Nobles Magazine, Winter 2022

Nobles THE MAGAZINE OF NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL

WINTER 2022

The Power of She: Abigail Pratt Mayer ’06

PHOTO OF THE DAY November 18, 2021 Blessing Oloyede ’27 works on dissecting a sheep brain in Regina Campbell-Malone’s Class VI science class.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN HEIDER

contents WINTER 2022

IN EVERY ISSUE 2

Letter from the Head

3

Reflections What Nobles folks are saying on campus and online

4

The Bulletin News and notes

14 Off the Shelf All about the books we read and write 17 By the Numbers Wheels on campus 18 Sports Sportsmanship for the win 20 Development Reunited for Nobles Night 2021 22 Perspective A Final Thank You Note 42 Graduate News Nobles graduate updates

FEATURES 22 Final Draft Former faculty member Lisa Colt and her son George ’72 reflect on teaching, writing and revision.

28 The Power of She Abigail Pratt Mayer ’06 sees and supports the beauty of all women.

Cover Photograph by Anne Hamersky

32 Curtain Up Harry Elam Jr. ’74 believes the liberal arts have never been more important.

68 Archive Poet and Pioneer

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The Next Chapter WHILE WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE the twists and turns of the

pandemic, it is just as important to keep our heads up, looking ahead to the next chapter in Nobles’ history.

I am excited that we are (finally!) embarking upon a strategic planning process. This process—a time to consider challenges and opportunities—will help us to think boldly about what it means to fulfill our mission in the years to come.

It is a time to take stock of where we are at Nobles. So much is going so well on our campus: our strength in admission, the financial model, student outcomes, and faculty retention are all reassuring data points, legacies of the tremendous school leadership and governance that precede me. Many schools would look at these numbers and feel pretty good about not touching anything, perhaps even reticent to make any changes! But that is not who we are. We have always brought a humble grit and eagerness to grow, always focused on how to do our best work.

I simply do not believe the option for status quo exists. Despite our current success, we are facing some steep challenges, both internally and externally, in the years to come.

Internally, for example, specialization—the cultural priority to do one thing well—impacts both students and faculty. A core part of the Nobles experience is engagement in a wide range of co-curricular activities, those where students are the captain of a varsity team and also the backup goalie on JV! We count on these diverse experiences to help students learn to fail safely and explore interests. For our faculty, the challenge of specialization threatens the teacher-coach-advisor model, a core part of relationships between our faculty and students. We know how valuable it is for our students to be coached by their math teacher, advised by their theater director, and taught by their community service leader. The multifaceted educator is central to our success as a school.

Externally, one of the most acute challenges is around affordability, both for students and faculty. The cost of living in the Boston area is a challenge for our faculty, just as the mounting cost of tuition threatens to exclude so many families.

While we are increasingly selective in admission, I lose sleep knowing how many students we wish to enroll each year but can’t. Despite a longstanding commitment to financial aid (we dedicate about $7 million annually), we run out of money every year. I am also left wondering how many students choose not to apply, as they assume a Nobles education is financially out of reach.

How can we think in sector-changing ways about access and affordability?

For our faculty, accessibility is about being able to afford to live and work where the cost of rent for a small apartment is more than half a starting teacher’s salary. How can I ensure that talented, multi-faceted educators can afford to stay? As we strive to stand out from the crowd in the faculty we hire and the ways they continue to invest in our students as teachers, coaches and advisors, how do we best support them?

Amidst the tremendous counter-pressures and challenges, we need to take bold steps to support the faculty, enroll the students, and deliver the program that fulfill our mission. This doubling down on our mission, now more than ever, will both deepen our success and differentiate our school in all the right ways.

I am excited by our strategic work ahead, and by the goals and priorities that will emerge. I look forward to sharing more with you as it unfolds!

—CATHERINE J. HALL, PH.D., HEAD OF SCHOOL

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Editor Heather Sullivan

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Assistant Editors Kim Neal

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Ben Heider

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCER/WRITER

Anne McManus

WRITER/CONTENT MANAGER

Design 2COMMUNIQUÉ

www.2communique.com Photography Tim Carey Anne Hamersky Ben Heider Gabriela Herman Leah LaRiccia Jared Leeds Anne McManus Kim Neal Jessica Scranton The Editorial Committee Brooke Asnis ’90 Casey Hassenstein John Gifford ’86 Tilesy Harrington

Nobles is published three times a year for graduates, past and current parents, guardians and grandparents, students and supporters of Noble and Greenough School. Nobles is a non-sectarian day and five-day boarding school for students in grades seven (Class VI) through 12 (Class I). Noble and Greenough School is a rigorous academic community that strives for excellence in its classroom teaching, intellectual growth in its students and commitment to the arts, athletics and service to others.

For further information and up-to-the-minute graduate news, visit www.nobles.edu.

Letters and comments may be emailed to Heather_Sullivan@ nobles.edu. We also welcome old-fashioned mail sent c/o Noble and Greenough School, 10 Campus Drive, Dedham, MA 02026. The office may be reached at 781-320-7268. © Noble and Greenough School 2022

Everybody has a story to tell, and the world needs to hear your story.

—ENGLISH FACULTY MEMBER GIA BATTY, INTRODUCING THE CREATIVE WRITING CLUB TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

What are you going to do with this one wild and precious life?

—MODERN LANGUAGE FACULTY MEMBER MEG JACOBS, QUOTING POET MARY OLIVER, IN AN ASSEMBLY TALK COMMEMORATING 9/11 AND THE LIFE OF HER BROTHER

Gallagher, promise me you will never leave a place again without letting them hear your voice.

Can we get serious? Let’s get deep. Get up here. Let’s do it!

—DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS ALEX GALLAGHER ’90, QUOTING THE LATE NICK MARINARO IN AN ASSEMBLY TALK ABOUT MARINARO’S INFLUENCE ON HIS LIFE

Be kind. You never know what anyone’s going through.

Let’s have a great year.

OCTOBER 19, 2021: Daiana Takashima’s honors biology class crossed over into chemistry today to study the structures of some common molecules.

NOVEMBER 5, 2021: Students in outdoor adventure participated in the annual Castle rappel.

—LUCY JOHNSON ’22 BEFORE PERFORMING THE WHITE STRIPES’ “WE’RE GOING TO BE FRIENDS”

— SLC PRESIDENT MARY CONNORS ’22 IN ONE OF HER PEP TALKS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO GET UP ON STAGE AT ASSEMBLY

This is your chance to be and create something larger than yourself. Try something new.

—PERFORMING ARTS FACULTY MEMBER AND CHORAL DIRECTOR NHUNG TRUONGLUSTIG, ENCOURAGING STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS TO PARTICIPATE IN MUSIC ENSEMBLES THIS YEAR

The status quo is not our destiny.

—HISTORY FACULTY MEMBER MICHAEL POLEBAUM ’08 DURING HIS SPEECH ON NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE COMING OUT AS A GAY MAN WINTER 2022

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The Art of Reopening On October 1, 2021, visual arts faculty launched their annual show, “Lorem Ipsum.” The wry title refers to placeholder text in graphic design and publishing before receiving content; these Nobles artists produced Foster Gallery’s first reopening exhibition in tenuous times. The event reunited an eager Nobles community back to a space designed for reflection, introspection, inspiration and exchanging ideas.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6...

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NEWS FROM OUR COMMUNITY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM NEAL

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Ceramics by Nora Bourdeau

...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

John Hirsch’s photography explores land use and our relationship to space and time, while Mike Bodall’s series, Romance & Hubris, uses found imagery, ink and transparency film to literally examine U.S. propaganda in a new light. Painter Betsy VanOot recounts “wrestling” with figure, light and color, and does so fluently; her mesmerizing scenes radiate joy and movement. John Dorsey’s vases of stoneware and wood are tangible reminders of the value in “getting back to basics.” Molly Pascal gave birth not only to her second child during her recent parental leave, but a new creative venture, Mollygrams, for custom watercolor lettering in myriad

assembly highlights A Unique Question School Life Council leaders offered a reward of 25 Munchkins

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for correctly answering: What is the national animal of Scotland?

(Answer: unicorn)

Paintings by David Roane in the foreground

themes. Painter Jules Ellison used color, tone and light to “capture the stillness within a found moment.” David Roane’s paintings—one depicting a vibrant still-life and two others the artist’s own poetic, meticulous text—invite a closer look.

Nora Bourdeau discovered a sense of pandemic-era purpose while growing seeds in her kitchen. Reflecting on relationships and resilience, she designed vases “that honored their relationship with the flowers they displayed while not competing with the textures and colors.”

Curtis Mann’s photographic work, “Grapple,” examines how the image of a child killed in the Syrian war was used to justify U.S. military action. “Through all

This Is Where It Happens Provost Bill Bussey talked about the importance of being involved in assembly.

“This is where the soul of the school is, right here; it’s the heart of the community. Don’t be passive about it. Be involved.”

of my processes and work, I am questioning our relationship to image, asking for a more active, abstract and physical reading as a way to disrupt its foundations in dehumanization, exploitation and subjectification while simultaneously demanding that we rethink images we create and images we consume.”

Foster Gallery director and ceramics faculty member John Dorsey said, “It has been difficult to plan a month ahead, never mind a year. One thing we could depend upon was the artists who make up this department. … I am entirely grateful to my colleagues for being willing to bring their best selves and their best work to the gallery for community consideration and community education.”

Applauding the Opponents Dr. Hall congratulated the cross country team for remarkable sportsmanship at Gro-

ton—so remarkable, in fact, that their head of school contacted her to say that their runners could not say enough about

Flight Signals

A Manomet bird bander holds a tufted titmouse.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM NEAL

Each fall, Deb Harrison and her AP Environmental Science classes make their annual migration to Manomet bird observatory in Plymouth for hands-on activities that complement their studies.

“Birds are the best environmental indicators because they tie together all of the continents through their migrations,” Harrison explains.

Migratory data and the study of birds briefly caught in and released from Manomet’s 50 “mist nets” yield valuable species and climate clues. With the nation’s longest-running migratory land bird database, Manomet is a critical conservation resource, especially regarding harbingers of climate change.

During rotations with Manomet scientists, students simulate bird banders’ data-gathering techniques and consult the center’s half-century of data. They present their findings, along with reasons for declining populations, such as habitat loss, ecological mismatch and climate change. They also meet some special live birds up close, collected that morning to record data, before releasing them.

On another rotation, students inventory milkweed plants and observe pollinators feeding on aster flowers, as well as learn from the center’s beekeeper.

Researchers explain careful capture tactics along mist nets on dappled woodland trails, as well as the damage done by invasive species.

Harrison is always overjoyed to return to Manomet, the site of her first sabbatical in 1994–95. “Manomet’s research and educational outreach gives students firsthand global perspective on the vital need for this work,” she says. They gain not only a deeper understanding of how bird and plant species interact and reveal our human ecological footprint, but an appreciation for how scientists and researchers are marking and making change.

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WHEN HISTORY DEPARTMENT CHAIR Louis

lectual curiosity before judgment. The goal of the course is to “better foster empathy and understanding, as well as a more vibrant and fully realized picture of U.S. history” by exploring how queer and trans identities—and their trajectory in understanding and acceptance by others—have influenced America’s social, cultural and political history.

A fluid LGBTQ landscape can make teaching the course a challenge. Sokoll says, “The struggle is still so present, but

so different now than it was. One of the things we talk about a lot in class is the idea of public versus private: the inability to be able to live your authentic life.

But it’s a conversation we’re having as a society, one that is changing the narrative rapidly.”

Sokoll, who also co-advises Nobles’ queer affinity group, Q2Q, says they frequently hear students’ frustration about not learning about queer issues and history in school. “As a 36-year-old, I’ve spent the past however many years learning queer history, but on my own.

There’s not a distinction between queer history and general history, right? The stories of all marginalized groups of people are intrinsic to the understanding of who we are as a nation. And if we don’t learn that, we’re doing ourselves a disservice by not understanding the full, rich story that is the United States of America,” says Sokoll.

Believing in the power of primary sources, Barassi and Sokoll introduce oral histories and firsthand accounts, along with film, art, literature and other media. The course includes individuals from a multitude of races, ethnicities, ages, abilities and religions whose stories have long been missing from the national narrative. “When we ignore the existence of something in our classes, we are saying to our students that it is not important, and that the history and stories of those individuals don’t matter,” Barassi and Sokoll say. That alienates and isolates queer students, but it is also “equally damaging for our heterosexual and/or cisgender students to not learn about, and thus develop empathy toward, many marginalized groups.”

how nice the Nobles students were. “They were even cheering for us,” they shared.

scene in which the Weiqi Club was defeated. While the audience was utterly confused about what was going on for the first

Knit Away Mini Xue ’23 introduced Threads, the crochet club, to the Nobles student body by offering a bit of per-

History faculty members Talya Sokoll and Louis Barassi stand with a section of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, on exhibit this past fall in the Academic Center.

Class Act: Queer History Barassi and Co-Director of the Putnam Library and Gender and Sexuality Specialist Talya Sokoll designed a new upper school elective, LGBTQ U.S. History in the 20th Century, they committed to drawing from expanding scholarly and academic collections about the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning) experience. The result is an engaging, interdisciplinary approach to history that invites intel-

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Sword of Destiny The Chess Club staged a dramatic challenge to the Weiqi Club, acting out a swordfight and battle

couple of minutes, the suspense was real and the entertainment appreciated.

spective: “Compared to all of the studying you are already doing,” said Xue, “I’d say knitting and crocheting are pretty easy.”

While many students have heard of the Stonewall uprising of gay activists in 1969, the course addresses lesser-known topics ranging from the U.S. government’s homophobic “Lavender Scare” to the experience of queer soldiers during World War II .

Barassi, who also chairs Nobles’ discipline committee, says, “I feel really strongly that I would much rather initiate discussions around LGBTQ issues in an academic setting, where students are actually learning about the role and experience of a wide range of people of the past, than have community-wide discussions about a slur or a negative incident that makes everyone think, ‘Well, the only time we talk about these things is when something goes wrong.’”

By taking a proactive pedagogy, he says, “I think you can actually shape—and maybe even in some ways change—attitudes and behavior.”

In one class session midway through the semester, students discussed their views on the prompt “Historians try to find turning points where history shifts: helpful or problematic?” Considering the question from different angles, one student posits that it’s problematic to erase what came before. Another observes that history is continuous—teaching to a turning point can overemphasize factors contributing to change over time. Students wrestle with issues of privilege due to race, class and beauty standards, and discuss the power that those in authority have to shape public perception.

These are the discussions that Barassi and Sokoll love. Barassi says, “Any history course worth its salt has to push people to think about themselves and

On Dropping Spanish School Life Council member Brendan McNamara ’22 shared a tale about the challenge of telling his

mentor, modern language faculty member Violet Richard, that he had decided to drop the beloved course of Spanish. At

the lenses with which they look at the world around them.” The intellectual rigor comes in teaching students how to process those experiences while asking questions and reserving judgment.

“That’s the irony of teaching a course like this, about people who have been constantly judged,” he says. Examining multiple perspectives instills in students

a greater understanding to draw their own informed conclusions.

Ultimately, Barassi and Sokoll hope the elective inspires richer discussions about how LGBTQ history is history, and how the impact of those events and individuals shapes our overall understanding of history—leading to more inclusive community conversations.

A Video A Week Digital video producer and writer Ben Heider decided to produce a new weekly video series this year called “This Is Nobles.” Each week he shoots, edits and uploads a new video covering a different aspect of the school, while also switching up the filmmaking styles and methods to keep them visually interesting: extreme close-ups for music classes, SnorriCam for the middle school day of service, synched up iPads for the choral concert, 360° video for an Outing Club hike. What started as a personal challenge has grown into a great showcase of what makes Nobles Nobles. Watch the series at nobles.edu/thisisnobles

Six-month solargraphy exposure over the Castle from the week 14 “This is Nobles” video

the core of McNamara’s story was the importance of the student-teacher relationship at Nobles; even if you drop that

class, they will always have your back.

Food Awareness Alex Janower ’22 answered the question

“Where does our food come from?” in an informative talk about regenerative agriculture, walking the community through

the different produce providers for Nobles, and how sourcing our food locally is important. Janower closed with, “Eat sus-

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Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play On November 3–5, the Nobles Theatre Collective staged its first production in Vinik Theatre since February 2020. The shadowy caper, directed by Dan Halperin and stage-managed by Estelle Feinberg ’22, is a take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, about the struggle between Victorian propriety and the seduction of suppressed instincts.

Upstanding Dr. Henry Jekyll (Octavia Reohr ’23) concocts a potion to liberate his murderous alter ego, Mr. Hyde, to his cousin’s consternation (Alexander Lee ’23). Lauren VelascoO’Donovan ’25 makes a side-splitting debut as the Throckmortonshire twins, in turn angelic and diabolical, while their snooty

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mum (a hilarious Justice Hickman-Maynard ’24) holds court with Jekyll’s own oblivious mother (Larkin Gifford ’23). Meanwhile, Henry’s sister Ambrosia (Amelia Simons ’24) fans the romance between her no-game brother and starry-eyed Rosamunda (Alejandra Mendez ’22). Cops Grant Richmond ’24 and Jonathan Tillen ’25 bungle along, while housemaid Ivy (Molly Hughes ’23) conspires with the audience, as horrified by the high jinks as Plodgett, the cook (Dune Streeter ’22). Technical Director Erik Diaz and a production crew of nearly 30 created the versatile Victorian set; Bianca Thompson ’15 choreographed the slapstick shenanigans.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEAH LARICCIA

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All proceeds of Names for Good go to organizations that support the health and wellness of children.

Bracelets to Benefit Sometimes challenges turn into opportunities—opportunities for the individual and the organizations they care about.

That’s what happened for Julianna Manzi ’03. Manzi was a lawyer in New York before she and her husband moved to Boston and welcomed their first child, who was born prematurely. As her baby grew stronger in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Manzi began making bracelets. Now, those bracelets are helping children in Boston and beyond.

Manzi’s hobby making stretch-cord, beaded bracelets quickly became a full-blown business, Names for Good, which sells personalized bracelets while supporting charities that help kids in need. “We donate everything,” she said.

Manzi launched a website, and production facility in short order. She also partnered with organizations to sell her products, while sharing donations with the partner organizations.

Among the partnerships are Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and

Women’s, St. Jude, March of Dimes and others. The Nobles connection came when Will Fine ’23 established a school chapter of Team IMPACT. Team IMPACT, already a partner of Names for Good, tackles the emotional trauma and social isolation experienced by children facing serious and chronic illnesses.

Manzi says that the bracelets she sells are not a new thing, though she does seek high-quality, novel materials. “We’re not reinventing the wheel here. But we are in the sense that we donate everything.”

As for the long-term mission “My goal is to far exceed what I would personally... the need is overwhelming—but that is why I want to keep growing this because if I can do $500,000 [in donations] next year and a million the following year, then I’m doing my small part.”

To purchase a bracelet in support of the Nobles-Team IMPACT chapter led by Fina, go to namesforgood.com and enter “TEAMIMPACT15” when prompted for a code.

tainably, don’t waste and be grateful.”

¡Baila!

Poder, Nobles’ Latinx affinity group, showed a video of Nobles students from different Latinx/His-

Stratford Upon Polebaum History faculty mem-

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ber Michael Polebaum ’08 gave an impressive performance of King Henry V's St. Crispin's Day monologue from Shakespeare's Henry V.

panic backgrounds reflecting on their experiences, and when Sixies Alex Mitchell and Marley OliverMartinez took the

A New Blonde A November 9, 2021, NBC News story reported on a Harvard College production of Legally Blonde, directed by Karina Cowperthwaite ’19.

Cowperthwaite is co-president of the Asian Student Arts Project and directed the show, which sold out for all of its performances.

“The story of Elle going to Harvard is a story of white privilege,” Cowperthwaite, a Harvard junior, told NBC Asian America. “She is blonde, beautiful, rich and white. The admission officers take one look at that identity and say, ‘Yes, she’s in.’” NBC reported that ASAP redesigned details that—while still allowing for an exploration of race and privilege—also tied the story more closely to the Asian American experience. For instance, the nail salon is set in Chinatown, and signage includes traditional Chinese characters.

At Nobles, Cowperthwaite was an actor and director with the Nobles Theatre Collective (NTC).

In her final NTC performance, she starred as Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

stage to dance salsa and belt out Selena’s “Como la Flor,” they got an uproarious standing ovation!

Kristallnacht Kehilla, the Jewish affinity group, shared a video about Susan Warsinger, a Holocaust survivor, in

CHATTER AUTHOR HELPS HARNESS NEGATIVE THOUGHTS Mariel Novas Led Mayoral Transition for Wu Michelle Wu made history in November 2021 when she became the city of Boston’s first woman and first person of color to be elected mayor.

Mariel Novas ’06 is a community organizer who holds a doctorate in education leadership; Novas is leading the administration through its early months at City Hall.

Novas’ role was announced on WBUR, in the Boston Globe and in other media. A November 16 Boston Herald piece reported that Novas would stay on with the administration as a senior advisor to Wu. On masslive.com, Novas said that the incoming administration is “focused on building a team in City Hall that represents everyone and is ready to hit the ground running.”

which she recounted her personal experience with Kristallnacht and explained the lasting effects the experience had on her.

XC Traditions Jacob Casper ’22 spoke of his meaningful experience on the cross country team and admitted that

Ethan Kross, bestselling author, experimental psychologist and neuroscientist from the University of Michigan, spoke in long assembly on October 20. His subject? His new book, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters and How to Harness It. “I think of the inner voice as a superpower,” he said. He explained that it is part of our working memory, which we use to simulate and plan. “We use it to tell ourselves stories—to create a story that explains our situation.

“But there is a big catch,” he said. “Sometimes we get stuck in negative thought loops, which I call ‘chatter.’” That chatter, he said, can knock out our attention or lead to “paralysis by analysis.”

Kross shared examples of how all kinds of people, including elite athletes, can be negatively affected by chatter—the inner voice that tells you you’re not good enough or that you’re an impostor or that your earlier successes were an accident.

Much of Kross’ talk focused on sharing strategies for making our inner voice work for us rather than allowing it to sabotage us. In his book, Kross shares about 30 tools that, in his university labs, have proven useful.

Among them is the idea of distancing yourself from the inner discord using tactics such as speaking to yourself in the third person. Another is the concept of time travel—asking yourself how you might feel about a particular situation or challenge in six weeks or six months, for instance.

He also discussed the value of venting. His findings indicate that venting can be helpful, but that venting too much, or to people who are unable to share good advice or perspective, can have a negative rather than helpful effect.

“Think carefully about who your chatter advisors are,” he said.

Kross shared other strategies for quieting or redirecting one’s inner voice. He also made clear that, of the many tools in his toolbox, not all of them will work for everyone and that some situations call for a mix of strategies. The tools, he wrote, are “for helping people resolve the tension between getting caught in negative thought spirals and thinking clearly and constructively.”

In the conclusion of Chatter, Kross shared, “You wouldn’t want to live a life without an inner voice that upsets you sometimes. It would be like braving the sea in a boat with no rudder.”

while he is not that fast, being on the team has been one of the most rewarding experiences in his Nobles career. Then Casper

shared one of their traditions by reciting an Ancient Greek victory ode, which the team does before important races.

A Performance Like This Gavin Schwartz ’23 belted out an impressive performance of Ben Rector’s “Love

Like This,” accompanied by a small orchestra. The song was followed by a rousing standing ovation.

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Nobles Night 2021 in Rappaport Gymnasium

Back Together Again: Nobles Night 2021 Nobles Night returned to campus on Thursday, November 4, 2021, after being held virtually in 2020. More than 350 Nobles graduates, parents and friends gathered in Rappaport Gymnasium to celebrate, show gratitude and, perhaps most importantly, just enjoy being together. The event was the first largescale gathering of the extended Nobles community in over a year and a half.

Guests were required to wear masks except while eating and drinking.

The event remained focused on thanking volunteers and supporters for their work and generosity. Early fundraising numbers from the fall were

Jaw-dropping Strength Charles Wang ’23 stunned the audience with a video compilation showcas-

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ing his impressive bodyweight skills.

Shoot for the Moon Molly Hughes ’22 and Lauren Velasco-

revealed through a video by Ben Heider entitled Your Gift in Action. Both the Annual Nobles Fund (ANF) and the First Class Fund for Faculty (FCFF) had a successful fall effort raising $4,025,187 and $1,038,262, respectively.

John Montgomery ’83, president of the board of trustees, welcomed and thanked the audience for their commitment to Nobles and each other over the previous 18 months. He reminded them how powerful these community connections are, helping the school to navigate crises, find inspiration and look ahead with cautious optimism.

“There are currently so many impor-

O’Donovan ’25, accompanied by Michael Turner, director of music, sang “Stars and the Moon” from the musical “Songs

tant challenges confronting students and, frankly, all of us,” said Montgomery. “So much that can’t be addressed alone. We are so fortunate to be able to rely on this community for guidance, support, encouragement, insight, leadership and friendship.”

In her remarks, Head of School Dr. Cathy Hall discussed how important, almost magical, these community connections are and how vital it has been to provide opportunities to come together after so much time apart. “Faced with such acute challenges around being physically together over the last two years only amplified how much our community feeds off of shared experiences, those moments when we come together to listen, learn, laugh, celebrate and cheer one another on,” said Hall.

Hall honored Scott Johnson ’02, this year’s recipient of the Richard T. Flood Award, for his outstanding service to the ANF and Nobles. Johnson has served on the ANF Executive Committee since 2012 and was the graduate co-chair in 2017 and 2018.

Additionally, Hall recognized and thanked the 2022 ANF Executive Committee, including graduate co-chairs Stephanie Savage Flynn ’01, Stephanie Gill Steele ’09 and Chris Steele ’08; young graduate co-chairs Holly Foster ’10 and George Loring ’16; parent cochairs Lori and Gillis Cashman and Vivian and Peter Kolovos ’89; and parents of graduates chairs Helen and Neal Goins P ’13, ’15. For the 2022 FCFF Committee, Hall offered her gratitude to the entire committee, including co-chairs Sherri and Dean Athanasia and Indira and Udit Batra, for their leadership.

for a New World,” starting the day with what felt like a visit from Broadway.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEAH LARICCIA

By the Numbers: Nobles On Wheels

4 Zamboni wheels

41

4

Piano wheels

20

Stationary bike wheels

40

wheels on Director of Theatre Dan Halperin’s skateboard

800

Student car tires on campus

16

85

Golf cart wheels

24

Lawnmower wheels

Cartwheels practicing for the dance show

Pottery wheels

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN HEIDER AND ANNE MCMANUS

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On the Playing Fields BOYS VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY Overall Record: 12-4 ISL Record: 11-4 ISL Championships: 5th place New England Division 2 Championships:

5th place All-ISL: Will McLane ’23 Honorable Mention: Carter Bartel ’23, Ben Guenther ’24

ISL Team Sportsmanship Award Winners All New England: Will McLane ’23 Awards: Class of ’99 Team Award: Sparsh

Verma ’22. Coaches Award (to the athlete who demonstrates significant ability, improvement and commitment to the team): Will McLane ’23 2022 Captains: Carter Bartel, Arnav Harve, David Hermanson and Will McLane, all ’23

All New England: Celia Cheng ’22 ISL Team Sportsmanship Award Winners Awards: Class of 99 Team Award: Claire

Mao and Molly Epker, both ’22. Coaches Award (to the athletes who demonstrate significant ability, improvement and commitment to the team): Celia Cheng ’22 2022 Captains: Kajsa Harrington, Sophie Majernik, Lindsay Saunders and Skylar Stadhard, all ’23 VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY Overall Record: 12-4 ISL Record: 10-2 (2nd Place) All-ISL: Megan Fuqua ’23, Kiki Higgins

’22 and Tierney Smink ’24 Honorable Mention: Kate Ham ’22 and Sophia Levering ’24 All-New England Honorable Mention:

GIRLS VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY Overall Record: 8-4 ISL Record: 8-4 ISL Championships: 3rd place New England Division 1 Championships:

10th place

All-ISL: Celia Cheng ’22, Charlotte Hay-

ward ’24

Megan Fuqua ’23

Awards: Walker Cup (to the player who

demonstrates a high degree of skill, love of competition and desire to play within the spirit of the game) Kaley MacDonald ’22 2022 Captains: Megan Fuqua and Annie O’Keeffe ’23

Season Highlights ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Both the girls and boys cross country teams won the ISL Team Sportsmanship awards.

A huge home crowd packed the track in the MAC and surrounded Greene and Burr Fields for our Friday Night Lights volleyball, girls soccer and football games.

Legendary Cross Country Coach Mark Sheeran completed his 40th season coaching the sport he loves.

Beth Reilly ’87 returned to the Nobles sideline and did an amazing job leading the girls varsity soccer program.

Our middle school teams swept Milton Academy on our rivalry weekend.

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VARSITY FOOTBALL Overall Record: 3-5 ISL Record: 3-5 All-ISL: Jake Bollin ’22, Peyton Rose ’22

and Joey Duggan ’23 Honorable Mention: Alastair Rose, Peter Nizolek and Owen Fitzsimmons, all ’24 All-New England: Jake Bollin ’22 All-New England Honorable Mention: Joey Duggan ’23 Awards: Coaches Award (for best improvement and team contribution): Peter Nizolek ’24. E.T. Putnam Award (for excellence, leadership and dedication to the team in honor of the former Headmaster Eliot T. Putnam): Jake Bollin and Peyton Rose, both ’22. Marinaro 12th Player Award (to the players whose contributions and spirit exemplify excellence): Joey Duggan ’23.

BOYS VARSITY SOCCER Overall Record: 6-7-2 ISL Record: 6-7-2 All-ISL: Nate Szpak ’22 Honorable Mention: Ryan Collins ’23 All-New England: Nate Szpak ’22 Awards: Coaches Award (for leadership,

sportsmanship and skill): Heath Lawry ’22. Wiese Bowl (for contribution to team spirit, in memory of Edward Wiese ’54): Nate Szpak ’22 2022 Captains: Ryan Collins and Tom Smee ’23 GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER Overall Record: 6-7-3 ISL Record: 5-4-3 All-ISL: Grace Fiorella ’22 and Eliza

Teplow ’23

Honorable Mention: Caitlin Driscoll ’24 All-Scholastic ISL: Eliza Teplow ’23 All-State: Eliza Teplow ’23

Charlotte Hayward ’24 and Celia Cheng ’22

Nate Szpak ’22

All-New England Honorable Mention:

Eliza Teplow ’23

Awards: Ceci Clark Shield (for a player

who best embodies the qualities, character and camaraderie that Ceci Clark represented): Katy McCullough ’22.

Tim Carey Award (to a member of Class I whose talent, hard work, humility, joyfully competitive spirit and qualities of character have led most directly to the success of the Girls Varsity Soccer team, in honor of beloved mentor and coach Tim Carey): Grace Fiorella ’22 2022 Captains: Nitty Moore and Eliza Teplow, both ’23

Jake Bollin ’22, Brayden Phinney ’24 and Colin Kenney ’25

GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

Milton-Nobles Recap

Overall Record: 8-11 ISL Record: 6-5 All-ISL: Lauren Young ’23 Honorable Mention: Yichen Ding ’23 and

Jessica Zhang ’22

All-New England Honorable Mention:

Lauren Young ’23 Awards: Coaches Award (to the player that demonstrates commitment to team and exemplary sportsmanship): Tope Adetunji, Lily Hamilton and Ama Ndukwe, all ’22. Forever Bulldog (to the player whose spirit and dedication exemplifies the ideals of the volleyball program): Gabriella Doherty and Jessica Zhang, both ’22 2022 Captains: Lauren Young and Emily Zhang, both ’23

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM CAREY AND BEN HEIDER

Megan Fuqua ’23

Beautiful weather helped us welcome back rivalry weekend with Milton this fall. The loss of the event in the fall of 2020 was a distant memory as huge crowds packed the sidelines for games at all levels, and Nobles came out on top for the weekend with a 6–5–2 record.

This year, we were led by some fantastic middle school teams who swept our rivals in all sports. The Milton games marked the last time some amazing student-athletes will wear the Nobles uniform; the Class of ’22 has demonstrated remarkable leadership over the course of the past few years, and they leave behind a legacy of hard work, commitment to team and great sportsmanship that will not soon be forgotten.

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off the shelf

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY

BY AMOR TOWLES ’83

(Viking Press, 2021)

Amor Towles ’83 dedicated his most recent New York Times bestselling novel, The Lincoln Highway, to his siblings Stokely and Kimbrough, also Nobles graduates. This epic story—set in the 1950s well before the sexual revolution and just before James Dean ushered in a new teen culture—features the cross-country adventure of three 18-year-old boys, who have recently left a juvenile work farm, and the sweet, precocious and precise 8-yearold brother of one of the older boys, Emmett Watson. The Watson brothers’ neighbor, Sally, who makes fruit preserves the old-fashioned way precisely because it takes time and is traditional, is the fourth main character. All of the primary personalities are complicated and worth getting to know.

At the outset, readers learn that Emmett has been released early from a 18 Nobles

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sentence for unintentionally causing the death of a town bully who was taunting him.

His once-wealthy, recently deceased father led the family to financial ruin and the family farm to which Emmett returns is in foreclosure. The boys’ mother had abandoned the family eight years earlier, leaving a series of postcards that are revealed in the father’s belongings.

The discovery of the missives, which were mailed from towns along the Lincoln Highway, spur the boys, in a powder-blue Studebaker, on their quest to find her in California. But, of course, it’s not so simple.

In a “Today” show interview in October 2021, Towles said that he tries to write books that are timeless and share universal stories.

“Two of the protagonist’s friends from the work farm [having hidden in a trunk] ... have a different plan for his future,” Towles told the audience. “And everything starts to go awry.”

The story is told from multiple perspectives and explores ideas of morality, justice and the paying of debts, tradition, time, youth and adulthood, privilege, and much more. The four main characters are joined on a road trip by cameo appearances from a cast of quirky characters, including nuns and a Black veteran named Ulysses; the America of the 1950s also plays a part. And get ready for a bit of a surprise ending at the end of this odyssey.

“Towles binds the novel with compassion and scrupulous detail,” wrote author and Washington Post reviewer Hamilton Cain. “His America brims with outcasts scrambling over scraps from the Emerald City, con artists behind the curtain, the innocents they exploit. Towles revels in boxcars, flophouses and seedy bars, the junkyards of failed dreams… The Lincoln Highway is a long and winding road, but one Towles’s motley crew navigates with brains, heart and courage.

ONE JAR OF MAGIC COREY ANN HAYDU ’01

(HarperCollins Publishers, 2021)

Rose Alice Anders, a.k.a.

“Little Luck,” is buzzing with anticipation on the eve of her 12th birthday. Her charismatic father, Wendell Anders, is the most magical man in town, and together they’ve counted down to this day, when Rose would unveil her own powers.

But when the moment arrives, and when she is missing the “extra” in extraordinary, she questions who she really is and what she will become… without the gifts she always thought she’d inherit, or the glow of her father’s pride.

As Rose’s aspirations of magic evaporate, so does her sense of identity. Instead, she (blunderingly) navigates fickle friendships and her own family, fraught with painful secrets that even the strongest spells can’t fix. Corey Ann Haydu’s poignant One Jar of Magic conjures the raw awkwardness of adolescence and the desire to find one’s meaning in the world—one foot is caught in childhood, and the other bound by a father’s dreams.

Measuring herself against others’ magic makes Rose feel small, until a new friend helps her see the stillness and wonder in a simpler life.

Shedding a lifetime of expectations, Rose learns that we are more than the jars of magic we acquire.

Haydu builds an engrossing, character-rich story around an endearing, imperfect protagonist. Rose’s relationship with her sensitive brother, Lyle, is particularly tender, and the unraveling of her father’s abusiveness reveals a man who is both magnetic and damaged. But with the support of those she trusts, Rose discovers that being true to herself and having hope is magic enough— and that everyone deserves a home that is safe.

my books...

UNKNOWN, UNSEEN, UNEXPLAINABLE

BY MARGARET ROBERTSON, SPANISH FACULTY MEMBER

Charged with choosing (only!) five books is certainly a challenge. Delightful memories from long-closed folders have been spilling out as I rummage through the cabinets of my mind. The books that have imprinted (pun intended) on me the most are from my childhood or college years. These were impressionable years of awe and innocence.

I find that the genres I most gravitate toward are either: 1. That which is unknown, unseen, or unexplainable, or 2. what is really just a different facet of the aforementioned idea–an explanation, a validation, or a new perspective.

“GIFT OF THE MAGI,” O. HENRY So, as you can see, this is actually a story. It seems that I may be breaking the rules already. However, as one can purchase it in book form with pictures, I have decided it can be included. The omniscient narration created a feeling of extreme helplessness in my young heart, and I wanted to shout to the characters, “Oh, Della, do not cut it! No—Jim, do not sell it!” Knowing what was going to happen and then reading of the resulting sacrifice and love was such a perfect gift of perspective.

THE HOBBIT, J.R.R TOLKIEN This book was in my room when I was a child. I have no recollection of receiving it, and for years I was afraid of it. When I finally decided to read it, I was hooked. Not just with this book, but with the concept of other realities. To me, the word fantasy is ruined by bizarre associations, but many texts that fit in this category are delicious escapes.

Books such as Below the Root by Zilpha Keatley Snyder or Phillip Pullman’s The Golden Compass trilogy began my quest for the unknown, unseen, or unexplainable.

FICCIONES AND EL ALEPH, JORGE LUIS BORGES I was going to include Borges’ Ficciones on this list.

There are so many tales that challenge our understanding of the universe: “La muerte y la brújula” (“Death and the Compass”), “El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan” (“The Garden of Bifurcating Paths”), “La biblioteca de Babel” (“The library of Babel”). Then I realized that the story demanding to leap out of my mind’s folder is a story found in a different collection entitled El Aleph. While I cannot choose a favorite (you will have to choose for yourself!), the story I read but barely appreciated in high school is “El inmortal.” Spoiler Alert: A rather important figure is still alive in a cave, living there with other people because they have

no recollection of building a city. As a teenager, this seemed absurd to me—how could they forget?! Yet now with tricks of the brain and my ephemeral memory, I can understand how what is once clear becomes diaphanous and then turns into a thick cataract. Reading this story, in conjunction with Shelley’s poem Ozymandias, and Plato’s cave allegory, I experienced my brain’s first attempt to understand the passage and ravages of time.

DON QUIXOTE DE LA MANCHA, MIGUEL DE CERVANTES I was lucky to read this with a professor in graduate school. My classmates and I would say you could give him any sentence from Quixote and he would be able to quote a scholarly paper on it.

From his own course description, Professor Layna writes that he expects his students to see “la realidad concebida como un texto sin límite,” or “reality conceived as a limitless text.” Read it, find your own reality and see why the messages here are universal. It’s ok to read it in English. Borges, a polyglot, is said to have read it first in English and found that reading it subsequently in Spanish seemed odd. The first modern novel does not disappoint.

OBRAS COMPLETAS DE SOR JUANA INÉS DE LA CRUZ, SOR JUANA INÉS DE LA CRUZ Juana Inés de Asbaje y Ramírez, born in Mexico, was an auto-didact who devoured knowledge, and was rumored to have disguised herself as a male to attend university classes. She became a prolific writer who addressed topics that ran the gamut from love to scathing criticisms of society. She then joined an order of nuns in order to avoid certain social expectations and to continue to study and write. Every time I read “Hombres necios que acusáis…” I am amazed she wrote this in the 1600’s, amazed it still applies to the double standard of today’s society, and amazed how its themes or the poem itself will pop up unexpectedly (Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-García).

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perspective

The Gift of Gratitude A final Nobles thank-you note

BY BEN SNYDER, DIRECTOR OF THE ANDERSON/CABOT CENTER FOR EXCEL

It’s pretty easy to say thank you (or send a card of gratitude) for a gift one can hold.

But how does one say thank you for a life? Especially when there could never be enough space to say the names of all the people who have touched my life.

P

eople talk about establishing a “work-life balance.”

But what if “work” creates one’s “life balance”?

When Sarah and I arrived from California with 6-monthold Abby (ultimately a member of the Class of 2007), we thought we’d stay for a few years and then move on to the next adventure. We were promised “a strong school that aspires to become stronger,” one that needed to evolve to become more academic, diverse and connected to the world outside of 507 Bridge Street— the school’s earlier official address. We bought it. For 33 years.

We have seen buildings moved and built, generations of students come and go, and hundreds of colleagues who eagerly come to school each day to work with (and shape) some great kids. But those things happen (or should happen) at almost any good independent school.

So why has it been different for us?

Why stay? What’s so special?

Here’s what we’ve found, and I’ve grown to treasure: Relationship before task. The sustained excellence at Nobles emanates from the salutary relationships among us and across constituencies. I’ve been given the gift of debating the future of the school with trustees, of working with an advisee to resolve a personal issue, of sharing ideas on how to beat Milton on a soccer field, of laughing at a non sequitur I’ve made in class, of musing about some of the injustices of the world 20 Nobles

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on a Rwandan hilltop or a New Orleans building site. I go first to the Class Notes section of every Nobles Magazine, and I feel the swirl of gratitude to have known some past student, thinking, “What a great kid.”

It’s about we, not me. In my initial iteration here as the admission director, the first place I’d go when giving a tour was Lawrence Auditorium. I’d say, “This is the most important room in the school, where the most important teaching takes place.” Our culture and our values are established through our shared laughter (The Regurgitator), our shared sorrow (a six-hour assembly following 9/11), and the risks young people take and the statements they make. ...and it’s not just about us. Our mantra of leadership for the public good is real.

Kids believe it and act upon it. Our partners, near and far, count on us. And we expect graduates to find their own path toward doing some good for the world. We invest in low-income/firstgeneration youth through Achieve and Upward Bound. How else can we justify our existence?

We try harder. Nobles has a pervasive “Avis mentality.” Of course, Nobles is great, but how can we make it better?

From academic departments to our buildings and grounds teams to our boardrooms, Nobles has always been aspirational. The opportunities are too great to be satisfied with the status quo.

Making one’s avocation their vocation.

Few people get the opportunity to take

what brings them joy and combine it with their professional life. In my twenties I wondered if I could find a life that could combine my love of ideas, history, sports, young people, strategic thinking and planning, organizational change, exploring the world, and working with (and hopefully motivating) a diverse group of people. I found it and never thought of walking away.

When everyone thinks alike, nobody thinks (or grows). Sabbaticals pushed me to broaden my view of myself and the world and opened doors, perspectives, experiences and opportunities I never could have imagined (for me and for Nobles). I’ve learned so much from young people. They’ve changed my point of view. They’ve asked questions that have made me question myself. I’m a very different person than I was before I came to Nobles.

How’d we get so lucky? At least weekly, Sarah and I would say this to one another. Taking our young children to games and shows and going to our soon-to-be older children’s shows and games. What a gift it has been to live, work and share this beautiful place with so many good people. We won a life lottery, are beyond grateful, and hope we made some kind of a positive impact in return.

It’s all part of the adventure. While on a family sabbatical with our children, traveling around the world in 2000, this became our mantra, as nothing ever works out quite as planned. Since then I’ve pulled it into every Nobles trip, PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE MCMANUS

caption_whitney_ right

Ben Snyder engaging with students during his last class at Nobles.

every class and every practice. Every interaction holds the opportunity for adventure, learning and growth. It has sustained me through the inevitable moments when human fallibility (my own, of course) and chance create daunting challenges.

It is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. Every day and in every role (and there have been too many to count) there has been meaning and purpose to my life at Nobles. If having a “great life” is all about having a meaningful life, then

I count myself as one of the luckiest people around.

Nobles, thank you for allowing me to find such a balanced life, a life enriched by this community of people, ideas, experiences, love and laughter. I’ll miss you and will be forever grateful. N WINTER 2022

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FINAL DRAFT Lisa Colt, longtime Nobles teacher, and her son George ’72, discuss innovative pedagogy, the challenges of writing about family, and the intricacies of critique and revision along the writer’s journey to the final draft.

BY A NNE MC MA N US P ORTRA I T BY JESSI CA SC RA N TO N

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Nobles 23

O

ur first teachers of reading and writing are those who tuck us in at night, flipping the worn pages of beloved books until we doze off; occasionally, these literary alliances endure past childhood. For George Colt ’72 and his mother, Lisa, who taught art and English at Nobles from 1973 to 1989, books—both the reading and writing of them—continue to draw them together in an ongoing dance with words. Through poetry and conversation, the Colts discuss innovative pedagogy, the challenges of writing about family, and the intricacies of critique and revision.

Sitting beside George at her retirement community in western Massachusetts, Lisa recalls the voraciousness with which he read as a child. At age 7, he would hop on his bike, outfitted with a basket for bringing home the loot, pedal down Court Street and past the Dedham Jail to the public library, and check out seven books—the limit in the 1960s. Once home, George would gather a glass of milk and a stack of Oreos and head to the picnic table in the backyard, where he would sit with his pile of cookies on one side and his pile of books on the other, sipping milk as he made his way through the stacks.

Many chapters later, George pens the books that others pile at their sides. An author and a former staff writer for Life magazine, the young boy whose basket brimmed with books is now the author of November of the Soul: The Enigma of Suicide, The Big House, which was a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Brothers and The Game. One of Colt’s recent projects focused not on his own writing, but on his mother’s. A talented artist and a skilled poet, Lisa has spent the past couple of years working with George to thumb through old drafts of her poetry, editing and discussing the work to identify the most compelling and curated versions, which they then published in Continuing Education. Since George was a young boy, the two have worked in partnership on a journey toward many final drafts.

“My mother’s collection of books was so ahead of its time,” recalls George, delineating the bookshelves of his childhood, which were lined with the spines of books by James Baldwin, Eldridge Cleaver, Carson McCullers and Flannery O’Connor.

“She was interested in all of these things that most of my friends’ parents were not, and I was fascinated by all of it. So, I was plucking these things from the shelves and giving myself some education.”

Having left nursing school at Mass General Hospital to raise her four sons, Lisa spent the early years of family life at home, but when the opportunities arose to take a job teaching art, first at Dedham Country Day School and then at Nobles, she embraced them. During her 16 years at Nobles, Lisa changed

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A FRIEND

BY GEORGE COLT ’72 WRITTEN AS A NOBLES STUDENT

She had come as the wind.

Ephemeral as the force which blows a storm Away from the land it consumes.

And when the dust had cleared, And the wind had died, She was gone.

But, As a storm parts, leaving the sun, A sign of better things yet to come, Her memory lingered, And talked with me.

VOICE

BY LISA COLT

As a child I was told to hold my tongue.

I tried, but it was thick and slippery So I coiled it like a cobra In the back of my throat And swallowed hard.

Afterwards—years of silence, Though in dreams I could hear faint bells, Muffled music, occasional grunts.

Then yesterday morning I woke up, burped, And wrote this poem.

ARCHIVE PHOTO COURTESY OF JOE SWAYZE

Photo of Lisa Colt taken by faculty member Joe Swayze at a faculty retreat in the early 1970s

lives as she changed the landscape of the classrooms on Campus Drive. George explains that under Lisa’s care and direction, “the art room became a haven for a lot of the kids—not only the artists, but the kids who were not the big men and women on campus.” Regardless of the subject she was teaching—art, English, health or the Holocaust (she was the first to bring Facing History and Ourselves to Nobles)—Lisa made space for students who were not feeling heard or valued.

She had established herself as a force by the time Tim Carey, former and beloved English teacher, arrived at Nobles in 1976.

“Her reputation as an art teacher was lofty,” says Carey. “She inspired kids. Soft-spoken but always forceful, she advocated in every way for the underdog, for women and girls trying to make their way in what had been a boys’ school since its inception.

She was savvy, able to read a situation, a room, a kid who might have been struggling, a kid who needed advice about her art or his relationship. Her classes were in high demand because they took kids to places that went beyond the usual conception of what school art involved. And that made her appealing to the kids who thought differently.”

The first woman in the school’s history to speak at Prize Day, in the spring of 1976 Lisa shared these poignant words: “And I shall wish desperately for you what I wish for myself: That you may come to understand and accept yourselves, that you may never stop taking the time to connect with other human beings and with the earth, that you may risk passion and cultivate selfdiscipline, that you may love the tenderness of your soul even as you respect your instinct for survival.” Eventually, the time came for Lisa to tell her story, in poetry, prose and paintings.

“She gave a space for so many kids to be heard,” says George, “and it’s nice to see that people are hearing her story.”

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MY MOTHER AT 86

BY LISA COLT

We sit across from each other A painting from a series of 30 self-portraits

by Lisa Colt, part of a project titled “Her,” painted in watercolor in 1991. Colt described the project as “an attempt to remove my own masks.”

until there is no light left.

She, in the kitchen chair she leaves only to bathe or sleep, her body crooked over the table in the shape of a fiddlehead fern.

ON WRITING ABOUT FAMILY

Writers, explains George, tend to spend a lot of their writing lives trying to figure out the meaning of family and how their family of origin influenced, helped or hurt them. “So much of writing is trying to figure out who you are in the world, and what the world is, so it is hard to think of any writers who do not address family, whether directly or obliquely. Certainly for both of us, our writing is very much trying to explore what family has meant to us, in all of its manifestations.”

When he wrote The Big House, George first asked his family’s permission. “I asked for a blessing,” he says. “When I write about family or anything that’s potentially hurtful to somebody, I do try to figure out, Why am I writing this? Am I writing this out of score-settling, writing it out of revenge?

If I feel that I’m writing something out of a genuine desire to understand, a genuine feeling of affection for the people who are involved, that’s the place that I want to write out of. I did show The Big House to everybody who was involved in it, and I said, ‘If there’s anything in here that you can’t live with, let’s talk about it.’ I didn’t say, ‘If you want me to change something, I’ll be glad to change it.’”

Many of the poems in Continuing Education deal with family and the complex nature of those relationships. George suggests that “My Mother at 86” is the cornerstone of the book and one of its most powerful poems. “It’s difficult to write about people you love,” he admits. “I don’t think it’s possible to write anything that’s any good without taking on some stuff that is going to be difficult to deal with.”

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or one of the spit-curls she worked so hard to perfect in her roaring twenties.

I want you to understand All that has passed between us, but

The harder I try, The farther I stray from truth.

Here is the whole story then: my mother and I talking together in the gathering dark.

REVISION

BY LISA COLT

Whittle syllables, shift words, tease meaning, squeeze, beat vagrant line, sharpen

Blurred image to blade, Then polish, polish until Words become poetry.

O, but where is what was?

That first, wild road, that rash improvisation:

messy, excessive, unpredictable as an explosion

of tiger lilies glimpsed by the side of a highway.

ON CRITIQUE AND REVISION

The Colt editorial partnership harkens back to George’s childhood. “When I was a boy and I first started writing poetry, my mother was the one who first went over my poems. She was still a housewife and a mother of four, and she wrote poetry, but she was still cooking all of the meals and taking care and washing the diapers. She wanted for me what she couldn’t have for herself at that time. Eventually, I found my own way as a poet, but I always rely on her feedback when I’m writing.”

George still has the copy of a six-page poem that English faculty member and former head of school Dick Baker once took a look at for him when he was at Nobles. “He was so careful and so generous in terms of the time he gave,” recalls George, “but also so honest in his thoughts about it.” Baker’s comments read: “George, you are a good writer, good enough so that you should begin to write for people other than yourself,” which he interpreted as “the writing was so self-involved and so self-referential that it didn’t speak to the rest of the world; it was a very sweet but pointed way of saying ‘you can do better, and here’s a couple of thoughts on how you can.’”

George applauds his wife Anne’s approach to teaching her creative writing classes at Yale, explaining that she teaches her students to take a positive approach to their critiques, starting by asking what is wonderful about a piece and then asking what might make the piece even better. An approach, says George, that “is all couched in the way Dick Baker would do it, which is loving and affectionate, but honest.”

Following any careful critique is the necessary task of revision. “It almost never ends,” says Lisa of the process of editing her work for publication, “until it’s on a table somewhere in somebody’s house.” When putting together Continuing Education, George was there to support his mother in the process as she had been for him as a young boy starting his journey as a poet. “It was difficult,” says George of the task that lay ahead of them, “because I could see she had files and files and plastic boxes, and the first thing we had to do was to sort through hundreds of poems, put all of the different drafts in a folder, try to see what the top copy was, and then say, ‘Are we missing anything from these earlier drafts?’ Mom would want to go over every single thing again and again. I made judicious use of her paper shredder to get rid of some of the drafts—we finally had a top copy of each poem, and then we had to just choose the poems that were going to make a good book. I guess it’s genetic; I got my endless revisioning from her.”

An adoring fan of his mother and her work, George says, “At 91, she continues to keep her eyes and her heart open to the beauty—and the sadness and pain—in the world around her.” N WINTER 2022

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Abigail Pratt Mayer ’06 sees and supports the beauty of all women.

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BY HEAT HER SULLI VA N PO RT RA I T BY A NNE HA MERSKY

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D DESPITE SUPPLY-CHAIN and other pandem-

ic-related issues that left many retailers struggling, performance lifestyle brand Athleta, which is part of the Gap Inc. family, reported increased sales of 2 percent in the third quarter of 2021.

This underscores the rise—and staying power—of athleisure, a market that is expected to surpass $113 billion this year.

Abby Mayer ’06, who serves as Athleta’s editorial director, is part of that success, and to her and many in the Athleta community, the trends have deeper and more personal meaning. Athleta is a powerful example of how brands have expanded to include consumer connection and social purpose: Athleta focuses on well-being, inclusivity, and environmental responsibility, in addition to its mission to sell comfy, sleek, sporty clothing.

A POWERFUL PATH

Mayer says she had no plan to become an official voice of a national brand, which, is now expanding into Canada (home territory to competitor Lululemon) and Europe. In fact, she had planned for a career in publishing. After graduating from Connecticut College and completing Columbia’s well-known publishing program, she began to execute her original plan: “I left the Columbia program with such a tight grip on what I wanted to do and the type of professional I wanted to be. At the start, I think I cared too much about seeming impressive than actually doing something impactful. And I honestly felt lost going from being a student to entering the workforce. I ultimately realized that I needed to begin my search for more meaningful work to do justice to all of the incredible education I was lucky enough to receive.”

She settled in at Beacon Press in Boston. It was a sweet and valuable experience, she said, but her career and her life began to feel a bit too predictable.

“I could kind of make out what my life was going to be, right? And for whatever 30 Nobles

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reason that made me less comfortable than more comfortable.”

After spending an incredible weekend in California with Nobles classmates Anabel Lippincott Paksoy ’06 and Alexa Walls ’06, a dream took hold. “The next thing you know, my mom was dropping me off at Logan Airport. I told her I’d be back in a year.” That was seven years ago.

Mayer has held positions of increasing responsibility and leadership at Athleta.

“I know the power of women. And I know how to write. And so that started me on my journey at Athleta. The most fulfilling opportunity has been to reflect that power through language.”

During the pandemic, Mayer and her fiancé spent time with family in Maine, Nantucket, and Missoula, Montana.

She said that getting outdoors is hugely important for them both. Relating that passion for the outdoors via Athleta and its Power of She platform, Mayer shared she loves the way the company designs for women on the trail. “I love putting on clothes that were designed to take me outdoors and also allow me to feel like myself. It turns out, a lot of women have a complicated relationship to pants. We don’t always want to wear them. I have jeans on, they’re stiff. I have sweatpants on, I feel kind of sloppy. If I have yoga pants on, sometimes they’re too tight. So, we think a lot about how to help customers find their sweet spot with versatile styles like joggers or yoga pants with pockets that double as streetwear.”

ANOTHER PILLAR OF THE ATHLETA STORY

In fall 2021, Athleta released its first item with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, a limited-edition girls hoodie, with a broader collection planned for Spring 2022. That release is now even more poignant given Biles’ undisputed heroics as an athlete as well as her admission in the summer Olympics that she needed to prioritize her mental

health over her performance. Around the same time, Athleta launched a digitial community platform aimed at connecting and supporting women on their journey toward well-being.

Mayer acknowledges the power and peril of digital media influence in an already noisy retail landscape. Reflecting on the impact of platforms like Instagram, she said, “Who am I if I don’t exist here? I want more for myself. I want more for my kids someday. We live in a world where we don’t have an automatic sense of belonging in the way maybe we once did. At Athleta, our No. 1 goal in 2022 and beyond needs to be clarity for our community—clarity of what we’re saying, what our message is, so that we don’t become part of that noise, that digital haze. Social media can be such a ripe place for connection and reflection when there is something beautiful to share. It can also be a very dark place to lose yourself in comparison, envy and feeling like you’re not good enough. In that space, how can you feel like you already have all that you need?”

THE BRAND, THE WORK

“From an organization standpoint, I get to manage a team of writers, which is my greatest joy. I love coaching writing. I love having conversations about language. Oftentimes, we’re literally just playing around with language to find what feels most lyrical, most resonant.

That’s also been really fulfilling for me in my own writing. I’ve very recently rediscovered poetry, which is funny because I spent years—both at Nobles and in college—writing hyper-analytical pieces.” Even though Mayer leaned more analytical during that period, she is grateful for the influence of teachers, including former faculty Sarah Snyder and Tim Carey. “Nobles was a place where I felt belonging without a doubt,” she said. “Nobles offered us a safe space and sound support through our friend-

ships, through our relationships with our teachers, through the need to show up and be somewhere and feel like we were a part of something beyond just our immediate environments at home.

“As I have gotten older and have made all of my practices more heart-centered, poetry is what’s speaking to me. It’s freeing. You don’t have to have a period at the end. You can stop the line when you want to stop the line. It’s an invitation to myself to soften and to open and find the music on the page. And that’s really been a delight.”

Sure, selling Athleta products is important to Mayer and her colleagues, but, she says, brands have a responsibility. And that’s a good thing. “What matters is having really inspiring and inspired leadership as well as a really clear focus of where and how we can make a broader impact.”

Mayer noted Athleta’s good fortune in experiencing revenue growth during a time when many businesses across

sectors have faltered or failed. “I think it’s a testament to our brand ethos and our consistent product, meeting women where they’re at. And I don’t think anyone knew for sure how that would manifest in terms of the bottom line. But ultimately, we wanted women to feel comfort during a time that was deeply uncomfortable.”

She remarked that women have acted as caretakers in unprecedented ways during Covid, and that any part the brand could encourage self-care was a win. “It wasn’t about what exactly they ended up buying—it was how we made them feel during that time. And that’s true to this day.”

SHAME VS. THE POWER OF SHE

As a brand, Athleta is inspiring and aspiring. Mayer acknowledges, however, that like every person, every job, and every organization, it’s not possible to live up to the articulated ideals every day.

“I wish I could tell you that I woke up every morning, I have an herbal tea and

did my writing practice. It’s just not true.

At Athleta, too, there’s a lot of conversation about how to most effectively live up to our values. A lot of my work is discussion with my peers and leaders on what that looks like.”

When Mayer talks about Athleta’s mission, she focuses on validating women—the idea that they are enough, just as they are—and that despite the roles they play, from professional athletes to mothers, they are multidimensional people with endless ways of contributing to the world. For her, part of the appeal of the brand is its insistence on acknowledging the beauty and power of all women. Mayer said that finding power can come, in part, through movement and being seen—finding a sense of belonging. “I’ve told the stories of women across communities. We explore together what it means to feel at home in their bodies—to navigate past traumas and the judgment of others—and that’s been really fulfilling. When I sign off on any part of any piece of writing with the ‘Power of She,’ I’m thinking of every single individual, no matter how they identify or relate to the divine feminine that’s within all of us.”

“We want to reflect back the dynamism and the dimension of women, especially at a time when it’s much easier for people to put us in a box. Representation is essential to all brands attempting to live up to values of inclusivity. We know the color of your skin shouldn’t dictate whether you have access to a yoga practice. The size of your body shouldn’t mean that you’re not in the pages of a catalog or deserve to have clothing that feels good on your body and makes you feel yourself. So, it’s really been a privilege to be part of a team and a creative organization that gets to reflect those values. Because, at the end of the day, women need to be the ones to say, ‘Actually, this is beautiful. And actually, yes —you belong here, too.’” N WINTER 2022

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TAKING THE HELM AS THE 16TH PRESIDENT OF OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE IN SPRING 2020, HARRY ELAM JR. ’74 SET ITS COURSE AMID SWIFTLY SHIFTING PANDEMIC PROTOCOLS AND A RACIAL RECKONING. When Harry Elam Jr. was just a child, his mother, Barbara, took him to his first play, Charles Gordone’s No Place to Be Somebody, a Pulitzer Prize–winner about racial tensions in the civil rights era. It was a formative experience, and one that encapsulates his remarkable upbringing. Now, more than 50 years later, Elam’s experience as a theatre director informs the flexibility, vision and collaborative skills he needs to establish trust with the Occidental community and move the college forward in unpredictable times.

BY K I M N E A L I L LU ST R AT I ON BY JA SON S EI LER

SETTING THE STAGE: THE ROLE OF FAMILY

Creativity, education and activism were the pillars of parenting in the Elam household. Young Harry grew up with three siblings, including his sister Jocelyn ’82, and late brother Keith Elam, Class of ’79, celebrated hip-hop artist and producer, Guru. Their father, Judge Harry J. Elam Sr., was the first Black chief justice of the Boston Municipal Court. His legacy includes increasing diversity in the Massachusetts judicial system, with special attention to issues disproportionately affecting young males of color. As co-director of library programs for Boston Public Schools, mother Barbara advocated for racial and cultural representation in literature, understanding its power for young readers. “So, in those ways, and in so many others, my parents reinforced the importance of social justice,” Elam points out.

Combining his passions for theatre, education and equity, Elam and his Black friends at Nobles formed a troupe called The Family, which raised funds for scholarships at Nobles and Beaver Country Day. Always a leader, Elam was School Life Council president at Nobles.

At Harvard, he stayed involved with The Family and was vice president of the Harvard Black Student Theater Group (Black CAST).

THE FIRST ACT: A DRAMATIC DECISION

Destined to follow in his father’s lawyerly footsteps, Elam changed course, in his senior year at Harvard, when he realized he only craved the drama of the courtroom—to his relief, Judge Elam confided he'd once wanted to become an actor himself.

Elam Jr. completed his Ph.D. in Dramatic Arts at the University of California, Berkeley, and went on to write and co-edit seven books about the intersections of race and performance. He is internation34 Nobles

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L–R: The Family production of “A Medal for Willie”; “Moon on a Rainbow Shawl” curtain call; with actor James Earl Jones at Harvard; with an Oxy student on campus.

ally recognized for his scholarly analysis of works by playwright August Wilson and for being one of the leading scholars of American theatre generally and African American theatre specifically. In addition, Elam has directed professionally and academically over the past 25 years. During three decades at Stanford University, Elam served on the faculty of Theatre and Performance Studies, as founder and director of the Institute for Diversity in the Arts, then as vice provost from 2010–2020 and vice president for the Arts from 2017–2020, reaping academic accolades and awards for his work in theatre, but also for reimagining undergraduate education and diversity initiatives.

While at Stanford, Elam met his wife, Michele, an English professor with whom he has built a marriage of shared intellectual interests and ideals, in some ways mirroring that of his parents. When he writes, he has called Michele his “toughest and most loving critic.”

ACT II: DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Arriving as president in the midst of the pandemic, Elam, nonetheless, remains highly energized about the possibilities at Occidental (“Oxy”) and a higher-education landscape in which he says students are increasingly driving change. Students on the presidential search committee named activism as their favorite aspect of the school. Once Elam was hired, one student committee member congratulated him, grinned good-naturedly, and quipped, “You know, we like you. But if you mess up, we’re gonna protest you.”

Elam says, “Occidental is unique among small liberal arts colleges for many reasons. For example, I’m the second Black president—not the first as I would be at virtually any other liberal arts college—which I think reflects Oxy’s long history of concern for equity and inclusion. Oxy’s commitment to the foundational pillars of academic excellence, community, service, and diversity is something that I was really encouraged by and that I wanted to be part of in coming here.” Almost half of Oxy’s student body identify as people of color.

That rich diversity calls for a president who can listen and guide the group toward a shared vision.

Elam's decades of theatre experience, he believes, have prepared him for this position of academic leadership. “When directing, you are trying to shape a collaborative vision as does a college president. Every day, you are building trust, working with students and faculty. This process is critical to where we’re going to end up. Ultimately, as an academic leader or as a stage director, you’re trying to get everybody to do their best work. The show must go on!”

To elicit that “best work” from everyone, Elam hopes to develop partnerships, to encourage mutual respect, and to listen actively. “They may protest, and if they do, I understand the democratic right to do so, but it will only fuel my efforts to work with students and find ways to be more transparent.” Directing taught Elam that delivering honest, constructive criticism was a tough but necessary part

that’s more conducive for everyone to thrive and succeed,” says Elam. He is optimistic about how a new vice president of equity and justice will take it to the next phase with a strategic plan.

ACT IV: A KINDER, MORE FLEXIBLE FUTURE of creative growth, one that ultimately helped others to shine. “So, students may not always like the decisions I make, but hopefully they’ll know why. All of those things I learned from the theatre.”

ACT III: CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

Elam had to determine Occidental’s Covid response months prior to his official July 2020 start date; the college’s city of Los Angeles was among the nation’s hardest hit. At the time of this interview in October of 2021, L.A. County had reported more than 27,000 Covidrelated deaths. With so many unknowns, and facing the same issues for both Oxy and Stanford during his transition, Elam made the tough call to go remote—a decision validated when L.A. County shut down schools in August 2020. Unsurprisingly, he received some bitter letters from community members who did not understand. “It was made more difficult by the circumstances that I was a new president, and was only seeing people remotely,” Elam says. He fondly recalls one student whom he actually did meet in person and who exclaimed, “Wow, the only place I’ve seen you is on my computer screen. Good to see you in 3D.” With a career characterized by educational leadership in diversity and equity, Elam remains dedicated to “leveling the playing field” for Oxy students, as the pandemic exacerbates existing social and economic inequities. “While we were remote, there were students who needed technological equipment, a computer, or a better internet hookup. We made sure PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HARRY ELAM JR.

we got those things to them.” He credits a strong senior staff and a hands-on IT director attuned to students’ needs.

Communicating with faculty about expectations and how best to work with students has led to lasting improvements in students’ access to support, like remote office hours. Student connections were another priority, triaged by adaptations like Oxy’s long-running Multicultural Student Institute orientation program going virtual. Elam says, “The pandemic reaffirmed that we’re a residential college for a reason. Nothing takes the place of being here, and having the ability to run into the professor on the quad, or to work collaboratively with your fellow classmates, or to stay up all night just talking in your residence hall.”

Elam notes that students and their families were jubilant on move-in day, when campus reopened this past fall.

Elam also supported a politically aware, socially conscious community upset by the rift in the country’s racial fabric, following the killing of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands of the police. At this same time, anti-Asian violence and hate crimes became an increasing concern. Influenced by the urgency of these external events, Elam believed that Oxy needed to turn inward and write its own roadmap for real change.

Elam launched an “Equity and Justice Agenda” for Oxy. “Initiatives range from forming a Black Studies department, which we’ve done, to diversifying the faculty and to creating an environment

Los Angeles, a city rich in history and culture, is fraught with tensions that are racial, socioeconomic and environmental—and Elam recognizes that that complexity presents exciting opportunities for learning and mutual engagement at Oxy. “We are distinct as a liberal arts college, since we’re actually in a dynamic metropolis. It creates the potential for real partnerships that lead to possibilities for jobs, but also possibilities for social change,” says Elam.

This spirit of service, civic engagement and community-building is one that Elam hopes Occidental students will perpetuate. The Obama Scholars Program is one example, providing funds and encouragement for students who, like former Oxy student, president Barack Obama, are committed to making a difference for the public good. “As I talk to Oxy grads,” says Elam, “I hear repeatedly that their experiences at the College have encouraged them to care deeply about making the world better. Regardless of their field, they want to have a social impact.”

Elam believes a liberal arts education has never been more important. “It fosters critical thinking about complex problems in ways that integrate the humanities, arts and social sciences for creative solutions.”

But this approach also promotes “A sense of kindness, hopeful openness and respect for other opinions. In this time that is so isolated and stratified and siloed from each other, the liberal arts provide hope that we can find other ways of coming together and working together. That’s what I see happening here at Oxy, but also what I think the liberal arts can bring to the nation as a whole.” N WINTER 2022

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36 Nobles

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A Modern-Day Storyteller

Documentary filmmaker Tom Morrison ’14 details the historic journey of the Mayflower Autonomous Ship 400

BY CASEY HASSENSTEIN | PORTRAIT BY GABRIELA HERMAN '99

I

magine a transatlantic crossing.

The beauty of the lines and contours of the ship. The dramatic shifts in wind and weather. The roar of the towering waves.

The calm of endless sea and sky. The promise of the future. Now imagine the journey is completely unmanned.

In the spring of 2020, as the world was in a state of lockdown, Tom Morrison ’14 was tasked with telling this epic tale just a few years after graduating from Oberlin College.

Morrison is the creative spirit and director behind The Uncharted, a documentary film series detailing the creation and journey of the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) 400. The vessel was made by the non-profit Promare and is using IBM Power servers, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud and edge computing technologies to autonomously navigate the transatlantic crossing from Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts—following the same route sailed by the original Mayflower just over 400 years ago. Morrison notes, “One of the biggest misconceptions is people think there’s someone remote controlling the vessel, but in reality, they built a brain or AI system that gathers information from radar, weather data, visual recognition systems, and shipping records in real time.

It took years to train the models, just for the visual recognition system.”

The implications stemming from the possible success of the MAS 400 are simply mind-blowing. Approximately 85 percent of the ocean is still unexplored, and studying it is expensive, timeconsuming and fraught with unforeseen human and meteorological challenges.

The ocean controls the global climate, yet ocean research has proven to be wildly inefficient on many fronts. This is, in part, why so many environmental problems have gone unaddressed and/ or unresolved. “If we are really going to take on climate change and ocean pollution, we have to find a better way to understand the problems and how to fix them. That is the core of what the MAS 400 is trying to do. How can we make ocean exploration cheaper? How can we make it safer? How can we democratize the information for everyone?” explains Morrison. Success does not only mean gathering new and better research but making it more accessible to scientists and advocates around the world, regardless of their country’s size or GDP. The hope is that this level of access will inspire more individuals to search for solutions to a host of environmental problems impacting our waters and the world as a whole.

As Morrison began to film this extraordinary adventure, Covid-19 hit.

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He had to figure out a way to change direction and make a documentary series without having the luxury of filming the vessel itself or the team of people involved in person. “The first episode was weird. We set up remote interviews with people on the other side of the world. We sent them a ring light, and we hooked up an app to their phones so we could conduct remote interviews, which served as the backbone of the story for the first two episodes,” recalls Morrison. “I interviewed

to Dublin, Rotterdam and London. A second Atlantic crossing is planned for spring 2022. Even though the MAS 400 has yet to successfully complete its mission, Morrison’s work has received much acclaim. “IBM's campaign surrounding the MAS 400 has gone on to win Gold at the European Corporate Content Awards and to date the larger campaign has had 240+ million media impressions,” states Morrison.

Morrison works with a number of corporate clients in the branded docu-

" If we are really going to take on climate change and ocean pollution, we have to find a better way to understand the problems and how to fix them. How can we make ocean exploration cheaper? How can we make it safer?

How can we democratize the information for everyone?” the creator of IBM’s Watson, a chief former Navy petty officer, a presidential naval advisor, the chief meteorologist for The Weather Company and so many other intelligent people over Zoom.

We used a crew on the ground to film some general footage, but then I had to put it together in the edit.” The most recent episodes were more traditionally produced, with Morrison using on-theground footage and a post-production crew, animators, designers, sound engineers and colorists to make the final products. To date, six episodes have been created with the seventh set for release in early 2022.

In the summer of 2021, the MAS 400 set off on its maiden voyage, heading across the Atlantic toward the United States. A mechanical problem prompted an abrupt end to its crossing and forced the vessel to return to the United Kingdom. This past fall it set off again to begin its work supporting ocean exploration, but due to hurricane season, it only ventured along the UK coastline and embarked on smaller trips 38 Nobles

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mentary space. As traditional media and advertising methods move to the wayside, more companies are thinking differently about ways to tell their stories and create positive brand impressions with consumers. “Digital media is omnipresent in our lives. Everyone’s streaming content on a device. Brands are not just competing with their traditional competitors, but competing for your time, which often means your phone.

A company’s brand message needs to feel authentic and real to resonate and be compelling,” says Morrison. It is no wonder that individuals who can write, direct, produce and basically take ideas from paper to a final video product like Morrison are in demand. This trend, coupled with talent and a strong work ethic, has helped him move from an intern in his creative studio to now serving as a senior creative in the span of a few years. In addition, his department has increased from two to nine people in the past 12 months, one of the most uncertain and tumultuous times in recent history.

Despite working with well-known, large-scale organizations including the Washington Post, ADP, Twitch and McDonald’s, Morrison acknowledges that the ability to tell a good story lies at the heart of any memorable documentary, regardless of the logo on it.

Ultimately, he sees himself as a storyteller, and not just one who sugarcoats the message. “I feel the core of good storytelling is showing people struggle.

Brands are often worried about being shown in a bad light, but capturing those moments when individuals are struggling is what makes things relatable,” recalls Morrison. “When you show them struggle and then succeed, it feels all the better.” It is through this common sense of understanding and empathy that authentic connections with audiences are made. Such connections are what make great art and leave an impression on one’s soul, whether that be recognizing the values of a brand or merely an unforgettable feeling.”

While Morrison has a healthy dose of creativity in his genes (his mother, Liz, is a landscape designer and his father, Rob Jr. ’78, is an English teacher), he credits Nobles for augmenting his love of writing, art and film, fondly remembering former English teacher Tim Carey’s creative writing class, David Roane’s art class, Doug Jankey’s film course and ongoing mentorship from Gia Batty.

Morrison is making a name for himself at a young age in the documentary film space. He tells stories his way, portraying the highs and lows of the human experience honestly and authentically. And while he has worked on a project of a lifetime, he has not relinquished his drive to tell the many stories that have yet to be told.

Whatever his professional destination proves to be, Morrison is charting his own course, and the wind seems to be firmly at his back. N

graduate news NOTES & ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLASSMATES

1940 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Percy Nelson

617-244-4126 percylnelson@comcast.net

1951 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Galt Grant

781-383-0854 galtgra@gmail.com

1952 & 1953 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

John Childs

johnchilds37@gmail.com

So, I blew it....When you opened the Fall 2021 Nobles magazine and saw a blank under 1952 & 1953, the reaction was probably “How old is that class agent?”

The answer, of course, is about the same as you, and equally forgetful. I hope my follow-up email provided partial redemption.

So be it. Good to hear from some of you again. Most notable is this update from Bo Wakefield: “Thirty-six years on the same property here, high above the South Pacific/ Eastern Australia surf. Now retired for almost 10 years. Four children, with six grandchildren, youngest 7!

This past year, we rebuilt our kitchen and dining room—appliances, tiles and paint. Then roof-mounted 18 photovoltaic panels to eliminate any future electric bills. Covid-19 has our international borders locked tight for both tourism and foreign stu-

dents. Our final southern Japan tripping is on hold! More likely, it may never happen. Best to all of those still above the grass, BoW—Terranora Wombat.” Bo also added his challenge of a Circle race during our 75th Reunion in 2028, so stay in shape.

And then from Ben Taylor, with further embellishment on his bocce exploits in normally beautiful Santa Rosa. Some guys truly never lose their competitive edge, to wit: “I really love the game and seem to hold my own with other 80-yearolds. And they let me take my walker out on the bocce court.

I usually practice by myself in the evenings after dinner,

when no one else is around.

They keep the court lit up, so I am quite happy. And the other bocce players can’t figure out how I keep my game so sharp.”

He adds, “Still need a walker, but am making some progress.

I have a stationary bike on my deck and get on it every night without fail. Let’s face it, being 87 is no picnic.” Ben’s retirement village is still having fire drills, but he feels fairly safe because there isn’t much left to burn after the past three years.

Now that Ben is no longer the chief money-raiser for the Class of ’52, the job of prodding fellow classmates has passed on to Dave Horton, and he wants

Graduate Notes Policy ■ ■ ■

■

■

■

Send graduate updates and photographs to class correspondents if you have one.

Digital photographs must be high-resolution JPEG images (1MB+) to appear in print.

Editorial staff reserves the right to edit, format, and select all materials for publication, to accommodate eight decades of classes in the magazine. We are a non-profit organization with no political or religious affiliation.

For more information, visit the graduate notes online submission page, www.nobles.edu/community/graduates/ submit-a-class-note/.

Please contact us if you’d like to volunteer as class correspondent, to collect and compile news of your classmates to share.

Please note: If you do not have a class correspondent listed, you can submit your notes online at www.nobles.edu/community/graduates/submit-a-class-note/ … or volunteer to become the class correspondent by contacting Director of Graduate Affairs Kate Treitman Brown ’99, kbrown99@nobles.edu.

to remind them of their 70th Nobles Reunion coming up this May. To better prepare for the trip to Dedham, he suggests beginning now to improve fitness by doing pushups, running around a bit, and perfecting your overhead smash. Dave also reports that he and Lu Hallett keep in touch regularly and trade endless stories as former military pilots. “Lu flew in the thick of danger in Vietnam as an Air Force helicopter pilot on search and rescue missions, and I flew fighters where there was no action, patrolling the safe environs of the Caribbean from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the Navy. Like most of our reminiscing about the old days, it doesn’t seem like that long ago.

Lu made a distinguished career in the Air Force. I was a shorttimer—four years and out.”

Charlie Soule corrected me to say they are full time in Maine now, having given up winters in Virginia five years ago. “Both of us are still active and well (despite the usual aging process) and spending special time with children and grandchildren when they visit Maine. Otherwise, busy with ‘honey do,’ golf, sailing, bridge, investments and condo activities.” They’re fully vaccinated and OK despite the recent local pickup in pandemic concerns.

Harris Poor expressed his Covid laments in NYC, with the following comments: “We’re good and have obeyed the mandates and then some. We’re waiting to renovate our kitchen,

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but Covid has had its say about it. We can’t find the owner and need his approval (we rent), and the stove and fridge can’t be delivered because there are no chips right now. Can’t have the cupboards made because they are short of workers, etc., etc. Everything is late, and we hope we can last that long.”

Chatted with David Thibodeau the other day. He is back at Fox Hill, where he has fully recovered from Covid after 10 days of quarantine. The lockup didn’t seem to bother him much, and he is gearing up to solicit us for support of Nobles. Thib has been entertaining himself with cruises in the Chesapeake and Alaska.

We also see Susan and Bob Hoffman on a regular basis, as we share residence in the same retirement community and make a point of sharing stories over a pop or two.

Finally, Jean & John Childs are closing in on five years at North Hill in Needham and find this to have been a great decision.

“We are still blessed with good health (a relative term in our mid-80s)—active in several resident committees, at the fitness center, playing golf regularly, Jean winning sailing races in Rockport, and curling season beginning in a few weeks. This place is loaded with interesting people and far more activities than we can keep up with. It also has an outstanding health-care plan, which presumably will be helpful down the road. Notably absent from this list is bocce, so Taylor wins that one, but Nobles and the dreaded circle is just around the corner, so watch out,

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Wakefield. On a more serious note, full joy in life will not return until we never hear the words Covid, pandemic, social distance and face masks again!”

Stay well, and keep in touch.

1954 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Peter Partridge

508-548-9418 bluechip7676@hotmail.com

September 11 was a special day, made even more moving by the memorial service for our classmate Larry Bidstrup, who passed away on another special day, July 4 (see page 57 for full obituary). I met Barbara and Fred Clifford there; Wendy and the family asked Fred to be one of many speakers. Larry was loved by his fellow faculty and staff at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts. Fred and many of them told stories involving our colorful classmate to a full church of smiling faces…a great sendoff for Biddy!

1955 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Bob Chellis

781-237-9436 rdchellis@gmail.com

The late, great Hooley Perry ’53 generated wonderful notes for the Classes of ’52 and ’53.

Hoping to rival the class notes champion at least once, I spun our ’55 May Zoom Reunion into news of all on the call, and some who weren’t. Our notes took a Hooley-worthy eight full columns, two full pages! Not

as funny, but almost as long.

While not a last hurrah—that fall outpouring left little more to report. I wish you a happy 2022 and await new news. And the welcome sign is always up at Fox Hill Village for drinks, dinner or a chat.

1956 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Gren “Rocky” Whitman

443-691-9370 grenwhitman1@gmail.com Bob Bach reports that he’s “still

fetching lobsters from the sea, still trying to be a poet, and grateful to have these unexpected bonus years.” Bob also shared this recent poem: As We Grow Old

Running every day transitions to long walks through the woods I enter a brand-new world One of sounds unheard The woodpecker busy at work The wood thrush calling for her mate The wind whispering in the pines Then absolute silence I feel the power of the moment I start humming the sounds of silence From Dave Carroll: “My big news is that I did something wrong in my checkbook register and erased a year’s worth of entries. I got about nine months’ worth back through backups and am now laboriously restoring the rest with

Halcott Grant ’45 and Galt Grant ’51 at the funeral of their brother, Gordon Grant (Middlesex ’43), in Chicago, in October 2021

old receipts and slips. So, you can picture me hunched over my computer desk much of each day going blind reading teeny print and transferring it into my register. Otherwise, I’m currently consumed with trying to get Babs’ 2020 taxes to my accountant, a task with its own pitfalls. Babs and I used to have friends over for ‘Chinese Checkers Nights,’ and I recently had my first formal guests over for ‘Piano & Pizza Night.’

I know the best pizza parlor in Ann Arbor and treated—my guests agreed it was the best they’d ever had.”

John Turtle reports: “After 30 years in Wellesley, Anne and I have moved across the Charles River to Lasell Village in Auburndale. Managing a large house and yard was beginning to be a challenge, even though it had 30 solar panels. Lasell Village is a senior community on the campus of Lasell University.

Our apartment has two bedrooms, two baths; a living room, den and kitchen; and inside parking for two cars. During the pandemic lockdown, our dinner was delivered to our apartment.

It is now served in the large dining room. We are meeting many interesting people and taking classes as part of the program.

Happy to share more with any interested classmates.”

John Fritts reports: “My No. 3 son and his family from California were able to visit us for a few days in October, so we were able to enjoy a family reunion. All five cousins were able to spend some quality time together, including swimming in our heated pool. Son No. 1 and his wife announced they are expecting their fifth child next May, quite a surprise since he just turned 50. We are delighted, of course, as are the other children, who can’t wait to have a new baby in the family. We continue to renovate our Cape Cod home and hope to spend many years here, with the anticipation of sustained good health.”

Tim Leland muses, “When I started the [Boston Globe’s Spotlight] team 50 years ago, I had no idea it would still be going strong in 2021. Or me either, for that matter.” The Globe’s editor, Brian McGrory, had this to say about Tim: “It’s impossible to dislike Tim Leland. He’s as well-read as anyone on the planet, intellectually curious and a soft-spoken and gentle soul who bikes around downtown Boston in the early-morning hours when much of the region is barely awake. He’s also the guy who launched the Globe’s Spotlight Team, and for that he deserves this city’s gratitude.”

Rocky Whitman thanks Tim again for his tribute to the Class

of ’56, which he distributed prior to our Zoom reunion last May. For anyone who wants to see Tim’s film, go to: https:// bit.ly/3axDWYQ. Although ’56 was the senior class during 1955–56’s difficulties, it was all students and faculty who carried the burden, not just our class. In that respect, I’ve always thought that Headmaster Putnam’s tribute to the Class of ’56 in our yearbook should apply to everyone.

1957 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

ment also starring Yogi Berra, in what became a famous clip during subsequent—even recent—Red Sox–Yankee dustups.

Capped for me in later years by a thumbs-up from Nobles’ own Tim Coggeshall, then of Barnstable, from his nearby pew in our church, during an occasion when yours truly was stepping down from the lectern after presenting a scripture reading, apparently having done so in a manner that was up to Mr. Eaton’s standards. Also, sadly, this was the last time I saw Mr. C—he passed away only two weeks later.”

John Valentine

jean6157@icloud.com

1958

Eliot Putnam

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

etputnam@earthlink.net

Chris Morss

knossos@aol.com John Damon writes: “Hi, Nobles!

Well, here I am again, meeting last-minute ’57 copy deadlines at the last minute, at Eliot’s request—reminding me of my Nobles days trying to master hurried memorization assignments according to Sid Eaton’s daily recitation schedules for his demanding, invaluable Sixie oral English classes. This was a rather select group—many of you later Nobles ’57 washashores (as we call your kind of later arrivals here on the Cape) weren’t among us to experience SLE in this fashion. An intro to the lifetime art of performance, actually, carried on later in life, to greater heights, of course, by the career actor’s stage presence of our beloved, now sadly ‘late,’ Johnny Val [John Valentine]—of Aflac-barber fame. This was a TV advertise-

Mike Whitman writes: “My pandemic ‘bubble’ includes a quarter-mile drive, 10 acres of woods, field, pond and home site, with no one else in view and only the sounds of nature.

I am grateful every day that I found this place 40-plus years ago, and I try to repay my good fortune by baking bread frequently and distributing it all over my small town, as my ‘pandemic project.’”

Larry Daloz writes: “Seeing Michael Whitman’s update and well-deserved honor as Lyme’s Citizen of the Year, I am riddled with guilt for having failed to reconnect with him these many months after he came for a visit shortly after my spouse, Sharon, and I moved here to Kendal in Hanover.

Lyme is just up the road. So, I

double-urge you all to check out the extraordinary salutation that accompanied the award: https://www.lymefoundation.org/ citizen-of-the-year. Michael, we hardly knew ye!

“It’s always a joy to catch up on the chips of gossip that our loyal Knossos hacks so faithfully out of our stark New England soil—he and Peter Norstrand enjoying a whole new vision of the world, Peter Horton out there in his garden stumbling along after the chipmunks, Charlie Long enviously eyeing Rick Ruykhaver as he moves yet deeper into the Florida Darkness, and unthinkably, poor Hankus-Pankus being forced to stay, of all places, in Monaco!

“Me, they’ve got me back, green and not yet dying, in captivity, singing in my chains like the sea. Life could be worse.

Now, Bill Danielson and Bob Puffer, will you please fix the ding-dong climate?”

Tappy Wilder writes: “Pleased to report that I spent several weeks in Blue Hill, Maine, this summer, providing a chance to spend face-to-face time at last with my sister and my daughter and granddaughter. Besides also painting and scraping and disposing of dead mice and enjoying our new dock—it has taken the Wilders only seventy-five years to construct a proper front door to the property—I played two Nobles cards: lunch with Jan and Bill Russell on their exquisitely marvelous Maine porch in Northeast Harbor (see photo on page 42); a diverting two-day visit from Chris Morss,

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whom I honored by providing a new mattress. Loved seeing them! Nobles aside, the major summer event was taking my 8-year-old granddaughter, Niven, to the Blue Hill Fair.

Nothing beats being with a happy young woman amid happy goats, cows and sheep in the animal sheds and spun candy on the Midway.

“My Thornton Wilder responsibilities continue to fill my days. Please join me and the Antrobus family and their fabulous maid Sabina next April and May when, as part of celebrating Wilder’s 125th birthday, Lincoln Center will mount his Pulitzer Prize– winning The Skin of Our Teeth on its Vivian Beaumont stage. The show will be directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, a gifted young director making her Broadway debut. Best wishes to all—and go Red Sox!” Chris Morss writes: “Another pleasant, if wet, summer at Mattapoisett, frequently seeing neighbors Henry Batchelder and Jay Johnson ’61. I attended a family wedding near Ellsworth, Maine, over the Labor Day weekend and was hosted before it for two wonderful days by Bill and Jan Russell in Northeast Harbor, and after it for another two wonderful days

by Tappy Wilder and his friend Patty in Blue Hill, as noted in his entry.”

Bill Russell writes: “Despite Covid cautions, Jan and I, with brother Tim Russell ’61 and his wife, Dianne, were able in mid-August to host the longdelayed ‘Celebration of Life’ gathering for my sister, Louise,

42 Nobles

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Tappy Wilder and Bill Russell (both ’58) at Northeast Harbor, Maine, in mid-September

who died on April 14, 2020. Per Louise’s wishes, we gathered in Cataumet, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, very near my grandparents’ ‘Big House,’ where the Russells and our many Harding first cousins spent part of each summer in rotation while learning how to swim, row, sail, play tennis, and fish for scup and ‘puffers’ off the float. Her instructions were clear: a large, festive gathering, a clambake, everyone having to wear an official Red Sox cap, and the playing of her favorite song: Kermit the Frog singing ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green.’

“The event was highly successful, made especially so for me by the presence of Henry and Béa Batchelder and Chris Morss, who came over from Mattapoisett. Peter Damon ’62, whose family lived very near the Russells in Chestnut Hill, kindly joined the group.

“Subsequently, before Labor Day, Jan and I enjoyed host-

ing Chris for several nights in Northeast Harbor, Maine, followed by a luncheon visit

by Tappan Wilder and his companion, Patty, who kindly drove from Blue Hill, Maine.

The humor and laughter served as an uplifting tonic that made us temporarily forget—albeit judiciously—about distancing, masks and hand sanitizers.”

Finally, based on a long phone conversation with JeanPaul Brisson ’57 at his home in Montevideo, Uruguay, I can happily report him well and still playing tennis regularly.

1959 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Whit Bond

whit.bond@verizon.net Buzz Gagnebin

imbuzz@me.com John Gibson

jgib1963@aol.com Buzz Gagnebin provided photos from the memorial for Nick Soutter on September 11, 2021, at Bigelow Chapel in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts. On page 43 are Nick’s classmates Buzz Gagnebin, Rob Ladd and Tom Quigley, who attended the service and gathered with their wives and Nick’s family for lunch after the service.

Whit Bond reports that on a beautiful day in September, he and Faith went to Gloucester and had lunch with William Taylor and Bo Perkins at the Eastern Yacht Club, then took a tour of Gloucester Harbor.

1960 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Albert Vandam

arvandam42@gmail.com

1961 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Peter Ward

peward@wyoming.com Chuck Kaman is still working primarily at home on software for fault tolerance among groups of computers. In October 2020, he had a brain tumor removed that was wrapped around his pituitary gland. He and his wife, Maureen, had noticed many changes in his personality and his ability to solve problems, but he proudly says a year later that he is almost back to his same old self. Maureen is a psychiatrist who has been working overtime since Covid began.

After graduating from Boston University, Tony Wood worked five years on Capitol Hill for Senator Edward Brooke and then five years on the staff of the Senate Banking Committee. But he and Annie were delighted to move back to the Boston area, where Tony was a vice president of Prudential Capital Group, State Street Bank, Citizens Bank, and finally, Middlesex Saving Bank. Their two children, Holtie Wood ’95 and Melissa Wood Savage ’91, went to Nobles.

They enjoy time now with their five grandkids, playing golf and sailing whenever they can out of Cataumet, where Tony grew up.

Jay Johnson spends six months a year at Mattapoisett, just across Buzzards Bay from

Cataumet. He reluctantly sold his 34-foot sailboat this year after realizing that age was not helping his sailing skills. Ask him someday about how he got run over by his own motorboat while traveling alone. Jay typically spends winters in Cocoa, Florida.

This year, though, he will spend four months in Tarboro, North Carolina, with his sister, Sally, who graduated from Beaver Country Day, Class of 1958.

In Mattapoisett, Jay lives near Henry Batchelder and Chris Morss ’58. They had a fun Fourth of July lobster event in Chatham, Massachusetts, with Charlie Long ’58 and Bob Puffer ’58.

Many of us had the privilege (or was it misfortune?) of attending Ms. Souther’s dance classes at Eliot Hall in Jamaica Plain. Here is some interesting history: jphs.org/people/2005/4/14/dancing-schoolof-miss-marguerite-souther.html.

1962 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Peter McCombs

215-947-8017 or 516-629-7983 prm9244@gmail.com

1963 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jim Lehan

508-520-1373 jblehan@aol.com

1964 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Thanks to Art Watson and Topher Cutler for writing a bit about the ceremony for Mo Gray: “On October 1, 2021, friends and family of Mo Gray met to celebrate his life and memory, an observance delayed, as have been so many, by Covid-19. It was held, as Morris would have appreciated, at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, on a beautiful Indian summer day. Morris’ brothers, Bob ’66 and Bill ’70, officiated, offering remarks said to be in harmony with Mo’s maxim that ‘no funeral should ever last more than 32 minutes.’ Even so, they had some wonderful stories to tell, to a very appreciative audience.

As most readers of this column will know, Mo had a vicious wit and trenchant sense of humor, and they were sorely tested, but never defeated, over his last years, which were plagued by ill health. He had a loyal coterie of good friends, many of whom were lifelong from his Dedham and Nobles days. Classmates Art Watson and David Brooks contributed special memories of Morris from those early years. The event was very well attended. The Class of ’64 was well represented, with John Axten, Dave Brooks, Topher Cutler, Nick King, Clint Smith, Bob Waldinger, Art Watson and Mike Wiggins in attendance.

Rest in peace, Mo.

1965

Ned Bigelow

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

781-704-4304 moe9817@aol.com

Jim Summers

jimsummers@post.harvard.edu

1966 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Ned Reece

773-213-0442 ned4047@sbcglobal.net Significant news to report, which is that Peter Harwood has sent us his first class note to Nobles magazine ever! He shares updates on his life in the San Joaquin Valley of California. “You’re welcome to our wildfire smoke. I hope you enjoy it as much as we are.

Masks will help. I am waiting, while Covid-19 Delta ravages the heartland, with special thanks to the vaccinationaverse residents of Kings County, California (36 percent vaccinated and “surging”), to move to either Omaha, Nebraska (land of daughter Aubrey, grandson Sean, granddaughter Emily and son-in-law Tyler), or near my older daughter, Laurel (and super dogs Stella and Wilson), in North Texas. It’s time for this old fart to settle close to family. I keep the local medical profession-

als solvent dealing with my mainly self-induced afflictions (a classic case of “ridden hard and put away wet”). We are just finishing our fifth straight rainless month (lucky, since the open passenger-side window of my 22-year-old Corolla just spit its controls), which is normal for this Anglo-made desert (at the end of the 19th century, the north end of Tulare Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, was one mile from where I live—it’s gone now in order to give L.A. green lawns and everyone non-seasonal vegetables, nuts and fruits).

With any luck, we’ll get rain by November. Meanwhile, as one of my Brasileiro friends used to say, “Same flies, different sh*t.”

(I don’t remember the Brazilian Portuguese version.)

Tom Paine writes: “I am active in local historical nonprofits—historical societies and friend groups, and known to six grandchildren under age 6 as TomTom. My book project, American Pluck: How

1959 Top to bottom: Whit Bond and William Taylor in Gloucester in early September; The memorial for Nick Soutter ’59 on September 11, 2021, at Bigelow Chapel in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Below are Nick’s classmates Buzz Gagnebin, Rob Ladd and Tom Quigley, who attended the service and gathered with their wives and Nick’s family for lunch afterward.

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One Family Advanced the American Experiment Across Twelve Generations, soon to be in the offing, reminds us, stuck in our current malaise, how far we have come, and how much farther we can go. Spes sibi quisque, indeed.”

We also heard from Skip Wood, who reports: “Life is good. Have played a lot of golf with Steve (Cooch) Owen and Pat Grant. We all have new body parts—hips, knee—but we have a lot of fun! Also, I am finally a grandpa—a lot of babysitting for my daughter’s 4-month-old son, Jackson. Exhausting. Best to all!”

Steve Buchbinder is working as a land-use attorney, and busier than ever. “I play tennis two to three times each week.

I have two married daughters and three grandchildren who are all doing well. Feeling pretty fortunate.”

Noteworthy semi-post-Covid at the Ned Reece household in Chicago is that Ms. Genevieve, age 19, has been signed to Matador Records as a member in her post-punk, shoe-gazer rock trio, Horsegirl.

The first album (of potentially four) is “in the can,” and the tour may materialize as soon as Spring Break, or summer, following the album “drop” early next year. Gigi, Nora and Penelope opened the Saturday card at Pitchfork Music Festival in September. Give a listen to their three-song EP on Spotify, and stay tuned to Pitchfork, Bandcamp, etc., for news of the Horsegirl album release.

A couple dozen of us had a great time at our 55th Reunion

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golf/lunch get-together! We are aiming for a possible repeat next spring. Maybe start with the Noblest dinner Friday night.

1967 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Drew Sullivan

781-461-1477 drewsull49@aol.com

Hello, Class of ’67. Ginny and I had a restorative Maine vacation in July. We have been involved with a close friend and Ginny’s father, age 97 and 95, respectively, on a daily basis throughout the pandemic.

Maine was a four-week break.

We got out on the water in Muscongus Sound near Bremen with a new boat. It is a Marathon Boats manufacture, model Duranautic 16-foot, with a Yamaha 40-HP four-stroke.

We rented similar small craft for many years, but that ended, and I took the plunge. I am a bit of a rookie. Launching and retrieving a boat is still a challenge. Don’t ask about backing up a trailer.

I heard from Dick Byrd that he has a new relative attending Nobles: “My second cousin’s oldest grandchild, Emma Sawatzky ’25 (which makes her my second cousin twice removed), who lives near us and attended the Heath School in Brookline, applied to Nobles and Milton for admission this fall and was accepted by both. You will be happy to know that she is now representing the blue and white on the soccer field! Fun to buy some Nobles gear again and go watch the games.”

Counterclockwise from top: Ned Bigelow and Ned Lawson (both ’64) at the wedding of Ned’s daughter, Cassie Lawson Thomson ’08; Skip Wood ’66 with his grandson, Jackson, at 4 months old; Ginny and Drew Sullivan ’67 take a maiden trip on their new boat.

1968

1969

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Mike Sherman

Peter Pach

msherm@att.net

860-267-9701 peterbpach@gmail.com

With great thanks to Andy Lord for his many years of service as our loyal class correspondent, Mike Sherman will be taking over the role, and he encourages your active participation in sending your news as so many of us transition into our retirement years.

How has that been for you?

What are you doing? Meanwhile, we must sadly report the death of George Record’s wonderful wife, Dr. Eileen Storey, who was a spirited and energetic physician specializing in public health. Our condolences go out to George and his family.

We had sad news at the end of August when John Clark wrote in a class email to say his “beautiful and sassy” wife, Carol, 74, died August 20 at home. She suffered a significant stroke several hours after having minor surgery earlier that month. Clarkie was one of the first in our class to marry and wrote to me that he is “very thankful for the more than 47 years we were able to spend together.”

He wrote a wonderful obituary that talked about

meeting Carol in 1974 at the Stone Church in New Market, New Hampshire. “Sitting with her girlfriends, she saw me sipping my beer and pushing my glasses back up my nose at another table and said, ‘That’s the man I am going to marry.’ She introduced herself, and upon learning that I was searching for a five-and-a-halfinch damper for my dad’s wood stove, exclaimed, ‘I have one!

But you’ll have to come over to my house to get it.’ When she returned to her girlfriends, she asked, ‘What’s a five-anda-half-inch damper?’ We were married a year later, on February 1, 1975, in the Madbury Town Hall.”

Carol was very active in the community. She developed collaborative art projects to help grieving children and adults, taught disadvantaged students at a Dover, New Hampshire, elementary school, and volunteered at Rockingham Hospice. Clarkie credits Carol with changing his life. “It was Carol’s love, support and very different history that grew me into the confident and caring man I am today. She will always and forever be my inspiration and foremost in my heart. We have three children, many grandchildren and even four great-grandchildren, along with many nieces and nephews.”

In another sad note, Toby Burr wrote to say his mother passed away last February, at 97. “Her mind was sharp, but her body gave out,” Toby said.

“In cleaning out the house, my sister found an essay book of my grandfather’s brother,

Carleton Burr ’39. It is dated 1899–1900. He was born in 1891. Despite his youth, his cursive is beautiful. In one letter he writes, ‘I go to Noble and Greenough’s school. I am in the second class. My teachers are Miss Coffin and Miss Bent.’”

Given his age, Toby’s greatuncle was apparently going to the Nobles lower school in Boston and likely meant second grade. Nobles closed that lower school in 1922, when the Dedham campus opened. The Dexter School was started to fill the void. Toby, who is Carleton Burr Jr., says his great-uncle, a second lieutenant in the Marines in World War I, “was killed by a German artillery shell on July 19, 1918. He is buried in the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, about 40 miles northeast of Paris.”

George Pendergast reports he now has five grandchildren and is in his sixth year as head coach of the Tufts University golf team. George has developed the Jumbos into one of the New England Small College Athletic Conference’s (NESCAC) top programs. The team “placed among the top 10 teams at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association championship in two of the last three years,” according to the Tufts website.

Tom Taylor called from Parish, New York, near Lake Ontario, where he is continuing to rehab an old farmhouse.

He has 50 acres of land on the Little Salmon River. The hand he severely injured in a wood splitter is coming along slowly and may require more surgery.

The injury has not slowed his work gutting the house and replacing everything. A skilled carpenter, Tom ran a high-end cabinet business on Martha’s Vineyard for many years. He’s splitting and selling firewood (“I’m back on that horse”). His true passion, however, is saved for fishing and hunting. This summer he worked to plant a two-acre field with grasses and other vegetation that is designed to draw deer. He has managed to put in more than 30 days of fishing. When we talked, king and coho salmon were running, and the steelhead salmon season was beginning on the nearby Salmon River in Pulaski, New York. To prove this was

not a fish story about the one that got away, Tom sent along a picture of the 20-pound bright coho he caught on a fly rod.

“Trophy of a lifetime,” he said.

Deer season was coming when we talked, and he was waiting to see if his new plantings would attract another trophy.

Peter Gates writes, “Debbie and I have been weathering the pandemic at our summer house in South Dartmouth, far from the virulent crowds and close to life outdoors. And with no office to go to, it was a fine base for a full daily roster of work Zooms (remember, ‘On the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog’?).

My rhythm changed at the end of April, when I retired from

1969

Clockwise from top left: Tom Taylor ’69 holds a 20-pound coho salmon caught in a stream near his home in Upstate New York; Brad Wilkinson ’69 dances the light fantastic, twirling his daughter, Lily, at her wedding to Jude Jocham, in Stockton Springs, Maine, in early October. They set the stylistic pace for the attendees, who soon joined them in the celebration, which went well into the evening; Peter and Debbie Gates at the top of Cape Formentor, on Mallorca

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consulting at EY-Parthenon.

Since then, I’ve taken a course in music theory, bought a pristine 1984 Jeep, and did some serious road biking in preparation for a September trip to the Balearic Islands (Barrier Test time: That’s Mallorca and Menorca). We spent six days on the islands. I rode 30 to 50 miles a day (I opted for the longer options). The ride to the top of Monte Toro, the high point of Menorca, was about a 3-kilometer climb at 8 percent grade (close to killed me). Great trip.

Future travel plans seem to be crumbling under the continuing weight of Covid, but a couple of emerging work gigs may be keeping me busy for a while.”

Toby Talbot has been quietly curating our very own class Facebook page, which has plenty of photos of us throughout the years. He also regularly posts the beautiful photos he takes that are worth a visit all on their own. You can see it by searching for facebook.com/ Nobles-69-1502003620023725.

For me, the cautious opening up of life continues here in Middle Haddam. My wife, Kathy, and I got our third shot, which felt like a little more armor against the virus. She’s the hard-working member of the household, immersed in a documentary for Connecticut Public Television that’s looking at the decades-long effort to desegregate the Hartford schools. Months in the making, it should have aired by the time these notes are published.

While she’s been working, I’ve continued my colonial home repair projects and recently

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finished a good book, Finding the Mother Tree, by Suzanne Simard.

It’s about her research into the ways trees communicate underground, which leads to better forest management. I’ve been Down East to Maine a couple of times this fall, including a trip to the Blue Hill peninsula, where I sailed with Brad Wilkinson on Eggemoggin Reach. We got a blue-sky day with brisk winds that put the rail in the water.

Whether you’ve read an interesting book or put your rail in the water, I’m always eager to hear from classmates with news of themselves or others in the class. Email or call.

included George Parker, Greg Garritt, Chris Cutler, Jim Rosen, Nick Mittell, Harry Blackman, Rick Grogan, Charles Wyman, Win Perkins, Ken Tyler, Paul “Von” Gryska, and Chad Callahan (not

1970

1975

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Levy Byrd

Jed Dawson

781-449-7555 levbyrd@comcast.net

508-735-9663 jdawson711@gmail.com

1971

Doug Floyd

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

in the photo [at right]: Deirdre Windsor, John Bailey's widow).

Not there that night but joined us on Saturday at Nobles: Reed Austin, John Dewey, Ed Newhook and Peter Smith.

1974 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Kevin McCarthy

617-480-6344 kjmc.bc.msw15@gmail.com

781-788-0020 dfloyd44312@yahoo.com

Harry Blackman

Harry.Blackman@skadden.com

1976

John Dewey

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

jrdewey@usa.net

Tom Bartlett

Nick Mittell

+44 1908 647196 tom_bartlett58@hotmail.com

phred.j.dog@gmail.com Rob Piana Win Perkins

wperkins@mmuftc.com

The Class of 1971 had a memorable 50th Reunion in October 2021, including a visit to campus, a reunion dinner at the Country Club, followed by a Saturday on campus with a dinner in the Castle. Attendees

617-491-7499 robert.piana@vanderbilt.edu

1978 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Christopher Reynolds

Cell: 800-444-0004 Home: 508-358-7757 chreynolds@comcast.net

1979 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Dan Rodgers

212-423-0374 drodgers@wfw.com

As I wandered around these past few months looking for information on the Great Class of 1979, I wondered what I would find. And when the smoke cleared, it was Jeff Hedberg! Our intrepid telecom warrior very kindly had this to say: “Simply amazing that two years have passed since the venerable Class of ’79 was able to come together on our 40th to reflect, to share, and especially to smile. After living and working the past 35 years across four continents, I have finally chilled a bit over the last five in ‘la bella Italia,’ leading the largest mobile operator.

Indeed, after many adventures, the Hedbergs are finally starting to settle. My daughter is studying criminal justice in D.C., and my son, international management and economics in Rome; my wife and I are living on Lake Como. While it sounds exciting and fulfilling (and it is), adventuring is hard work, particularly when leading teams through these challenging past 18 months. Yet as we all learned at Nobles, with leadership comes responsibility, not entitlement—no matter where and who you are. In this spirit, I would like to really thank Dan Rodgers for his continued leadership and commitment to our class over the past years—you rock, Dan! So come on, Class of ’79, let’s

Left to right: ’71 classmates George Parker, Greg Garritt, Chris Cutler, Jim Rosen, Nick Mittell, Harry Blackman, Rick Grogan, Charles Wyman, Win Perkins, Ken Tyler, Paul “Von” Gryska, Chad Callahan (not in the photo—Deirdre Windsor, John Bailey’s widow); 1979 classmates John Stimpson, Tim Mansfield, Harry Miller, Dwight Aspinwall, Bruce Weber, Joe Selle, Phil Rueppel, David Vogel and Dab Standley.

share some more wisdom and stories. Quoting my hero Mark Twain: ‘Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.’ And finally, from another hero, Benjamin Franklin: ‘Never confuse motion with action.’ Looking forward to our 45th!”

Jeff, all I can say is, I am humbled by your kind words, and it has been my honor to be the class scribe these many years.

We will definitely have to have a drink (or something) at the 45th.

But wait, there’s more!

Bruce Weber sent me a wonderful photo [above] of a bunch of guys you may recognize hanging around and looking suspiciously happy on Cuttyhunk Island in June 2021.

But just in case, these joyous fellows are (left to right): John Stimpson, Tim Mansfield, Harry Miller, Dwight Aspinwall, our man Bruce, Joe Selle, Phil Rueppel, David Vogel and Dab Standley. Looks like it might have been a bit cool for June, my good men.

1980 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Martha Kittredge Rowley

martharowley@comcast.net

1981 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

John Fiske

johnfiske@comcast.net Margie Prevot works for her

daughter Corinne’s headwear apparel company, Skida. Margie writes, “It is funny how life unfolds. I would not have imagined I would be working for my daughter, but it is fun.” She also produces about five gallons of maple syrup each year from her sugar bush in Vermont’s sublime Northeast Kingdom, where she still lives with her husband, Roger. Margie has found a new interest, woodworking, and she makes bowls and utensils out of local hardwoods.

Davis Clayson lives in Dedham, about two miles from Nobles. He frequently travels to his place in Steamboat, Colorado, where he’s a partner in a “cattle operation.” He gets to ride horses to round up the bovines! “I spend my workdays sitting on my butt looking at computer screens. Riding in Colorado’s fantastic scenery is a good change.” His two daughters and son are all in (or out) of college in the warmer South.

Lyle Fulkerson says this about slalom water-skiing: “At our age, could I? Yes. Do I? No. Would I? Not this year.” But he still rides road, mountain and gravel bikes as much as he can. He often bumps into Tara Nolan when riding in the town forests in Dover. Lyle lives in Wellesley with his wife, Sarah; his eldest daughter, Greta, is out of college, while the younger, Audrey, is at the University of Richmond.

1982 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Holly Malkasian Staudinger

914-925-2340 hollyamalkasian@gmail.com

1983 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Nancy Sarkis Corcoran

nlsc3@me.com

Great to hear from so many classmates! Thanks for keeping in touch. Our 40th Nobles Reunion is coming up next May 2023! Hope to see you all there!

Here’s all the latest news.

Congrats to Lindsey Plexico Ford and Jeff Schwartz on their engagement! Lindsey reminded

me that they will be joining Steve and me as the only other inter-’83 marriage! Happy to share that banner with them!

Seth Goldman and his family have been busy. He sent in this update: “I have officially left the beverage world (Honest Tea/ Coca-Cola) and have immersed myself in the plant-based food world. I started working with Beyond Meat in 2013, and as executive chair of the board, helped grow the business from start-up/challenger to category leader in plant-based protein.

I continue to serve as Chair of the board at BYND and am enjoying the growth, the impact and, of course, the burgers!

“My newest start-up, Eat the Change, is focused on launching planet-friendly, nutrient-dense snacks, and I am also a co-founder of PLNT Burger, a plant-based burger chain. My wife, Julie, our three sons and I all went plant-based in 2020, and so far have found it to be a fulfilling way to approach our diets and the world. Our oldest son, Jonah, heads up the marketing for PLNT Burger. Our second son, Elie, is launching his own company, Innerview Education. And our youngest son, Isaac, is the first employee at Eclipse Foods, a plant-based dairy company. Julie and I continue to spend most of our time in Bethesda, Maryland, where I still bike to work. We also enjoy several weeks every year at our place in Manhattan Beach, California, close to Beyond Meat’s headquarters.”

Haley Clifford Adams wrote from Greece: “As we speak, Sarah Thibodeau Deck and I are in Greece cruising the Ionian

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graduate news

Islands. Having a great time with one of my oldest friends!”

See photo on page 49.

The Class of 1983 was very sad to hear about the passing of beloved teacher and coach Nick Marinaro.

Rob Finlay remembered that Mr. Marinaro liked to give his students nicknames. Rob’s was Finchops. Rob suggested we ask classmates for their nicknames or memories. My hubby, Steve Corcoran, remembers his was Cockroach. Chris McCusker says he was Macadoo, and added, “Will never forget him. Great teacher!” Seth Goldman didn’t have a nickname but did get a lot out of Mr. Marinaro’s public speaking class.

Terance Perry wrote: “I never had him, but my brothers all had him as a coach when they were at Rivers. They all really liked him. We’ve determined that the nickname thing was mostly with the guys who started in seventh grade together in 1977, which was Nick’s first year teaching at Nobles.”

As for me (Nancy Sarkis Corcoran), no nickname, but I loved Mr. M. I’m so grateful to have had such a great teacher, coach and mentor. He had high standards and would let you know if you messed up, but you always trusted that he was on your side and was truly trying to help you succeed and grow.

He really wanted the best for all his students and players. He was the only reason I passed geometry. I just could not understand all the shapes and measurements, but once my parents hired Nick to tutor me, I was OK. He also tutored

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my siblings over the years, even the ones who did not attend Nobles. I took his public speaking class during junior fall (even though I was terrified of public speaking), and I was “the killer” who “killed” Peter Doherty ’84 with a Hershey’s Kiss candy. (I’m sure those of you who took his public speaking class remember this game?) Jocelyn Webster and I were honored to be managers (along with Dan Tarlin, Robbie Smith ’84 and Peter Glovin ’84) of the boys varsity basketball team for two seasons! Best.

Job. Ever! This was during the Tom Welch ’82 1,000-point game and an ISL win! Thank you and RIP, Mr. Marinaro.

1984 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Christine Todd

christinetodd@me.com

On October 16, Louis Hoffmann, who currently lives in Jakarta, Indonesia, working for the U.N., was joined by classmates Trevor Koehane and Christine Todd to celebrate the induction of his late sister, MJ Hoffmann ’85, into the Nobles Athletics Hall of Fame. MJ was part of the record-breaking 1985 girls tennis team. It was a spectacular event, celebrating friendships, athletes and loved ones, as well as reveling in the timelessness of our alma mater.

1985

Karen Taylor Shipley sent an update: “Hello! Our youngest, Theo, is a freshman at University of Rochester (he went to boarding school, so being an empty nester is nothing new).

My husband and I know very little about ‘U Roc,’ so if there is anyone who knows about the school, please reach out to me: Tayorks@aol.com.”

“It’s always wonderful to hear from a Nobles classmate,” Tara Furcolo Bresnahan writes. “My husband and I live in Gloucester.

Our son (25) and daughter (27) have graduated from college and started careers. I keep busy as the director of marketing at a cybersecurity company. I hope that everyone is well!”

We heard from Mark Goodman, who has been in touch with many Nobles grads in recent months, including Jim Calhoun, Neil Bleicken and Paul Sarkis ’86. He ran into Tom Hawkins ’86 at a 50th birthday party in Tennessee, of all places.

Mark lives in Cambridge with his three daughters (sixth grade at Winsor; ninth and 11th grade at Beaver Country Day) and has co-managed a venture capital fund for MassMutual for the past seven years focusing on cybersecurity start-ups. He made several trips to Start-up Nation (Israel) pre-Covid. Mark writes: “I enjoyed the Zoom 35th Reunion last year and hope the next one is in person!”

Jessica Tyler

1986

1992

781-934-6321 tylerjessica@me.com Eliza Kelly Beaulac

703-476-4442 embeaulac@verizon.net

1987 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Emily Gallagher Byrne

781-721-4444 egbyrne@verizon.net Elise Gustafson

elise_gustafson@yahoo.com

1988 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Sasha Leland

sasha@thelelands.com

1989 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Rachel Spencer

917-921-5916 rachelwspencer@yahoo.com

1990 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Lisa Donahue Rose

lrose90@nobles.edu

1991 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Amy Russell Farber

amy.farber.143@gmail.com

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Heather Markey

Lynne Dumas Davis

Neil Bleicken

617-365-3836 hsmarkey@icloud.com

703-623-4211 lynnemddavis@gmail.com

neil.bleicken@gmail.com

1993 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Sam Jackson

978-409-9444 sambjackson@hotmail.com

1994 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Marni Fox Payne

mpayne@berkshirepartners.com

There was a “Celebration of Life” event at Larz Anderson Auto Museum for Lawson Allen Albright’s father, Clint Allen, who passed away back in December 2020. Thanks to all from Nobles who attended, including members of the Class of ’94 Anthony Ackil, Andra Voldins Dix, Lisa Zeytoonjin Glenn, Annie Stephenson and Marni Fox Payne, as well as Amy Forker Schneider ’92, Ali Epker Ruch ’92, Erin Keith Epker ’90, Mark Epker ’89, Sue Cullinane Jeppson ’87, Tim Sullivan ’91 and faculty members Dick Baker, Brian Ford, Kate Coon and Sheila McElwee.

Annie Stephenson wrote: “In addition to attending the beautiful celebration of Clint Allen’s life, I was so grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with friends after two years apart due to the pandemic. I loved the time I had back east around the event spent with Lisa, Lawson and Andra, catching up over coffee, dinner and long walks in the beautiful New England fall weather.”

On a related note, Susie Hoffman shared that the ’92 Women’s National Championship crew has donated a shell

to the current Nobles women’s crew in honor of the late Clint Allen. Lawson Allen Albright, Andra Voldins Dix, Ali Epker Ruch, Sara Mai Conway and Liz Travers Bronson ’93 participated in the 2021 Head of the Charles, rowing in the newly minted “Clint Allen 1992” as part of an alumni category on October 23.

What an amazing way to support the current Nobles program, honor an early champion of the women’s crew, and get the team back together!

We had a number of Nobles fans throughout the weekend cheering on the crews from the Nobles Graduates tent!

For more information, contact Susie Hoffmann: susie@ envidesign.com.

1996 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Alex Slawsby

alex.slawsby@gmail.com

1997 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Bobbi Oldfield Wegner

617-980-1412 bobbiwegner@gmail.com

1998 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Dave Klivans

dave.liquid@gmail.com

I met with Adam Taub at the infamous Ramp House in Austin, Texas. He was on vacation with friends, and I was in between dropping off and picking up my daughter from dance. Taub had this to say about Austin: “I’d like to find some shade.” Please see unprofessional iPhone photo chronicling our encounter on page 50.

time as a veterinary dermatologist at Angell-West in Waltham! And I am starting a course and community site for veterinarians called the Allergic Dog (www.theallergicdog.com).

Check it out!”

Lastly, congratulations to Kate Lynch and her husband, Pavan Rajwani, on the birth of their son, Luca Walter Rajwani, in August 2021.

2000 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Lisa Marx Corn

lisamarx@gmail.com

1999

Karen Abraham Silver writes:

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

“In July, I reconnected with

Gabriela Herman

Alex Harris Woolley, Jenny Lawson Bates and Alyssa Boinay Berry after more than a year or

gabriela.herman@gmail.com Dave Appelbaum writes: “Lots happening! My wife and I welcomed our second child, Oscar, on October 19th. He's happy and healthy and already has a full head of hair! And I created a TV show for NBC called La Brea, which just premiered last week.

Exciting times!”

We also heard from Meagan Rock Painter: “I am working full

two of not seeing each other.

It was so nice to spend time together after doing it virtually for so long!”

Lisa Marx Corn shares: “My husband, Josh, and I, along with our kids, Sarah Tova (5) and Isaac (3), welcomed Zahava Leah Corn to our family in February. Photo on page 62.”

Jessie Sandell Achterhof

781-990-3353 jessie.achterhof@gmail.com Eric Fenton, Brian Turner and Nat Kellogg reunited in Charleston,

South Carolina, with their friend Jeff Agne for an annual golf trip. Eric and Brian were able to spend some time on the buddies bench by the ninth tee and take in the beauty of Charleston’s Low Country scenery.

Left to right: Sarah Thibodeau Deck and Haley Clifford Adams (both Class of ’83) in Greece; Olivia DeMatteo, daughter of MJ Hoffman ’85, Louis Hoffman ’84, Christine Todd ’84 and the fabulous Hoffman sisters, Jane and Audrey

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graduate news

Hanley. Caroline and Joe live in Dedham along with Emma the dog and Mr. Rogers the hedgehog (follow him at @mrrogersthehedgie on Instagram).

Mariah Rich Collins and her husband, James Collins, welcomed their son, Reed Timothy Collins, on June 4, 2021. Reed joins big siblings Hadley and

2001 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Lauren Kenney Murphy

Lauren.kenney1@gmail.com Andrea Berberian Gardos is now the girls varsity squash coach at Nobles. After an enjoyable 10 years with the JV teams, she’s excited to be taking over from faculty member Deb Harrison, who is stepping down from the squash program she started decades ago.

2002 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

William N. Duffey III

617-893-1040 williamduffey@gmail.com

Lots of babies for 2002!

Senam Kumahia and his wife, Lara Shkordoff, welcomed Kekeli Thomas Kumahia on September 26, 2021. He joins brother Kofi, age 2!

Tim Sheridan and his wife, Jenny Rutherford, welcomed their second kid, Reed, on August 31, 2021.

Yasmin Cruz Ferrine and Leo Ferrine are thrilled their daughter, Natalia, was born healthy and happy on July 23, 2021.

Derek Marin ’01 and Christina “Chrissie” Long Marin welcomed Cameron Ellis Marin, who arrived right on his due date, on June 28, 2021. His older brothers, Leighton and Sebastian, adore him.

Left to right, from top: Eric Fenton, Brian Turner and Nat Kellogg (all ’97) reunited in Charleston, South Carolina; Dan Ackil ’99, Justin Dziama ’99, Neil Krause ’00 and Ben Tobey ’99; The children of Sara Snyder Phillips ’06; Adam Taub and Dave Kilvans (both ’98) in sunny Austin, Texas; Jessica Weaver, Erin Greene, E.B. Bartels, Janna Herman, Erin Bruynell, and Melissa Weihmayer (all ’06)

2004 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Carolyn Sheehan Wintner

781-801-3742 carolyn.wintner@gmail.com

Congratulations to George Sholley, who married John Mara Jr. in September 2021. Lots of Nobles graduates were in attendance.

Also exciting that Chris Tierney and his wife, Eliza, had a baby girl, Shiloh, in June 2021.

2005 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Saul Gorman

617-447-3444 saul.gorman@gmail.com

2003 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Laura Marholin Garcia

Allison Khederian and her hus-

laura.marholin@gmail.com

band, Matthew, welcomed their

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first child, Henry Anton Tucker, on July 21, 2021. “We live on the Upper West Side in New York and look forward to running into local graduates at the park!”

2006 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

E.B. Bartels

ebandersenbartels@gmail.com

Happy New Year, everyone!

Based on the updates I got from you this fall, I am guessing 2022 is going to be an excellent year for the Class of ’06.

“Since it’s not official until it’s in Nobles magazine,” wrote Caroline Holland, “here’s a picture of when Joe and I got engaged at the Cliffs of Moher!”

Turn to page 61 for a photo of Caroline and her fiancé, Joe

JP! Check out page 62 for an excellent photo of the Collins siblings. I am pleased to report that if you are in need of a new dermatologist, you can now get an appointment with Dr. Sara Snyder Phillips at APDerm in Natick! “If anyone has any skin concerns, I’d love to see them!” wrote Sara. Also, if you want to see a cute picture of Sara’s kids, look above on this page.

Harry Aspinwall writes that he is “living in Providence, overcommitted to creative projects, finishing up a horror film I shot last year and a Disney+ original fantasy series (The Quest).” Harry spent five weeks in California shooting The Quest last spring, and hopefully it is coming out early this year. I think another online viewing party is in order!

Finally, I am excited to share that Richie Corrado and I (finally!) got married on August 29 at Camp Kiwanee in Hanson, Massachusetts! After postponing from June 2020 to June 2021 to August 2021 (thanks, Covid!), the third time was the charm. Naturally there was a strong Nobles presence at the wedding: fellow ’06-ers Erin Greene, Erin Bruynell, Janna Herman, Melissa Weihmayer (who flew in from London!), and Jess Weaver, plus faculty members Michael Polebaum ’08, Dan Halperin and Laura Yamartino. (Shout-out to Janna, who did an amazing job with my makeup and is now taking on clients for her side-hustle business as a wedding makeup artist! Jk! But she should consider it!) However, I am embarrassed to report that despite Allie Trainor and Kate Treitman Brown '99 making a valiant effort to ensure that we had a Nobles banner to take a photo of the whole Greenough gang together at the reception, we utterly failed. Please see page 50 for a late-night, last-minute pic of the ’06 contingent, and page 61 for a photo of me and Richie being cute by the pond. As Greene pointed out, we were too busy having fun to remember to take a photo, which is the best reason. True, but also, does this mean I am fired from being the class correspondent now?

2007 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Kat Sargent

katharine.sargent@gmail.com

Congratulations to Anne Sholley and her husband, Peter Erhartic, who welcomed their daughter, Marlow, on October 13, 2020, in New York City.

2008 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Michael Polebaum

mpolebaum08@nobles.edu Louisa Harrison got engaged to Josh Sans on October 2, 2021, in New Hampshire.

Rick Thomson and Cassie Lawson Thomson ’08 got married on June 30, 2021, on North Haven in Maine. "Nobles graduates in attendance included my dad, Ned Lawson ’64, and my siblings, Meg Lawson Hyde ’95, Ted Lawson ’99 and Jenny Lawson Bates ’00. In addition, Louisa Harrison ’08, Ned Bigelow ’64 and Artie Watson ’64 also attended!"

2009 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Maria Montes

mcmontes14@gmail.com

Congratulations to Chris Lehman and his wife, Rachel, who welcomed their daughter, Jane Audrey Lehman, on May 28, 2021.

Carey Favaloro writes: “After a wonderful five years out in Colorado working as a ski patroller and biology teacher, I’ve returned to the East Coast in pursuit of a career in medicine. I am now in my second year at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. I’ve

loved med school thus far, and Providence has proved a great city for me—not too big and close to friends and family.

Rhode Island may be small, but it’s a fun little state, and it’s managing to satisfy my outdoor interests with mountain biking, rock climbing and surfing nearby. Hoping for more Nobles connections now that I’m back east!”

We also heard from Natasha Tyagi that she married Raj Sharma at their home in Sudbury in late September 2021. Natasha and Raj had three days of Indian wedding celebrations after postponing their wedding due to Covid two years prior. Natasha is a corporate health-care attorney working at Verily Sciences LLC, and Raj is the executive director of digital strategy at Elligo Health Research.

Julia Luscinskas and Rob Troy held their wedding celebration in Newport, Rhode Island, in July 2021, after getting married in September 2020 during a small ceremony with their families in attendance.

Throughout the weekend, they were so happy to be reunited with Nobles ’09 grads including: Megan Bunnell, Hadley Stein, Jen Lawrence, Peter Owen, Devan Luster, McCallum Foote and Kevin O’Block. Julia and Rob are now preparing for the arrival of Baby Boy Troy, who is due in February.

Jamie Shulman Weiner and Marc Weiner welcomed their first child, daughter Renee Bentley Weiner, on September 17, 2021. Congratulations!

2010 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Tori Goyette

tgoyette10@gmail.com Mollie Scheerer Proctor married Connor Proctor on August 21, 2021, at her parents’ (Nancy Lavin Scheerer ’83 and Dan Scheerer) home in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Her bridesmaids included fellow Nobles grads Emily Mansfield and Wallis Gaillard Goss.

Also, congratulations to Nike John, who got engaged to Michael Maguire in April 2021.

They are planning an April 2022 wedding.

2011 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Katie Puccio

508-446-0726 krpooch@gmail.com

2012 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Coco Woeltz

ccwoeltz2@gmail.com

2013 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Caroline Thayer

carolinejthayer@gmail.com

Hello, classmates! I hope everyone is enjoying the start of 2022 and that this year brings everyone nothing but great health and lots of joy. We have some fun updates among graduates from our grade. Let’s get started.

Catherine Beer writes, “I am in my second year of a clinical

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graduate news

psychology Ph.D. program, focusing on forensics and trauma, which is based in San Diego. I have a 1-year-old mini Husky named Disco.”

Sarah Haylon writes, “I’m still living in NYC and working in inventory planning at West Elm, where I have been for the past three years. It’s been a very busy but also exciting year in the home industry, as we are continually faced with global supply chain issues and increased demand, especially as the work-from-home trend continues.”

Liam McClintock has continued growing his mental fitness app, FitMind, and has recently signed a book deal with Penguin Random House. His book, titled The Mind Revolution, will focus on neuroscience, ancient methods and his time living as a monk. In addition, he is filling what seems to be a super-free schedule with an M.S. in applied neuroscience from King’s College London.

Marc Kessler is doing well and staying busy growing his business, Dezo, and his software consultancy, aligning with leaders in their respective industries to accelerate progress.

Will Sleeper is kicking it in the Seaport District of Boston after spending a few years in South Boston. Since graduating from Trinity College, he has worked in commercial real estate and is currently on the Capital Markets team at Newmark. He has coached the Cape Cod Whalers fall hockey team the last few years, working with a few students presently at Nobles.

Shifting gears a bit...Congratulations are in order for the incomparable Sophie Mussafer Griffin and Mike Griffin ’08, who got married August 6. Wishing this Nobles duo all the best!

Also, congratulations to Cat Dickinson, who is engaged to Charlie Gaillard. The two met at Williams College. Coincidentally, Charlie’s mother, Peg Simpson Gaillard ’82, and sister, Wallis Gaillard Goss ’10, are Nobles graduates! Serendipitous!

We have a lot of incredible individuals doing a plethora of wonderful things with their lives.

Keep on crushing it, everyone.

2014 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Alexandra Charron

alexandra.l.charron@gmail.com

Stay connected ■ ■ ■

Send us your news and photos: www.nobles.edu/community/ graduates/submit-a-class-note/.

Follow Nobles grads on Facebook (@NoblesGrads) and Instagram (@nobleandgreenoughgrads).

Connect with Nobles graduates through our networking and directory platform at noblesgraduates.com.

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2015

2018

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Natalie Hession

Jill Radley

Natalie.a.hession@gmail.com

jillradley22@gmail.com

2016

2019

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Sabrina Rabins

Cyan Jean

srabins@gmail.com

cjean040@gmail.com

Mariana Vega

Ally Guerrero

vegamariana612@gmail.com

alessandra.guerrero@bc.edu

Hi, Nobles! Mariana Vega here. Over the summer, I hit my one-year anniversary of working at Microsoft, where I work in the Customer and Partner Solutions division as an account manager. My job is still largely remote, which I absolutely love. I honestly don’t see myself ever returning to a full-time office job after the way I’ve been spoiled with all this work-from-home flexibility.

I had the chance to grab dinner with Maya Cortez and Mella Villa Gomez. Both are doing Teach for America at local schools and report that they are doing well! On the theme of reconnection, I just moved into Beacon Hill with a hometown friend, and I look forward to catching up with any graduates who are currently living in Boston. I take long walks on the Charles River Esplanade most days and always welcome the company. Cheers!

Many 2019 grads are studying abroad this semester or year, including me, Alessandra Guerrero, in Madrid!

We heard from Grayson Welo, who is in Paris for the semester.

Maya Príncipe and Sophie Eldridge are in Dublin. Isabel Kelly is In Copenhagen. Mason Klinck is in Venice, and Jill Radley ’18 is also in Copenhagen. We also heard that next semester Will Whalen will be in Madrid! Brynn O’Connor, Elizabeth Kantrowitz and Susanna Cabot are in Europe too! Susanna is studying at the University of Edinburgh for all of college, while both Brynn and Elizabeth are at DIS in Copenhagen!

2017

2021

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Harry Sherman

Hadley Winslow

harry74sherman@gmail.com

hadleywinslow@gmail.com

2020 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Drew Barry

andrew.t.barry.24@dartmouth.edu Hailey Brown

heb4@williams.edu

in memoriam

C. Jeffrey Grogan ’74 C. Jeffrey Grogan ’74 passed away from a sudden cardiac event at his home November 26, 2021. His life was defined by his deep service to others; his family, his country, the many organizations that he was a part of, and, of course, his beloved Nobles.

Born and raised in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Grogan attended Tenacre Country Day School before arriving at Nobles. After graduating from Nobles, he attended the United States Naval Academy and went on to serve as an officer in the Navy for seven years. He was a navigator and gunnery officer on the USS Henry B. Wilson (DOG-7), a guidedmissile destroyer. Grogan also served as a combat systems officer on the battle staff of Commander Destroyer Squadron Seven (CDS-7). Former Nobles Head of School Bob Henderson ’76 said, “Jeff was destined to attend the Naval Academy from long before he was actually admitted. He was a person of intuitive honor, unimpeachable integrity, unwavering attention to duty, unshakeable loyalty, and steady, wise judgment.” Grogan

was deeply proud of his military service and stayed connected to the Naval Academy throughout his life.

Grogan earned his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration in 1987 and then launched a distinguished career as a management consultant advising business and government leaders on strategy development and implementation, organizational strategy, and issues pertaining to competitiveness and security. He was particularly proud of his years as a Managing Partner at Monitor Group.

Even after his graduation, Grogan remained strongly engaged with and dedicated to Nobles. He was always happy to serve on his class’s reunion committee and to rally his classmates to come back to campus. Whenever Nobles needed him, he was there for the school. He was asked to join the Nobles Board of Trustees in 2005 and then was asked to step into the role as board president in 2007. Under his leadership, Nobles experienced some of its most positive chapters in its history. Former Board President Beth Reilly ’87 said, “Jeff Grogan was an outstanding board president who oversaw and helped lead the school’s extraordinary growth and evolution, with a keen sense for balancing what is the bedrock and fundamental to Nobles with that which is amenable to change. He skillfully led the board following the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and through highly successful capital campaigns and strategic plans. Jeff was a calm, steady, smart, and humble leader who epitomized Nobles’ best ideals. He leaves a legacy of board culture and governance that will serve the school long into the future.” Grogan received the Distinguished Graduate Award in 2014 in recognition of his tremendous service to Nobles and the broader community.

Grogan also held leadership positions with other organizations that were close to his heart. He served as a trustee and presi-

dent of the corporation at Tenacre Country Day School and was a member of the parents’ council at the University of Richmond.

He was a trustee and the treasurer of The Fitzie Foundation, a memorial foundation in honor of his late sister, Margaret Fitzgerald Grogan. A passionate cyclist, he rode for 13 years in the Pan-Mass Challenge, raising money for cancer research at Dana-Farber.

Giving his time and talent to others was a constant theme throughout Grogan’s life.

Former member of the Nobles board of trustees and classmate Paul Ayoub ’74 reflects, “Jeff served as a role model of the Nobles mission statement in exercising ‘leadership for the public good’ and so authentically leading ‘a life characterized by service to others.’” Members of the Class of ’74 shared reflections of their friend admiring his ‘drive to excel at everything he did,’ and that he ‘gave tirelessly of himself to others’ and ‘never had a frown on his face, but rather a hearty chuckle.’

Without question, though, his greatest source of pride and joy was he family. His wife, Kennie, and daughters Ali ’13 and Katie ’18 were his anchors. He loved sharing news of his family and their successes. His face would simply light up at the chance to talk about them.

Grogan’s impact on the many individuals and organizations he touched will be profound and enduring. He leaves behind a legacy of wisdom, compassion and service that is unparalleled and he will be deeply missed by so many within the Nobles community and beyond.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Kenyon “Kennie” Bissell Grogan; his daughters, Allie ’13 and Katie ’18; his brother, Richard “Rick” Henry Grogan ’71, and many nieces and nephews.

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graduate news

in memoriam William Pudney Hall ’41 William Pudney Hall ’41 passed away December 6, 2020, surrounded by family, at age 97. At Nobles, “Bill” played hockey and baseball, and served as the assistant football manager. He also was a member of the Dramatic Club and Le Cercle Français.

His Classbook entry stated, “There are few extracurricular activities which Bill has not been a part of. His excellent portrayal of Frank Hastings in Bachelor Born is an example of the cool deliberate manner which Bill applies to everything, in the schoolroom or on the field. As another fluent member of the Cercle Français, Bill’s opportune remarks always managed to bring a laugh.”

Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Hall entered the U.S. Army after Nobles. He served for three years during World War II as a technical sergeant in the 108th Infantry Division.

Upon his return, he earned his undergraduate and MBA degrees at Harvard University.

While at Harvard, he was the manager of the 1946 varsity football team and later a founder of the Crimson Key Society.

In 1949, Hall married the love of his life, Anne Elizabeth Emerson, and the two eventually settled in Winnetka, Illinois, where they raised their five children.

Professionally, Hall had a long and successful consulting career working for Duff, Anderson and Clark, and then was at A.T. Kearney for over two decades, from which he retired in 1980 as a vice president.

Retirement did not slow down Hall in the least. He served on a number of boards, including the Executive Service Corps of Chicago (ESC), where he developed and taught consulting training classes, including one on non-profit board development. In addition, he was proud of his decades of service and contributions to St. Leonard House, an Episcopal charity serving men and women returning to the community following incarceration.

Hall enjoyed spending summers in his Wisconsin home at the Big Sand Lake

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Club, where he was a past president of the board. He loved to fly-fish for brook trout in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He even wrote a book, Fly Fishing Addiction, testifying to his passion for the sport. He also played golf and tennis and skied.

His friends will remember him for his profound dedication to his family, as well as his remarkable spirit, boisterous enthusiasm, optimism, love of words and storytelling, and kindness. He was a special soul who always gave support and reassurance to others when they needed it most.

Hall was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 60 years, Ann, and his first-born son, Steve. He is survived by his four children, Chris, Jon, David and Betsy; 11 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Frederic J. Gardner ’44 Frederic J. Gardner ’44 passed away October 1, 2021, at his Back Bay home, at age 96. At Nobles, “Fred” played football and baseball, and was a member of the Dance Committee and Glee Club.

Gardner was born in Boston and raised in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. He attended Wellesley public schools until 10th grade, when his father enrolled him at Nobles because, Gardner said, “I was having too good a time in the public schools.”

It was at Nobles that Gardner began his study of history and took German language classes, which served him well as an infantryman during WWII. He was drafted into the Army in 1943, before officially graduating from Nobles, but the school later sent him his diploma in the mail.

He referred to his stint in the Army as “the most unpleasant three years of my life,” working his way up from an ammunition carrier to a gunner in the Second Infantry Division. He started his combat tour two days after the Allied Forces landed at Omaha Beach, on June 6, 1944, and ended it on May 8, 1945, V-E Day, in Pilsen, formerly Czechoslovakia, liberating its citizens. During

that time, he also fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and before that, in the Battle for Brest, in Brittany.

Gardner was wounded twice in combat, which, paradoxically, he believed saved his life. While he was recuperating in a hospital in southwestern England in July 1944, the Second Division sustained heavy casualties in the battle of Saint-Lô. “What saved me was my time in the hospital,” Gardner said.

For his service, he was awarded two Purple Hearts, among other citations and medals.

Throughout his life, Gardner remained cleareyed about his time in the Army, refusing to glorify either his service or how the war was operationalized. “Before they could defeat Hitler, GIs had to defeat the U.S. Army,” he said, referring to the bureaucracy.

Honorably discharged in October 1945, Gardner took advantage of the G.I. Bill to enroll at Amherst College in February 1946.

“Going to Amherst out of the Army was like getting into a country club with no dues,” he noted. “Three square meals a day, with no responsibilities except to pass the exams, with a bunch of congenial people.”

While studying European history at Amherst, he met his wife, Sue (Suzy) Hemphill, an English major at Mount Holyoke. He graduated from Amherst in 1949, and they were married in 1950, soon after her graduation.

The young couple moved to Wellesley, where they raised five children. Gardner and his brother Dick owned a small heating oil company, which they doubled in size before selling it on the cusp of the Arab Oil embargo in the early ’70s.

In 1970, Amherst College recruited Gardner to become director of alumni relations, which at the time had a fundraising component. It was a job he relished. A devoted alum, with scores of Amherst friends, he helped raise the college’s profile and its endowment significantly.

In 1978, Gardner retired from Amherst, and he and Suzy moved to Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. Devoted Bostonians, they

actively supported the life of the city through civic engagement, including supporting political candidates. Suzy died March 14, 1999, at age 70, following a long battle with a rare blood disorder.

In 2001, Gardner met Sherley Smith, a Weston resident and teacher who had been widowed in 1997. They married in 2004. The two shared many interests—a love of family, politics, education and reading—which sustained the lively partnership until his death.

A true believer in the value of healthy living and exercise, both mental and physical, Gardner played squash well into his 70s; skied until his mid-80s; and played tennis until he was almost 90, ultimately competing in a national doubles match at Longwood Cricket Club before he finally put down his racquet.

Gardner was passionate about music, history, politics and bridge. During Covid-19, he moved his weekly bridge games online so he could continue playing. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz greats like Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, and the music of his youth was his constant companion.

Profoundly shaped by his wartime experience and the cultural shifts that took place during his lifetime, he was a deeply curious person who relished reading and talking about history.

Above all, Gardner possessed a great sense of humor and wit, which, no doubt, helped him live and enjoy life well into his 10th decade.

He is survived by his wife, Sherley Smith; his daughters, Suzanne, Anne, Katherine and Laura; his son, Stephen; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Henry Rich Keene ’44 Henry Rich Keene ’44 passed away July 11, 2021, with his family by his side, at age 96.

Keene was born and raised in Dedham, Massachusetts, living there his entire life except for his years serving in the Pacific during World War II. He loved Dedham and

served as a town meeting member there for many years.

He adored the sea and boats, and was fortunate to combine these loves with his work. He owned Edson International, a manufacturer of marine hardware and equipment, for many years, subsequently selling it to his sons, Henry Jr. and William. Located today in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Edson is one of the oldest manufacturing companies in the United States and has been owned by the Keene family for 65 of its current 163 years of operation.

In retirement, Keene spent his time model shipbuilding, working with Lionel trains, cruising on his boat to Europe, the Northwest United States, the Caribbean, Canada and his beloved Maine.

Keene and his wife, Jane Alles Keene, traveled extensively together. He was a member of the Buzzards Bay Yacht Club, the Camden Yacht Club, the Cruising Club of America, the Constitution Ship Model Guild, DREGS and Beefers.

He also served on the board of the Maine Maritime Museum and the Dedham Historical Society.

Keene is survived by his children, Susan Keene Malcom, Henry Jr. and William; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Gorham Lamont Cross Jr. ’48 Gorham Lamont Cross Jr. ’48 passed away August 25, 2021. At Nobles, “Jerry” played football, soccer and basketball. He was also a member of the wrestling squad and Glee Club. An astute historian, the Classbook noted, “There are few people who have been able to disturb Mr. [Dick] Flood [Sr. ’23] on the subject of history, and Jerry is one of them. By far one of the quietest, yet most obliging, members of the class, Jerry spends many a weary hour patiently explaining to the rest of us less astute seniors with equal aplomb the causes of the fall of Rome and the results of the SpanishAmerican War.”

Cross grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and attended Amherst College after graduating from Nobles. It was in Wellesley, though, that he met his one true love and wife of 68 years, Joan.

Cross had a long and distinguished career in printing and publishing, first as the president of Nimrod Press, and later in the family publishing business, Warren, Gorham and Lamont. However, he was probably most proud of his farming career. At the early age of 12, he raised 200 chickens in a backyard coop. When a health inspector informed him that he was not allowed to have that many birds in his yard, he said, “Don’t you know there is a war going on?” Cross won the argument and was able to keep his chickens.

In addition to farming, Cross was a passionate gardener and was known to talk to and play music for his plants. His own studies proved that Maria Muldaur’s “Midnight at the Oasis” was an effective stimulator of corn growth.

He will be remembered for his irreverent sense of humor, his genuine interest in others, his love of dogs (especially English setters), his insatiable appetite for vanilla frappes and his extreme generosity.

Cross is survived by his children, John Cross ’73, Jennifer Peterson and Heather Woodworth; six grandchildren, including four Nobles graduates, Emily Woodworth ’16, Charles Woodworth Jr. ’15, Erik Peterson ’06 and Heather Peterson ’03; one great-granddaughter; and many nieces and nephews.

Nathaniel L. Harris Jr. ’48 Nathaniel L. Harris Jr. ’48 passed away July 16, 2021, at home, at age 90. At Nobles, “Nat” played football, soccer, hockey and baseball. He was a member of the Student Council, as well as on the board of the Nobleman and Classbook.

He was the recipient of the G.W.C. Noble Sportsmanship Cup in 1944, the Tennis Cup in 1944 and the James Dewolfe Lovett Baseball Medal in 1948. In 1948, he also

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in memoriam received the Greenough Mathematics Prize.

His Classbook entry stated, “Nat is the class humorist. Quiet and unassuming by nature, his subtle, side-splitting remarks can be counted on to brighten any class.”

Born in Dedham, Massachusetts, Harris received a degree in geology from Harvard University in 1952. After college, he proudly served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955. He served in Korea and was a recipient of the Korean Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the UN Service Ribbon and the Meritorious Service Unit Plaque.

After his service, Harris returned to Harvard, where he coached freshman hockey and baseball for 12 years. In 1968, he and his family moved to Hebron, Maine, where he served as a teacher, coach and athletic director at Hebron Academy for 20 years. In 1988, he retired from teaching and coaching and returned to Massachusetts. Harris was inducted into the Hebron Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

In South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Harris worked as a tax preparer and joined the board of Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust (DNRT), where he worked as treasurer for many years. He absolutely loved being outdoors and experiencing nature. He was known for going on walks with DNRT staffers and volunteers, and disappearing into the woods, reuniting with the group later with his jacket torn and face scratched, having made sure to do his job exploring property boundaries thoroughly.

The sport of hockey was a constant throughout his life. He played on the frozen Charles River while at Nobles, in the old Watson Rink at Harvard (where he played on the varsity team for three years), and, for the many years he coached, on the outdoor rink at Hebron Academy. Later in life, he played with the local men’s hockey group until age 77, at Hetland Rink in New Bedford and at the Tabor Academy rink in Marion.

Harris enjoyed spending time with his family, doing crossword puzzles and collect-

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ing stamps and maps. He liked to plan trips almost more than taking them and stayed active throughout his life with yard work and sports.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Gillian M. Harris; his children, Jane Harris Ash, Nathaniel L. Harris and Judith A. Osojnicki; and four grandsons.

knowledgeable about the tides, weather, flora and fauna of Cape Cod, where he spent summers as a boy. He was a longtime member of the Allen Harbor Yacht Club and a lifelong Yankees fan.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret “Mimi” Foster; his three sons, John, Jim and Jeff; and four grandchildren.

John Kingsley Foster ’51 John Kingsley Foster ’51, of Harwichport, Massachusetts, passed away June 25, 2021, at age 88. At Nobles, “King” played soccer and basketball, as well as rowed. He was on the board of the Nobleman and was also a member of the Dramatic Club and the Dance Committee. His Classbook entry stated, “He is famous for his tall tales that have roped many a gullible senior, and his renowned, ‘You want to bet?’ will long be remembered.

King’s quick wit always supplied him with a comeback or a joke that brought forth hordes of laughter.”

After graduating from Dartmouth College, Foster had a successful career in sales.

He was vice president of sales at Sentinel, a division of Packaging Industries Group in Hyannis, Massachusetts. He invented a number of home energy conservation products, which became an entirely separate division for the company. In later years, he founded and served as the CEO of a sales distribution company, Spindrift Sales.

A noted raconteur and bon vivant, Foster hosted social functions that became yearly traditions for over five decades. These included a Kentucky Derby party, a Fourth of July party, a Labor Day party and a Christmas party. Interspersed through the years were other memorable gatherings, such as the Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs “Battle of the Sexes” party in 1973, and a late 1980s “awesome” party in tribute to storm surf rapidly encroaching on his home.

Foster loved boating, fishing and camping, especially at Monomoy Point off Cape Cod. A plane spotter during WWII, he was

Joseph Leland Keith III ’51 Joseph Leland Keith III ’51 passed away January 30, 2019 at age 86. At Nobles, he played football and basketball and rowed crew. In addition, he served on the Student Council and was a member of the Glee Club and Cercle Français.

Keith grew up on a farm in Grafton, Massachusetts, and studied textile engineering at North Carolina State University after graduating from Nobles. In his junior year of college, he left school to serve in the U.S. Army, but then returned to college to complete his B.S. degree.

He began his professional career working in the textile industry in Belton, South Carolina, but returned to Massachusetts to marry his childhood sweetheart, Sally, and they began their life together. His next job brought the newlyweds to Ashburnham, Massachusetts, where he worked for Fitchburg Yarn.

It was in Ashburnham where he raised his family and dedicated countless hours to the Boy Scouts, Fitchburg United Fund and the Ashburnham Community Church.

In the early 1970s, Keith moved to Westport, Massachusetts, where he restored the Revolutionary Era home of Captain James Brightman and established Horseneck Nurseries. He was a nurseryman during the day, but after work, he spent much time working in the community. He served for 25 years on the Westport Zoning Board of Appeals and became a founding member of the River Defense Fund and a board member of the Bristol County Farm Bureau. In 1979, he spread the word about land protection and the newly minted Massachusetts APR program.

Keith will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who was honest and kind, and put the needs of others first. He was a dedicated man of principle and was never one to bend a rule. However, he did appreciate a good prank, such as adding unwanted groceries to shopping carts in Lees Market, building floats for the Westport Horrible Day Parade, or placing outhouses on lawns of unsuspecting friends. He never shied away from good, irreverent fun.

He is survived by his children, John Keith, Kathryn Gollub, Lyn Keith and George Keith; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Richard H. Willis ’51 Richard H. Willis ’51 passed away June 26, 2021, in Lincoln, Massachusetts, at age 88.

At Nobles, “Dick” was a member of the football, wrestling and crew teams. He was co-president of the Dramatic Club, as well as a member of the Glee Club and Deutsche Verein. Willis was also on the Student Council, the Classbook committee and the board of the Nobleman. His Classbook entry noted, “One of Dick’s natural traits is his quiet, unassuming modesty; and this, coupled with his good looks and general brightness, prompt us to predict that he will be a great success both in college and in life thereafter.”

Willis grew up in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, and graduated from Princeton University in 1955 with a B.A. in history and German. He then honorably served in the U.S. Army as Specialist Third Class until July 1958.

Willis had a long and distinguished career in finance and private banking in Boston and truly lived his life to the fullest. He was an avid traveler and athlete, particularly enjoying marathon running, downhill skiing, cycling and tennis. He climbed all of New England’s 4,000-footers, took walks daily along the Charles River, and was a lifetime member of the Country Club in Brookline.

While always one to give back, Willis stepped up his engagement and volunteerism during his retirement. He was a benefactor of many local philanthropic organizations dedicated to the arts, historic preservation and education.

He is survived by his sister, Nancy Willis; his four nieces and nephews; and several great-nieces and -nephews.

was ever ready with a witty quote or a funny story. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and countless students whose lives he enriched.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Wendy; his three children, Lauren Bidstrup Knight ’81, Peter Bidstrup and Robin DePaolis; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Lawrence Otto Bidstrup Jr. ’54 Lawrence “Larry” Otto Bidstrup Jr. ’54 passed away July 4, 2021, surrounded by his loving family, at age 86. His Classbook entry stated, “Larry is a sure bet to succeed at whatever he undertakes, for he has a strong character and a great desire to win.”

After graduating from Nobles, Bidstrup enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and held the rank of sergeant during the Korean War until his honorable discharge. He then went on to receive a B.A. in English from Cornell University in 1962 and later earned an M.A. in history from Boston University.

For 43 years, Bidstrup taught history, coached wrestling and crew, and ran a dormitory at Tabor Academy until his retirement in 2006. During his long tenure, he mentored and inspired numerous students, and his teams enjoyed much success. His wrestling teams captured many Class A and New England championships, and produced several Prep National champions.

He was an avid fisherman and boater who loved plugging the shorelines in search of bluefish and striped bass or touring the harbor with family and friends. He enjoyed reading, road trips and reunions. He also was a dog lover, and his loyal dogs brought him great joy. He was a sports and fitness enthusiast and followed the New England Patriots and college football and wrestling, as well as his children’s and grandchildren’s respective sports teams.

Bidstrup was committed to both his family and his profession. He took pride in connecting people from all walks of life and

Theodore I. Reese III ’54 Editor’s note: In the fall 2021 edition of this magazine, Ted Reese’s name was spelled incorrectly. We are deeply sorry for this error and extend our apologies to friends and family, especially to Ted’s widow, Lynn Reese.

Theodore I. Reese III ’54 passed away June 10, 2021, in Falmouth, Massachusetts, at age 84. At Nobles, “Ted” was a member of the Student Council and was on the board of the Nobleman. A member of the honor roll, he played football and baseball, wrestled, and was captain of the football team his senior year. His Classbook page stated, “Aside from the honor roll, Ted’s sparkle has also lighted the athletic fields and wrestling room. He captained the football team, played baseball, and pinned many rugged opponents. Ted will go far in whatever he does in the future, because he is one of the fellows who typifies Nobles.”

Born in Dedham, Massachusetts, Reese graduated from Nobles and then went on to Yale University, where he earned a B.A. in English. A star wrestler at Yale, he won four New England Freestyle championships and received the Gleason Trophy in wrestling.

Later, he received a master’s degree in education from Harvard and Brandeis, and he earned his Ph.D. in English from Brandeis in 1972 while founding the first wrestling team in Brandeis’ history.

After a brief stint with the U.S. Marines post-college, Reese went on to a long and distinguished career in teaching and coaching wrestling. After working for several decades in prep schools in Massachusetts,

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in memoriam including Nobles, Milton Academy and Tabor Academy, Reese and his wife, Lynn, picked up and moved to Maine in the early 1970s. There he continued to inspire generations of students at Camden-Rockport High School, George’s Valley High School and Bonny Eagle High School. He finally finished up his active career at the University of Southern Maine as head wrestling coach and founder of its wrestling program.

After he “retired,” he continued to coach wrestling at Scarborough High School and Mount Ararat High School. He also taught in adult education/senior college programs throughout the Midcoast.

Reese was more concerned with the growth and development of the individual student and their contribution to the whole team rather than an individual win or loss.

Although he was a scholar and dedicated classroom teacher, wrestling remained his first love. It taught him how to survive and thrive, and he taught that to others. Reese’s mission was always to assist any student, young or old, to achieve their greatest potential, not only through school, but also with self-awareness and confidence achieved through persistence and hard work. He believed it was acceptable to fail, if you learned from it. The coach and the team were always there to help you work harder, “to try and not to yield.” This was the life lesson particularly learned from the sport of wrestling and why Reese loved it so much—wrestling accepts everyone, and so did Reese. Under his skillful tutelage, his teams won 42 state championships, while numerous individual wrestlers earned All-State and national recognition.

He personally earned a myriad of honors and distinctions for his coaching prowess, including an award from the National Wrestling Coaches’ Association for 400 wins and head coach in 1994, election to the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1996, and multiple coach-of-the-year awards, among others. Reese also staffed several World

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Cup and Olympic teams as an assistant coach and was recognized internationally for his coaching acumen and success.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Lynn Bernheim; his brother-in-law, Tom Bernheim; and nieces and a nephew.

Although he is the last of the Reese line, his name is carried on by the four children of former wrestlers named after him.

Newell Flather ’56 Newell Flather ’56 passed away August 30, 2021, at age 83 after a series of health issues.

At Nobles, Flather played football, wrestled and rowed. He was captain of the wrestling team his senior year. Flather was on the board of the Nobleman, serving as co-athletic editor. In addition, he was a member of the Glee Club, Choir and Quartets. In Class II, he received honorable mention in the Science Fair for chemistry.

After Nobles, Flather attended Harvard University and went on to receive his M.A. in International Studies from Columbia University in 1965. He later received his MBA from Harvard in 1971. After college, he traveled to Ghana as a member of the first group of Peace Corps volunteers. This experience led him to a life focused on service, specifically working with organizations addressing issues of race and gender equality.

Upon returning from Africa, Flather began work at the African-American Institute, where he was introduced to the field of charitable giving. After completing his MBA at Harvard and 10 years in the Boston banking industry, he co-founded GMA Foundations, a philanthropic services organization that, at the time, was a new business concept. He continued to serve as president of GMA until his retirement in 2007.

Flather was involved in a variety of organizations with missions that were close to his heart. He was a founding trustee of OxfamAmerica and continued to serve on its board of directors for nine years, three of those as president. He was on the board during the

Cambodian crisis and was among the first to visit Phnom Penh following the Vietnamese liberation in 1979.

He also was a director and past president of the Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts, an overseer of the Heller School at Brandeis University, as well as an overseer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Flather was a trustee with Experiment in International Living (now a program of World Learning), an overseer at the Massachusetts Historical Society, and a founding trustee at the New England Foundation for the Arts. He was appointed director of the Harvard Alumni Association and president of the Harvard Class of 1961 Class Committee. In addition, he was a trustee at the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation, the Rebecca Pomroy Foundation, and the Paul and Edith Babson Foundation.

Flather was a member of the National Peace Corps Association, the Harvard Club of Boston, the Boston Study Group, the Neighborhood Club of West Newton, the Delphic Club and the Hasty Pudding Club while at Harvard.

When not putting in countless hours in non-profit boardrooms or doing hands-on work with various charities, Flather loved playing sports, attending the opera, visiting museums, and attending group functions.

One colleague noted: “Newell’s idea of a good time is meeting.”

Flather is survived by his wife of 54 years, Kate Cameron Flather; his son, Newell Flather ’85; his daughter, Alice Rogers Flather ’88; a grandson; sisters Allie Blodgett and Betsey Haddad; and several nieces and nephews.

David H. Angney ’60 David H. Angney ’60 passed away on August 18, 2021, in Roslindale, Mass., at age 79. At Nobles, Angney was involved in a number of clubs and organizations including the Debate Club, Glee Club, Quartets and choir. He was also a member of the Nobleonians and president of the Cercle Français. He made the Honor Roll during his Class I, II and III years,

and graduated cum laude. In addition, he was Consul for the Societas Latina and received honorable mention during his Class II year for the Wiggins Memorial Essay contest.

Angney was born blind and attended Perkins School for the Blind before Nobles.

He went on to study at Amherst College and Boston University.

Professionally, he worked as a human resources officer at New England Life Insurance Company, yet he reveled in singing and swimming in his spare time. He sang with Masterworks Chorale and in choirs at Trinity Church Boston and Christ Church Cambridge. In the water, he was a strong swimmer who really enjoyed doing laps, going out deep into Lake Winnisquam in New Hampshire or battling waves along Cape Cod. Given that he was blind, he would often pause his strokes every few minutes to hear directions yelled by his family from the shore. He also had a remarkable ability to recognize people’s voices. Even if a year or more had passed since talking with him on the phone, it was never necessary for old friends to identify themselves.

Angney was a voracious reader and versatile pianist, as well as a person with great curiosity and a hearty laugh.

He is survived by his brother, Brett R. Angney ’67; niece Heather A. Edelman ’88; niece and nephew, Elizabeth and Todd; and two grandnieces.

Chauncey Depew Steele IV ’88 Chauncey Depew Steele IV ’88 passed away September 1, 2021, surrounded by his loving family, at age 51. At Nobles, “Chad” was a successful athlete, playing football, hockey and soccer. He was selected to the Massachusetts State Boys soccer team. During his senior year, he was named to the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic Team, was awarded the Independent School All-League Award, and was selected to the All-State scholastic football team, playing in the 1998 Shriners All-Star Bowl.

Born in Boston, Steele spent the majority of his youth in Brookline and Cohasset. After Nobles, he went on to receive his undergraduate degree from Columbia University, in New York City, in 1992. At Columbia, he majored in Classics and developed what would become his lifelong interest in the ancient world, leading him to make numerous visits to Italy and Greece. Steele was a three-year starting varsity defensive back for the Columbia football team. The highlight of his college athletic career came during his freshman-year game against Yale, when he intercepted two passes, recovered two fumbles, and scored two touchdowns. He was also a proud member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity in college.

After college, Steele received his law degree from Suffolk University Law School and embarked on an outstanding career as a litigator, working at the downtown Boston law firms of Cetrulo and Capone, and then Craig and Macauley. He was recognized by Boston Magazine as one of Boston’s Rising Stars under 40.

Despite his love of the law, Steele’s true passion was teaching, and in his late 30s he gave up his legal career to teach in the Boston Public School System, eagerly taking on the challenge of the most difficult teaching environments. He particularly loved opening the eyes of his students to the rich and fascinating history of the ancient world, and his students dubbed him “Professor Steele.”

An outstanding athlete, Steele took up tennis after college and participated in the National U.S. Father and Son Championship at the Longwood Cricket Club with his father.

Later in life, he became an avid golfer and traveled to many destinations to play golf with his much-loved Beta fraternity brothers.

He was a devoted fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Bruins and the European professional soccer leagues.

Steele is survived by his father, Chauncey “Chum” Steele; his mother, Claudia WoodsEstin; his brother, Samuel “Bart” Steele; his

niece, Corinthia Steele; his uncle, Edward White; and his cousins, Banker White ’91, Devon and Luke.

James R. Hayes ’08 James R. “Jimmy” Hayes ’08 passed away August 23, 2021 at age 31.

Hayes started at Nobles as a Sixie and left after his Class III year to pursue a career in hockey. After Nobles, he played for USA Hockey, Boston College, the American Hockey League and the National Hockey League.

Even though Hayes left Nobles before graduating, he remained strongly connected to his classmates and former Nobles teachers.

He was a beloved member of the Class of 2008, bringing people together with his kind and joyful presence. Beyond Nobles, Hayes had a similarly positive impact across the local and national communities that he touched.

He was a devoted husband, father, son, brother and friend to everyone. His sincere and compassionate heart could be felt by anyone who knew him. He had an infectious smile and laugh that lit up every room that he entered. One of his proudest personal accomplishments was achieving his dream of becoming a professional hockey player. He lived for hockey starting at a very young age and was determined to have success within his career. The hockey community brought so much joy to his life and will always be a big part of who he was.

Hayes is survived by his wife, Kristen C. Hayes; his sons, Beau and Mac; his parents, Kevin A. and Shelagh M. Hayes; and his siblings, Genevieve Hayes, Eileen Hayes, Justine Callahan and Kevin P. Hayes ’11.

Daniel Alden Brosseau ’16 Daniel Alden Brosseau ’16 passed away August 4, 2021, at age 23. At Nobles, “Dan” played soccer and lacrosse. He picked up ice hockey at the age of 16 just so he could play at Nobles with his classmates.

Raised in Wellesley, Massachusetts, after graduating from Nobles, Brosseau attended

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in memoriam Vanderbilt University, where he earned a B.A. in Cinema and Media Arts. In college, he was a member of the AEPi fraternity and treasured his time spent with his fraternity brothers. He also played lacrosse and was elected captain of the Vanderbilt lacrosse team by his teammates.

Brosseau will be remembered fondly as a creative and kind-hearted soul who had a crazy sense of humor and infectious smile.

He was a treasured friend who cherished the deep relationships he formed throughout his life, from Wellesley Montessori to Meadowbrook to Nobles and the outside world. He was devoted to his family and held a special place in his heart for animals and adventure.

He is survived by his loving parents, Andrew and Heather Brosseau; his sister, Julia Brosseau ’12; and his grandparents, Dianne T. Roberts and Alden and Elaine Brousseau.

Nicholas Marinaro Nicholas “Nick” Marinaro, Jr., a beloved member of the Nobles faculty, passed away September 14, 2021 at age 77. During his 45-year career as a teacher, coach and mentor at Nobles, Marinaro positively impacted the lives of thousands of students from 1977 until his retirement in 2013.

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Born in Morristown, New Jersey, Marinaro coached basketball at Northern Indiana University, and football, basketball and baseball at Rivers School, before finding his home at Nobles. During his tenure at Nobles, he continually invested in the lives of his students in the classroom, on the fields and in the hallways. He often would sit and hang out with students in Gleason Hall doing the day’s crossword puzzle and engaging those around him to help. Ultimately, it was not about finishing the puzzle, but rather about getting to know the students better and forging deeper connections with them.

At Nobles, Marinaro taught both math and public speaking; he received the distinguished Coggeshall Award for his teaching in 2006.

Math department colleague, Nick Nickerson, reflected on his impact in the classroom saying, “He didn’t want the middle school students to know the rules of algebra, he wanted them to intuitively know what you could do to an expression or equation, and what you could not do. He believed in repetition, until students just knew what looked correct.”

As a coach, Marinaro was in a class by himself. He coached Nobles football from 1977 to 1996—with undefeated seasons in 1978, 1979 and 1985—and coached basketball for a decade, winning an Independent School League Championship in 1984. John Montgomery ’83, president of the Nobles Board of Trustees, reflects, “Coach Marinaro was ever-present and good-natured in the Schoolhouse. He was fun and always available to connect with students with an energy and spirit that made Nobles a welcoming place for all kinds of kids. In return, he expected a lot of us on the playing field. He knew what we were capable of as athletes and leaders and he ensured that we realized that potential.” Coach Marinaro was inducted into the Nobles Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013, cementing his enduring legacy as a Nobles coach.

Marinaro was also highly involved in Nobles’ Upward Bound program over the

course of many years. Edgar De Leon ’04, an Upward Bound graduate and Nobles’ current co-director of diversity, equity and inclusion, reflects on the indelible impact he had on his life and the lives of so many. “For a generation of Upward Bound students, Coach Marinaro was our public speaking teacher.

While that was the title of the course, what Coach did for us was much more,” recalls De Leon. “He created a space for a group of students in Lawrence to talk about their dreams and aspirations. He pushed our levels of comfort so that we understood we belonged.

His class was the dinner table where we would just talk, share stories, cry and laugh together. Personally, I am forever grateful to him. He took a 15-year-old from Lawrence and told him to dream bigger. I know he fought for me to come to Nobles. He made sure people knew who I was—he invested in me—and would sit down with me to check in. He was a good and decent man.”

Marinaro’s enormous physical presence belied a compassionate man who was beloved for his humor and ability to cultivate confidence in all whose lives he touched.

“The Big Ragu,” as he was known to many, was a multi-faceted educator and all-around kind soul. Marinaro epitomized the Nobles mantra of placing relationship before task, helping students be and feel known, and pushing them beyond what they ever believed they were capable of in all aspects of their lives. As one of his many students remembers, “Nick taught life lessons, and math was just a way for him to get in the door.”

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1. Nike John ’10 and Michael Maguire got engaged in April 2021 and are planning an April 2022 wedding. 2. Caroline Holland ’06 and Joe Hanley got engaged at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland on September 7. 3. E.B. Bartels '06 and Richie Corrado at their wedding in August 2021. 4. Darcy Banco ’10 got engaged to Donald Carnicky on May 29, 2021, in Falmouth, Massachusetts. 5. Rick Thomson and Cassie Lawson Thomson ’08. 6. From left: Chris Poli, Erik Pridham, Erin Summe, Tara Ryan, Jenna Gomez, George Sholley, John Mara Jr., Joseph Cappellano, Dan McGoff and Wadi Muhammad (all 2004) at the wedding of George Sholley and John Mara Jr. 7. Groomsmen at the wedding of Julia Luscinskas and Rob Troy ’09: Joe Caldera, McCallum Foote ’09, Michael Troy, Rob Troy ’09, Matthew Troy, Devan Luster ’09 and Peter Owen ’09. 8. Ayla Brown Bellamy '06 and Rob Bellamy at their wedding.

announcements Engagements: Nike John ’10 got engaged to Michael Maguire in April 2021; Caroline Holland ’06 got engaged to Joe Hanley at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland on September 7, 2021; Louisa Harrison ’08 got engaged to Josh Sans on October 2, 2021, in New Hampshire.; Cat Dickinson ’13 and Charlie Gaillard got engaged; Lindsey Plexico Ford and Jeff Schwartz (both ’83) got engaged; Darcy Banco ’10 got engaged to Donald Carnicky on May 29, 2021, in Falmouth, Massachusetts;

Priscilla Tracy ’07 got engaged to Stuart Kinsella on June 17 in Vero Beach, Florida.

Marriages: E.B. Bartels ’06 and Richie Corrado got married in August 2021 at Camp Kiwanee in Hanson, Massachusetts; George Burrill Sholley ’04 married John Kevin Mara Jr. in Rye, New York, on September 24, 2021; Jessica Baylor ’04 married Jeremy Healy on November 13, 2021, in Newburyport, Massachusetts; Ayla Brown

’06 married Rob Bellamy on August 7, 2021, in Newington, New Hampshire; Cassie Lawson Thomson ’08 married Rick Thomson in June 2021 in North Haven, Maine; Julia Luscinskas ’09 and Rob Troy ’09 held their wedding celebration in Newport, Rhode Island, in July 2021, after getting married in September 2020 during a small ceremony with their families in attendance; Natasha Tyagi ’09 married Raj Sharma in Sudbury, Massachusetts, in September 2021; Mollie Scheerer Proctor ’10 married Connor Proctor on August 21, 2021, in New Hampshire.

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graduate news

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announcements New Arrivals: Derek Marin ’01 and Christina “Chrissie” Long Marin ’02 welcomed Cameron Ellis Marin on June 28, 2021; Jane Audrey Lehman, daughter of Chris Lehman ’09, was born on May 28,

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2021; Tim Sheridan ’02 and his wife, Jenny Rutherford, welcomed their son, Reed Bisbee Sheridan, on August 31, 2021; Senam Kumahia ’02 and Lara Shkordoff welcomed their second son, Kekeli Thomas Kumahia, on September 26, 2021; Yasmin Cruz Ferrine ’02 and Leo Ferrine

are thrilled their daughter, Natalia, was born healthy and happy on July 21, 2021; Jamie Shulman Weiner ’09 and Marc Weiner welcomed their first child, daughter Renee Bentley Weiner, on September 17, 2021; Joyce Tse Leslie ’08 and her husband, Adam, welcomed baby Kaia Julia

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9. Priscilla Tracy ’07 got engaged to Stuart Kinsella on June 17 in Vero Beach, Florida. 10. Mollie Scheerer Proctor ’10 married Connor Proctor on August 21, 2021. 11. Sarah Mitchell ’09, Natasha Tyagi, Juliana Cusack ’09, Nubia Smith Whitaker ’09 (all ’09) at the wedding of Natasha and Raj Sharma. 12. Julia Luscinskas and Rob Troy (both ’09) at their wedding. 13. Reed Bisbee Sheridan, son of Tim Sheridan ’02 and Jenny Rutherford, was born on August 31, 2021. 14. Lisa Marx Corn, Josh Corn and their children, Sarah Tova (5), Isaac (3) and baby Zahava Leah, born in February. 15. Reed, Hadley and J.P. Collins, children of Mariah Rich Collins ’06. 16. Cameron Ellis Marin, son of Derek Marin ’01 and Christina “Chrissie” Long Marin ’02, with older brothers Leighton and Sebastian. 17. Senam Kumahia ’02 and Lara Shkordoff welcomed their second son, Kekeli Thomas Kumahia, on September 26, 2021. 18. Julianna Manzi Syron ’03 and Brendan Syron welcomed baby Blair Alessandra Syron on September 8, 2021. Blair joins older sister Belle and their beloved dog, Buoy. 19. Allison Khederian ’05 and her son, Henry Anton Tucker, born July 21, 2021. 20. Jane Audrey Lehman, daughter of Chris Lehman ’09 and Rachel Lehman, was born on May 28, 2021. 21. Erika Nakamura ’05 and Mike Kemp welcomed Mika Mari Kemp on September 20 at 4:04 p.m., weighing 8 lbs., 3 oz. and 20 inches long. She joins her big brother, Kai. 22. Joyce Tse Leslie ’08 and her husband, Adam, with baby Kaia Julia Leslie. 23. Natalia Ferrine, daughter of Yasmin Cruz Ferrine ’02 and Leo Ferrine. 24. Chris and Eliza Tierney welcomed baby Shiloh on June 30, 2021. 25. Becky Barbrow Grant ’06 and Mark Grant welcomed Sophie into their lives on December 11, 2020.

Leslie on September 9, 2021; Julianna Manzi Syron ’03 and Brendan Syron welcomed baby Blair Alessandra Syron on September 8, 2021; Chris Tierney ’04 and his wife, Eliza, welcomed baby Shiloh on June 30, 2021; Anne Sholley ’07 and her husband, Peter Erhartic, welcomed their

daughter, Marlow, in October 2020; Mariah Rich Collins ’06 and James Collins welcomed baby Reed Timothy Collins on June 4, 2021. Reed joins big siblings Hadley and JP; Allison Khederian ’05 and her husband, Matthew, welcomed their first child, Henry Anton Tucker, on July 21, 2021;

Lisa Marx Corn ’00 and her husband, Josh, welcomed Zahava Leah Corn in February 2021; Erika Nakamura ’05 and Mike Kemp welcomed Mika Mari Kemp on September 20, 2021; Becky Barbrow Grant ’06 and Mark Grant welcomed Sophie on December 11, 2020.

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archive

POET AND PIONEER Lisa Colt, speaking on Prize Day in the spring of 1976. Colt, who taught art and English at Nobles from 1973–1989, was the first woman in the history of the school to speak at the event.

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Keeping the Tempo As we enter year three of the pandemic, the rhythm of the school year marches on. Thanks to your support, we're able to safely adapt to the ever-shifting landscape and continue delivering a tremendous educational experience that doesn't miss a beat.

To make your gift to the Annual Nobles Fund, visit nobles.edu/giveonline or contact Director of Annual Giving Allie Trainor at allie_trainor@ nobles.edu.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LEAH LARICCIA

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Noble and Greenough School 10 Campus Drive Dedham, MA 02026-4099

Back in Step Dance returned to Vinik Theatre for the first time since 2019 with the Fall Dance Show. Thirty-three dancers from Classes VI through I performed 22 dances in eight different styles. Pictured is a moment from the opening number, “Bollywood Unleashed,” choreographed by guest artist Shikha Malhotra.