Celebrity Scientist Faculty Farewells Alumni Innovators Guardian of the Gulf SPRING 2011
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McCallie Manpower
for Tornado Victims On April 27, the Chattanooga area and much
of the Southeast experienced the seconddeadliest tornado storm day on record, according to experts. While the campus was generally spared, several nearby towns including Apison, Cleveland, Rossville and Trenton suffered tragic loss of life and property. The McCallie family reacted swiftly. On April 29, the school mobilized Upper School students to needy area locations to offer assistance, support and manpower. They moved downed trees, cleared limbs and debris, cleaned up city blocks and school playgrounds, donated 100 pints of blood and helped families with recovery efforts. In the following weeks, students organized food and clothing drives. “McCallie's rapid response to the crisis was a clear reflection of our community's commitment to helping others,” Headmaster Kirk Walker ’69 said.
"Man's Chief End is to Glorify God and to Enjoy Him Forever"
The McCallie School Mission McCallie School is dedicated to preparing young men to make a positive difference in their world. By fostering their intellectual, spiritual, physical, and emotional development, the school seeks to inspire and motivate them to: »»strive for excellence »»seek truth »»live honorably »»act responsibly »»help others
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Celebrity Scientist Biologist Jeff Simmons '96 caused a buzz with his recent discovery of a new species of crayfish.
Feature » FIRST
10 The once-popular sailing program is being offered again as an activity on campus
4 Wise Counsel
Counselor Jim Mancke explains the connection between the student and his staff
» Alumni
» Cl ass
notes
20 Births/Weddings/News
Ne ws
Read the latest updates from your classmates
5 Visiting W.O.E.A. Humphreys
Five alums from the Class of '65 take a road trip to see one of their favorite teachers
6 Alumni Innovators
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17 Setting Sail
PERSON
» IN
THE BACK
23 Duck Day
McCallie Magazine highlights four alums who are innovators in their respective fields
View a photo collage of Duck Day, a spring tradition that signifies that the end of the school year is approaching
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9 Guardian of the Gulf
Dr. Ash Bullard '93 is studying the impact the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will have on marine life in the Gulf
» Campus
Life
14 Faculty Farewells
Five beloved faculty members with 152 combined years of teaching are retiring
Join more than 2,500 others and become a friend of McCallie School on Facebook. Receive frequent updates about McCallie on Twitter @McCallieSchool. "Views from the Ridge" (blog.mccallie.org) offers perspectives on boys and education.
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The McCallie Magazine is published by McCallie School, 500 Dodds Avenue, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404. | news@mccallie.org | www.mccallie.org | The name “McCallie School,” the McCallie School logo and the McCallie School seal are all trademarks/namemarks of McCallie School. All materials appearing in the McCallie Magazine, including photography, are ©1996–2011 by McCallie School. Reprint or electronic reproduction of any such material for commercial purposes is prohibited without the written permission of McCallie School. Permission to use written material (not photographs) is granted for non-commercial purposes as long as McCallie is credited. | Photography by David Humber, McCallie staff and contributed photos. | For information about McCallie Magazine and to obtain permission to reproduce trademarked and copyrighted material, contact the McCallie School Public Affairs Office at info@mccallie.org (423.624.8300) or by writing the Public Affairs Office, McCallie School, 500 Dodds Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404. | McCallie School fully supports all anti-discrimination laws and does not engage in any unlawful discrimination.
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First Person
Wise Counsel
Impact Abroad
we will be better able to assist them in walking down those tough paths. With that said, how do we get them to connect with us? We can be quite manipulative by offering jars of candy in our offices. We also post numerous photos of the boys and their many activities on our windows. And we must get out of our offices to be where they are: on the playing fields, at their plays and performances and in their dorms to catch them in action. Our boys have taught us counselors many lessons over the years. Perhaps the chief one being, what most people (boys) need is a good "listening to." With that in mind, we give them the gift of our listening ears. Some have suggested there is no greater gift for an adolescent male. Once the stage is set to listen to the boys, it is simply amazing what they are willing to share as long as they know two things: first, that you really care about them, and second, that what they share will be held in the strictest confidence unless/until they agree to involve others. I will never forget the boy who entered my office commenting Jim Mancke has served McCallie as its Director of Counseling since that he had so many worries, they 1994. He is retiring after the 2010-11 school year (see page 15). First were affecting his performance in Person allows a teacher, administrator or student to present a unique perspective on life at McCallie. school. Since our time was limited that day, I asked him to return in two days with a list of at least a few With that in mind, imagine what of his worries. He returned with a sheet it is like sitting in our offices in the of paper with exactly 47 worries ranging middle of student activity. Each from, “my mother has too much stress at time we open the door, numerous home,” to “do people at McCallie know adolescent males are out there, who I really am,” to “what kind of car will scrambling to their classes, socializing I get and when?” WOW! Admittedly, most and being teenagers. Take it a step boys do not approach us with such long further and imagine providing what lists, but still they seek us out with issues counselors term “personal/social” just as important to them. And to be heard counseling to them. How many is what they perceive as being a great gift adolescent males would you predict given them. would rush to our offices to be We consider what we do in the counseled? Counseling Center as being a ministry of That is the wonderful challenge sorts. May the boys continue to need our that has been posed to our counseling services, and may we continue to minister staff, which includes three master’sto them. g level professionals. It is our theory that if we can facilitate connections The McCallie Magazine welcomes with our boys when times your feedback and memories. are good, then when the Send your thoughts to news@mccallie.org difficult times arrive,
Dear Editor:
In chapter one of his book, “Finding
On behalf of the Thuku School in Kenya, my gratitude goes out first to Dr. Walker for his goodwill and support, then to Keo-Kio for its dedication to uplifting the Thuku School. And finally, to the whole McCallie community; the teachers, staff and students who have never forgotten their beloved McCallie son and ambassador in Africa. I truly appreciate the financial commitment you made in helping us start and sustain the Maasai education program. It may not seem like much to you, but it has done wonders. We've educated many Maasais and given them IT knowledge that was previously inaccessible. In doing so, we've become pioneers in Kenya to this community. In addition, we now have a dedicated Maasai teacher who's been educated through your generosity. He has brought new energy and enthusiasm to our community. The Maasai students and I have designed a comprehensive website on Kenya. On this site, our students/ graduates are able to market safaris on the Maasai Mara, the area visited by McCallie administrators Chet LeSourd '72 and Billy Faires '90 in 2008, and to communicate with potential clients wishing to visit this wildlife haven. Website visitors can order Kenyan coffee, tea and drums and pay securely online, a first in Kenya. McCallie's support has been invaluable to us. I am thankful and hope and pray that this wonderful relationship will keep growing until Africa feels McCallie's full impact in helping us educate and transform impoverished communities here. g
the Heart of the Child,” Dr. Michael Thompson, a highly-respected adolescent psychologist, reminds us that “adolescence is hard developmental work.” For research, he asked middleaged adults which age they would return to if they could voluntarily choose to return to an earlier age in life. Interestingly, he discovered that a majority were unwilling to return to an age earlier than 19. He surmised that many of the memories of their adolescent years were simply too painful or conflicted for them to want to relive.
– Morris Thuku '93 g Mr. Thuku founded the Tennessee Institute of Information Technology in his home nation of Kenya in 2002. McCallie School has been a proud benefactor of the school, supplying it with used technological equipment and raising funds to keep it in operation. In 2008, Billy Faires ’90 and Chet LeSourd ’72 traveled to Kenya to deliver equipment and to research ways McCallie’s student organizations can provide support. The website Morris refers to is www.margeti.com.
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A Visit with W.O.E.A. Humphreys
South of the Border
Five members of the
(L-R) Dr. Alberto McGregor '55, Robert McGregor '52, Dr. Kirk Walker '69 and Donald McGregor '48 Headmaster Kirk Walker ’69 traveled to Nicaragua in February and visited with the McGregor family. Three of the McGregor brothers, Donald '48, Robert '52 and Alberto ’55 are all graduates of McCallie and native Nicaraguans. Donald’s grandson, Julio Chamorro, is a sophomore boarding student at McCallie and a third-generation student. Alberto was honored in 2010 as an Alumni Achievement Award winner.
Class of 1965 visited former teacher William O.E.A. Humphreys in May at his home in Ronceverte, W.Va. Mr. Humphreys, or W.O.E.A.H. as he is sometimes known, taught Latin at McCallie for 38 years from 1953 to 1991. Traveling to see their beloved teacher were (clockwise from far left) Curtis Baggett ’65, Allan Little ’65, Mr. Humphreys, Bill Bishop ’65 and Bill Gunter Boyd ’65. Rick Jahn ’65 is behind the camera. g
From the Bookstore
Committee Appointment Will Smith ’89, a public servant in Washington, D.C., since 1994, was appointed in December 2010 to serve as Deputy Staff Director for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee. Mr. Smith, of Beattyville, Ky., was a three-year boarding student while at McCallie from 198689. He has had a distinguished career of service on Capitol Hill. He most recently worked as Chief of Staff for Kentucky Congressman Hal Rogers and has also served on staff with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and for the Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee.
Whit Perry ’59 and George Edwards ’46
have recently published books. Perry’s second book “In the Footsteps of Robinson Crusoe,” includes hundreds of stories of adventures and the characters that lived them at a summer camp on the Caribbean island of Tobago. This island is believed to be the setting of Daniel Dafoe’s well-known book “Robinson Crusoe.” The camp, which taught boys how to scuba dive and spear fish, was a popular destination for McCallie students from 1957-71. The title of Mr. Edwards’ novel, “Man’s Chief End” comes from McCallie’s motto, “Man’s Chief End is to Glorify God and to Enjoy Him
Forever.” According to a review, the story nearly mirrors Mr. Edwards’ life, growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, attending a prep school and medical school and eventually starting an orthopedic surgery practice. “Chapter 8 is called ‘McCallie,’ telling some tales about the years 1943 to 1946,” Mr. Edwards says. “I wrote it with a great deal of fun and pleasure.” g
Ted Turner '56 Travels to The Ridge Ted Turner ’56, one of our nation’s most successful businessmen, never seems to forget his alma mater. On an April 25 visit to campus, Mr. Turner met with members of the sailing program and the debate team. He answered about 10 questions from debate team members at the Upper School assembly and got Duck Day underway by responding to a query from Dr. Kirk Walker with a “quack, quack, quack.” His advice to the student body: Don’t waste time. He also challenged the students to
manage the planet better and said it would be their generation that would have to do so. And he suggested that the threat of nuclear weapons is the greatest single problem the world faces today. Mr. Turner is the founder of Turner Enterprises, Turner Broadcasting System, Cable News Network and WTBS-TV among other media properties. He was also owner of the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks and is a very devoted philanthropist of worldwide causes.
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Alumni
Innovators
While many McCallie men have gone on to make a positive difference in the world, McCallie Magazine profiles these four who have done so in innovative fashion.
Chris Gay '94
The idea for MileMeter insurance hit
Chris Gay ’94 "straight on." Sideswiped him actually. An automobile accident, of which he was not at fault, thrust him into the world of insurance claims. Mr. Gay and his passengers were not injured. The owners of the other vehicle were led away from the scene in handcuffs. Their insurance company tried to deny that any coverage applied, even for a $2,000 claim. “It was a very unpleasant, nasty experience,” Mr. Gay says. “It left us searching for a better way to do insurance.” His Dallas-based company, MileMeter, is the first in the world and only one in the U.S. to determine auto insurance rates by the mile. It bills itself as an alternative to traditional insurance, rewarding those who drive fewer than 12,000 miles per year with fairer and more affordable rates. “We wanted to re-imagine insurance,” Mr. Gay says. “What if instead of an adversarial relationship with a customer, the companies had a partnership relationship with the customer? What if instead of be-
ing in the claims-denial business, they were in the claims-paying business? Can we just change this? Can we be more transparent? Can we stop selling the product based upon fear?” Mr. Gay began working on the idea and soliciting investors in 2004. Despite three years of steady progress, MileMeter had gone as far as it could go. By the end of 2007, he was ready to shut down the company. Five minutes after he had notified his shareholders of the impending halt, he received a call informing him that MileMeter was a top-seven finalist for Amazon Web Services’ Start-Up Challenge. The contest, which featured more than 900 entries, was the break the business needed and got MileMeter and its applications and ideas in front of venture capitalists. A few months later, the company had raised several million investment dollars and, by the end of the year, had chartered a new insurance carrier and started selling insurance. Each state follows its own insurance regulations and requirements. Texas is the only state currently allowing the per-mile policies, and the only other company in the world with a similar system is in Australia. MileMeter is also a technology and innovation company that provides licensed technology to other carriers. To get where it is today, MileMeter had to incorporate innovative software for business systems. Mr. Gay and his team have two granted patents and five pending patents. He has more than
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“I got a fantastic education. It was better than the two degrees I earned from the University of Texas.” Chris Gay ’94 80 inventions being held as trade secrets, and MileMeter trademarked the phrase “auto insurance buy the mile.” “None of the software out there would get the job done, so we wrote our own,” Mr. Gay says. “As it turns out, the software is fantastically valuable. Our technology may be more valuable than anything else we have done, and we have started the process of quietly offering that on a licensed basis to other companies and carriers.” Mr. Gay was a four-year boarding student at McCallie from 1990-94. He credits Cleve Latham for tweaking his family’s interest in McCallie. While he didn’t develop any of his entrepreneurial skills on the Ridge, he does value the education he received. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at McCallie, and I would do it again,” Mr. Gay says. “I got a fantastic education. It was better than the two degrees I earned from the University of Texas. I am not exaggerating.” g
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William Miller ’44: Aviation Pioneer
projects began to dry up; Mr. Miller’s ideas didn’t. Over the years, his company also introduced an Aereon prototype for general aviation, a non-buoyant wide-aperture surveillance platform model (WASP) and a semi-buoyant Dynairship for cargo use. It also developed a WASP/DynASTOL (Dynamic Lift Assisted Short Takeoff and Landing Technology), which would help reduce takeoff and landing distances for aircraft. Aereon’s latest invention is the VectoRotor, a vertical takeoff-and-landing craft constructed with two rotors. According to a paper presented by W.R. Putman, J.E. Risser
and Mr. Miller to the American Helicopter Society in May, the upper rotor has drooping blades while the blades on the lower rotor are coned upward. This configuration provides vertical thrust and direct lateral force control for precision hovering in a structurally-efficient design. Mr. Miller was honored with McCallie’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1994 for pioneering semi-buoyant aircraft technology. Perhaps another honor came in the form of a back-handed compliment when, in 2003, the Department of Defense Office of Force Transformation told Mr. Miller that he was 30 years ahead of his time. g
William Miller ’44 is a pioneer in the
aviation field. The world just hasn’t caught up yet to his designs. In 1863, an inventor named Solomon Andrews built a gravity-powered airship he dubbed an Aereon which he hoped the Union Army would use in the Civil War. The conflict ended before Mr. Andrews’ ship would literally take off. Nearly 100 years later, Monroe Drew, a missionary, found engineering drawings of the aircraft and tried to rekindle the spark Mr. Andrews had started. Mr. Drew formed a company he called Aereon and tried to sell the use of the ship to missionaries who had a need to haul cargo. Aereon was in financial straits when Mr. Miller joined its board and eventually became its president. The former World War II U.S. Navy pilot and a crew of engineers from Princeton University tweaked and improved upon Mr. Andrews’ original design and came up with the Aereon 26, an aircraft with a deltoid-shaped hull and a liftingbody design that made its first successful test flight in 1971. “Among the advantages claimed for this hull form,” Mr. Miller says, “were proximity of the aerodynamic center, the center of buoyancy and center of gravity and a minimal need for trim-control devices, thus facilitating the transportation of a full range of tonnages at various speeds without major trim requirements.” The company’s forward thinking was that the Aereon 26 could serve the U.S. military as a long-endurance surveillance craft, but there were no takers. Funding for the
INNOVATE: to introduce something new; make changes in anything that is established.
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William Miller '44 in front of the Aereon 26.
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Josh Noblitt ’92: Child Healthcare
Harper (left) and Thomas Noblitt (right).
Carlton Smith ’92: Eco-Tourism
For nature lovers and environmental
enthusiasts who enjoy their hobbies at exotic locales, a trip with International Expeditions may be the ticket. Carlton Smith ’92 is the e-commerce director for International Expeditions, an ecotourism front-runner in Birmingham, Ala., that offers trips to some of the most beautiful places on Earth where travelers can appreciate nature and wildlife in their natural habitats. The company makes arrangements for an average of 2,400 travelers per year to destinations ranging from Antarctica to Uganda. Mr. Smith is responsible for IE's web strategy, website platform and the generation of on-line leads.
Josh Noblitt ’92 saw a need for a better
way to do something, and did something about it. He, his wife Jeannie and two other couples introduced the Food Allergy-Band to families in January 2010. The Food Allergy-Band is worn on the wrist by children with food allergies. It is comfortable, child-sized, made for everyday wear, connects via Velcro and is simple for others to read. “We looked at shoe laces, arm bands and other things,” Mr. Noblitt says. “We found out that kids can’t take off Velcro. And the pictures make the message easier to see. We designed something we thought kids would want to wear. Not something they would be singled out for because they had an allergy.” The Noblitt’s young children, daughter Harper and son Thomas, both had severe food allergies. The schools and day care facilities they attended posted signs that children with food allergies were present, but the Noblitts worried about the times when their children were in other situations. “We felt that there should be an easier way to communicate that a child has a specific allergy,” Mr. Noblitt says. “Es-
“Ours are enriching tours to places like the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon River Basin, Borneo, Kenya and Tanzania,” Mr. Smith says. “These are escorted tours where we are appreciating nature and what the world has to offer. They are rarified in the sense that they are geared toward those who are nature lovers, birders or really into wildlife. Our product is catered to them.” Mr. Smith worked for Time Inc. as its online editor and then as travel editor for the digital properties of Coastal Living, Southern Accents, Southern Living and Sunset. A detour to the ski resort lifestyle led him to a job as a reporter for the Vail Trail, and his love of travel helped him land a job at the London Times for a few months. Mr. Smith’s proficiency with Internet applications and his writing and travel background were a perfect fit for IE. Part of his duties revolve around search engine optimization, using key words and other web development techniques to improve the website’s visibility and drive more traffic to it. “If someone searches for Amazon River travel, our ad will come up,” he says. “Our hope is that it will send them to our site, they will make an inquiry, we will market to
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pecially a young infant who can’t talk. How do you let people know about your child? What about a babysitter, or if they are at a birthday party? This is something we feel passionate about because of our kids.” The three main food allergies are dairy, nut and a generic food allergy. Pediatricians indicate that, although some children outgrow food allergies, this problem affects five to eight percent of young children. Food allergies result in 120,000 emergency room visits per year. The bands have been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and they have been purchased in 48 states and five European countries. They come in the kidfriendly colors of blue, pink and green. The Food Allergy-Bands are a side project for the Noblitts. Mr. Noblitt is a Strategic Development Executive for FedEx Services in Nashville. He attended McCallie from seventh grade through his senior year. “McCallie helped to foster a family atmosphere,” Mr. Noblitt said. “It planted a desire to help others, and we are trying to help those who face similar issues with allergies.” g
them and maybe they’ll book a trip with us.” One of his ideas was to hire a team to write short articles everyday about topics related to eco-tourism and nature travel and post them on IE's blog. Carlton Smith '92 “It’s our way to try to naturally rank our site higher and to help the search engine optimization value of our site,” he says. Mr. Smith’s appreciation for writing took root at McCallie. A boarding student from Huntsville, Ala., from 1989-92, he raved about English teachers Bob Bires, Steve George, Hank Hopping and Cleve Latham. “It was a special time because it was the last old McCallie,” he says. “The campus was under construction. It was a school going through a transformation. I’m glad I got to experience the old McCallie.” g
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Guardian
of the Gulf
Dr. Stephen "Ash" Bullard '93 has received funds to use parasitology as a means to study the impact the Deepwater Horizon oil spill will have on marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Bullard has spent nearly half of his life
studying marine biology in the Gulf. The oil spill that occurred on April 20, 2010, will eventually be, he says, more devastating to the region than past hurricanes. “I’ve been through a lot of hurricanes,” Dr. Bullard says. “I lived in Ocean Springs, Miss., during Hurricane Katrina and lost all of my belongings. My house got washed away. I consider the oil spill much more ominous and threatening in terms of the coastal sense of community and culture. “The hurricane was a natural thing. Coastal residents are used to that. It was easier to deal with because it was nobody’s fault. With the spill, you are talking about losing your job, your livelihood.” Dr. Bullard has been an assistant professor of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures at Auburn University since 2008. Prior to that, he worked at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab for 11 years. Since 2010, he has received several grants to study the effects the spill will have on aquatic life on inshore habitats. As an expert in parasitology, he and his team of students and colleagues from other institutions are studying parasites of fish to make their determinations. Their research will try to pinpoint any shifts in parasite diversity and prevalence which could cause drastic changes to the Gulf's food chain. It is common to compare the Gulf oil spill to that of the Exxon Valdez tanker, which dumped its haul in Alaskan waters on March 24, 1989. The Valdez lost a known quantity of oil, its entire contents of 10.8 million gallons. That spill remained largely on the water’s surface until a storm a few days later blew and pushed the gummy substance toward the rocky shoreline. Estimates say the Horizon spill spewed out 172 million gallons of oil from a mile beneath the surface, making it significantly more difficult to contain in the underwa-
ter currents. The oil the Valdez was transporting had already been processed to remove water and natural gas and, according to Alan Bailey of the Greening of Oil website, only 15 to 20 percent of it was conducive to evaporating within 24 hours of the spill. The black gold escaping from the pipe deep in the Gulf consisted of a mixture of water, natural gas and light crude, and with the warm water temperatures, about 40 percent of the oil could evaporate within 24 to 48 hours. "Truth is, the coast does not look much different," Dr. Bullard says. "You really have to dig in the sand or go under water or look inside the fish to see these effects that aren't as obvious. But it is the long-term effects of the spill that must concern us. “This turned out to be very different than the Exxon Valdez. There are a lot of ecological effects, and you have to look much closer to find them. It’s not that they are not there. “This is going to take years of study. Many of the shortterm impacts are over, but the long-term impacts – how fisheries populations are going to change, how numbers of fish and shellfish are going to change in the coming years – are what people are primarily concerned about right now.” Dr. Bullard has an undergraduate degree in marine biology from the University of South Carolina. But he says his interest in the sciences was stoked while attending McCallie as a five-year day student from 1988-93. Biology teacher Peter LaRochelle and chemistry teacher Pete Melcher were two instructors he singled out.
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“McCallie got me excited about scholarship and academia,” he says. “I had such a good, positive experience with teachers and instructors. The chemistry class I took as a freshman at South Carolina was a joke. Mr. Melcher had pretty much already taught us the entire chemistry curDr. Ash Bullard '93 riculum. Now that I am a teacher, I have a greater appreciation for their energy and enthusiasm. They did make a difference in my life.” Dr. Bullard is also making a difference, both as a teacher and as a scientist. While the grant money for his Gulf Coast oil spill research has a deadline, his patience and his knowledge do not. His efforts to determine the impact on coastal marine life from one of our nation’s worst environmental disasters will persist. “We are exploring now, we are collecting data, we are doing things now that no one has done before,” he says. “We have to be kind of flexible and keep our minds limber. It’s a learning process. Anytime you are working with something that hasn’t happened before, it’s unpredictable. But that’s what makes it exciting.” g
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Jeff Simmons '96
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Celebrity
Scientist
With his discovery of a new species of crayfish in the Tennessee River system, biologist Jeff Simmons ’96 entered a realm of scientific notoriety at an early stage in his career. There have been no struts down a red carpet.
The bright flashes of paparazzi have not made his life miserable. E! does not have a “True Hollywood Story” on Jeff Simmons ’96 in the works. Yet lately, because of a recent discovery, Mr. Simmons has been a celebrity of sorts in the world of biology. An aquatic zoologist for the Tennessee Valley Authority based in Chattanooga, he discovered a new species of crayfish two years ago in Lawrence County, Tenn. While working in Factory Creek on a routine water quality-monitoring trip in July 2009, an extremely rare crayfish ended up in his net. “This one wasn’t even on our radar,” Mr. Simmons says. “No one had ever seen it. We had been working most of the day and were close to our final efforts. Crayfish often end up in the net. As I pulled it up, I saw this particular one. We hadn’t seen anything like it all day. But immediately I thought I knew what it was.” He was partially correct. In the animal genus Barbicambarus, there was only one species – up until that day. The lone known Barbicambarus species was found in Kentucky in the Green River system and was extremely unique because of the large amounts of hair, or setae, on its antennae. The crustacean Mr. Simmons held in his hand had quite a bit of setae on its antennae, indicating it was Barbicambarus. But this eight-inch specimen was much larger than the only known species. He preserved it, and over the next few weeks, studied it, photographed it and studied it some more in his TVA laboratory. He
was quite confident that he had found one of the rarest species in Tennessee. Before he could prove this, more work was needed. To declare an animal a new species, more than one specimen must be collected, studied and verified. Mr. Simmons confided in two of his mentors, Dr. Guenter Schuster, a retired professor from Eastern Kentucky University, and Dr. Chris Taylor of the Illinois Natural History Survey, about his discovery. The two colleagues, both crayfish taxonomists, joined Carl Wil-
liams of the State Wildlife Agency of Tennessee back at Factory Creek, a tributary to Shoal Creek which flows into Alabama and dumps into the Tennessee River. The team spent a week turning over rocks and moving away limbs in the stream, digging in creek beds and sifting through nets in search of this rare creature. A week’s work only turned up four additional specimens. Mr. Simmons himself returned to the site for another week and did not come across a single one.
Barbicambarus simmonsi
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not at this point in my career. It is the greatest honor a biologist can receive, and I’m very humbled by that. I have worked really hard and plan to work very hard the rest of my life toward overall conservation of not only crayfish but aquatic animals in general.” The science journals released the description of Barbicambarus simmonsi and, in January 2011, worldwide attention soon followed, much more than Mr. Simmons expected. Headlines such as “New Giant Bearded Crayfish Found Under Tennessee Rock” lit up websites like Discovery, Global Animal, National Geographic, Science Daily and Smithsonian. The tagline “giant crayfish” caused web searches on Yahoo! to increase 187,000 percent in just one day.
The scientists examined the large crayfish specimens for physical differences, conducted genetic analysis, sampled tissue and compared these to the similar species from Kentucky. The determination was that Mr. Simmons had, indeed, discovered a new species of crayfish. Drs. Shuster and Taylor wrote the description of the creature which was released by the Biological Society of Washington in December 2010. They honored Mr. Simmons by naming it after him, Barbicambarus simmonsi. “To find a new species of crayfish, for a biologist, is like finding the Holy Grail,” says Dr. Schuster, who himself has discovered three crayfish species. “It’s a really good feeling that you’ve found something and have identified something that no other scientist has found before, and that you have the ability to describe it.” “I didn’t know what to say,” Mr. Simmons says when asked his reaction to the species being named for him. “Honestly I never dreamed that would occur. At least
CRAYFISH CURATOR Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans and little lobster lookalikes with several names including crawfish, crawdads and mudbugs. There are over 500 species in the world, and most occur in North America. The average size is three inches. Barbicambarus simmonsi can reach as long as 8 to 10 inches. An important link in the aquatic food chain, crayfish are on the menu for alligators, otters, turtles, certain birds and some fish. They are also popular fare for people in many parts of the world. Research shows that 98 percent of crayfish purchased by U.S. consumers come from the State of Louisiana. Like many boys who played near creeks and streams, Mr. Simmons
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always had a curiosity about crayfish while growing up in Signal Mountain, Tenn. He never imagined he would one day become one of the nation’s foremost experts on the critters, let alone have a species named for him. Part of Mr. Simmons’ work with TVA is traveling through the corporation’s seven-state service area to sample over 700 streams and free-flowing rivers. The biologists study and assess the quality of bodies of water and their aquatic communities on five-year rotations. Before joining TVA, he worked as a nongame aquatic biologist for the State of North Carolina. One of his projects was completing an inventory of crayfish in the western part of the state. Using data from museums, universities and state resources, he uncovered huge holes in the information known about the crustaceans. “I sampled like crazy for two years and filled in the data,” says the former two-year McCallie day student. “My goal was to further understand the crayfish distribution in
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North Carolina and learn more about these animals. What do they require? What is their biology? What habitats do they use? I also wanted to assess their conservation status because there was such a lack of information. That’s when I really became interested in crayfish.” When he got on board with TVA, his sampling territory expanded exponentially, and his interest in crayfish intensified. He began a collection of every species he unearthed. “Most people don’t realize that the Tennessee River system is the most biologically diverse system in the United States,” Mr. Simmons says. “There are more aquatic species in Tennessee and Alabama than anywhere else in the nation. There are over 310 species of fish in Tennessee alone which is more than in all of Europe. “Having an opportunity to work in such a biologically diverse region, I can’t imagine being luckier as a biologist.” Since the discovery of Barbicambarus simmonsi, a small sum of the species has also been collected in Shoal Creek in Alabama. Even though the numbers of the species are extremely low, biologists now know it occurs in both Alabama and Tennessee. “The big question is, how does such a large creature remain undiscovered for all these years?” Dr. Schuster asks. “Shoal Creek has been quite heavily collected by biologists for years. You would think that
somebody would have found one of those things. Jeff was lucky to get the specimen that he got.” “What is really interesting is that it (Shoal Creek) has been sampled really hard by ichthyologists and scientists over the last 60 years, and no one had ever turned up that species,” Mr. Simmons says. “I’m not sure if they didn’t pay attention to crayfishes or they just never ran across one. “It is certainly one of the rarest crayfish in Tennessee. For some reason, the crayfish is a minority in the scientific community as far as there being an interest in that type of animal. There needs to be more work done to understand exactly where it is distributed, what its reproductive ability is and what its exact habitats are. I think we all agree that it is a pretty rare animal that probably deserves some kind of protection.” Mr. Simmons has shied away from the attention he garnered with the discovery of Barbicambarus simmonsi, but he will never slow down the personal attention and research he gives the crayfish. g
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2011 Faculty Farewells Five integral members of the McCallie community are setting sail toward the next phase in their lives. The five retiring Upper School faculty members have served McCallie boys for a combined 152 years. McCallie, its students and alumni are indebted to them as we say thank you and farewell to 1. Lance Nickel (37 years), 2. Bob Oliver (21 years), 3. Jim Mancke (17 years), 4. Steve Bartlett (40 years) and 5. Tom Boyd (37 years). Also stepping down from long-time administrative roles are Linda Brandon, Susan Byrd and Sandra Oliver.
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Steve Bartlett
Associate Director of College Guidance faculty member since 1971 What are your plans for retirement? I am moving to Waverly, a nice, small town in Middle Tennessee. I hope to get active in community activities and volunteering, and I plan to travel.
faculty and staff. It’s truly a community of the best and brightest. And the combination of being all-male and in the South makes for a unique atmosphere. What is a favorite memory of McCallie that you will always remember? – I have such an abundance of great memories; it’s the kind of place that cre-
ates them. My years of teaching U.S. history were one big pleasant experience. And I enjoyed taking the Civil War trips to Virginia and the eastern battlefields. It was especially fun in 1995 when we had 32 students from both McCallie and GPS and rode on the world’s fanciest bus with the world’s fastest bus driver. On the athletic side, going with the 1976 baseball team through the state championship games was really memorable.
Did you ever plan to remain at McCallie for as long as you have? At the beginning, I didn’t think about it, either way. I remember my uncle, who first connected me to McCallie, telling me when I was hired that this would be a good place to start my career. I had a couple of college-level athletic training opportunities in the 1970s, but I didn’t take them. At some point, I just came to assume that I would be here until retirement, but I don’t know when that was. If there is one thing from McCallie you could take with you, what would it be? – I think it would be dinners in the Dining Hall. It’s nice to get to just walk up there and have all that great food, and I enjoy the fellowship with various colleagues at the dinner table. What makes McCallie such a unique institution and community? – First, McCallie has a wonderful assemblage of people, both the boys and the
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Tom Boyd
Science Department Chair Upper School Chemistry faculty member since 1974 What are your plans for retirement? My wife and I are looking forward to traveling during the fall and spring seasons. I also want to play golf, read and work in the backyard. And I plan to do volunteer work when possible.
Did you ever plan to remain at McCallie for as long as you have? When I came to McCallie for my interview, they took me on a tour of the old academic building. I remember asking the question, what are those tubes hanging from the ceiling. I found out they were for distilled water. At that time, I was teaching in a high school that had the best science facilities in North Carolina. In my mind I was thinking, no way I am coming to McCallie. After hearing the vision for the new academic building, I decided to give it a try. I am
still here after 37 wonderful years. Thank you, McCallie School. If there is one thing from McCallie you could take with you, what would it be? Honor, Truth and Duty. What makes McCallie such a unique institution and community? The relationships between students, faculty and alumni. What is a favorite memory of McCallie that you will always remember? I have many fond memories of McCallie. It is hard to pick just one. An early memory which many will not know about is Harlow T. Mapes Day. Students and faculty members would go to a park on a spring day and fly kites. That was a lot of fun.
Jim Mancke
Director of Upper School Counseling faculty member since 1994 What are your plans for retirement? Since I have lived far from my siblings and their families for the past 17 years, I plan to return to Columbia, S.C., to be nearer to them. We are a very close-knit family, and I want to support them in every way I can. While planning to do a lot of volunteer work, I also dream of writing a book one day that would focus upon all of the life-lessons I have been taught by students and their parents over the years. While my book may never go to press, it will be very therapeutic for me to accomplish.
same time, you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.” I’ll have the distinct privilege of carrying every boy, his parents, our faculty and staff with me. How wonderful. How wonderful. What is a favorite memory of McCallie that you will always remember? Please permit me to combine
multiple student counseling sessions into one huge memory. What I will never forget are the young men willing to take the risk of coming to my office to share quite personal and meaningful experiences with me, some being joyful and others being quite painful. Nevertheless, they came and they shared. On my office wall is a framed greeting card that reads: "What people really need is a good listening to." I will always cherish the memories each one has shared with me.
Did you ever plan to remain at McCallie for as long as you have? While I did not plan to stay at McCallie for a set number of years, I hoped to have the opportunity to retire here. I promised myself I would retire while I was still wanted and productive, and that I would leave while I still had my health. I hope I have been true to my promise. If there is one thing from McCallie you could take with you, what would it be? In some ways I plan to take everything with me. You might say that is impossible. But, according to one well-known author and minister, you would be wrong. Frederick Buechner articulates my feelings best in this quote: “You can kiss your family and friends goodbye and put miles between you, but at the McCa llie m aga zine |
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Lance Nickel
Math Department Chair Alumni Chair of Math faculty member since 1974
would stay for two years before he did so. At the time, I really wanted to get back to Vanderbilt to finish my Ph.D. I was thinking two years, three at the most.
Did you ever plan to remain at McCallie for as long as you have? Spencer McCallie thought I was "over-qualified" and was reluctant to offer me a contract in 1974. I had to promise him that I
If there is one thing from McCallie you could take with you, what would it be? I will miss the intellectual excitement and curiosity I share with some of my colleagues. I wish there were a way
to continue the daily conversations about science, history, math, language, politics, etc. that I have been enjoying for the past 37 years. What makes McCallie such a unique institution and community? The loyalty to the school is impossible to describe. I am living in the dorm with a fourth-generation McCallie student. We have had faculty sons who are third-generation McCallie students. I am currently teaching several second-generation students. When Parents' Weekend comes around, it is more like a family reunion than school business. Recently an alum who lives in Amsterdam made a special trip to Chattanooga. As he put it, "I recently had my 50th birthday. I decided it was time to write out my personal bucket list. Near the top was to return to McCallie to see as many of my old teachers as possible." WOW! What is a favorite memory of McCallie that you will always remember? Let's do the math . . . 37 years averaging 60 students per year in class. Thirtyseven years in the dorm living with an average of 43 students per year. Forty seasons coaching football, basketball and baseball. That adds up to thousands of student/Nickel experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life, both the good and the bad.
Bob Oliver
Public Speaking Chair faculty member since 1990 What are your plans for retirement? There are so many options that I have not yet decided. I have thought about working with a college in the speech department, or working more with the East Ridge Church of Christ. However, just being able to go visit with my grandchildren is going to be the biggest plus.
few weeks at McCallie, Spencer McCallie walked beside me, looked down at me and said, “Now Bob, I don't want you to mess up mock trial like your predecessor did." I assured him I would not. I had never even heard of mock trial, let alone
knew how to coach it. I soon discovered that the previous year, our McCallie team entered an event but did not show up. The judge and the other team were there, but no McCallie. I knew I could at least show up.
Did you ever plan to remain at McCallie for as long as you have? Actually, I did. When I arrived, it was not long until I knew I loved being here. I enjoyed the brilliance of the faculty, the dedication of the students and the reputation of excellence in academics that the school has maintained over the years. What makes McCallie such a unique institution and community? In my opinion the combination of an outstanding faculty and students that have families that want them to learn. What is a favorite memory of McCallie that you will always remember? While there are many memories, one I will never forget is how I discovered that I was coaching mock trial. In my first
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Setting Sail The sailing program, once a popular afternoon activity among McCallie boys, is being offered again on campus. A past McCallie favorite has been reinstated
at the school. Rev. Ed Snodgrass ’73 brought back the sailing program this school year after a long absence. “Sailing is a fun, safe sport that you can enjoy for a lifetime,” Rev. Snodgrass says. Houston Patterson ’43, who taught at McCallie for 42 years from 1948-90, headed up a sailing program during his time on the Ridge. The long-time mentor taught students how to maintain a boat and how to safely operate one. The afternoon activity enjoyed many years of popularity. It was discontinued for a period of years and then started again in 1986 by Mr. Patterson who sponsored it until his retirement in 1990. One of McCallie’s most prominent alumni, Ted Turner ’56, was an avid sailor and put his sailing prowess to the test in many worldwide sailing competitions. He captained winning yachts in two America’s Cup championships in the 1970s. Mr. Turner visited McCallie in April of this year and spent one-on-one time with the students of the sailing program. Rev. Snodgrass, whose hobbies include sailing, purchased a sailboat in 2010 that was in less-than-mint condition. “I thought it would be great to get it on campus, fix it up and restart the program,” he says. “We found that the interest was there. We had boys who had sailed before and others with no experience whatsoever. We had a fun time together and spent some wonderful afternoons and Saturdays out on the lake.” The activity was limited to 11 or 12 boys, and the group met two afternoons per week. Rev. Snodgrass used the U.S. Sailing Keel Boat training book as a guide, teaching the finer points of sailing, maintaining the boat, cruising, racing, transporting and purchasing. The boys worked on the boat in the driveway of Rev. Snodgrass’ house on the McCallie campus. The 25-foot MacGregor, named “Mr. Pat” after Mr. Patterson, was later housed in a slip at the Privateer Yacht
Club in Hixson, about a 20-minute drive allow him more time out on the water. from campus. Participants were required to Rev. Snodgrass has already put thoughts attend two seven-hour weekends on the wa- to paper about next year’s sailing program. ter at Lake Chickamauga where they pracHis desire is to form a racing team using ticed the techniques learned. one-man laser sailboats with the plan of racThe boys who participated in “the cooling the boats against each other, ultimately est program at school” this year – senior competing against other schools. g Joseph Hong, juniors Alex Bailey, Garrison Belk, Drew Clark, Bennett Henson and Reed Wells, sophomores Toby Claxton and John Yoon and freshmen Kurt Faires, Dillon Groves and Mason Hughes – had various reasons for doing so. “It was something new to do, something I had never done before,” says Korean boarding student John Yoon. Drew Clark and Reed Wells were both former members of the crew team who switched to a different breed of water vessel. Above (L-R): Joseph Hong, John Yoon, Mason Hughes, Dillon “My father and his faGroves (sitting), Garrison Belk, Alex Bailey (sitting) and Kurt Faires Below: McCallie's sailboat "Mr. Pat" ther both sailed,” Reed says. “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do.” “I like this better than rowing,” Drew says. “We’re using wind power instead of manpower.” Drew has enjoyed the sailing course so much that he has turned it into a summer job. He will be working for a local boat manufacturer which, he says, will
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MI SSION
MUSIC Twenty-six selected students
In February, a group of students and teachers traveled to a remote village in northern Nicaragua to dig a well for its inhabitants. The well now provides easier and closer access to clean water for several hundred villagers. McCallie’s efforts were led by faculty advisors Chet LeSourd and Frank "Paco" Watkins. The project was associated with Living Water International which works to help communities get desperately-needed clean water. Several student organizations combined fundraising efforts to fund and embark on the project.
SER V ICE
from the men’s chorus traveled to New York City over spring break and performed in the famed Carnegie Hall. The group performed Haydn’s “Paukenmesse” (Mass in Time of War) with six other chorale ensembles in a onenight-only show. The performance was conducted by Dr. Jason Paulk of Eastern New Mexico University with music accompaniment by the New England Symphonic Ensemble. The chorus began preparing for the March 28 concert in early January. Music Department Chair Lew Cisto said he gave about 500 lessons to prepare the boys. “I wanted them to have freedom from the mechanics of music and not miss out on making this opportunity something special,” Mr. Cisto said. “They were very prepared and did a great job.”
The ensemble performed in front of a full house, which included McCallie parents and friends and several alumni from the New York area. “The experience on the stage at Carnegie Hall was a feeling I will never forget, and I believe I will never be able to enjoy again,” senior boarding student Jay Peters said. g
{ For full coverage of events around campus,visit www.mccallie.org. } AWAR D S The annual Awards Day honors boys (L-R) Kyle Loechel, Daniel Condrey, Ralston Hartness, Adam Connell, Jackson Houston and Xiangjiu Wang. Six McCallie students completed 20 hours of volunteer training to qualify to visit Hospice patients in area nursing homes. Since the fall, they have spent regular afternoons volunteering and serving through the program. In that time, several local schools have worked to establish a similar arrangement with Hospice. For their original volunteer spirit and for blazing a trail for other area teens, the boys were one of three finalists for "Volunteer of the Year" by United Way of Greater Chattanooga and were honored at an April banquet. "It is because of McCallie's lead that this has been successful moving into other schools." said Sue Couilliette, of Hospice. Junior Xiangjiu Wang, sophomore Jackson Houston and freshmen Daniel Condrey, Adam Connell, Ralston Hartness and Kyle Loechel are the first in the area to participate in Hospice of Chattanooga’s teen volunteer program.
who have excelled in all areas of school life at McCallie. The Grayson Medal is considered the school’s highest honor, given annually to the senior whose character and actions most embody the heart of McCallie's mission. The winner is selected by a vote of the Upper School student body and faculty (L-R) Headmaster Kirk Walker '69, Walker Ranson, Chet LeSourd, Houston Clark, Upper School Head Kenny Sholl and the Senate and Student Council. The Campbell Award is presented to the Grayson runner-up. upon by faculty and seniors, the award recWalker Ranson, co-president of Keoognizes the senior who most profoundly exKio and a boarding student from Charlotte, hibits the strong Christian beliefs and stanN.C., received this year’s Grayson Medal, dards exemplified by Mr. Casey. and Houston Clark, a day student from The Keo-Kio Distinguished Teacher Lookout Mountain, Tenn., was presented Award went to English teacher Chet Lethe Campbell Award and the Walker Casey Sourd ’72, a faculty member since 1979. Mr. Award. The Casey Award, named for Mr. LeSourd took over the Caldwell Writing Casey ’47, is one of the most prestigious Center in 2010 and continues to be a dorm honors McCallie bestows on a senior. Voted head and serve as advisor to Keo-Kio. g McCa llie m aga zine |
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Fred Hollis ’32 of Tallahassee, Fla., died February 16, 2011. The World War II Air Force veteran and longtime volunteer reading coach is survived by two children. Edwin Lee Jones ’39 of Charlotte, N.C., died December 26, 2010. The World War II Marine veteran, civil engineer and contracting firm president is survived by his wife Lou, five children, 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. James Edwin Birdwell ’42 of Clinton, Tenn., died December 16, 2010. The World War II Navy Commander, banker and community volunteer is survived by his wife Marilyn, three children, eight grandchildren and a sister. David LeBey ’44 of Atlanta, Ga., died April 16, 2011. The World War II Army veteran, reporter, sports editor and real estate agent is survived by his wife Barbara, two children and four grandchildren. Taylor Wade ’44 of Chattanooga died January 21, 2011. The World War II Navy veteran, oil tanker worker and amateur astronomer is survived by his wife Delma, four children including Bill ’76 and Bobby ’79, nine grandchildren and a brother. Jack Shannon ’44 of Birmingham, Ala., died February 12, 2011. The World War II Navy veteran, banker, developer and community volunteer is survived by his wife Elizabeth, seven children, four grandchildren, eight stepgrandchildren and a brother. Bob Patterson ’44 of Memphis died March 18, 2011. The world traveler, writer and professor is survived by his wife Jane, four children, five grandchildren and a sister. Joseph Kyle Holley ’44 of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., died February 8, 2011. The World War II Navy veteran, businessman and local politician is survived by his wife Barbara, four children, seven grandchildren and a brother.
Bob Steel ’46 of Signal Mountain, Tenn., died January 14, 2011. The Army veteran, pediatric dentist and community volunteer is survived by his wife Patricia, three children and eight grandchildren.
In Memoriam Gene O’Neill ’57 of Lenoir City, Tenn., died March 14, 2011. The horticulturalist and landscaper is survived by three children and two grandchildren. Roger Simmons Jr. ’58 of Wilmington, N.C., died February 14, 2011. The medical doctor, professor and lifelong volunteer and community servant is survived by his wife Carolyn, two sons and five grandchildren.
James Irving Makepeace ’46 of Sanford, N.C., died February 19, 2011. The Navy veteran and businessman is survived by his wife Edith, two sons including Tom ’71, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Bill Beene ’47 of Winchester, Ky., died May 24, 2010. The Baptist minister and missionary is survived by three daughters, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
William Denny Edwards ’63 of Columbus, Ohio, died December 29, 2010. Nobel Simmons ’67 of Seffner, Fla., died December 2, 2010. The trucking company owner is survived by his wife Brenda, two daughters, two stepdaughters, two grandsons, four step-grandchildren and a brother, Bill Simmons ’69.
Bob Liston ’49 of Jacksonville, Fla., died January 19, 2011. The Marine Corps veteran, chemistry teacher and medical center volunteer is survived by his wife Doris, three grandchildren and a brother.
Mike Franks ’67 of Nashville died December 16, 2010. The attorney and author is survived by his wife Alma, a son, Alexander ’04, a daughter and a brother.
Charlie Setliffe ’49 of Signal Mountain, Tenn., died January 17, 2011. The Air Force veteran and hospital administrator is survived by his wife Eva, two children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ed Loughlin ’52 of Atlanta died March 19, 2011. The orthopedic surgeon and hospital board member is survived by his wife Linda, six children including Edward ’79, 10 grandchildren and a brother, David ’56. William Monin ’53 of Center, Ky., died February 25, 2011. The chemical industry executive and avid outdoorsman is survived by his wife Christiane, two children, four grandchildren and two brothers, Jim ’51 and Tom ’58.
Allen Brown ’70 of Panama City Beach, Fla., died March 1, 2011. The construction worker and community volunteer is survived by his wife Deb, two children, his mother, a bother and a sister. John Douglas Davenport ’72 of Atlanta died February 24, 2011. The state Department of Natural Resources worker, photographer and painter is survived by a sister and a brother. Bill McGinness ’72 of St. Elmo, Tenn., died April 5, 2011. The former architect is survived by four brothers, Joe ’61, Toto ’66, Sam ’69 and Jimmy ’74 and a sister.
Martin Sharp ’55 of Franklin, Tenn., died December 31, 2010. The mechanical engineer, pilot and motorcycle and car racer is survived by two daughters, two grandchildren and a sister. Hugh Causey ’56 of Lincolnton, N.C., died January 23, 2011. The Army veteran, insurance adjuster and community volunteer is survived by his wife Elizabeth, three children including John ’93, and six grandchildren.
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John Hayes Forsten ’89 of Johns Creek, Ga., died November 9, 2010. The baker, food developer and marketing director is survived by his wife Elizabeth, three children, a sister and a brother, Stephen ’83. Obituaries are included Henry McKinney ’76 of in McCallie Magazine in chronologicalTenn., order died by date of death. Those Chattanooga, March not included in this issue will appear in the 23, 2011. The local news channel next. The Alumni Office sends email announcements employee is survived by his mother, a brother, about confirmed deaths to all classmates whose email Bill addresses ’79, two sisters, and two nephews. are updated in our system as soon as the school is notified of them. Stay informed of such things. Make sure the Alumni Office has your updated email address.
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Notes
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Spring 2011
Births&Weddings Births70-90s
Births00s
To Jim Latham ’79 and Maria, a son, Marcos, on October 3, 2010. To David Wilson ’83 and Elizabeth, a son, William Henry, on Sept. 22, 2010. To Taylor McElroy ’91 and Erin, a daughter, Morgan Katherine, on January 6, 2011. To Geoffrey Henderson ’92 and Nicole, a daughter, Aliannah Grace, on October 9, 2010. To Richard G. Hickson ’93 and Tinsley, a son, Rich, in February 2010. To Scott James ’94 and Karen, a son, Thomas Neil, on February 20, 2009. To Matthew Foster ’96 and Jennifer, a daughter, Mills Alice, in April 2009. To Ryusuke Shimada ’96 and Akane, a son, Kosuke, on January 25, 2011. To Henry Glascock ’96 and Lauren, a son, Andrew Nolan on October 24, 2010. To Frank Johnson ’96 and Laura, a son, Franklin Davis, on March 25, 2011. To Sean Jenkins ’97 and Lawson, a son, Coleman Hilliard on Dec. 27, 2010. To Wade Rick ’98 and Melissa, a son, Edwin “Wells,” on Dec. 16, 2010. To Trey Meredith ’98 and Julie, a daughter and a son, Virginia Carter and Samuel Bradley, on Sept. 20, 2010. To Sean Johnson ’98, a son, James Daniel, on Nov. 20, 2010. g
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To Shalin Tejani ’00 and Niti, a son, Niyam Shalin, on October 29, 2010. To Chris Simmons ’00 and Melissa, a son, Brent Walker, in March 2010. To Neil Patel ’01 and Jennifer, a son, Reid, on June 28, 2010. To Dalton Grein ’01 and Sara, a daughter, Elizabeth “Libby,” on February 6, 2011. To Chris Rogers ’01 and Rosina, a son, Christopher Roberto, on January 20, 2011. To Ryan Scafe ’02 and Lindsey, a son, Knox Ryan on December 8, 2010. To Jack Silberman ’03 and Shannon, a son, Jack Charles, on May 4, 2011. g
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Tripp '99 and Lauren Polen with new daugher Sophie.
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Morris Thuku ’93 to Mercy Njeri on August 21, 2010. Ben Aylward ’94 to Christine Michele Donnelly on July 24, 2010. Jeb Phillips ’95 to Kelly Schleppi on October 16, 2010. Aaron Atkinson ’95 to Lindsay on January 30, 2010. Josh Pease ’96 to Mary Margaret Schwenkler on January 24, 2010. Kelley Daniell Kohout ’96 to Christiana Kelley in 2011. g
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Weddings00s Philip Cancelleri ’01 to Lucinda Litchfield on December 10, 2009. Trip Chalk ’01 to Alexandra Bowen on December 4, 2010. Louis Anderson ’02 to Ashley Rasch on April 2, 2011. Jack Silberman ’03 to Shannon Smith on June 27, 2009. Grayson Hicks ’06 to Gabrielle Klein on November 28, 2009. Jordan Desmet ’07 to Elisa Norman on December 17, 2010. g
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Morgan Katherine is the daughter of Taylor McElroy '91.
Niyam Tejani was born to Shalin '00 and his wife Niti in October, 2010.
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Ryan Scafe ’02 and his wife Lindsey with baby Knox.
Christopher Roberto Rogers, the son of Chris Rogers ’01, is sportin' his McCallie gear.
Kelley Daniell Kohout ’96 recently married Christiana Kelley at Loulu Palm Estate in Oahu, Hawaii. The wedding party included McCallie alumni Chris Kohout, Phil Knight ’96 (who officiated at the ceremony), Josh Vose ’96 and Jamie Collie ’96. Also attending was alumnus Patrick Kohout ’00, cousin of the groom.
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Class Updates
(Top) David Wilson '83 and his kids. (Bottom) Dalton Grein '01 and his wife Sara pose with new daughter, Libby.
1940s-1950s George Gunn ’43 lives in the Highland Farms Retirement Community in Black Mountain, N.C., with his wife Sally. Glenn S. Rothberger ’45 writes, “I am compiling a Crossword Puzzle Dictionary which I am using for my own satisfaction. It's called Rothberger’s Crossword Dictionary.” Sam Hollis ’47 writes that “Atlanta is home now due to children and grandchildren. Also, we’re closer to Highlands, N.C.” Ted Turner ’56 has been chosen for the Atlanta Press Club’s Journalism Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes people who have shown journalistic integrity throughout their career and who have made an outstanding contribution to Georgia or to the Atlanta Press Club. Turner has also received the Atlanta Press Club’s Lifetime of Achievement Award in the past. Robert Moore ’58 is a national columnist for The Raleigh Telegram and The Beaufort Tribune. He continues his 45-year association with The Dictionary of American Regional English.
Jim Glasser ’67 has retired as head wrestling coach for Lovett School in Atlanta. He worked at the school for 36 years and was honored as the nation’s fourth winningest prep wrestling coach in history. Carrington Montague ’68 was recently named to the Tennessee Historical Commission Foundation Board. He also serves as Vice President of the East Tennessee Historical Society and as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Chattanooga Salvation Army. Mills Gallivan ’69 has been awarded the prestigious Robert W. Hemphill Award by the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association (SCDTAA) for his many years of distinguished service to the legal profession, defense bar and the SCDTAA. Claude Iler ’71 is a railroad conductor for Norfolk Southern. Jay Stockard ’71 and his wife Nancy are living in Atlantic Beach, N.C., while Jay works for the Norfolk Regional Office of DLA-DS.
1960s-1970s
William Hawkins ’72 has retired from his position as CEO of Medtronic, Inc.
Frank Crump ’64 has joined Magna Bank as a senior vice president, following the bank’s purchase of F.M. Crump and Company.
Hill Carrow ’73 served as Chairman for the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Sandy Prater ’66 was featured in the November 2010 issue of Absolute Return magazine for his leadership role as a board member of New Alternatives for Children, a New York City nonprofit that helps children and their families deal with serious medical issues and disabilities.
Mark Hicks ’74 and his wife Carol opened a new restaurant called “The Creekside” in downtown Jonesborough, Tenn.
Michael Anderson ’78 joined the Chattanooga law firm of Patrick, Beard, Schulmar and Jacoway. Scott Mercer ’79 started The Coleman Foundation, bottling and selling his homemade barbeque sauce recipe and giving all the proceeds to help fight homelessness.
1980s-1990s Hamilton Cain ’83 has written a memoir about growing up in the South, "This Boy's Faith: Notes from a Southern Baptist Upbringing." Carter Payne ’89 is moving to Donna, Texas, to go into the mission field. He will work at Macedonian Christian Academy as Director of Finance, director of the orphanage assistance ministry and Bible teacher.
A Small World on Top of the World “I live and work in Kotzebue, Alaska.
I am the diabetes case manager for the Maniilaq Health Corporation. “The other day, I walked into my ACLS (advanced cardiac class), and the instructor said he was from Tennessee. I asked him at a break where in Tennessee he was from, and he said he was from Nashville but had attended school in Chattanooga. I asked where, and he said
‘McCallie.’ I said, ‘me too. Class of ’73.’ “His name is Sean Ralston ’97. “This is a town with a population of about 3,500 people, mostly Inupiat Eskimo. It is above the Arctic Circle on the west coast of Alaska. The world is getting smaller each year.” Pete Christian ’73
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Notes continued . . .
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Spring 2011
Dixon Lewis '73 (left) and Blake McBurney '73 met up at the Rotary International Convention in New Orleans in May.
Thayer Montague ’92 still has his dry McCallie sense of humor. He writes: “Tomorrow I start my new adventure in hopes of fulfilling my life long dream to become a NASCAR driver. I caught wind a team needs a wheel man in a small dirt track series in San Felipe, Mexico, and I was able to secure a one-race contract. Carrie and I sold the house and picked up a Yellowbird school bus on Craigslist. I will fly down next week while Carrie drives the boys and the bus. Should anyone feel called to this cause, I am in need of a pit crew and some funding. If I fail in this endeavor, June 1st I start a new job as director of marketing for Health Risk Partners.”
Ben Stafford ’97 serves as the director of leasing and development for Pattillo Industrial Real Estate. Gary Wood ’97 is a fashion photographer in NYC. He just completed the cover of Nicki Minaj's newly released album "Pink Friday" and is working on an album cover for Columbia Records. John Thompson ’98 is now the “Minister of Propaganda” for Smuttynose Brewing Company and The Portsmouth Brewery. Ben Curtis ’99 is starring in the film "We Are the Hartmans." He lives and works in New York City.
Richard Hickson ’93 moved to Jackson, Miss., to start a new job as Chief Financial Officer of Parkway Properties.
Andrew James ’99 is in his fourth year of urology residency at University of Kansas Hospital. Jeff Barlew ’94 is at the University of Ohio, working on his Ph.D. in linguistics. Matthew Chandler ’94 is pursuing a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling at Mississippi College. Ryan Coulter ’96 is project manager for New Blue Construction with classmate Stuart Gaines ’96. Barry Large ’96 has launched a Chattanooga news website, www.nooga.com.
Bryan Sansbury ’03 will complete his M.A. degree in Classical Studies at the University of Florida this spring. Charlie Allderdice ’04 was published in the February issue of the Journal of Investigative Medicine for his research on interventional medication given to heart patients during surgery. Allderdice also presented his findings at the Southern Regional meeting of the American Federation for Medical Research in New Orleans. John Brandon ’04 is a professional opera singer. He recently performed in "Carmen" with the Nashville Opera and in "Faust" with the North Carolina Opera.
2000s
Jordan Moniuszko ’04 works with American Marine Systems in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Matthew Hitchcock ’00 is finishing family practice residency at Naval Hospital in Camp Pendleton. He will then join the 2nd Marine Infantry Division at Camp LeJeune, N.C., as a regimental surgeon.
Hammel Monroe ’06 is teaching at Graland Country Day School in Denver, Colo.
Rufus Marye ’00 returned from Iraq last July, and is attending Field Artillery Captains Career Course at Fort Sill, Okla. John Shaw ’00 and his wife Amy live in Durham, N.C., where John is a scientist for TranSystems, and Amy works as a microbiologist.
Here Turkey, Turkey . . . Jeff McKamey ’79 took first-place at the 2011 National Wild Turkey Federation’s Grand National Call Competition in February in Nashville. His call was chosen over 700 entries.
Jeff makes his own calls, wooden boxes with a flat top piece that, when scratched across the bottom in a certain way, make a unique turkey sound. Since his win, he has been flooded with orders for a custommade McKamey turkey call. Jeff, who also took two firstplace ribbons and two second places in regional competition, is vice president/general manager of Capital Toyota in Chattanooga.
Jay Yoo ’02 works with Sun Trust Banks, Inc., as a Financial Services Representative in LaGrange, Ga. Chris Hartman ’03 was promoted to Captain in the U.S. Army. He is serving his second 12-month deployment in Kandahar, Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division. Greg Imboden ’03 teaches at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tenn.
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Zachary Dixon ’06 graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee in 2010 with degrees in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering. He is pursuing a master’s degree in aerospace systems design at Georgia Tech. Tommy Tobin ’06 wrote a profile of McCallie’s Caldwell Writing Center, and it was published in the The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas. Tommy graduated from Stanford University with distinction, and is headed to Georgetown Law School. Jordan Thomas ’07 will be featured in the June edition of Atlantic Ave. Monthly magazine, and a June issue of Parade Magazine, for his work with the Jordan Thomas Foundation. He is a student at Rollins College in Orlando, Fla. Duke Battles ’08 is a junior accounting/economics major in the Fellows Program at Baylor University and is completing a summer internship with Conoco Phillips in Oklahoma. Andrew Ryan Daly ’08 studied at American University in Cairo, Egypt, for the fall 2010 semester.
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DUCk DAY This year's muchanticipated Duck Day came on April 25. On a postcard-perfect Monday, the boys got to unwind before heading into the month of May and final exams.
Duck Day is wet 'n wild inflatables, beach volleyball, football, Frisbee and soccer. Duck Day is a pi単ata, faculty Olympics and eating contests. Duck Day is the opening of the lake and the belly flop contest. McCa llie m aga zine |
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PROM – A McCallie Night Like No Other
Springtime at McCallie is a busy time of the school year: Awards Day, Commencement, Duck Day, exams, Frisbee, induction ceremonies, Spring Break, Spring musical, Spring play, baseball, crew, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track, swimming in the lake, Whirlwind.
H e admast er
Dr. R. Kirk Walker, Jr. ’69
Director
of
comm u n icatio n s
Billy T. Faires ’90
The Prom is also an annual spring occurrence. It allows the boys the chance to cut loose, cut a rug, break, pop, hip hop and bust a move. However this generation describes its dancing, the boys and their dates always have a groovy time.
M cCallie M aga zi n e Editor
Jeff Romero
Chairma n of th e Board
L. Hardwick Caldwell '66
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
B oard of T r u st e e s Board of Trustees
Haddon Allen ’66
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA
James W. Burns ’89
New york city, new york
Robert G. Card ’66
CLEVELAND, TENNESSEE
Bradley B. Cobb ’86
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, TENNESSEE
E. Robert Cotter III ’69
Joseph M. Haskins ’76
R. Kincaid Mills ’88
W. Kirk Crawford ’77
Michael I. Lebovitz ’82
Glenn H. Morris ’82
J. Hal Daughdrill III ’73
James P. McCallie ’56
Dennis Oakley ’72
John A. Fogarty, Jr. ’73
Conrad R. Mehan ’77
Joseph Edward Petty ’80
NEW CANAAN, Connecticut CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA atlanta, georgia
WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, TENNESSEE Chattanooga, Tennessee Rome, Georgia
ASHBURN, Virginia
Lookout Mountain, Georgia CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE WAYNESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
Sanford B. Prater ’66
ESSEX FELLS, NEW JERSEY
Colin M. Provine ’88 tampa, florida
Marcus H. Rafiee ’80
Charlotte, North Carolina
Robert J. Walker ’58 Nashville, Tennessee