Moses Brown cupola
fall / winter 2019 - 20
PAST + PRESENT
Moses Brown School Board of Trustees Gabe Amo ’05 Issmat Atteereh P ’13 ’18 John T. Barrett, Jr. ’63 P ’01 Neil Beranbaum ’86 P ’22 ’24 ’28 Clerk, Alumni Association Maitrayee Bhattacharyya P ’20 Carl Bogus ’66 GP ’30 Cheryl Cohen ’81 Joanne P. A. Debrah ’97 P ’20 Jane Dietze P ’20 ’23 Clerk, Investment Committee Lisa Donahue P ’21 Clerk, MB Parents’ Association Thomas J. (T.J.) Fullam P ’14 ’17 Gary I. Goldberg ’87 P ’17 ’19 ’20 Clerk, Campaign Steering Committee Austin Jaspers ’11 Dolph Johnson P ’20 ’23 William (Tad) Jose ’78 Rebecca Leuchak P ’04 ’09 Shaun Levesque P ’12 ’14 ’17 Treasurer & Clerk, Budget & Finance Cmte. Dele Mabray P ’17 ’20 Mike McGuigan Friends Coordinator Kara Milner P ’19 ’21 ’27 Recording Clerk of the Board Stephanie Ogidan-Preston ’97 P ’22 Clerk, Enrollment & Marketing Alisha Pina ’96 Vincent Porcaro, Sr. ’83 P ’11 ’24 Yiguang Qiu P ’20 Peter Ramsden ’82 P ’16 ’19 Clerk, Buildings & Grounds Cmte. Jane Ritson-Parsons P ’17 ’21 Assistant Clerk of the Board Paul Salem P ’19 ’19 ’22 Clerk of the Board Ahvi Spindell ’72 Liesa Stamm Ariana Steele P ’26 ’29 Reza Taleghani ’90 P ’21 Clerk, Governance Committee Stephen Thomas P ’27 ’30 Dawn Tripp P ’19 ’24
Moses Brown, a Friends school, exists to inspire the inner promise of each student and instill the utmost care for learning, people, and place. —Moses Brown School mission statement
Clerk, Nurturing Friends Education Carlton Tucker P ’18 Matt Glendinning Head of School Frederick Weiss Clerk of NEYM
Stay Social, Stay In Touch
Please visit MB Alumni’s social network pages!
Find Moses Brown Alumni at: /MosesBrownAlumni
/MosesBrownSchool and /MosesBrownAlumni
Cupola Fall/Winter 2019-20 Letter from Matt Glendinning........................................................... 2 News from Moses Brown Today ....................................................... 3 Gifts in Action ................................................................................... 6 MBAA Award Recipients................................................................... 7 Moses Brown Past and Present, Sarah Lindblom ’07, guest editor................8 MB Alumni Events and News...........................................................18 Class Notes......................................................................................20 In Memoriam...................................................................................30 Remembering Dean Woodman....................................................... 32
About Our Cover — MB classroom, 1978: Scott DiDonato ’80, Sue Minter ’79, Bill Land ’79, Kim Canning ’78, Bob Moore ’79, Kathy McCarthy ’80 and Jim Millward ’79; photo by Beth Taylor. See page 3 for a look at MB today.
Cupola — A semi-annual magazine for Moses Brown School alumni Editor: Destenie Vital P ’22
Digital Cupola As a part of our continued commitment to sustainability, we are offering alumni the option to receive Cupola in a digital edition. If you want to opt-out of the print magazine and just get a digital copy of the next magazine, please let us know — email alumni@
Managing Editor:
Director of Alumni Relations: Karin Morse ’79
Kristen A. Curry Class Notes: Kate Tompkins P ’28
Assistant Head of School for Institutional Affairs:
Contributors:
Ronald Dalgliesh P ’21
Evan Daniels ’19 Peter Zubiago ’18
Photography:
mosesbrown.org. If you still like your print
David O’Connor, MB Communications
copy, that’s fine, too. Thank you for helping
Designer: HulaFish Creative
us create a more sustainable MB.
Printer: Signature Printing, East Providence, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council
The next issue of Cupola... We’ll soon be starting work on the next issue of Cupola. Have a theme or topic you’d like to see us cover in a future issue of the magazine? Let us know. Notes, updates, feedback and suggestions always welcome! alumni@mosesbrown.org / kcurry@mosesbrown.org
Thanks to your Moses Brown Alumni Association board members for their work on behalf of the school!
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Cupola is produced by the offices of Communications and Alumni Relations for alumni and friends of Moses Brown. Your feedback is welcomed. Please send comments to: Cupola, Moses Brown School, 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence, RI 02906. Send suggestions, class notes and address updates to MB Alumni Relations via mosesbrown.org or alumni@mosesbrown.org; 401-831-7350 x114. Moses Brown School is a nonprofit institution. mosesbrown.org
Stay in touch! Send thoughts on this issue or suggestions for our next edition to kcurry@mosesbrown.org. Please be sure we have your best email and mailing addresses for MB news and event invitations. Direct address changes, news or photos to alumni@mosesbrown.org.
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A LETTER FROM MATT GLENDINNING, HEAD OF SCHOOL
The Evolution of a School As a classicist and ancient historian,
I can’t help but admire the curriculum that existed at Moses Brown — then called Friends Boarding School — in 1870. • First Year: Latin, Arithmetic, Algebra, Grammar, Ancient History, Modern History • Second Year: Latin, Higher Algebra, Geometry, Geography, Philosophy • Third Year: Latin, Trigonometry & Surveying (boys), 19th-century Literature (girls), English Literature, United States Government, Astronomy, Rhetoric • Fourth Year: Latin, Logic, Philosophy, Geology, Political Economy, History of Civilization, Evidences of Christianity • Electives were offered in Greek, French, German, Botany, Physiology and Drawing For 180 students (110 boys and 70 girls) enrolled at the time, tuition was $300 (less for Quakers), Alumni Hall and its library of 2,000 volumes was brand new, and the school boasted both a gymnasium and an observatory. School principals Albert and Alfred Smiley had recently taken the bold step of allowing boys and girls to eat together in the dining hall and introducing vocal music to the school!
Fast forward 150 years and, not surprisingly, Moses Brown has evolved in ways that the Smiley brothers would find unimaginable. For our 750 students, Alumni Hall is now the Y-Lab, a 5,000 sq. foot engineering and design studio featuring 3D printers, CNC routers, and a robotics lab. Daily exercise in the gymnasium has grown into a robust program in Athletics including 61 teams competing in 16 sports. And a begrudging acceptance of music has blossomed into a dazzling program of Performing Arts showcased in a state-of-the-art venue (the Woodman Center). What hasn’t changed during our entire history are the core principles imparted to the school by its founder, 18th-century entrepreneur, statesman, abolitionist and Friend, Moses Brown. He believed in education as a means for improving both individuals and society. Intended for boys and girls from all religious denominations and social classes, Moses’ school provided advanced studies designed to help students develop the practical skills to earn a living and the values to make the world a better place for all. We’re proud to carry on that legacy today. Looking back to look forward, it’s exciting to imagine what will sustain us and what will change in the next 235 years of the school’s history. In this issue of Cupola, you’ll read stories that illustrate the spirit of innovation that has always characterized MB. And if you’re coming to Reunion this year (May 9), we’ll be opening an exhibit of MB’s past dedicated to Doc Odell, the longest-serving faculty/staff member in school history. Please come for a visit! In friendship,
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NEWS FROM MOSES BROWN TODAY
Hope & Lloyd Go Quakers!
This fall, the girls’ varsity soccer team upset undefeated Pilgrim in the semis and then went to the Division II State Championship game, bringing home the first RIIL championship for girls’ soccer in over 20 years.
Photo: Chuck Nadeau
Carving a Path
Nick Gilson ’07 will be the 2020 Commencement speaker on June 11. An MB “lifer,” Nick attended Johns Hopkins after MB, then taught middle school science in Nashville with Teach For America. A need to reach a wide range of education levels in his classroom led Nick to favor hands-on learning and to revisit a design he came up with when he was an eighth grader at MB, to share with students as an example of invention. Asking students to embark on a project of their own, Nick retrieved his own junior high design for a catamaran-inspired snowboard to model experimentation. It was only when he dusted off his own youthful idea to demonstrate scientific experimentation that he was led to start onto a path to business ownership. Today Nick is the founder and CEO of Gilson Boards, the fastest-growing snowboard company in the world, turning out thousands of innovative, catamaran-inspired snowboards and skis a year; you can also see FALL / WINTER 2019-20 his TED Talk on “Failing to Learn.”
MB is pleased to welcome Carlos Andrés Gómez ’00 as this year’s annual visiting poet. Carlos will present at MB on April 1.
Several new trustees joined the MB board of trustees this year: • Cheryl Cohen ’81
• Rebecca Leuchak P’04’09
• Joanne P. A. Debrah ’97 P’20
• Yiguang Qiu P’20
• Lisa Donahue P’21
• Ahvi Spindell ’72
• Dolph Johnson P’20’23
• Ariana Steele P’26’29
As part of this year’s cohort work by veteran faculty, Kristin Street will be hosting and running a papermaking residency in the Y-Lab, Tony Pirruccello-McClellan (left) is developing a destination for outdoor field trips for lower schoolers, and David Flaxman is creating music and exploring digital recording.
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MB Welcomes New Administrative Team Members
This summer, Moses Brown welcomed new members to the school’s administrative team, among them Grant Henderson, Director of Technology; Jennifer McFadden, Director of Friends Education; and Destenie Vital, Director of Marketing and Communications.
Equal Voice is one of the active student clubs in MB’s upper school of today. This student-run club focuses on issues of intersectional feminism and equality. The group gathers weekly to talk and discuss readings, movies and current events.
Kudos 1
Tristan Connell’s photograph, The Green Light, was selected for the annual Drexel University High School Photography Contest Exhibition and displayed this winter in Philadelphia. Two of MB’s Vex Robotics Teams qualified for regionals this year and also took home awards for Teamwork, Robot Skills and Excellence.
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Senior Will Hassett was named Academic AllState and All-New England for soccer. Three coaches received Coach of the Year awards: Gara Field (girls’ soccer), Eric Aaronian (boys’ soccer) and Brian Williams (girls’ lacrosse).
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Seven students had work accepted into the Rhode Island Scholastic Art and Writing Exhibit.
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Abi Bayog ’22
Sophomore Lourdes Nicolella was named a finalist for Rhode Island Youth Poetry Ambassador. Jeff Maidment received the Rhode Island Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Award of Merit for 2020 (his second time), chosen by his peers in the RIIL. 4
Sophomore Avarose Hauswirth, a violinist and member of MB’s string orchestra, placed first in the state at All-State Auditions.
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Yufei Xiao ’20
Thank You, Denise!
Denise Monk retired in December after 38 years of dedicated and caring service to MB. Denise was hired by David Burnham as a receptionist, and later came to work in the kitchen and with the boarding department. Most recently, Denise worked as MB’s lead cashier and also served as a summer camp counselor; “Cooking with Denise” is the perennial first choice of RISE campers every summer. While Denise’s job responsibilities were considerable, her chief concern always was children. Asking “where’s your protein?” was just one of the many ways that she looked after students as they moved through her realm of care. In December, the school gathered in the fieldhouse to celebrate Denise. Denise will also be celebrated at Reunion and will continue to work at RISE Camp.
Sophomore John Lanza placed first in the Jr. Bronze Squash Tournament. Junior Savanna Rust won Beautiful Day’s “Journeys of Hope” essay contest; she cited her freshman-year immersion experience and Middle Eastern Studies class as key influences on how she thinks the world’s refugee crisis could be addressed. This year’s lower school musical was Frozen, Kids! 5
This fall, MBinRep staged Shakespeare in Love and A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
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MB had seven National Merit Finalists this year, more than any other independent school in Rhode Island. As of February, MB seniors had been accepted at 120 different colleges across 29 states, Washington, D.C. and the United Kingdom. The Athletic Trainers Association has awarded MB the Safe Sports School Award, a national recognition. Kudos to athletic trainer Joyce Freeman for her leadership and expertise in the sports medicine field at MB and in Rhode Island. Preprimary student Remy Gold nicely summarized the history of Moses Brown School this year. Senior Will Malloy received an Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign at the HRC New England Gala in November in Boston, honored for his work as a public speaker and advocate for transgender students. 5
Take a virtual tour of the new lower school: mosesbrown.org/academics/lower-school-plans
GIFTS IN ACTION
Final Months of MB Believes! 2019-20 Moses Brown Fund goal :
$1.3 million raised: $642,600 left to raise : $657,400
Lower School Project goal :
$5.6 million $3.638 million to raise : $1,961,517
raised: left
Scholarship Endowment goal :
$15 million $12.5 million raise : $2.5 million
raised:
left to
$5 million needed to reach $65 million goal by June 30, 2020 Never before in MB’s 235-year history has the community — 3,818 individual donors to be precise — come together to invest $60 million in the children, teachers, educational programs and facilities of our school. But more work remains. With eight months to go, the MB Believes campaign countdown has begun. Help us cement our collective legacy by reaching our $65 million goal by this summer. Now is our moment. Now is our time.
$3.5 million Scholarship Endowment Matching Challenge • Challenge gift in 2018 is largest scholarship pledge ever • Must raise $3.5M to receive $3.5M (dollar-for-dollar match) • Every gift doubled; $910,000 in matching funds still available
$7 million Scholarship-Athletic Facility Initiative
For every dollar given, 50% goes to need-based endowed scholarships and 50% supports three key athletic facility priorities: • New turf field, stands, press box and scoreboard at Campanella ($2.3M) • Dugouts, bullpens and stands for Moran Softball Field ($400K) • Creating a new Strength & Conditioning Center ($800K)
To learn more, contact Assistant Head of School Ron Dalgliesh P’21 at (401) 831-7350 x111 or rdalgliesh@mosesbrown.org 6
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CONGRATULATIONS!
Jane C. Knowles ’81
The Karin Morse ’79 Service to Alma Mater Award Jane Knowles has several family connections to MB including her father Lewis Knowles ’36. She joined MB the first year it went co-ed (1976) and has fond memories of being one of the three girls in eighth grade that year, a pioneer of MB co-education. Jane retains her acceptance letter from MB to this day.
Fall Award Recipients Moses Brown Alumni Association Recognizes Award Winners
After Wheaton College, Jane spent several years working in advancement at Rocky Hill School and St. George’s before transitioning to work with senior citizens. She is currently the Activities & Event Coordinator at The Seasons assisted living facility in East Greenwich. Jane has enjoyed staying connected to MB since graduation, from volunteering at Annual Fund phonathons and helping organize class reunions to participating on committees and serving two stints on the MBAA Board. She presently serves as Recording Secretary and also served as Vice President in the 1990s. “Moses Brown helped shape my life,” Jane says. “I have my father to thank for instilling me with MB pride and the MB faculty for helping shape me into the person I am today.”
Gabriel K. Amo ’05
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Gabe Amo had the course of his career set in his first week as a freshman at MB when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon on 9/11. He says MB’s Quaker roots in compassion profoundly affected him that day, influencing the course of his high school experience. At MB, Gabe served as Student Senate president in his senior year, before heading to Wheaton to major in Political Science, serve as student government president and receive a Truman Scholarship. Gabe also studied at the University of Oxford (England) on a Marshall Scholarship. He worked on President Obama's campaigns, then in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and has worked on numerous political races in Rhode Island and served as Director of Public Engagement and Community Affairs for Governor Gina Raimondo. Gabe also managed national government relations for Home Depot and recently went to work for Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign. Gabe serves on MB’s Board of Trustees and MBAA board and has been a guest speaker in many MB classes over the years. FALL / WINTER 2019-20
In the Shadow of the Elms Where the walls so tall and stately, of our Alma Mater rise, where the elm trees’ waving fingers strive to touch the bending skies— Nature smiles with aspect sweet— Darkly braided on the greensward at our feet, Lie the shadows of the elms CUPOLA
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For my part, I first remembered lyrics of a spiritual “My Soul is a Witness,” which asserts that the honest life one has led sets forth an example that is a testament to God’s grace. And while much of the school’s current ethos stems from Moses’ venerable later years, his conversion to Quakerism and commitments to abolition and equal education for the sexes, our team unearthed documents, many in his own hand, that would cast him and his school onto a much more complex spectrum: Moses the slaveholder, Moses the aid worker, Moses the flawed but atoning founder of an institution built on the aspirational epithet “For the Honor of Truth.”
EDITOR’S LETTER
Witnessing History When Matt Glendinning reached out to me this past fall asking if I’d be involved in an exhibit of objects documenting the history of MB, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. While I was a student, I always had a vague sense of the school’s deep-rooted history from the oil paintings in Alumni Hall and the stories told by long-serving faculty members. But now, as a trained archivist with professional experience under my belt and the mandate to delve into the school’s rare materials, I could be a part of the effort building a solid display of research for the education and edification of the entire MB community. During the research process, I, along with other members of the exhibit team, took a trip to the Special Collections at UMass Amherst where, in combing through three boxes of Moses Brown’s materials, we came upon one phrase again and again: Witness My Hand. This was a standard phrase used during Moses’ time to officiate hand-drawn, legally-binding documents, but immediately, we began to ponder a wider interpretation of these three words. 8
Holding a document in my own hands that was written in Moses’ hand that coldly listed the first names and prices of human beings stirred up such contradictory gravitas while reckoning it with the image of the benevolent, visionary old Quaker. Reading through official school histories delineating how “both sexes were entitled to an education; but boys and girls were to be kept strictly apart,” somehow had to square with my own experience of learning and socializing with my male classmates unselfconsciously. Moses Brown’s own painful and redemptive truth is the school’s truth, and more importantly, our truth. We are the ones left to witness, as completely as we can through the inherent lens of our modern mores of Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and general “woke-ness,” everything Moses Brown’s hand began: to fully survey, fairly examine and honestly reconcile the truth of our school.
Sarah Lindblom ’07 joined MB in ninth grade. She says her advisor Jamie German was the perfect ‘constant’ in her fouryear high school experiment and says Moses Brown taught her to be disciplined, resourceful, critical and ambitious; she appreciates MB’s combination of care and challenge, critical examination and creative thinking. Sarah started her career in archives as a student assistant in the archives and special collections at Smith College. After majoring in Classical Studies and Dance, she obtained her MLIS at the University of Maryland, concentrating in archives. She’s also worked at the Rhode Island Jewish Historical Society, Rhode Island Historical Society and Library of Congress and is passionate about seeing MB’s archives become an accessible educational resource for the school and larger community. CUPOLA
MOSES BROWN:
Past & Present
What do you remember most about your MB experience? This past fall, Moses Brown School began renovation of both the Ward (Bird) Room and the Archives in Middle House. MB is turning the Archives room into a museum-quality exhibit of MB history in time for this year’s Reunion in May, led by past parent and current trustee Rebecca Leuchak P ’04 ’09, an art historian. The installation will be unveiled at Reunion this spring. If you can’t get to MB this year, browse these pages to delve into MB’s impressive history and glimpse new developments around the school today.
Oh, the Story an Archives Can Tell!
Moses Brown School has a rich archive, collections of historic materials about the school and the people who have formed its community over the centuries. This year MB students, faculty and staff, alumni and parents have been exploring the Archives to get a sense of our history — Moses Brown, the man who founded the school, as well as Moses Brown the institution, in its daily life and everyday world. Many have contributed to this effort, building on the incredible and painstaking work of long-time faculty member Doc Odell. Head of School Matt Glendinning has cherished a long-time dream of creating a museum-quality exhibit presenting the story the Archives has to tell. Others share that dream, and through the generous donations and support of many alumni, funding was secured to make this dream a reality. This school year, a team of faculty, staff and students began researching in order to bring to life the objects and people of the school’s past. To peruse a student scrapbook from 1919 or read Moses Brown’s hand-written notes is to sense the world of MB of long times past. Says Rebecca Leuchak, Friend, trustee and former MB parent, “These objects truly put us in touch with how much history can provide to help us understand who we are as a school and community today.” Make sure to see the exhibit during Reunion Weekend this May 8-9, when the history of Moses Brown is unveiled in an exhibit entitled “Witness My Hand, Moses Brown.”
Back to School!
The annual new faculty (and staff) photo is an MB rite of passage. New faculty of 1982 look confident and ready to start the new school year. Did you have any of these teachers and can you name the two who are still permanent members of the MB faculty? FALL / WINTER 2019-20
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The Front Gate and Front Circle in Winter, 1956.
Dorm Days
Girls at MB
In its early years, Moses Brown welcomed boarders to campus, welcoming students from all over Rhode Island and New England and beyond. In later years, the school moved to a “day school” model to meet the needs of changing times. The boarding department saw its most robust capacity in the 1970s, when international students came to MB to study from around the world, including the Middle East and Asia. MB phased out boarding in the 1990s, hoping to attract more local students.
What’s in a name?
MB first opened in Providence in 1819 as Friends Boarding School. The first student to arrive that year was Maria Fuller of Lynn, Massachusetts, age 12. While MB was originally co-ed, the school became boys-only in 1926 (through the fall of 1976). The Girls’ Parlor was likely located in the northeast corner of the east wing.
The most popular names in MB’s graduating classes, past and present:
1850s: Caroline and Mary Class of 2020: Abigail, Benjamin, John/Jack
Design for a New Lower School
RISD architect Jeff Blydenburgh left his mark on campus in renovations of the 1970s including the redesign of the Henderson Building (1971) and the playground for the lower school in 1976 (before going on to transform Davol Square in Providence). In 1976, he was consulted for a temporary playground for the lower school and suggested a spot on the hill by Campanella Terrace. It remains the location of the Lower School playground to this day. An addition was added to the lower school in 1985. See page 6 for a look at the new plans for lower school. 10
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Music Matters
Did you play an instrument while a student at MB? The annual Holiday All-School Music Concert was launched by Head of School Dave Burnham in 1987, establishing a new Moses Brown tradition as a way to bring the whole school community together. “Despite the uncertainties of our world, we who work and live and learn together at Moses Brown have been given wonderful gifts. A Holiday Concert is an opportunity to celebrate this fact and to express thanks. It is a time to share our gifts and to recognize that the world can move ahead only to the extent that its people love each other. Is not this what we, above all, want our students to believe? … in this Quaker school we DO believe in the goodness and light which is in every person.”
The Power House
July 5th, 1945 was the last day the old engine/coal room worked, before the school switched to power via the Narragansett Electric Company. Before then, students were enlisted to transport coal! In 2021, the Power House will become the home for the new lower school Commons.
Strike up the Band: the MB Banjo Club, 1927
Clubs on campus today include the Jewish Cultural Club, Versatones, Community Outreach, language clubs and Equal Voice. Two hundred and eighty-four students also perform in MB musical groups.
On the Menu
This is what MB lunch looked like in 1942 at mid-century Moses Brown. In the MB dining hall of today, students enjoy lunches served by SAGE Dining Services, with an emphasis on locally sourced and from-scratch options. The dining hall is a collaborative effort between MB and SAGE with a focus on sustainability, including a compost program, recycling of cooking oils and the elimination of the sale of plastic bottles on campus.
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The Moses Brown reception area, or “Bird Room,” is famous for its contents, which were donated to the school in 1861. The case includes two extinct wild passenger pigeons, as well as a mourning dove, mockingbird, blue heron, cottontail rabbit, red fox and platypus.
Toward an MB Arboretum
The Grove is the spiritual heart of Moses Brown. Still a peaceful spot, it’s the site of annual Commencement (weather permitting) as well as a Peace Garden. MB’s campus today is dotted with beeches, oaks, pines, dogwood, maples and cherry and several trees on campus are dedicated to faculty/ staff serving 30 years or more. Several students and faculty in the upper school have focused their efforts toward establishing an arboretum at MB with plans to formally label all 38 trees planted in honor of faculty/staff with 30+ years of service to MB, a tradition which started in 1998. Each student in last year’s immersive course adopted a tree and learned about it and its faculty/staff honoree. During a BioBlitz as part of this year’s immersive, students will be identifying many of the older trees on MB’s campus, as well as many of its other woody plants. A generous grant from the Parents’ Association has provided for plaques to be staked near the trees during an Arbor Day event on April 24. If the school can identify 100+ species on campus, MB will then be able to apply for Level II accreditation as an official arboretum, celebrating the wonderful trees and plants found on our historic campus.
Look at these fresh-faced new hires! In fall 2006, MB’s new employees took a moment to gather together.
MB elected its first female alumni association
MBpresident elected its first female alumni in 2001: Emily Low Boenning ’81 association president in 2001: Emily Low Boenning ’81 shown here with her father Ted Low ’44.
That Seals It MB’s current seal and motto date to 1904. Before this, the school’s motto was: “Veritas Nunquam Perit.” Can you translate that? Answer: Truth Never Fails 12
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In 1902, the Moses Brown gymnasium was built and named Hawes Gymnasium, via the bequest of Sarah J. Hall, in honor of her parents complete with physical apparatus, swimming pool and bowling alleys. Today it’s the site of the Walter Jones Library and includes ample facilities to exercise your mind: the library houses approximately 6,000 items and has two professional librarians on site for middle and upper school.
Alumni Events
Do you think alumni events around the country are something new? Not at all! In 1908, alumni gathered in New York City for a gathering at the Hotel St. Denis on Broadway and Eleventh Street. Dinner was just $2 each. Today, alumni events are free and take place in NYC, as well as California, D.C., Seattle, Boston and Newport. Think we should hold an event for alumni near you? Tell us!
High Tech
The metamorphosis of MB’s technology offerings has transformed greatly in just a generation.
In 1930, without a field house, Moses Brown runners ran around the back circle on a board track, keeping their legs strong for winter workouts. Over the years, MB has boasted some of the fastest runners in the state and country and that holds true today, including freshman Sophia Gorriaran, who is the New England mile champion and national record holder for freshmen in the 800m (2:03.98), and senior Kolya Markov-Riss, who holds the school record in the 800m (1:56.52) and placed sixth in New England in the 600m.
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Did You Know? • An astronomical observatory was erected at MB in 1862. Bruce Shaw has played a number of roles here at MB over the years, as a faculty member, coach and now staff. Now retired from teaching, Bruce continues to work part-time at MB as Assistant Director of the Woodman Center where his years of tech and crew experience come in handy. How many Moses Brown shows have you crewed, Bruce?
Moses Brown’s front gate was donated in 1906 by alumnus Joshua L. Baily and his five sons in memory of their wife and mother, Theodate Baily. The gate was originally going to be located at the Hope Street entrance, where Mrs. Baily would watch the boys enter the schoolgrounds from her window across the street. However, a Boston architect 14
and a school committee member proposed that the gate be moved to the entrance on Lloyd Avenue, which had previously been the main entrance for the school. This proposal was met with some trepidation, since the entrance on Lloyd had become a “rendezvous for objectionable characters, both men and women.” In the end, it was deemed that
• Alumni Hall was built in 1868 and included living quarters for girls; the Alumni Association contributed one-fourth of the cost as an initial donation. • Electricity was installed at MB in 1895.
the main gate should open to the main building on campus, similar to the Van Wickle Gates at Brown. Thus, the front gate came to be located on Lloyd Avenue. As an annual rite of passage, the senior class takes their photo at the gate for the yearbook.
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Senior Projects Take Root at MB
MB’s Senior Project program launched in 1970. In an attempt to keep seniors engaged in school after they had been accepted into college, headmaster Peter Mott offered to cancel their classes at the end of the year for “investigations of environmental problems in the greater Providence area.” Sixty-two seniors agreed to try the two-month program and set out to tackle a wide range of topics on life in Rhode Island: from airport congestion to water pollution. Students presented their projects during an alumni reception in the newly Astro-Turfed Field House. The project was deemed a success and senior projects continued on.
Dance Card
Until the return of coeducation, MB welcomed students from Lincoln for “tea dances.” Today school dances are now held at the Woodman Center. MB opened its doors to students from other independent schools, holding Rhode Island’s first “Come As You Are” dance, co-sponsored by the GSAs at MB, Lincoln, Wheeler and PCD. And this past year, the lower school started a new tradition — an annual family dance!
Quaker Nation: Sports at MB, Then and Now
A History of Health and Physical Education at Moses Brown School (from school catalogs, 1832-1944) 1855 - Daily exercises in the open air during suitable weather is required. 1858 - A gymnasium is added to provide exercise during poor weather. 1871 - The school catalog states, “Each girl should be furnished with a gymnasium dress.” 1873 - “It has become a maxim, in the management of the school, that health should be made a matter of first importance, and that physical development should go hand in hand with intellectual culture.” 1897 - New athletic fields are built. 1898 - Cycle clubs are popular and athletic instruction is offered for boys and girls, separately. Girls’ Soccer, RIIL Division II soccer champs, November 2019 FALL / WINTER 2019-20
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Good Timers
Annual Convocation is an MB rite of passage, launching hundreds of Moses Brown students on their Moses Brown career. A decade ago, students gathered with Head of School Joanne Hoffman to start the new school year: Dylan Neel ’11, Gabby Garofalo ’14, Natalie Triedman ’08 and Nick Gilson ’07.
The current teachers with the most years of service to MB are Randy Street, Jim Skillings and Kristin Street. Together, they celebrate more than a century of combined service to MB this year. The longest-serving staff member is Reenie Ferreira, Office Assistant / Summer Camps Extended Day Director, celebrating 34 years at MB this year. King “Doc” Odell holds the school record for longest-serving employee, having taught at MB from 1953-2005 and continuing to serve as school archivist.
One of the major changes Moses Brown has seen in recent decades is the improvement of its grounds.
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The Passage of Time
The tall clock in the Head of School’s office is one of the most enduring symbols of the passage of time found on campus, manufactured in 1817 by Mr. John Bailey, Jr. The Baileys were Quakers and John, Jr. a prominent abolitionist. The dial includes a painted sketch of Moses Brown by his apprentice William Wall of New Bedford. Only 16 when he drew the school’s portrait, Wall went on to become a prominent artist whose work is displayed in the New Bedford Whaling Museum and Boston’s MFA. The clock is wound twice weekly by Erik Wilker, director of administrative and strategic affairs, and continues to keep good time for MB; you may even hear it chime the hours as you walk through Middle House.
Alumni: We’d love to see photos from your own MB archives or hear stories from your MB days. Please share stories, items or photos from your own personal archives. What would you put in your own personal MB time capsule? Share your MB memories by emailing alumni@mosesbrown.org or posting at our Facebook page: facebook.com/MosesBrownAlumni.
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MOSES BROWN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
MBAA Quaker Classic
Thanks to members of the Quaker Classic committee for a spectacular day at the Newport Country Club: John Baldwin ’94, Neil Beranbaum ’86, Lyn Chapman P ’97, Jason Engle ’98, Jane Knowles ’81, Jerry Knowles ’57, Ross Mattis ’95, Dave Murphy ’91, Nancy Pasquariello ’91, Adam Pennacchio ’01 and Mia Rotondi Puddington ’09.
The Moses Brown Alumni Association and Moses Brown School provide opportunities for alumni to engage with each other and MB, near and far. If you would like to host an event or volunteer, please contact Karin Morse ’79 at kmorse@mosesbrown.org or 401-831-7350 x191. 18
Alumni Events MBAA Fall Reception
More than 85 alumni and friends gathered at the Guild to celebrate award recipients Jane Knowles ’81 (below) and Gabe Amo ’05. MBAA Clerk Neil Beranbaum ’86 presented the awards.
Monica Rodriguez ’03, Laura Gruber ’02, Denise Monk and Joanne Debrah ’97
Brayden Puddington ’09, Mia Rotondi Puddington ’09, Jen Beneduce Army, Derek Army ’09, Karli Ipsen, Ryan Fullerton ’09 and Neil Vasquez ’09 CUPOLA
Alumni Soccer
It was a great, competitive game with many eras represented, including members of the 2019 Girls State Division II Champions.
Alumni Hockey
Former high school, college and pro players came back to Meehan Auditorium and laced up their skates for a high-scoring game with lots of passing.
MB Presents Wreathmaking with Semia George Dunne ’94
A wonderful group of alumni and friends gathered at Flowers by Semia to learn the art of wreathmaking from floral designer Semia George Dunne ’94.
NYC Alumni & Friends Reception
2015 classmates Lily Zexter, Alex Towey and Maria Veale reunited at the NYC Alumni & Friends Reception at BlackBarn.
Spree Bowl
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The wonderful Spree Bowl tradition continued: alumni, family, and friends came together at noon the day after Thanksgiving to play and celebrate friendship and the lives of Evan 19 Spirito ’06 and Zech Chafee ’07.
Class Notes keeping in touch
Gifford Arch, 1963
1945
1948
Robert Farwell recently retired as a substitute teacher after 17 years in the middle and high schools of the Hancock and Pass Christian School Districts in Mississippi. “At age 92, health is very good,” he says. Bob says he enjoyed reading the essay by Scott Triedman ’78 in the last issue of Cupola as he knew Scott’s father Leonard ’46.
1948
1947
1947
Charles Staples and his wife Joan stopped at MB during their annual east coast summer trip to see campus, visit with Perry Buroker and find their seat plaque in the Woodman Center.
20
Seven seniors recently presented on this year’s Class of ’48 Awards and were joined by Fran Sargent and Mary and Ray ’48 Mountain. This year’s award winners traveled to volunteer in Pakistan, studied photography in Maine and created a fictional animation about urban villages in China. One recipient traveled to the Netherlands, Lithuania and Poland to research her family’s connection to WWII and the Holocaust from both the Jewish standpoint on her father’s side and the viewpoints of her maternal family who hid Jewish families. Another attended AIM High, a medical school immersion program at Nova Southeastern University. Others studied school safety and started a middle school robotics team for underserved students in Newport. Thank you to the Class of ’48 for their support of these projects. CUPOLA
1954
Ralph “Buzz” Mills has been in touch with classmates Michael Bate, Henry Beckwith, Richard I. Burton, Richard D. Burton, Bill Gill (who was facing surgery in great spirits), Dave Lawton (who reminisced about an infamous trip as he drove a bunch of classmates to Fenway Park to see the Sox), Dave Ridderheim, Allen Shepherd and Dan Young. Jim Allen wrote to Buzz that he was a retired professor of geography at California State University Northridge and has two award-winning books. He and his wife Nancy have two children and three grandkids. If any other members of the class of 1954 would like to reconnect, please reach out to Buzz at buzzmills@gmail.com.
1960
1960
Stephen Estee recently completed hiking the 2193-mile Appalachian Trail. He completed about 700 miles each summer starting at Katahdin in Maine in 2016, Springer Mountain in Georgia in 2017 and Shenandoah in 2018 and finished in southern Virginia this past June. Steve says that this was the hardest, and perhaps most rewarding, thing he has ever attempted.
1962
Rick Turner has received his third U.S. patent with his youngest son, Elias, for a new class of microphones for acoustic musical instruments, particularly violin family, mandolin, banjo and piano with more instruments coming in the next year or so. They are working on licensing the technology to a major manufacturer for building and distribution and hope to have a deal settled this winter. Rick says, “Thank you, Moses Brown and my teachers, for encouraging my curiosity and tendency to tinker!”
1973
John Kirby is working and living temporarily in Colorado. “I invite any MBers to come visit me,” he says. “I’ve been here for 7 months and love it.”
1975
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Nick Pernokas is a saddle maker, writer, actor and cowboy. He competed successfully in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and in the American Quarter Horse Association. In the late ’90s, he wrote a book on evaluating contemporary saddles which led to writing for various equine and leather industry magazines. Nick was also the senior staff writer at Shop Talk magazine for ten years. Nick credits his success in writing to the strong English program and excellent teachers he had at MB. His roping has led him to becoming involved in the film industry and he recently played an outlaw in the feature film Showdown on the Brazos. Nick and his wife Lindy live on a ranch outside of Stephenville, Texas where he continues to rope competitively and is still “playing cowboy.”
A ssoc
1975
2019-2020 MB Alumni Association Board The mission of the Moses Brown Alumni Association is to foster lifelong relationships with the school and fellow alumni.
ia
Neil Beranbaum ’86, Clerk
Vin Porcaro ’83, Clerk, Alex Egan ’03 Communications Committee John Baldwin ’94, Assistant Clerk Alexa Gold ’04 Maggie Moran ’08, Clerk, David Murphy ’91, Treasurer; Clerk, Kate Gorgi ’08 National Committee Hall of Fame Committee John Lewis ’09 Jane Knowles ’81, Recording Clerk Gabe Amo ’05 Nicole Navega ’89 Taylor Rotondi Anderson ’02 Jason Engle ’98, Clerk, John Pariseault ’97 Local Committee Cheryl Schadone Cohen ’81 Lauren Pelletier ’94 FALL / WINTER 2019-20 George Panichas ’83, Clerk, Joanne Debrah ’97 MB Connects
Adam Pennacchio ’01
Bob Samors ’77
Mia Rotondi Puddington ’09
Conal Smith ’06
Jon Rappoport ’93
Glenn Sparr ’85
Jenny Reavis ’13
Jamie Worrell ’85
Matt Romano ’14
Michael Yules ’10
Matt Runci ’64 Miles Rutter ’04
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Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2019 Quaker Classic! This year’s tournament was a great success and will go a long way toward strengthening the Bliss Scholarship Fund and expanding MBAA programs locally and around the country. Special thanks to alumni sponsors: Doug Scala ’78 (Webster Bank), Keith Monchik ’90 (Ortho Rhode Island), Nancy Pasquariello ’91, David Murdock ’93, Ross Mattis ’95, Michael Yules ’10, Jamie Reavis, Jenny Reavis ’13, and the Rampone, Engle, Baldwin and Murphy families.
1979
Georgetown professor Jim Millward is frequently called on to comment on the world stage and published an opinion piece on the U.S.’ China policy in the Washington Post in August. Jim is a professor of history at Georgetown University.
1980
Thanks to Kim and Frohman Anderson P’10’12 for sharing at MB about the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle, including hosting an event last spring with Dr. Neal Barnard and a free screening of the documentary Code Blue this fall on campus. The film reveals lapses in the current state of medicine and provides a common-sense solution by showing how lifestyle medicine can prevent, manage and reverse chronic diseases. Thanks to the Andersons, Dr. Saray Stancic was on hand for conversation with the audience during the film screening. Ted Widmer is distinguished lecturer at the Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York. He has a new book, Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington, coming out this spring.
1981
The MB Alumni Association celebrated Jane Knowles this fall with the Service to Alma Mater Award; see page 7.
1981
Linda and Jeff Fine ’81 enjoyed visiting MB recently, touring campus and meeting with middle school science faculty Caitlin Kelly and Katie Evans Goldman ’06. The Fines live in California.
1983
Lou Izzi is now the director of athletics at the University of Bridgeport and also has a dual role as the school’s vice president of enrollment management and athletics. Thanks to John Slafsky for lending his support and professional expertise to students in the Economics of Social Innovation class at MB this fall. John is an attorney in Palo Alto, Calif., specializing in trademark, copyright and advertising law, so his advice has been especially helpful. Congratulations to Ted Fischer, selected to be a speaker at this year’s TEDxProvidence event. Ted is co-founder and CEO of Ageless Innovation and the Joy for All brand. Inspired by his relationship with his grandmother, Claire, Ageless Innovation is focused on re-imagining how we live and age by unleashing the power of play.
1983
Enjoying warmth and camaraderie, several alumni from the 1980s and 1990s enjoy gathering together annually. 22
CUPOLA
1984
Hugh Madden visited with classmate — and MB lifer — Adam Shepard in NYC recently; Adam was showing off the lower school coat that he still has in his closet!
1986
Thanks to Devin Kelly (below) for co-hosting the MBAA’s fall reception at the Guild in Pawtucket in November. Davide ’92 and Stefano ’89 Dukcevich provided the charcuterie. Alumni enjoyed a talk and tour of Devin’s brewery. If you missed the night, stop by!
1986
1988
1989
Marc Patrick has recently departed from Nike after 21 years. He is moving on to a new chapter as senior vice president of marketing for Beyond Meat, Inc., a leading brand in the plantbased meat industry. Marc was previously vice president of global brand marketing at Nike.
1991
Sighted in the wild jungles of Borneo: Cupola! And Adam Olenn. Adam brought Cupola with him while speaking at a conference there.
1991
1987
Janet Dryfoos Hixson and her husband Tim live in Virginia. Their daughter Kaitlyn is a high school senior this year, and busy applying to colleges.
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1988
It was great to see many MB families at Convocation this September including Beth and Chris Runci with their son Harry, a senior this year, one of the co-clerks of the 2019-20 Student Senate and a leader of the Student Alumni Association. The Runcis’ son Alex ’19 graduated MB in June and is now at the University of Vermont. Chris’ father Matt ’64 also is an MBAA board member and class agent.
1992
Thanks to Jay Sitton for his invaluable assistance with the MB Archives project being unveiled at Reunion this spring (see page 8). Jay studied architecture at RISD and now lives in Pennsylvania where he works in the field of museum installation. He will soon be working on a project at Mystic Aquarium. Thanks, Jay!
1994
John Doll has returned to MB to teach science in the upper school after 15 years as a teacher, department chair and coach at Dana Hall School. John has a B.A. in Biochemistry and History from Rice University and a Ph.D. in Biology from MIT. At MB, he is teaching biology, physics and science electives and coaching on the football, girls’ varsity basketball and softball teams; he also is a member of the Upper School Diversity Committee. Welcome back, John!
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Several alumni enjoyed the chance to take a wreath-making workshop with Semia George Dunne ’94 this December at her Providence studio, including Lisa Harrison Speidel ’95 and Morgan Lewis. See page 19 for more and watch for more MB Presents events like this.
1996
photo credit: zDean Photography
Piggybacking on her first successful Note2Self speakers showcase with leading Rhode Island women in 2018, award-winning reporter and motivational speaker Alisha Pina held Note2Self Men’s Edition in the Woodman Center in October. More than 100 people listened as seven diverse men, leaders in their careers, shared lessons that they would give their childhood selves if they had the chance. The panel included former MB parent and internationally known storyteller Len Cabral P ’99 ’02 (right).
1997
Sarah Chiappetta and Nate Ekblom welcomed a daughter Gwendolyn in June. They live in Waltham, Mass. Congratulations to the happy family and also grandfather Larry!
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Three alumni joined the Moses Brown board of trustees this fall: Ahvi Spindell ’72, Cheryl Cohen ’81, Joanne P.A. Debrah ’97 P’20, as well as past parent Rebecca Leuchak P’04’09. Thanks to all for their service on behalf of the school.
1999
1996
Congratulations to Tim Hurley, who is now co-host of a country music show on Go Country 105 in L.A., the top country station in the U.S. Congrats, Tim! Middle school graduation: Head of Middle School Jared Schott and Joe Lasser ’98.
1997
Current Parent / Alumni Families: Did you know that 59 children of alumni are currently enrolled at MB? If you’re the parent of one, we’d love to hear from you for our alumni communications. We hope your children are having a good school year and would love to get a photo or an update on their year or time at MB. If you’re an alumnus with a child now at MB, send us a photo and/or note. Take a photo with your MB student, perhaps at a favorite campus spot, and send it our way! Email to alumni@mosesbrown.org. Thank you!
2001
2000
Becca Rotelli Mignanelli and Matt Mignanelli welcomed Enzo in July. The family is still enjoying NYC life but spent some time in Rhode Island and Martha’s Vineyard this summer with the kids.
2000
Carlos Andrés Gómez’s new poetry book Hijito recently became a #1 national indie bestseller. He visited Books on the Square this fall for its Providence launch and will return to MB in April as this year’s annual visiting poet.
2003
2003
Jay Read served as best man for the wedding of his brother Andy ’05 this past summer. FALL / WINTER 2019-20
Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield married Isaac Westfield this past May in Boston at the Old South Church, complete with a small ensemble of handbell ringers. Stephanie currently works for JVS Boston, a workforce development agency, coordinating ESOL and basic computer classes for entry-level workers around Boston; Isaac is a post-doctoral research fellow at Northeastern.
2001
2001
Mark Castro was appointed as the Dallas Museum of Art’s first Jorge Baldor Curator of Latin American Art, a new position created earlier this year. With more than a decade of experience as a curator, scholar and educator in Latin American art, he is a leader in the field.
2004
Congratulations to Kyle Anderson, recently named regional director of rehabilitation at Ortho Rhode Island where he will oversee all physical therapy, hand therapy and athletic training services. Kyle earned his master’s in physical therapy from Springfield College and is an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialities. He also recently earned his MBA with a focus in Healthcare Administration through UMass Amherst. Kyle began as a staff physical therapist at OrthoRI’s Providence office in 2011 and acted as clinical operations manager and director of PT prior to his new role. He is also involved in advising Rhode Island high schools and teams on the best ways to stay healthy throughout the athletic seasons.
Tom Frater ’82, David Murdock ’93, Brian Panoff ’94, Todd Machtley ’00, and Austin Jaspers ’11 recently concluded service to MB on the Moses Brown Alumni Association board. Thank you for your service!
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2005
Gabe Amo was honored by the MB Alumni Association in November, receiving the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award From MBAA President Neil Beranbaum ’86. Watch for more from Neil in the next issue of Cupola. See page 7 for more.
2007
2005
Nick Gilson will be the 2020 Commencement speaker; see page 3. Thank you to Sarah Lindblom for guest editing this issue of Cupola! See page 8.
2007
Jessica Gazin married husband Stefan Smith in October in Keystone, Colorado. Jessica’s sister Nicole ’08 was her maid of honor and her father Paul Gazin walked her down the aisle. Congratulations to Andy Read on his recent wedding. Andy got married in August in Park City, Utah with a strong MB contingent in attendance from the Class of ’05 and his brother Jay ’03. Pictured (l-r): Jon Cesaro, Brad Wasserman, Joe Altieri, Andrew Matson, Lily Ferguson, Liz Sweitzer Matson, Evan Wallick, Andy Read and wife Megan Read, Ian Woolverton, Mike Markarian, Micah Clasper-Torch, Harrison Weinfeld, John Lucier, Brad Engle and John Harwood H’05.
2007
2011
Sidney Lane Smith is currently working with Project Weber/RENEW as the Transgender Outreach Program Coordinator and has worked with other local social service agencies including Sojourner House. At Weber/RENEW, Sidney is helping with important local work, supporting vulnerable and at-risk members of our community.
2011
2005
2013 2006
Congratulations to the White family (John ’06) who were recognized by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities in October, with the Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities Award, celebrating their family’s commitment to excellence in the humanities and enriching public life in Rhode Island.
Ben Sack just returned from a trip to Vietnam and Thailand where he was joined by his brother Daniel ’10 and Erik Matson. They’re shown hiking through a rice paddy field in Sa Pa, Vietnam.
2013
Did you know that MB has a page on LinkedIn? Follow Moses Brown School at linkedin.com/school/moses-brown-school 26
CUPOLA
The Class of 2015 will celebrate their first MB Reunion this spring!
2013
2015
2014
Congratulations to Jamie Marshall, co-founder of Snackpass, who made Forbes 2020 list of ‘30 under 30’ for her app!
2015
Maria Veale and Andy Tothy ’55 spent some time together recently at an MB event in New York.
2013 (continued)
Mitch Maloof ran the San Francisco Marathon in July with Jake Jordan ’11 and Ben Sack at the finish line cheering him on.
Welcome to the board! Joining the MB Alumni Association board this year are Bob Samors ’77, Jamie Worrell ’85, Jon Rappoport ’93, Lauren Pelletier ’94, Adam Pennacchio ’01, Alexa Gold ’04, John Lewis ’09, Michael Yules ’10 and Jenny Reavis ’13.
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Brad Sunderland has been living in Hong Kong since graduation and recently had a chance meeting with fellow alum David Whittingham ’98. In June, Brad was three days into his new job and had a meeting with a potential client. Towards the end, they got to chatting about where they were from and he learned that the prospective client was from the Northeast. “It’s rare enough to meet Americans out here,” Brad says, “but he graduated from Moses Brown in the ’90s. Not only that, but he lived around the corner from me in East Greenwich, went to Cole Middle School and then MB. Dave Whittingham and I will plant the seeds for the MB alumni group in Asia!” 27
2016
Adam Romano concluded his football career this past fall. Middlebury was a regular season champion and also won the NESCAC championship, undefeated 9-0. Adam was also voted to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship team by the NESCAC coaches. He wore his MB jersey for his last practice, celebrating the end of a happy era in the Romano family.
2016
2017
We’re pleased to hear that Julian Krive is having a wonderful year studying at Cambridge in England for her junior year abroad. Julian applied and was accepted to Wellesley, then applied to Cambridge. She is now a regular Cambridge student while abroad, studying Latin and Ancient Greek. Julian also enjoyed getting the chance to visit Italy this winter. Abby Mansolillo, a junior at Providence College, is interning at NBC News 10 and visited MB in October for a new segment on their morning show titled “Sunrise School Shout Outs.” Brigid Kennedy represented the USA at the Rowing World Championships last summer, finishing fourth in the world, the best finish ever for an American.
2017
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Several current students, faculty, alumni and parents traveled to Boston College in October to hear Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, joining up with current BC students Kieran Harrington ’16 and Skyler Sullivan ’18 (below).
2017
CUPOLA
2018
Collin McCormack designed and painted a mural for Landry’s Bicycles during his college summer break, a process which took approximately 40 hours. Collin is an Illustration major at the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and the mural is located at their Boston store on Commonwealth Avenue near BU. Collin hopes his design is one that customers and store employees will enjoy for years to come. Euan Smith is playing soccer in Scotland at the University of St. Andrews Football Club on their first team.
2018
2019
2019
College Counseling’s Julia Baker was happy to see Aili Moffet at the Newport Bridge race in October. A few MBers participated in the Pell Bridge Run, running over the historic Newport Bridge.
Former Faculty & Staff Former students and colleagues enjoyed getting to see Connie Raymond on campus this fall. A past preprimary teacher, Connie stopped by to talk about Camp Street Ministries where she is a regular volunteer. Moses Brown students collected food items across divisions for the Camp Street Food Drive.
Former fifth grade teacher Beth Samuels and her husband are now living in South Carolina and spending summers in New Hampshire. This winter they vacationed in the Seychelles with their son, Dr. Aaron Samuels ’94, who
works for the CDC in Kenya overseeing malaria research. “I miss all my colleagues, friends and former students,” Beth says, “but retirement is great!” Larry Chiappetta (upper school) is enjoying retirement and time with his grandchildren Gwen and Amy. Larry lives in Peabody, Mass. Bob Potter, former MB faculty member and baseball coach, has been teaching at Canterbury School in Connecticut since 1993. Bob was inducted into the MB Hall of Fame with the 1984 Baseball team in May.
We enjoyed seeing Lee Clasper-Torch back on campus this fall. In November, MB’s Male Affinity Group for faculty and staff invited Lee to come and talk about his work as Men’s Engagement Coordinator at the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, where he leads the Ten Men program. Congratulations to former Head of Upper School Rachel Moulton on the publication of her debut novel, Tinfoil Butterfly! Tinfoil was named one photo credit: K. Street of the top horror books of 2019 by Library Journal and Publishers Weekly describes it as “unrelenting and artfully crafted” and Moulton as a “must-read writer.” Congratulations, Rachel!
This edition of Cupola focuses on Moses Brown, past and present. We’d love to hear from alumni who’ve dipped into their own archives. Send a note or comment or share a photo! www.mosesbrown.org/classnote FALL / WINTER 2019-20
alumni@mosesbrown.org 29
CONDOLENCES
In Memoriam William Bellows, Class of 1940, was a teacher and
WWII Army Air Corps veteran. A graduate of Amherst and Tufts, Bill taught at Grosse Pointe University and Shady Hill schools and raised five sons with his wife Louise. At GPUS, Bill taught eighth grade and coached the basketball and tennis teams, which won state championships in 1954, 1956, 1957 and 1959. (7/4/19)
Dean Woodman, Class of 1946, was the fourth of five
generations to attend MB, dating back to his great grandfather and former Head of School Augustine Jones (class of 1854). After studying economics at Amherst, Dean flew as a Navy jet pilot during the Korean War, before embarking on a career in investment banking; he opened Merrill Lynch’s first West Coast branch and served as principal banker/advisor to clients from Bank of America to Wells Fargo. Dean exhibited a dedication to principle and held himself to high personal standards, attributing his lifelong love of learning to MB. (12/19/19)
Edward Richards, Class of 1947, served as a Lieu-
tenant JG on the USS Chevalier during the Korean War. He and his wife Ann had four children and were married for 56 years. Ted spent most of his career in the jewelry business, culminating with the founding of his own jewelry company, Richards & Sargent. (7/5/19)
Richard Chadwell, Class of 1951, loved his educa-
tional experience at MB. After attending the University of Pennsylvania, he served in the Navy; he decided to enter the world of finance after helping officers of higher rank with their money management and never looked back. Dick loved opera, classical music, golf, great wines, reading, travel and hats. His favorite poem, “If” by Rudyard Kipling, served as a guide as he raised his sons. (12/4/19)
Gordon “Lanny” Lancaster Parker, Jr., Class of 1951, father of Gordie ’96, worked as a roughneck on oil rigs 30
in Wyoming and on a commercial tuna boat fishing off the coast of California during his college years at Brown. Lanny had many interests including reading, music, tennis, sailing, gardening, fishing and duck hunting. Most of all, Lanny enjoyed his boat Pintail. (9/21/19)
Harold Mackinney Jr., Class of 1952, enjoyed a good
book, riding waves at the Dunes Club with his children, an after-work squash match, attending baseball and basketball games and meeting up with friends for a round of golf. He served on the board of directors for Women and Infants Hospital, Children’s Friend and Service, Moses Brown and Lincoln schools. (9/3/19)
Christian Cannell, Class of 1954, enlisted in the Air
Force after high school, later returning to Providence to enroll at RISD, studying landscape architecture. He then went to New York for his MBA and to become a freelance art editor for Ski America magazine. (4/29/18)
Richard Norton, Class of 1954, was a U.S. Army vet-
eran and served in various management positions with the New York Department of Labor and Division of Housing. Dick was an avid golfer, skier and tennis player and had recently become an enthusiastic bridge player. His volunteer activities were many, including with the Saratoga Mediation Center and Saratoga Hospice and as a church lector, youth sports administrator, school board secretary and association president. (9/7/17)
Richard Colby, Class of 1955, led Magnetic Seal as president for three decades, and was instrumental in building it into an international aerospace engineering and manufacturing firm. He served on boards at his church, the Rhode Island Country Club and Laurelmead. Dick loved making things with his hands and also enjoyed boating, golf, travel, playing games and working on puzzles with his grandchildren. (10/27/19) CUPOLA
Howard Morrison, Class of 1956, was a world traveler, real estate investor, raconteur, foreign sports car fanatic and wooden airplane builder. He loved a challenge and built Die Fledermaus, a homebuilt, experimental aircraft (named for a Strauss operetta), which took flight at Newport. Howard lived with his wife Jone in Jamestown. Many alumni may remember his store, Morrison’s, on Thayer Street. (7/12/19)
Jon Abedon, Class of 1975, graduated from Curry Col-
Cleveland Smith, Class of 1960, joined the Army during the Vietnam War, serving in the Intelligence Unit. He later owned and operated Lakes Region Concrete in New Hampshire. After retiring, he volunteered for the local senior center, delivering meals and providing transportation for individuals in need. He will be dearly missed by his family. (9/20/19)
Paul Mousseau Jr., Class of 1975, went to work for
Stephen Darrah, Class of 1961, graduated from Providence Country Day School and had a long career in the armed services. In 1975, Steve accepted a position with Philip Morris USA and served in a variety of positions culminating with his appointment as senior vice president of manufacturing. (8/10/19) Kyle Garrahan, Class of 1964, was a talented musician
and songwriter playing in Boston with the legendary band The Lost. He spent time in New York, the west coast, Paris and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Kyle taught as a substitute teacher along with teaching guitar. (1/5/19)
Warren Hill, Class of 1964, was a graduate of Cornell
and Northeastern. He was an engineer for various biomanufacturing companies and worked for the R.I. Department of Transportation before retiring. He was the co-owner with his brother Allan of Hill Orchards in Johnston. Warren was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War and a member of the R.I. Fruit Growers Association. (9/26/19)
Christopher Baker, Class of 1970, credited MB’s
Quaker education for teaching him tolerance, compassion and a good work ethic. Chris served on MB’s board, was a valuable advisor and member of committees, and attended countless events. In 2015, the MBAA awarded Chris the Service to Alma Mater Award. An entrepreneur to his core, Chris started, built and invested in companies spanning several industries. (7/17/19)
Sean McKenna, Class of 1971, credited MB for chang-
ing the course of his life to one of learning and science. He earned an Sc.B. in physics from Brown and a Ph.D. in theoretical astrophysics from Ohio State and worked for many
years on GPS and space programs for MITRE (MIT Research Labs) and the Department of Defense. Sean was married to Wendy Heckman; they had two daughters. (10/20/19) lege. His vocation was nursing, and he worked for many years in the ER at Mount Auburn Hospital and McLean Hospital in Boston. However, his avocation and true love was photography. Jon loved and was loved by animals. Together with Julia Burke, he had two wonderful standard poodles, Lila and Nina. (11/5/19)
Senator Phil Gramm after graduating from the University of Houston. He then became an opposition research analyst for the Republican National Senatorial Committee in Washington, D.C. Paul had his USCG captain’s license and shared his love of the local waters of Hilton Head Island, running charter boats. (9/5/19)
Christopher Allegra, Class of 1977, had an abiding
passion for music and played the piano throughout his life. He loved nature and animals. Many summer afternoons found him sailing with his children on Narragansett Bay. Chris will be remembered for his warmth, generosity of spirit, and love of science, art, music and nature. (9/5/19)
Christopher Cooney, Class of 1977, lived and worked
in Hong Kong as a successful architect, focusing on hospitality design. He is greatly missed by his friends. (fall 2019)
Steven King, Class of 1977, was active with the Provi-
dence Rescue Mission and worked there as a social worker until retiring. Prior to that he worked as an environmental scientist in Alaska for many years. (9/17/19)
Kaveh Taleghani, Class of 1983, attended and graduated from Caltech (at 19) and received his master’s in mathematics from UCLA. He had a long career in structured products and derivatives at Bankers Trust, DLJ, Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Kleinwort and Nomura in New York and London. Kaveh died from ALS-related complications. (8/16/19) Maximillian “Max” Wolfgang Bready, Class of 2007, graduated from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
School. His charismatic charm and ambition brought success in everything he did and light to everyone whose life he touched. Max is remembered as a prolific artist, much admired by his peers in the art community. (6/25/19)
Moses Brown’s memorial notes are based on published obituaries. Please forward to Office of Alumni Relations, Moses Brown School, 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence, RI 02906; fax (401) 455-0084; email alumni@mosesbrown.org. FALL / WINTER 2019-20
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“Dean was an incredible person, generous, kind, a philanthropist and a humanist. What he did for Moses Brown will impact generations of kids.” A self-described lifelong learner and voracious reader, Dean traced those traits to his days at MB. “Moses Brown instilled in me a commitment to the pursuit of excellence,” he said. “The Jones/ Woodman clan has been a proud part of MB for five generations going back to the mid-1800s. Moses Brown was a fabulous educational and cultural springboard for me. At MB I developed an even greater thirst for knowledge and for continuing education that has never left me, and for which I will be forever grateful.” Throughout the end of his life, Dean read five or six books simultaneously (mostly history, biography, or Shakespeare-related), usually completing at least two volumes weekly.
IN MEMORIAM
Dean Woodman We honor the five-generation legacy of Dean Woodman ’46 P’78 The Moses Brown School community is saddened to share that Dean Woodman ’46 passed away in California in December. Dean, the fourth of five generations to attend Moses Brown, was the great-grandson of former headmaster Augustine Jones ’1854 and the largest donor to the school in MB history. Please join us in holding Jane Woodman and the rest of Dean’s family in the Light.
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Dean not only read at MB — he also played baseball, ran track, served on the Mosaic board and captained the cross-country team. But Dean said that MB’s most lasting impact on him was its focus on personal integrity and liberal arts. “‘For the Honor of Truth’ and ‘The Pursuit of Excellence’ are tenets that I have carried with me throughout my life,” he once commented. Moses Brown fostered in Dean a spirit of inquiry and an ability to apply factual knowledge to solve real-world problems creatively which he embraced his entire life. Dean graduated from Amherst in 1950, then served in the Naval Air Corps, and enjoyed a distinguished career as an investment banker. Known as “Woody” during his youth, “Deano” during his business career and “Woody” once again in retirement, Dean was one of the leading financial architects of numerous corporate financings, mergers and acquisitions. His career spanned over 60 years and he especially enjoyed providing advice to fledgling entrepreneurs. Perhaps his most meaningful investment, though, was in his son Nick’s fledgling startup, GoPro. CUPOLA
In 2013, Dean and his wife Jane made the largest gift in Moses Brown’s 235-year history to create the Woodman Family Community & Performance Center and support the total renovation of the Walter Jones Library — originally a gymnasium built circa 1900 by Dean’s greatgrandfather, Augustine Jones, then head of school. The Woodmans made the gift in celebration of his Quaker family's five-generation connection to MB and because of his belief in liberal arts education. The Woodman Center opened in 2016. “When I first heard from Dean about his intentions to help with the community and performing space, I was so moved that somebody felt that strongly about Moses Brown,” said Head of School Matt Glendinning. “By renewing the legacy of his great-grandfather,
Dean created for us a community-wide space to learn, work, play, perform, worship and celebrate. Dean was an incredible person, generous, kind, a philanthropist and a humanist. What he did for Moses Brown will impact generations of kids.” In this issue of Cupola, which celebrates MB past and present, we are honored to celebrate this dedicated alumnus who holds ties to MB’s storied past and who has made such contributions to the daily life and experiences of students at Moses Brown today. Dean Woodman leaves behind a legacy of joyous learning and exploration for generations to come.
Dean Woodman’s great-grandfather, Augustine Jones, head of school at the turn of the last century, first introduced instrumental music to MB. A century later, Dean made a commitment to help MB build a new community and performance center at Moses Brown, ensuring a transformational experience for future generations.
FALL / WINTER 2019-20
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Moses Brown School 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 www.mosesbrown.org 401-831-7350
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For the Honor of Truth
We’re in the Final Lap for MB Believes!
Alumni parents: If this Cupola is addressed to a graduate no longer residing at your home, please contact alumni@mosesbrown.org or call x114 to update the address.
$5M needed to reach $65 million goal by June 30, 2020 Never before in MB’s 235-year history has the community — 3,818 individual donors to date — come together to invest $60 million in the children, teachers, educational programs and facilities of our school. We’re almost there. The MB Believes campaign countdown has begun. Help us cement our collective legacy by reaching our $65 million goal this summer.
MB Reunion 2020
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If it’s your Reunion year, be sure to come back to campus for Reunion 2020 on May 9 to visit campus, see classmates and celebrate this exciting milestone. To register, check attendance or get updates, visit mosesbrown. org/reunion2020.
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CUPOLA
