Mercersburg Magazine - Fall 2014

Mercersburg A magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends

Coming Soon

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Meet Nolde Gymnasium’s new neighbors Page 14

VOLUME 41

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A magazine for Mercersburg Academy family and friends

Mercersburg

Team Mercersburg

14 1,025 Words

Smile for the camera. Page 8

The Great Indoors Go inside the next big addition to Mercersburg’s athletic complex—a 64,000-square-foot field house for which ground will break in 2015. Page 14

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Team Mercersburg They’re Bengals and Mets; holders of MAPL championships, world No. 1 rankings, Final Four appearances, Olympic gold medals, and a Lombardi Trophy; and are now appearing on televisions and mobile devices near you. (And they’re all Mercersburg alumni.)

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You Should Know

Student Council President and salutatorian Gun Ho Ro ’14 led the procession of flags representing the graduating class into the Irvine Memorial Chapel during the Class of 2014’s Baccalaureate ceremony.

The 127 members of the class matriculated this fall at 90 different colleges and universities.

Photo credits: p. 2 Chris Crisman; p. 3 courtesy Katherine Dyson, p. 4 Jillian Kesner; p. 5 (Caretti) Bill Green, (Jones) Ryan Smith, (all others) Stacey Talbot Grasa; p. 6 (Campaign) Brian Hargrove, (new faculty) Green, (Haiti) courtesy Matt Maurer; p. 7 (Hicks) Grasa, (all others) Green; p. 10 (all photos) Green; p. 11 (top right, middle right) Kesner, (all others) Green; p. 13 (all photos) Green; p. 15 Bowie Gridley Architects; p. 16–17 Mercersburg Academy Archives; p. 18 Marleen Van den Neste; p. 19 Green; p. 20 Mercersburg Academy Archives; p. 21 Bowie Gridley Architects; p. 23 Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins; p. 24 Buren Foster/Charlotte Knights; p. 25 (Atkins) courtesy Claire Atkins, (Mitchell) Smith, (Moore) courtesy Charles Moore; p. 27 New York Mets; p. 28 Phil Hoffmann/Baltimore Ravens; p. 31 (action) Terry Shickle, (headshot) Grasa; p. 32 courtesy Mary Curtis Blair; p. 33 John Nimick; p. 35 Lee Owen; p. 36 Kansas City Chiefs; p. 37 (Lowe/Davies) NBC Sports Group, (Larson) University of Texas Athletic Media Relations, (Rodgers) Syracuse University Athletics; p. 39 (top left, top right) Green, (bottom) Bob Stoler; p. 40–41 (dance) Smith, (music) Kesner; p. 41 (Chorale) Green; p. 43 Stoler; p. 44 (squash) courtesy Chip Vink, (swimming) Smith; p. 45 Green; p. 46 (all photos) Stoler; p. 47 (all photos) Kesner; p. 48–51 (all photos) Green Cover illustration: Bowie Gridley Architects

From the Head of School Via Mercersburg Commencement Arts Athletics Reunion Weekend Class Notes Mercersburg magazine is published three times annually by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications.

Mercersburg Academy 300 East Seminary Street Mercersburg, Pennsylvania 17236 Magazine correspondence: Lee_Owen@mercersburg.edu Class Notes correspondence: classnotes@mercersburg.edu Alumni correspondence/ change of address: alumni@mercersburg.edu 800-588-2550

2 3 10 39 43 48 52 Read us online: www.mercersburg.edu/magazine Editor: Lee Owen Class Notes Editor: Tyler Miller Contributors: Shelton Clark, Jillian Kesner, Tyler Miller, Zally Price, Ethan Vaughan, Wallace Whitworth Art Direction: Aldrich Design Head of School: Douglas Hale Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications: Wallace Whitworth Assistant Head for Enrollment: Tommy Adams Assistant Head for Advancement: Brian Hargrove

© Copyright 2014 Mercersburg Academy. All rights reserved. No content from this publication may be reproduced or reprinted in any form without the express written consent of Mercersburg Academy.

Mercersburg Academy abides by both the spirit and the letter of the law in all its employment and admission policies. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

Green Inks

From the Head of School

Mind. Body. Spirit.

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reat prep schools like Mercersburg are always in the act of evolving and becoming; the work is ever ongoing, and our job is not yet done.

William Mann Irvine understood from the beginning that for Mercersburg to grow and prosper, he would need the right facilities to deliver the complete educational program he envisioned—a program that would educate the mind, body, and spirit. In less than a decade on the job, he raised the necessary funds to build Nolde Gymnasium. Think about that: apart from the few buildings already in existence when he arrived at the school, Dr. Irvine’s first major capital project on the campus was an athletic facility. An accomplished athlete himself with a clear understanding of the powerful lessons athletics can impart, he correctly imagined Nolde as both beacon and magnet, a building which would distinguish and differentiate the then young school and establish healthy athletic competition as a priority.

When it comes to current construction of any new building, the guiding principles have not changed much since that time. Today, as then, there is clear intentionality surrounding every space the school decides to build, and program is always the key driver informing those decisions. Embedded in Dr. Irvine’s vision for Nolde—a remarkable building in its day for a school such as ours—was also, undoubtedly, the belief that facilities can and should elevate program. When Nolde rose on a barren field in 1912, word eventually spread, the athletic program soared, and the school began to attract some amazing coaches in the coming decades: Jimmy Curran, “King” John Miller, Fred Kuhn, John Trembley, Carol Anderson, Karl Reisner, and Pete Williams, just to name a few. Since the 1960s, we have continued to evolve and expand, renew, and refresh our entire athletic complex (see the feature on page 14), which includes a top-to-bottom renovation of Nolde in 2010.

And while competitive athletics remain a high priority for Mercersburg today, we also live in a time when the physical health, fitness, and well-being of our students are also high priorities; consequently, we must have spaces that deliver the best programs possible not only for athletics but also for our efforts in the physical-education and wellness arenas. Our program and our facilities also need to reflect and enhance our students’ ability to participate fully and successfully in both of these enterprises. In that spirit, the Board of Regents gave the green light in May to construct our first ever field house. Once financial commitments are secured at a sufficient level, we will then begin construction of a new state-of-theart aquatic center. Both these facilities will serve Mercersburg students in myriad ways on every side of the programmatic equation--athletic, physical education, fitness, wellness, and recreation. The new field house will fill a huge need in terms of our having flexible indoor training and competition space, while also bringing us into parity with other members of our athletic league. Similarly, the new aquatic center will provide state-of-the-art practice and competition space for our swimming program, keeping a bright light shining on one of the school’s most historic programs of excellence while also creating huge new opportunities for recreation and general fitness.

More than one hundred years ago, important decisions were made about new construction at Mercersburg, driven entirely by the programmatical needs of the school; a century later, we find ourselves in a similar place making similar choices for all the right reasons. Indeed, our job is not yet done.

Douglas Hale Head of School

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D at es to Rem em b er

Dec 14

Christmas Candlelight Service (4 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.)

Irvine Memorial Chapel

Jan 26 Hendrickson Organ Recital: Craig Cramer (7 p.m.)

Mercersburg A roundup of what’s news, what’s new, and what Mercersburg people are talking about.

Irvine Memorial Chapel

Feb 25 Declamation (7:15 p.m.)

Simon Theatre, Burgin Center for the Arts

May 23 Commencement (10:30 a.m.)

Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu

A Summer in Kabul Two Mercersburg teachers contribute to a growing educational movement inside Afghanistan

Mercersburg faculty members Allison Stephens and Katherine Dyson spent six weeks over the summer working with students, teachers, and administrators at the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), a boarding school for girls in the Afghan capital city of Kabul. The school serves approximately 40 girls from across Afghanistan who

board on the school’s compound and attend classes there while also attending Kabul public schools for a portion of each class day.

Stephens and Dyson (who teach history and English at Mercersburg) initially connected with SOLA’s founder, Shabana BasijRasikh, when she gave the Schaff Lecture at Mercersburg in September 2013. In her talk,

Basij-Rasikh explained SOLA’s academic mission: “SOLA enables a small number of students with exceptional intellectual and leadership qualities to gain access to education at the most competitive schools available to any woman, anywhere.” The school’s mission is carried out by Afghan leadership augmented by international volcontinued on page 4

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unteers who work on site in Afghanistan and from the U.S. “As a global history teacher, I know that nations that educate their female population also become more viable economically and stronger globally,” says Stephens, who has been at Mercersburg since 1987 and teaches AP United States history, American studies, and three term courses focused on Islamic and Middle Eastern issues. “To me, this was an obvious and important way for me to contribute to something much bigger than myself.”

Stephens traces the development of her interest in the region to her service as coleader of a Mercersburg school trip to Oman and Israel in 2007. “I am still very much a student of Middle Eastern history, and it has become an obsession for me,” she says.

“It is so relevant to us and to our history as Americans, and as a teacher, educating American students about the Middle East and the Islamic world is imperative.”

As SOLA makes its transition from a nongovernmental organization to a registered Afghan school, the school’s leadership is looking to local Afghan teachers to help carry out its academic mission. In keeping with the international boarding-school model, the teachers are training in 21st-century methods and pedagogy. Initially, they spent three

weeks shadowing teachers at Brooks School in Massachusetts, and Stephens and Dyson continued these efforts at SOLA in collaboration with the teachers.

“We were tasked with teacher training,” Dyson says. “While we introduced strategies based on student-centered learning—which is an unthinkable approach in the typical Afghan classroom—we quickly realized that these teachers are creating something uniquely SOLA that amalgamates both the international and Afghan approaches to education. Their classrooms are blank canvases to create and support a new culture.”

The school’s goal is to gain accreditation and eventually adopt an International Baccalaureate curriculum while increasing the size of its student body to more than 300.

“It’s really important for the students to have Afghan teachers who understand the educational culture and are more aware of the obstacles,” Stephens says. “Girls who have grown up in a war zone have obviously experienced a lot of disconnectedness. They need as much stability as possible in their lives, and the classroom is a critical part of that.”

While safety and security are clear concerns in a country scarred by decades of war (civilian deaths in Afghanistan were up 17 percent in the first six months of

Stephens

2014 as compared to the same period in 2013), Stephens says the benefits of spending six weeks at SOLA were worth the risk.

“Vigilance was certainly important when we were there,” she says. “But statistically, there is more danger in riding in a car than in simply being in Kabul. So much of our work was very site-specific to the school, and native Afghans like the students we teach are far more likely to experience the violence than expats.”

Stephens and Dyson continue to stay connected to SOLA and to the students and faculty working to build Afghanistan’s future.

They hope to establish a lasting connection between the Mercersburg and SOLA communities. One idea, potentially, is to bring SOLA into a group of schools participating in an annual symposium on environmental and global topics. Since 2007, Mercersburg students have attended events on three continents alongside schools from Argentina, China, Germany, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom; in March 2015, Mercersburg will host a symposium on renewable resources.

“We want to find ways of staying involved meaningfully so that we model sustainable international service and help realize Shabana’s vision—not only for SOLA, but also for Afghanistan,” Stephens says.

Dyson

’Burg’s Eye View

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Matthew Caretti delivered the address a t M e r c e r s b u r g ’s 2014–2015 Opening Convocation, which

officially kicked off the school’s 122nd academic year Caretti September 7 in the Irvine Memorial Chapel.

Caretti, who is in his 13th year on the Mercersburg faculty, teaches English, serves as director of the school’s Writing Center, and works with Mercersburg Outdoor Education (MOE). His many duties at Mercersburg have included stints as assistant director of communications; as a dormitory dean; and as an assistant football coach. He has served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa and as an assistant professor of English language and literature at Yeungnam University in Korea.

Also at Convocation, the Michelet Prize was awarded to Alex Jackson ’15 of Greencastle, Pennsylvania. The award is presented to the student who, during the upper-middler (11th grade) year, most distinguishes himself or herself in scholarship, character, and school spirit. The award is supported by an endowment established

by Simon Michelet in memory of his son, Robert ’30, whose career at the Academy and at Dartmouth College was almost ideal in its quality and influence. The yield on the endowment is presented each year to the recipient on the assumption that it will be for use during the senior year.

The Culbertson Prize was awarded to C.J. Walker ’17 of Fairfax, Virginia. The prize is supported by the F.M. Kirby Foundation of Morristown, N.J., which established an endowed program of scholarships to honor the late John H. Culbertson ’24. It recognizes a student entering the 10th grade who Jackson

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campus notes

gives evidence of exceptional promise and who has already demonstrated outstanding accomplishment.

The 2014–2015 Mercersburg student body includes 437 students from 30 U.S. states and 40 nations of the world. There are 374 boarding students and 62 day students, as well as one student participating in School Year Abroad (in China). 52 percent of the student body is male; 48 percent is female.

International students make up 23 percent of the population. This year’s senior class includes 120 students.

San Filippo

Walker

Faculty members Hope San Filippo and Nikki Walker have been chosen as this year’s recipients of two annual awards that recognize excellence in teaching.

San Filippo, a member of the classical & modern languages department who teaches Spanish, is the 2014–2015 recipient of the Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award for Religious & Interdisciplinary Studies, while Walker, who is head of the physicaleducation department and teaches science, has been named the 2014–2015 Zern Excellence in Teaching Award honoree.

San Filippo’s initial role at Mercersburg was as a staff member for Mercersburg’s summer ESL+ program in 2011, when she taught English as a Second Language and American culture. She returned to ESL+ in summer 2013 as assistant director, and joined the Academy faculty that fall. San Filippo serves as the school’s director of international exchanges, a position in which she works with students and faculty from Mercersburg’s sister schools in Chile, China, France, and Germany to plan and oversee annual exchange visits at Mercersburg and at the schools abroad. She and her husband, Anthony, have two children (both Mercersburg graduates): John ’12 and Katie ’14.

Walker has been a member of the Mercersburg faculty since 2006 and has lived on campus since 2003, when her husband, Dan, joined the faculty as a history teacher and the school’s head football coach. While at the Academy, she has taught biology, anatomy, human development, and physical education; served as head coach of the girls’ outdoor track & field and softball teams; and worked on the school’s Accreditation for Growth Committee. Walker has also been an instructor and clinical coordinator for athletic training in the kinesiology department at Penn State University.

Both teaching awards are awarded to a Mercersburg faculty member on an annual basis. The Ammerman Distinguished Te a c h i n g Aw a r d f o r R e l i g i o u s & Interdisciplinary Studies was established

by Andrew Ammerman ’68 and his mother, Josephine, while the Zern Excellence in Teaching Award was established by Allen Zern ’61 and his wife, Judith. Ammerman is an emeritus member of Mercersburg’s Board of Regents, while Zern has served on the Board since 1995 and as a vice president of the organization since 2002.

John Jones ’73, a member of Mercersburg’s Board of Regents and a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, issued Jones the May 2014 ruling in Whitewood v. Wolf, which declared Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

Jones was nominated for the federal bench in 2002 by President George W. Bush. He has served on Mercersburg’s Board of Regents since 2010 and is also a member of the board of trustees at Dickinson College, from which he earned bachelor’s and law degrees. He has appeared on CNN, PBS, Al Jazeera America, and NBC’s Today, and was named to the Time 100 (the magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people) in 2006.

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Daring to Lead Campaign Update Mercersburg’s Office of Advancement & Alumni Relations held events in support of the Daring to Lead Campaign in September in Boston and in October in Philadelphia. The Campaign, which is now officially in its second year after being publicly announced in October 2013, has passed the $225 million mark on its way to a goal of $300 million. For more information, visit www.mercersburg.edu/ daringtolead.

Board of Regents President Emeritus Denise Dupré ’76 and her nephew, Eli Littlefield ’11

Magdalena Kala ’09, Melody Gomez ’13, Campaign co-chair John Prentiss ’65, Michaella Hoehn-Saric ’13

Meet the New Faculty

Twelve new faculty members have been appointed at Mercersburg for the 2014–2015 academic year. Front row (L–R): Ben McNeil (classical & modern languages), Grace Buckles (admission), Jillian Nataupsky (college counseling/history), Tamara Harris (fine-arts intern), Sarah Bozzi (mathematics), Abby Schindler (dormitory dean). Back row: Glenn Neufeld (director of aquatics/college counseling), Sally O’Rourke (college counseling), Brett Potash (director of dormitories/history), Kristen Pixler (fine arts), Jay Bozzi (history), Sydney Caretti (fine arts).

Hello from Around the World

Over the summer, Mercersburg student and faculty groups on official school trips visited Brazil (for RoboCup Junior 2014), France, Germany, Poland, South Africa, Spain, and Haiti (pictured at left). Trips are tentatively scheduled in 2015 to Chile, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, and Malawi, as well as Mercersburg Outdoor Education excursions to Utah and the New River Gorge of West Virginia.

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NEW FACULTY APPOINTMENTS Eric Hicks

Sally O’Rourke

associate academic dean

director of college counseling

Hicks joined the Mercersburg faculty in 1992 as a science teacher. He became the school’s first director of dormitories in 2009 and just completed his 20th year as the head boys’ tennis coach, and adds the role of associate academic dean to his titles.

Hicks will continue as the school’s registrar and as a teacher of biology. His wife, Renee, is a fellow member of the science faculty; their oldest child, Elliot ’16, is in his third year at Mercersburg.

Eric Hicks earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster, where he played soccer and tennis, and holds a master’s degree from Wesleyan University. He was the 1995–1996 recipient of Mercersburg’s James M. Johnston Foundation Chair; in 2014, he was appointed the school’s Robert R. Black ’25 Chair.

In his new role as associate academic dean, Hicks succeeds Matthew Kearney, who is now head of the upper school at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida.

O’Rourke arrives at Mercersburg after serving as college counselor, AP coordinator, and team leader for the college advising program at Andover High School in Andover, Massachusetts. She has served as an admissions application reader at Northeastern University in Boston and as a college counselor at Campus Bound, a company that offers comprehensive college-admission and financial-aid services.

From 2007 to 2009, she was the resident director for grades 9–12 at Andover A Better Chance, a non-profit organization that gives young, talented youth of color the opportunity to achieve their dreams through education, in addition to working with the Forman School. She holds degrees from Tufts University and the Catholic University of America.

In her role as director of college counseling, O’Rourke succeeds Bill McClintick, who has become Mercersburg’s first dean of college relations and outreach.

Glenn Neufeld

Brett Potash

director of aquatics/ head swimming coach

director of dormitories

Since 2000, Neufeld has served as director of competitive aquatics and national team coach at the Upper Main Line YMCA in Berwyn, Pennsylvania (with the exception of the 2003–2004 season, which he spent as assistant swimming coach at the University of Alabama). His teams have consistently finished in the top five at YMCA Nationals, and his swimmers have won 44 YMCA national titles and a YMCA national championship in 2009.

A native of East Windsor, New Jersey, Neufeld graduated from the Peddie School and was the 2011 YMCA National Coach of the Year; he has served on the YMCA Swimming National Advisory Committee for the past three years.

Neufeld holds a bachelor’s degree from Elizabethtown College and a master’s from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, and will also work as a college counselor at Mercersburg. His predecessor, Pete Williams, is continuing at Mercersburg as associate swim coach.

Potash comes to Mercersburg from The Webb Schools in Claremont, California, where he served as dean of students and outdoor-program coordinator and taught world history, postmodern literature, and AP European history. He is teaching history at Mercersburg in addition to his duties as director of dormitories.

Potash has previously served on the faculty at the American College of Sofia in Bulgaria (2008 to 2010) and Olney Friends School in Barnesville, Ohio (2001 to 2006). He earned a bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshall College and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Potash and his wife, Betsy, are dorm parents and faculty advisers in Tippetts Hall on campus. As director of dormitories, he succeeds Eric Hicks, who accepted the position of associate academic dean.

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1,025 Words Everybody say cheese.

Mercersburg’s 437 students and 100 faculty members gathered on the steps of Main Hall for the traditional all-school photograph on Convocation day. Photo by Bill Green.

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By the Numbers 127 graduates, representing 17 states, the District of Columbia, and 18 nations Members of the class matriculated at 90 different institutions Most-popular college choices: Gettysburg College (four matriculations), Lafayette College (three), Northeastern University (three), Syracuse University (three), U.S. Naval Academy (three), University of Tampa (three), University of Virginia (three) Valedictorian: Tommy Zhou, Shanghai, China Salutatorian: Gun Ho Ro, Daegu, Korea Schaff Orator: Josh Setliff, Richmond, Virginia Class Orator: Caitlin Cremins, Hagerstown, Maryland Class Marshals: Jack Flanagan, Delmar, New York; Meghan Peterson, Greencastle, Pennsylvania Commencement speaker: Brent Gift, retiring faculty member Baccalaureate speaker: Ryan Bennett, faculty member since 1999

Brent Gift, invited speaker

“One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to develop and maintain a good sense of humor, and to be able to laugh at yourselves… I truly believe that humor is one of mankind’s most advanced evolutionary traits and allows us to cope with the evermore complex world that we are creating.”

—Brent Gift, invited speaker and retiring faculty member

Gun Ho Ro ’14, salutatorian

Caitlin Cremins ’14, Class Orator

Josh Setliff ’14, Schaff Orator

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“Now is the time to put our faith in the fruits of our Mercersburg experience—by drawing strength from the lifelong friendships; by garnering support through our alumni network; by applying the skills and knowledge we have gained; and by staying hopeful as we stumble—because we know that even in our darkest hours, we’ll always be there for each other and for future Mercersburg classes. Today we walk off this platform as one family and as one person.”

—Tommy Zhou ’14, valedictorian

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Class of 2014 Legacy Graduates 1. John B. Garrett, son of John C. Garrett Jr. ’84 2. Conor Healy, son of Don Healy ’85. 3. Rose Pennington, daughter of Larry Pennington ’74. 4. Rachel Rosa, daughter of Julie Tchobanglous-Rosa ’80. 5. James Boggs, grandson of the late James Mumma ’42.

6. Keegan Sullivan, grandson of Robert Black ’55. 7. Johnny Mancini, son of Molly Jones Mancini ’79 and grandson of the late J. Richard “Dick” Jones ’48. 8. Richard Grace III, son of Richard Grace Jr. ’74 and grandson of the late Richard Grace ’45. 9. MacKenzie Brink ’14, daughter of John Brink ’69. 10. Zoe Alpert, daughter of Andrew Alpert ’82. 11. Lizzie Martin, daughter of Tony Martin ’88. 12. Payton Lissette and Max Lissette, daughter and son of Stacie Rice Lissette ’85. 13. Jack Flanagan, son of Dave Flanagan ’81 and grandson of Thomas Flanagan ’38. 14. Max Hovenden, son of Claudia Bayona Hovenden ’84 and Todd Hovenden ’84. 15. Robins L. McIntosh, son of Robins P. McIntosh Jr. and grandson of the late Robins P. McIntosh ’42. 16. Brad McGhee, son of Walter McGhee ’78.

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Class of 2014 Prizes for Distinguished Academic Performance Cum Laude Society Merrall Echezarreta Margarita Fedorova Robin Fisher Jack Flanagan Vincent Hsu Steven Jo Andrew Kim David Lee Elizabeth Long Duy Mai Rose Pennington Anna Qin Charlotte Rhoad James Riford Gun Ho Ro Rachel Rosa Katie San Filippo Josh Setliff Jordan Shihadeh Elizabeth Stern-Green Keegan Sullivan Delaney Taylor Chris Thomas Philip Yang Tommy Zhou

David Lee Jacob Leebron Elizabeth Long Duy Mai Phillip McGloin Kathleen Mills Dikachi Osaji Rose Pennington Anna Qin Charlotte Rhoad James Riford Trustin Riley Gun Ho Ro Rachel Rosa Lexie Royal-Eatmon Katie San Filippo Josh Setliff Jordan Shihadeh Alex Smadja Elizabeth Stern-Green Keegan Sullivan Delaney Taylor Chris Thomas Nick Vogel Philip Yang Tommy Zhou

President’s Education Award for Educational Excellence Amanda Begley Pearce Bloom Sara Carmona Machado Maggie Collins Merrall Echezarreta Margarita Fedorova Robin Fisher Jack Flanagan Jordan Hotz Vincent Hsu Shahmeer Hussain Steven Jo Andrew Kim Juny Kim Zack Landau

English The Harry F. Smith Prize Tommy Zhou The William C. Heilman (1896) Prize Josh Setliff The Pratt L. Tobey Prize Jordan Shihadeh The Gordon M. Macartney Prize MacKenzie Brink

Fine Arts The Head of School’s Purchase Prize Natalie Burkardt and Emily Mitchell The Austin V. McClain ’26 Prize in Fine Arts Juny Kim The Drawing Award Ayla Mellott The Blue Review Art Award Elizabeth Long The Digital Arts Award Chantel Yague The Music Director’s Prize Kyle Hawbaker The Paul M. Suerken Prize Andrew Kim The Senior Instrumental Music Prize Tony Yim

The Dance Director’s Award Lisa Grosser The Excellence in Dance and Choreography Prize Megan Burke and Robin Fisher The Stony Batter Prize Caitlin Cremins

The Dr. Julius Shamansky Prize Andrew Kim

History The AP Comparative Government Prize Josh Setliff

The Poetry Prize Katie San Filippo

The AP European History Prize Merrall Echezarreta

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The Elective Studies in History Award Melanie Rankin

The Colonel Wills Prize Tommy Zhou (first prize) Chris Thomas (second prize) Classical & Modern Languages The John H. Montgomery Prize in Advanced Level French Sara Carmona Machado The Advanced Level German Prize Tommy Zhou The H. Eugene Davis Prize in Spanish Katie San Filippo Mathematics The Linear Algebra Prize Chris Thomas The Statistics Prize Philip Yang Science The William O. Allen AP Biology Prize Gun Ho Ro The Brent Gift AP Environmental Science Prize Rose Pennington Athletics/Outdoor Education The Leonard Plantz Award Will Walter the Darrell Ecker Award Meghan Peterson

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The Frank Hoffmeier (1896) Scholar/Athlete Prize Gun Ho Ro The Persis F. Ross Award Merrall Echezarreta and Grace Caroline Wiener Special Awards U.S. Military Academy at West Point Certificate Collin Kessinger James Riford U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis Certificate Joseph Barrett Joseph Jaime Kathleen Mills The Community Service Award Philip Yang The Daughters of American Revolution Good Citizen Award Tommy Zhou The Yale University Aurelian Prize Kathleen Mills The Francis Shunk Downs (1902) Prize Payton Lissette The William C. Fowle Award Duy Mai The Carol Amorocho ’81 Prize Dikachi Osaji The Mary Jane Berger Prize Johnny Mancini The Tim O. Rockwell Award James Boggs The Head of School’s Prize Tommy Zhou

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The Great Indoors

Inside Mercersburg’s field house—on which construction begins in 2015— and a sneak peek at its future aquatic neighbor

By Lee Owen

For a school of its size, Mercersburg Academy has always been a veritable melting pot of athletic opportunity. Any school that has produced 54 Olympians—men and women, from countries large and small, who have captured medals of all three hues in Olympiads held from Los Angeles to Barcelona and Antwerp to Helsinki—knows the importance of educating the body as well as the mind.

In July 1912, Ted Meredith, who had graduated from Mercersburg just weeks before, won two gold medals in track & field (then called simply “athletics”) at the 1912 Summer Olympics (formally the “Games of the V Olympiad”) in Stockholm. Meredith set world records in both events he won: the 800-meter run (1:51.9 seconds) and the 4x400-meter relay as one of the four members of the U.S. team (3:16.6).

That fall, after Meredith matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania, Mercersburg completed the Carl Lewis Nolde Memorial Gymnasium, which was described at its opening by the Mercersburg News as “one of the most beautiful as well as one of the best equipped gymnasiums in the world.” Some key components of the $120,000 building were the main “gymnasium room,” with its elevated track (still preserved today above the McDowell Fitness Center) and apparatus; a 75-foot by 30-foot swimming pool; two separate locker rooms for boys and faculty; fencing, boxing, and wrestling rooms; and six sets of shower baths.

More than 100 years and two major renovations later, Nolde continues to serve as the nerve center for the school’s athletic and physical-education programs. Surrounding the heart of the gym complex are the Plantz Courts, the Kuhn Wrestling Center, the Davenport Squash Center, the Flanagan Pool, and the Davenport Squash Center, which is celebrating its 10th year in 2014. Athletic facilities at Mercersburg also include numerous playing fields, the 14-court Smoyer Tennis Center and Frantz Tennis Pavilion complex, and the Jimmy Curran Track, which rings the varsity football field is and named for one of the school’s most legendary coaches (and certainly one of its most memorable characters).

But make room.

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Construction will begin in 2015 on the first of two crucial pieces to the school’s athletic puzzle: a 64,000-square-foot field house whose highlight is a 200-meter, competition-level indoor track with an infield for field events that can be converted for use as basketball or tennis courts or other practice or competition space. It will be located adjacent to the north end of Nolde on the former site of the Funkhouser Tennis Courts, which became a parking lot after the Smoyer Tennis Center was built in 2001. The field house is a key capital priority of Mercersburg’s Daring to Lead Campaign and has a total project cost of approximately $12 million.

“The field house will immeasurably enhance the athletic and physical-education experience for all our students,” Head of School Douglas Hale says. “It will bring Mercersburg into parity with the other member schools of the Mid-Atlantic Prep League and elevate our athletics program in the way that the Burgin Center elevated our performing and fine-arts program.”

Future plans call for the construction of an approximately 40,000-square-foot aquatic center with a 50-meter Olympic-size pool; a separate diving well featuring one-meter and three-meter boards; and other features. The aquatic center will adjoin the gymnasium on its east side.

The field house (left side of rendering) will be situated just north of Nolde Gymnasium

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Bowie Gridley Architects, which is based in Washington, D.C., is designing the field house and aquatic center. The firm, which includes Bill Gridley ’69 as a principal, has previously worked with Mercersburg on the 2010 renovations to Nolde Gymnasium as well as design for the Smoyer Tennis Center, Davenport Squash Center, faculty housing, and on two campus master plans.

“ The field house will elevate our athletics program in the way that the Burgin Center elevated our performing and fine-arts program.”

—Douglas Hale

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The past, present, and future

Curran, whose name adorns Mercersburg’s outdoor track, coached at Mercersburg for 51 years (1910 to 1961). His athletes—a group that encompassed 13 Olympians who won seven medals, including six of the 10 gold medals earned by Mercersburg athletes all-time—never had the benefit of an indoor facility, despite their regular appearances in the prestigious Millrose Games at New York City’s Madison Square Garden and a track record of indoor and outdoor success rarely equaled by any high-school program. Instead, his athletes shoveled

snow off the old wooden track to clear it before practice. (Though Blue Storm athletes have a modern rubberized outdoor surface for competition and workouts today, they must still do their fair share of winter shoveling in order to run on a track.)

“The new venue and the areas associated with it will give us the opportunity to really celebrate our track & field heritage and our history,” says Rick Hendrickson, Mercersburg’s director of athletics. “The 29 Penn Relays plaques will go back up. The banners from as far back as the early 1900s will go back up. The graphics will reflect

Nolde Gymnasium’s original “gymnasium room” has been used as a basketball arena, wrestling room, and even as a venue for Stony Batter theatre productions. It was fully renovated in 1997 and today is the McDowell Fitness Center.

the changing nature that was Mercersburg and is Mercersburg today. Our track & field history really is one of the most illustrious of any school, and it’s certainly one of the most accomplished of our programs.”

Track & field is also the school’s largest athletic program in terms of numbers; the indoor team includes approximately 80 athletes. Yet it has never had an actual indoor home—and setting up hurdles in the hallways of Nolde, which the team sometimes must do (carefully) in order to prepare for meets, doesn’t count.

“As a team, the indoor program really is

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Jimmy Curran (left) with four of his athletes at the start of a 60-yard dash on the old board track in 1939

both an attraction and a destination for runners—those who will run in the outdoor season in the spring—as well as a large number of crossover athletes,” Hendrickson says. “We have softball players who run hurdles in the winter. We have football players who run sprints. We have baseball players who throw the shot put. This team has a real diversity to it, and it’s about a 50-50 split between boys and girls. And they will certainly be at the top of the list to benefit from the new building.”

On a rainy or snowy day, the school’s in-season athletic teams must practice inside (if, in the case of outdoor teams, they even get to practice at all because of limited indoor space in Nolde Gymnasium). During the fall and spring seasons, the only squads that compete indoors are the volleyball and club swimming teams; the rest are forced to alter their practice routines in the event of inclement weather.

“As soon as the ground freezes outside, it really becomes impossible to practice the field events—long jump, triple jump, and some of the skill events,” says David Grady, who is entering his 11th year as Mercersburg’s head indoor track & field coach and has coached track & field and/or cross country at the school in some capacity

since 1995. “Being able to have regular practice will be a huge help.

In a lot of the technical skill events, it will be a significant gain for our program. And that extends to the runners—we may have a particular workout planned one day and then we get snow and we have to adjust the plan. We’ve been pretty good at adjusting, but this will allow us to have a more reliable practice schedule for our athletes and to do what’s most beneficial for them.”

With its 200-meter, competition-size track, the field house will allow Mercersburg to host indoor meets—both high-school competitions and even potentially USA Track & Field indoor age-group events. Given the relative lack of indoor facilities in the immediate region, this could translate into a somewhat reduced travel schedule for Mercersburg athletes.

“You just don’t find many places with six-lane, 200-meter indoor tracks within range of us, which is why we end up traveling so much,” Grady says. “And many other schools are in the same boat, so a lot of the indoor meets we compete in are very large in terms of the number of teams that compete, and there’s a lot of waiting around once you get there. On a typical meet day, we leave early in the morning, we’re gone all day, and we get home in the late

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“ We know firsthand that this will be a game changer for the students and the athletic department in terms of training, practice, and overall student health and well-being.”

evening. Sometimes that means our athletes are traveling two and a half hours to run 55 meters. It’s a different meet experience than you would have at a home meet, to say the least.”

Even the programs that will not receive new competition space from the field house’s construction will benefit. Take the school’s boys’ and girls’ basketball programs, for instance. The Plantz Courts, which were completed during the 1967–1968 school year and honor former athletic director Leonard Plantz, have served Mercersburg well as competition and practice space and will continue to do so. But Mercersburg has five basketball teams (varsity and junior-varsity squads for both boys and girls, plus a ninth-grade boys’ team) and just three courts. The space is also used for volleyball practices and matches in the fall and sometimes for wrestling matches in the winter. During inclement weather, the space is frequently pressed into service as a football or even a baseball, softball, or lacrosse practice venue. Naturally, the types of workouts for those sports that can take place in an enclosed space with walls

—Dylan Lissette and hardwood floors are minimal (even with the use of special balls that minimize the degree of impact with harder surfaces).

“The programming we are offering, in terms of both athletics and physical fitness, is bursting at the seams right now,” Hendrickson says. “Because of this, we are sometimes having to use some of our facilities for sports and activities that they were not designed to accommodate. Having the field house at our disposal will eliminate many of these problems and may even allow us to expand our programming.

“Inside the field house, we could have a track team practicing and also have either two basketball teams or four to eight tennis players working out [on the courts inside the track]—at the same time. We’ll have batting cages for baseball or softball. Of course, you can’t hold every one of these activities all at once, but the beauty of this building is that we will be able to configure it in whatever manner we need to on a given day.”

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Making it possible

This spring, Mercersburg’s Board of Regents voted to approve construction for the field house. Daring to Lead Campaign co-chairs John Prentiss ’65 and Deborah Simon ’74 announced at the Board’s May meeting that Regent Stacie Rice Lissette ’85 and her husband, Dylan, have contributed a lead gift toward the building’s construction. The gift, when combined with other commitments, brings the total raised for the field house to more than $10 million.

“We are very excited about Mercersburg’s commitment to building this field house,” Dylan Lissette says. “We know firsthand that this will be a game changer for the students and the athletic department in terms of training, practice, and overall student health and well-being.”

The Lissette family has deep roots both at Mercersburg and in the school’s athletic program. Stacie Rice Lissette played field hockey and squash as a student at the Academy, and was also a manager for the varsity baseball team. The couple’s two oldest children, twins Payton ’14 and Max ’14, graduated from the school in May; Payton (who attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) was a member of the Blue Storm’s girls’ soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams, while Max (now a freshman at Wake Forest University) competed in football, golf, boys’ basketball, soccer, and lacrosse during his four years at Mercersburg. Alex ’17 is in his second year at the school and plays soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. The two youngest Lissette siblings, Caleb and Colin, hope to one day follow in those footsteps on campus.

“Mercersburg transformed me and gave me a great foundation,” Stacie Rice Lissette says. “The impact that Mercersburg had— my four years there—were the difference in my education and personal growth.”

Stacie Rice Lissette ’85 and Dylan Lissette

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Into the (new) pool

To the east of Nolde Gymnasium will rise the school’s aquatic center, an approximately 40,000-square-foot facility that will house a much-anticipated and long-awaited addition to Mercersburg’s athletic portfolio—a 50-meter, Olympic-size pool.

The 16 most recent Olympians from Mercersburg have been swimmers, including gold medalists Melvin Stewart ’88 (who won two golds and a bronze in 1992) and Rich Saeger ’82 (a gold in 1984) and Betsy Mitchell ’83 (a gold and two silvers, in 1984 and 1988). Over the years, Mercersburg teams have captured more than 20 Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships, most recently when the Blue Storm boys finished first in 2010.

Legendary coaches “King” John Miller, John Trembley, and Pete Williams are among those to have patrolled previous and current Mercersburg pools. The 25-yard Flanagan Pool, the current home of the Blue Storm swimming and diving programs, has been in use since 1968 and

is named in memory of James Manley Flanagan ’36. (At the time of the current pool’s completion, Mercersburg was still a single-sex school.)

The new pool will employ a system of movable bulkheads that transform the full 50-meter distance into two separate 25-yard pools separated by a bulkhead. This means Mercersburg swimmers will potentially have the opportunity to train at multiple distances in the same day, which is important because Mercersburg fields both a high-school team (in the winter) and a USA Swimming-affiliated club program (during the entire academic year).

“It will allow our swimmers to train as USA Swimming long-course swimmers, which will serve us well with highly competitive swimmers and also international swimmers,” Hendrickson says. “During the high-school season, we could have kids training at 50 meters two or three mornings a week, and then they could train at the 25-yard distance in the afternoons. Remember that Michael Phelps, for

instance, never swam for his high-school team—he competed only for his USS club.

“And the 50-meter size gives us the flexibility to offer literally three separate activities at the same time that serve the broader school community. The competitive swim team can practice, the diving team can practice, and the wrestling team can be at the other end of the pool doing hydrotherapy or a recovery workout. Water workouts can be recovery-oriented or resistance-oriented. Our coaches are already employing water workouts when possible, and this will give them greater flexibility and more varied opportunities. It would also make it easier for us to offer, for example, kayaktraining sessions for outdoor education or lifeguard training and swimming-improvement classes.”

A Mercersburg diver airborne prior to construction of the Flanagan Pool

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A look inside the aquatic center (note: final exterior design may vary)

When the doors open

“ These are facilities that will be unequaled in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League.”

—Rick Hendrickson

All together, the new field house (approximately 64,000 square feet) and aquatic center (40,000 square feet) will be almost exactly equal to the size of Nolde Gymnasium (which is roughly 104,000 square feet). The field house is the first step and will take approximately 12 to 16 months to complete once construction begins.

“From a competitive standpoint, having this facility will give us the opportunity to host the types of teams that are already traveling to meets in Morgantown, West Virginia, or State College,” says Nikki Walker, who is Mercersburg’s physical-education department head and is also the school’s head girls’ outdoor track & field coach.

“Just having an impressive facility like this on campus will make an impression on those that come to visit here as competitors or spectators. Things like that leave lasting impressions on people.”

“These are facilities that will be unequaled in the MAPL,” Hendrickson says. “And we’re not building these buildings just for the indoor track & field team and swimmers. We’re building them to encompass the full realm of athletic and personal fitness we offer here. Both facilities will be used by so many different teams and so many individuals.”

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TEAM mercersburg A selected lineup of some of Mercersburg’s alumni athletes, coaches, media personalities, and those working behind the scenes.

Going to Kansas City?

The call to the major leagues may come soon for Christian Binford

By Lee Owen

Like a curveball’s path from mound to mitt, Christian Binford ’11 has not taken the direct route from Point A to Point B. In actuality, Binford (one of the top prospects in the Kansas City Royals’ organization at age 21) is already a few stops past Point B, and—after two promotions in a two-month span during the 2014 season—is just a long fly ball from the major leagues.

The 6-foot-6-inch Binford, a right-handed pitcher and a native of nearby Hagerstown, Maryland, ended his season the way every baseball player dreams of—celebrating a championship. Binford was the starting pitcher for the Omaha Storm Chasers in their 4–2 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox in the 2014 Triple-A National Championship Game. The Storm Chasers, who are the Royals’ top minor-league affiliate, won the Pacific Coast League title to advance to the championship game.

It marked the second time this season that Binford had pitched on national television; in July, while a member of the Class AA Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Binford tossed a scoreless inning for the U.S. team in the All-Star Futures Game, which was played the Sunday before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis.

“It’s wild to even think about how quickly this has all happened,” says Binford, who compiled an 8–7 overall record, a 2.28 earned-run average, and an impressive 6.31 strikeout-to-walk ratio as he climbed the minor-league ladder this season. “I started the year in high-Class A [Wilmington, Delaware], and they’ve kept giving me chances and I’ve just tried to do my best to make it a tough decision for them to keep me where I’ve been. I guess I never thought at my age and at my draft position that this could happen.”

It almost didn’t happen.

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Binford threw a no-hitter in his first high-school game, a win over Martinsburg [West Virginia] in March 2008. Mercersburg shared the Mid-Atlantic Prep League championship with Peddie that season. Expectations were high for Binford and the Blue Storm the next year, as they usually are on the baseball diamond. But in a game against rival Hill, Binford tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, ending his season and leaving him at a crossroads.

At one time, Tommy John surgery (in which a tendon from another part of the body—or a cadaver—is harvested to replace the damaged elbow ligament) was risky and thought of as a last resort for a pitcher. But Binford—all 16 years of him—had little choice if he wanted to continue to pursue his dream of playing professional baseball.

“My parents told me that I needed Tommy John while we were driving back from school one night, and I lost it,” he says. “I was devastated. I didn’t know anything about the surgery, and I thought it was career-ending. But once my dad [Mark ’74] calmed me down, we started looking around to find the best person in the business to do the surgery.”

Binford pitching in the All-Star Futures Game in Minneapolis

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Dr. James Andrews has been called “perhaps the most famous orthopedic surgeon in the world” by Sports Illustrated. Andrews, who is based in Birmingham, Alabama, has operated on the knees of Jack Nicklaus, Peyton Manning, and Robert Griffin III; the shoulders of Drew Brees, Charles Barkley, Roger Clemens, and Mike Schmidt; the hip and shoulder of Bo Jackson; and (pay close attention if you need Tommy John surgery) the elbows of John Smoltz, Andy Pettitte, and Stephen Strasburg.

And he answers his phone for 16-year-old pitchers from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, as well. So Binford flew to Alabama, and Andrews agreed to operate on his elbow. While his Mercersburg teammates were winning the 2009 MAPL title, Binford faced a long recovery.

“I definitely had to get over a lot of the mental hurdles [after the surgery],” Binford says. “There’s still scar tissue in there, so after I pitch, there’s more pain than a normal person who hasn’t had the surgery would feel. I had to learn the difference between being hurt or just being sore and tired. That comes with experience.

“I called Dr. Andrews a couple times and said, ‘I think I tore it again.’ He said, ‘Christian, your ligament is 15 times stronger than

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“ The beginning of my senior year is when things really started to pick up for me and I started to develop more and grow into my gangly body.”

—christian binford ’11

Binford pitching for the Omaha Storm Chasers in the Triple-A National Championship Game

the old one. Nothing is going to happen with it. If it does, it may happen five or 10 years down the road—not now.’ So I put all my trust in him, and it’s worked out. You never want to have surgery, but the silver lining is that when you have Dr. Andrews do it, you know you’re getting the best.”

Binford was back throwing just nine months after the surgery, though he wasn’t able to go the distance in games for the Blue Storm until the very end of the 2010 season. He helped Mercersburg to another MAPL crown—the Storm’s third in his four years on campus—during his senior year in 2011, and signed a national letter-of-intent to pitch at the University of Virginia. But when the Royals chose him in the 30th round of that year’s MLB First-Year Player Draft, he couldn’t say no.

“The beginning of my senior year is when things really started to pick up for me and I started to develop more and grow into my gangly body,” Binford says. “I started to figure things out, and I had great coaching at Mercersburg with [head] coach [Karl] Reisner and Gifty [assistant coach Brent Gift]. They were with me the whole time and helped me believe in myself. I felt really lucky that even if I didn’t get drafted or didn’t get offered enough to bypass college,

UVA would have been an amazing backup plan. But I know I made the right decision now. So I’m really happy.”

Binford worked out in Arizona with the Royals’ instructionalleague team after signing with the organization in the late summer of 2011. He spent 2012 with the Burlington [North Carolina] Royals in the Appalachian League before receiving the first of several promotions. Binford pitched for the Class A Lexington [Kentucky] Legends in 2013 and was named a South Atlantic League All-Star and the team’s Pitcher of the Year—an honor that earned him a trip to Kansas City to accept the award and meet a fellow Mercersburg alumnus, Dean Taylor ’69, who is the Royals’ assistant general manager.

“We were in spring training at the beginning of this year and he and I had been talking, and all the players were coming up to me and asking, ‘How do you know him? Why do you know him so well?’,” Binford says. “We went to the same high school. It’s great to have that connection and it’s been great meeting him and getting to talk about Mercersburg with him. Something that I think Mercersburg really taught me was how to develop into a young man and how to interact with adults, which is a really important life-skills

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Catching up with…

lesson. If you can have a conversation with a front-office executive of a major-league baseball team and not sound like a 5-yearold boy, that’s a huge deal when you’re a young player.”

Binford made another Mercersburg connection as he journeyed through the road map of Royals’ minor-league affiliates; when he pitched in Wilmington, he stayed at the home of Sharon and Beau Vinton ’67.

“They were so hospitable to me,” Binford says. “It’s been great getting to know them.

The outreach of the Mercersburg community really is far and wide.”

In June, when Binford was leading the Carolina League in strikeouts (92, coupled with just 11 walks in 82 2/3 innings), the Royals promoted him to Northwest Arkansas in the Texas League. He spent less than two months there before earning the call to Omaha, where he moved into the bullpen for the first time in his professional career and helped the Storm Chasers win their division and two rounds of Pacific Coast League playoff series before their season-ending win in the Triple-A National Championship Game. (At age 21, he was also the Pacific Coast League’s youngest player this year.)

“I throw a lot of strikes, I try to keep the ball on the ground, and I’m just trying to eat innings,” says Binford, who MLB.com ranks as the No. 8 prospect in the Royals’ system. “At this level, I need to learn how to pitch a little more than I did in AA and a lot more than in high-A. But I’m so thankful that the Royals have given me a chance to move up. I’m doing the best I can to show what I can do.

“If they give me a shot [at the majors], even if it’s for a month, a week, or even a day, I’ll take it and run with it.”

Claire Atkins ’07 is a New York City-based producer for the CBS Sports Network, where she works on We Need to Talk (the first national all-female sports talk show, which premiered on the network in late September).

She also produces breaking-news videos for Sports Illustrated’s new SI Wire, which launched in September as well. Atkins has worked for NFL.com and MLB Advanced Media since graduating from the University of Southern California, where she received the Chick Hearn Memorial Scholarship (named in honor of the legendary late Los Angeles Lakers’ broadcaster). She is also a member of Mercersburg’s Alumni Council.

Former Olympic swimmer Betsy Mitchell ’83 is director of athletics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and is the only Mercersburg athlete to win medals at multiple Olympic Games. She earned a gold medal as part of the U.S. 400-meter medley relay team and a silver medal in the 100m backstroke at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, and added another silver with the U.S. 400m medley relay team four years later in Seoul. Mitchell previously served as director of athletics at Allegheny College, the Laurel School, and Thomas Worthington High School in Columbus, Ohio.

She was a seven-time individual NCAA champion at the University of Texas and has served on Mercersburg’s Board of Regents.

Charles Moore ’47 set an Olympic record in the 400meter hurdles (50.8 seconds) while winning a gold medal at the 1952 Summer Games in Helsinki. He never lost a race at the distance (he is credited with the revolutionary technique of taking 13 steps between hurdles, compared to the once-typical 15 steps), and also added a silver medal while running a leg of the 4x400m relay at the same Olympics. Moore is enshrined in the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, was chosen as one of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s 100 Golden Athletes in 1996, and is a former member of the USOC and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He also served as director of athletics at Cornell University (his college alma mater), and is an emeritus member of Mercersburg’s Board of Regents.

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Meet the Met

Josh Edgin’s third season in the majors was his best one yet

By Lee Owen New York Mets pitcher Josh Edgin ’06 was perhaps the team’s most effective arm out of the bullpen in 2014. The left-handed Edgin posted a 1.32 earned-run average (best on the Mets’ roster) and limited opposing hitters to a .196 batting average in 47 appearances this year.

“The more you do something, the more relaxed you feel with it,” says Edgin, who (like fellow Mercersburg alumnus Christian Binford ’11) was a 30th-round draft pick in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. “I would say I’ve definitely gotten better at trying to relax myself on the mound and not get so amped up. Too much adrenaline can sometimes be a bad thing. I’ve had to learn how to harness that adrenaline.”

Unlike Binford, who signed with the Kansas City Royals before enrolling in college, Edgin was drafted twice—first, by the Atlanta Braves (50th round) in 2009 after his junior year at Francis Marion University, and then again in 2010 by the Mets. (Edgin played two seasons at Ohio State University before transferring to Francis Marion, which is an NCAA Division II school in Florence, South Carolina).

Edgin, who stands 6-foot-1-inch and 245 pounds, is one of just six male Mercersburg students to earn 12 varsity letters during his athletic career at the school. He also played football and wrestled for the Blue Storm, and had offers from colleges to play all three sports at the next level, but chose baseball. He won the Pennsylvania state prep wrestling championship in his weight class as an 11th grader before an injury to his non-throwing shoulder derailed his plans for a repeat title—and he chose not to have surgery on the shoulder because it would have wiped out his senior-year baseball season. Before his injury, Edgin (who was an offensive and defensive lineman) helped Mercersburg capture the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Prep League football title alongside future NFL linebacker Vincent Rey ’06 (page 35).

“Winning any kind of championship is one of the best feelings in the world, and being able to experience that [at Mercersburg] was great,” Edgin says. “We were a really tight-knit group, and Coach [Dan] Walker had a lot to do with that. If one man fell down, another man picked him up. It was an awesome experience.”

Edgin was chosen for the 2011 South Atlantic League All-Star Team while playing for the Savannah Sand Gnats (a Class A affiliate of the Mets). He made his major-league debut for the Mets in a July 2012 game against the Braves in Atlanta, where he struck out three of the first four batters he faced, including former MLB All-Stars Michael Bourn and Jason Heyward.

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The native of tiny Three Springs, Pennsylvania (which has about one-third the population of Mercersburg and is about 35 miles north, in Huntingdon County), has a career major-league record of 3–3 with a 3.20 ERA and 78 strikeouts compared to just 28 walks in 115 appearances. As a left-handed reliever, Edgin frequently enters the game in mid-inning, and often with runners already on base.

The Mets hope there will be fewer pressure-packed situations for their bullpen in the future, with ace hurler Matt Harvey scheduled to return from Tommy John surgery in 2015 and a young nucleus that includes starting pitcher Jacob deGrom and slugging firstbaseman Lucas Duda continuing to grow.

“I think we have a great core and we’re building around it,” says Edgin, who has pitched in 18 different major-league parks. “This year has definitely been an improvement from last year. If things keep happening we’ll be solid for years to come.”

Edgin met his wife, Cari Ellen, in college at Francis Marion; they have two young children, son Turner and daughter Tenley.

“ Winning any kind of championship is one of the best feelings in the world.”

—josh edgin ’06

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Working to Win Dick Cass has turned a successful law career into a Super Bowl trophy By shelton clark

Though Richard “Dick” Cass ’64 captained the football, basketball, and baseball teams during his Mercersburg years, it looked as though that it was his leadership as president of the student senate that would be more of an indicator of his future career. A resume that includes Phi Beta Kappa honors while at Princeton and a law degree from Yale does not usually lead to holding the National Football League’s famed Lombardi Trophy on the field after a Super Bowl victory.

Cass, president of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, almost certainly would have had no inkling that his career path would have taken him to the pinnacle of the athletic world.

“Sports were a really important part of my growing-up years,” says Cass. “The valuable lessons you learn about teamwork, hard work, discipline, and loyalty are all lessons I learned from sports. When I got to Mercersburg, I benefited greatly from the experience of playing on those teams.” He fondly recalls coaches Fred Kuhn, James Conlin, and Arthur Schonheiter, and mentions seeing his roommate Larry Himes ’64 at his 50-year Mercersburg reunion in June— an occasion at which Cass received the school’s Class of 1932 Award for service and achievement.

“I was also a ‘working boy,’” Cass continues. “If you were on scholarship, you had a job, and mine was working in the dining room. I learned a lot from that as well.”

Cass’ father was in the Coast Guard, which meant his family moved around a lot. His mother’s family was from western Pennsylvania and had heard of Mercersburg. “My dad wanted my brother and me not to have to move around the country during high school, so that is when

Cass (center) on the sidelines with former Ravens assistant (and current Indianapolis Colts head coach) Chuck Pagano

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my parents decided to send my brother [Bill ’60] and then me to Mercersburg,” he says.

After his graduation from Mercersburg, Cass matriculated to Princeton, in part because his brother was already there, but also because Walter Burgin ’53, then Cass’ math teacher and later the Academy’s headmaster, had encouraged the younger Cass to attend Princeton.

Though his athletic career at Princeton was hampered by knee surgery and limited to two years of rugby, he excelled in the classroom, earning Phi Beta Kappa honors and enrolling at Yale for law school. Upon graduation from Yale, Cass joined the Washington, D.C.-based firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, where he practiced corporate and securities law for more than 30 years. In that capacity, he represented a number of owners of sports franchises, including NFL owners Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys) and the estate of Jack Kent Cooke (Washington Redskins).

“I met [Ravens owner] Steve Bisciotti when he was thinking about buying the Ravens,” Cass says. “In 2000, he bought 49 percent ownership of the team and within that transaction had the option to buy the rest of the team. I was his lawyer, and when he exercised that option in 2004, he invited me to become president of the team.”

Cass oversees a franchise that ESPN The Magazine named this summer as the 10thbest pro sports franchise in America (and the second-best NFL franchise). Despite the Ravens’ small-market status (Baltimore is only the 27th-largest media market in the U.S.), the team has appeared in the NFL playoffs in nine of the last 13 seasons and has two Super Bowl victories in that span, including a 34–31 Super Bowl XLVII win over the San Francisco 49ers in in February 2013.

“On the football side, I get very much involved in budget issues and how much we’re going to spend on players and facilities,” Cass says. I’m also the Ravens’ principal liaison with the league, and I attend all the owners’ meetings on behalf of the team. But obviously I’m not coaching the team, and I’m also not selecting players that we draft.

“The one thing about the NFL that is particularly challenging is the constant change. With the free-agency system in the league, there’s constant turnover of players.

For example, just six of the 22 players who started on our Super Bowl team are starters for us this year. Dealing with that kind of change requires a great front office in terms of a general manager and his staff, selecting good players, and a great coaching staff

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that is not only good on game day but also is good at teaching young players how to be professional players.” (The Ravens’ general manager, Ozzie Newsome, is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is also a Mercersburg parent; his son Michael ’11 attended the Academy as a postgraduate student and was a member of back-toback national-championship teams at the University of Alabama in 2011 and 2012.)

Despite his own peripatetic upbringing, Cass and his wife Heather put down strong roots in the Baltimore area, and he has served on a number of philanthropic and community endeavors. He has also served on the boards of Mercersburg and Princeton.

When asked if that Super Bowl win was the highlight of his career, Cass instead redirects praise to the Ravens organization as a whole. “It represented the culmination of a period over a five-year period during which we had been knocking on the door,” he says. “We had won at least one playoff game for five straight years but yet could not get over that hump. The Super Bowl win was a vindication of what we had been doing over the past five years. It was a great achievement for the organization, but I hope it’s not the crowning one. I hope we can do it again.”

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Leveling the Playing Field(s) Mercersburg’s history of trailblazing female athletes includes a star goalkeeper and a current football player

By Lee Owen On the roster of most high-school football teams, the name “Sam Goldman” likely doesn’t elicit a second look.

But if it turns out Sam’s given name is actually “Samantha,” and she played on Mercersburg’s girls’ soccer, girls’ basketball, and girls’ lacrosse teams last year before deciding to give football a try prior to the 2014 season, things are suddenly a bit different.

“When I have my helmet on, you can’t really tell that I’m a girl unless you hear me talk,” Goldman says. “It’s been funny to watch the other teams discover that we have a girl on our team.”

Goldman, a member of the school’s Class of 2017, became the first female Mercersburg football player to score points in a varsity game when she was a perfect 2-for-2 on extra points in the Blue Storm’s 40–14 loss to Sidwell Friends September 15. She also drew a personal-foul penalty when one of the Sidwell players ran into her immediately after the second kick—but she popped right back up and jogged toward the sideline, where she was greeted with raucous cheers and a pat on the helmet from Mercersburg head coach Dan Walker.

Five days before, Goldman converted all five extra-point attempts in the Storm juniorvarsity squad’s 35–6 victory at St. James. “When that first extra point went through the uprights, the team was so excited for me,” she says. “And I have to admit I was especially hoping the very first attempt would go in—not only for me, but for my snapper, Nick Rubino [’18], and my holder, Beau Lowery [’18].” (Goldman, Rubino, and Lowery handle most of the placekicking, holding, and long-snapping duties for Mercersburg’s varsity and junior-varsity teams.)

In the St. James game, Goldman also saw action as a running back (one carry for three yards)—and saved a touchdown with a tackle on a kickoff return.

“On kickoff coverage, I know what I’m supposed to do—as the kicker, I’m the last line of defense,” Goldman says. “If the returner gets past everyone else, I have to tackle him.

He made it past everybody, and so I tackled him.

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“I got up from the tackle, and everyone was asking me if I was alright. I told them I’ve been hurt worse playing soccer, and I was in a lot more pain last year when I sprained my wrist during a basketball game but ended up playing through the whole game.”

Goldman, of Green Brook, New Jersey, is not the first female football player in Mercersburg history; among those to have preceded her on the gridiron are Elizabeth Jordan Lawrence ’94 and Sarah Olwell ’04. Goldman is also not the first female Mercersburg athlete to make an impact on a (formerly) all-male team.

In the fall of 1982, Mary Curtis Blair ’86 held a soccer ball as she walked onto an athletic field on campus. She was an accomplished goalkeeper in her home state of Virginia, but was entering a school that had only been coeducational for 13 years and did not yet field a girls’ soccer team.

The lack of a girls’ team failed to deter Blair, who started kicking the ball around with some boys on the field—one of whom was Jim Laingen ’84, then the Mercersburg varsity’s starting goalkeeper. “He

“ I got up from the tackle, and everyone was asking me if I was alright. I told them I’ve been hurt worse playing soccer.”

—Sam Goldman ’17

Goldman (#33) before a successful extra-point attempt against St. James

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Blair with her children, Rylee and Zachary

and some of the other guys were impressed that I could juggle, and I heard them say, ‘She really knows how to play—she could play on the team,’” Blair says. “Then one of the guys asked me what position I played.

I said I was a goalie, and they about died laughing, because Jim was a goalie too. It broke the ice and after that they completely accepted me.”

Blair played soccer all four years on the boys’ JV and varsity squads at Mercersburg; she was the starting goalkeeper on the varsity for her final two seasons, and also played some in the field. According to current faculty member Tom Rahauser ’74, who coached Blair at the Academy and spent 13 years as the school’s head boys’ varsity soccer coach, Blair is one of the best goalkeepers ever to wear a Mercersburg uniform—male or female. (She also held the school record in the discus, and once showed up at a

Mercersburg football practice to try out for placekicking duties, but had previously had a bad concussion and ultimately decided it best that she stick with soccer.)

During her 11th-grade year at Mercersburg, Blair won an under19 national club-soccer championship with a Virginia state team coached by John VerStandig ’66. Today, the CurtisVerStandig Award is presented at the end of each season to Mercersburg’s most outstanding girls’ varsity soccer player.

Off the field, Blair served as president of her class and of the Irving Society and was a dormitory prefect in Culbertson House.

She was also a regular Stony Batter Players cast member, appearing in productions of Our Town and The Music Man. Her sister, Julie Curtis ’89, played JV soccer at Mercersburg but eventually gravitated to field hockey and basketball.

“I started out playing basketball at Mercersburg too, but my mom would drive up for games and I would foul out before the end of the first quarter,” Blair laughs.

“I am a contact athlete.”

Blair went on to star collegiately for the University of Massachusetts, playing in two NCAA Women’s Soccer Final Fours for the Minutewomen. She also reached the NCAA Tournament as a head coach, leading Holy Cross (where she coached from 1992 to 2003) to the 2000 Patriot League championship. Today, Blair continues to stay involved in youth sports, and promotes ways to make sports developmentally appropriate for young kids. She lives in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, with her husband, Gavin, and children, Zachary and Rylee.

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Beyond Greatness Mark Talbott combines talent and tact to be a different kind of sports icon By ethan vaughan

When he arrived at Mercersburg in 1975, Mark Talbott ’78 was a selfdescribed “15-year-old kid who liked to play squash.”

“It’s something I grew up with,” Talbott explains. “My older brother David and my father were probably the biggest influences on me, as they both played squash. I got recruited by [longtime faculty member] Bo Burbank at a junior squash tournament and I came to Mercersburg. It wound up being a huge milestone in my life.”

Fast forward nearly 40 years from Mercersburg, and the kid who liked to play squash is a world-renowned athlete who was ranked the world’s No. 1 hardball squash player for 11 years straight, operates a well-regarded sports camp on both coasts, and has coached at two elite universities (Yale and Stanford).

“It kind of boggles my mind, what’s happened,” Talbott says.

“I always felt that I was very lucky.”

That luck included entering the sports world at a fortuitous time and doing so through the gateway of Mercersburg Academy, which Talbott credits as being influential in the development of his character.

“The biggest thing about Mercersburg was that it helped give me my independence,” Talbott says. “The academic program was obviously outstanding, but it wasn’t the academics that had the biggest impact on me. A big part of it was what’s absent for a lot of people these days: a family-like atmosphere, the great support you have at a place like that. I think that’s what was really helpful, that Mercersburg provided a nourishing environment. The teachers really cared about you, and they encouraged you to think for yourself. Add in all the close friends, and it really helped shape that time in my life.”

That Mercersburg ethic—sportsmanship, perseverance, and humility even in achievement—has come to define Talbott’s legacy almost as much as his sterling statistical record, quite a feat given that he’s widely considered to be among the greatest squash players of all time.

“In the hardball era, he was without question the greatest American player,” says Jay Prince, editor in chief of Squash Magazine. “And in the softball era he’s proven himself a very Talbott during his reign as the world’s No. 1-ranked player

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“ Squash has changed the way I approach the mental side of life. And I owe a lot of that to Mark Talbott.”

—Brendan Mcclintick ’12

formidable figure. But it was more than his technical ability; the way he played the game and his attitude on the court was something a lot of people should strive for.

He was very competitive, but very respectful of other people on the court. Nothing rattled him. Nothing made him upset. I never saw him berate an official the way you see other people do. He played the game the way it was meant to be played. He controlled the court. Everybody knew they were trying to be second place.”

The legacy of that conduct radiated through the professional sport and beyond, affecting not only those directly under Talbott’s tutelage by way of his coaching positions at Yale (where his women’s team won the 2004 national championship) and Stanford, but also generations of young players who have passed through the Talbott Squash Academy since its opening in 1991.

The camp, which operates out of Newport, Rhode Island, and Palo Alto, California, instructs 13- to 17-year-olds.

Brendan McClintick ’12 was one of them.

“I started playing squash my first year at Mercersburg, like my older brothers [Ian ’04 and Chris ’08],” says McClintick, who is now the captain of the men’s squash team at Connecticut College. “After my third year I went to Mark Talbott’s camp

as a camper. It was a wonderful experience that did wonders for my squash game. The following year I went to be a counselor, and I have been coaching ever since.”

McClintick approached Talbott with the kind of reverence adolescents usually reserve for rock stars or professional football players, and was rewarded with a pointed lesson.

“The first time we played was really the biggest time for me,” McClintick recalls. “I was this hot-shot high-school kid, thinking I was the best at squash. Mark and I went on the court together, and he absolutely crushed me. I would get a few points, but he let me. I’d hit a shot, then he’d return it very quickly, and as I was running to recover it, he’d dance around the court. I started getting frustrated. It was insulting. And then after the game he looked at me, shook my hand, and said, ‘You can’t get that angry. It’s something you can’t let happen.’”

McClintick remembers being as influenced by Talbott’s outlook as he was by his technical instruction, and the perspective he learned from the Mercersburg alumnus helped guide him as he imbibed the values of the school and the sport.

“Squash has changed the way I approach the mental side of life,” McClintick says.

“And I owe a lot of that to Mark Talbott.

When you’re on the court, you have to

be under control. If you get angry or too aggressive, you start making mistakes. In real life, you’ll want to be really angry about something, but you have to be aware, take a step back, and reevaluate through calmer eyes if you want to make the best decision.

So squash is a maturing experience. Like Mercersburg. It fits right in. Mercersburg preaches independence and critical thinking. It’s what the school is about. It’s really the best thing.”

For all the praise others lavish on him, Talbott himself remains self-deprecating about his squash renown: when asked if he’s the best player of all time, he recalls the opponent who knocked his teeth out; when reminded of his impressive stats, he tells the story of how he once showed up for a match dressed as a pilgrim.

“There are tons of fun stories and fun times from over the years,” Talbott says.

“And that’s the thing: I’m still having fun.

I’m not burned out. If there’s one thing I’d want people to know it’s that I’m really happy with what I’m doing. It’s fun to be here.”

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Beating the Odds

Vincent Rey and Curtis Feigt have played their way into the NFL By lee owen One came from Queens; the other from Berlin. One grew up playing football; the other was raised where “football” is an entirely different sport.

Both came to Mercersburg for similar reasons, found success on college gridirons, and now make their livings in National Football League, despite not being selected in the NFL Draft. And for a time this summer, they were even on the same NFL team.

Vincent Rey ’06, a native of the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York, arrived at Mercersburg as a postgraduate student. More than twice as many people (approximately 3,300) attended Rey’s previous school, Bayside High School, than live in the entire borough of Mercersburg (about 1,500). It took Rey almost two hours via public transportation to get from his home near John F. Kennedy International Airport to the school, which is in the northern section of Queens.

After graduating from Duke University, he is in his fifth year as a linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals, for whom he has appeared in 57 games (through the first four games of 2014) and recorded 103 career tackles while recovering a fumble and intercepting two passes—one of which he returned for a touchdown.

For Curtis Feigt ’09, Mercersburg was—quite literally—on the other side of the world. Growing up in Germany, Feigt tried soccer, basketball, and martial arts before finding a home with an American football club that he initially connected with after his cousin joined the program’s cheerleading squad. Feigt spent his final two years of high school at Mercersburg before heading a couple hours down the

Rey (#57) practicing with the Cincinnati Bengals

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Feigt (#62) with a young Chiefs fan

road to West Virginia University, where he graduated in three years and started 19 games on the offensive line. He latched on with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in May 2014 and was with the team until being waived after the start of the July training camp, but signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in September and is on the Chiefs’ practice squad.

Duke was the only NCAA Division I program to offer Rey a scholarship—but in order to receive it, he had to attend Mercersburg for a postgraduate year. He certainly made the most of it, helping the Blue Storm to the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Prep

League football title and also wrestling and running sprints on the outdoor track & field team.

“I had never played sports all year round before I got to Mercersburg,” says Rey, who also played on the offensive line alongside another three-sport standout at the school, future Major League Baseball pitcher Josh Edgin ’06 [page 26]. “I really enjoyed my time there, and it helped prepare me for college academically and with time management.”

Rey was the second of five Mercersburg alumni to play football at Duke within a span of four years; the others were Evalio

Harrell ’04, Bryan Morgan ’07, and twin brothers Cameron Jones ’07 and Colin Jones ’07. Rey is also, according to Blue Storm head coach Dan Walker, the hardestworking player Walker has ever coached.

“I remember one time we were running windsprints in practice,” says Walker, who is in his 12th year at Mercersburg. “[Assistant coach] Karl Reisner came up to me and said, ‘Coach, you have to tell Vinny to stop—he’s running too hard.’ I’ve never heard that before as a player or coach. He was running so hard he almost hyperventilated. He had to learn to scale back.

“We always had voluntary Wednesday-

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Catching up with… night film meetings after dinner, and Vinny never missed one. And because of that you saw other players come in as well when they might not have otherwise.”

At Duke, Rey was named a University Scholar Athlete by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, and started 35 games in four years at while recording 330 tackles, a total that ranks ninth on the Blue Devils’ all-time tackle list. He was not drafted but was offered a free-agent contract by the Bengals, who signed him to their practice squad. (Each NFL team may carry up to 10 players on its practice squad; those players, who must have fewer than three years of pro experience, are not eligible to play in games, but can be signed to any NFL team’s active roster at any time.)

The Bengals moved Rey to their active roster in December 2010, and he played in two games on special teams that season. He has appeared in every regular-season and postseason game for the team since, making his presence felt on both defense (he can play middle or outside linebacker in the Bengals’ 4-3 defensive scheme) and special teams—which is almost a necessity for a young player looking to stick in the league.

“You really have to have a different mindset to succeed on special teams,” Rey says. “It takes a different kind of player to line up on kick coverage and punt coverage and give everything he has for every single snap. There is never a special-teams snap that isn’t a full-speed rep.”

Rey made his first NFL start at linebacker in a September 2012 game against the Cleveland Browns. “I was so nervous that I threw up before the game,” he remembers. “But I calmed down when I got a sack. I still get nervous before games, but every time you go out there and make a good play, it settles you down and helps your confidence.”

Rebecca Lowe ’99 is in her second season of hosting NBC/NBC Sports Network’s coverage of Premier League soccer, and was one of five studio hosts of the network’s coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics (along with Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Dan Patrick, and Lester Holt).

She previously worked for ESPN UK, Setanta Sports, and the BBC in her native England. In 2013, Lowe and her husband, English footballer Paul Buckle (who has managed several different English clubs) moved to the U.S. when NBC hired her to anchor its soccer coverage from a new broadcast center in Stamford, Connecticut.

One of Lowe’s NBC Sports soccer colleagues is Michael Davies ’85 (pictured left), who, like Lowe, studied at Mercersburg as an English-Speaking Union Scholar.

Davies is an Emmy Award-winning television producer who doubles as one-half of the popular “Men in Blazers” soccer-commentating duo. He and co-host Roger Bennett (pictured right) spent much of the summer in Brazil providing commentary for ESPN on the 2014 World Cup, and now host a Monday-night show of the same name during the Premier League season on NBC Sports Network. Davies’ many television credits include service as executive producer of the U.S. version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He is president of Embassy Row Productions in New York and has served on Mercersburg’s Board of Regents.

Ben Larson ‘01 is a quality-control football coach for offense and special teams at the University of Texas.

Prior to working with the Longhorns, Larson was on the football staffs at Northwestern State University, Louisiana Tech University, and the University of Tennessee. He played at Susquehanna University and has worked for notable head coaches Mack Brown, Derek Dooley, and Charlie Strong. Larson is the son of longtime Mercersburg faculty member Ray Larson and the late Marilyn Larson, who was the school’s academic dean from 1990 to until her death in 2001.

Sam Rodgers ’11 was voted a co-captain of the Syracuse University football team prior to the 2014 season.

Rodgers, who is in his fourth year as the team’s long snapper for extra-point attempts, field-goal attempts, and punts, is one of 22 athletes named to the American Football Coaches Association’s Good Works Team; is a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy as college football’s top scholar-athlete; is in his second year as president of Syracuse’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter; organizes Syracuse’s Lift for Life fundraiser for brain-cancer research; and has visited Haiti for mission trips each of the past two summers.

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In a November 2013 game against the Baltimore Ravens, Rey became the first player in franchise history to record three sacks and an interception in a single game, and finished with 13 stops on the day. He scored his first NFL touchdown later in the season when he intercepted a pass from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel and returned it 25 yards for a score.

“It was the best play of my life,” he remembers. “I dropped back, made a break on the ball, caught it, and was able to get to the end zone. It was amazing to hear the crowd—and it was so awesome that I didn’t know what to do when I reached the end zone, so I just put the ball down and ran back to the bench.”

The Bengals are the three-time defending AFC North Division Champions, but have not won a playoff game since 1990 (so long ago that the team the Bengals beat in that playoff game, the Houston Oilers, technically no longer exists). And while Cincinnati opened 2014 with three straight wins, the Bengals will ultimately measure their success by their results in January and February.

“My main motivation is to help this team win the Super Bowl,” Rey says. “A team achievement is better than an individual achievement any day, because that means you’ve worked successfully with others and allowed others to impact you. Personally, I want to improve in every aspect of the game and be a reliable player on every single snap.”

Practice Makes Perfect Each NFL team can have up to 10 players on its practice squad.

Notable former practice-squad players include: Kurt Warner St. Louis Rams/New York Giants/Arizona Cardinals James Harrison Pittsburgh Steelers/Cincinnati Bengals Rod Smith Denver Broncos Arian Foster Houston Texans Danny Amendola St. Louis Rams/New England Patriots

As a fellow undrafted free-agent, Feigt has a solid role model to emulate in Rey, his fellow Mercersburg football alumnus. (Their careers at the Academy did not overlap.) Like Rey, Feigt was an accomplished scholar-athlete in college, earning Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors at West Virginia.

Rey and Feigt were teammates in Cincinnati for approximately two months after Feigt was signed immediately after the 2014 NFL Draft in May. Like many rookies, Feigt lived in a hotel and spent as much time as he could at the team’s practice facility, which in the Bengals’ case is adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. He went through minicamp, organized team activities (known in NFL parlance as “OTAs”), and a couple months of workouts before being waived by the Bengals in late July.

“Quite honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d get the chance to play after college,” says Feigt, who stands 6-foot-7 and 314 pounds. “Several of my teammates were getting calls from teams, and I didn’t really start hear from anyone until after the end of the season. I was invited to play in the Medal of Honor Bowl [a January postseason all-star game in Charleston, South Carolina], and things kind of took off from there.”

Feigt, who chose to sign with the Bengals over the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers, faced more uncertainty when the Bengals let him go shortly after training camp started. He was at home in Morgantown, West Virginia, with his wife, Katelyn, and was doing his best to stay in shape while also working at a hotel and at a hospital—and then he received a phone call from the Chiefs, who brought him to Kansas City for a workout in early September.

“I signed the next day, and here I am,” he says from Kansas City. “It feels great to be back with a team. I’m still getting used to a new system, new coaches and players, and a new area. But it’s great to be here.

“You always have to be ready, because it’s the NFL and people get hurt all the time and other things happen. I just want to keep improving and earn a roster spot.”

Arts

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D ates to Re me mb e r

Feb 6–8

Stony Batter Players Winter Musical: Urinetown Simon Theatre, Burgin Center for the Arts

Mar 25–28

Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Band, Chorus, & Orchestra at Harrisburg

Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu

Stony Batter Players

directors: Laurie Mufson, Matt Maurer, Steve Crick

Ali Leighty ’15, Nate Turer ’16, and Zach McDonald ’17 in The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare Scenes) Carol Tang ’17 and Nikki DeParis ’15 in As You Like It (Shakespeare Scenes)

Emily Mitchell ’14 and Jacob Leebron ’14 in the senior production, Friday Night Live: Mercersburg Unscripted

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Dance

director: Denise Dalton

Madison Nordyke ’14 and ensemble (lindy-hop/ choreography: John David and Denise Bennett)

Lisa Grosser ’14 (modern/choreography: Grosser)

Jazz Band

Music

directors: Richard Rotz, Jim Brinson, Jack Hawbaker, Michael Cameron

Octet

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Jenna Walter ’16 and ensemble in a piece dedicated to retiring faculty Mark Flowers and Kristy Higby (choreography: Dalton)

Chelsea Miao ’17 and Robin Fisher ’14 (hip-hop/choreography: Fisher)

Magalia

Chorale

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Visual Art

faculty: Mark Flowers, Wells Gray, Kristy Higby

Natalie Burkardt ’14

Katie Henderson ’14

Giang To ’16

Athletics

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D ates to Re me mb e r

Feb 6–8

Boys’/girls’ squash at U.S. High School Team Championships (at Philadelphia)

Feb 13–15 Boys’/girls’ basketball at MAPL Tournament (at Blairstown, New Jersey) Feb 14

Feb 20–21 Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships (at La Salle University, Philadelphia) Feb 27–28 National Prep Wrestling Championships (at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

MAPL Indoor Track & Field Championships (at Lawrenceville, New Jersey)

Schedule subject to change; for a full and updated schedule of events, visit www.mercersburg.edu

Winter/Spring 2014 Varsity Athletics Roundup winter sEASON

Boys’ Basketball

Captains: Michael Collins ’14, Phillip McGloin ’14, Will Walter ’14 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: McGloin Most Improved Player Award: Josh Okot ’14 John Prevost ’54 Basketball Award: Collins Head coach: Tim Crouch (2nd season) Record: 3–15 (0–5 MAPL) Highlights: McGloin was an All-IndependentParochial School League selection and also earned honorable-mention All-Mid-Atlantic Prep League honors… Collins and Teddy Schoeck ’15 were named honorable-mention area All-Stars by the [Chambersburg] Public Opinion… McGloin was tops on the team with 18.9 points per game; he led the team in scoring in 15 of its 18 contests and was only kept out of double figures in the scoring column one time all year… his top single-game performance was 32 points against Episcopal, and he also scored 31 points in a MAPL Tournament game against Lawrenceville… Collins was a fouryear letterwinner… Schoeck was named Academic All-MAPL… Carlos Austin ’17 earned a varsity letter as a ninth grader.

Girls’ Basketball

Captains: MacKenzie Brink ’14, Teal Tasker ’15 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Tasker Most Improved Player Award: Megan Lafferty ’15 Head coach: Katie LaRue (3rd season) Record: 3–14 (0–5 MAPL) Highlights: Tasker was a first-team Public Opinion area All-Star and a first-team All-MAPL and All-IPSL selection, while Molly Taylor ’16 was an honorablemention Public Opinion All-Star… Tasker averaged 17.4 points per game, which led the team and was second in the area… Tasker scored in double figures in 15 of 16 games and broke the 20-point plateau on five occasions, including a career-best 35-point effort against Blair; she also had double-

doubles against Middleburg and Stone Ridge…

Sarah Lyman ’16, who joined the team in January, worked her way into the starting lineup as a 10th grader and recorded a double-double (17 points, 14 rebounds) in the MAPL Tournament against Peddie; she was the team’s second-leading rebounder (6.9 rebounds per game)… Brink earned a varsity letter

all four years… Taylor missed several games due to injury but averaged 13.7 points per game led the team with 27 points in a win over Shalom Christian Academy and a 22-point effort against McConnellsburg… Maddi Jones ’17 earned a varsity letter as a ninth grader… Chantel Yague ’14 was an Academic All-MAPL selection.

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Boys’ Squash

Captains: Albert Lam ’14, Andrew Peterson ’14, Philip Yang ’14 Thomas Flanagan ’38 Boys’ Squash Award (most outstanding player): Lam Head coach: Chip Vink ’73 (14th season) Head-to-head record: 6–14 Highlights: Lam was an All-MAPL selection and the team’s No. 1 player… Archie Levis ’17 (who will be one of the team’s top returning players this year) earned a varsity letter as a ninth grader…

Yang earned Academic All-MAPL honors… the Blue Storm won the Tom Flanagan Tournament by defeating Woodberry Forest and Shady Side… the team captured the consolation bracket of the Mid-Atlantic Squash Organization Tournament with wins over St. Christopher’s and Woodberry Forest… Jason Choi ’16, Alec Jones ’15, and Andrew Peterson ’14 all recorded individual wins at the MAPL Individual Championships.

Girls’ Squash

Captain: Natalie Burkardt ’14 Thomas Flanagan ’38 Girls’ Squash Award (most outstanding player): Burkardt Most Improved Player Award: Rachel Rosa ’14 Head coach: Wells Gray (11th season) Record: 12–11 Highlights: Gabby Fraser ’16, the team’s No. 1 player all season, won the top flight at the MAPL Individual Championships to lead the team to a second-place MAPL finish; Celine Hylton-Dei ’15 won the B flight consolation bracket and Hattye Hytla ’15 was the C flight consolation winner… the team went 2–1 at Nationals to finish 11th by defeating a pair of teams from New York (Riverdale and Poly Prep)… with wins over St. Anne’s Belfield and St. Andrew’s, the team finished third at the Mid-Atlantic Squash Organization Tournament…

Burkardt will play at Hamilton College… Rosa was an Academic All-MAPL selection… Devon Stuzin ’17 and Molly Widdoes ’17 earned varsity letters as ninth graders.

Boys’ Swimming & Diving

Captains: Jordan Allen ’15, Morgan Matsuda ’15 Harrison S. Glancy ’24 Award (most outstanding swimmer): Joseph Jaime ’14 Tom Wolfe ’85 Award (most improved swimmer): Allen Head swimming coach: Pete Williams (26th season) Head diving coach: Jennifer Miller Smith ’97 (6th season) Easterns/MAPL finish: 15th/3rd Highlights: Jaime won the 200-yard freestyle (1:40.97) at the University of Pittsburgh Holiday Invitational; he also took first in both the 100 free and the 200 free at the MAPL Invitational…

Jaime (who will swim at Navy) was the team’s top

performer at Easterns, where he was seventh in the 200 free, ninth in the 100 free, and part of the 200 free relay team (with Allen, Pearce Bloom ’14, and Nick Greiner ’16) that finished 16th… Bloom took 15th in the 50 free at Easterns and was on a pair of relay teams (the 400 free relay, which was 16th, and the 200 medley relay, which took 15th and also included Greiner, Matsuda, and Max Goodman ’16) that placed there as well… Henry Laveran ’15 placed 16th at Easterns in one-meter diving… Allen (swimming) and Mick Groth ’16 (diving) were named Academic All-MAPL.

Girls’ Swimming & Diving

Captains: Amanda Begley ’14, Collin Kessinger ’14 Neidhoefer Swimming Award (most outstanding swimmer): Kessinger Most Improved Swimmer Award: Lindsay Tanner ’17

Thomas Hartz ’72 Award (perseverance): Jordan Hotz ’14 Bruce F. Vanderveer ’31 Award (greatest influence): Begley Most Outstanding Contributions (Diving) Award: Katie Henderson ’14 Most Improved Diver Award: Jordan Shihadeh ’14 Head swimming coach: Pete Williams (26th season) Head diving coach: Jennifer Miller Smith ’97 (6th season) Easterns/MAPL finish: 9th/2nd Highlights: Kessinger set a school record in the 200-yard individual medley (2:05.33) at the Pittsburgh Holiday Invitational, where she finished second in the 200 IM and won the 200 breaststroke (2:18.85) and the 100 breaststroke (1:04.70)… she was the MAPL champion in the 200 IM… Kessinger placed sixth at Easterns in

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the 200 IM and was eighth as a member of two relay teams (the 200 medley relay with Lexie RoyalEatmon ’14, Cara Dealy ’16, and Lindsay Tanner ’17, and the 200 free relay with Tanner, Royal-Eatmon, and Danielle Pong ’17)… Courtney Levins ’15 took eighth in the 100 breast at Easterns, while Tanner placed ninth in the 50 free… Shihadeh and Bridget Filipe ’14 were four-year letterwinners in diving…

Kessinger will swim at Army and Royal-Eatmon at Williams… Tanner and Pong earned varsity letters as ninth-grade swimmers… Begley and Tanner garnered Academic All-MAPL honors.

Boys’ Indoor Track & Field

Captain: Tawfiq Abdul-Karim ’14 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Abdul-Karim Most Improved Team Member Award: Gabriel Allgayer ’16 Head coach: David Grady (10th season) MAPL finish: 4th Highlights: Team members set seven school records during the season, and Abdul-Karim shattered five of them: 55m (6.60 seconds), 60m (7.06), 200m (22.97), 300m (38.74), and long jump (21’ 3.5”)… he broke the 55m and 200m dash records at the MAPL Championships while winning individual titles in both events, and finished second in the long jump at the conference meet… Peter Katsarakes ’14 broke the school record in the 500m (1:09.91), while Allgayer lowered the record in the 1000m (now 2:42.34) by a whopping 17 seconds… Allgayer won the 1600m at the MAPL Championships… Allgayer and Max Furigay ’15 were the team’s Academic AllMAPL selections… Tom Cremins ’17 earned a varsity letter as a ninth grader.

Girls’ Indoor Track & Field

Captain: Meghan Peterson ’14 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Tatiana Purnell ’15 Most Improved Team Member Award: Maddie Nelson ’15 Head coach: David Grady (10th season) MAPL finish: 3rd Highlights: Purnell (55m hurdles/8.81) and Nelson (1000m/3:38.27) broke school records… Purnell’s came at the MAPL Championships, where she earned two second-place finishes and two thirdplace finishes; she was joined as an honorablemention All-MAPL selection by Finley Stewart ’17, who took second in the 55m dash at the MAPL Championships… Purnell’s performance in the 55m hurdles qualified her to run in the Pennsylvania Track & Field Coaches Association’s Indoor Championships, where she set a new school record in the 60m hurdles (9.55)… Peterson was a fouryear letterwinner… Peterson and Purnell were both named Academic All-MAPL… four ninth graders (Stewart, Ryan Geitner ’17, Danessa Martin ’17, and Emily Martin ’17) earned varsity letters.

Wrestling

Captains: Brian Nelson ’16, Josh Setliff ’14, Nick Vogel ’14 Fred Kuhn Award (most outstanding wrestler): Erik Smeltz ’14 Most Improved Wrestler Award: Steve Min ’17 Ronald D. Tebben Coaches’ Leadership Award: Vogel Head coach: Nate Jacklin ’96 (6th season) State/IPSL finish: 7th/2nd Highlights: Seven Blue Storm wrestlers qualified for the National Prep Championships: Smeltz, Setliff, Vogel, Brandon Diaz ’14, and first-year wrestlers Min, Stefano Antoniazzi ’16, and Sean Vessah ’17… the team’s seventh-place finish at the PAISAA State Championships (which Mercersburg hosted for the first time since 1996) was two spots higher than in 2012… Setliff earned an area All-Star nod from the Public Opinion after going 24–6 as a senior at 170 pounds; he compiled a 46–17 mark in two years of action… Min, Vessah, Chris Doyle ’17, and Malte Petersen ’17 all received varsity letters as ninth graders… Setliff and Vogel were both Academic All-MAPL choices… Vogel will join the team at Ithaca College… in his final season as an assistant coach, Jason Bershatsky was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year for the National Prep Region.

SPRING SEASON

Baseball

Captains: game captains selected Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Michael Collins ’14 G. Brent Gift Award (most improved player): Trustin Riley ’14 Henry B. Swoope Jr. ’23 Award (sportsmanship/ good fellowship): Brad Wastler ’14 Head coach: Karl Reisner (23rd season) Record: 14–9 (8–2 MAPL); MAPL champion Highlights: Mercersburg captured its ninth MidAtlantic Prep League title in 14 years in the league; it was the fourth-straight year the team won or shared the league crown… the Storm dropped its first five games of the year but went 14–4 the rest of the way, including a seven-game midseason win streak that featured doubleheader sweeps of MAPL rivals Blair, Peddie, and Hun… Collins, Riley, and Wastler were first-team All-MAPL selections, while Erik Smeltz ’14 was an honorable-mention selection… Riley, Smeltz, and Wastler received All-IPSL recognition… Collins and Wastler earned varsity letters all four years… Chris Thomas ’14 and Deji Andrew ’15 earned Academic All-MAPL honors… Collins led the area with 71 strikeouts and won a team-high seven games on the

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mound; he will play at Mount St. Mary’s… Riley, who is headed to the University of Tampa, was the team’s leader in runs batted in (22) and home runs (four) and hit .446… Smeltz led the team with a .536 batting average, while Wastler hit .472.

Boys’ Lacrosse

Captains: Jack Flanagan ’14, Will Walter ’14 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Walter Most Improved Player Award: Phillip McGloin ’14 Nelson T. Shields IV ’70 Lacrosse Award (spirit/ teamwork/sportsmanship): Flanagan Head coach: Mark Schindler (3rd season) Record: 5–11 (0–5 MAPL) Highlights: Chris Buschi ’14 was a first-team AllMAPL selection, while Walter (who led the team with 33 goals and 21 assists) earned honorablemention honors… Buschi was joined on the AllIPSL squad by Conor Healy ’14 and Alex Stoner ’15…

Flanagan and Walter were four-year letterwinners… several players will continue their lacrosse careers in college, including Healy (Mary Washington), Walter (Muhlenberg), Colin Bressan ’14 (Mary Washington), and Ian McCague ’14 (Oberlin); Buschi will play football at St. John Fisher… Flanagan and McCague were both Academic All-MAPL selections… four ninth graders—Colin Adams ’17, Tom Cremins ’17, James DiLalla ’17, and Andrew Dillard ’17—all earned varsity letters.

Girls’ Lacrosse

Captains: game captains selected Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Sophia Garibaldi ’15 Most Improved Player Award: Ria Giannaris ’16 Head coach: Katherine Dyson (1st season) Record: 10–5 (3–2 MAPL) Highlights: The Blue Storm posted a winning record against MAPL competition (with wins over Hill, Blair, and Hun) for the first time since it joined the league in 2000… the team’s victory over Hill was its first since 2007, and also kick-started a five-game win streak…

Garibaldi and Ellie Clark ’15 were named firstteam All-MAPL, and Megan Lafferty ’15 was an honorable-mention All-MAPL selection… Clark, Garibaldi, Lafferty, and Gabby Cuzzola ’14 all earned All-IPSL honors… Clark led the team in goals (53), while Garibaldi was the team leader in most other offense categories, including assists (24), points (59), draw controls (70), and ground balls (42)… Cuzzola will play at Michigan and Kathleen Mills ’14 will play at Navy this spring… Mills and Jordan Shihadeh ’14 were both chosen Academic AllMAPL… Ryan Geitner ’17 and Devon Stuzin ’17 earned varsity letters as ninth graders.

Softball

Captains: Meghan Peterson ’14, Paige Richardson ’14 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Sydney Reath ’15 Most Improved Player Award: Sarah Lyman ’16 Head coach: John David Bennett (5th season) Record: 12–6 (5–5 MAPL); IPSL champion Highlights: Reath threw a total of four no-hitters, including perfect games in the team’s first two games of the year… she continued to be a true two-way threat, posting 11 wins, a 2.03 earned-run average, and 105 strikeouts in the circle, while leading the area in batting average (.582); she also drove in a team-high 24 runs and slugged 11 doubles and three home runs… the team won its third-consecutive IPSL title, compiling a 5–0 mark against league foes and shutting out St. John’s Catholic Prep in the IPSL championship game… the Public Opinion chose Reath as a first-team area All-Star; Richardson was a second-team selection and Peterson earned honorable-mention honors… Peterson and Raven Kaur ’14 earned varsity letters all four years; Peterson became just the 28th athlete in school history to earn the maximum-possible 12 varsity letters during her Mercersburg career…

Alyssa Magazine ’17 tied for the area lead with four triples and also scored 22 runs… Lyman and Reath were named Academic All-MAPL.

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Boys’ Tennis

Captains: Pearce Bloom ’14, Gun Ho Ro ’14 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Elliot Hicks ’16 Most Improved Player Award: Shahmeer Hussain ’14 Head coach: Eric Hicks (20th season) Dual match record: 10–2 (3–1 MAPL); IPSL champion Highlights: The team posted a double-digit win total for the first time since 2000… Mercersburg defeated Hill, Peddie, and Hun in head-to-head matches and also finished third at the MAPL championships (by just one point)… the team won its third-straight IPSL title by sweeping St. John’s Catholic Prep and St. James… Elliot Hicks (singles) and Teddy Schoeck ’15 and Saaman Ghodsi ’16 (doubles) were named All-MAPL… Hicks, Ghodsi, and Pearce Bloom ’14 earned All-IPSL honors…

Hicks compiled a 9–3 singles mark and Schoeck/ Ghodsi posted a perfect 6–0 doubles record… other top singles players included Lucas Bingenheimer ’16 (7–4), Schoeck (6–2), and Ghodsi (6–4)… Ro earned a varsity letter all four years… Hicks was an Academic All-MAPL selection.

Boys’ Outdoor Track & Field

Captains: Tawfiq Abdul-Karim ’14, Peter Katsarakes ’14, Timi Tijani ’14 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Abdul-Karim Edward J. Powers ’37 Award (most improved athlete): Alex Jackson ’15 Head coach: Frank Rutherford ’70 (14th season) State/MAPL/IPSL finish: 4th/3rd/1st Highlights: Katsarakes broke the Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Championships record

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while Allgayer and Tijani were honorable-mention selections… Allgayer and Yang earned Academic All-MAPL honors… Carlos Austin ’17 earned a varsity letter as a ninth grader… Katsarakes will run for Northeastern and Abdul-Karim is headed to Gettysburg.

Girls’ Outdoor Track & Field

in the 300m hurdles (39.15) and set school and MAPL records in the 400m hurdles (55.91) at the MAPL Championships… Abdul-Karim won the MAPL crown in the 100m (11.05); at the PAISAA Championships, he finished second in the 100m, third in the 200m, and fourth in the long jump… the 4x800m relay team of Jackson, Jan Smilek ’16, Newell Woodworth ’15, and Adam Yang ’16 won the MAPL title (8:36.35)… along with Katsarakes, other state champions included Gabriel Allgayer ’16 (3200m, 9:42.04) and the 4x100m relay squad of Abdul-Karim, Katsarakes, Tijani, and Kam Undieh ’15 (44.00)… Abdul-Karim and Katsarakes were named first-team Public Opinion area All-Stars,

Captains: Emma Clarke ’14, Tatiana Purnell ’15, Teal Tasker ’15 Most Outstanding Contributions Award: Purnell Edward J. Powers ’37 Award (most improved athlete): Clarke Head coach: Nikki Walker (5th season) State/MAPL/IPSL finish: 5th/2nd/1st Highlights: Purnell set a school record by winning the 300m hurdles (45.35) at the Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Championships, in which Mercersburg finished fifth but was just two points out of third place… MAPL event champions included Purnell (400m hurdles, 1:06.76), Finley Stewart ’17 (100m, 13.03), and the 4x800m relay team of Clarke, Maddie Nelson ’15, Molly Taylor ’16, and Danessa Martin ’17 (10:37.59)… the 4x100m relay team of Purnell, Stewart, Tasker, and Meredith Mountain ’15 placed second at the MAPL meet, as did Purnell (100m hurdles) and Stewart (200m) in individual events… team members won 11 of the 18 events at the IPSL championships, led by double-event winners Mountain (100m hurdles/ high jump), Purnell (long jump/300m hurdles), and Stewart (100m/200m)… Purnell made the Public Opinion’s area All-Star team… Clarke was a four-year letterwinner... Nelson and Tasker earned Academic All-MAPL honors.

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reunion

2014 weekend June 5 – 8

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AWARDS ALUMNI COUNCIL SERVICE AWARD

William C. “Bill” Gridley ’69 Bill is a principal with Bowie Gridley Architects and a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He is a recognized leader in institutional master planning and design—a skill he has demonstrated at Mercersburg, as Bowie Gridley Architects developed the Academy’s campus master plan and has designed several facilities at the school.

Bill is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a member of the Society for College and University Planning, the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, and the Dean’s Forum at the University of Virginia. He is a Peer Review Commissioner for the General Services Administration’s Design Excellence Program.

He has served as a member of the District of Columbia Board of Education Facilities Working Group and on the United States Olympic Committee for the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area.

Bill, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s of architecture from the University of Virginia, has served as a parent fundraiser for the Annual Fund, an admission volunteer, an event host, and a reunion committee volunteer. He is a member of the William Mann Irvine Society.

Bill and his wife, Susan, live in Washington, D.C., and are the parents of two Mercersburg alumni: Will ’04 and Hilary ’06.

(L–R) Robert Lehrman ’69, Head of School Douglas Hale, Dick Cass ’64, Bill Gridley ’69

ALUMNI COUNCIL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Robert Lehrman ’69 Robert is a native Washingtonian and president of the Jacob and Charlotte Lehrman Foundation. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the George Washington University National Law Center.

Robert briefly practiced law as an entertainment attorney and represented musicians, writers, and actors.

Robert serves on the Board of Trustees of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, where he was chairman of the board from 1998 to 2003. He has also served on the board of trustees of The Washington Project for the Arts, the New Museum, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Robert is a collector of contemporary art and has been included in the “Top 100 Collectors” issues of Art News and Art & Antiques.

Robert is founder and president of The Voyager Foundation, an educational nonprofit organization. In 2003, he collabo-

rated with the Smithsonian American Art Museum to produce an award-winning book, Joseph Cornell: Shadowplay…Eterniday, on Cornell’s life and works. He has lectured on contemporary art at museums, universities, and art schools across America.

Robert sponsors the Quinn-Ferguson Honors Seminar at Mercersburg, along with other educational programs in schools in Washington. He is a loyal supporter of the Annual Fund and a William Mann Irvine Society member. Robert and his wife, Aimee, have three children.

CLASS OF ’32 AWARD

Richard W. “Dick” Cass ’64 See page 28 of this issue for a feature story on Dick Cass.

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CLASS PHOTOS

Loyalty Club Front row (L–R): Tom Heefner ’57, Richard Klopp ’39, Charles Coates ’63.

Row 2: Barry Dubbs ’59, Dale Williams ’54, Bob Hunter ’59.

Class of 1974 Front row (L–R): Tom Rahauser, Chris Fry Tarbox, Jay Follansbee, Moira Paddock, Lance Grove. Row 2: Dave Koch, Noel Thomas Tyra, Richard Grace, Frank MacDonald, Mark Von Lunen, Vince Nacrelli.

Class of 1984 Front row (L–R): George Thompson, Jorge Vargas, Jim Laingen, Holly Celio Rouffy, Claudia Bayona Hovenden, Todd Hovenden. Row 2: Chris Erdman, Cathy Brehm, Elizabeth Bryant McCullough, Laura Tyson Ransom, Leslie Flowers Smith. Row 3: Don Lundy, Andrew McCabe, Kevin Smith, Dave Doyle, Hugh Kinsman, Tom Gallucio.

Class of 1964 Front row (L–R): Rab Summers, Mike Radbill, Alan Brody, Joe Huber, George Miller, Frank Tracy, Bob Dickey Jr., Russ Ameter. Row 2: Dave Zimmerman, Mike Banzhaf, David Evans, Stewart Borger, Larry Himes, Carson McEachern III, Larry Pollard. Row 3: Jim Powers, Dick Cass, Saylor Zimmerman, Don Toan, Robert Wein, Philip Dunmire, Harvey Kirk III. Row 4: Bill Bittinger, Jim Gibson, Andy Schnebly, Woody Paisley Jr., Jim Morgan, Buck Buchanan, Tom Cuddeback, Stanton Wicke. (Not pictured: Mark Andreae, Martin Collison, William Gaunt, Don Harrold, Ed Sehon.)

Class of 1979 (L–R): Molly Jones Mancini, Carol Furnary Casparian, Lynne Roberts Appleman, Anne Winebrenner Knuth.

Class of 1989 Front row (L–R): Ames Prentiss, Kate Bazemore Harrison, Barbara Delaney, Connie Micale, Amy Burbank Kelaher, Jonathan Trichter, Julie Curtis, Leo Najera. Row 2: Rob Walton Jr., Mark Vastine, Jamie Carstensen, Ben Tutt, Greg Oberfield, Alex Pollinger, David Beck. Row 3: Heitham Hassoun, Doug Reynolds, Paul Moody, William Byrd, Russ Brady, Erica Anderson, Shannon Woodrum.

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Class of 1994 Front row (L–R): Bebe Lloyd Welch, Alex Classen Lonergan, April Furlong, Reema Datta, Megan Gilbert Beck, Katie Lasky, Traci Ruohomaki McNeil, Emily Grier Madan. Row 2: Matt Beatty, Kris Reisner, Aaron DeLashmutt, Adam Baugh, Jeff Becker. Row 3: Tim Gocke, Robert Jefferson, Giovi Grasso-Knight, Ben Graham, Keith Pulley, MacKinlay Himes.

Class of 1999 Front row (L–R): Colleen Corcoran Yates, Catherine Wahl, Jenn Barr Weiss, Sonal Naik, Jessica Malarik, Jenn Flanagan Bradley. Row 2: Matt Kranchick, Ingrid Herr-Paul Ashley, Molly Messick, Patricia Rennert, Alex Goerl Rickeman, Patrick Koch. Row 3: Ugonna Onyekwe, Tim Hitchens, Greg Rohman, Lars Teigelack, Tom Dugan, Masroor Ahmed, Eric Kass.

Class of 2004 Front row (L–R): Eva Miller, Bryn Crossan Kibler, Christina Turchi, Sarah Olwell, Brandy Bosta Colbert, Maggie Gindlesperger. Row 2: Eric Burkhart, Kenny Walker, Mike Strouss, Nick Mellott, Harry Kline. Row 3: Alex Lowe, Mohsun Riaz, Graham Zifferer, Will Gridley, Andy Gottlieb, Douglas Hummel-Price.

Class of 2009 Front row (L–R): Molly Serpi, Madeline Stoken, Rachael Porter, Shaniqua Reeves, Annie Birney, Ashley Irving, Ariel Imler, Anika Kempe. Row 2: Michael Lo, Mark Herring, Ethan McGhee, Murtaza Shambhoora, Lucia Rowe, Jennifer Brallier, Lena Finucane, Alicia Furnary. Row 3: Jack Oliphant, Ovie Onobrakpeya, Derek Osei-Bonsu, James Gotoff. Row 4: Ronald MacDonald, John Draper, Sam Richardson, David Hill IV, Robert Kurtz.

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Submit class notes via email to classnotes@mercersburg.edu or by contacting your class agent. Submissions may appear online or in print.

Mercersburg reserves the right to edit submissions for space or content, and is not responsible for more than reasonable editing or fact-checking.

When submitting a photo, please provide the highest-quality version possible; some images captured by cell phones or other cameras may not be suitable for print.

Class notes are also available online at www.mercersburg.edu/classnotes.

Class Notes ’40

Howard Price Jr.’s wife, Anita, passed away November 22, 2013.

’44

H. Williams Tellman’s wife, Joan, died January 24, 2014.

’48

Bill Carpenter’s wife, Mary, passed away in 2012; the couple had been married 60 years. “I am doing well and have been doing a bit of traveling now and then,” Bill says. “Went to Alaska last year and just got back from a week in Northern California.” Bill volunteers as a bridge instructor at the Westerville [Ohio] Senior Center and stays busy with amateur radio work, for which his call sign is AA8EY. Hugh Miller received the 2013 George Wright Society Cultural Resource Achievement Award for lifetime achievement in historic preservation.

Chuck Queenan has been named chairman emeritus of the international law firm K&L Gates. Chuck served as the firm’s chairman from 1975 to 1990, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The American Lawyer magazine.

’51

Donald Pharo’s wife, Dolores, passed away October 18, 2013.

’52

Robert Kurtz received an honorary doctorate in public service from Lock Haven University in May. Edward Westwood’s wife, Carolyn, died January 4, 2013.

’54

John Willenbecher married Jean-Patrice Marandel on Thanksgiving Day 2013 at the home of their friends, Richard and Mary Lanier, in Falls Village, Connecticut. Richard Grossman, a psychotherapist and noted Emerson scholar, performed the ceremony, which took place at the dining room table between the turkey course and the pumpkin pie. John is an artist and lives in New York City, and Jean-Patrice is the Robert H. Ahmanson Chief Curator of European Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

’56

Dave Ulsh continues his service as a Mercersburg class agent and wants to thank his 32 classmates who supported the 2013–2014 Annual Fund.

’57

Barney Guttman is living in Pittsburgh but spent the winter months in Boca Raton. “I have three children and eight grandchildren,” he says. “I still actively work as an investment advisor but find time for golf and travel and several nonprofit organizations. Life is good.”

’59 Dale Perelman has written Steel: The Story of Pitts-

burgh’s Iron and Steel Industry 1852-1902. The history follows the careers of steel barons Ben Franklin Jones, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Clay Frick as well as the bloody labor battles between the owners and their underappreciated workers.

’61

John Strauch has achieved the rank of Grand Life Master, the highest rank awarded by the American Contract Bridge League. There are only 311 Grand Life Masters in the United States.

’63

Jim Plappert, author of Interviewing with College Coaches: A Guide for Aspiring Student-Athletes and their Families, visited campus in April to lead a session on that topic for Mercersburg student-athletes, their parents, and other interested guests.

Frank Shipper, a professor of management and marketing in Salisbury University’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business, earned the Regents’ Award for Excellence, which is the University System of Maryland’s highest faculty honor. “My education at Mercersburg started me on this path,” says Frank, who was recognized for his research and scholarship.

“Some of my teachers are probably rolling over wondering what has happened to this world that Shipper would get a Regents’ Award. It should offer hope to current students that are struggling to make it through that if they work hard and find their life’s avocation, they will succeed.”

Ross Lenhart ’58 shares this photo of three Mercersburg alumni—he, Jimmy Stewart ’28, and Ched Hultman ’58—at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force near Savannah, Georgia, on May 31.

“Stewart’s bust is proudly placed there for his many heroic achievements while serving in World War II with the 8th Air Force in England,” Ross says.

’64

Allen Jaggard writes that he wasn’t able to attend his 50th class reunion because he was in Mississippi working with the Small Business Administration’s disaster relief efforts. “I semi-retired a few years ago and have been working on and off with the SBA ever since,” says Allen. “I get to visit new places, get out of the home, and I love the interaction with those that we help. In any event, all of the best to Mercersburg and my classmates. I remember many of you and would have enjoyed seeing you again.”

’65

Jeremiah Keefer Sr., father of Jere Keefer and the late Richard Keefer ’68 and grandfather of Scottland Keefer ’04, passed away February 23, 2014.

’69

W. Bruce Krebs’ wife, Anna Wuertenberg, died August 22, 2011.

’71

Charles Scammell’s mother, Deborah, passed away January 20, 2014. She was also the widow of Scott Scammell ’37 and grandmother of Matteo Scammell ’07.

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Nina Porter Winfield ’80 writes, “I was suffering from a bad case of plantar fasciitis in my heels and went to a local foot doctor who turned out to be Rachel Brull Tuer ’93 [left]. We were both surprised when we found out that we both attended the ’Burg. Rachel fitted me for a new pair of orthotics that have been a lifesaver in allowing me to keep exercising. Anyone in the Delaware Valley with foot issues should definitely look Rachel up.” Nina lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with her husband and two daughters but misses all of the fun from “back in the day” at Mercersburg.

’72

Bill Carey was named to the board of trustees for the Freer and Sackler Galleries of Art at the Smithsonian Institution.

’73

Kenneth Payne writes that he and classmate Brian Conrad reconnected earlier this year when Brian and his family came to Davenport, Iowa, for a wedding.

“Brian and I hadn’t seen each other in over 30 years, and we had a great time catching up and meeting each other’s families.” Brian’s son Will ’01 is a Mercersburg graduate, and his younger son Max ’15 is a member of the rising senior class.

Tom Puhl stepped down as president of the German Society of the Friends of Mercersburg Academy in June after serving as its leader since he founded the society in 2006. Bernhard Mehlhorn ’72 has assumed the position in his place.

’74 Billy Lipnick’s father, Maurice, died October 15, 2013.

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Nick Sagalkin ’88 and his wife, Robenett (right), hosted faculty emeritus and former dean of students Tim Rockwell and his wife, Bonnie (left), during the Rockwells’ recent trip to Alaska’s Kodiak Island. Nick is a regional research finfish supervisor for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Commercial Fisheries. The group spent a memorable afternoon touring newly opened research facilities, discussing finfish sustainability, debating global warming, and visiting historic World War II sites.

’76

Ann Bruch’s father, John, passed away November 10, 2013.

’82

The American Chemistry Society has recognized Andy Alpert as an ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist. The designation is the highest form of scientific recognition available for lawyers.

Philip Hoffman is president of Hoffman Iron and Steel, a recycling and consulting firm in Houston, and is vice president of U.S. steel scrap trading for Medtrade Inc.

’88

’91

Janelle Denny Cwik and her husband, Chris, have moved to the east coast of Florida near Hutchinson Island. “We are delighted to be only two miles from the ocean as well as five minutes from a 100-acre nature preserve with a 40-acre lake,” says Janelle. “Our location is perfect for taking my kayak out year-round!

Chris is busy at BMW and I continue to write. We are excited to report that we will be buying land in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, this year.

I am looking forward to starting my organic garden surrounded by nature. Chris and his son, Daniel, are thrilled to start building our log home on the acreage.

I have promised Larry Jones that I will speak at Mercersburg at some point—I’m sure it won’t be long until I am back on that beautiful campus again!”

In May, Suzanne Dysard traveled from her home in Colorado to Baltimore to be part of Steve Pessagno’s 20-person group that enjoyed the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

Laura Linderman Barker’s mother, Charlene D’Albora, passed away March 29, 2014.

’89

Raj Jolly, father of Rashmi Dalai and Ravi Jolly ’00, died July 20, 2013.

Carl Pedersen, father of Kristin Pedersen Garbinski, Shari Pedersen Kellems, Cameron Pedersen ’92, and Michael Pedersen ’95, died June 3, 2014. Carl was also the husband of former Mercersburg magazine editor Cherie Pedersen.

Alumni, students, parents, and family enjoy summertime in Avalon, New Jersey. Fourth (back) row, L-R: Alex Lissette ’17, Lindy Flanagan, Johnny Mancini ’14, Max Lissette ’14, Brad McGhee ’14, David Flanagan ’81, Jack Flanagan ’14, John Mancini, Kathleen McGhee, Walter McGhee ’78. Third row: Molly Jones Mancini ’79, Danielle Nordyke, Brian Nordyke. Second row: Dylan Lissette, Caleb Lissette, Stacie Rice Lissette ’85, Grant McGhee, Natalie Burkardt ’14, Madison Nordyke ’14, Charlotte Rhoad ’14, Payton Lissette ’14, Ava Mancini ’18, Meg Burkardt. Front row: Colin Lissette.

’94 ’95

John Russell lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife, Gina, and their two daughters. John is owner

Tom Hadzor ’72 (left) and his wife, Susan Ross, bumped into Tom Motheral ’67 (right) during a Rhine River cruise in July. The chance encounter took place in Strasbourg, France, at the town’s cathedral.

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Mercersbu rg magazi n e spri ng 2014

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Births/Adoptions 1

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1. Dominic Neal, son of Stephanie Gaither Iammartino ’02 and her husband, Ronald, born June 25, 2013.

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9. Kellen Patrick, son of Jasen Wright ’99 and his wife, Mia, born January 21, 2014.

To Katie Anderson ’01 and her husband, David: a daughter, Beckett Elizabeth, January 20, 2014.

2. Hazel Rose, daughter of Amy Jones Satrom ’98 and her husband, Tim, born January 31, 2014.

10. Clayton Jonathan, son of Maureen Smeltz Ryals ’01 and her husband, Christopher Ryals ’01, born February 28, 2014.

To Lindsay Harden Fabel ’04 and her husband, Rob: a daughter, Eloise Regh, March 16, 2014.

3. Brecken Haven, son of Dean Hosgood ’98 and his wife, Sara, born June 4, 2014.

11. Beau Carroll, son of Jenn Flanagan Bradley ’99 and her husband, Tom, born March 5, 2014.

To faculty member Katie LaRue and her wife, Rachelle Rios LaRue: a daughter, Neely Mae, July 30, 2014.

4. Lilliana Sophia Lagunas, daughter of Xiomara Villagomez ’10 and her partner, Diego Lagunas, born October 19, 2013.

To Joshua Thomas ’97 and his wife, Jennifer: a daughter, Patience, October 14, 2013.

5. Clara Jade Shen, daughter of Ping Ngeow ’98 and her husband, Darren Shen, born November 9, 2013.

To Sarah Cohen ’98 and her partner, Alex Noble: a daughter, Indra Carolina, June 4, 2014.

6. Peyton (born November 20, 2013) and Sadhika, daughters of Darcie Zimmerman ’96 and her partner, Sean Osborne.

To Rachel Baird Brand ’99 and her husband, Kurtis: a daughter, Iza Ruby, May 26, 2013.

7. Adelie Rose, daughter of Pierce Lord ’98 and his wife, Nina, born June 30, 2014.

8. Chip Nuttall ’92 and his wife, Alice, with their son, Ames Whitley, born April 9, 2014.

To faculty member Carey Kopeikin and his wife, Hope McGrath: a son, Bradley William Kopeikin, May 25, 2014.

To Kevin Glah ’00 and his wife, Jennifer: a daughter, Ella Jane, May 6, 2014.

To Michelle Glah McCleary ’00 and her husband, Ryan: a daughter, Eleanor “Nora” Catherine, March 27, 2014.

To faculty member Greg Lynch and his wife, Kim: a son, Joseph Walter, March 22, 2014.

To faculty member Quentin McDowell and his wife, Lauren: a son, Rooney Clyde, July 1, 2014.

To former faculty member Eric Fleming and his wife, Laura: a son, Ethan John, April 10, 2014.

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Marriages

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1. Liz Powell ’01 and Jeffrey Bell on their wedding day, October 26, 2013, in Philadelphia.

2. Ping Ngeow ’98 married Darren Shen June 9, 2012.

3. Mohsun Riaz ’04 married Sadia Saif Khan February 14, 2014, in Lahore, Pakistan.

4. Paul Yun ’98 and Moon-Kyung Kim on their wedding day, November 23, 2013, in Seoul, Korea.

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5. The wedding of Lauren McCartney ’02 and Charles Hottle, March 22, 2014, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. L–R: Elena Solomon, Katie Solomon ’16, Jacob Solomon, former faculty member Sherri Stone, Marissa Franklin ’04, Rachael Armstead ’02, Emely Sabater ’05, Lauren, Juanita Beasley ’02, Erin McCartney Rozniakowski ’99, Kristin Burkhart Sites ’02, Holly Czuba ’01, and Melissa McCartney ’05.

John Willenbecher ’54 and Jean-Patrice Marandel, November 28, 2013.

Monford Russell ’01 and Brie Rust, September 21, 2013.

Billy Jarrett ’91 (right) served as a host for the PGA Tour Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami in March. (Pictured are Billy and Donald Trump at the “opening drive” at SLS Hotel in South Beach.)

Several alumni gathered at Balboa Café in San Francisco in February with Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Peterson. L–R: Anna Clarke Fiddler ’04 and her husband Morgan, Nigel Sussman ’01 and his wife Yasemin, Ryan Fay ’01, Matt Danziger ’99, Andrew Fazekas ’01, Carson Higby-Flowers ’01, and Seth Greenberg ’02.

and chef of The Fork at Agate Bay, a restaurant on Lake Whatcom near Bellingham.

rescuing an infant boy from an apartment that had been set on fire by the boyfriend of the infant’s mother.

’96

An essay by Arlo Crawford, “Farming at the White House,” was published on The Atlantic’s website in April. Arlo’s book, A Farm Dies Once a Year [Mercersburg magazine, spring 2014] was released in April by Henry Holt and Co. His Atlantic essay is the story of his father’s consulting work for development of a White House garden in 2009.

Jordan Sullivan is a rookie member of the New York City Fire Department and made news recently for

Darcie Zimmerman and her partner, Sean Osborne, welcomed a daughter, Peyton, November 20, 2013.

Peyton joins 9-year-old Sadhika, whom Darcie and Sean adopted in 2012.

’97 Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace ’03 of The Hello Strangers released their self-titled debut album in May. This summer, the album moved into the Top 30 on the Americana Music Association chart.

Gina Rendina has been named to the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual list of “Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest,” a group of men and women who are honored for their success and involvement in the Pittsburgh community. Gina works for BNY Mellon and performs regularly as a singer in various venues around Pittsburgh.

’98

Jeff Adair and his wife, Monica, are moving to Muscat, Oman, where they will be working at the American British Academy. “My wife will be teaching third grade and I am taking a break from administration—after

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Marriages 10

6

Stephanie Gaither ’02 and Ronald Iammartino, June 9, 2012.

Emily Maynard ’04 and Tyler Johnson, June 7, 2014.

Rachael Hendrickson ’06 and Aaron Lynch, June 28, 2014.

9

6. Jae Nam ’10 and Elizabeth Grabowski on their wedding day, July 5, 2014, in Palo Alto, California.

7. Lars Teigelack ’99 married Birga Tanneberg October 4, 2013, in Essen, Germany.

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8

8. Jeffrey Baskin ’81 married Heather Harris May 16, 2014, in San Tan Valley, Arizona.

9. Emily Bays ’10 married Josh Muller ’10 June 7, 2014, in Welsh Run, Pennsylvania. Other Mercersburg alumni in the wedding party included Olivia Dossett ’10, A.J. Firestone ’10, Jacob Fries ’10, Maggie Goff ’10, Michael Lorentsen ’10, Hannah Miller ’10, Lorraine Simonis ’10, Joe Strider ’10, Dave Whyel ’10, and Josh’s brother Jake ’13.

10. Kathleen Metcalfe ’06 married Bill Thomas on June 15, 2013, in the Irvine Memorial Chapel at Mercersburg. L–R: Mercersburg staff member Marilyn Houck, Elissa Thorne ’06, Linsey Haram ’06, Kathleen and Bill, Kathleen Britsch ’06, Kathleen O’Malley ’12, and Mary O’Malley ’06.

six years as dean of students at Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland, Washington—to teach seventhgrade humanities,” Jeff says. “We are very excited about the move and also trying to soak up the Seattle rain before moving to an arid desert.”

director of theater and a member of the English department. He received the school’s Elisha Benjamin Andrews Award, which recognizes a faculty member who has made a unique contribution to student development inside and outside the classroom.

Dean Hosgood and his wife, Sara, welcomed a son, Brecken Haven, June 4, 2014. “Finnleigh has rapidly evolved into the role of big sister,” shares Dean.

“Everyone is doing well and resting.”

Nicole Johns Johnson visited the University of Wisconsin-Marinette, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Lynchburg College, and Dickinson College to speak about eating disorders and to hold book signings of her 2009 memoir, Purge: Rehab Diaries.

Paul Yun married Moon-Kyung Kim on November 23, 2013, at the Apkujeong Catholic Church in Seoul, Korea. Among the wedding’s attendees were Seungsoo Chung, Jeongwook Heo, Eunji Mah, SongYi Park ’99, Eddie Kang ’99, and Andy Park ’01. Paul published a translation of Edgar Puryear’s American Generalship (also known as The Code of Generals) in 2013 and plans to publish a translation of American Sniper by the late Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL.

’99

Rachel Baird Brand moved to Guatemala for several months with her husband, Kurtis, and daughter, Iza Ruby. The family also plans to spend time in Thailand and India before returning to the U.S. Read more about their traveling lifestyle at www.racolife.com.

Former faculty member Tom Dugan has been named chair of the performing-arts department at Suffield Academy in Suffield, Connecticut, where he is the

Jasen Wright and his wife, Mia, welcomed a son, Kellen Patrick, January 21, 2014. “His big brother, Brayden, is happy to have a partner in crime,” says Jasen. “Mommy and baby are doing well.”

’00

Andrew Miller received an MBA with highest distinction from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in June and moved to Philadelphia in September to join McKinsey & Company. Earlier this spring, the Boy Scouts of America/Northeast Region presented Andrew with the Silver Antelope Award for distinguished service—a recognition awarded to just 32 Boy Scout volunteers out of 1 million every year. (At 32, Andrew is the youngest known recipient.)

’01

Julian Böcker has been promoted to head of the communications department and press spokesperson for

the Port of Duisburg in Germany. “See you in Mercersburg for my 15th class reunion in 2016 at the latest,” he says.

Josh Grahe and his wife, Yasmine, are spending the next year working at Kamuzu Central Hospital as part of a Peace Corps mission in Lilongwe, Malawi. Visit grahebahoramalawipeace.wordpress.com.

Liz Powell married Jeffrey Bell October 26, 2013, in Philadelphia. Her sister, Sarah Powell ’05, served as Liz’s maid of honor. Liz finished medical school and a residency at the University of Pennsylvania and is completing a one-year fellowship in emergency medical services at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. She carries faculty appointments as assistant professor of emergency medicine, associate medical director of air care and mobile care, flight physician, and SWAT physician for the Cincinnati Police Department.

Monford Russell and his wife, Brie, live in Columbia, South Carolina, where Mon is a business development representative for Professional Pathology Services.

James Wade, father of Hillary Wade Baxtrom and Hunter Wade ’04, passed away April 19, 2014.

’02

Stephanie Gaither married Major Ronald Iammartino Jr. June 9, 2012, in West Point, New York. Guests

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included Kristy Fasano, Heather Dunmire Vineis ’01, Claire Karolyi, and Bethany Galey.

Alison Llewelyn’s father, Timothy, died April 11, 2014.

’03

Nate Fochtman was named the Central Pennsylvania Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2014 Lancaster/York Man of the Year.

’04

Jordan Gouline became a consultant for IBM in June 2014 and is completing an MBA at the University of Maryland.

Mohsun Riaz married Sadia Saif Khan February 14, 2014, in Lahore, Pakistan. Guests at the wedding included Ahmed Farhan Haq ’96 and Mohsun’s brother, Rehan Ahmad ’02.

’05

Matthew Englehart completed a master’s degree in applied physics at the Naval Postgraduate School and is completing naval diving and salvage training in Panama City, Florida.

At top right: Antonia Kriependorf Kornprobst ’97 and her husband, Florian Kornprobst, with their newborn daughter, Liselotte (born May 3, 2014); Antonia’s brother, Florian Kriependorf ’94, is in the middle of the front row (seated in front of his wife, Annika, and holding their son, Franz, who was born June 22, 2014). Also pictured are Florian and Annika Kriependorf’s two other children, Ferdinand (top left) and Filippa (sitting, bottom left); Antonia and Florian Kornprobst’s eldest daughter, Josephine (second from top left); and (bottom right) the Kriependorfs’ brother, Philipp, and his wife (Andrea) and son (Julius).

Hannah Galey graduated cum laude from Georgetown Medical School in May. She received the Lavender Award for her distinguished advocacy for the LGBT community and the OB/GYN department academic award. Hannah began her OB/GYN residency at the University of Cincinnati in July.

New on the Board of Regents Vanessa Youngs ’03 Mount Vernon, New York Vanessa has been appointed to a single three-year term on the Board of Regents as part of a Young Alumni Regent Pilot Program. Vanessa is an associate analyst for Moody’s Investors Service. She received bachelor’s degrees in economics, business, anthropology, and sociology from Lafayette College and a master’s degree in urban policy and management from the Milano School. Vanessa has previously served as a reunion volunteer, class agent, and Alumni Council member. While at Mercersburg, she was a senior class officer, a dormitory prefect, and a member of the Fifteen, the Marshall Society, the Chorale, and the squash and track & field teams. Her father, Clarence ’68, and brother, Travis ’06, are also Mercersburg alumni.

Nominees for Election to the Board of Regents Under the bylaws of Mercersburg’s Board of Regents, two alumni may be elected annually by the alumni-at-large to a threeyear term. The Board recommends Cynthia Davenport Borger ’83 and Andrew Hall ’88 as alumni representatives. This ballot is hereby circulated to all Mercersburg alumni to encourage their participation in the election.

Cynthia Davenport Borger ’83 Malvern, Pennsylvania Cindy serves as trustee of the Davenport Family Foundation and previously worked as a sales representative for Pfizer. She received a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a master’s degree from Thomas Jefferson University. While at Mercersburg, Cindy was captain of the field hockey team and a member of the squash team. Her brother, Scott ’81, her sister, Sandra ’86, and her uncle, Hank Spire ’60, also attended Mercersburg. Cindy and her husband, Larry, have a son and two daughters, including Erica ’15.

Andrew Hall ’88 Chicago, Illinois Drew is the managing director of the Chicago Trading Company, an options trading boutique that he cofounded in 1995. He received a bachelor’s degree in business from Indiana University. Drew previously served on the Board of Regents from 2004 to 2007. While at Mercersburg, he was a dormitory prefect and a member of the swimming team. Drew and his wife, Cheryl, have a son.

Ballot for Election of Alumni Representatives to the Board of Regents (Please select two)

Cynthia Davenport Borger ’83

Andrew Hall ’88

Your Name: ___________________________________________________ Class Year: ______________ MAIL TO:

Brian Hargrove FAX TO: 717-328-6211 Secretary to the Board of Regents EMAIL: hargroveb@mercersburg.edu Mercersburg Academy 300 East Seminary Street Mercersburg, PA 17236

M e r c e r s b u r g m a g a z i n e fa l l 2 0 1 4

Mackenzie Gwynne ’05 has announced her engagement to Neill Tuten. (Pictured L–R are Hugh Molton ’06, Cara Leepson ’05, Mackenzie, and Rachel Smooke ’05 at Mackenzie’s engagement party in June in Isle of Palms, South Carolina.) Mackenzie’s wedding is scheduled for May 2015 after she completes medical school at the University of South Carolina.

Carl Gray is a special assistant with the U.S. Department of State and traveled to France to help with preparations for President Obama’s visit to Normandy and Paris for services commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Taylor Newby, an online community manager for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, won a 2014 Webby Award for his work on the museum’s Instagram account.

’06

Mike Crump is engaged to Jennifer Anderson. The two met studying abroad in China during their time at the College of William and Mary and are now living in Washington, D.C. “I’d love to catch up with any Mercersburg alumni in the area,” says Mike. “Please get in touch if we haven’t been!”

’07

Patrick Galey graduated from Syracuse University in May with a master’s degree in forensic science. Pat will attend the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law this fall.

After spending two years in Costa Rica working for an eco-tourism company, Andrew Graham has enrolled at the University of Montana to study environmental journalism.

Joe Sturm has enrolled in the Teacher Intern Program at Wilson College, where he is pursuing certification in English secondary education and a master’s degree in humanities.

’09

Becca Galey graduated from Macalester College in May with a double major in political science and German studies and a minor in religious studies. She will spend the 2014–2015 academic year in Germany on a Fulbright grant as an English Teaching Assistant, and will work in Saxony in a middle or high school. “I started my German career my first year at Mercersburg and never gave it up,” Becca says. “Herr [Peter] Kempe was an amazing teacher and provided a positive learning environment that pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to fall in love with the German language.”

Tim McHale ’09 and Tyler Mulloy ’10 graduated from the United States Naval Academy this spring. Attending the ceremony were faculty member Quentin McDowell and his family. (First row: Nina and Ewan McDowell.

Second row: Tyler Mulloy, Connor Mulloy ’13, Quentin McDowell, Tim McHale.)

’10

Aimee Chase graduated cum laude from Sewanee: The University of the South in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She interned this summer at the Yale Child Study Center.

Jake Culbertson’s father, John Jr., passed away December 2, 2013. John was also the son of the late John Culbertson ’24.

Jordan Krutek traveled with a group from the College of Charleston’s business school to Honduras this past spring; the group proposed and funded two micro-enterprises for a rural Honduran village. Jordan worked directly with local residents, empowering them to become more financially stable, and worked to establish economic growth within their communities. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in international business, she is traveling to Ghana to spur economic growth in rural villages by holding community meetings on topics such as budgeting, loans, and savings incentives programs.

Britta Sherman graduated from Radford University in December with a bachelor’s degree in geospatial science and moved to Louisiana to work as a GIS associate with Michael Baker Corporation in Fort Polk.

She has been accepted to Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies and will pursue her master’s degree in geographic information systems online this fall.

Lorraine Simonis has been awarded a U.S. Teaching Assistantship fellowship to teach English in Austria during the 2014–2015 academic year. Lorraine is a senior at Washington and Lee University, where she is a double major in medieval and Renaissance studies and German language. She has also received a scholarship to study at the University of Virginia School of Law but has deferred entry until 2015.

Anmargaret Warner earned a Fulbright grant to teach English in India for the 2014–2015 academic year. Anmargaret graduated from Wake Forest University in May with a major in English and minors in journalism and communications.

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During a summer trip to Korea, faculty member Richard Rotz met up with Henry Kim ’07 (right) and Andrew Kim ’14 (left) at a fish market in Seoul. Henry is beginning his second year in law school and just received his U.S. citizenship; Andrew graduated from Mercersburg in May and is in his first year at Swarthmore College. Richard also visited Hawaii on his trip, and toured Oahu from the air from the plane of Bob Bonham ’71, who is an emergency-room physician and attended the Octet Reunion last fall.

’11

Forrest Allen, who suffered life-threatening injuries in a snowboarding accident in January 2011, graduated from Kettle Run High School in Virginia in June.

Forrest will be featured in a Kickstarter-funded documentary about music therapy and plans to pursue college. Learn more at forreststoneallen.blogspot.com.

Georgia Baker interned this summer in the legal department of Mundipharma, a pharmaceutical company in Basel, Switzerland. Georgia is a political science major with a minor in law and society at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.

Matt Cook completed an internship over the summer at Intentional Software in Seattle.

Susie Klein’s article “The Harmonious Community” was featured by the Hillel Foundation, the national Jewish organization for colleges and universities, in a special publication, Jewish Learning from Hillel Professionals and Students. Susie is a junior at Pitzer College and president of the Hillel chapter that serves the five Claremont colleges.

David Roza, an English major at Haverford College, interned as a staff writer for two newspapers in Oregon over the summer.

’12

James Fisher, grandfather of Maddy Fisher and Aiken Fisher ’15 and father of Board of Regents member Laura Fisher, passed away February 12, 2014.

Max Strauss spent the summer interning with NFL Media’s public relations department in Culver City, California. During the school year, he interned with the University of Miami athletic department in communications. Max is a junior at Miami, where he is pursuing a degree in sport administration.

’13

Sofia Israel Ancona performed in American University’s production of Inherit the Wind in March.

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Obituaries ’33

John H. Milne Jr., August 13, 2010. (Marshall, track & field) John attended Cornell University and lived in North Miami Beach, Florida. Survivors include his wife, Rita.

’35

George D. Haulenbeek, January 9, 2014. (Irving, wrestling, baseball, soccer, Chapel usher, Glee Club) George worked for the family business, Rock Spring Water Company, and then served as the nose gunner in a B-24 Liberator stationed in New Guinea. Later he worked as a Realtor and was a developer involved in the creation of Shore Acres and Sands Point Harbor. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Elaine, a brother, and a sister. Survivors include two daughters, a granddaughter, a great granddaughter, and a nephew.

David J. Gerhardt, June 11, 2014. (Irving, football, swimming) Dave graduated from Lafayette College with a degree in engineering and spent 41 years with Bethlehem Steel. Survivors include his wife of nearly 74 years, Lida; two children, two grandsons, and two greatgrandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by three brothers, including Reginald ’32.

Robert L. Wallace, May 6, 2011. (Marshall, football) Bob attended Temple University and worked as an electrical foreman in the Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia during World War II. Later he was president and treasurer of Wallace Brothers Buick in Ocean City, New Jersey. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marion; his longtime companion, Gladys Casel; and a son. Survivors include a daughter, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

’38

James K. Greenbaum, March 13, 2014. (South Cottage, Irving, baseball, football, Lit Board, Les Copains, Class Day Committee, Cum Laude) Jim, the son of Meyer Greenbaum (1908), graduated from Princeton University. He managed an airport in Arequipa, Peru, as part of a civilian program during World War II and enlisted as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. Jim later attended Harvard Medical School, practicing medicine from the early 1950s until 2009. He was preceded in death by his wife, Shannon; two brothers (including George Greenbaum ’53); and a grandson. Survivors include six children, 19 grandchildren (including Rebecca Lewis Masciola ’94), and four great-grandchildren.

Edward C. Hermann, March 6, 2014. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, Glee Club, track & field) Ned graduated from Rhodes College and received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During World War II, he was chosen to work with a team of scientists on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Ned enjoyed a 32-year career with DuPont developing pharmaceuticals; his signature achievement was the first antiviral drug to receive FDA approval. He was preceded in death by a sister. Survivors include his wife, Katie; four children; and 12 grandchildren.

’39

’40

C. Howard Hardesty Jr., April 27, 2014. (Marshall, swimming) Howard served as a naval officer in World War II and graduated from Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and from the West Virginia University College of Law. He co-founded Furbee & Hardesty and served for a year as West Virginia State Tax Commissioner. Howard held various management positions for coal, oil, and petroleum companies (including president and chief executive officer), and returned to law as a partner in the firm Rose Schmidt, Dixon, Hasley, Whyte & Hardesty and later Andrews & Kurth. He received an honorary doctor of energy science from Salem College and an honorary doctor of laws degree from Alderson-Broaddus College. He was also a former member of Mercersburg’s Alumni Council. Howard was preceded in death by his wife, Doris. Survivors include a longtime companion, Jorie Butler Kent, a daughter, a son (Charles Hardesty III ’73), five grandchildren, and a nephew (G. Lee Judy Jr. ’60).

’41

C. Joseph Anchor Jr., June 23, 2013. (Marshall) Joe was a private first class in the Army, serving during World War II in India and Burma. In 1957, he founded Anchor Farms Inc. He was preceded in death by his wife, June, and a nephew. Survivors include a son, a sister, four grandchildren, and four nieces and nephews.

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H. Boyd Edwards Jr., June 7, 2011. (Main, Irving sergeant-at-arms, Lit Board, News Board, Senate, Radio Club, Airplane Club, Camera Club, Press Club, track & field, YMCA Cabinet, Stamp Club, Class Memorial Committee) Boyd graduated from Wesleyan University and served as an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II. His employers included United Airlines, First Boston, and Wood Struthers and Winthrop. Boyd was preceded in death by his sister and is survived by four children and five grandchildren.

Robert G. Pontius, April 12, 2014. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall, News, Radio Club, Rauchrunde, Stony Batter, football, baseball, Glee Club, Class Day Committee, Cum Laude Society, Higbee Orator) Bob, the son of Paul Reid Pontius (1908) and cousin of Joseph Pontius ’51, attended Haverford College, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He served as a physician in the Navy during the Korean War and later as a heart surgeon in Pittsburgh. Bob was preceded in death by a sister and a stepbrother. He is survived by his former wife, Mary, five children; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and two sisters.

Ross B. Rishell, September 4, 2008. (Marshall, track & field) Ross graduated from the University of Virginia School of Architecture.

During World War II, he served in the Army in Europe. He later worked as an architect, ending his career at Crandell Associates of Glens Falls. Ross was preceded in death by a brother, Paul ’38. Survivors include his wife, Doris; two sons and a daughter; and a niece and nephew.

’43

Richard R. Decker, December 6, 2013. (Main, Irving, baseball, French Club) Dick retired in 2007 as a corporate information specialist for ALCOA. He was preceded in death by a son, his first wife, Sally, and his second wife, Ruth. He is survived by a daughter and two granddaughters.

’44

Karl A. Eck, April 7, 2014. (South Cottage, Marshall, Rauchrunde, Gun Club, tennis, basketball, Class Day Committee) Karl served in the Navy during World War II and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a sales manager at Birdsboro Corporation and went on to found Des-Eng-Con Corporation. Survivors include his wife, Nancy, and two sons.

Emmert W. Whitaker, May 24, 2014. (Marshall) Emmert worked in sales engineering for Landis Tool Company of Waynesboro. He was preceded in death by a brother, Charles ’40, and is survived by his wife, Hilda; a daughter and a grandson; and a number of nieces and nephews.

’45

Walton A. Smith Jr., December 23, 2003. (South Cottage, Marshall, football, French Club) Walton attended the University of Maryland and the University of Georgia and was the co-founder and owner of the Bird Road Animal Hospital. He also worked at Country Club Animal Clinic. Survivors include four children and five grandchildren; his former wife, Rosemary; and his companion, Scheryl Coats.

’46

Joseph H. Chumbley, September 5, 2013. (’Eighty-eight, Marshall) Joe served in the Marines, graduated from the University of Virginia, and received a J.D. from Washington & Lee University. He practiced law for 50 years in St. Petersburg, Florida. Survivors include his wife, Linda; five children; and five grandchildren.

Gordon A. Evans, October 17, 2012. (South Cottage, Marshall, Les Copains, Chemistry Club, Stony Batter, Camera Club, The Fifteen, News Board, KARUX, football, baseball, class officer, Cum Laude) “Bill” served in the Navy and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell Law School. He worked as assistant to the vice president of Norden Laboratories and later as a commissioned legal specialist to the Office of the Navy Judge Advocate General in the Pentagon. He also received a master’s degree in tax law from the Georgetown University School of Law; he was a partner in the firm of Haley, Doty and Wollenberg and later co-founded three different law firms. Bill was preceded in death by his brother, Roger ’50, and a sister. Survivors include his wife, Peggy; his first wife, Carolie; three children and a stepson; and seven grandchildren, a great-grandchild, and two step-grandchildren.

Edwin A. Irland, January 12, 2014. (South Cottage, Irving, Camera Club, Chess Club, Rauchrunde, News Board, Chemistry Club, wrestling, Radio Club, Cum Laude) Ned received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Bucknell University and a master’s degree from Stevens Institute of Technology. He spent his professional career at Bell Laboratories. His wife, Catherine, preceded him in death. Survivors include three children, five grandchildren, and three sisters.

Donald R. McKee, November 29, 2011. (Irving, football, Radio Club) Donald earned a bachelor’s degree from Tri-State University and a computer science degree from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. He worked 25 years as an electronic technician for Magnavox and is survived by his wife, Ruby; two sons and two daughters; six grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.

’47

Joseph F. Mulson, July 21, 2013. (South Cottage, Irving, El Circulo Español, News Board, Gun Club, football, wrestling, baseball, Class Day Committee) Joe received a master’s degree and doctorate from Penn State University and was a professor of physics at Rollins College. He lived in Maitland, Florida.

Charles H. Trepel, April 18, 2014. (’Eighty-eight, Irving debater, class officer, Cum Laude, The Fifteen, swimming, baseball, Lit Board, Les Copains, Class Day Committee) Charlie was the son of the late Albert Trepel ’20 and nephew of the late Jerome Trepel ’25. He was an Army veteran, graduated from Yale University in 1951, and retired as a sole proprietor in 1986. Charlie served as a volunteer for various activities including adult education, English as a second language, and at the courthouse of Prince William County, Virginia. His wife, Bobbie, preceded him in death; survivors include a son.

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’48

Samuel W. Pringle, May 11, 2014. (Main, Irving, News Board, The Fifteen, Les Copains, Chemistry Club, choir, Glee Club, YMCA Cabinet, Stony Batter, cross country, tennis, track & field) Sam, the son of former faculty member Samuel Pringle, graduated from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and earned a law degree from Harvard Law School. He served as the assistant to a federal judge and worked for his father’s law firm before beginning a 40-year career with U.S. Steel’s law department. After retiring, Sam worked as a realestate attorney for Sprint Communications. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, as well as four children and nine grandchildren.

Donald B. Shedden, February 5, 2012. (Main, Irving, Rauchrunde) Don graduated from Princeton University and served in the Korean War. Throughout his professional career he owned and operated several businesses, including the Colonial Plaza, a Carvel Ice Cream franchise, the Dog House Restaurant, the Dixie Barbeque, an A&W, and the Hotel Bradford. Don was preceded in death by a sister. Survivors include his wife, Joanne; a son and daughter; four grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Charles A. Vogel, September 19, 2013. (Main, Marshall, Gun Club, football, wrestling, baseball) Chuck graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania and served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve, achieving the rank of major. He later opened a retail store called Treasure House of California. Survivors include his wife, Pat; a son and daughter; three grandsons; and a great-granddaughter.

’49

George L. Comfort, March 1, 2014. (Keil, Marshall, Senate, Les Copains, football, basketball, track & field, Varsity Club) George received a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and was owner of Comfort Products Co. He is survived by a sister and three nieces.

Vinton H. McClure, January 11, 2013. Bud attended Allegheny College and worked as a manufacturing representative.

David W. Purcell, April 20, 2014. (Main Annex, Irving, The Fifteen, El Circulo Español, Chemistry Club, Glee Club, Concert Band, Caducean Club, Cum Laude, Nevin Orator) David earned a bachelor’s degree from Denison University and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. He served in the Army Judge Advocate General Corps at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital and later worked as an attorney for Sinclair Oil Company before working in development for several educational institutions, including Union College, Southern Methodist University Law School, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Survivors include a daughter.

Barksdale F. Roberts, October 13, 2010. (Irving, News, KARUX Board, football) Biff, the son of Marshall Roberts (1918), earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He worked in advertising and personnel relations for First National Bank, later becoming head of private banking, and consulted with Commonwealth Bank after retiring.

Biff was preceded in death by a brother, Marshall Roberts ’47. He is survived by his wife, Margaret; a son and daughter; and two grandchildren.

Richard D. Wineland, June 22, 2014. (Irving, football) “Doc” attended the University of Southern California-Irvine. He spent a career in medicine at several California hospitals and medical centers, serving as head of the OB/GYN department at Burbank Community Hospital. Doc is survived by his wife, Rosemarie; four children, including Thomas Wineland ’72 and Robert Wineland ’74; four stepchildren; 13 grandchildren, including Bradford Wineland ’98; nine great-grandchildren, 10 step-grandchildren, two stepgreat-grandchildren, and two sisters; and cousins John Hull ’48 and Katherine Hull ’80.

’50

Henry E. Gerhart, April 14, 2014. Skip served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He was president and owner of E.H. Gerhart Co., a fourth-generation family home improvement and feed business, and later a fire equipment salesman for Safety Supply America and the regional sales representative for American LaFrance Fire Apparatus. Skip was preceded in death by his wife, Jean, and is survived by two sons and four grandsons.

Robert E. Martin, June 28, 2013. (Keil, Marshall, Gun Club, baseball) Robert graduated from Texas A&M University and served in the Army during the Korean War. He worked as a civil engineer. Robert was preceded in death by a brother and is survived by his wife, Lea, and a son.

Raymond J. Rohrbach, May 7, 2014. (South Cottage, Irving, Concert Band, Blue and White Melodians, Assembly Orchestra, Varsity Club, soccer, Marshal of the Field) Ray graduated from Franklin & Marshall College and served as an Air Force bomber pilot. He was president and CEO of Rohrbach Advertising for 35 years. Ray was preceded in death by his sister and is survived by his wife, Linda; five children, five grandchildren, and a great-grandson; a niece and nephew; and four uncles.

’51

John W. Alexander Jr., October 13, 2013. (Keil, Marshall, Concert Band, Varsity Club, football) Jack served in the Air Force during the Korean War and spent 28 years as a sales agent with Prudential Insurance. He is survived by his wife, Carol; four daughters and four sons; 21 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Harold K. Hastings Jr., April 3, 2014. (South Cottage, Irving, choir, Glee Club, Gun Club, swimming, track) “Bing” graduated from the West Virginia Business School and served in the Army during the Korean War and in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He worked for Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel and Atlas Bradford before becoming an independent sales representative in the oil and gas industry. Bing was preceded in death by his wife, Sallie. Survivors include five children, seven grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, three stepgrandchildren, and a brother and sister.

Richard S. Vedder, June 10, 2014. (Keil, Irving, choir, Glee Club, basketball, golf) Richard served in the Army during the Korean War and graduated from Washington and Lee University. He sold life insurance through Equitable and health insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield, where he served as an account executive until his retirement. Richard was preceded in death by his first wife,

M e r c e r s b u r g m a g a z i n e fa l l 2 0 1 4

Patricia, as well as a sister and a stepson. Survivors include his wife, Doreen; a son and stepson; four step-grandchildren; and a step-great-grandson.

’52

James L. Longacre, February 4, 2014. (Irving, Chapel Choir, Concert Band) Jim earned a business degree from Dyke and Spencerian College and played in the U.S. Army Band. He later received a degree in marketing and graduated from Culver Summer Naval School and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary School. Jim worked for the family business, Longacre & Son Furniture & Funeral Home, for more than two decades. He was preceded in death by two brothers. Survivors include his wife, Marie; four sons and eight grandchildren; a stepdaughter and stepson; three step-grandchildren; and three nieces and nephews.

’53

Donald B. Johnston, December 28, 2008. (Marshall, basketball) Donald received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and began his career at the family business, Trojan Laundry.

He spent 20 years as marketing director for the Institute of Industrial Launderers in Washington, D.C., and was a master franchisor for the Packaging Store Inc. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosemary, and a son. Survivors include two daughters, a son, eight grandchildren, and two brothers.

James E. Snow, April 23, 2014. (South Cottage, Marshall, choir, Glee Club, Concert Band, Varsity Club, cross country, track) Jim served in the Army and returned home to work on the family farm. He is survived by his wife, Helen; a son, daughter, and stepson; and two grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.

’54

David Beattie, June 10, 2014. (Keil, Irving, News Board, El Circulo Español, Laticlavii, Class Day Committee, swimming, Varsity Club) David received a bachelor’s degree in English from Dartmouth College. He joined the Army and continued his education at the Army Language School before going to work in insurance risk analysis.

Later he operated a horse farm, KD Trakehners. David was preceded in death by his wife, Joan. He is survived by three children, six grandchildren, and a brother.

John G. Maine, April 27, 2014. (Main, Marshall, Lit Board, Concert Band, Assembly Orchestra) John graduated from Cornell University and worked for Rockwell International. He later became a realtor and started Silverbrooke Fiber Arts through his wife Virginia’s family farm. In addition to his wife, John is survived by two children, three grandchildren, and a sister.

John S. Townsend, February 1, 2014. (Irving, Projection Crew) Jack, son of the late Samuel Townsend ’23, received a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in school administration from Chapman University. He began his teaching career in the Buena Park School District and later became a principal, assistant superintendent for business services, and superintendent of schools. Survivors include his wife, Connie; a son and daughter; and a granddaughter.

’56

Samuel E. Frankhouser, February 17, 2014. (Marshall, track, Student Council) Sam served in the Army and worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Later he worked for F.W. Dodge Reports, a division of McGraw-Hill Publishing. Sam was preceded in death by a brother and sister. Survivors include his wife, Nancy, as well as two nieces and three nephews.

’58

James S. Geisel, June 5, 2014. (Main, Marshall, Student Council, Class Day Committee, Christian Service Group, Caducean Club, El Circulo Español, Varsity Club, soccer, wrestling, tennis) Jim attended Penn State University and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bethany College. He worked as a registered representative and vice president for Butcher & Singer/Wachovia Securities. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara. Survivors include two sons and a daughter, five grandchildren, and one brother.

Robert L. Heidrick, April 1, 2013. Bob, the son of the late Gardner Heidrick ’30, was a summer session student. He is survived by his wife, Raynelle; a daughter, stepdaughter, and stepson; and two grandchildren and a brother.

Robert E. Whittle, May 9, 2014. (Main, Marshall, football, golf, track & field) Bob attended Wake Forest University and graduated from High Point College with a degree in business administration. He spent his career in sales, retiring from his own company, Applied Chemical Technologies. In addition to his wife, Virginia, Bob is survived by two sons, a daughter, and four grandchildren.

’59

Leland Dennis II, June 26, 2014. (Main, Irving, Christian Service Group, Gun Club, Caducean Club, International Club, El Circulo Español, choir, Glee Club, Octet, football, golf, track) Leland graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in geology and served in the Army Transportation Corps in Germany. He later graduated from the University of Texas Law School and worked for Francis and Francis. Survivors include his wife, Thayre, and a son.

’60

Christopher L. Winters, March 11, 2013. (Main, Irving, football, track & field) Christopher attended Susquehanna University and was president of Beacon Container Corporation of Pennsylvania.

He was preceded in death by a brother and is survived by three children, a stepsister, and a step-niece.

’65

Richard H. Wyatt Jr., November 10, 2013. (Main, Marshall, class officer, Classics Club, Engineering Club, Boys Club, Bridge Club, Paideia, Caducean Club, Stony Batter, KARUX, News, Press Club, Varsity Club, football, baseball, fencing) Rick attended the University of Virginia and co-founded the woodworking company of Gaston, Murray & Wyatt. He is survived by his wife, Debbie, as well as two sons and a sister.

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’67

John W. Stamets, June 8, 2014. (Irving, Senate, The Fifteen, MathScience Group, Chemistry Club, Political Science Club, News, Lit Board, Varsity Club, cross country, track & field) John, the son of the late William Stamets Jr. ’37, graduated from Yale University, where he studied with noted photographer (and fellow Mercersburg alumnus) Walker Evans ’21. He spent more than two decades as a photographer and lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington, where he oversaw the Architecture Photo Lab. Survivors include three brothers (William III ’70, North ’73, and Paul ’73), a sister, and his mother.

’68

Richard D. Martin, November 10, 2010. (Irving, football) Richard attended Kent State University and worked for Harley-Davidson as a quality auditor. Survivors include his wife, Cindy, as well as two sons.

’72

Theodore C. Merrick, August 24, 2009. (Irving declaimer, Blue Key, entertainment usher, Jurisprudence Society, Stony Batter, Chapel Choir, Glee Club, Concert Band, KARUX, Marshal of the Field, basketball, track & field) Theodore graduated from Washington and Lee University and received an MBA from West Virginia University. He was the former development manager of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and an ordained deacon and elder of Park Presbyterian Church. In addition to his wife, Jill, survivors include a sister and a brother.

’79

John J. Reilly, April 5, 2010. (TREK, wrestling, Blue Key, Inbound) John graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and spent his professional career at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Survivors include his wife, Linda, and two children.

’83

Frederick W. Smith, March 1, 2014. (Main, track & field, Stony Batter) Fritz graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served aboard the submarine USS City of Corpus Christi. Later he was a public affairs officer for Submarine Group Two in Groton, Connecticut, and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for his service. Fritz graduated from Purdue University with a master’s degree in history. He worked as an archivist for C-SPAN for nearly 16 years. Survivors include his parents and a sister.

’84

Earl P. Wickerham III, June 20, 2014. (Main, German Club, Farm Club) Harry graduated from Bucknell University and received a master’s degree in music from the University of Miami. He was preceded in death by his father, Earl Wickerham Jr. ’39; two uncles, John Wickerham ’39 and William Wickerham ’42; and a cousin, Wendell Wickerham ’71. Harry is survived by his mother, brother, and niece.

’87

David H. Ferris, April 26, 2014. (Irving, squash, golf, Ski Club, KARUX, News, The Review, Blue Key, Stony Batter, WMER, Investment Club) David received a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College and served as vice president of institutional sales at Ferris Baker Watts. He later joined Morgan Stanley Smith Barney as senior vice president of wealth management before turning to private business ventures. Survivors include his wife, Maria; two children, two brothers, two sisters, and his mother.

Former Faculty William S. Hill, December 9, 2004. William taught chemistry at Mercersburg from 1935 to 1937 before working as an RCA patent agent for 30 years. He held a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan.

William was preceded in death by a sister. Survivors include his wife, Geraldine; three daughters; nine grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

Alfred F. Pisano Jr., April 9, 2014. Al graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland and earned a master’s degree in education from Penn State University. In addition to serving on the faculty at Mercersburg (where he was head coach of the school’s football and boys’ lacrosse teams and director of physical education) from 1976 to 1983, he also coached lacrosse at SUNY Cortland and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and spent 30 years at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa as head football coach, athletic director, co-director of the upper division, and dean of students. Al was preceded in death by a sister and brother. Survivors include his wife, Peg; a daughter, Laura Pisano Lyshon ’80 (and her husband, Skip Lyshon ’79); three sons, including Michael ’81 and Ronald ’84; and several grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Peyton M. Pitney, March 18, 2008. Peyton graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in mathematics and from Harvard University with a master’s degree in education. During the Korean War, he served as a weatherman in the Navy. In addition to a year at Mercersburg (1978–1979), he taught at Mount St. Mary’s University, York College, the Pingry School, and Northfield Mount Hermon School (where he was dean of students and head of the Northfield campus). After retirement, he operated Pitney’s Groundskeeping and later Adams Financial Planners. Survivors include his wife, Patricia; two daughters; and six grandchildren.

Unlimited. Futures should be wide open.

We keep them that way by staying true to our values, applying innovation, acting as a community, and investing in tomorrow.

That’s the Mercersburg Way. That’s Daring to Lead.

www.mercersburg.edu/daringtolead

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November 6, 2014 Chicago, Illinois November 21-22, 2014 Seattle, Washington January 23, 2015 Washington, D.C.

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For more information, visit www.mercersburg.edu/events.

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