William Penn Charter School
T h a n k Yo u r e p o r t o f g i f t s 2015–2016
Meaningful Gifts The gifts described in this publication have meaning for the people who benefit from them and for the people who make them. We have chosen to highlight several gifts, some large, some smaller, each shaped by a donor to reflect his or her individual experiences and beliefs. The impact of the gifts is clear: They strengthen our school. They contribute to the excellence, innovation and collaboration that are central to the experience of Penn Charter students and teachers – and they advance our Strategic Vision for the Future of William Penn Charter School. Approved by Overseers in 2012, the Strategic Vision is organized around six goals, each supported by a set of strategies.
Goal 1: Quakerism Goal 2: PROGRAM Goal 3: Teaching Goal 4: Time Goal 5: Space Goal 6: Financial Sustainability
School spirit, plus motivating gifts from two anonymous donors, put Great Day to Be a Quaker over the top. (Page 29)
r e p o r t o f g i f t s : 2015-2016
CONTENTS Letter from the Head of School.................................................2 The Power of Giving.....................................................................3
FINANCES Report of Gifts Summary.............................................................4 Penn Charter Finances: An Overview.......................................6
MAKING A DIFFERENCE $1.5 Million Gift: Field for Dreams.............................................8 Senior Parent Gift: Returning the Favor.................................12 Financial Aid: EITC/OSTC......................................................... 14 William Penn Society Leadership Gifts.................................. 16 For Young OPCs: Clock Tower Society.................................17 Reunion Gifts: Renew the Fire................................................. 18 Mad Man: Stone Roberts OPC ’62......................................... 20 Honoring a Mentor: Ralph Palaia Hon. 1689....................... 22 Real-World Science Internships.............................................. 24 Robert McAdoo OPC ’39: It’s a Family Thing...................... 27 Family First: Tribute to Maryann Ferrari................................. 28 Great Day: Matching Our Excitement................................... 29 Lasting Connections: Honoring Cheryl O. Irving Hon. 1689.................................... 30
OUR DONORS Major Donors 2015-2016......................................................... 34 Annual Giving.............................................................................. 36 Endowed Funds and Gifts.........................................................73 Pinehurst Society........................................................................ 99
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Friends, It is with the deepest sense of gratitude that I offer my sincere thanks to all who have supported the William Penn Charter School this past academic year. After reading the powerful stories of philanthropy, gifting and support for our school, “Thank You” seems barely adequate to express my appreciation for the depth of giving within our community. Both transformational generosity and sacrificial benevolence are the norm for Penn Charter. Yet, the money given to support our students is only the beginning of advancement at Penn Charter. A parent’s sacrifice to enable a child to attend our school, a teacher’s embrace and special care at a particularly critical time in a student’s life, an opportunity for young scientists to work in a worldclass research institution are just a few examples of the breadth of support characteristic of our school. In these pages, you will find both traditional and innovative examples of philanthropy. Behind each gift is a story. Whether or not your story is told here or held privately, please know your gift contributes to our pursuit of excellence at Penn Charter and provides amazing opportunities for our students as we prepare them today to be the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. For such generosity, we, the William Penn Charter School community, thank you. Sincerely,
Darryl J. Ford
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William Penn Charter School
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
The Power of Giving 2014-2015 Annual Fund Goal: $1,300,000 2014-2015 Annual Fund Total: $1,741,417* 2015-2016 Annual Fund Goal: $1,350,000 2015-2016 Annual Fund Total: $1,491,192 * includes $400,000 matching gift
Annual Fund: Gifts Just Right An exceptional education, outstanding faculty, learning opportunities beyond the classroom, strong arts and athletics programs, and our 47-acre campus – excellence at Penn Charter is supported by every gift to the Annual Fund. In our 326th year, Penn Charter continued the critical work to educate students for their future and to live lives that make a difference. “Because tuition alone does not cover the full cost of educating each student, we rely on our entire community of parents, OPCs, OPC parents and friends to provide the education necessary for today’s world,” said Tiffani Harris, director of leadership and annual giving. Harris reported that 1,743 donors supported the 2015-16 Annual Fund. Those gifts, which ranged from $5 to $85,000, topped
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
$1,490,000. That amount will make up approximately six percent of the annual budget for the 2016-17 year; to ensure fiscal responsibility, Penn Charter raises funds in one year to be spent in the next.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: • Great Day to Be a Quaker provided a big boost – 18 percent of Annual Fund donors made gifts totaling 13 percent of the Annual Fund total in just one day. • Two anonymous donors generated excitement and attention to Great Day with their matching and challenge gifts. Page 29. • 94 percent of parents of the Class of 2016 participated in the Senior Parent Gift. This was the second-highest participation by a class in history! Page 8. • 1,743 donors supported the Annual Fund, an eight percent increase above last year. • 621 donors made gifts under $100. • The average size gift to the Annual Fund was $855. “Every single gift matters,” Harris said. PC
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REPORT OF GIFTS
CASH RECEIVED JULY 1, 2015 - JUNE 30, 2016 The Report of Gifts highlights the generosity of nearly 2,000 people who contributed to William Penn Charter School and whose philanthropic commitment helps to shape this institution.
ANNUAL FUND
$1,491,192 WHERE DO OUR GIFTS COME FROM?
FRIENDS $104,033
ALUMNI
$922,668 PARENTS (CURRENT AND OPC PARENT)
GRANDPARENTS $26,938
$437,553
Chief Development Officer John T. Rogers Hon. 1689 directs a development office dedicated to advancing Penn Charter. For questions about the Report of Gifts or making a charitable contribution to our school, contact Jack Rogers at jarogers@penncharter.com or 215-844-3460 ext. 111.
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William Penn Charter School
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
RESTRICTED ANNUAL GIVING
$1,545,624 EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT TAX CREDIT
OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP TAX CREDIT
$379,900
$706,250
TEACHERS RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION $281,720
SCHOLARSHIP
COLLEGE PREP
OTHER
$120,000
$43,000
$14,754
T O TA L G I F T S T O C U R R E N T O P E R AT I O N S Annual Fund + Restricted Annual Giving
$3,036,816 CAPITAL AND ENDOWMENT
$4,293,358 FACULTY ENDOWMENT
UNRESTRICTED $614,699
$163,540
CAMPUS TRANSFORMATION SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT
FUTURE INNOVATION
$1,879,587
$12,500
$793,412
PROGRAM EXCELLENCE
GENERAL ENDOWMENT
$779,370
$50,250
ALL CHARITABLE GIVING Gifts to Current Operations + Capital and Endowment
$7,330,174 2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
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PENN CHARTER FINANCES:
AN OVERVIEW
$26,665,207 EXPENDITURES: $26,771,524 REVENUES:
(DEFICIT: $106,317)* *Non-cash depreciation related to new construction.
INCOME
71
%
TUITION & FEES
16
%
7
%
VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS (Annual Fund and pension contribution)
6
William Penn Charter School
GIFTS Funds drawn from endowment and funds from state tax-credit programs
5
%
1
%
STUDENT SERVICES that incur additional fees
MISCELLANEOUS INCOME, including summer camp, rental of Kurtz Center
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
EXPENSES
56
%
16
%
PAYROLL
12
%
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts 2013-14
BENEFITS
8
%
8
%
STUDENT SERVICES
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 4
8
SPACE
Develop and repurpose space to serve the changing needs of the Penn Charter program and mission.
William Penn Charter School
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
Field for Dreams TEAMWORK. If the Maguire family can point to one word that underscores their philosophy for life, business and even philanthropy, it’s teamwork. Close seconds? Discipline and work ethic. The fact that James Maguire’s sons Chris and Tim learned and sharpened all three on Penn Charter’s playing fields, wrestling pit and track explains why it’s so fitting that the combined gift of $1.5 million from the three of them was used to build Penn Charter’s new, first-rate stadium field for student athletes. (continued on next page)
by Rebecca Luzi
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Both Chris OPC ’84 and Tim OPC ’85 credit their PC football team with providing them with a different education from the one they got in the classroom. “Working together as a team to achieve success was one of the greatest lessons that I learned,” Tim said. “And discipline was something else I learned, because in our day the sports program was rigid, challenging, grueling at times.” Back in the 1980s, the football team practiced three times a day in August. Grueling, yes, and no longer allowed.
Chris and Tim Maguire played tackle and guard on the offensive line for PC’s 1983 Inter-Ac championship team.
But sports represented more than just hard work to the Maguires. “I look back fondly on the friendships and camaraderie we had working together,” Chris said. “Sports integrate the grades, so you became friends with upperclassmen.” Athletics also cross the divide among students from different neighborhoods, backgrounds and interests. “You got to see kids in class one way, and you got to see a different competitive nature [on the field]. You respect them and get a better understanding of who they are.” Chris played football, wrestling and lacrosse. Tim played the same, plus he was a shot-putter on the track team. Jim Maguire, also a competitive athlete, served as co-captain of the basketball team – city champions – in Utica, N.Y., his senior year.
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William Penn Charter School
Chris Maguire OPC ’84 (left) and Tim Maguire OPC ’85, board members of the Maguire Foundation, at their offices in Conshohocken.
Athletics helped the elder Maguire – who until high school had attended six schools in 10 years – find belonging. “I worked hard making friends and played hard on the gridiron, the hardwood, and the diamond,” he wrote in his autobiography, Just Show Up Every Day. “With the same fiercely competitive attitude as my father, I wanted to win at everything.” Maguire’s father, Thomas, born in Philadelphia’s Germantown, was an insurance agent for Metropolitan Life in Upper Darby during the Depression. With a large family – nine children, eventually – he and his wife, Ruth, made ends meet. As his career took off, he was transferred often around New York. He died the day Jim graduated, of a sudden illness. After the family moved back to Philadelphia, Jim struggled through grief and an undiagnosed learning disorder, dyslexia, while attending St. Joseph’s University. He was drafted during the Korean War and stationed in Japan, then returned to St. Joe’s, where he credits a Jesuit with helping him manage his dyslexia. By then married to Frances McLaughlin, Jim built his own career as an insurance salesman by persuading Met Life to underwrite
insurance policies for the deaf. Jim and Frannie had friends who were hearing impaired and from whom Jim had learned some sign language. Not long after, in 1960, Jim would strike out on his own with Maguire Insurance Agency, which became Philadelphia Insurance Companies in 1987. Maguire and his team, which by then included both Tim and Chris, who had risen through the ranks to executive positions, took it public in 1993. In 2008, Maguire sold Philadelphia Consolidated Holding to Tokio Marine Holdings for $4.7 billion in cash. In his autobiography, Jim writes, “Frannie and I still adhere to the Jesuit philosophy of being dedicated to others, which guides our charitable activities in education, the arts, and medicine.” The nonprofit Maguire Foundation, which they established in 2000, supports education, arts and humanities, and relief of hunger and homelessness. Perhaps the foundation’s best-known program is Maguire Scholars, which provides financial support to students at all levels, from elementary school through college. Penn Charter is active in the Maguire Scholars program. Chris and Tim Maguire have vivid memories of their mother’s toughbut-supportive parenting style,
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
as she raised eight children. “She never complained about anything,” Chris said. But, then, neither did she encourage complaining from others. Both Jim and Frannie, who now have 23 grandchildren, were fixtures on the sideline of all their own children’s games. “They did not miss a game, they did not miss a wrestling match at Penn Charter,” Tim said. Jim was a big fan of Bill Gallagher, who coached his eldest son, Jamie, at Chestnut Hill Academy. “When my father found out that Bill Gallagher was going to [coach football at] Penn Charter, he pulled Chris out of St. Joe’s Prep and sent me to PC,” Tim said. “He was the greatest coach you could ask for – a great leader. “ The entire coaching staff was exceptional, Tim said, those names from 30 years ago rolling off his tongue, “John Fenningham, Ed Gallagher, Chuck Hitschler, Bruce Glatthorn – they were characters. They developed leaders. The Penn
Penn Charter’s new stadium field was dedicated and named Maguire Field during halftime at the football Inter-Ac opener vs. Haverford on Oct. 14. The football and girls lacrosse teams play all their games on Maguire Field, with boys and girls soccer and boys lacrosse using it as home base as the schedule permits. Even baseball and softball have used it for practice. Jim and Frannie Maguire
Charter football program was one of the greatest experiences for me – I think for a lot of people. It taught me lessons that we’d need later in life.” The coaching was the thing. The teammates were the thing. The facility was not the thing. “We were on a dirt field,” Chris said, because “by the second week of practices, it was a dirt field.” “We didn’t really notice it at all,” Tim added. But the brothers are pleased that their gift is providing a long-lasting, durable, synthetic field for student athletes.
Both girls and boys teams play and practice on Maguire Field.
The latest generation of synthetic fields, Maguire Field is a very dense carpet on top of a pad and filled in with sterile – not reused – rubber. Its surface is soft and uniform, without bumps or dips found in grass fields. It is also impervious to the weather. “It’s a venue that can be used over and over again, far more so than a grass field,” said John Thiel, director of athletics and athletic planning. “Given our campus size, we could never give a field a rest. A synthetic field gives us a playing field equal to the best grass field and gives us access to it 365 days a year.” There are environmental benefits as well. The turf never requires water, fertilizer or weed killer, and underneath the field is a three-foot stone base that acts as a water retention area to prevent water-runoff during heavy rains. If Chris has advice for today’s students, it’s this: “Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself in athletics. You’ll learn camaraderie, the setting of goals, discipline, achieving success with a group, overcoming obstacles and dealing with failure as a group.” Tim’s advice? “Like my father’s book – just show up every day. Kids just have to show up every day. We had to play three sports. We learned all those valuable lessons of hard work, discipline and leadership. … A lot of what you learn in sports is transferable to business. Dad hired athletes. They know what it’s like to work on a team.” PC
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 3
TEACHING
Promote excellence in teaching by supporting faculty to develop and advance their professional practice.
Returning the Favor Last October’s Senior Parent Dinner, hosted at their home by Gail Sullivan and Head of School Darryl J. Ford, was a wonderful evening full of shared memories and a particularly compelling faculty showcase. Upper School biology teacher Timothy Lynch spoke to parents about his battle with brain cancer and his sabbatical from Penn Charter, when he researched his disease with cancer specialists at Penn’s School of Medicine. Parents also heard from Ally Stern, a senior, about her internship at Children’s Hospital, which came about through connections Lynch made during his sabbatical. (See page 24.)
An impressive 94 PERCENT OF PARENTS of the Class of 2016 participated in the Senior Parent Gift, making this the second-highest participation by senior class parents in the history of the gift.
The story lines tied together because Lynch’s sabbatical was supported by Penn Charter’s professional development budget, and that budget is funded each year by the Senior Parent Gift. In their role as co-chairs of the 2016 Senior Parent Gift, Miriam Harden and Jill Zipin drove home that point when they kicked off their yearlong fundraising effort: “It was clear that professional development opportunities for our faculty have a direct impact on our students,” Harden and Zipin wrote in an appeal to senior class parents. The two mothers were confident that each family in the class, grateful for the inspiration of favorite teachers or coaches, would be motivated to show their appreciation. “I co-chaired the parent class gift because it is the teachers who are core to the mission of PC and who shape the lives of our children,” Zipin later explained, “and it is through this gift we are able to recognize their efforts.” Harden said that the pair began their effort with an ambitious goal, collaborated well, worked hard, and found the process and the outcome “extremely rewarding.”
Jill Zipin and Miriam Harden, shown here with Head of School Darryl J. Ford at Commencement 2016, led the Senior Parent Gift effort for the Class of 2016, raising $113,754 to support professional development and enrichment for Penn Charter’s outstanding faculty.
Reflection “Although PC is a stellar academic institution, what I am most
“All of us have an obligation to give back to institutions and
grateful for is the moral and ethical grounding Samantha
organizations from which we have benefited. As a family, we
received by attending a Quaker school. Penn Charter is not just
have been enriched by Penn Charter, and it was my greatest
a school that seeks great academic and athletic achievement
pleasure to be able to return the favor to PC.”
but also teaches that we are responsible for the world in which we live and that moral and ethical success is just as important
–JILL ZIPIN P ’16, ’19
as success on the playing field or in the classroom.
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William Penn Charter School
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
SENIOR GIFT TEAM Co-Chairs: Miriam Harden and Jill Zipin Annika Bernstein Sharon Bleiler Joanne Butler Deborah Camp-Frye and Barry Frye Amy Gallant Laura and Jeffrey Gottlieb Kellyn Hodges Debbie Jokelson Kristina Kaller Michael Monheit Elyse Morris Tracy Newman Indu Singh Anne Standley Lea Stanley Gary Smith Tracy Smith Donna Uettwiller Maureen Ward Marilou Watson
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOALS 1 & 6
QUAKERISM AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Supporting Students DOES YOUR COMPANY OR EMPLOYER OPERATE IN PENNSYLVANIA AND PAY ANY OF THESE TAXES? • Corporate Net Income Tax • Capital Stock Franchise Tax
Support for scholarships at Penn Charter makes access to an excellent education possible for talented students with limited means. Cordray Corporation, owned by Peter Cordray OPC ’91, has supported Penn Charter for four years through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC). Under the program, businesses can donate up to $750,000 to eligible schools and educational programs to support scholarships for Pennsylvania children. In return, businesses receive a direct credit on their state income tax bill of up to 90 percent of their donation to be applied to their state income tax liability. The Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (OSTC) supports scholarships for students in low-income households coming from underperforming schools. Penn Charter is eligible to receive both EITC and OSTC donations.
• Bank and Trust Company
“I am thrilled to support Penn Charter and give others the educational opportunities I had. EITC is a very powerful tool to do both,” Peter Cordray said.
• Title Insurance Companies
Cordray Corporation, based in King of Prussia, is a manufacturer and distributor of fasteners and wire harnesses and assemblies. Both manufacturing and Penn Charter run in the family. Henry Cordray OPC ’58, Peter’s father, started Cordray Corporation as a sales representative firm. Like Henry before him, Peter worked for his own father when he joined the company; he later expanded Cordray Corporation into manufacturing. Henry, who died in 2004, was beloved to PC and especially the class of 1958. The family ties to PC run deep – Peter’s uncle is John W. (Jim) Cordray OPC ’64.
Shares Tax Shares Tax
• Insurance Premiums Tax • Mutual Thrift Institution Tax • Personal Income Tax If so, the business may be eligible to participate in two state tax-credit programs that make it possible to redirect tax dollars to Penn Charter for financial aid. The application process is easy, and the benefits to the school and to deserving students are significant.
These days, Peter lives in Wayne with his family. Growing up, he lived in Berwyn and traveled the 20 miles to East Falls every day. “It was a long way,” Cordray recalled, “but I got a ride from a teacher who lived nearby. I still love the Quaker aspect of Penn Charter. I think the school balances athletics and academics appropriately, and I appreciate the natural diversity of the school, its history and style of education. Absolutely I would send my children to Penn Charter if we lived closer, but I enjoy returning to campus whenever my kids have a game at PC.” (continued on next page)
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2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
WHAT ARE EITC AND OSTC?
Peter Cordray OPC ’91, with wife Kelly and children Molly and Will, has a deep appreciation for Quaker education at PC.
Peter’s desire to support scholarships at Penn Charter by participating in EITC was almost derailed this year by the political fight over the state budget in Harrisburg. “It was a rocky road last year,” Cordray said. “Traditionally, charitable contributions must be postmarked by Dec. 31, but the legislature hadn’t passed a budget by year’s end and funds for EITC were not approved.” Patience and perseverance by Cordray and the 19 other donors who made EITC and OSTC gifts to Penn Charter have a significant impact on the school. “One of the key objectives of financial aid is diversity – of all kinds – of the school,” said Allan Brown, director of financial aid. “EITC support has been critical in helping us advance that goal.” In fact, the budget battle between the Pennsylvania Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf dragged out into February. “In order to make the gift, I needed the standard letter of approval of my tax allocation from the Department of Revenue,” Cordray said, “and I didn’t get one until February.” When the letter arrived, Cordray made his EITC gift to Penn Charter, to Baldwin (where his wife attended), and to Haverford and Agnes Irwin. “It was a little strange, making a contribution two months after the tax year closed, but the Legislature did allow EITC donors to do that.”
Enacted by the Pennsylvania legislature in 2001, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) provides a tax credit to businesses that pay Pennsylvania’s corporate income tax for contributions to scholarship organizations that give private-school scholarships to eligible children. In August 2012, Pennsylvania created a second program – the Opportunity School Tax Credit (OSTC) – to offer further support for students whose neighborhood public school is low-achieving. The EITC and OSTC programs enable a Pennsylvania business to direct up to $750,000 of its Pennsylvania state tax dollars directly to Penn Charter’s scholarship program. Tax credits are given for 75 percent of a oneyear gift and 90 percent of gifts given in two consecutive years. Last year, tax-credit gifts to PC ranged from $1,000 to $400,000.
EITC gifts play an important role in PC’s ability to attract and educate the most talented students, no matter their financial situation. “The process with the state this year was a slog, but supporting students is absolutely worth it,” Cordray said.
The support of the EITC and OSTC programs is critical to helping Penn Charter achieve our mission of socioeconomic diversity. For more information on the EITC and OSTC programs, contact John T. Rogers, chief development officer, at 215-844-3460 ext. 111 or jarogers@penncharter.com.
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The William Penn Society
Connecting Current Leaders With Our Past By connecting our school’s history and key leaders, the William Penn Society, named in honor of our school’s founder, honors leadership gifts to the Annual Fund. The society, in only its second year, remains a critical driver of the Annual Fund. Penn Charter is grateful to the many individuals who are members of the William Penn Society this year. The members of the society are as diverse as our community – parents, OPCs, OPC parents, grandparents, friends, faculty and staff. See the donors to the society on page 36.
head of school from 1874 to 1917, helped reorganize the school from a network of small schools into a college preparatory school for boys and initiated the move from Center City to the campus on School House Lane.
John Flagg Gummere,
known respectfully and affectionately as “the chief,” was a scholar, renowned educator and head of school from 1941 to 1968.
Hannah Callowhill Penn,
William Penn’s second wife, is credited with keeping the colony of Pennsylvania running during her husband’s ill health.
Charles Thomson,
“The support we received from the 214 leaders in the William Penn Society will have an incredible impact on what we can provide for our students,” Tiffani Harris, director of leadership and annual giving said. “This year, our leadership donors gave $1,178,365, or 78 percent of our total Annual Fund. It is because of these partnerships that we continue to have innovative programming and excellence in teaching.”
head of school and Latin teacher from 1755 to 1760, was secretary of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.
Richard Mott Jones Benefactors: $50,000+
Welcome Associates
John Flagg Gummere Patrons: $25,000-$49,999 Hannah Callowhill Penn Council: $15,000-$24,999 Charles Thomson Circle: $10,000-$14,999
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Richard Mott Jones,
William Penn Charter School
Anthony Benezet Guild: $5,000-$9,999 Welcome Associates: $3,000-$4,999 1689 Founders: $1,689-$2,999 Clock Tower Society: $16.89 and $168.90 from young OPCs
Anthony Benezet,
one of America’s first abolitionists, started the first school for African American students and left that school to the Overseers in his will, with a small stipend to keep it going.
William Penn’s two-month journey to America began in Deal, England, on the 150-foot ship Welcome. The Welcome landed first in what is now New Castle, Del., finally stopping in Chester, Pa., on Oct. 28 or 29, 1682.
1689 Founders
William Penn Charter School is the oldest Quaker school in the world, founded in 1689 by William Penn.
Clock Tower Society
A leadership giving society for young OPCs within 10 years of graduation.
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 6
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Provide for financial sustainability and support the mission of the school.
CLOCK TOWER SOCIETY
Annual Fund Leadership from Young OPCs In its inaugural year, the Clock Tower Society, a leadership giving level for young OPCs within 10 years of graduation, raised nearly $10,000 for the Annual Fund. “My Penn Charter experience didn’t happen from nothing. OPCs who came before me have supported countless students by giving to the school,” said Robert Golden OPC ’11, an inaugural member of the Clock Tower Society. “I feel a responsibility to continue the tradition of giving to make the experiences I had possible for current and future students.”
Robert Golden OPC ’11
This year, 61 young OPCs joined the Clock Tower Society. Members of the new society have special access to networking events hosted by the Alumni Society and can attend other events for free or at a reduced cost.
Penn Charter saw 46 OPCs within the classes of 2011-2015 make a gift of $16.89 or greater. They were joined by 15 OPCs in the classes of 2006-2015 who made a gift of at least $168.90. Encouraging young graduates to interact with Penn Charter’s network of accomplished OPCs is a way that the school continues to support alumni. “We are excited about the interest in the Clock Tower Society,” said Tiffani Harris, the director of leadership and annual giving. “We want to provide our young alumni with opportunities to access the great connections in the Penn Charter community and to see that leadership can happen at any age.”
SAVE THE DATES!
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
Alumni Society Networking Reception, NYC
Downtown Reception, Philadelphia
TUESDAY, DEC. 6, 2016
THURSDAY, JAN. 26, 2017
Free to Clock Tower Society Members
Discounted for OPCs within 10 years of graduation
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOALS 3 & 6
TEACHING AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Renew the Fire
The tradition of reunion giving is strong at Penn Charter and growing stronger. Last spring a class of younger graduates and a group of competitive OPCs five decades older enjoyed wellattended, meaningful reunions and honored the school and their teachers with a show of support. by Julia Judson-Rea
We Can Do This! Harry Waddington OPC ’56 admits he was fired up by the sense of competition. Waddington led the reunion gift effort for the Class of 1956 with Barney Berlinger OPC ‘56 and, from
the beginning, Waddington had his sights on a benchmark. “I’m a competitive person,” Waddington explained. “When we heard that the Class of 1955 held the record for percent participation in the class gift at
49 percent, that was all I needed to hear to say, ‘Guys, we can do this!’ We set a goal of 75 percent participation – and we beat it by one percent!” An impressive 76 percent of the class participated in the class gift, raising more than $22,700. With this gift, the Class of 1956 Fund for Master Teacher Sabbaticals is nearly $100,000. The Class of 1956 now holds the reunion giving participation record with 76 percent of the class having made a gift to Penn Charter this year. “I’m tickled to have beaten the OPC ’55 record, but even more happy for the school,” Waddington said. The Class of 1956 Fund, established in 1991 at their 35th reunion, “expresses the deepest gratitude and appreciation to the faculty of the school. The high quality and lifelong dedication of the school’s teachers has been, and continues to be, a powerful influence on the personal and professional lives of Penn Charter students.” “We [the Class of 1956] felt strongly that the lifeblood of any educational institution is its faculty,” Berlinger said. “Without a strong faculty, the physical plant of the school doesn’t mean much. Quality faculty is key, so we wished to support faculty to be the best they can be.”
Over OPC Weekend, members of the Class of 1956 celebrated their 60th reunion on campus, including an afternoon of music and performances by current Penn Charter students in the David L. Kurtz Center for Performing Arts.
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William Penn Charter School
An organizing committee of OPC ’56, led by Waddington and Berlinger, made visits and calls to their classmates last winter and spring to encourage participation by all. “Many people spoke for hours!” Berlinger said. “The conversations about a gift were a great chance to reconnect and renew the fire for Old Penn Charter.”
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
At their 10th reunion, the Class of 2006 laughed about this throwback photo, taken at the PC/GA Day pep rally their senior year and enlarged for their reunion.
“Harry Waddington really led the whole effort. He did such a great job and the committee followed through very diligently,” Berlinger reported. “Gifts came in ranging from $10 to $5,000, and every one helped us set a record.” “Our results speak for themselves,” Waddington said, “But records are made to be broken. Maybe the next class will want to beat us. And that will be great for Penn Charter.”
Happy to Be Back A remarkable 45 members of the Class of 2006 participated in the 10th reunion activities, which involved festivities off campus and at School House Lane. “Many of our classmates hadn’t been on campus since graduation,” Katie Siegmann said. “We had a great turnout – it felt like about half the class – and people were happy to be back and reconnecting with each other.”
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Sarah Roberts Hall, who led the reunion organizing with Siegmann and Joseph Fugelo, said the class had a great time at their fifth reunion at a convenient location in Center City. Many classmates expressed how they hadn’t been back to Penn Charter since graduation, so they knew they had to include campus for their 10th. The Class of 2006 enjoyed lawn games next to Timmons, including a game called Buckets, designed by Sam Biddle OPC ’07, and several OPCs took trips down memory lane as they toured campus with Assistant Head of School Beth Glascott Hon. 1689. The class gift raised $4,570 for the Annual Fund, which supports the school’s highest priorities, and topped 30 percent participation. “That’s a great percentage for one of our younger classes,” said Emma Rowan, assistant director of annual giving. Hall and Siegmann credit each other’s hard work, and the work of the reunion committee to organize and
communicate with the class, for the great turnout and participation in the class gift. “Our reunion committee all registered for OPC Weekend, they made calls to encourage friends to come, they all made gifts, and so did so many others,” said Seigmann. “As a class, we’ve worked hard to stay connected, to keep each other updated on what we are all doing. Even when people sent their regrets for OPC Weekend, they filled us in a little on their lives. That was fun to hear about.” Later in the weekend, the class hosted an evening event at the City Tap House in Logan Square. At that event, Hall and Seigmann hung an enlarged photograph of the class taken taken at the PC/GA Day pep rally in 2005. “People loved looking for themselves in the photo,” Hall said. “So many people from across the class came to the events of OPC Weekend. It was really a great time, and especially to be back on campus.” PC
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 6
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Provide for financial sustainability and support the mission of the school.
MAD MAN:
Stone Roberts OPC ’62
The longtime advertising executive looks back and gives back.
Clockwise from left: Stone Roberts OPC ‘62 with actresses Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Garner, Olivia Holt and Jennifer Aniston. And, above, a candid of Stonie from the ‘62 Class Record.
by Mark F. Bernstein OPC ’79 Stone Roberts OPC ’62 knows everyone. Holding court at his usual lunch table at Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in Manhattan, the chief executive of the advertising agency Roberts + Langer DDB is one of the few regulars whose names are engraved on small brass plates mounted atop the chair rail. Roberts’ name has been up there so long, and been touched by so many people, that it is worn nearly smooth. Waiters greet him by name and are ready with his usual order of iced tea, with extra lemon on the side. Roberts has been in the advertising business for 50 years, starting back in the mid1960s during what might be called the Mad Men days. With a laugh and a gravelly voice, his horn-rimmed glasses covering a face well tanned in mid-spring, he is an old-school raconteur, always ready with a memory full of stories and a phone full of photos.
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Ask about the campaigns he has worked on and he pulls out that phone to show shots of himself with actresses Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Garner, both of whom he calls friends. For years he was the force behind the Cover Girl campaign and helped pick several of the models who made the brand famous, including actress Cybill Shepherd and model Cheryl Tiegs.
Ask about his contributions to Penn Charter, though, specifically the F. Stone Roberts OPC ’62 Scholarship Fund, and he is unlikely to toot his own horn, but he should. Roberts created the fund during the Frameworks for the Future campaign in 2004 with an initial gift of $250,000, and has now increased it to $500,000, enough to fund two full scholarships, both for students of need from Germantown or East Falls. The Roberts Fund is one of only eight scholarship funds (out of 120) with a value of $500,000 or more. A PC lifer, he grew up on Midvale Avenue, living around the corner from his classmate and best friend, Topper Winder OPC ’62. He recalls Friday night dances at the Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd on The Oak Road and seeing Grace Kelly, who lived at the corner of Coulter Street and Henry Avenue, in McMichael Park. Roberts’ father was a Presbyterian minister, but
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
sending a child to Penn Charter, even in those relatively more affordable days, was a stretch on a minister’s salary.
While many of his classmates are enjoying retirement, Roberts is having too much fun to slow down. “Here’s the situation,” he explains, like he cannot believe his good fortune. “We’re wired into the media. I can get tickets to anything I want, from the Super Bowls to the Olympics. I get to work with the most beautiful women in the world. If somebody said I had to retire, I’d be home wishing I was doing what I’m doing now that people are paying me good money to do!”
A scholarship recipient throughout his years at Penn Charter, Roberts insists that he was a mediocre student at best. “For 13 years I hung on by the skin of my teeth,” he said. Still, he appreciates how much the faculty challenged him. “If you could hang on for four years of Latin with Jack Gummere breathing down your neck, you should be a Rhodes Scholar.”
Though he has become wealthy and successful, Roberts has never forgotten that he was once a scholarship student. He believes that it is important to help some of today’s students have the same opportunities he had.
As he settles into storytelling mode, the names of other old PC teachers come rushing back: Henry “Bugs” Evans, Edwin “Ted” Shakespeare, William “Fuzzy” Lane, George “Buff” Weigand. Back in those days, Roberts cracks, a teacher “either had a great nickname or you called him ‘Sir.’”
“In addition to putting something back that somebody very generously gave to me, and the fact that I attribute whatever good things have happened to me in large part to Penn Charter, I honestly believe that education is the only answer.”
More than half a century later, he still proudly cites something Weigand, his old baseball coach, wrote at the end of a season: “Every team is better with Stone on it.” That proved to be true in advertising, as well. After graduating from Grove City College, he decided not to follow his father’s suggestion that he go into law or banking, and landed a job in advertising instead. It proved to be a perfect fit. Over the next five decades, he managed several agencies, including Lintas (where he spent two decades) and Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell and Bayles. To put him in Mad Men context, Roberts is Pete Campbell, the account executive responsible for wooing clients and serving as their go-between with Don Draper and the agency’s creative team. In that role, he has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world: L’Oreal, Maybelline, Johnson & Johnson, Bacardi and Diet Coke, which became
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Ad Age’s Brand of the Decade in the 1980s. Some of his recent campaigns include Aniston’s ads for Aveeno, Garner’s for Neutrogena, and the Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga ads for Barnes & Noble. As he says on his firm’s website, “In advertising, you can only screw around with people’s minds for so long. Eventually, you have to go for their hearts.” In addition to an ability to manage clients and an eye for what sells, Roberts explained his approach to business in a 2012 interview with Adweek. “I’m a man of my word. If I say I’ll do something, I’ll do it. If somebody asks me what I think, I’ll tell him the truth.”
“Somebody did that for me, I figure the least I could do is give it back, right?” PC
Roberts created the F. STONE ROBERTS OPC ’62 SCHOLARSHIP FUND during the Frameworks for the Future campaign in campaign in 2004. The fund now supports two full scholarships, both for students with financial need from Germantown or East Falls. The Roberts Fund is one of only eight scholarship funds (out of 120) with a value of $500,000 or more.
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 2
PROGRAM
Advance our educational program to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a complex and changing world.
Honoring a Mentor: Ralph Palaia Hon. 1689 by Rebecca Luzi
Ralph Palaia Hon. 1689 meant many things to many people. In his 34 years at Penn Charter, he was director of admissions, head of Middle School, assistant head of school and winning baseball coach. Remarkably, he held many of these roles concurrently. As varsity baseball coach, he and his teams amassed a league record of 157-31 and won 14 consecutive Inter-Ac titles. In 1982, he became only the second honorary alumnus to receive the prestigious Alumni Award of Merit, after Donald MacCormick, another icon, in 1948. Palaia admitted students, shepherded them through Middle School, and coached them in not just baseball but football and basketball, too. “No one at PC has been in closer contact with more PC people than Ralph Palaia,” the Class of 1982 wrote in its yearbook dedication the year he retired. “No one greets more new faces and old grads with as much genuine consideration and friendship as Ralph Palaia.” To Remy Fox OPC ’62, Palaia was something of a father figure. Fox, having entered PC in first grade, benefited from “Ralph really stood out to me,” Fox said of his one-time mentor, Ralph Palaia Hon. 1689, pictured at left. “I knew that if I had something and wanted to sort it out, he would give me good advice. … I was missing something elsewhere and he filled the void.”
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Palaia’s guidance in adolescence. “When I was in Middle School at Penn Charter, [Ralph Palaia] was very helpful,” Fox said. “He gave me stability, compassion. He offered suggestions in order for me to make the most of my Penn Charter experience.” When Fox was in seventh grade, he and his mother moved to New Hope. When his mother died in a car accident, Fox, who wanted to return to Penn Charter, lived nearby with relatives. Ralph Palaia, who directed both admissions and Middle School, welcomed him back. “I think he did what he thought was best for each and every student who would end up in his office for many reasons,” Fox said. In 1977, Ralph Palaia hired Jack Rogers Hon. 1689, to teach sixth grade. Rogers, now chief development officer, is one of the many people on whom Palaia made an impression. “Ralph Palaia may have been the best people person I’ve ever met in my life,” Rogers said. “When you became close to Ralph Palaia in Middle School,” he said, “you became one of Ralph’s boys forever. Remy was one of those kids.” More than 50 years later, that relationship that Ralph Palaia forged with Fox is at the heart of Remy and Wendy Fox’s gift to Penn Charter to benefit the Middle School. The Ralph Palaia Memorial Fund, a charitable remainder trust established by the Foxes, is designed to give the school flexibility to pay for the needs and priorities of the Middle School program. The money will be used to support financial aid, facilities or curriculum. “I have enough confidence in the management of Penn Charter that they have the flexibility to make those choices,” Fox said. Fox remained close to Penn Charter over the years as he and Wendy built their careers. He became the principal partner of Fox Enterprises in 1970 and continued to expand the movie theater chain in Pennsylvania and New Jersey through the 1980s. The business grew into the development and management of commercial properties in the greater Philadelphia area. He retired in 2015 after selling the last commercial site. His wife, Wendy Trow-Fox, is the president and owner of WTGraphics, a full-service design studio she started more than 35 years ago. At a celebratory lunch, Remy and Wendy, Head of School Darryl J. Ford and Jack Rogers caught up with Carolyn Palaia, Ralph’s widow. Carolyn, who recently turned 95, was moved at this latest honor for her husband. “We’re very proud of him,” Carolyn said of her husband of 60 years,
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Remy Fox and Wendy Trow-Fox (left) shared Penn Charter memories with Head of School Darryl J. Ford and Carolyn Palaia.
speaking on behalf of her family. “I thought his days of recognition were over, but when I got that call I was thrilled.” “How wonderful for other children to know the Penn Charter experience thanks to Mr. Fox,” she said. “Imagine what that money can do. Ralph loved Penn Charter and would be so thankful to Mr. Fox.” Sharing stories of the Palaias’ time at Penn Charter, Carolyn said, made the lunch “one of the highlights of my late years.” Next spring, Remy and Wendy Fox plan to attend the 55th reunion of the Class of 1962. Remy has barely missed a reunion since graduating from Penn Charter. PC
If you would like information about establishing a charitable remainder trust like the Ralph Palaia Memorial Fund, contact Jack Rogers Hon. 1689 at 215-844-3460 ext. 111.
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 2
PROGRAM
Advance our educational program to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a complex and changing world.
Real-World Science, Real-World Experience Hassman Family Fund for Science Research Innovation by Sharon Sexton What can a high school student contribute to cancer research? In the case of three Penn Charter interns assisting research scientists who are looking for new treatments for brain cancer, quite a lot. In the last two years, the Hassman Family Fund for Science Research Innovation has provided a stipend for three Penn Charter students to intern in research laboratories at Penn’s School of Medicine and CHOP. Working alongside graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, these teenagers have fulfilled the goal of the Hassman internship to expose them to real-world science at an early age. And the three have held their own.
Jack Roseman, right, working with Dr. Zev Binder, his internship mentor, in a brain tumor research lab at Penn’s School of Medicine.
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Take the case of Jack Roseman. This summer, following his junior year at PC, Roseman interned in the neurosurgery department of Penn’s medical school, working with a team of researchers looking for new therapies to treat deadly brain tumors. Yes, there were a couple times when he fetched coffee. But Jack also designed an anesthesia mask, produced with a 3D
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printer, that can assist researchers in safely delivering anesthesia directly to a mouse’s mouth or nose – making it possible to efficiently capture a highquality MRI of the animal’s brain.
am 100 percent certain that my future will pertain in some way to oncology/ neurology,” Ally said. “I will always be grateful.”
“The nose cone currently in use is generic and doesn’t fit very well. It’s easy for the mouse head to fall out – and then you have to start over and reposition everything,” explained Zev Binder, Jack’s supervisor and an MD-PhD in the neurosurgery department of Penn’s School of Medicine.
Jennie Reisman interned in the Resnick lab this past summer and, like Roseman, will continue her internship work there one day a week during her
While pointing out that the nose cone is just in its first iteration, Binder said that it will potentially “benefit anyone in the hospital who works with small animals.” (See sidebar.) In the summer of 2015, Ally Stern worked in the research lab of Adam Resnick, a research scientist in the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Ally, now an OPC ’16, is in her first year at Penn – and plans to continue her work in Resnick’s lab this spring, assisting in research on pediatric brain tumors.
senior year at PC. Jennie recalled her first weeks at the lab as a blur of petri dishes, test tubes and instructions. Later in the summer, she said she had “a grip on what I’m doing, and I am shocked to think that the little contribution I am making could maybe contribute to a breakthrough that would help so many children. (continued next page)
ENGINEERING A SOLUTION Scientists doing brain research on mice and rats fit a small, plastic nose cone over the animal’s head to deliver anesthesia gas – and then depend on the cone to keep the head in position while they capture a high-quality MRI of the brain. Senior research investigator Zev Binder knows from personal experience that the nose cone isn’t a perfect tool: The anesthesia gas isn’t contained and it can escape into the lab air. And the animal’s head often falls out of the poorly fitting nose cone, requiring the scientist to begin the process again. Binder also recognized that Jack Roseman, the new Penn Charter intern he was mentoring, had a passion for using engineering to solve problems. So he paired Jack with the problem. Over the course of several weeks, Jack was given MRI scans of mice heads and worked to design an anesthesia mask, a contoured cavity that could safely deliver anesthesia – and contain the potentially dangerous gases – as well as keep the animal’s head and body in position for the MRI. An early adopter of 3D printing, Jack designed the mask so that it could be manufactured for pennies on a 3D printer. “My biggest problem was taking the MRI image and making a 3D model, I had no idea how to do that previously,” Jack said. But he found and learned the software that could help him, and then he designed the new mask. Engineers at Penn set up the 3D print and flipped the switch – and it took four hours to print the tiny, intricate mask. “I watched them start it but I didn’t stay,” Jack recalled. Holding in his hands the mask, a first-generation effort that will require refinement, Jack pointed out the details, the contours, the tiny holes for the anesthesia and the features designed to provide equal coverage of the anesthesia gas around the nose and mouth, “because some mice are nose breathers and some are mouth breathers.”
The internship “has literally had an effect on my future in that I found something I thought I was passionate
“I am so happy that I had that opportunity to use their 3D printers because, I mean, Penn Charter has great 3D printers, but ours have limited characteristics and a lower resolution. The printers [at Penn] are something I’ve dreamed of having access to.”
about and, once I got to experience it, I
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can do this kind of work if this turns out to be what they want.” Hassman is a physician and clinical researcher. With his father and brother, he heads Advocare Berlin Medical Associates, a family medicine practice with four offices in South Jersey. Hassman spends about 75 percent of his week seeing patients and tending to administrative duties, and the remainder engaged in clinical research with Comprehensive Clinical Research, a family business that conducts clinical research and clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies. The research relates to medical therapeutic areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular health, asthma and allergies, dermatology and more.
Jennie Reisman: “I’m so lucky.”
“It’s very exciting, and I’m so lucky,” Jennie said. “It’s been my dream ever since I can remember to be a pediatric oncologist. Even though I’m not a doctor yet, I’ve gotten closer to that type of work and to what I want to do.”
He began the Hassman internship program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), his alma mater; Benjamin Szuhaj OPC ’15, now a sophomore at Dartmouth, was the first intern. The internship has swung to Penn because of Hassman’s collaborator on the project, PC biology teacher Timothy Lynch.
Lynch, who recommends the PC interns during their junior year and works to place them in research labs, has key connections with brain cancer researchers because of the time he spent at Penn while on sabbatical in 2013-2014. Lynch, who survived glioblastoma multiforme, one of the deadliest of brain cancers, spent that sabbatical working with Penn researchers searching for a cure for the disease. Jack is interning in the same research laboratory. “Big shout-out to Tim Lynch,” Hassman said, adding that Alice Davis Hon. 1689, the late PC science teacher who inspired generations of students, was his mentor. “I always pictured doing this project with her. But she mentored Tim and he has a similar passion as a teacher, mentor and person. “The success we’ve had is a great reflection on the Penn Charter faculty and the caliber of our students,” Hassman said. “I am very proud of the internship concept and to see it blossoming into what it has become today.” PC
David Hassman OPC ’83 initiated the Hassman Family Fund in 2013 to provide a hands-on experience and internship for a student or students who are capable of and interested in performing in a research environment at the forefront of science and/or engineering. The program is a strong example of the Strategic Vision’s core principles: excellence, innovation and collaboration. “I couldn’t be more proud of how much this has helped the students open their eyes to science and explore science at such an early age,” Hassman said. “These experiences give them the confidence that they belong here and
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Corey OPC ’14, Brooke OPC ’16 and Abigail, Class of ’19, with their father, David Hassman OPC ’83, at Brooke’s PC graduation.
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 6
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Provide for financial sustainability and support the mission of the school.
It’s a Family Thing by Julia Judson-Rea
Robert Campbell McAdoo OPC ’39 packed a lot into his three years at Penn Charter. He dove into athletics, drama, oration and was a leader in the Upper School, including becoming the president of the senior class. And though he arrived in 10th grade, Penn Charter was already in his blood. “Penn Charter is very important in my family,” McAdoo said. “My father graduated in 1914 after 12 years there. He was set to attend the University of Pennsylvania, but circumstances required him to go to work. So Penn Charter was his institution and the focus was always on the school. I became a part of that.” McAdoo’s longstanding support of Penn Charter is extraordinary, and he is often spotted on campus at various events, riding shotgun in a golf cart. “It’s my school. I’m familiar with every inch, and I have fond memories of wandering around,” he said of why he likes to come back to visit. McAdoo’s father worked hard to ensure he eventually attended Penn Charter, including making sure he was on the Yellow team. Once he arrived, “it was wonderful right from the start,” McAdoo said. “I enjoyed it all. I tried to be an industrious student, my group and I plowed ahead with our studies, and I got involved with everything that came along.” And get involved he did. He played football, becoming the co-captain of the team in 1939; he played basketball for two years, winning the Inter-Ac championship in 1938; and he played baseball his three years. But that’s not all. “I was teasing Mr. [Lawrence] Wight, the track coach, as I was shagging flies one afternoon and he was running around the track. He challenged me to come race with him, so I decided to try,” McAdoo said. “I ran in the Penn Relays, really just because I could run a quarter mile without collapsing!” he said humbly. McAdoo drove to school from his home in Merion, packing in a few schoolmates from the neighborhood. “I had an old clunker, and we would talk about school – and probably girls we liked – on the ride in. We were a little late one day in the winter when it was so cold the engine froze. Mr. [Everett] Kelson, who taught mathematics and scripture, scolded us bitterly for that.”
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
Head of School Darryl J. Ford stands with the senior class presidents from 1939 and 2016, Robert McAdoo OPC ’39 and Jonathan Weiss OPC ’16. McAdoo is among our most senior OPCs.
“It was all very friendly,” McAdoo said about his time at Penn Charter. In another recollection of the friendly days at PC, McAdoo recalled fondly, “Bill McLaughlin sat in front of me in French class. Bill was a bit shorter than me, but still Mr. [Alexander] Gibson had trouble telling us apart,” McAdoo said, chuckling. “So Mr. Gibson just referred to us as Le Petit Mac and Le Grand Mac.” When it came time for his own son to go to school, McAdoo lived just a few blocks from the Haverford School. “It was a fine school, I thought he’d just go there,” McAdoo said. ”But my wife, Dorothy, said ‘Absolutely not.’ Since my father and I went to Penn Charter and loved it, our son should have the opportunity to be part of that. So he attended PC, and it’s because of her!” McKinley McAdoo is OPC ‘67. McAdoo attended Amherst College, toured the Caribbean and the Aleutians on a small ship in the Navy during World War II, and then became a lawyer, eventually retiring from Morgan Lewis Bockius in the early 1980s. McAdoo has supported Penn Charter for many years. “Penn Charter is a family thing,” he said. “I’ve never been able to do a great deal, but I can do a little on a regular basis.” PC
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOALS 1 & 6
QUAKERISM AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
FAMILY FIRST:
Tribute to Maryann Ferrari Maryann was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 60. “To see how she lived her life with the diagnosis, how positive she was, it was amazing,” Joseph said. “She was a wonderful mother and an incredibly loving grandmother to Lauren and Eli.” Maryann passed away in 2015 at age 65. Her sons feel grateful for the opportunity to establish an endowed fund as a tribute to their mom – the Maryann B. Ferrari Memorial Scholarship Fund, which supports an Upper School student who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford Penn Charter. “For me and my brothers,” Joseph said, “life is about being able to help somebody just as people helped us.” Family was the center of Maryann Ferrari’s life. She sent her three sons, Joseph OPC ’97, Christopher OPC ’99, and Nicholas OPC ’01, to Penn Charter while she worked at the family-owned flower shop in Juniata Park. Maryann raised her family in Northeast Philadelphia in a 1,000 sq. ft. rowhome. Living close by was the Ferraris’ extended family, including Maryann’s brother, Tony, and his wife Susan. The tight-knit family was convinced of the value of education. The boys’ grandfather, Anthony Cino, came to America from Italy, when he was 18, without any formal schooling. Their grandmother, Bridget, who had an eighth grade education, was the taskmaster, Joseph said. “Giving her our report cards was like holding court. She’s actually the one who I credit with pushing us to better ourselves. My grandfather told us, ‘You have bigger things to do [than the family’s flower shop],’ and he pushed us toward education.” The public schools in the neighborhood weren’t great, and when it was time for Joseph to go to school, a family doctor recommended Penn Charter to Maryann. “I happened to interview with Steve Bonnie and asked him why he had whiskers on his face,” Joseph said. “Steve must have liked the question, because I was admitted and the rest was history!” The three brothers were all lifers at PC. “There were some really tough times financially, being a single mom, raising three kids,” Joseph said. He once interviewed at Central High School because his mother didn’t think she could afford to keep paying the Penn Charter tuition. “But Penn Charter was always there for us, giving us financial aid.”
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When the Ferrari brothers decided to move forward with the fund, gifts poured in from those who admired Maryann. (See the list of donors on p. 82.) Joseph credits Nicholas and Christopher for maintaining a lasting connection with the Penn Charter community. “My brothers are really the crux,” Joseph said. The fund includes contributions from former classmates, former PC parents, coworkers and family friends. Nicholas ran in the Broad Street Run and raised $10,000 for the scholarship fund; he wants to make the run an annual tradition. The generosity was no surprise to Maryann’s family because Maryann, who was an active volunteer in the PC Parent Community, had an effect on people. “She was always open and welcoming to everyone, very gracious. She formed meaningful bonds – that’s something that I learned later on in life. She just had that really innate ability to connect with people. And so she had a lot of great friends around the Penn Charter community. When we developed the fund, it was amazing all the different people who saw the vision and the importance of helping out kids like us,” Joseph said. Nicholas, Christopher and Joseph (shown above) attribute the Quaker values they learned at Penn Charter and the nurturing community they found there with helping to shape them as adults. “For us to give back and have it in Mom’s name is really important to us and means a lot. Maybe those students can give back at some point in their lives.” Joseph currently lives in Denver with his wife, Sara, and daughter, Lauren. Christopher and his wife, Jamie, and son, Eli, live in New York City. Nicholas lives in Philadelphia. PC
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
MATCHING MATCHING OUR
EXCITEMENT The power of a matching or challenge gift is simple mathematics, and the power of a well-designed gift was evident at Penn Charter on March 15, 2016, Penn Charter’s first annual Great Day to Be a Quaker. Amid the fun-filled day online and on campus, two anonymous donors put forward well-publicized fundraising challenges that motivated people to not only celebrate what it means to be a Penn Charter Quaker but to support the school financially.
GIFT 1
That difference, or gap, means that the school relies on Annual Fund support to
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
The matching gift incentive reached the $20,000 ceiling by midday on March 15, which was when a second anonymous donor stepped up with a new challenge: If 250 people made a gift on Great Day to Be a Quaker in support of the Annual Fund, the donor would unlock an additional $25,000. “Penn Charter is part of my DNA at this point,” the second donor said. “I am happy with the school, how it is run, and the progress it has made. Great Day to Be a Quaker was a great idea, and I thought the match would draw additional attention and excitement to it.” And draw attention the match did! With remarkable response to the video announcement featuring Chief Development Officer Jack Rogers Hon. 1689, the Penn Charter community rose to the challenge, reaching 250 donors by the late afternoon. Even then, we kept going, ultimately garnering more than 300 participants.
GO CHARTER!
As the day opened, each new gift was matched dollar-for-dollar by the first donor, up to $20,000. Support from OPCs, parents, faculty and friends quickly rolled in from supporters who recognized that their $50 gift would become $100, their $500 gift $1,000. The double-your-money incentive attracted attention and support, working just as the donor intended. “I wanted to encourage people to join in supporting the Annual Fund, especially those who hadn’t done so in the past,” said the anonymous donor. “The Annual Fund is one of the most important fundraising activities we have. It bridges the difference between the cost of education at Penn Charter and tuition.”
GIFT 2
GREAT DAY WAS AN INCREDIBLE BOOST FOR THE ANNUAL FUND. provide an excellent education to every single student enrolled at Penn Charter. “For me, my support of Penn Charter, especially the Annual Fund, has always been about the students,” said the matching donor. “It is about the great opportunities students receive from the school, the dedication of the teachers, and about watching every student grow, develop and then graduate to go on and do great things with their lives.”
More than $202,000 was raised for the Annual Fund, from 312 donors. That singleday boost put Penn Charter on the path to exceed the 2015-16 Annual Fund goal of $1,350,000. “I was watching the blog and social media on the day. It was a good feeling to see such a community effort, and to watch the support numbers tick up was interesting and encouraging,” the anonymous donor said. “I think the day was wildly successful.”
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STRATEGIC VISION
GOAL 1
QUAKERISM
Deepen our identity and actions as a Friends school to prepare our graduates to live lives that make a difference.
Lasting Connections Honoring Cheryl O. Irving Hon. 1689
The tennis courts and the adjacent lawn were lively with loved ones and friends of Cheryl Irving. Her daughter and son, of course. Her students and their parents. Colleagues from our school and others. Tennis players, neighbors. Friends from church. “Cheryl would have loved the fact that there were so many people here and that they crossed so many boundaries in her life,” Head of School Darryl J. Ford said as he looked out at the crowd gathered to remember his friend and colleague. “She was all about connections.” Ford organized the Cheryl Irving Hon. 1689 Tennis Social to honor Irving and to raise money for the memorial scholarship in her name. Irving died on May 21, 2014, of heart arrhythmia at her home in Chestnut Hill. She was 69 and finishing her 29th year as a Penn Charter English teacher. Ford acknowledged that “many at Penn Charter are still unsettled by the loss of our friend Cheryl Irving. We think about her all the time.” A Meeting for Worship on the lawn by the PC tennis courts provided a quiet opportunity for many to speak about the remarkable Mrs. Irving. The Tennis Social brought together Cheryl Irving’s friends, family and former students and tennis players. Above, clockwise, Ilana Eisenstein OPC ’95 and Bryan Shipon OPC ’15, Head of School Darryl J. Ford, Joshua Irving OPC ’97, Cheryl’s son, and Stephanie Teaford Walters OPC ’95.
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Above, the OPC vs. Faculty doubles tournament featured 16 teams and included Cydney Irving OPC ‘93, Cheryl’s daughter, Emily Barkann OPC ‘15 – accompanied by her parent and grandparent cheering section! – and faculty champs Charlie Brown and Beckie Miller. Girls tennis coach Rose Weinstein, at the podium, presented the awards.
The perfect spring afternoon – even featuring a rainbow in the western sky – gave friends an opportunity to enjoy many of Irving’s favorite things, including popcorn, and especially tennis. An avid tennis player from her days as a young girl growing up in Iowa, Irving coached tennis at PC for years and served on the board of Legacy Youth Tennis and Education in East Falls. PC girls tennis coach Rose Weinstein helped PC organize the “tennis” part of the social, which was a spirited OPC versus faculty doubles tournament. Thirty some players competed, and Beckie Miller Hon. 1689 and Charlie Brown Hon. 1689 took home honors for the faculty while Stephanie Teaford Walters OPC ’95, Norman Williams OPC ’15 and Max Sanders OPC ’15 won for the OPCs. PC
The Irving scholarship, which after the Tennis Social has an endowment of $40,000, supports a student “who shares the same high intellect, work ethic, zest for learning and strong character and discipline that Cheryl exhibited in her life and as a teacher.” In a letter of invitation for the Tennis Social, Sara Moses, Irving’s friend and colleague in both the English department and the PC Writing Center, wrote that “a contribution to the Cheryl O. Irving Memorial Scholarship Fund ensures that her lifelong commitment to nurturing the promise in young adults endures …”
View more photos of the event at flickr.com/penncharter/sets.
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
William Penn Charter School
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Development Office CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
DIRECTOR OF PROSPECT MANAGEMENT
John T. Rogers Hon. 1689, P ’99, ’00, ’04
AND RESEARCH
DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS
EVENT COORDINATOR
Stephanie Ball P ’19, ’22 DIRECTOR OF STEWARDSHIP AND SPECIAL PROJECTS
Steven A. Bonnie OPC ’66 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
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Shannon Makhija P ’21, ’26
Nicole Martz P ’23, ’25 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Christopher Rahill OPC ’99
AND DIRECTORS OF DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING
Jennifer Cubbin P ’17, ’20
Emma Rowan
DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP AND ANNUAL GIVING
GIFT RECORDER
Tiffani Harris
Blanca Womack P ’20
William Penn Charter School
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
OVERSEERS 2015-2016
Ilana H. Eisenstein OPC ’95
W. Scott Simon OPC ’78
John A. Affleck OPC ’64, P ’98, ’02
David Evans OPC ’59
F. John White OPC ’65, P ’90, ’96, ’99
Christine B. Angelakis P ’11, ’13, ’18
Jane F. Evans Hon. 1689, P ’93, ’95, ’98
Caesar D. Williams OPC ’80, P ’15
Richard A. Balderston OPC ’69,
Karen S. Hallowell
Edward Zubrow Hon. 1689
P ’02, ’05
Mark D. Hecker OPC ’99
SENIOR OVERSEERS
Anne M. Caramanico Hon. 1689, P ’07
Nelson J. Luria OPC ’59
William B. Carr Jr. OPC ’69
Teresa A. Nance
George C. Corson OPC ’52, P ’83
Grace Sharples-Cooke P ’08, ’11
Jeffrey A. Reinhold P ’12
Roger S. Hillas OPC ’45, P ’71, ’06, ’09
Barbara Campbell P ’07, ’10, ’13
Benjamin E. Robinson III OPC ’82
George Eastburn P ’94
Robert L. Rosania OPC ’82, P ’22, ’23
William F. MacDonald Jr. OPC ’62, P ’04, ’09
Richard P. Brown OPC ’38
KEY OPC Hon. 1689 P GP *
Old Penn Charter Member of the Honorary Class of 1689 Parent Grandparent deceased
2015-16 Annual Report of Gifts
William Penn Charter School
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