assisted Living Facility in Hartford. Jean was a four-year student from Manchester. She was president of the senior class, secretary of the Student Council, a reporter for The Chiel, and a member of the French Club. Jean graduated from Connecticut College in 1958 with a degree in economics. Jean went on to receive a master’s degree in education from the University of Hartford in 1964. Jean married James Cashel Brown in 1965 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of West Hartford. Jean did not know at the time how the church would help her discover her true calling years later. Jean and Jim moved in 1971 from Rocky Hill to Wethersfield, where they raised their three children: Christopher, Roger, and Bettina. Jean started her career as a third-grade school teacher in Avon, where she helped establish the Roaring Brook School. Jean went on to give five decades of service to the Unitarian Universalist Church of West Hartford as minister, educator, organizer, leader, administrator, caregiver, and friend. Jean embarked on this path as a Sunday school teacher in the late ’60s. In 1973, she was hired as assistant to the minister and soon after became the director of religious education. Jean was ordained as minister of religious education in 1993. The church called her to be the first minister of religious education in the history of that congregation. She was a board member and chair of the Religious Education

Committee, Connecticut Valley District, and a board member of the New England District Religious Education Committee. She was a past president of the Unitarian Universalist Associations Sunday School Society, which grants money for religious educators to develop curriculum. Jean regularly participated in the denomination’s national General Assemblies as well as numerous religious education conferences in places such as Star Island off the coast of Maine and Ferry Beach in southern Maine. In her time away from the church, Jean spent her early family years in Newport, R.I.; the Lake Sunapee area in New Hampshire; and winters in Killington, Vt. Jean traveled often to Europe, Brazil, Mexico, and Israel and to vacation spots such as Cape Cod, Key West, and Bermuda. But her favorite spot was close to home sitting on the beach at Watch Hill, R.I., with her husband and family. She enjoyed her weekly aerobics classes as well as lobster, painting, reading, and hearing a voice of a friend. Jean also served as a reunion volunteer for her Chaffee class. In order to spend more time with her husband, Jean became minister of pastoral services in 2004. She retired fully in 2008 and was bestowed the title of minister emerita in 2009. In retirement, Jean brought her ministerial experience to Avery Heights, where she not only pitched in when needed, but also conducted a service or two. Most importantly, she was a kind ear, a warm hand, and a good friend to many of Avery’s residents. Jean is predeceased by her brother, Aaron Cook Jr. ’57. She is survived by her

husband, James Cashel Brown; and three children: Christopher Lyman Brown, Roger Lindsey Brown, and Bettina Ann Brown. She is also survived by her two sisters; her sister-in-law; and her nephew, Aaron Cook III ’87. A memorial service was held at the Universalist Church of West Hartford on September 18, 2010. Benjamin Sonnenberg, on June 24, 2010, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City with complications from multiple sclerosis. He was a two-year student from New York City. He served as manager of Ludlow junior football and Ludlow tennis. Ben moved to Europe, where he “read widely, wrote several plays, and worked briefly for the CIA. He befriended British poet Ted Hughes and other members of the European arts and letters scene, including Samuel Beckett and composer Elisabeth Lutyens” (Washington Post, 7/2/10). At the age of 34, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and a few years later, in 1978, his father died. With his inheritance, Ben founded the quarterly literary magazine Grand Street. “Lifelong habits of reading and writing, of maintaining cross opinions, together with a too-long-suppressed wish to teach and entertain, made starting a literary magazine a natural, perhaps inescapable, choice,” he wrote in his autobiography. “I was also bored of my attitudes of fastidious disengagement. Reading books, buying art, writing unproduced plays, seducing women: not much of a life.” The first issue, edited and produced from his New York apartment, was published in 1981. He wanted “to follow the model that The New

Yorker once provided and fell away from — to be informative and insolent,” he said in 1985. He sold the magazine in 1990, due to his declining health, but his autobiography was published in 1991. Lost Property: Memoirs and Confessions of a Bad Boy was well received by critics. His survivors include his wife, Dorothy Gallagher; three daughters: Emma SnowdonJones, Susanna Sonnenberg, and Saidee Brown; a sister; and five grandchildren.

1955

Richard Morgan Reynolds, on September 27, 2010. Rick was a four-year student from Hartford. He served on the Executive Committee of the Student Council, was secretary of the Political Club, was a reporter for The Log, served on the Intramural Athletic Council, was chairman of Allyn Club, and served on the Day Boy Committee. He was involved with the Foreign Policy Association and was a member of the cast of An Enemy of the People. Rick was co-captain of Allyn senior football and participated in Allyn senior basketball and Allyn tennis. He was an Honor Roll and Cum Laude Society member. He was a graduate of Yale University, Yale Law School, and Georgetown University Law School. Rick also was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in the Judge Advocate General corps. Rick spent his entire career as an attorney with Day, Berry and Howard of Hartford. He was a senior partner in the Antitrust Division and a member of the United Kingdom group of the firm’s international practice. He was a popular guest lecturer and advisory board member at loomischaffee.org | 45

IN MEMORIAM

the University of Connecticut Business School and served as chairman of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Antitrust Section. He was a strong believer in a lawyer’s commitment to pro bono services to disadvantaged communities. To that end, he served on both the United Way’s capital campaign and the Easter Seals Foundation. He also served as a reunion and fundraising volunteer for his Loomis class. He spent a mid-career sabbatical in the Hampstead area of London and returned to that city many times, becoming a favored guest of the Goring Hotel. Each year, he and his British compatriots hosted a festive gathering known as the Boston Tea Party. Rick was an avid reader, golfer, and squash player who loved to travel. He spent most of his life in and around Hartford, where he had many, many friends. Rick was known by many as a kind and generous man, with great intellect, grace, and charm. He was predeceased by his wife, Deborah Sloan Reynolds; and his sister, Jenny Kate Collins; and her husband, Walter S. Collins ’43. He is survived by his daughters, Katherine Reynolds Smith ’84 and Dolly Reynolds Tavasieff and their spouses; his sister, Cornelia Farmer; his three granddaughters; and several nieces and nephews. Donations may be made in his memory to The Loomis Chaffee School. A memorial service and luncheon was held on November 13, 2010, at the Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford.

46 |

1956

1958

Amos William Schoonmaker, on September 15, 2010, at his home in Riverside, Conn., after battling lung cancer. Bill was a four-year student from New Canaan, Conn. He was a member of the Student Council, the Student Endowment Fund, and the Reception Committee. He was co-captain of varsity football, a letterman in track, and a player on Allyn senior basketball. He attended Trinity College. He held various sales and marketing positions, which led to a career in real estate. He had been an award-winning Realtor with Coldwell Banker since 1987. His knowledge and gregarious nature earned respect and love from both associates and clients. Some of his fondest memories were of coaching his three sons in the Old Greenwich Riverside Community Center athletics programs. He loved Greenwich Point and rarely a day went by, winter or summer, that he didn’t perform his dawn ritual of walking or biking there to check out the wildlife, generally followed by giving a report to anyone who was remotely interested. He was a reunion volunteer for his Loomis class. He is survived by his life partner, Pollie Seidel; his former wife, Barbara Blocker Schoonmaker of Pittsburgh, Pa.; three sons: William F. Schoonmaker, Peter W. Schoonmaker, and Alexander H. Schoonmaker ’90; and six grandchildren. A memorial service was held on September 23, 2010, at Christ Church in Greenwich.

Leonard John Brushie Jr., on September 21, 2010, peacefully at his home in East Hartford. Len was a two-year student from East Hartford. He was a member of the Student Council, the Student Endowment Fund, the Senior Elections Committee, and the Chess Club. He participated in first wrestling, track, and football and earned letters for the latter two sports. He graduated with distinction. He began working for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft before graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with his chemical engineering degree. He pursued a lifelong career in the United States Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel, serving during the Vietnam era. During his career in the Army, he received many degrees, including a master’s in business administration, and worked in the Pentagon in Communications Intelligence. Along with his loving wife, Dawn, he leaves his two children, daughter Suzanne Turner and son Christian Brushie; five grandchildren; a sister; his former wife and friend, Rowena Brushie; and step-daughters Courtney and Caitlin Kitt; along with numerous colleagues, friends, and relatives. A funeral service was held on September 27, 2010, at the Newkirk & Whitney Funeral Home in East Hartford, followed by a burial with military honors in Veterans Memorial Field of Silver Lane Cemetery, East Hartford. Ellison L. Torbert, on December 15, 2009, during a brief hospitalization due to a stroke. He was a three-year student

from Pelham, N.Y. He served as vice president of the Student Council, as president of the Student Endowment Fund, and as chairman of Wolcott Club. He served on the Athletic Council; was captain of first team wrestling, where he earned his school letter; and participated in lacrosse and Wolcott football. He was the recipient of the Martin Harold Johnson Memorial Prize. He graduated from Dartmouth with a bachelor’s degree in 1962 and with a bachelor’s in fine arts from Yale in 1964. He attended Cranbrook Academy of Art to further his knowledge of art and studied sculpting at Fontainebleau, outside Paris. He was an apprentice to Jose de Rivera, a renowned sculptor. Later, he worked at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. He taught art at Bennett College. After moving to Rogersville, Tenn., he taught welding at the vocational school. He spent much of his career as a self-employed artist creating and selling his sculpture and woodwork. His volunteer work for Operation Crossroads led him to Kenya, where he worked on building schools and enhancing local communities. He is survived by his son Jesse, his sister Isabel, and his brother Preston. A private family ceremony was held in December 2009.

1961

Hayden G. Braine, on November 3, 2010, of complications from dementia. Bud was a fouryear student from Windsor. He was a member of the Senior Library and Senior Scholarship committees and, in a foreshadowing of his impactful career,

he was a medical aide, president of the Biology Club, and a member of the Science Club. He lettered in lacrosse and participated in Wolcott senior football and Wolcott hockey. He graduated with distinction. He graduated with honors from Harvard College in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He earned his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Bud completed an internship and a residency in internal medicine in 1970 and a fellowship in oncology in 1973 at Hopkins. After serving as a major in the Army Medical Corps from 1973 to 1975, he began his career at what is now Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. In the late 1970s, he founded and served as director of the hemapheresis program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The program provides critical platelet and other specialized blood-product support to cancer patients to help manage the toxicities of cancer therapies. It also provides support to the Kimmel Cancer Center’s bone marrow transplant program, assisting with the management of the unrelated bone marrow donor pool and storing and processing bone marrow and blood stem cells for transplant. In a 1978 article in The (Baltimore) Evening Sun, Bud illuminated the difficulty of finding matches for those suffering from leukemia. “The chances of finding a perfect match are 2,000 to 1,” he said. “But the chances of finding a close match are 200 to 1. And with a close match, success is feasible.” Some of Bud’s colleagues at the cancer center referred to him as “Bud Braine Barrier,” a play on the phrase used to describe the protective

“blood-brain barrier,” which prevents certain drugs from reaching the central nervous system, as a tribute to his rigorous attention to scrutinizing and reviewing details of clinical trials. “Bud was an unsung hero who radiated warmth, always had a smile on his face and was adored by patients,” said Judith E. Karp, professor of oncology and medicine at Hopkins. “He was a quiet, humble, and modest man who didn’t care about getting credit for what he had done,” she said. “He always spoke his mind, stood up for what he thought was right. He always wanted to do the best that he could do.” Bud was also a prodigious contributor and author of articles to more than 90 medical publications. He retired in 2006 and was diagnosed in recent years with the dementia that claimed his life. Bud once described himself as “an antique parent. What I lack in youthful energy, I can make up for in cunning and wisdom.” He enjoyed caring for a variety of cats, dogs, and horses that he kept on his farm. Bud enjoyed vacationing on Nantucket, where he liked surf casting for bluefish and was known for wearing his favorite T-shirt: “To be successful in this world, one must of course establish priorities: fish first.” He is survived by his wife, Beverly; two daughters, Anni and Laiza; and a sister. A memorial service was held November 21, 2010, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Towson, Md.

1964

John Thomas Magee, on July 20, 2010, in Pinehurst, N.C. John was a four-year student

from Easton, Penn. He was a member of Junto, the Senior Room Committee, and the Darwin and Sailing clubs. A letter winner in lacrosse, he also played Ludlow senior hockey and Ludlow senior football. In the senior superlatives he was voted as “Most Normal,” befitting of one who was given the nickname of “Normal” by his classmates. He graduated from Lafayette College in 1968. After school, he entered the military, serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He worked as an international traffic manager, most recently for Coty and Unilever. In his spare time, he enjoyed geocaching, hockey, lacrosse, and kayaking. John is survived by his wife, Margaret O. Magee; his three sons, Adam M. Sorce, Ethan S. Magee, and Christopher A. Magee; a daughter, Emily O. Magee; three grandchildren; two brothers; and two nephews. Services were held at College Hill Presbyterian Church in Easton on July 24, 2010.

1972

Paul Randazzo, on October 9, 2010. Paul was a post-graduate from Windsor Locks who came for one year after attending Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford. He participated in both varsity football and varsity baseball. He was a proud alumnus of Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., where he excelled in athletics at all levels. He served in law enforcement in both Connecticut and Vermont before retiring from service. He was a resident of High Point, N.C. He was a loving husband and proud father. Paul is survived by

his wife, Cherie Johnston; two sons, Jason and Jonathon Randazzo; his mother, Elizabeth Franconi Randazzo; a brother; two sisters; four grandchildren; and six step-grandchildren. A private service for family and friends was held at Church of Incarnation in Wethersfield, Conn., on October 30, 2010.

1988

Krista Louise Briese, on July 9, 2010, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Krista was a two-year student from Cincinnati, Ohio, who lived in Palmer Hall for both years. In the dorm superlatives she was noted as “talks the least; says the most.” She was involved in the camping program and was a member of the Cum Laude Society. She attended Earlham College, where she majored in mathematics. After her college graduation, Krista did a theater internship in the Norris Ely Orchard Theater with an emphasis on technical work and design. She was a project coordinator for Louis Nelson and Associates. Krista was artistic; she had an interest in photography and a note card business that grew out of notes she designed for family and friends. She is survived by her mother, Carolyn Briese; her two brothers; and an aunt. Services were to be held in Cincinnati.

More News The Alumni Office has learned of the passing of Robert Wilson Hunt ’54 on August 2, 2009. More information, as available, will be printed in future issues.

loomischaffee.org | 47

IN MEMORIAM: Samuel Benjamin Pierson | 1944–2010 Samuel Benjamin Pierson, 66, died on October 9, 2010, from lung cancer. Sam taught English at Loomis Chaffee for 26 years. Sam devoted his youth to sports, and his middle age to spreading his passion for literature and good writing. In high school, at The Gilman School in Baltimore, Md., Sam was president of his senior class and captain of the wrestling and lacrosse teams. His athletic success continued at Princeton University, where he again captained the wrestling and lacrosse teams. Upon graduating from Princeton in 1965, Sam began teaching English at Loomis Chaffee. His years of teaching (1965–1993) were interrupted when he was drafted into the military and served two years in the Army, stationed in Germany. During his military service, Sam organized and participated in international, inter-military athletics competitions, ran a GED program for soldiers, and contributed fiction and essays to Army publications. After his Army service, Sam received a master’s degree in education from Trinity College in 1973. At Loomis, Sam was an enthusiastic leader of teams, coaching wrestling and lacrosse and leading the academic quiz bowl team (competing on the television show As Schools Match Wits) and the Coin and Chess clubs. David Kahn ’72 recalled captaining the wrestling team for Sam: “When I arrived at Loomis, ... I was 4-feet-7-inches, 83 pounds, and lacking in self-confidence, but Sam thought I could wrestle. After a few weeks of training, I was thrown into a junior varsity match at Hopkins Grammar in the lightest weight class, 110 pounds. Wrestling at 25 pounds less than your opponent is a prescription for failure. Although I lost the match, Sam’s training had allowed me to make my entry into wrestling look respectable. In the ensuing four years, I lost only five more matches. It was a tribute to Sam’s encouragement, discipline, and dedication. You just wanted to make Sam proud of your effort. Every fall, Sam spent dozens of hours laying out the wrestling schedule for the season and predicting the likely results of each of the season’s 12 matches for each of the 10 wrestlers on our team. He would share this information only with the team captain in an effort to help him motivate the team. With no Internet and no cross-communication between coaches, he made an incredibly accurate prediction of what was to occur that year. As captain of the team that season, I was in awe of his ability to so precisely size up the competition. And he subtly and effectively convinced me to move up a weight class so a classmate could become a state champion, which Jeff Lee ’72 did at my former weight class. ... When you leave Loomis, you remember five or six teachers who influenced you. And if you’re lucky, you’ll meet one teacher who will make an enduring impression on you, a mentor whom you will ever afterward regard with reverence and immense gratitude. I

48 |

was lucky. I met Sam.” A classic triple-threat, Sam also advised the yearbook and reveled in his role as a dorm head for Ammidon Hall. As a teacher, Sam was especially fond of teaching satire and believed it plausible, and even desirable, to teach Catch-22, Gulliver’s Travels, and Shakespeare within the same course. Sam’s teaching style was defined by his garrulous enthusiasm, his love for precise grammar and unusual vocabulary, and his sharp wit that often bordered on the precipice of ribald. He regularly quoted passages from Shakespeare and The Great Gatsby until the day of his death. Jim Rice ’80 remembered, “Sam’s style wasn’t for everyone — he consistently challenged students’ individual creativity and stressed the need for clear, concise, thoughtful, creative, and economical written expression. But for those who were willing to do the work and take his approach to heart, all I can say is that, for a man little in stature, he was a giant.” Jim went on to recall reaching out to Sam well after graduation: “Sam interacted with many of his former students after graduation simply because he cared and wanted nothing more than to continue offering his guidance — on many levels — as a past mentor and watch those people grow, improve, and ultimately enjoy some modicum of success — however ‘success’ was individually defined.” Steven Seligman ’70 stayed in close touch with Sam through the years and offered some reflections at his memorial service, recalling: “I had the privilege of teaching with Sam in the winter and spring of 1972. At a time when my adolescence was getting the better of me, Sam took me in as a teaching assistant and got me a room in Ammidon. In fact, I spent every waking minute with Kathy and Sam in their home next door; thank you, Kathy, for abiding me. I learned so much from Sam, among them utter irreverence when we graded papers and discussed students; however, a more lasting memory — indeed, an indelible one — is that Sam reveled in our students’ progress and agonized in their failure. Each success was testament to the student’s industry and effort; each failure was an indictment of Sam’s teaching skills. He really cared about his students. ... Sam’s commitment to teaching, especially the less gifted students is — at first blush — remarkable, considering how so very easily everything came to him. He could do any- and everything: wrestle, play lacrosse, shoot pool, play bridge with life masters, count cards at the casino or take their money at the craps table, handicap horse races and jai alai players, recite Shakespeare, write short stories or articles about education for the underprivileged, and motivate students to exceed their hopes and skills. Yet, for all of Sam’s gifts, he was a born teacher who was never happier than [when] he was connecting with his students, making the things that he loved come alive in others. ... It was impossible not to leave that classroom a richer person than [when] you entered it a few short minutes ago; he was a great teacher.” Sam is survived by his sons, Stephen Pierson ’94 and Benjamin Pierson ’96, and his sister. He is also survived by his former wife, LC mathematics teacher Kathy Pierson. A service was held in the chapel in Founders Hall on October 30. Sam had requested that donations be sent to support either his son Stephen’s 501(c)3 writing program for disadvantaged youth (canteenmag.com/donations) or to Loomis Chaffee’s financial aid program.

IN MEMORIAM: Walter Bunce Spencer Jr. | 1922–2010 Walter Bunce Spencer Jr., 88, died on October 16, 2010, in Portland, Me. Walter was the former head of the Clark Science Center and served on the faculty from 1967 until his retirement in 1991. He also served for many summers as the director of the renowned Program in Biochemistry, a National Science Foundation summer institute for gifted science students from around the country. Walter was born March 29, 1922, to Walter B. Spencer and Marion Corliss Spencer and grew up in New Haven, Conn. An Eagle Scout, Walter attended Mt. Hermon School and graduated cum laude in 1939. He went on to Yale University and graduated in December 1942 as a member of the Class of 1943. During World War II, Walter worked as a research chemist on aviation fuels and later joined the Manhattan Project at Columbia University, the first of five labs to work on the atomic bomb. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950. In August 1952, Walter married his wife, Marilyn Lincoln, who later became the director of the Health Center.

to follow their interests. It was during his tenure as department chair that this teaching philosophy led Mr. Spencer to expand the science curriculum beyond the traditional offerings of earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics. Under Mr. Spencer’s tenure the science course offering introduced classes that reflected the burgeoning field of environmental sciences and sustainability, and the first computers (a Digital PDP 8, if I recall correctly) were introduced into the science building.” Remembered for riding his bike around campus and for never relaxing his personal dress code, Walter coached junior varsity tennis and club soccer. Ed Rak ’78 remembered that “the first and only time I found Walter Spencer intimidating was on our first meeting, as he strode down the first-floor Flagg corridor in the early fall of 1974, impeccably attired in blue suit and — for the occasion — white gloves, easily extracting from each successive room of a scruffy freshman the undisputable evidence of inadequate preparation for Sunday room inspection. In his trademark style of unassuming competence, he treated each encounter with a new Loomis Chaffee student on that hall much as he did every interaction I had later with him — in the dorm, on the soccer field, and in his perhaps most comfortable teaching home in the Clark Science Center — as an opportunity to respectfully convey some insightful nugget of his experience to those of us not yet as far along in our own journey of making sense of the world.”

Walter served as president of the Connecticut Valley Independent Student Teachers Association from 1980 to 1985. Walter was awarded the first endowed Clark Foundation Instructorship in Science and held it from 1985 until his retirement. Walter left In 1953, Walt was drawn back into education, returning to the a lasting legacy at Loomis Chaffee through his work on faculty Mt. Hermon School as a science teacher. Teaching and research salaries. Together with Marilyn, he worked to improve the workpositions developed into a position as the head of the Science life experience of the faculty. His colleague, now-retired biology Department at The Tilton School. A tennis coach at Tilton, Walter teacher Dick Venable, observed, “Walter was a gentle, soft-spoken always appreciated time outdoors. Walter is remembered as an man, very concrete in his thinking and deliberate in his actions. active friend, spending weekends skiing and socializing with a He never sought glory or praise but only to do what was right. strong cohort of faculty friends. Walter pioneered the earliest He didn’t boast about being part of the Manhattan Project, or filming of Tilton football games, overcoming his discomfort with developing new rubber compounds for tires or fuel additives heights to scale the telephone pole nest and film the games. He to increase miles per gallon. He was truly old school. He could will forever be remembered by students (and maybe the Maintedrive you crazy when he was slow to make decisions or would nance Department) for his chemistry classes in contact exploponder over using a particular word in a 20-page document. But sives. precision was one of the hallmarks of his life. He could grill meat In 1967, Walter moved to his position as head of the Science Deperfectly and consistently make the best Old Fashioned. Chemispartment at The Loomis School. During his 24-year Loomis Chaffee try was at the heart of what he did. Dedication to the task at hand career, Walter oversaw the expansion of the Clark Science was at the heart of who he was.” Walter and Marilyn retired to Center, increased the school’s science offerings, and welcomed Portland, where he rekindled his passion for choral music, joining the Chaffee science staff into the Clark Science Center following the choir at Woodfords Congregational Church, United Church of the merger of the two schools. Walt used his experience from Christ. Walter volunteered at the Children’s Museum of Portland research days to offer glass-blowing seminars to students. In the and developed a teaching program for the camera obscura. Walsummers he directed the Program in Biochemistry. Mark Gold ter also enjoyed many concerts of Portland’s Kotzschmar Organ. ’68, who worked at the program for six summers, recalled, “He He led a life full of science, teaching, photography, singing, and was the one who could be counted on to keep chaos at bay and family. Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Walter spent his last daily crises in perspective. As a teacher he encouraged and led two-and-a-half years living at the Barron Center in Portland. students, while as an administrator he helped draw the best efWalter is survived by his wife of 58 years, Marilyn; his children, fort from the college-aged teachers and program assistants. Mr. Walter B. Spencer III ’71, Mary Lincoln Spencer, Sarah Spencer Spencer understood that the key to teaching science was havStrickland ’74, and Katy Spencer Donovan ’79; and three granding students learn and love the scientific process of asking and children. He is also survived by two sisters. A memorial service answering questions, and then giving those students the freedom was held on October 30, 2010, at Woodfords Church in Portland. loomischaffee.org | 49

THE LAST WORD | BY KATHERINE PARRISH ’29

Outdoor Lessons at the Quarries EDITORS NOTE: As Loomis Chaffee plans for its Centenary in 2014–15, firsthand accounts from faculty, students, and alumni about their daily affairs at school figure prominently in the historical record of the school’s first 100 years. In each issue of Loomis Chaffee Magazine, “The Last Word” shares an oral history of an LC community member. In anticipation of designing the centenary seal, the Centenary Committee has looked at the various seals that the school has used over the past 96 years. This insignia of The Chaffee School was adopted in 1929 and featured a greyhound, an element that appeared in a Loomis family coat-of-arms.

“

NE day Mr. Parsons, who at the time taught us General Science, suggested that the following day we might go to the Portland quarries for our lessons, on the condition that we could get enough automobiles. This we managed to do and set out bright and early. After travelling over very bumpy roads we finally reached our goal, a hill which was covered with rocks and stones and hollowed out in the center. Here Mr. Parsons took each girl separately and gave her a test concerning the surroundings. After lunch we spent the rest of the day walking and climbing. And so ended our first year at Chaffee, though at the time it was known only as Loomis.

”

— An excerpt from “The History of the Class of 1929,” The Perigon, June 1929. Katherine Parrish and her classmates were the first freshmen to attend the reopened Loomis Girls Division in the fall of 1925. Two years later, the Girls Division moved to the Palisado Green campus and was renamed The Chaffee School. ©

Katherine Parrish’s page in the 1929 yearbook

50 |

The Loomis Chaffee School Windsor, Connecticut 06095 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Mailed From Hartford CT Permit No. 1720

OUR CHALLENGE | 34% = $250,000

are excited to announce a wonderful opportunity for alumni. An anonymous donor will give Loomis Chaffee $250,000 in support of financial aid if 34 percent of alumni contribute to the Annual Fund this year. Participation in the Annual Fund is an indication of your satisfaction with the school, and this is just the first step in our quest to reach 40 percent alumni participation. We hope that this added incentive will spur record numbers of alumni to support Loomis Chaffee this year. In addition to your dollars bolstering the school’s budget, you also will help deserving students with financial need to experience all that Loomis Chaffee has to offer. Each and every gift is extremely important, especially yours. Please make your gift online today at www.loomischaffee.org/ giving.

OUR CHALLENGE — LET’S OWN IT! Scan the QR code at left with your smart phone and instantly link to our online giving page, or go to loomischaffee.org/giving. Photo: John Groo