Summer 2024 Journal

THE COURAGE TO STAND 34

Meet six MFS and PCD alumni champions of human rights, environmental justice and social progress

UNEARTHING COLROSS 44

Faculty and students confront the iconic landmark’s complex past

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE 48

How several philanthropists from MFS and PCD helped shape the school for future generations

OTHER READING

Beyond Bricks and Mortar 27

Princeton’s Finest 38

Class Notes 54

ABOUT THE COVER

This issue’s cover collage was created by illustrator Nadia Radic using photos and documents from the Princeton Day School archives. On the front, images (clockwise from the top left) include portraits of Miss Fine’s School (MFS) founder May Margaret Fine; philanthropist Dean Mathey; Princeton Country Day School (PCD) Headmaster James Howard Murch (1924-47); PCD Headmaster Peter Rothermel (1958-63); MFS Headmistress Shirley Davis (1943-64); PCD Headmaster Henry B. Ross (1947-58); and PCD Headmaster Herbert McAneny (1963-64). On the back, images of students and faculty from the opening of Princeton Day School in 1965 through its first decade are featured. The inside cover showcases select reproductions from the PDS archives.

JOURNAL

Summer 2024

Volume 62, No. 1

EDITOR

Deanna Harkel P’38

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

Ashley Stenger

ART DIRECTOR

Kelly Koching

ILLUSTRATOR

Nadia Radic

DESIGNERS

Val Bui

Michelle Farinella

Sarah Oskay

Eunice Woo

CONTRIBUTORS

Scott Bertoli

Jana Brown

Brooks P. Herr ‘10

Ann M. Wiley ‘70

PHOTOGRAPHERS

David Bremer P’18

Val Bui

Nancy Erikson P’15 ‘15

Eunice Woo

ANNIVERSARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Sanford B. Bing H’87 P ’81 ‘84

Henry P. Bristol ‘72 P’06 ‘09 ‘13

Jody Erdman ‘72 P’13

Amy Gallo ‘03 P’32 ‘35

Brooks P. Herr ‘10

Deborah V. Hobler ‘66

Courtney Hodock

Regan Kerney PCD’61

Nancy Keuffel MFS’58

Paris L. McLean ‘00

Richard Ross PCD’64 PDS’68

Jane Silverman MFS’63 P’89 ‘94

Linda Maxwell Stefanelli MFS’62

John D. Wallace PCD’48 P’78 ‘80 ‘84

John C. Wellemeyer PCD’52 P’18 ‘18

Ann M. Wiley ‘70

Special thanks to Thatcher Cook P’35 and William K. Selden. pds.org/journal

The Journal is published twice annually by the PDS Office of Communications for alumni, families and friends. Email editor@pds.org with comments, questions or ideas for future stories. Comments are subject to editing for clarity and length.

It is with great pleasure that I share with you this special commemorative edition of the Journal, a joyful celebration of Miss Fine’s School and Princeton Country Day School’s rich histories and enduring legacies.

Within these pages, you will find a carefully curated timeline charting the origins of our founding institutions and their ultimate unification into Princeton Day School. As you revisit the past through historical documents, photographs and first-hand accounts, I hope you will be reminded of the vision and perseverance of May Margaret Fine, James Howard Murch, Dean Mathey and the many students, educators and alumni whose contributions continue to reverberate through our halls.

I deeply believe our founders would take pride in our enduring commitment to nurturing a culture of mutual support, compassion and togetherness.

As we reflect on our history, it is clear that the diversity represented in our school today is more robust than ever. Each of us brings our backgrounds and personalities to share in creating a rich and vibrant community, and we are grateful for the ever-evolving tapestry of identities, cultures and lived experiences within our halls. I deeply believe our founders would take pride in our enduring commitment to nurturing a culture of mutual support, compassion and togetherness.

And so, it is because of the leaders, innovators and creators of long ago that we stand here at present; it is because of you that we will endure and flourish in the years ahead. As we reflect on 125 years of Miss Fine’s School and a century of Princeton Country Day, we eagerly look forward to Princeton Day School’s boundless future and the new traditions, milestones and accomplishments yet to come. Thank you for helping to write this next, exciting chapter in our history.

Warmly,

Kelley Nicholson-Flynn Head of School

1899

On October 2, May Margaret Fine, age 30, opened Miss Fine’s School (MFS) at 42 Mercer Street. Fine, who was deeply committed to providing high quality education for young women, taught approximately 40 students of varying ages, with annual tuition ranging from $80–100. Her curriculum emphasized rigorous academics, with Fine herself teaching classics and mathematics to every pupil. At the time, fewer than 12% of the six million high-schoolaged children in the United States attended school, making Fine’s initiative particularly significant.

1900

As part of a community service project, MFS students began making wreaths during the holiday season, the sales from which were donated to various charities. The tradition endured over eight decades, ending at Princeton Day School (PDS) in 1982, although Service Learning remains an enduring aspect of the school’s identity. Each December, in place of wreaths, Lower Schoolers spend a day sustainably wrapping gifts for underserved communities during the annual “Ribbon-In.”

1904

A letter dated March 18, 1904, was sent from May Margaret Fine to Jessie Woodrow Wilson, the second-eldest daughter of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

A senior at MFS, Wilson departed school several weeks early to study abroad in Rome. The two women had a close friendship, and Fine penned the farewell note just before Wilson boarded the German steam yacht Hohenzollern for her transatlantic journey.

In the letter, Fine writes: You have meant much to me, Jessie dear, so do not grow away from me when you go from home.

Francis B. Sayre, Jessie’s son (born in the White House in 1915) and the fourth grandchild of Woodrow Wilson, gifted the letter to PDS in the late 70s.

YOU KNOW?

Woodrow Wilson wasn’t the only former president to send his children to MFS — several of Grover Cleveland’s children also attended, including his daughters Ruth (namesake of the Baby Ruth candy bar), Esther and Marion as well as his son Francis.

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the World’s Fair, was held in St. Louis, Mo., from April 30 to December 1, 1904. An estimated 20 million people attended, and innovations in communication, medicine and transportation were on display, including the X-ray machine, radiophone and outdoor electric lighting. Famous visitors included Thomas Edison, poet T.S. Eliot, distiller Jack Daniel and disability rights activist Helen Keller.

DID YOU KNOW?

May Margaret Fine and Helen Keller’s connection was rooted in their shared commitment to education. In 1927, Keller contacted Fine, a frequent donor to the American Foundation for the Blind, seeking further support for the organization. The preserved letter, featuring Keller’s personal signature, underscores the collaborative spirit among educators working to broaden educational access for all students.

1907

Enrollment doubled, and MFS moved to a new location at 38 Stockton Street. The curriculum focused on English, French, Latin, history and mathematics. Current events and German were added later. Students were not divided into grades, but rather continued their studies until Fine determined they were ready for college. To help offset the cost of rent, Fine’s widowed

1910

Between 1907 and 1910, the most significant change in the Miss Fine’s curriculum was the introduction of a first grade, allowing students to begin their education at the school from an earlier age. The school’s academic reputation was further enhanced in 1910 when three students from a single small class won college entrance examination prizes — two at Bryn Mawr and one at Smith.

Although MFS was considered an academically rigorous college preparatory school, there were few outlets for guidance or mentorship when applying to higher education institutions. Today, PDS students have access to an exceptional College Counseling team and work closely with them throughout their college application process.

1913

On January 1, 1913, the United States Postal Service officially began receiving and delivering packages. According to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the first package ever delivered was 11 pounds of apples sent to New Jersey Governor (and President-Elect) Woodrow Wilson by the Woodrow Wilson Club of Princeton. The package of fruit was dropped at the post office at exactly 12:01 a.m. and delivered to Wilson’s home three minutes later.

DID YOU KNOW?

As of June 30, 2024, the PDS endowment was valued at just under $90 million. This robust financial foundation guarantees the school’s ongoing commitment to enhancing student access and opportunities, recruiting and retaining the highestcaliber faculty and investing in long-term campus improvements.

1916

By the end of a decade at 38 Stockton, and with enrollment at MFS steadily increasing, a foundation was created to collect funds for the purchase of a property, the creation of a school building and for an endowment. Officers of the foundation included John Grier Hibben, Princeton University president from 1912-1932.

1917

In 1917, as World War I continued to reshape global politics, popular culture reflected the changing times. Silent films dominated entertainment, and sports provided a welcome distraction, with baseball remaining America’s pastime and the Chicago White Sox winning the World Series. The conflict’s impact extended to fashion, as women’s clothing became more practical with rising hemlines and declining use of corsets, mirroring women’s increased presence in the workforce. These cultural shifts laid the foundation for the social transformations that would characterize the upcoming Roaring Twenties.

1918

official colors became blue and gray. Faculty numbers grew and school hours were extended. Girls were enrolled from kindergarten through twelfth grade, while boys attended only through third grade. The move provided MFS with much-needed additional space to accommodate its growing student body and expanding educational programs.

MFS once again moved to a larger space — the original Princeton Inn which had been built in 1893 on the corner of Nassau Street and Bayard Lane. A rigorous academic curriculum was complemented with introductory dramatic, musical and artistic offerings, and the school’s

1919

Baseball, basketball and field hockey were introduced to students despite the lack of proper athletic facilities. Many basketball games were played on other courts or in the school’s converted kitchen. The move to the new building also enhanced the importance of dramatics, which had been the only extracurricular activity sponsored prior to 1918. The proceeds from the first play in the new space, which amounted to $169.58, were donated toward the cost of a room for children in the newly-constructed Princeton Hospital.

For several years, classes were held on the first floor while faculty members resided in the former hotel bedrooms on the floors above. Classroom spaces and other educational activities were later extended to both the ground and upper floors.

1921

The Class of 1921 chose the school’s motto, Semper Luceat, meaning “May It Ever Shine.” The motto was proposed by Andrew Fleming West, the first dean of the Graduate School at Princeton University. The Class also created the school’s first student publication, The Link, which became the yearbook in 1925 and remains so to this day. A quote from the January 1921 issue reads:

We have called the paper The Link, because we desire a bond between the older and younger classes, the teachers, the alumnae, and the friends in the community. But this was not our only reason for the name. Link is also an old word for torch. A school paper should be a torch which lights the way for all who have literary ambitions.

1923

Primary students began a robust gardening curriculum in conjunction with arithmetic lessons. Every class had its own garden, and each student was assigned a plot. A community garden was enacted and seeds from the previous year were planted.

In 1922, as the Roaring Twenties gained momentum, popular culture embraced new forms of entertainment and social change. Radio broadcasting boomed, with the BBC launching in the UK. Fashion reflected the era’s liberated spirit, as flappers sported shorter skirts and bobbed hair. Literature saw the publication of James Joyce’s novel “Ulysses,” which challenged conventional narrative styles. This year also marked the birth of a beloved American tradition: Girl Scout cookies. Troops began baking simple sugar cookies and selling them for .25 or .30 cents per dozen. This simple idea would soon become a cultural phenomenon and a major source of income for the organization.

1922

1924

Despite the excellence of the public and independent schools in the area, a group of Princeton University faculty and town locals identified a need for an additional school for boys. On March 4, the Princeton Junior School for Boys opened to 28 students at 10 Bayard Lane. The school served sixth through eighth graders and was led by Headmaster James Howard Murch.

Environmental and campus stewardship has long been an essential piece of the PDS story. The letter above was sent over 100 years ago by the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service which diagnosed a specific problem with several of the trees on the MFS campus.

1925

Arts and athletics became a regular part of life at MFS. A gymnasium was established in the former kitchen for athletic use throughout the day, and both the basketball and field hockey teams competed against other local schools. The performance of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” capped off a successful dramatic arts season and was a “very fitting play to be given on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of our school,” according to the 1925 Link.

1926

Though no official start date is recorded, rivalries between the Blue and White teams at Princeton Junior School in academics, baseball, soccer and sixman football began in the mid-1920s. This tradition continues today as each new student, faculty and staff member is assigned to Blue or White, fostering friendly competition and camaraderie.

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2013, 88 years after the original performance at MFS, Princeton Day School students performed “As You Like It” on the McAneny Theater stage and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

1928

May Day celebrations were common at women’s colleges and academic institutions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and MFS was no exception. Elaborate campus festivities included student performances, class parades and the famed maypole dance.

In 1928, the senior class became the first to crown the presidentelect of the student council as the May Queen, and she and her court of student officers were feted with singing, dancing and theatrical productions. The maypole dance continues today with second graders winding and unwinding the colorful ribbon set to music performed by fourth graders.

Scan to view video footage of the 1934 May Day and crowning of the May Queen, courtesy of Jody Erdman ’72.

1929

Princeton native and wealthy industrialist John R. Munn purchased Colross, a Georgian-style mansion built in the early 1800s as the center of a large plantation in Alexandria, Va. The building, also known as Belle Air and Grasshopper Hall, was dismantled and moved to his land on the Great Road. In 2005, an archaeological excavation of the estate’s original site offered clear evidence that enslaved people lived and worked on the plantation and within the Colross estate.

1930

Having expanded to serve students in grades five through nine, Princeton Junior School reached capacity and moved to a newly constructed building across town on Broadmead. Once settled in the new location, the school was renamed Princeton Country Day School (PCD). The curriculum, which initially included English, French, geography, history, Latin, mathematics and science courses, expanded to include woodworking, photography, printing and dramatics. Annual tuition was $400, and students attended school six days per week, with their classes on Wednesdays and Saturdays ending mid-morning instead of the usual 4:30 p.m.

1931

PCD went undefeated in its first interscholastic ice hockey season, going 7-0-0 and thus beginning a long legacy of hockey excellence. The players of the 1930s went 42-22-6 that decade, regularly beating their rival, The Lawrenceville School. The team utilized Princeton University’s Baker Rink for practices and games until 1944 when the rink became an Army barracks for Princeton students enlisted in the ROTC program throughout the Second World War.

Also in 1931, Herbert McAneny began his tenure at PCD. In addition to teaching, McAneny directed scores of dramatic productions, was an advisor to the Junior Journal and coached soccer and baseball. His wife, Marguerite McAneny, directed and produced the drama productions at MFS. The McAneny Theater, where today’s student productions and gatherings are held, was named in their honor in 1996.

DID

YOU KNOW?

Christopher Reeve ’70, best known for his role as the titular character in the 1978 feature film, “Superman,” was a theater student of McAneny, starring in productions including “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Watch on the Rhine.”

1933

May Margaret Fine passed away at age 64 after several months of illness, and Gertrude H. Clarke became interim headmistress. John Huston Finley, then-editor for The New York Times, wrote and published a poem titled “To May Margaret Fine In Appreciation,” which ended:

So was the School/Under her wise and gentle rule/A place where happy children grew/Into her spirit’s likeness, too.

While the decade that followed Fine’s passing saw four successive headmistresses, MFS maintained high educational standards and continued emphasis on each student’s personal development.

That same year, Princeton University announced its 15th president, Harold W. Dodds, who would later become the first chairman of Princeton Day Schools, Inc. Adding to the town’s already impressive intellectual atmosphere, renowned physicist Albert Einstein accepted a position at the Institute for Advanced Study and settled into a house at 2 Library Place. Shortly after, a daring PCD student approached Einstein for help with a math problem. The student said he thought that two consecutive odd numbers, the difference of whose squares is 56, may be negative as well as positive.

“You’re right,” said Einstein.

1934

Enrollment at PCD dipped to only 48 students, a low point in the school’s history. Despite the decline in numbers, a class of fourth graders, also called the first form, was added. The grade was temporarily eliminated due to low enrollment during World War II, but brought back soon after.

At MFS, Beatrice M. Earle became headmistress and was joyously accepted by the school community. Unfortunately, Earle resigned after only two years due to family responsibilities.

1935

PCD issued a handbook for prospective families that documented the goals and ideas of the school with information about fees for the year, including an additional $5 charge for athletics, a core component of the PCD experience. During the year, the school featured three seasonal offerings: soccer in the fall, hockey in the winter and baseball in the spring, with the friendly rivalry between the Blue and White teams occurring throughout.

1936

Katherine B. Shippen became headmistress at MFS after a long tenure on the faculty of The Brearley School in New York City.

Shippen went on to become a notable writer, often focusing on historical events and establishing herself as a respected figure in children’s non-fiction literature. She twice won the Newbery Honor for her works “New Found World,” an overview of Latin America, and “Men, Microscopes, and Living Things,” which traces the history of biological thought from Aristotle through the 20th century.

Under President Franklin Roosevelt, the United States entered World War II in December 1941. Within a year, the Manhattan Project commenced — a top-secret program led by Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer. This initiative culminated in the development and eventual detonation of the atomic bomb. The advent of nuclear weapons profoundly altered the landscape of global politics, with their implications and consequences continuing to shape international relations to this day.

DID YOU

KNOW?

1942

World War II had a direct impact on MFS and PCD students who had not been accustomed to such an early loss of life. In April of 1942, PCD learned of the death of U.S.

Army First Lieutenant John Hamilton Drummond, Jr., a member of PCD’s first graduating class of 1929, who was killed while on active service in the Philippines.

By the end of the war, other alumni who had lost their lives in service included Francis Louis Chapman PCD’41, Walter Phelps Hall PCD’38, Richard Rossmassler PCD’40, John Coggeshall Saunders PCD’37, John Eric Shellabarger PCD’38 and Henry Newton Young PCD’33. In 1947, Oppenheimer was named the director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. His daughter, Katherine Toni Oppenheimer, was a graduate of the Miss Fine’s School Class of 1962. Toni’s schoolmate, Molly Dorf Purrington MFS’65, invited Oppenheimer to speak at Miss Fine’s final commencement, to which he regretfully declined due to his summer travels to the Middle East.

At MFS, students took on support and caregiver roles, learning emergency medicine and crafting toys for children under the temporary leadership of new headmistress Elizabeth Dorwart.

Despite the challenges of the war, a new era of progress and innovation began to take shape. In 1942, the RCA David Sarnoff Research Center opened its doors in West Windsor, N.J. This facility, which would become the headquarters of the Sarnoff Corporation, was the birthplace of several technological advances, including color television and electron microscopy. Among the center’s early employees was alumnus Jacques P. Honoré, a graduate of the PCD Class of 1934. Honoré spent his career at the research facility, retiring in 1981 as the head of the drafting department. His long tenure mirrored the center’s impact on the field of electronics.

DID YOU KNOW?

An approach to teaching and learning that blends science, technology, engineering, the arts and math, STEAM is at the heart of the PDS experience today. A generous gift by philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson P’62 ’64 ’68 ’70 ’77 allows for every student to engage in learning focused on collaboration, innovation and creativity, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

1943

Shirley Davis became headmistress, and MFS experienced a remarkable renaissance. Her twenty-year leadership ushered in an era of revitalization, marked by significant infrastructural improvements, including new classrooms, libraries, an auditorium and a cafeteria. Under her guidance, the student body grew from 133 students at the start of her tenure to 268 within her first decade, setting the stage for the school’s continued growth and success.

1946

Significant medical breakthroughs characterized the 1940s, with cancer research and treatment seeing particularly notable progress. A pivotal moment came in 1946 when the first successful trials of chemotherapy were conducted. This period also saw the widespread introduction of antibiotics, which revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections and significantly reduced mortality rates from previously lethal diseases.

DID YOU KNOW?

Numerous MFS and PCD alumni have made significant contributions to science and medicine, including 1985 Nobel Peace Prize recipient W. Andrew Harris PCD’57, an ophthalmologist who served several national and international humanitarian organizations.

1947

James Howard Murch died after more than 20 years of service to PCD. He was so committed to his role as a leader that even after his health had degraded to the point of confinement to his home, he still made sure to attend commencement through a special telephone, allowing him to listen to the service.

Henry Ross, who began at PCD as a teacher in 1929, was appointed headmaster. Under Ross’ leadership, women were hired to teach for the first time. In addition, regularly scheduled athletic competitions between PCD and MFS students commenced, and enhancements to the curriculum were made. Ross’ contributions to the school, both as a faculty member and headmaster, lasted nearly three decades.

1948

In the aftermath of World War II, the American Field Service launched a groundbreaking youth program aimed at fostering cross-cultural understanding and peace. MFS and PCD emerged as enthusiastic participants, both welcoming students and traveling abroad to a variety of nations. This early adoption of international cultural exchange helped shape the schools’ reputations as pioneers in global education and experiential learning.

1949

MFS sponsored a major symposium on student government. Hosted by the Student Council Forum, representatives from 20 public and private schools in the area attended. The forum was a success and highlighted the school’s commitment to fostering leadership and civic engagement. Today, government and politics remain popular extracurricular choices for students, and offerings include Mock Trial, Model UN and Student Council. Fun fact: The 2023 PDS Mock Trial team had the only undefeated season in school history, claiming the state title for the first time in 41 years.

Also in 1949, Anne Shepherd began teaching English at MFS. During her 44-year career, Shepherd touched countless lives. Today, her legacy lives on within Shepherd Commons, a vibrant hub in the Upper School where students gather to study, socialize and carry forward the spirit of curiosity and community that Shepherd ardently championed.

DID YOU KNOW?

There’s a long list of alumnae with careers in government and politics. Among them are former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Western Samoa Anne Clark Martindell MFS’32, former United Nations political affairs officer Lucy Law Webster MFS’49, American economist and writer Marina von Neumann Whitman MFS’52 and women’s health lobbyist Anne Harrison-Clark MFS’56.

1951

Robert Whitlock joined PCD as head of industrial arts, laying the foundation for what would become a renowned architecture program. His innovative approach included introducing father-son woodworking evenings, which remain a cherished memory for many alumni. Wanting to honor Whitlock’s 42-year legacy of exceptional teaching and dedication to students, PDS established the Robert C. Whitlock Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1995. This prestigious accolade, the school’s highest professional honor, is awarded annually to a faculty member who exemplifies Whitlock’s outstanding pedagogical skills and commitment to student growth that were the hallmarks of his 42-year teaching career.

DID YOU KNOW?

PCD produced several exceptional architects over the years, including Robert Hillier PCD’52, founder and CEO of one of the nation’s largest architectural firms, and Harrison “Pony” Fraker PCD’57, a pioneer in passive solar and sustainable architectural research. Whitlock’s son, Robert Whitlock ’78, also went on to have his own impressive career in architecture and currently serves as the design principal for the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in New York City.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, took office in January of 1953. On the domestic front, Eisenhower oversaw the development of the interstate highway system, which revolutionized transportation and spurred economic growth. He also guided the nation through the turbulent years of the Cold War, employing a “peaceful coexistence” policy with the Soviet Union while strengthening America’s nuclear deterrent.

1956

Elizabeth B. Fine, a distant cousin of May Margaret Fine, began her teaching career at MFS. As the leading instructor of Greek and Latin at both MFS and later PDS, Fine significantly expanded the language program. Her commitment to classical education profoundly influenced the curriculum and inspired countless students. Fine’s enduring impact is commemorated through the Elizabeth Fine Latin Award, presented each spring to an outstanding Latin student.

DID

YOU KNOW?

In 1988, PDS was one of only 30 U.S. schools chosen to participate in a U.S-Soviet Union exchange program, resulting from an agreement between President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail S. Gorbachev. The following year, 12 students traveled to Moscow led by Russian teacher Tassie Turkevich Skvir MFS’62 and her husband, religion teacher Daniel J. Skvir H’73.

At PCD, 23 students had the opportunity to participate in a 40-day cross-country summer trip called Westward Ho! Adventurers traveled through more than 15 states, visiting historical sites like the tomb of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Ill., and the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. According to Robert Kuser PCD’57 in a 1957 edition of the Junior Journal, the “hardy pioneers left their memory in every town and city through which they passed, and there are new friends of P.C.D. from the Atlantic to the Pacific.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Westward Ho! adventurers include former U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller PCD’59, who would eventually go on to become the sixth director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation from 2001 to 2013.

1958

By the mid-1950s, Princeton’s expanding population drove rapid enrollment growth in all local schools. This prompted the trustees of both MFS and PCD to reconsider their future plans, ultimately leading them to explore potential collaboration. In 1958, an opportunity arose when Colross became available for purchase.

At this juncture, Dean Mathey, a successful investment banker, anonymous benefactor and Princeton resident known for his real estate investments, made a generous offer. He proposed to purchase and transfer the title to the land contiguous with the Colross property and also adjacent to his own Colonial-style home, Pretty Brook Farm — 20 acres each to Miss Fine’s and Princeton Country Day. Mathey laid out only one condition: Any new school buildings must adhere to a Colonial architectural style, to which both schools agreed.

Mathey’s profound connection to PCD and MFS was rooted in his strong belief in education’s value. His three sons attended PCD, on whose board of trustees he had served as

chairman, and his wife, Gertrude Winans, was both an alumna and teacher at Miss Fine’s.

Mathey’s generous initial donations, instrumental in catalyzing the schools’ merger two years later, were not his only. His legacy of giving to PDS continued even after his death in 1972 when it was revealed he had bequeathed an additional 85 acres and Pretty Brook Farm to Princeton Day School — the latter now serving as faculty residences.

Also in 1958, Princeton University alumnus Peter Rothermel became PCD’s next headmaster. His diverse background encompassed business experience, military service, teaching and administrative roles at two boys’ boarding schools, bringing a wealth of knowledge and skills to his new position. Though popular and well-liked, his tenure coincided with potential major changes to PCD’s structure and location, demanding particularly nuanced leadership.

DID YOU KNOW?

A Princeton University graduate, Wimbledon competitor and World War I veteran, Mathey later made his mark in finance. He famously safeguarded the University’s endowment during the Great Depression and ultimately retired as honorary chairman of the Bank of New York.

1960

On June 14, MFS and PCD merged into a single corporation named Princeton Day Schools, Inc. At the time, the two schools were parallel but separate entities, each with their own faculty and head. Although both sides had objections and fears about the merger, it was obvious that the loss of tradition and identity was at the top of both schools’ lists. Aiming to quell those fears, Headmistress Shirley Davis is quoted as having said:

“We are not merging identities, but each will become stronger and richer through the limitless opportunities of our new association.”

Later that same year, Arlene Smith, the cornerstone of the visual art program at PDS, joined the MFS faculty. Over a 37-year tenure, Smith showcased her deep commitment to advancing the arts, lobbying for and establishing an art gallery and converting a broom closet into the school’s first photography lab. After seeing one student’s eagerness to work in metal, Smith readily agreed to dedicate a corner of the art room for welding and metalworking.

That student, John Battle ’71 (below), is now a master blacksmith and sculptor. “It was a powerful vote of confidence in a young middle schooler and an invaluable lesson in making things happen,” said Battle.

DID

YOU KNOW?

Many of Smith’s students, inspired and motivated by her, went on to professional careers in the arts. Her impact was evident at a 1984 exhibition of alumni work that included furniture, fashion, photographs, paintings, sculptures, architectural renderings and prototypes of spaceships and aliens seen in the first “Star Wars” film.

In 1961, John F. Kennedy became the youngest U.S. President. The Kennedys soon solidified their status as one of the most beloved first families in history, with Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy Onassis driving fashion trends popularized throughout the sixties. Speaking of driving, a car transporting JFK once took a wrong turn into the MFS entrance, much to the delight of stunned students!

DID YOU KNOW?

Mellon MFS’29, a longtime friend of First Lady Jackie Kennedy and talented horticulturist, was asked to redesign the famous White House Rose Garden. Pictured above, Mellon and President Kennedy met on Cape Cod to discuss plans.

Right: Photographer unknown. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Personal Papers. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

At PCD, the Student Council refined and announced its school motto. From the April 1961 Junior Journal: “The Council felt that the spirit of the school could be improved, and therefore clarified the P.C.D. Motto, on which the school is founded. This motto is: Manhood, Learning, and Gentleness. The Council wrote this with great care, and with a firm purpose in the back of their minds: to make P.C.D. live up to the standards set by the motto.”

1963

As plans for PDS evolved, trustees recognized the need for a single administrator to lead the merger. Thomas Hartmann, headmaster of St. Mark’s School in Texas, was named principal. Peter Rothermel soon resigned to accept the headmastership of a school in California.

Shortly after, Herbert McAneny became headmaster at PCD.

Through an additional gift by Dean Mathey, another 70 acres of land was acquired and work progressed in creating numerous athletic fields on the property along the Great Road.

A Williams College and Oxford University graduate, McAneny was admired and respected for his teaching ability and his contributions to all aspects of the school, especially the arts. He was also an integral part of the administrative team that guided PDS through its first year before returning to teaching.

In world news, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He called for civil and economic rights and the end of racism in the United States.

Markley Roberts PCD’40 volunteered as a red-shirt security officer at the March on Washington, although he found himself a bit unnecessary.

DID YOU KNOW?

Margaret Gilbert, who taught at MFS and PDS from 1949 to 1983, was integral in shaping the school’s music program. Her composition “Roll, Roll, Pumpkin,” continues to be performed annually by Lower School students at the Thanksgiving Assembly.

“I had nothing to do for security, because even with the big crowd, everyone was very well-behaved. It was almost like going to church,” he said.

Right top: Civil rights march on Washington, D.C. / [WKL].

Original black and white negative by Warren K. Leffler. Taken August 28th, 1963, Washington D.C, U.S.

Right bottom: View of the huge crowd from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, during the March on Washington] Original black and white negative by Warren K. Leffler. Taken August 28th, 1963, Washington D.C, U.S.

1964

MFS Headmistress Shirley Davis and PCD Headmaster Herbert McAneny were named assistant principals of PDS, although Davis unexpectedly resigned before the school’s opening with Hartmann soon following suit. Elizabeth Cushing Dilworth, who had just been elected chair of the PDS Board of Trustees, acted quickly and decisively during the difficult adjustment, earning the respect of many and remaining widely admired throughout her tenure.

Princeton Day School has a long history of women leaders on its Board of Trustees, including Dilworth (pictured above) and trustees emeriti Rebecca W. Bushnell ’70, Barbara Griffin Cole ’78 and Treby M. Williams ’80. DID YOU KNOW?

1965

On September 17, the 1965-1966 school year began, and students were welcomed for the first time to 650 Great Road. Over a thousand students, teachers, families and friends attended the dedication for PDS on October 24. Detlev W. Bronk, president of Rockefeller University, was invited to speak. In his remarks, he addressed the vast disparity surrounding access to education and urged students to help bridge the gap by applying their education and skills to benefit others.

Six weeks later, Douglas O. McClure was named the first headmaster of Princeton Day School (no longer plural), effective July 1, 1966.

The decade that followed was one of growth, innovation and adaptation. Under McClure’s leadership, PDS began to establish its unique identity. A 1968 report from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools reads:

The Princeton Day School is in foment. It is new and exciting and excited. It is asking itself all sorts of basic questions, dreaming all sorts of professional dreams, stubbing its toes occasionally on some of its new furniture.

Indeed, PDS was in a state of dynamic development and selfdiscovery. Throughout the next ten years, the school worked to become more inclusive and diverse, both in its student body and faculty. Efforts were made to increase financial

aid, expand facilities and continue developing a rigorous academic curriculum while also emphasizing extracurricular activities and community engagement.

The enduring success of PDS is a testament to the vision and wisdom of its founders and early leaders. By maintaining a steadfast commitment to the core values inherited from both Miss Fine’s School and Princeton Country Day School — including character development, critical thinking and service to others — PDS has evolved into the esteemed institution it is today. These foundational principles continue to guide the school, cementing its reputation as a leader in independent education and helping shape generations of students long into the future.

THE BUILDING OF PRINCETON DAY

SCHOOLBEY BRICKSOND & MORTAR

In the fall of 1965, Princeton Day School emerged from the union of two storied institutions, poised at the threshold of an exciting yet uncharted future. The merger of Miss Fine’s School and Princeton Country Day School, while official on paper, had yet to fully crystallize in practice. As the newly minted PDS prepared to open its doors, it faced the monumental challenge of blending disparate cultures, traditions and expectations into a new, cohesive whole. It would take visionary leadership, unwavering commitment and the collective effort of educators, students and families to transform this merger from a mere administrative decision into a thriving, unified school with its own unique identity and purpose.

The Class of 1974

That visionary leadership was, in part, found in new headmaster Douglas McClure, whose tenure began on July 1, 1966. Greeted with a blend of relief and excitement, McClure’s enthusiasm and hands-on approach quickly made an impact. He distinguished himself by not only fulfilling his administrative duties but also engaging directly as a classroom teacher and coach. Under McClure’s capable guidance, PDS began to deftly navigate the challenging currents of change.

Daniel Skvir H’73, affectionately known as Father Dan, joined Princeton Day School in 1969. His multifaceted career at PDS began as a Russian, history and religion teacher, later transitioning into various administrative roles including director of admission, director of financial aid, director of administrative services and associate director of college counseling. Throughout his tenure, Skvir recognized the pivotal role that McClure and his family played in establishing the tone and culture of the newly formed school.

“The sense of community that is intertwined with the identity of Princeton Day School was established by Doug McClure,” he said.

A 1968 accreditation report agreed with Skvir’s assessment, stating that the leadership of the entire 1966-67 administrative team was instrumental to PDS’ early success. This team included Headmaster Douglas McClure, Head of Upper School Herbert McAneny, Administrative Assistant Beverly Williams, Business Manager Carl Storey, Head of Middle School Fowler Merle-Smith, Head of Lower School Madeline Weigel and Director of Admissions Wesley McCaughan.

The report read: “It has taken wisdom and courage and tolerance and mutual dedication [by many] to bring off the productive blending of the traditions and personalities and attitudes and programs of these two highly independent entities in the Princeton Day School.”

While the belief in the institution was palpable, it wasn’t without some growing pains.

“The MFS and PCD faculty were put into the new building, and they were mighty fine educators and people. But did they get along? At first, yes and no. The big qualm back then was that the salary scales were very different. One of the toughest, earliest jobs was to equalize the pay by bringing the women up,” Skvir said.

Students also felt the tension of merging two very different institutions. In an article published in the 1975 Winter Journal, Sally K. Lane ’66 said, “Much of the first term was like that, the rubbing of new ways against old with everyone still a little suspicious of the other fellow’s motives.”

Linda Baker Bogue ’68 added, “The girls had [an] easier time [during the early years of the transition]. ‘We’ [the girls] outnumbered ‘them’ [the boys]. We had the tradition of being a college preparatory school. We had the comfort of college admission history.”

Rick Ross ’68 laughed as he recalled his experience, “I actually consider the merger to have been a success. The Class of ’66, the first class to graduate from PDS, was incredibly welcoming and helpful. A great bunch who helped make us feel part of the whole, not just ‘the boys.’”

Despite these initial challenges, PDS quickly established itself as a strong, vibrant educational community. Enrollment

Head of School Doug McClure

English teacher Anne Shepherd with a student

grew from 625 in the fall of 1965 to 810 by the end of the first decade, and the administration made efforts to recruit students from beyond Princeton. They also partnered with programs like A Better Chance which provides opportunities for secondary students from underrepresented backgrounds to attend private schools. Gradually, the ratio increased to two-thirds of enrolled students coming from outside Princeton. This shift was a key component of a larger initiative to enhance diversity and foster a more inclusive campus environment.

“Financial Aid was extremely important to our recruiting efforts,” said Skvir. “We would admit as many students as we could,

regardless of income or status, and that was due to Doug McClure directing us to be generous with our financial aid gifts. His vision for the school was always facing forward.”

With the student body expanding and the faculty feeling more unified, the campus began to look and feel like a second home. This was in large part due to the dedicated staff members on the grounds, maintenance and food service teams who were integral in shaping the atmosphere on campus.

Former Alumni Director Linda Maxwell Stefanelli MFS’62 fondly remembered Willie Wade H’97, a longtime staff member on the maintenance team and the first person of color to receive an honorary

Shawn Ellsworth ’75 and Keith Thomas ’75

The 1970-71 Link staff

degree from the school.

“Before there was PDS, there was Willie. He started working on campus in 1964 while the school was still being built. He touched so many lives. He was quiet and had a great sense of humor. He made everyone in the community feel cared for, especially students. Alumni would come back for events and seek him out specifically. Even though he contributed so much to the school, he remained modest and dignified in all of the 33 years he worked at PDS,” Stefanelli recounted.

Numerous dedicated staff and faculty cultivated the school’s nurturing, closeknit environment, which quickly became a defining characteristic of PDS. Notable among them were kitchen staff member Marie Kennedy, groundskeeper Alberto

Petrella P’82 ’85 and Head of Upper School

Sandy Bing H’87 P’81 ’84, who, alongside Wade, played pivotal roles in shaping the atmosphere.

In a 1987 edition of the Journal celebrating Bing’s career, legendary English teacher Anne Shepherd remarked, “I doubt if there is any other member of the faculty or administration whose mind and heart are as intensely tuned to PDS as Sandy Bing’s. His every nerve vibrates to the concerns of the school as a whole and to the needs of individual students and teachers.”

David Straut ’74 agreed. “When Mr. Bing was around (and he was around a lot!), no matter the day’s challenge, you knew everything was alright. I thank him for building the caring, positive culture of PDS from the school’s beginning, not only for the

students but also for the faculty and staff.”

Accompanying this burgeoning sense of community was PDS’ growing reputation as a rigorous academic institution.

Building on the foundations laid by Miss Fine’s and Princeton Country Day, the school broadened and enhanced the curriculum, hired additional faculty and expanded facilities that grew to include a planetarium, laboratories and several art studios, enabling students to explore a wide range of interests.

That growth extended to athletics, too. The merger united diverse athletic traditions, leading to the creation of a comprehensive sports program for all students. Campus improvements included two gymnasiums, eight athletic fields, six tennis courts and a covered ice rink. By making interscholastic sports voluntary, PDS rekindled enthusiasm for team participation.

By the end of 1975, Princeton Day School solidified itself as a leading independent school within the region. The foundation laid during the early years set the stage for continued growth and success in the decades to follow. As Lane observed in the 1975 Winter Journal, “It was the influence of those few years [at PDS] that made me choose a college program that was just getting underway. I knew by then that it was more satisfying to find your own way than to pursue the path set out by some anonymous tradition. That’s the real gift of PDS — ten years ago or today. There aren’t enough places that force you into selfdetermination and then give you the tools you’ll need for that kind of challenge. One of the old chestnuts about private schools is that they give you a jump on college. The better argument, of course, is that that’s also a jump on life.”

Willie Wade H’97

Former Head of Upper School Sandy Bing H’87 with Lower School students on the Trudy Brophy Playground

COURAGE TO STAND

Graduates of Princeton Day School and its preceding institutions, Miss Fine’s School and Princeton Country Day School, have long distinguished themselves as tireless champions for human and environmental justice.

Through nonviolent protest, advocacy and education, their courageous stands and bold actions have resounded throughout our nation’s history, leaving an indelible mark on the ongoing fight for equality, sustainability and social progress. Their legacies serve as a powerful reminder that individual acts of conscience and collective action can pave the way for a better world for all..

Original black and white negative taken August 28th, 1963, Washington D.C, United States. Photographer unknown (The National Archives and Records Administration). Colorized by Jordan J. Lloyd. U.S. Information Agency. Press and Publications Service. ca. 1953-ca. 1978.

“Come senators, congressmen / Please heed the call / Don’t stand in the doorway / Don’t block up the hall / For he that gets hurt / Will be he who

Nicholas Katzenbach PCD’36

In June 1963, Vivian Malone and James Hood became the first Black students to enroll at the University of Alabama, despite then-Governor George Wallace’s unsuccessful attempt to physically block them from the building and their right to a desegregated education. The event would become known as the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, which reached its climax when President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and instructed his Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach PCD’36 to ensure a safe entrance for Malone and Hood.

In a brief confrontation, Katzenbach told Wallace, “From the outset, Governor, all of us have known that the final chapter of this history will be the admission of these students. [They] will remain on this campus. They will register today, [and] they will go to school tomorrow.”

Wallace eventually did remove himself from the doorway, but only at the request of the National Guard’s General Henry Graham, who informed Wallace that it was his “sad duty” to order the Governor to step aside. This moment emphasized the tension mounting in contempt of the federal government’s role in establishing civil rights, which tragically culminated on September 15, 1963, when a white supremacist terrorist group bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala.

One year later, Bob Dylan, known as “The Voice of a Generation,” released his influential anthem, “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” which highlights the governor’s infamous stance inside the doorway. Dylan croons, “Come senators, congressmen / Please heed the call / Don’t stand in the doorway / Don’t block up the hall / For he that gets hurt / Will be he who has stalled / There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’/ It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls / For the times they are a-changin’.”

William Henry Sayen PCD’36

Isabelle Guthrie Sayen MFS’42

William Henry Sayen PCD’36 and Isabelle Burns Guthrie Sayen MFS’42 devoted their lives to service, activism and improving their community.

Isabelle was renowned for being fearless in acting on her convictions. In the 1960s, as the Vietnam War raged, she became a passionate peace activist, lecturing on the environment and regularly lobbying Congress. She co-founded organizations including the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament in 1978 and the Coalition for Peace Action, which still runs today. She was also a founder and operator of the New Jersey Safe Energy Alternative Alliance for nearly 25 years. Her guidance and commitment allowed these groups to have an impact that reached far beyond Princeton.

Even after being diagnosed with macular degeneration in her 60s, which

left her blind for the last 18 years of her life, Isabelle persevered tirelessly. She remained a fixture at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, raising awareness of environmental issues.

Until her final year, Isabelle fought to keep radioactive waste out of water systems globally to enhance life expectancy. She continued her activism until the end of her life in 2003 at the age of 79.

William, too, had an illustrious career as a businessman, journalist, broadcaster and environmentalist known for his unswerving honesty and integrity. As head of his family business and through his roles on several regional planning boards, he protected open spaces and preserved land across five states. In the last eight years of his life, William was an outspoken political columnist for The Times of Trenton, where he wrote candidly in his hope that he could lend a voice to improve standards for all. William also continued his advocacy until just before his death in 1999 at age 77.

Their son, George Sayen ’69, described his parents as “complements to each other’s intellect and integrity.” Devoted learners who formed lifelong friendships within the Princeton community, the Sayens believed strongly in the civic participation they learned at PCD and MFS.

Markley Roberts PCD’40

The sweltering heat did little to deter the stream of people descending on the National Mall. Stretching toward the

horizon, a sea of demonstrators ebbed and flowed through the grassy expanse, united in their pursuit of equality and justice.

Markley Roberts PCD’40 found himself in the middle of this electrifying atmosphere, surrounded by voices raised in chants and freedom songs. In that moment, the boundaries between protester and observer, leader and listener blurred. Roberts joined the multitudes in peaceful defiance, standing in solidarity with a movement that would forever alter the course of history.

Serving as a “red shirt security officer” during the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963, Roberts’ role was intended to enforce security and protect protestors. However, he quickly realized that the need for such security was null. Instead, he spent the day in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of peaceful demonstrators, witnessing firsthand the power of collective action and non-violent resistance.

“I knew from my job at the AFL-CIO [The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations] how much planning and politics and compromise went into making the march a success,” Roberts reflected. He detailed the jobs that leaders took to ensure a smooth day, noting that American political activist Bayard Rustin safeguarded parking for hundreds of buses and thousands of portable restrooms for protesters.

“Additionally,” Roberts said, “Rustin and activist Phil Randolph insisted on including ‘Jobs’ in the march title to assure support from both Black and white workers and

has stalled / There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’ / It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls / For the times they are a-changin’.”

their unions.”

Roberts described the march as the “landmark civil rights achievement between the 1954 Supreme Court school desegregation decision and the passing of the 1965 voting rights law.”

His assertion remains true — the March on Washington is one of the most referenced and recognizable moments in the fight for equal and equitable civil rights in American history.

Austin P. Sullivan PCD’54

While studying at Princeton University, Austin Sullivan PCD’54 established the Undergraduate Committee for Human Rights, a group dedicated to promoting the rights of Black students in Princeton and the nearby city of Trenton.

“We feel that too many people look on the civil rights movement as something national and not local, who feel that there’s nothing the individual can do,” he said in an article published by The Daily Princetonian in 1963. Concerned that too many young people were only “intellectually committed” to civil rights, Sullivan was dedicated to “getting students involved in deed.”

Sullivan was a staunch opponent of segregation, and his bold stance against racist ideologies was exemplified by his public denunciation of a campus organization that invited the governor of Mississippi, Ross Barnett, a known segregationist, to speak on campus. In a powerful letter to the editor of the

Daily Princetonian, Sullivan condemned the invitation, saying, “Barnett is not just a man with a position. He, more than any man today, is a symbol — the symbol of segregation. And by inviting him here as a speaker, [the club] has recognized both the position and the symbol as valid.”

He argued that by granting Barnett a platform, the organization was validating his reprehensible views and emboldening those who supported the entrenchment of racial injustice. Sullivan’s words carried a prophetic weight, as he warned that such visible obstinacy could lead to further outbreaks of violence.

His activism in Princeton could have been seen as unnecessary, with Sullivan stating, “This community is relatively idyllic in its racial problems.” However, he concluded, “There is still a great gap between what should be and what is.”

Sue Jamieson MFS’64

Before the Americans with Disabilities Act ushered in sweeping protections for millions of Americans, Sue Jamieson

MFS’64 was paving the way for disability rights. Her formative years at MFS nurtured a passion for service that foreshadowed her life’s work.

After attending Brown University and serving in the Peace Corps, Jamieson pursued a law degree, eventually joining the Atlanta Legal Aid Society (ALAS) in 1974. There, she harnessed her expertise to advocate for community integration by securing access to services and discharge

rights for institutionalized individuals who were cleared for community living. Jamieson’s efforts elevated the ALAS as a stalwart for disability advocacy. Her defining case materialized in the 1990s when she represented Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, two women unnecessarily segregated in institutions despite clinical approval to transition into community settings. As the historic “Olmstead” case climbed through the courts, it culminated at the Supreme Court in 1999.

In a landmark decision, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for the majority, affirmed that “unjustified institutional isolation of persons with disabilities” constitutes discrimination. The Olmstead decision not only opened doors for widespread deinstitutionalization into alternate care facilities, but also encouraged workplace integration and inclusive classroom settings for students with disabilities. Jamieson’s perseverance, and the responsibility entrusted to her by Curtis and Wilson, proved transformative.

As director of the ALAS Mental Health and Disability Rights Project until her retirement in 2009, Jamieson remained a committed advocate. Her compassionate leadership garnered widespread acclaim, including the Atlanta Alliance’s prestigious Heart of Gold Award in 2006, and her pioneering spirit demolished longentrenched obstacles, the impact of which still reverberates today.

The Next Generation

The courageous legacies of these alumni serve as a powerful reminder of the vital role educational institutions play in fostering social progress and promoting civil discourse.

“One of the most important skills we can learn is how to engage in productive discourse,” shared Head of School Dr. Kelley Nicholson-Flynn. “How do we create an environment where everyone feels they can share honestly and authentically? How can we voice our thoughts and opinions while also fostering opportunities for others to do the same? Most importantly, how can we learn to deeply listen to others so that we can be changed by what we learn? That is the foundation of a true education, and it will be our focus in the months and years ahead.”

Comprehensive plans are already in motion schoolwide to formalize existing curricular work, enhance faculty engagement surrounding constructive discourse and develop opportunities for community building in advisories, classrooms and through expert invited speakers.

“I am immensely proud of our long history of alumni who had the courage to stand up for what they believed was right,” said Nicholson-Flynn. “I look forward to nurturing the next generation of those leaders.”

PRINCETON’S FINE

A HISTORY OF PRINCETON DAY SCHOOL ICE HOCKEY

a narrow margin of 2-1. That goal would be one of only two goals PJS conceded on their way to a 3-1 record, including victories over Morristown and the Lance School in Summit, N.J.

Coach Allen F. Dill’s 1930-31 team, captained by John Scoon PCD’31, set the standard for Princeton Country Day School (PCD) for the next thirty-five years, going undefeated at 7-0-0. The players of the 1930s were formidable, going 42-22-6 that decade while regularly beating rival The Lawrenceville School. As the New Deal kicked in and the decade turned, the only thing that could stop the sextets from Broadmead was the Second World War.

From 1944 through 1947, PCD didn’t field a team, as Baker Rink was used as an Army barracks for Princeton University students

enlisted in the Army ROTC program. Despite only playing six seasons, PCD was still remarkably dominant during the 1940s, going 27-8-4 with only one losing season in 1948. That year also marked the start of PCD’s coaching tandem of Lester “Bud” Tibbals and Dick Vaughn, former head hockey coach at the University. The 1940s ended on a high note with the team going undefeated with a record of 6-0-0. The 1950s started just as the 1940s had ended, this time going 6-0-1. In that decade, PCD produced 21 prep school captains, and Ivy League rosters were littered with boys of the Blue and White. It was an astoundingly dominant decade for PCD, going 60-12-5 with undefeated seasons in 1951, 1957 and 1958, producing elite players like Harry Rulon-Miller

PCD’51, John Cook PCD’56, Stephen Cook PCD’59 and Howard McMorris PCD’59. John Cook held the record for being Princeton University’s all-time leading goal scorer (67) for 56 years; he was surpassed only in 2019.

Many wondered how a school with an enrollment of under 100 students from Kindergarten to ninth grade could be so dominant at every level of the game. As McMorris explained, “Ice.” The PCD players had nearly unlimited ice time, skating for hours daily at Baker Rink or on local ponds, ensuring superior skating abilities compared to opponents with limited outdoor rink access.

Those skating abilities prevailed in PCD’s last half-decade. From 1960 to 1965, the Blue and White went an impressive 45-3-3.

Princeton Country Day School’s hockey team circa 1940.

During the school’s final game in 1965, the team trailed for the first time all season. But, a hat trick by Whitaker Raymond PCD’65 secured the lead, and PCD defeated the Wissahickon Skating Club of Philadelphia by a score of 6-2. After 34 years of ice hockey, PCD had accumulated an impressive record of 171-44-18 and produced dozens of prep and college players.

Following the merger with Miss Fine’s School, one of the first things that the newly formed Princeton Day School (PDS) did was begin the building of a rink on campus, which opened in January 1967. That winter, the first-ever PDS team

took the ice, led by their captains Sandy Wandelt ’68 and Evan Donaldson ’68. The team skated to a 6-3-1 record and followed up their inaugural season by going 8-3 the following year. This season marked Tibbals’ last, and he stepped down with a record 123-25-7 over an illustrious nineteen-year career.

The following season marked the program’s first season as a full varsity team. Led by first-year head coach Harry RulonMiller, the team struggled to go 3-4-1, as the growing pains of a first-year varsity program were felt. The players regrouped and, in 1969, went 10-5-1 to close out the decade an astounding 72-15-6.

The 1970s represented a golden era for the program, and the 1970 team is arguably one of the greatest to ever take to the ice. Led by the goaltending tandem of Thomas O’Connor ’71 (later drafted by the Kansas City Scouts of the National Hockey League (NHL), who ultimately sent him to play for the Sioux City Musketeers) and Christopher Reeve ’70 (of Superman fame) along with Donald Young ’70, James Rodgers ’70 and a plucky freshman named Buzz Woodworth ’73. The Panthers opened the season in the renowned Milton-Nobles Tournament, now known as the FloodMarr Tournament. PDS won three games in two days, beating the host school, Milton Academy, along with Kent School and the Berkshire School. Far from satisfied, the Panthers dominated Lawrenceville twice, going on to finish the season 14-4-0 and out-scoring their opponents 80 to 27. While the 70s ended on a sour note with the 1979 team going 9-10 and losing to Lawrenceville and public school powerhouse Brick High School, the 1980s unfortunately did not start any better (an abysmal 6-15-0). The lone bright spot was a trip to play at the 1980 Olympic rink in Lake Placid months before the “Miracle on Ice.” However, the 1981 squad rebounded and, led by co-captains Jon Brush ’81 and New Jersey Hockey Player of the Year Jon Drezner ’81, skated to an 11-6-3 record. The following year, the team went 133-4 under first-year coach Woodworth, capturing the State Championship by beating Lawrenceville 4-3 in overtime. The rest of the 1980s and well into the 90s was rocky with the team facing frequent

coaching instability — five different coaches between 1990 and 1997 — and an outdated rink. In January of 1993, The Trenton Times wrote that the team went from “being the best in New Jersey as recently as the mid-1970s to a much smaller factor in the state picture.” And for the most part, The Trenton Times was right. However, new coach Chris Barcless quickly invigorated the players and things turned around in 1997-98, with PDS clinching a 19-4-1 record and its first state title in eight years.

And so, in the newly built Lisa McGraw ’44 Skating Rink (opened in 1998), and with a new coach, new players and a new attitude, the Panthers were back on top. The team rang in the new millennium just as they had closed out the

Christopher Reeve ’70 serves as goalie during the PDS v. Lawrenceville School game

The PDS varsity boys’ hockey team celebrates a goal against The Lawrenceville School on January 24, 2019, at Princeton University’s Hobey Baker Rink.

last one: by winning championship after championship, including a run of seven straight prep titles from 1998 to 2004. This success soon attracted some of the area’s best hockey players, many of whom would go on to play in college.

The mid-2000s had its ups and downs, with the 2007 Panthers failing to appear in the Prep Championship game for the first time since 1997. In the late 2000s, head coach Scott Bertoli (199-138-34), now the school’s winningest coach, led the Panthers’

rebuilding efforts. In 2008, the team won the annual PDS Invitational and returned to the Prep Championship game. The year also marked the first time the Panthers advanced to the finals of the Mercer County Hockey Tournament. Two seasons later, behind a determined senior class of Brooks Herr ’10, Theodore Casey ’10, Cameron Billingsby ’10 and Edward Riley ’10, the team finally broke through and won the Mercer County Tournament with a decisive 3-0 victory over Princeton High School.

The success of the program from 2011 through 2014 (prep champions in 2011, 2012 and 2014) forged relationships with fellow New Jersey powerhouses like Delbarton, St. Augustine and Don Bosco who have remained on the Panther’s schedule to this day. The team proved to be an offensive juggernaut behind the talents of Conrad Denise ’13 (all-time scoring leader 50G-84A-134P), Sean Timmons ’14 (Skidmore), and brothers Robert Colton ’13 and Ross

Colton ’15. During this remarkable run, the team compiled an impressive 53-15-4 record which included a 32-game home unbeaten streak.

The winning ways allowed for the re-establishment of the annual PDS-Lawrenceville game which had been on hold during the Panthers rebuild (2008-12). This fierce battle was reignited in 2013 when the Big Red edged out the Panthers 5-4 at a jam-packed Loucks Ice Center. A year later, the Panthers would

BREAKING THE ICE CEILING

BY SCOTT BERTOLI

In 1974, the Princeton Day School girls’ ice hockey team made its official debut. Evolved from a growing interest in physical education, and under the direction of coach Aubrey Huston, the female Panthers matched up against club teams from Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the Washington Redcoats and the Delaware Bobcats, two senior-level women’s teams that played in the Mid-Atlantic Women’s Hockey League at the time. During that first season, the team used figure skates and wore the junior varsity boys’ soccer uniforms, which fit

over their limited protection equipment, according to then-Athletic Director Jan Baker.

An excerpt from the 1975 Journal reads, “With the advent of a wildly enthusiastic girls’ ice hockey team, football remains the last bastion of men-only-ism on the school’s athletic front. Girls’ ice hockey began as an intramural sport, but as the team and its eagerness to play increased, a schedule was put together quickly. The first game was played against the Princeton University girls’ varsity, starting at 11 p.m. on a warm winter night, with the result that fans couldn’t see across Baker Rink through the fog, and players appeared and disappeared into the haze as the puck moved from one end of the rink to the other. PDS lost 12-3, but, in a rematch with the university junior varsity, the Panthers got their first and only win of the season, 3-2. Figure skates disappeared, and hockey skates appeared, but to no avail in a pair of losses to archrival Stuart Country Day.”

Soon after, Margaret Bailey ’78 was named the head coach, followed by Buzz

avenge that loss with a 6-3 win at McGraw Rink, and the annual rivalry was back on. PDS became one of the founding members of the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League during the 2013-14 season along with Lawrenceville, The Hill School, La Salle Prep, Wyoming Seminary and The Portledge School.

In his two seasons skating for the Panthers, Ross Colton ’15 collected (48G-31A-79P). After a successful couple of seasons in the United States Hockey

League, Ross was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He enjoyed two productive years at the University of Vermont (28G-22A50P) before turning pro. Ross signed with Tampa Bay in 2018 and eventually made his NHL debut on February 24, 2021, scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes. He was a part of the Lightning’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals where he scored the cup-clinching goal in game five versus the Montreal Canadiens.

Another high watermark for the program was from 2016 to 2019. The team was led by Logan Kramsky ’17, Connor Fletcher ’16, Coby Auslander ’19, Ty Eastman ’19 and Chip Hamlett ’19 (The University of New England), along with eventual Division 1 players (Luke Antonacci ’21, The University of Maine; Tyler Coffey ’18, Colorado College; and Nicolas Petruolo ’18, Union College). In 2017, the final year of the Prep tournament, the Panthers would claim the coveted prize

defeating Morristown-Beard 3-2. A few years later, Chris Cecila ’20 delivered one of the most memorable goals in PDS history by scoring the overtime winner against Lawrenceville School at Baker Rink in 2020. The program’s sustained success from 2016 through the 2020-21 seasons paved the way for the Panthers to join the Gordon Conference in 2021.

Woodworth ’73. During Woodworth’s tenure, PDS transitioned to a varsity program, which opened the door to competing against schools like Taft, Greenwich Academy and Lawrenceville. More local prep schools like Pingry, Morristown Beard and Stuart Country Day followed and added girls’ ice hockey throughout the 1980s.

The Princeton Day School Invitational, which began in 1971, was officially extended to girls in 1991; the first tournament champion was the Chevy Chase Club from Maryland. For the next 30 years, the tournaments ran side by side, attracting schools from all over the area including Albany Academy, The Brunswick School, Rye Country Day, The Gunnery, Canterbury School, The Hill School and many others.

In 1992, the Princeton Tiger Lilies was founded, the oldest and most established girls’ hockey club in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. PDS parent Robert Stockman P’01 ’03 ’06 ’09 was a founder of the Tiger Lillies and a key supporter of girls’

ice hockey in the region. Not only was he integral to fundraising for the Lisa McGraw ’44 Skating Rink, but he is also credited for accelerating the growth of girls’ teams in the area. Since the 90s, a number of PDS students have gone on to play for the Tiger Lilies.

Interest in the women’s game continued to grow into the 2000s both at PDS and throughout the tri-state area which led to the creation of the Mid Atlantic Girls Prep Hockey League in 2004-05. The eight founding schools were Morristown Beard School, Princeton High School, Pingry, The Hill School, Holton Arms, Princeton Day School, Shady Side Academy and Wyoming Seminary. The following year, the name was changed to the Women’s Interscholastic Hockey League of the MidAtlantic (WIHLMA) and the same eight teams participated. Over the course of the next 17 years, as teams came and went for a variety of reasons, the Panthers, along with Morristown Beard and Portledge remained committed to the WHILMA. However, in the fall of 2021 and with

tremendous excitement, PDS joined the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and became eligible to compete for state championships for the first time. The girls’ hockey team took full advantage of the newfound opportunity by reaching the State Final in 2022 at the Prudential Center. A year later, the Panthers left

WHILMA to become members of the Librera Conference, the top girls division of the New Jersey Interscholastic Ice Hockey League.

As of 2024, PDS remains one of 15 girls varsity hockey teams in the state and boasts an expanded roster of 25 players.

On February 8, 2022, Princeton Day School defeated Oak Knoll 5-0 during the Prep Final championship.

Unearthing Colross

For close to a century, Colross has stood as a prominent landmark at the entrance to Princeton Day School. Its use has evolved over the years, once serving as a head of school’s residence, classroom spaces and, at present, admission, advancement and communication offices. Colross is also utilized as a picturesque backdrop for commencements, Maypole dances and other outdoor celebrations. Despite its Georgian-style architecture, elegant lobby, towering ceilings and stately facade, in 2005, an archaeological excavation in Alexandria, Va., revealed a troubling reality: In its earliest iterations, Colross was not only home to a forced-labor plantation, but enslaved workers were responsible for its construction and made to reside within its walls.

In 2020, after an alumna brought the report to the attention of then-Head of School Paul Stellato, he gathered together a small group of faculty to further understand Colross’ past and lay a foundation for work to continue under the incoming head, Dr. Kelley NicholsonFlynn. In 2023, the project gained additional momentum when a student decided to investigate, further bringing the building’s complex legacy into the spotlight.

A Mansion's Troubling Origins

Originally constructed around 1800 in the Old Town neighborhood of Alexandria, Colross was the home of John Potts, a merchant who envisioned it as the centerpiece of a forced-labor cash crop plantation. According to a 2005 article in Alexandria’s Metro Herald, Potts planned to develop the entire block as a residential complex.

However, Potts would never see Colross in its completed state. He encountered financial difficulties that left the mansion half-complete, and he eventually offered it for sale in 1801. By 1803, a new owner had arrived. The purchaser was Jonathan Swift (no relation to the Irish satirist), another noted merchant, who referred to the estate variously as “Belle Air” or “Grasshopper Hall” and paid $9,000 for the unfinished mansion and its surrounding property.

Over the next several decades, Colross changed hands multiple times, acquired by a succession of wealthy white merchants and judges, including Thomson Francis Mason, who, as published by Forgotten History, was the grandson of George Mason, an American politician and Founding Father.

The Metro Herald chronicled Colross’ later years in Virginia, noting it was commandeered as a Union encampment during the Civil War. While residing with his family from 1885 to 1917, then-owner William Smoot witnessed the estate’s partial development into an industrial complex. After a 1927 tornado left the mansion in disrepair, the article states John Munn acquired and meticulously relocated Colross to Princeton in 1929.

According to a 1981 news story in the now-defunct Princeton Recollector, Colross was transported from Virginia in pieces on 21 train flatcars. The trip lasted four weeks and, once the dismantled mansion arrived in Princeton, it took a full year to rebuild. For many years, the story of Colross’ incredible journey along with its lineage of influential owners, were among its most notable qualities. That was, until a city ordinance forced an archaeological excavation of the site on which Colross once stood.

Upon breaking ground, the firm managing the project, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates Inc., was surprised to find that much of Colross’ underground architecture was still intact, including the foundation, a basement kitchen, a network

of brick walkways and the foundations of various outbuildings. These discoveries confirmed the lower-level rooms were used to keep enslaved workers out of sight. While the prominent owners’ names have been preserved in property records and civic ledgers, the narratives and identities of the workers remain largely unknown.

The final report published by Goodwin & Associates glaringly lacked information and context about the enslaved workers.

“I was appalled,” said Middle School Humanities Chair Amy Beckford, who read the report while completing her master’s degree in historical archaeology. “There is almost no mention, relative to the 200page report, of the enslaved people. They’re very glossed over, mentioned in passing at best, with the kind of language that dances around the issue.”

Over the decade and a half it took for the report to reach PDS, the mansion remained shrouded in folklore and conjectures.

Some claimed it was used as an execution site for Union deserters, while others suggested it functioned as a hospital for wounded soldiers. There were also tales that the mansion served as a stop along the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people escape to freedom. However, all of

Colross, circa 1932, in Princeton, New Jersey.

these claims remain unverified.

Some tales, like the one told by Marietta Minnigerode Andrews in her book “George Washington’s Country,” recount lively incidents of owners gambling away their wealth — including the ownership of Colross itself. The home was also the site of several deaths and severe damage from natural disasters, lending it an air of haunted misfortune. For many years, these stories circulated, often trivializing and fictionalizing the harsh realities of oppression that enabled the existence of such a lavish estate.

In 2021, Arun Patel ’24 stumbled upon the story.

“I came across the information about Colross during my freshman year while looking at the PDS Wikipedia page. During my junior spring, I decided it was time to write a piece about its history. I finally finished the piece in December of my senior year,” said Patel, whose article titled “Unveiling Colross: Navigating the Complex History of Slavery Within PDS’s Architectural Gem," was published in the school newspaper, the Spokesman, in January 2024.

“Every faculty member and student I spoke to barely knew about Colross’ history, so I felt like it was my responsibility to share this information with the PDS community,” he said.

A Call to Action

While Nicholson-Flynn was still settling into her new role, she was approached by Patel with a request for a conversation. Recognizing the importance of Patel’s work, Nicholson-Flynn knew that addressing Colross’ complex history would become an institutional priority.

“Student agency is one of my top priorities, always,” she said. “When a student independently says ‘there’s something here we should think about,’ I listen. Arun has a lot of wisdom, and I wanted to hear what he had to say.”

Nicholson-Flynn believes there are several opportunities to forge a path forward, including a comprehensive public history project or a more localized acknowledgment tailored specifically to the Princeton Day School community. Knowing the ultimate decision would best be made by folks with more expertise, she

Clockwise from left to right: Colross, circa 1925, in Alexandria, Va. John Munn with Colross’ bricks in 1927 before they were transported to New Jersey. Colross, circa 1927, during its disassembly in Alexandria.

“Despite the weight of its history, Colross has been a place of growth and opportunity for me. I’d like to think that perhaps returning here allows me to play a role in shaping a more inclusive future for the school.” – Teddy Brown ’08

assembled a committee comprised of Upper School Librarian Amy Matlack, Upper School History Teacher Michael “Mookie” Kideckel, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Tony McKinley, Academic Dean Caroline Lee and Director of Lower School Admission Teddy Brown ’08.

“This is a group of brilliant individuals who each have a unique connection to this project. Amy and Mookie are both fantastic researchers and historians, Tony, Caroline and Teddy have extensive backgrounds in DEI work and Teddy’s perspective as a Black alumnus currently working in Colross is invaluable,” shared Nicholson-Flynn. In addition, Matlack and Kideckel, in their roles as advisors for the Spokesman, were able to support and guide Patel throughout his writing process.

“A few years ago, someone had mentioned Colross’ history to me in passing. I thought it was interesting that no one was talking about it. We would bring up Colross as a potential story every year with the students who write for the Spokesman, but Arun came across the information independently and he came to us with his idea,” Matlack shared. “It was important for a student to bring up this topic. That’s how you know it might resonate with other students.”

When Matlack was asked by NicholsonFlynn to be a part of the committee, she didn’t think twice.

“If we don’t acknowledge Colross’ past and its connection with the history of our country, it suggests that PDS exists outside of that narrative rather than as a part of it,” she shared. “I know we will hit roadblocks — I just learned the census records that may have contained the names of those enslaved at Colross were destroyed. It is difficult work, but I’m excited for the opportunity to find other ways to honor those individuals and their stories.”

Brown is also looking forward to the challenge.

“The committee presents a unique opportunity to understand the complete story of Colross, one that acknowledges the invaluable contributions of enslaved people who laid the foundation upon which these halls stand,” he said. “Being a part of it allows me to actively participate in shaping our school’s future. As a person of color, an alumnus and an employee, I believe my voice and perspectives can be valuable additions.”

While acknowledging Colross’ association with the injustice of slavery, Brown also recognizes that the building’s presence on

the PDS campus today serves not only as a reminder of his own PDS journey but as a powerful symbol for the community.

“Despite the weight of its history, Colross has been a place of growth and opportunity for me,” he said. “I’d like to think that perhaps returning here allows me to play a role in shaping a more inclusive future for the school.”

By making an institutional commitment to honoring the experiences of those who were enslaved at Colross, PDS has an opportunity to transform an emblem of America’s troubled past into a powerful vehicle for awareness, education and growth.

And Nicholson-Flynn believes the only

way forward is together.

“We always talk about how we have a responsibility to ourselves and the world around us. I believe the call to acknowledge Colross emerges from that mission,” she said. “We want to grapple with hard history, yet do so in a way that uplifts — a way that doesn’t diminish or harm anyone.”

Nicholson-Flynn continued, “One thing that can be challenging as a head of school is to take great care of a school’s past but also to lay the foundation for its future. It’s an awesome responsibility to consider what people will say about this time in 100 years. My hope is that they’ll look back and say the school did the right thing.”

Arun Patel ’24 and Teddy Brown ’08 review historical images and architectural plans of Colross.

Attitude of GRATITUDE

By Jana F. Brown

“I

would encourage anyone who can to give, and would encourage those who have the talent and the time to serve as volunteers in any way they can.

–John Wellemeyer PCD’52

eflecting on her years at Miss Fine’s School, Susan Wallach MFS’64 credits exceptional teaching and an emphasis on independent thinking as integral factors in the school’s success in instilling self-confidence and a passion for lifelong learning in its students.

As a fifth grader in a public school in Pennsylvania, Wallach was identified as an exceptional student, and her parents were encouraged to explore options for their daughter’s education. She went on to graduate from Harvard/Radcliffe College and Harvard Law School, before launching a productive career as an attorney and later as an active board member in not-forprofit organizations in the educational and cultural areas.

“I don’t know how my parents found Miss Fine’s, but it turned out to be wonderful for me, a real change agent,” Wallach says. “The dedicated and extraordinary teachers became an inspiration for my life.”

Wallach has expressed her appreciation for the faculty through significant generosity to Princeton Day School, including a 2014 gift to establish the Miss Fine’s Center, whose mission is to advance the careers of teachers by offering financial support for professional development, interdisciplinary collaboration, travel, and research. As part of the gift, a showcase listing and honoring each MFS faculty member was refurbished and placed in the main lobby so that everyone entering the school would be aware of Miss Fine’s School and the educators who shaped the lives of Wallach and countless others.

Over 125 faculty members at all career stages have benefited from Miss Fine’s Center grants, enabling them to enhance curricula and explore interdisciplinary

collaborations, thereby advancing the school’s mission of teaching excellence in an ever-changing world. Over the years, faculty members have traveled to Stanford University, for example, to attend a workshop focused on design thinking and how to teach creative problem solving, or have received funds to align non-fiction reading skills and literacy objectives across disciplines in fifth and sixth grade. This summer, several educators across divisions have been awarded grants to identify ways in which artificial intelligence can be incorporated into new and existing curricula from seventh-grade English to Upper School AP French.

“The Miss Fine’s Center has been created in gratitude to the dedicated faculty members who have advanced and who continue to advance the school’s mission to deliver excellence in teaching,” says Wallach, who also was a lead donor in establishing the Miss Fine’s School Fund for faculty support in 1991.

Wallach is not alone in expressing thanks for the devoted teachers who fueled her educational experience. John Wellemeyer PCD’52 is another alumnus who has given back substantially to PDS. Born in Louisiana, Wellemeyer’s parents moved to New Jersey when he was in middle school and enrolled him at Princeton Country Day School as a seventh grader. The alumnus describes the “shock” of the high-caliber academics he encountered at PCD and recalls with gratitude the educators who tutored him outside of class to make sure he caught up.

“Schools without a great faculty are not great schools. Fortunately, PDS has a great faculty,” says Wellemeyer, who earned a degree in chemical engineering from

John Wellemeyer PCD’52

Yale and an MBA from the University of Chicago before pursuing a career on Wall Street. “The public school system in Louisiana was one of the worst in the country, but the teachers at PCD helped me, so I’m happy to be able to support them now.”

Wellemeyer’s respect for excellence in teaching continued when his twin sons, James ’18 and Douglas ’18, attended PDS from kindergarten through eighth grade. He was so impressed by the educational experience his boys encountered,

particularly through the science curriculum, that when former Head of School Paul Stellato approached him about making a lead gift to establish what is now

The Wellemeyer Family STEAM Center, he didn’t hesitate. Wellemeyer emphasizes that, while he gave the central gift, it was done so in the form of a challenge to encourage others to also contribute to the project.

Wellemeyer’s championing of STEAM education and the opening of the STEAM Center have been pivotal in advancing this interdisciplinary field at PDS, leading to

increased enrollment in STEAM courses and an expanded curriculum.

That gift was the most recent in a series of major donations from Wellemeyer and his wife, Louise. Supporters of the school’s annual fund, they also made a pivotal gift to the Faculty Salary Fund in 2007; a gift to the Investing in Excellence campaign; and several capital gifts to support athletic facilities. Wellemeyer is also a longtime trustee of the school, devoting his time to stewarding the resources that make the PDS experience possible.

“I could still be in Louisiana if I hadn’t been lucky enough to have my parents move up to New Jersey and put me in school here,” Wellemeyer says. “After a nurturing loving home life, education is the next most important factor in an individual’s life. I would encourage anyone who can to give, and would encourage those who have the talent and the time to serve as volunteers in any way they can.”

Both Wallach (2014) and Wellemeyer (2019) are recipients of the John D. (“Jack”) Wallace PCD’48 Alumni Service Award, rechristened in 2013 for its namesake, the school’s longest-serving trustee. Jack Wallace attended PCD from fifth through ninth grade and finished his education at Hotchkiss School and Princeton University before serving in the U.S. Navy and starting a career in banking. He served two terms on the PDS Board of Trustees (1978-84 and 19962013) and is currently a trustee emeritus. He has devoted countless hours to PDS over the years and was a 1993 recipient of the Alumni Service Award prior to its renaming in his honor. In addition to being an alumnus, his children, John Wallace, Jr. ’78, Chris Wallace ’80, and Margie Wallace Gibson ’84 (a current third-grade teacher and director of service learning at PDS), and grandchildren, Chris Gibson ’10, Katie Gibson ’11, Cord Gibson ’12, Coby Gibson ’17, are also PDS graduates. Wallace’s mother, Margaret, was a member of the Miss Fine’s School Class of 1927.

Gifts from Wallace and his wife, Happy, have been vital to PDS for decades. In 1991, they endowed the John D. Wallace, Jr. ’78 Memorial Guest Artist Series Fund to start Imagine the Possibilities, a speaker

Upper School Math Teacher Jen Perez develops a cutting-edge hybrid math course, made possible through the support of the Miss Fine’s Center

Middle School students immerse themselves in the STEAMposium experience

series that brings “authors, illustrators, and poets to PDS to work directly with students across disciplines and grade levels.” Today, the program has doubled in size and scope, welcoming renowned visitors including 22nd Poet Laureate of The United States Tracy K. Smith; philosopher, scholar and activist Dr. Cornel West P’18; and Caldecott Award-winning illustrator Melissa Sweet. As one student writer for the Spokesman noted, “Imagine the Possibilities is a true gift…it offers the PDS community opportunities to learn and grow together.”

In 1999, the Wallaces established the Wallace Family Scholarship Fund, which supports financial aid at PDS and, in 2014, supported the development of the STEAM program. A music practice room is also named for Wallace’s mother, Margaret Cook Wallace MFS’27.

Wallace calls PDS “a great educational institution,” praising the leadership of Head of School Kelley Nicholson-Flynn, and adds that he and his wife give to the school with the hope of inspiring others. “We figured if we do it,” he says, “maybe somebody else

will also do it.”

Another PCD alumnus who has long understood the importance of giving to provide opportunities for current and future students is Paul Vogel PCD’62. Like Wellemeyer, Vogel enrolled at the school after his parents realized that the school system in their hometown — Trenton, N.J., — lacked the resources they desired to support their son’s education.

“Trenton was not known for its vibrant school system,” Vogel recalls, “so my parents and grandparents pooled their

money and sent me to PCD. That was probably the best thing they could have done, and I’m forever grateful.”

At PCD, Vogel gained confidence through the thoughtful guidance of several mentors, including English teacher Bill Ackley and Latin teacher Langdon Lee. He excelled as an athlete, and eventually graduated from Rutgers Law School. After short stints as a federal attorney and in private practice, Vogel joined Merck, where he ran employee and labor relations for the pharmaceutical giant before retiring in 1995.

Though he had long been a loyal contributor to the school’s annual fund, Vogel also made two major gifts to acknowledge his experience at PCD and celebrate the memory of his parents. In 2020, the million-dollar contribution from Vogel and his wife, Beth Seidenberg, endowed The Mitzie L. and Louis F. Vogel Scholarship Fund to honor the sacrifices the elder Vogels made for their son to attend PCD. The dollars support needbased financial aid at PDS, with particular emphasis on assisting students who have demonstrated an interest in athletics.

Four years later, in March 2024, Vogel and friends John F. McCarthy PCD’62 and Richard H. Eckels PCD’62 established The John Gaston PCD’61 and Rod Myers PCD’62 Scholarship Fund in honor of two classmates who were “known and loved by peers for their kindness and inclusivity.”

Vogel speaks about the atmosphere of inclusivity that existed during his three years at PCD and about the respect he maintains for the institution and the people who made such an impact on him.

Now, his contributions are impacting others. Vogel’s support of financial aid significantly strengthens Princeton Day

Dr. Joshua Bennett engages kindergarteners during the 2024 Imagine the Possibilities artist series

School’s dedication to socioeconomic diversity across all grade levels.

Approximately 25% of PDS students benefit from financial aid.

“It’s an acknowledgment of what the school meant to me at that point in my life,” Vogel says. “That was a formative period in my life. My parents were absolutely adamant about giving me the best opportunities educationally, and for that, I’m so grateful.”

Princeton native Lisa McGraw Webster MFS’44 was also a philanthropic leader, who gave so generously that her impact endures a decade after her death. At the time of her passing in 2014, Stellato credited Webster as one of the “men and women [who] have shaped the fate and fortunes of Miss Fine’s School, Princeton Country Day School, and Princeton Day School.” Webster, he added, “stood, and will continue to stand, shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of them.”

It was Webster who gave the anchor gift to build the rink, which opened in 1998 and was named in her honor. A lifelong skater and resident of Princeton, she was devoted to the sport and the school, having grown up a few blocks from Miss Fine’s. Her gift to help fund the rink at PDS was, at the time, among the largest in school history, and it challenged others to complete the funding for the project. Webster also made a significant gift in 2005 to help establish the Marjorie Williams ’75 Scholarship Fund to support financial aid, with a preference for students who wish to pursue writing in the future.

In addition to giving to her alma mater, Webster sponsored Olympic figure skaters, from Paul Wylie to Nancy Kerrigan. This led her son, Curtis McGraw Webster ’75,

to start the Lisa McGraw Figure Skating Foundation in the late 1990s to continue his mother’s generous sponsorship of internationally competitive hopefuls.

“Mom was very thoughtful about the Princeton community,” Curtis Webster says. “The skating rink at PDS is a great reminder of her and a culmination of her involvement with figure skating. Over a 30-year period, she sponsored a multitude of athletes, numerous skating arts organizations, and the PDS rink. It means a great deal to me and my family to have

her legacy continued through the school’s enjoyment of the rink.”

Wallach, Wellemeyer, Wallace, Vogel, and Webster have all demonstrated leadership in giving that will continue to make a difference to the PDS community well into the future. The extraordinary generosity of these alumni and others devoted to the diverse priorities of the school is a prime example of maintaining, as Wallach puts it, “an attitude of gratitude” for the people and institutions that make excellent education possible.

“Meeting these incredible benefactors and their families, and connecting how their transformative contributions have strengthened and shaped PDS has been truly gratifying and a highlight of my first year,” Nicholson-Flynn says. “Their generosity has inspired a longstanding tradition of philanthropy that we must continue to nurture for students of today and the generations that will follow.”

Center: Lisa McGraw Webster MFS’44

CLASS NOTES

MISS FINE’S

Phyllis Vandewater Clement pvanclement@gmail.com

Lucy Law Webster lucylawwebster@gmail.com

1950

Doe Coletti Mechem doe@mechem.org

I only went to Miss Fine’s for three years because my mother sent me off to a boarding school for a miserable two years, where I was teased to death. It was also inferior academically to Miss Fine’s. I remember Miss Fine’s, in the mid 40s, was listed as #20 in academic excellence in the whole State of N.J. The teachers I remember were Frannie Kleeman, choir director, who was excellent and arranged for us to sing with Princeton University a few times. Also, the French teacher, Mrs. Wade, was very good. The history teacher, Mrs. Albion, had a very innovative way of teaching European history and that was to pair it with American history, so we followed along what was going on in each continent. I remember the Christmas celebration where we all carried candles from the second floor down the stairs to the assembly hall, and how beautiful and moving it was. The whole Upper School recited by heart the section from the Bible which started: “And there were in the same country

shepherds abiding in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night…And the angel said unto them be not afraid for I bring you tidings of great joy…Peace on earth and good will towards men.”

Now unusual events I remember. One winter, we had a terrible ice storm. The streets were a sheet of ice, so my sister and I decided to skate to school, which we did. When we arrived, of course, school had been canceled and there was screaming of joy from the porch from the few who had gotten there. Another event I remember: we used to have dancing classes with the boys from PCD (Princeton Country Day). A few of the boys got downstairs to the basement and found the fuse box and turned off all the electricity, to our great delight. For me, my years at Miss Fine’s were extremely happy. It was a good school.

1953

Hope Thompson Kerr Sporthope33@gmail.com

1954

Joan Kennan joankennan@gmail.com

1955

Chloe King lchloek@comcast.net

Jo Cornforth Coke: Jo is working with the League of Women Voters, registering high school students, and also providing information to seniors in living facilities about voting, including absentee. “I really enjoy being on the board of our local PBS station, as well as the Chattanooga Symphony board.

My Wellesley 65th reunion is at the end of May, then vacation time in Roatan, Honduras, watching them build my son’s new house. At 86, the main thing is to keep moving!”

Ellen Jamison Franck: “I am sorry to share some sad news with you. My husband, and best friend of 62 years, passed away before Christmas. He had been failing in the last few months with several stays in the hospital, and, in the end, he was on palliative care. He passed away peacefully with his family around him. I am sure he is in Heaven now where his job is to pray the rest of us in.

Last year Ernie and I moved into an assisted living facility, the Regency, in Glen Cove, six miles from our home in Sea Cliff, which remains my legal address. Regency provides myriad opportunities to engage and amuse the residents and trips to take us elsewhere if we are so inclined. I am trying to start a book club to add to the mix. I must make accommodations for the members, some of whom are blind or hard of hearing. Wish me luck!”

Terri Beck Morse: Terri is attempting to downsize in her home. Thankfully she has the help of her daughter-in-law, Gaby, and sons, Michael and Marty. Gaby is President of an organization called “Center for Women and Enterprise,” which has helped thousands of mostly minority women start businesses. Sam is at the Laser Lab at University of Rochester overseeing an update of the facility. “Sam and his wife, Lauren, and son, Nathan, live near Rochester, but we still manage to get together a few times a year. Marty sold the sailboat he was using as an Airbnb in Nantucket Harbor.” Terri has a very busy family!

Alice Marie Nelson: Alice Marie sold her cabin on the lake, and she is feeling the loss. She is looking forward to a trip to England in May.

Chloe King: My life has been challenging in the past few months! A serious fall resulted in

a fracture in my humerus and in my right hip. Many weeks in a hospital, and rehab facility here on the North Hill campus resulted in healed fractures! I can walk and have limited use of my right arm. There is bright light at the end of the tunnel! Spring is trying to stay in New England but has its ups and downs. Looking forward to summer.

Best to everyone!

1956

Charlotte Cook ccook@csus.edu

1957

Rosalind Webster Perry rosperry@impulse.net

I have so many vivid memories of my 13 years at Miss Fine’s. I still remember the excitement of celebrating the school’s fiftieth anniversary in 1950, when I was in fifth grade. Middle and Upper School students were dressed in gym uniforms of the style worn in 1900: middy blouses, kerchiefs, bloomers, and black stockings. We lined up in rows across the school’s playing field to perform exercises in time with Verdi’s “Triumphal March!”

So much to remember… I was delighted to hear from several classmates with their news and memories!

From Anne Gildar Kaufman, by email and phone: “Many wonderful events are occurring in my family this year. My youngest grandson is having a Bar Mitzvah on May 4th. He will be called to the Torah to chant, in Hebrew, the week’s portion. There will be a big celebration afterwards, with family coming from near and far. Soon after, we are expecting our second great-grandson, in Michigan. In August, our

grandson, Andrew, will be marrying a lovely young woman he met in Israel while they were both getting their graduate degrees. I’m happy to say that they are no longer living in Israel!”

Alissa Kramer Sutphin sent news that their granddaughter, Lyla Sutphin, will be a freshman at Bryn Mawr this fall. She also offered these reflections on our time at Miss Fine’s: “It was an excellent school with some marvelous supportive teachers. Our class, while very small (12 graduates), was composed of talented and wonderful girls. I am so happy to have made a number of lifelong friends.”

Alissa continued, “The best event of my entire life was meeting Bill Sutphin the spring of our senior year. I went to Firestone Library at Princeton University, searching for reference books for my thesis. Bill, who was a Princeton senior, had all the books I needed in his carrel, so we both worked there! He came to my Miss Fine’s graduation, and I went to his Princeton graduation the same spring. We were married a year later!”

Molly Menand Jacobs sent me this news: “A year ago, I moved to Rochester, New York, to be close to my family. I have a daughter and a sister who live here, along with nieces and nephews. I also have another daughter nearby in Buffalo. I am in a 55 and older apartment complex. I like that I can choose, or not, to join in the activities here. Mostly, I do want to get to all those books I have accumulated, and the sand is running out of the hourglass, so I may not get to all of them!”

Nancy Miller spent fourth through twelfth grades at MFS and later taught at PDS for 33 years! She said, “I have to admit that I couldn’t believe how many years it has been since 1957. I thought that my math must be faulty, which would be easy for Miss Campbell to understand. Our friendships are everything. I think of our slumber parties, calling WPRB, Skirms (do you have Prince Albert in a can?), the Triangle Club.

“MFS memories are always fun. Remember how the front porch was such a good gathering place or how much fun it was to come in the front hall and see the great staircase? I have so many memories, sometimes fleeting, of our years of friendship and activities. It really was a special place and I think that we were very lucky to have gone there and to still have our MFS friends 68 years later — how amazing is that?

“Living at Pennswood Village has really made my life easier. No problem is too small for someone on the staff to help, in the friendliest way possible. There are activities offered so one can do as much as you want or just relax in one’s apartment. I do miss Cricket Cottage but I’m welcome to visit the young seminary family who have moved in. Little children are once again enjoying the brook, woods and fields, just as they have for generations. That makes me very happy!”

1958

Nancy Hudler Keuffel acornnhk@aol.com

How amazing that it was 125 years ago that Miss Fine’s was founded, and even better that so many of us keep in touch with classmates! In March, four of us met at the Keuffel’s apartment in New York for lunch and a chat. Faith Wing Bieler was there, and she continues to teach yoga at The Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont, but scoots down to the city to see her son and his family from time to time. Anne Prather Tirana (aka Jinx) lives near the Tappan Zee Bridge and also in a loft in New York. Her colorful paintings are featured at various art shows. Lisa Fairman Heher had a wonderful trip to Ireland where she visited her younger granddaughter who is studying in Dublin. Her older granddaughter is a recent graduate of American University.

MFS 1958 classmates Nancy Hudler Keuffel, Jinx Prather Tirana, Lisa Fairman Heher and Faith Wing Bieler enjoyed lunch together this past March

Laura Johnson Waterman was not at our luncheon, but we learned from Faith that Laura has written another book, “Calling Wild Places Home.”

When asked about memories that were special to Miss Fine’s, Lisa recalled May Day and thought that the Honor Code was a unique feature of the school. Faith recalled that her favorite activities were singing and sports, and always remembers French classes with those calico puppets, Tiki and Taki. French class brought back memories to Nancy who recalled her first French class in seventh grade where Madame Holenkoff announced that some French words were feminine and others masculine. Nancy decided that surely the woman was mistaken as whoever heard of words having genders — today “inclusive writing” in France has been banned in the schools and students still have to learn which word uses a le and which uses a la. For extensive information on that, do a Google!

1959

Ann Kinczel Clapp AnnClapp@hotmail.com

1959 Memories of Miss Fine’s School:

Kristina Grondahl reported how difficult it was to explain bloomers to her granddaughter.

Nan Nicholes Goodrich said MFS provided her a solid foundation, still with her today, especially apparent when watching “Jeopardy.”

Jennifer Dunning remembered a strangely configured building and the fire alarm on the porch going off at dismissal when things got too hectic.

Ruth Pessel Riedel used to tell her husband that she often saw Einstein walking his dog from her “Woodie” style station wagon.

I, Ann Kinczel Clapp, remember being

allowed to invite 3-4 boys to our dances, one date and some extras, checking their responses, and answering FOR them if they did not RSVP! I am also grateful for MFS opening my eyes to wonderful literature.

1960

Penny Hart Bragonier Pbragon@gmail.com

1961

Polly Busselle Bishop mahalabishop4@gmail.com

Julia Cornforth Holofcener holofcenerltd@comcast.net

Fiona Morgan Fein: “I’ve been remembering with such pleasure and gratitude the effort made by so many to come to Princeton almost a year ago for our 80th birthday party, all the while wondering ‘how it is that we got this old?’ As you may have heard, my beloved alma mater, Wells College, is closing at the end of the spring semester—another victim of the changing time in higher education. I am filled with gratitude for all that it gave me between 1961 when I entered and 2024 when I stepped off the Board. And as with MFS, the friendships formed, if nurtured, last as long as we do with or without the bricks and mortar. Summer plans include ten days at the Marlboro Music Festival in VT, which I’m really looking forward to. Other than that, I look at the accumulations of a lifetime and know it’s time to downsize, but am unable, so far, to take the first step. All suggestions welcome!”

Lucia Norton Woodruff: “I’m giving myself permission not to make any hard decisions for a while. It isn’t recommended for the first year of widowhood. However, I’m enjoying my

life in Austin with trips to the Northeast to see family and friends. As always, I’m playing chamber music, a joy!”

Nancy Smoyer: “My life goes on as usual with some travel, some veterans and volunteer work, just pretty much what I’ve said in everything I’ve written in the past. I think I should be thankful that I have nothing to report.”

Sheila Long: “I leave for Boston for the Bat Mitzvah of the granddaughter of an old friend who was my roommate in the French House at Mt. Holyoke sophomore year. I attended the

Bar Mitzvah of the child’s father 33 years ago. My latest foray into creativity is the design of mugs for octogenarians, inspired by one of our long class email exchanges on turning 80.”

Jane Smith: “I am alive and feeling my age in my house in Dummerston, VT. I just had my property logged (thinned), big excitement! Love to read and walk the property.”

Cynthia Weinrich: “I think perhaps my main achievement of the last half year is accommodating the reality of turning 80. I had been really resistant to the idea of

Debbie Moore Krulewitch ’61 in Tanzania

limits closing in ‘because of one’s age’— and noticing (or thinking you noticed) people’s expectations of you lowered because you are ‘old.’ So, I am very grateful to the class conversation chains that ended up producing my new motto for guiding one’s life into older age: ‘Vigor et Prudentia.’ After all, prudence was just being sensible at any age — it wasn’t just for ‘old people.’ Of course, looking back I shudder to remember some of the very unPrudentia things I did in the past, and somehow miraculously (but not really thinking about the fact that it was miraculous!) got away with. So those ‘three little words’ have completely reframed my attitude towards life as an older person, which is a great relief and liberation. I’m also planning my annual family visit to the LA area, this time including a visit to the Queen Mary with my niece and her son—a lifelong desire, to make up for my regret that I never made a ‘transatlantic crossing’ back in my youth, when people did. And my three amaryllis plants, who are blooming away with gorgeous abandon, are cheering me.”

Polly Busselle Bishop: “I’ve moved to Maine to be with Don—all beautiful but the winter was too cold. I have my Spindrift Pottery and Don has his “Coming About,” a community gathering place.

Deborah Moore Krulewitch: “Most exciting news is that I went to Tanzania with a friend for 10 days in February. Visited the Masai tribe and their loving children. You will never forget Africa once you go there. Tanzania is a beautiful, peaceful country, which I did not know was under German rule and then passed on to British and then finally independent in the 1960s.”

Cherry Raymond: “I turned 80 on the day of the solar eclipse and tried not to take it too personally. I love the symmetry—80 on 4/8/44 and hope winged eternity will lift my heels the whole year long as I endeavor post haste

to heal the BODY and reinvent myself as an income earner. By now I think all our class is at least 80!

“Tibby and I meet for tea or soup now and then in Northampton, happy to find much to share. I see Trudi, too, if I can catch her before she heads for Chatham. What a shame to miss Fiona and Harvey at the opening for his truly awesome artifacts in woodturning. Fiona helps from behind-the-scenes. In truth, they make a great team, sharing a keen sight for symmetry and novelty.

“Sending love, much appreciation to you all and MFS.”

Jeanie Shaw Byrne: Adjusting to being 80— such a number, but we are healthy, family good and life goes on. We spend winters in Florida but still come home to NJ to the same house and two families in the area. Grandchildren from age 26 to 10. Happy for email to keep up with all of them. I am past volunteering and saving the world, so golf, bridge, gardening, keeping fit and staying connected to friends and family fills the days. Thankful for each day and the memories past. Just happy to have had to rethink my life and its meaning past and present. MFS and our class are/were important to who we have become.”

Elise (Tibby) Chase Dennis: “Turning 81 and having parathyroid surgery at the end of March (removing glands that were causing my bones to leach calcium into the bloodstream) has, interestingly, made me VERY aware of our mortality and has motivated me to begin going through personal, legal and financial papers accumulated over a lifetime in order to shred and toss as much as possible and to organize the rest. A HUGE task, quite overwhelming, but one that has to be attacked step by step, day by day. Would you believe, I still found canceled checks and bank statements from my dad’s things back in the previous century! On a different note, re-reading old journals is quite a trip, to put

it mildly, as is revisiting stacks of letters from Elise and Cynthia, written during our high school and college years.”

Trudi Goheen Swain: “Just to add that like most of us, in turning 80, I’ve had to look back to assess and to look forward to make the most of the years remaining.”

Julia Cornforth Holofcener: “Just celebrated my 81st birthday and am enjoying my life in London. Lots happening…and nothing happening. Being a theatre producer is not always easy, but I am having the best fun meeting some amazing people in this crazy theatrical world and playing ‘Angel’ to some plays and musicals. I am creating memories if nothing else! Plans are to return to the States in March 2025, if none of my personal productions have developed, but I’m still hopeful. Onward!”

1962

Linda Maxwell Stefanelli linda.stefanelli@gmail.com

I always hesitate to venture into the mysteries of math but by my calculations, our class holds a tantalizingly unique distinction as PDS celebrates the 125th anniversary of the founding of Miss Fine’s School this year. We graduated in 1962, which is 62 years ago last June and 62 years since students completed their first year at May Margaret Fine’s new school. I’m not sure of the significance of those numbers but it might be worth buying a lottery ticket.

Sonia Bill Robertson started us off with the following update from early May. “We are happily still in our house in Portland, Maine where spring comes around Mother’s Day. In an attempt to be able to keep pace with granddaughters, Ali (Alia after my mother), eight and a half, and Loulou, six, I had my

right knee replaced about two weeks ago. Yes, way harder than a hip! We see Mary Liz Keegan Colley and Dave on their way up and down the coast, a visit which is always a summer’s highlight. Some of you (Carol???) must come to Maine in the summer. I would love to see you! Looked at our ‘Link’ the other day—a lot of treasured memories rushed back. Hope you all are fit and healthy and happy as we move forward a decade. Love all around.”

Still keeping us abreast of the class news, Susie Shea McPherson wrote, “I live on Cape Cod year-round, which is wonderful. My youngest, Sandy, lives nearby which is helpful; Elle is our eldest and lives in Argentina; Rob is next and lives in Virginia. Everyone is married but only Rob has two boys. Bruce has been gone a long time now, which is sad. I am thankful every day for my good health, which allows me to see friends, walk daily, and enjoy being here.”

Kate Sayen Kirkland wrote in after reading some of class’s memories of Toni Oppenheimer in the last Journal. She also loved the movie about Toni’s father and says, “The lead actor, Cillian Murphy, was Oppenheimer, in my view. I ditto all the remarks made (in the column). Toni and I loved horses and were Madrigals. Spending the night with her was always an adventure—whether (it was) her mysterious mother appearing to give us a botanist’s tour of her garden or her father making omelets in his well-equipped kitchen for our supper eaten, I might add, with artwork by Fauvism co-founder Andre´ Derain hanging on the wall in the dining room. I can still see that beautiful house with its amazing art collection and Dr. Oppenheimer’s shelves of ‘casual’ reading in his sunny library: a whole wall of novels in French, Italian, German, English and maybe something else, too. His serious books were at the Institute, according to Toni.”

Carol Estey reported: “I continue to study and teach Tai Chi, get to the city to see

shows as much as possible and work part-time at our local library. Am currently reading our classmate, Wendy Coppedge Sanford’s memoir and loving it. Required reading for all classmates. At the very least, we could have a book club zoom to hash it out! (Love that idea! See Wendy’s news about the book below.) Really enjoying it and, not surprisingly, it is so well written and conceived. Brava Wendy. Princeton Ballet celebrated 70 years this year and many of us were at the very beginning of all that. What memories!”

Wendy Coppedge Sanford filled us in with more news about her new book. “It’s been a while since we’ve been in touch. I still warm to the memory of a reunion on the Cape at Susie Shea McPherson’s house, and then the pandemic hit. Several of you responded so encouragingly to news of my memoir, ‘These Walls Between Us’ in 2021. Thank you! I loved writing back and forth for a while with many of you. Below, for those who are interested, is news of the audiobook and a cause campaign for domestic and care worker rights. Meanwhile, this is our year of turning 80. May it be a good, good year for you!

“‘These Walls Between Us: A Memoir of Friendship Across Race and Class’ is now available as an audiobook on Audible, Chirp, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and many other platforms. I narrate the audiobook, and co-creator Mary Norman speaks in two bonus conversations. With Mary’s voice now in the project for real, I feel that I may really have brought it to completion.

“April is Care Workers Recognition Month! Mary and I are thrilled to partner with the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network on a special campaign to support the rights of care workers. Ten dollars from the sale of any form of ‘These Walls Between Us’ during April will go to the two groups.” Unfortunately, that worthy campaign

will have ended by the time this column appears, but Wendy’s book is still available.

The class lost one of its most vibrant members with the death of Susan Shew Jennings (aka Shewy) last November. She brightened study hall and made lasting friendships with her kindness, sense of fun, and generosity and was known for her artistic flair and enviable fingernails. She had been living in her house in the Mill Hill section of Trenton with her daughter, Kathryn ’85, to whom we send our deepest sympathy.

On this anniversary year, Cindy Brown remembered that her mother and aunt both knew Miss Fine! (Cindy’s mother was the wonderfully gracious Janney Brown who served at MFS for many years as an administrative assistant to Headmistress Shirley Davis.) The changes in the school since their and even our time, are no less than phenomenal. We live in times of high-speed change. As closely connected as she was, Cindy says she was “stunned” to hear from Gail Cotton that Gail and a few others took chemistry in Upper School instead of the traditional algebra course. Apparently, MFS science teacher, Barbara Schleyer, created the course specially for them. Cindy marveled, “That is the most progressive thing I can think of about old Miss Fine’s!”

On a much sadder note, Cindy relayed the news that her younger sister, Sally, died in March. “Sally’s most recent years living in an assisted living facility were amazingly wonderful, thanks to a kind and caring staff. Coming in after her death, I was besieged by grieving staff with hugs and words like ‘sweet’ and ‘I loved her smile’ or ‘She always...’ They were so appreciative of her and me it opened my heart from its shocked state. Win Dickey Kellogg’s sister, Polly Dickey Cockburn ’66, from our sister class, had been Sally’s loyal long-distance friend for uncountable years. In her room, Sally had a collection of pictures

of Polly’s expanding multigenerational family in England as well as a lovely portrait of our mother by Peter Cook, ( Paula Cook Sculley’s father). I never underestimate these old connections. We will always be Princetonians.”

Tony and I were lucky enough to celebrate my 80th in Palm Beach where we were able to visit with my daughter, Debbie, and granddaughter, Hayley. Debbie organized an incredible birthday dinner at her house with fabulous family toasts and even a video from my former Edgerstoune Road neighbor. All the love and the gorgeous tropical holiday helped me slip into my 80s with a smile on my face.

My good luck continued into early April. I was sitting on the window seat in our kitchen, watching the incessant rain and gusting wind when a huge oak tree in the park across the street fell on the roof above me. Luckily, it didn’t come through the roof but rolled off, coming to rest just alongside the house. It took down power lines, which caused an electrical fire so, although the ground was wet and the fire wasn’t likely to spread to the house, the

police made me leave until Public Service could arrive and turn the power off. So rather than stand in the rain, I spent the next two hours in the back of a cop car—you always knew I’d end up there, right? Anyway, the damage wasn’t as bad as it might have been and we’re expecting to get a new roof next week. Two days after that, we were shaken by a very loud, 4.8 earthquake!

While many of us celebrated (?) becoming octogenarians this year, Tassie Turkevich Skvir pointed out that “some of us turn 80 after the Journal deadline. Kate and I are late June: I was born June 23 and Kate on June 24. A cute encounter…I was entering the Stone Bridge dining room with Marion Epstein when we paused to chat with a table of women. Marion proudly announced that

Brown ’62 recently spotted a typo in the logo embroidered on what was known as the MFS pocket. It was awarded to those who had played three seasons of varsity sports throughout their Upper School years; the badges were proudly sewn onto the girls’ school blazers. Thankfully, the error was caught and corrected quickly.

Susan Shew Jennings ’62 on Alumni Day 1992

Cindy

she had known me the longest of anyone. (The Epstein’s were our next-door neighbors on Jefferson Road when I was brought home from Princeton Hospital and later, they lived next door to us on Rollingmead. Long-time neighbors and good friends.) There was a giggle at the table with Mrs. Sayen piping up, ‘No! I’ve known Tassie longer!’ Yup, she had! Apparently, Kate and I and our mothers shared labor and/or recovery rooms at the hospital. My mom used to tease me and say we were switched, but Kate looked enough like a Sayen for me not to worry too much.”

Regardless of age or passing time, it’s obvious that old friendships and great memories still connect us and keep us smiling. Hope to see many of you at the anniversary celebrations this year.

1963

Virginia Elmer Stafford vesalb@aol.com

We lost Ellen Levy on December 27, 2023. Several sent memories of her. Andy Updike Burt wrote remembering Ellen reading the ee cummings poem “in just spring,” and how for her that captured Ellen’s impish spirit. Sally Campbell Haas remembered meeting Ellen for a special occasion in Trenton, and Ellen singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in Glee Club. Polly Miller and Wylie O’Hara Doughty shared that memory, and Wylie added she bets Ellen is now “way up high.” Kathy Sittig Dunlop wrote that she wouldn’t have pierced ears if it weren’t for Ellen. Her sister had done it with ice and a broach, which horrified her mother, but when she found out that Ellen’s father, a dentist, would do it, she agreed. She also remembers having some of Ellen’s jewelry, and how helpful Ellen was regarding an issue with Kathy’s daughter. Kathy also remembers her “love of dance, her

care for people, and her ‘free spirit.’” Liza Maugham remembers Ellen singing “Stairway to Paradise” in music class, and Ellen’s serious commitment to dance, which continued into adulthood. I, Virginia Elmer Stafford, spent a day with her in NYC after our reunion in May and found her to be lovely, self-engaging with people on the street, carrying dog treats, expressing her political concerns, sharing her art, love of dance and a great NYC deli.

Sally shared that April in Colorado means “anything goes” —sun, 80 degrees, snow, rain WIND!! She saw Polly and Nick on the Cape this summer and shared cataract surgery notes with Nick. She shared “no downhill skiing for me anymore,” but still enjoys XC.

Kathy Dunlop reported: “The adventure continues. When I was at our 60th reunion, I had just had my left hip replaced. Then in October, a local cardiologist ordered a cardiac MRI and discovered that I needed cardiac surgery. What an adventure that was. The cardiac surgeons all left our local hospital so the hunt for a good surgeon started. It led us to Dr. Enmesh Desai at Penn Medicine. This was very appropriate as Richard stole my heart at University of Pennsylvania in 1966. We married in 1967. 57 years later we were back in Philadelphia to have my heart repaired. I guess you can say I have a ‘new heart.’ The surgery took six hours! The recovery is slow, but I am making good progress and am glad there was an amazing surgeon who was willing to take a chance on me.” She is also enjoying her daughter.

I, Virginia, have just returned from an amazing trip to Vietnam with my daughter and grandson—lots of wonderful memories.

Memories of MFS were shared:

1) Sally remembers the Maypole dance and singing “Adeste Fideles’’ walking into the gym for the candlelight Christmas program. 2) Turid Helland reflected on meeting Sally at a

summer camp in Norway in 1961. After camp Sally spent the rest of the summer with Turid’s family. She reflected on how Sally took on all of the challenges—climbing mountains, walking on glaciers, and diving into the cold Northern Sea. A year later she was invited to join Sally at MFS. It was “an unforgettable year with unforgettable girls! I am still floating on memories and lessons from the year with the Campbells and you all in Princeton. Thanks to you for the acceptance and friendship, which summed up to be an extraordinary year at an excellent school.” 3)

Jane Aresty Silverman remembered lobbing field hockey balls into Morven, the governor’s house next door. She acknowledged being better at Latin than field hockey. Another memory was the April Fool’s prank, led by Alice Jacobson, of putting the scarlet A on May Margaret’s portrait in the front hall. 4) Sharon Stevenson Griffith wrote that she was only at MFS from fifth through ninth grades, but “was fortunate enough to meet Polly Miller, Susie West and Kathy Kilgore who became my life-long friends. One of my funniest memories is of sharing a room during our class trip to Washington, DC with Susie West and Alice Jacobson. What a lot of laughs we had. Alice slept in the bathtub for some reason! It also reminds me when our bus was stopped by the police our first evening there asking us if we were missing a student. We all looked around and said ‘no.’ Well, we were— Diane had indeed been left at the Washington Monument! One of my most embarrassing memories is of the eighth-grade science class with Miss Collins — we tortured her, I think. Each time she turned her back to write on the board, we all got up, gathered up our notebooks and moved over one seat. She never seemed to understand what was going on…. One of the happiest memories was learning to play lacrosse in ninth grade, which led to my being captain of the undefeated varsity team senior year at my boarding school. Musically, I loved our red-haired ninth grade music teacher.

She encouraged us to form a band. Jane and I shared the piano, Polly on drums, Kathy Kilgore on trumpet and Andy played the gut pocket. We had a ball, and even played at Princeton University reunions that June (1960). Academically I struggled a lot and learned many years later that I have learning disabilities. But I am truly grateful for all those years of Latin! And math — loved spending half a year working in base seven instead of base 10. Fascinating and fun! Not so much fun were all those years of French…Madame Holenkoff was never successful at opening my head and putting in zee French. Best, though, I learned to play bridge during ninth grade in the cloak room.” 5) Kathy Sittig Dunlop remembers classes with Carl Reimers. She loved the location of the school and the ability to walk downtown. “You, KK and I would walk down Nassau Street and, when we heard someone call ‘Kathy,’ either both of us would respond or neither would. I also remember fun adventures in Kathryn’s car.” 6) Polly Miller wrote “About this time of the year I always remember dancing around the Maypole as one of the highlights. Another would be sucking nectar out of the honeysuckle as we waited in line to go into the gym for graduation. I also think around Christmas of making wreaths to sell in the basement; of duck and cover and other regular fire drills. I loved the ice cream truck down near the Monument, where we congregated with friends and of course, the other sex. I love the chestnut tree and all the chestnuts on the ground. I remember seeing Einstein and he was always friendly and, of course, the dear crossing guard we all loved so much. I loved being able to walk to school although my mother made me wear oxfords while everyone else seemed to have better, more normal shoes like Liza who had beautiful dainty red shoes with white buttons on the side. I remember with dread being taken to Miss Fine’s office and read the riot act about my grades: apparently my IQ scores were high, and I should have been doing better. I

remember pulling Ann Worthington Surget MacNeil’s hair in singing. Loved being in our little band playing the gut bucket and snare drums with Ellen singing, KK on the trumpet and Sharon and Jane playing piano duet. And of course, playing the ice hockey players from Princeton University with our kind of hockey sticks on our own field was a hoot. My worst memory was of Miss Burrell (sp?) who embarrassed me in math (which I was always failing). I could not answer an algebra question, so she went to the board and put up two plus two on it. I, of course, went home mortified and told my parents she should be fired! I can still picture getting milk and cookies and playing on the playground and sometimes I can dream all those faces and names just as everyone was and of course the day Mary Miller broke her arm on the seesaw. We will all remember when Miss Collins brought out the bust of the naked woman as if it was some sort of incredibly shocking thing and Wiley asked what the word ‘F@#$%’ meant and Miss Collins sent her to ask the school nurse, draped the figure, put it back in the closet really fast and that was the end of that for a while! My uptake on all my memories is that we were so incredibly lucky to live in times like that while those of us who have grandchildren are learning about active shooters!” 7) Laurie Rogers remembers “that wonderful old Miss Fine’s building…the big, wide front porch, the large study hall that held desks for all of us, grades 9 through 12, the marvelous main staircase, the creaky floors in the classrooms. Some of us were lucky enough to be at (field) hockey practice when John F. Kennedy visited next door at Morven! Someone took a picture and I still have a copy in black and white of the MFS hockey team surrounding his car. Assembly every morning and singing hymns. We loved “Jerusalem.” Walking to Marquand Park for hockey and lacrosse games. Making wreaths with Mrs. Shepherd at Christmastime somewhere down under the stage in the gym. Christmas

parents.” 8) Joan Knapp Crocker added her memories: “I’ll start by saying I loved Miss Fine’s. In college I found the teaching and overall interest and quality of the classes to be quite disappointing compared to my learning experience at MFS. All our subjects provided a great foundation of general knowledge and fabulous basis for future learning. I relished my classmates and appreciated the opportunity to get to know girls in other grades along with those in my own. I think we took the Honor Code seriously; it had a lifelong impact. …the requirement of 24 hours of social service provided some eye-opening experiences — the Quaker work camps in Philadelphia. I remember the annual pet show held to raise money for community projects. I remember trying to push and pull our donkey to attend. Where else would one memorize the prelude to Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales?” Beautiful candlelight service at Christmas, but feeling bad for non-Christian students. Mme Wade’s many anecdotes en français about her cat, MacGregor. Playing bridge during morning and lunch recess. Wednesday afternoons when the PCD boys met up with the MFS girls at the Monument. The fall plays with Mr. Wade directing and Princeton boys (!!) as fellow cast members.” 9) I, Virginia Elmer Stafford, share most of the above memories so will add only a few more of my own—reading the NYT week in review for Mrs. Boutells’s class began a lifelong habit and interest, fight over the color of flowers for graduation, giggling in math class on Friday afternoons in anticipation of early dismissal and a walk to Palmer Square for lunch at the deli, my cousin teasing me about our gym outfits (he found the bloomers especially funny!), counting the number of days that one teacher (think Mrs. Shepherd) wore the same jumper, the heavy feeling I had in the big entrance hall upon learning of the Cuban Missile Crisis (the world no longer felt safe) and standing up in the Black Baptist church in Philadelphia at the end of the Quaker weekend, when we painted a senior’s

living room. I also remember fighting bitterly with my father because I didn’t want to leave my friends at Valley Road School to start at MFS, but in the end, I am grateful for the lessons learned and the paths opened by my time at MFS.

1964

Barbara Rose barbarabrose@me.com

Unbelievable!!! 60 years ago, we (17 in all) marched to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance,” red roses in hand, and became graduates of Miss Fine’s School! What an achievement and what a class of exceptional women!

Everyone went on to college and then took up a professional career: some as doctors, others as attorneys, corporate managers, teachers, and entrepreneurs. Some of us continue our work even today as members of various boards. For a group of 17 women, graduating in 1964, I find our stats astounding! We owe much to those who inspired us by providing a unique educational experience in a place where much was offered and much demanded by a highly talented, diverse and skillful group of faculty members.

Today, I find it fitting to devote this column to one of our own who will receive the Princeton Day School’s John D. Wallace ’48 Alumni Service Award during Reunion Weekend. No member of our class better exemplified, through her life’s work, the concept and spirit of service to others more completely than Susan Jamieson. Forever modest and understated, I’m sure Sue is finding being in the limelight a bit of a challenge.

Because others of us have already contributed better prose in tribute to Sue, I direct you to read the article about Sue as the 2024 Honoree of the John D. Wallace ’48 Service Award in

this PDS Journal. Congratulations, Sue! We love you and send our best wishes.

From me, on this occasion, hurrahs to each and every one of you, MFS class of 1964!

1965

Peggy Woodbridge Dennis hotyakker@gmail.com

I’ve completed my novel, “The Bride’s Tears: The Rochesters of Spanish Town,” a spinoff from “Wide Sargasso Sea.” I’m looking for a literary agent and/or publisher. Barbara Shaw actually read it and said, “count me in as an accolading admirer!” Thanks, Shaw!

My family and I had a wonderful trip to Mexico this winter to see friends and host family in the village I lived in in 1967. What amazing changes there have been in La Asuncion Malacatepec! And we got to one of the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries—well worth the effort. Now we’ve just come back from an Earthwatch project in Sarasota, helping conduct research on sharks and rays with the Mote Marine Research facility. What a blast! We hope for another 10 years of exotic travel and exciting Earthwatch projects.

Ellen Aronis Heard reported: “On a whim, I started a Nordic walking group. I had been enjoying Nordic walking on my own and figured others would as well. It took a while for it to catch on, but now over 165 people have signed up. We rarely have more than ten, but it is an interesting crowd. Being in the DC area, we draw from a lot of international folk. This makes our conversations even more fascinating. We walk on Sunday mornings on the Capital Crescent Trail, which is a lovely shady spot; if anyone wants to join us, we would be happy to have you. MFS seems a long way away but these notes from classmates are happy reminders of a kinder and gentler time.”

Phoebe Russell MacAdams Ozuna said:

“My husband, Ron, and I are still living here in Pasadena. We are both retired from teaching—and have been since 2011! We are navigating our way on the journey of getting older dealing with joints etc. I had a hip replacement in September and now am contemplating knees—thank heavens for modern medicine.

“I am writing and run a small independent poetry press: Cahuenga Press. The poetry scene in Los Angeles is vibrant and active! Ron is a bird photographer and goes all over, mostly locally, taking photos. His website is www.rozuna.smugmug.com. The photos are wonderful and there are some of the two of us.

“My three grandchildren live in San Francisco with my oldest son, Ocean, and my second son, Will, lives near Amherst, Mass.

Karen Fraser wrote: “I reach out to share the sad news that I now join the small group of classmates who have lost a husband: Michael Coffeen died in early October, preceded by dog, Jasper, and followed in February by last dog, Robbie. Although I still have two cats,

Phoebe Russell MacAdams Ozuna ’65 with her husband, Ron

this is the first time in 45+ years that I don’t have a dog. It makes the quiet house and the lack of caregiving strange indeed. A grief support group, which was so not my thing, turned out to be eye-opening and helpful. And I did go on a trip to Cuba in March, which I loved. Mmm. I see myself becoming like my mother in ‘going inward’ (said in a New England accent) and I seek the balance between that lovely state and still doing things out in the world. I think of you all with fondness and send you love.”

PRINCETON COUNTRY DAY

1943

We were very sorry to learn of the passing of class correspondent Peter Erdman; we are most grateful for his service.

1948

Jack Wallace njnb1@aol.com

1950

Mike Erdman mperdman57@gmail.com

1951

Ed Metcalf ehmet@comcast.net

1952

Philip Kopper PhilipKopper23@gmail.com

“Still on the green side of the grass” is how Tim Cain replied to my faux survey inquiring into classmates’ whereabouts. We agree it’s the best place to be, especially while happily occupied with reading. In particular, through Judy, his wife and amanuensis, Tim recommends two books by David Grann, “The Wager,” the recent and continuing best seller, and “The Lost City of Z.” As for other news, not so much. (For the record, the grass in question is in upstate New York.)

Responding from Rosedale Road in Princeton, John Wellemeyer, my fellow Yale alum as well, was prepping for a sojourn to our old stomping grounds in New Haven for our 65th college reunion. After that, he and Louise will head to Ireland for a wedding and then spend the summer in their old stomping grounds, London. John has been asked to remain a PDS trustee for another five years. More power to him! He notes the coming academic session will mark 125 years since the founding of Miss Fine’s School, 100 years since Princeton Country Day’s start, and 59 years since their marvelous merger and move from downtown to The Great Road. John is serving on a committee to plan celebrations for a veritable cairn of milestones.

Our other classmate, Bob Hillier, recently honored by the Princeton Arts Council, responded with a speech entitled “Princeton, the Best Little City in the World.” Widowed since his wife and architect-partner Barbara’s death two years ago, he remains busy, working eighty-plus hours a week at his 30-person firm. Studio Hillier specializes in private schools and colleges. A major project closer to home is the Historic Restoration of Witherspoon Street, which will provide affordable apartments for the “missing middle,” librarians, firemen, teachers

and the like. Judging from his letter to me, Bob may be proudest of his five grandchildren, including the eldest at twenty-five, the chief engineer at a company that makes electric airplanes; the president of an emergency ambulance service in Vermont, and a college track star. His latest grandchild, Everett James Adams born February 24, is thus—by three days—the youngest progeny of our class.

Phil Kopper (i.e. me) still toils in a literary vineyard. I’m delighted to report Posterity Press stumbled on a new genre, the historical family cookbook. Here’s how such a book happens: (1) One collects the extended family’s favorite recipes. (2) Contributors contextualize each recipe with an anecdote about its origin and place in the family repertoire. (3) The recipes are edited and creatively arranged. (4) A talented designer packages the whole and a brick-and-mortar press prints it in a durable volume. Result: The useful book offers a delicious collage whose episodic elements trace the family’s de facto history. Meanwhile, my son, Tim, delivered our class’s next-to-youngest offspring, Nina Murphy Kopper, born February 21. Need I confirm your expectation? Yes, she is beautiful, brilliant, and promises to become the first Nobel Prize winner to reign as Miss America while completing her second term as president of the United States.

1954

Fritz Blaicher fritzblaicher@yahoo.com

1955

Patrick Rulon-Miller prmiller322@gmail.com

Chuck Travers cgt1781@gmail.com

1956

Bob Dorf bdorf@slifer.net

Dear classmates. I spent the last year getting a year older. I wish it was as simple as that, but in November, while visiting my grandson at UVA, I fell and broke my arm at the top where there was an implant from my past shoulder replacement. Fortunately, being in Virginia where my son did his orthopedic residency, I was afforded the best care, and I was able to get a lot more hardware put into my arm. After I left, I stopped in Phoenix on my way to my winter home in Mexico and had a six-week follow-up at the Mayo Clinic. I was informed that I had re-broken the arm somehow and had to wait till that healed for a complete revision, which is scheduled for April 15, again at the Mayo. In the meantime, I have been in Mexico and last week, had the opportunity to go to Mazatlán, Mexico, to witness the total eclipse. That was a first for me and was truly a magical time. (Since I wrote the above paragraph, I have had my revision surgery, which, so far, has proven successful if being able to pick my nose, is any measure.)

Ed Benson added: “I find myself acutely interested in reuniting for what doubtless will be the last time. I flash back more and more frequently to what seemed at the time to be an immutable world. I think my most prominent memory is of a late [i.e. close to performance] of Sherlock Holmes when H.B., who had appointed himself director, erupted at what was doubtless my completely wooden reading of a line. McAneny tried valiantly to calm him down, so I did it again, blissfully unaware of what HB wanted. And we moved on.

“I know you asked only for one memory, but I have another, Bobby. It was of your bursting into the room where the PA system for the PCD fair was located and telling us to turn

off “Rock Around the Clock.” Why I asked. You invited me to look outside at the fairgoers, who were dancing to the music. I was as surprised and alarmed as you were, so Rock and Roll was summarily banned from Princeton Country Day.”

Vern Hagenbuckle answered one of Ed’s questions: “To the PCD Crew; Hi ‘Eddie,’ I remember you; the blondest kid in the class! In response to your question: I taught visual arts. Drawing, design, painting. I studied at UNC-Chapel Hill, Art Student’s League, California College of Arts and the University of Oregon. I remember you too, David. I went to lunch at your house.”

Johnny Cook brought back a fond memory: “One of my most vivid memories is of the marble layouts under the trees across Broadmead. There were Puries (clear all the way through), Jinxies (clear except for what looked like a filmy white DNA chain in the middle), Boulders (the size of a large bubble gum ball you got for a penny out of a dispenser) and, of course, BBs. The best part of the game was when you got it in the pot you got a shot at the other marbles but, the guy with a Pury would cry ‘changies’ and replace it with a BB in which case the shooter would change to a boulder and try to run over the BB as a number of onlookers refereed. Successful marble players paraded around with large bags of mixed marbles but were not particularly appreciated by the other players.

“The only problem with the game was Jimmy Ackerman ’54 (from Hodge Road) who, with great joy, would walk across our marble course with his baseball spikes on. It took hours to smooth out the dirt marble pitch afterward. Interestingly, Jimmy, an upperclassman, wasn’t that big but no one wanted to take him on, except perhaps Stein if he was at the site of the incident.

(Johnny also added a memory for Mary Smoyer): “We’ve been throwing memories

around from our PCD years but, one of my favorites was when I was pitching and Smoyboy was catching, and there was a man on first looking to steal. Smoyboy, who as you recall did not lack confidence, met with me on the mound to deal with the situation. ‘Give a fastball, not a curve, on the outside of the plate and we’ll nail him at second.’ Sure enough, I pitch a little wide and Smoyer throws a frozen rope to Webber who had him by two steps!”

Upon reading Johnny’s treatise, John Stein interjected: “I have no idea what the hell the Cookster is talking about – marble floor? Wha? Plus I am skeptical that it was even Cook who wrote that odd treatise. Did you notice that it was signed ‘Jonce,’ which we all remember was actually registered as “de Jonce.”

“It’s odd I remember that so clearly since I have little memory left. Happily, my dear Marlene has a fine memory bank and I have a pretty fancy walker, so I can manage OK with my two deficits. So naturally, Dorfburger’s request for PDS memories sparked nada from me – except a pattern from our teacher who would call on us by our last names except for the one to which he gave a slow, bigoted ring to: Kaah men schtine. (David and I messed with this the last time there was a Dorf-inspired chit-chat.)”

“Marlene and I have a solid agreement that we’ll both live another ten years — the starting date has yet to be determined.”

David Kamenstein remembers it well: “I’m glad to know that I remain foremost in what’s left of your memories of PCD albeit it was my suffering at the hands of Fat ****. Do you suppose he did not like me?? I hope your surgery at Mayo went well and that you are on your way to a full recovery.

“All is status quo with the Kamensteins.’ There is nothing new and exciting to report and maybe, at this stage of the game, that is a good thing. We are looking forward to the summer, which we plan on spending in Europe with our

daughter and twin 13-year-old granddaughters. Our son and his girlfriend would normally go with us, but he has a very old Westie, in need of constant medical attention, so he will spend the summer in Cape Cod. I have no specific memory of my years at PCD which stands out or I’d be more than happy to share it.”

“Upon hearing about my travails, Peter Moock chimed in: “I had relatively minor surgery on my elbow last week to relieve numbness in two fingers of my right hand diagnosed as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. Stitches to be removed in two weeks. Fingers still numb, though I’m thinking (imagining?) slightly less so than before (since September, when the numbness started suddenly, with no obvious cause, and then increased gradually). Surgeon said it might take a month or more to get full feeling back.

“Ed Benson responded to your message saying he’s hoping for a last ’56 reunion. I’d like that too but am guessing we’re too dispersed and probably generally too frail. Maybe your call for favorite memories is all we can hope for.

“I remember my first day at PCD, joining the rest of you a few weeks after the start of the year in grade 6 (Form III?). We were all in shop with Mr. Whitlock, and I remember Smoyer drilling me about who I was and where I’d come from.”

Larry Estey tickled my memory cells a little: “No real news here in Portland, Maine, except that we’re well and active, which maybe is news. Next week will mark 15 years of a wonderful marriage, and our daughters (one of mine, two of hers) and their daughters (one of mine, two of hers) are thriving. I’ve been an Episcopal priest for 53 years and am called to fill in from time to time at churches in the area and am also busy on the board of our condo. Also do a little gardening (well, helping) and some travel.

“Memories of PCD? I was transported by John Cook’s memory of marbles and impressed

that he remembered their names and values. Amazing! Also: Harmonica Club (maybe about four of us for a few weeks?). A play with MFS girls (The Girl of the Golden West?), where John Davison’s one line came out, ‘Wipes this map right off the place.’ Also, the start of John’s lifetime career in broadcasting, with play-byplay of hockey games on WPCD, heard only by those standing nearby. The passion was there already! And... mechanical drawing! I didn’t truly appreciate what a really good teacher Bob Whitlock was, and I have neither mathematical nor artistic skills, but I loved mechanical drawing, which perhaps taught me an appreciation of precision. All done on computers now, with none of the feel of paper and stylus.

“John, add to your list: “When asked for the recipe for a good old age, I often give a list: good genes, good luck, enough money, and one good kid, usually a daughter.” Louise Aronson, “Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life.” Highly recommended.

“A once-in-a-lifetime reunion would be great!”

Peter Moock sent a nice note last fall: “Last year, we sold our house in Larchmont, N.Y., after splitting our time for 15 years between NY and MA. With Joyce and me both mostly retired (reminds me of Billy Crystal in The Princess Bride, ‘mostly dead’), we had no good reason to keep both places and in 2020, as Covid was raising its nasty head, we switched our primary residence to MA and started only going back to NY to deal with ‘problems,’ like when Hurricane Ida dumped three feet of flood water into our basement, knocking out the furnace, hot water heater, washer and dryer. We’re now living full-time in Winchester Mass., not far from Alastair, Jane, and the grandtwins, Clio and Elm (who are about to turn 17 and have just started driving!), in Melrose.

“The only classmate of ours that I see regularly is David Smoyer, who hasn’t been well, although he usually remembers names and

events from our days in Princeton better than I do. He and I were roommates for one of our three years at Andover, and we hooked up in Paris between our junior and senior years at Dartmouth and Williams, traveling around France, Switzerland, and Denmark together, with David on the pillion of my 350 cc Norton motorbike. We met David’s sister, Nancy, that summer at a restaurant in Les Halles. With her was a friend, Mary Howland. By the time that I returned four years later from a teaching stint in East Africa, Mary had become Mrs. David Smoyer. I have always said that David didn’t want to risk my coming home from Africa and looking to find Mary myself!

“We didn’t in 2023, but we often spend the Memorial Day long weekend in Pennington, catching up with old friends, attending services at two cemeteries (in Pennington and Hopewell/Stoutsburg), and watching the parades in which I walked as a Cub Scout and rode my horse, Sugar, when I was older (around the time we were at PCD). My sisters and I sold our family farm after both parents had died, but I enjoy still visiting the family at the beautiful Harbourton Cemetery. Across the street from there is what used to be a small general store (my sisters worked at it while attending high school). At the end of the 18th century, the store housed what is said to have been the earliest US post office in the country.”

“After retiring from teaching (Columbia U, 1973-83) and international development work (The World Bank, 1983-2003), I continued to work as an independent consultant/economist (pretty much full time in the beginning, and now practically not at all). I read (slowly –bad eyes), watch streamed movies and TV series, support the Celtics (I’m still a New Yorker when it comes to all other pro sports), and walk our two golden retrievers, Guthrie (after Woody) and Monty.

“You mentioned falling, Dorf. Night before last, I was walking the dogs before bedtime

when a tiny (10-pound) and very annoying dog who lives in the condo unit across from ours broke out of her harness and came from behind yapping at Monty and Guthrie, who (like me) were surprised and rushed to defend themselves (and me), pulling me over backward onto the tarmac. My left hand was bloodied, and my back is sore, but all in all, I was lucky. Falling is something we octogenarians need to worry about.

“I am planning to attend my 65th Andover reunion in June (Winchester is just 40 minutes from Andover). At the 60th five years ago, Alastair was asked to perform at the Saturday evening dinner.

“I don’t suppose we’ll ever manage to organize a final PCD reunion, but if I’m wrong, I would try to be there (in 2026?).

Dorfus writes again: I remember a few of those things referenced above, but most of all I remember things we did outside of school and the athletics. Soccer, hockey, tennis. I remember the big soccer shoes we had that felt like they had a steel toe. They were not designed for finesse. Hockey was the sport that I flailed in, Jonce had the finesse, and Kamenstein was the only guy who could lift the puck. Tennis with Kirkus was a treat. Johnny had the opportunity to do some tourneys in Europe, I think, with Kirkus. I wonder how many of you remember the printing press in the basement near the cafeteria? Mr. McAneny taught us about setting type using M quads and other such words I don’t recall.

1957

Tim Carey tim_carey@nobles.edu

I sent a note to the guys on my email list and got only a few responses; would love to hear from more of you next time.

Joe Wright is now in Nantucket after spending six weeks in Florida. I have corresponded with him, Harrison Fraker and Staff Keegin, and we were hoping that we might have a get together in Boston in June. But the stars were not aligned.

I may see Staff this summer in Maine. Rob Kuser will be attending graduations for two of his grandchildren. Anna will finish at The Berklee College of Music in Boston (right down the street from me) and study for a master’s degree in music at The California Institute of the Arts. Her brother, Teddy, will graduate from St. James School in Hagerstown, MD in June and will attend The University of California at Berkeley, where Rob got his MBA.

Adam Hochschild chided me for referring to our classmates as “old men.” I should have said, “older” perhaps. Both he and his wife, Arlie, feel lucky to live good lives in good health. Like many of us, he has grandchildren going off to college. Both he and Arlie continue to write, with her newest book, “Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame and the Rise of the Right,” to be released in September. I read her 2016 book, “Strangers in Their Own Land,” and found it more than illuminating. Like others, they are holding their breath, hoping that democracy will survive.

My wife, Mary, who runs a professional development program for teachers in the Boston area, continues her work offering short courses taught by Boston area professors from the area’s numerous colleges. I continue with my volunteer work and my obsession, taking sports photos for both colleges and schools around Boston. I, like Adam, feel fortunate to be able to do what I want when I want.

I wish all of you the best. If you have contact with members of the class, I would love a phone number and or an email. Rock on...men!

1958

Toby Knox toby@tobyknox.com

Sandy Kirkpatrick gave a play-by-play on the fine art of marbles under the elms: “In the spring and fall in the mid-and-late 1950s, there was a space just across Broadmead from the PCD building (just beyond deep left field of the varsity baseball field) where the ground was hard-packed brown dirt, unlike the surrounding healthy green turf. This is because the area under the elm trees was so shaded by their leafy canopy that no sunshine could reach the green shoots, which would otherwise be flourishing. This barren area, useless for any other pursuit, was perfect for the gentlemanly art of — marbles. Early arrivers before school, and students whose moms were late picking them up after school, transformed it into an arena for fierce marbles competition where the weapons of war were puries and boulder puries. Puries were upscale marbles, even though if purchased at the source (Flemington Glass) they only cost a penny (two cents for the bigger boulder puries). The best puries were brilliantly colored yet crystal clear; the most prized had no visible bubbles. A sock knotted at the top was the universal repository for one’s marbles. Occasionally a mom would consent to taking a group, on a Wednesday afternoon or Saturday, to Flemington to stock up. Conspicuous prestige attached to those returning from such a trip with fresh armaments.

“Targets, called pots, were dug (or more often re-dug), often using sticks harvested from the trees nearby. A line would be drawn in the dirt about 6-10 feet from the pot. Contestants, initially standing, would toss their shooters underhand from behind the line trying to get close to the pot. Whoever was closest led off the next phase of the game, which was played on the knees at ground level. At this stage, the

technique was to squeeze the marble between the joints of the index finger, then propel it forward with a quick flick of the thumb. The object was to get your marble into the pot first. Sometimes you had to try to hit the opponent’s marble with yours and attempt to drive it away from the pot. The winner won the stakes, which had been stipulated before the game.

“Most of the time the stakes were a few marbles, and/or some change. Change had special value as the Good Humor ice cream man stopped by every afternoon with a literal truckload of popsicles, creamsicles, fudgesicles and irresistible toasted almond bars, at prices ranging from seven to 15 cents.”

From the farm on Carter Road, Oliver Hamil recalled, “Aside from playing marbles like Sandy, a very important endeavor, I remember a moment in Mr. Whitlock’s shop class when it was announced that Stalin had died. We all jumped up and down even though we or, at least I, had no idea who Stalin was. I also remember a piece of chalk flying by my ear in Mr. Clark’s (think it was Clark) Latin class. Close call. Try to teach Latin to someone with ADD was definitely problematic. I think the only word I remember learning was Agricola.”

John White offered his memory of “Not Under the Bright Lights:” “I was anxious about the PCD annual ninth grade play. However, being on stage in a play about the Wild West continues to be a memorable one after all these years! I can still hear the audience’s reaction. Actually, I was never seen on stage, never did I have the bright lights shine in my eyes, never did I speak a word. My role, though, was instrumental in adding dramatic flair to the exciting fight scene between the good cowboy and the bad one.

“On cue, I crawled on-stage, behind the curtains out of the lights, to wait behind a structure built as a bar that was secure enough for a person to hang over. In my hand was a large capsule, horse pill size, filled with

bright red blood-like ointment. In my role I scrunched down in a tight position, out of sight and silent while waiting for the fight under the bright lights to move across the stage towards the bar. I was tense, excited, and fearful I would goof up when all of a sudden, I heard yelling, loud footsteps, and a crash as a body hit the top of the bar and an arm flung over the side! Immediately, I went into action, placing the red capsule in the dangling, cupped hand, which then disappeared as it was pulled up from behind the bar. And then I waited for the audience’s reaction. I heard a sudden loud burst of AHHHHHGGGG Gross!

“I smiled …each time satisfied with my three performances!

“I want to commend Mr. McAneny, the director, for his creativity of finding an appropriate role for a shy boy who would have died of stage-fright in the midst of bright lights

if he had spoken one word. Many years later as a Headmaster, I spent much time under the bright lights (literally and figuratively) giving many talks, at times even with visible flair.”

Toby Knox submitted random lasting PCD memories: “Starting the school year off with new pencils, erasers and paper from the school store (aka the hole in the wall); chicken-a-laking or chipped beef on-toast; school plays with males in female parts; blue blazer with a round, white and blue PCD patch on the pocket and white ducks; Halloween party with visiting male students from the Jamesburg juvenile training school; pink slips for students who needed ‘extra help;’ riding bikes through the University campus en route to Broadmead; the skating race day at Baker Rink (Blues vs. Whites); ‘discussions’ with Headmaster Ross in his office; shop; memories of departed classmates of late — Perry, Bambi, Bu’bby and those who have gone on previously as well

PCD school play in 1958

those class members who have been lost; the school song, which Dick Baker and I sang on the school’s front steps when we visited the Broadmead building during our 50th class reunion. He remembered more than I did; and movies on rainy afternoons when outdoor athletics were canceled. While my academic achievements at PCD were subpar at best, looking back sixty-six years, I am pleased I attended PCD as the friendships I made, and have maintained over the years, mean more to me than all the puries I ever won from Sandy. Best wishes to all classmates and PCD friends.”

1959

Steve Cook

stevecook566@gmail.com

1960

Karl “Pepper” Pettit karl.pettit@comcast.net

As many of you know, our classmate, E. Bloxom (Bloxy) Baker IV, passed away on November 12, 2023.

Following is the introduction to the remembrance I gave for Bloxy at the Cap & Gown Club at Princeton University on May 11th. There was so much more that I said.

It seems as though I knew Elias Bloxum Baker IV my entire life—you know from BIRTH! However, I actually first met him in fifth grade (second form) at Princeton Country Day School…it was 1955. On immediate first impression, Bloxy was a gregarious, playful student with a zest for life, and therefore, I knew right away he was a classmate with a special soul, and one I wanted to have as a

friend. To be with Bloxy was (to say the least) an adventure.

Some of our favorite schoolmates during our PCD years were Davy Davis, Peter Wood, Jonny Howland, Billy Smoyer, Johnny Brinkerhoff, Alex Patton, Peter Wright, Brock Putman, Regan Kerney, Randy Hobler, Dick Reynolds, and Peter Kirkpatrick

We played sports together, took ballroom dancing classes at The Present Day Club, and hung out in front of Miss Fine’s School at 2pm on Wednesdays to wait for the girls to get out (PCD had half-days on Wednesday — MFS did not)! Some of the girls in our social group included Barbara Rose, Wendy Baldridge, Beirne Donaldson, Liza Maugham, Wendy Fruland, Andy Updike, Ellen Levy, Liz Aall, Gail Petty, Debbie Hobler, Susan West…etc., etc., etc.

Our primary mode of transportation in those days was the bicycle. We rode everywhere on the streets, sidewalks, and back alleyways of Princeton. We would even ride our bikes out to Kingston to swim in the Baldridge’s pool in the summer.

My indelible memories of being with Bloxy are many. The first is One Ober Road —

The Baker residence. I would spend the night at the Bakers often…and that, of course, got me to know Trudy, Warren and Leanne… (they were my surrogate brother and sisters). One Ober Road was magical… it had an apple orchard, a hammock that swung between two trees, and a glass greenhouse attached to their garage.

Some activities that Bloxy would organize back then were apple fights, or touch football in the apple orchard where during one play I planted my two front teeth in the back of Copey Coppedge’s head…ouch! Bloxy also had a cash of fireworks, the likes of which I had never seen.

Bloxy’s house was next door to Springdale Golf Club and the Graduate College; these two establishments expanded our playground options 100-fold. For example…when the golf course was covered with snow, we would drag his toboggan over to the first hole and toboggan for hours and hours along with 6-10 other of our crazy friends. There was a

brook with a narrow bridge crossing at the bottom of the hill that the toboggan riders would aim for. As the toboggan sped down the hill, the faster flexible flyer attack-dogs would catch up to the toboggan and try to flip it over or redirect it into the brook — how much fun was that?!

Springdale Golf Club also provided a viable place of employment as caddies during the summer months. On the weekends, Bloxy and I would make $10/bag for each 18-hole round – good money back in those days. And, we also got to play golf there for free — BINGO!

As for the Graduate College, Bloxy discovered that there was a bowling alley in the basement of one of the buildings that was hardly ever used — BINGO AGAIN! Even though the pins had to be set up after each bowl, who cared? One of us would bowl and the other set up the pins…this activity became another option for spending Wednesday afternoons. The Graduate College also had a gothic tower with a carillon at the top. On weekends when

Bloxy Baker ’60 and Pepper Pettit ’60 at their 50th PDC reunion

PCD ’60 classmates at their 25th reunion at Bloxy Baker’s house. Sadly, just John Bitner and Pepper Pettit are still living.

the bells were ringing, the tower was open, and you could climb up the stone spiral staircase to watch the keyboardist play the bells—it was loud and a unique experience to say the least… and the views were spectacular.

Then, in what seemed like a flash…Bloxy went on to St. George’s Prep School after eighth grade and I went to Salisbury School after ninth grade. Therefore, we didn’t see a lot of each other during our high school years except those few times during holidays. But miraculously we somehow both were accepted at Princeton University as our college of choice — what were the odds for that?! So, we decided right then and there to put in our request to room together as freshmen.

Three years ago, I was riding my bike along with friends. As we were coming down Springdale Road, I said let’s turn on Ober Road towards the Institute for Advanced Study. I wanted to take a picture of One Ober Road for Trudy. When we turned the corner onto Ober Road…to my shock and horror — it and the garage and greenhouse and everything I loved about it was gone and replaced by a gaudy “mc-mansion.”

1961

Peter Raymond peterh.raymond@protonmail.com

John Sheehan has “moved from Indiana back to New Jersey—had a strange moment when I went to exchange my driver’s license and the clerk asked if I had ever lived at Bayard Lane — yup, where I got my first license. I am Catholic Chaplain at Joint Base McGuire Dix in Lakehurst, a short drive back to my original stomping grounds.”

1962

John Gaston

jmgaston3@gmail.com

Thank goodness for our memories. They make us smile and sometimes wonder where it all went. I’m still trying to figure out what happened between 35 and 55, and now what happened between 55 and 75. I know a lot happened, but I don’t remember everything that happened. Thanks to some of my classmates, they helped me remember those days on Broadmead.

Some of their memories:

Getting used to wearing a jacket and tie every day.

The fear of answering a question in Mr.

Father John Sheehan, S.J. ’61

Gorman’s First Form class without beginning or ending your answer with “Sir,” as well as learning the difference between “Can I” and “May I.”

Playing touch football in February before school. It wreaked havoc with our socks and grass stains on our trussers!

The daily roundtrip bus trips to Baker Rink during hockey season.

Seeing Mr. Ackley smile when we correctly diagrammed a sentence.

The Good Humor man down at the corner in the spring. This guy made a fortune.

Playing in the faculty-student baseball game when Vogel hit the headmaster, Rothermel, with an inside pitch. He was never cognitively the same again…Vogel that is.

The terrified eyes of those attending Mr. Lea’s Latin class.

Wolfing down our sandwiches at lunchtime so we could maximize recess.

Blue-White completions were always fun. Blues were superior academically, but Whites ruled in athletics.

Watching Mr. Smythe hand out discipline French numbers for talking in class.

Mr. Robson’s science experiments that often went bad, sometimes setting off the school’s fire alarm system and sometimes leaving awkward smells that lingered in the corridors for days.

So many moments in time at PCD, but when I remember those days, I absolutely remember them with wonder.

1963

John Ritchie

jhnritchie@yahoo.com

1964

Bill Ring mwmaverick@gmail.com

Don Woodbridge maderacito@yahoo.com

PRINCETON DAY SCHOOL

1966

Debbie Hobler dvhobler@cox.net

Dale Marzoni Kellogg had a fabulous time on a 2023 Rhodes Scholar trip to Morocco. “What a fascinating and beautiful country and culture. I got tons of inspiration for my quilting. I greatly enjoyed traveling again, but, of course, paid the price and came down with Covid six days after I got home. I am fine now and back to sewing.” I had a neighbor of mine take a UCLA trip to Morocco who also came home with Covid. You escape getting sick for three plus years and then you travel and BAM, a new companion!

Margery Cuyler Perkins: “I’ve been rearranging books in my office, and while doing so, am reminded that my picture books that have sold the best and remain in print have a strong story. Today’s books I feel are ones that are message driven and ‘story’ takes a back seat to a principal, like empathy, self-love, or activism. The books I have in the pipeline are still driven by ‘story,’ thank goodness, so watch for a new chapter series that will be published by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in July 2024: “Queen of Numbers: Addy McBean” about a second-grade math whiz. AND a 2026 book about a zombie who organizes a family reunion but runs into a

problem the day before it takes place.” That sounds like a very common situation for us non-zombies who organize family reunions, too. Congratulations Margery on your ongoing creativity!

Sarah Jaeger wrote about working at the community studio of the Archie Bray Education Building, and how she has gotten to know the education assistants, who come for variable lengths of time, based on their project proposals. “They are mostly young women, early in their exploration of clay, and I have become an unofficial mentor to them, which is so rewarding. Until now, the ceramic field has been male dominated. The Bray now has a woman director, and then there’s me, hanging around with a lifetime of experience, willing to chat with the newbies, offering support and encouragement. I wish I had someone like that, a woman, when I was starting out. I’m reminded of our fabulous teachers at Miss Fine’s. All those brilliant women who had such interesting lives.” I say AMEN to that Sarah.

In the spirit of the 125th anniversary of Miss Fine’s School and 100th anniversary of

Princeton Country Day, the school asked us class correspondents to ask for memories of our experiences there. So, about a month ago, I wrote my classmates and asked them for their memories of Miss Fine’s School and PDS. I received many responses, some of which I will share here. I suspect these memories will stir up yours as well. I couldn’t include them all in these notes, so I will send all the responses to our classmates by email. I really appreciate the classmates who took the time to share their stories.

Christine Clark Kerr: “1) Mrs. Weigel from kindergarten who admonished me about identifying colors fast enough. 2) Mrs. Brolinsky from second grade. I thought she was Mrs. America. 3) Mrs. Cobb and Mrs. Corlette encouraged me in my love of sports, which ended up being my life career. 4) Hanging out at the Monument on Wednesday afternoons to flirt with boys from PCD. 5)

The Halloween Parade at Miss Fine’s School in

the gym. My mother would freak out trying to get her three daughters at MFS in competitive costumes. Mom has not liked Halloween since! 6) Mrs. Brophy being so nice to me in second grade when my braces were so painful. 7) The school play when I was the back end of a horse and fell off the stage as my ‘head’ miscalculated. (OUCH) 8) Singing “Sweet Chariot” at some event. That was the end of my singing hopes.”

Susan Bonthron: “As a late comer to the school, I don’t have the long history of being at MFS, like so many of my classmates, but I do have fond memories from those two years at MFS. I loved my 11th grade year at the old building because it felt more like a home than an institution. I especially liked milk and cookies in the basement and the slanted light coming through doorways and creaky staircases. In my senior year, at PDS, it felt

very different to be in the new school, but again it was full of light everywhere—those halls full of windows! And I was glad about that. In 12th grade I was also privileged to be in George Warren’s history class, and I can honestly say from my perspective as an almost 76-year-old that I never had a better teacher. He opened my mind and changed my life. He was charming and terrifying and brilliant. I remember and speak of him always as a light in my life.”

Katherine Becker : Miss Kate, as I call her, wrote me more than I can share in these class notes. GREAT stories, which will be sent via email to the Class of ’66. She wrote: “Yes, the class trip to Washington, D.C. was epic. But as one of the students sent back home for smoking, I missed a lot of the best sights, as the itinerary was structured to save the best for last. Our homeroom teacher, Dibby Davidson,

Thomas with the Good Humor Man

Margery Cuyler Perkins’ ’66 latest book

The famous eighth grade class trip of Miss Fine’s in 1966. Some sent home on the D.C. trip for a smoking scandal!

(I cannot write what Katherine wrote about her, legal issues) overreacted and not only were we sent home but we got grounded by our parents. I liked how Galey’s dad handled her return. Galey was very nervous about his reaction. He sternly, but wryly, drew a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket and said, ‘Smoking more and enjoying it less?’ The very best things about the trip to DC was being accompanied by Mrs. Roberts on the bus home. She often served as a homeroom teacher for the class when Miss Davidson was absent. She had real compassion for us and encouraged us not to be afraid to face our parents and Miss Davis. Mrs. Roberts led a spectacular life in China with her family and was a great educator.”

Katherine also talked about Thomas, our repairman, janitor, traffic director, and a kind and patient man. “When I was in third grade, I took a coconut to school for show and tell. My teacher, Mrs. Freund asked me to find Thomas to open it for me so that we all could have a taste of the milk and fruit. Thomas drilled into the coconut and emptied the coconut water into a bowl supplied by Addie, our chief cook, then he smashed the coconut into pieces. We all got to share the show and tell fruit, thanks to Thomas. Both tasks took a long time plus patience and endurance. He did it with good humor. “

Mary Bilderback wrote me two pages of wonderful stories and memories, some of which I will share here. She talked about our fabulous teachers. “Francis Roberts, who taught Asian history and once showed us a rice paper scroll of women bathing in a pool, titled “Fertility Rites.” Her comment was ‘La-dies, we all know one does not become pregnant from sitting in a fountain.’ Or upon meeting Miss Davis for the first time at the start of eighth grade, Miss Davis held out her hand to shake mine, and when I gave her my hand, she gripped it really hard. She said, ‘You shake like a wet fish.’ I was devastated, but

years later, when I look back, it was my first introduction to the world of strong women. She, and the other faculty, used every moment as an opportunity to teach us how to claim our rightful agency, find our unique voices, feel the strength of our minds and hands. I must admit that over the years I have gotten funny looks from my radical activist friends when I answered their questions about where I went to high school. I responded, ‘Miss Fine’s School for Girls.’ But when I go on to explain about who taught there and the ‘girls’ who attended, they realize how blessed I was. NO, we didn’t learn to pour tea, did we? With dear Thomas supervising on the special father’s days?”

Sally Harries Gauldie has been a busy traveler! She reported that she and Jack flew back to England last March and managed to get Covid while there. They didn’t get it for three years, then boom, the travel seems to be a trigger. Many of my friends have come home from

international travels with Covid. Last June, Jack and Sally went to Newfoundland, her first time there, which she really enjoyed, though she said it was chilly. In November, she and Jack and four other couples went together to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and almost everyone came down with a nasty cold virus that wouldn’t go away. Is it safe to travel for us “older” folks?

And if everything went to plan, Sally attended her cousin’s daughter’s wedding in Vietnam in

March of this year for two weeks, and she was due home on April 1. A tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City was included in her trip. I hope she had a great time. I have traveled in Vietnam, and it’s a beautiful country. When I was in Hanoi decades ago, I saw John McCain, who was staying at the same hotel as I was. I was so impressed that he returned to the

Mrs. Francis Roberts, former teacher at MFS and PDS

Sally Harries Gauldie ’66 with her family

George Warren, former MFS history teacher

The Princeton Monument

Miss Fine’s School

country where he had been a POW for five and a half years.

Debbie Hobler: I never knew Thomas’ last name, but he was part of the glue that held the school together. He was always present to take care of things. I went through all the MFS yearbooks, and there were never official pictures or names of all the support staff that took care of us. The kitchen crew, Addie (the chef), Thomas and Edgar, etc. In retrospect, I am embarrassed about that. They should have been recognized. And I totally agree with Mary about the responses from people over the years who asked me where I had gone to high school. And I would say Miss Fine’s School. And they would say ‘Well, LA TE DA!’ It couldn’t have been further from the truth of our challenging and powerful educational experiences at Miss Fine’s. I would love to write more of what classmates have shared, but I am afraid the editors are going to cut back on what I’ve written already!

1967

Susan Fritsch Hunter ares543@comcast.net

In honor of the 125th anniversary of the founding of Miss Fine’s School, we’ve included memories of the school from several classmates.

Phoebe Knapp Warren, along with many of us, attended Miss Fine’s for two years before moving on to PDS. Before she attended Miss Fine’s, Phoebe remembered “pushing through the crowd and shaking hands with John F. Kennedy at Morven.” Phoebe’s sister, Joan Knapp Crocker ’63, was a student at Miss Fine’s at that time. Phoebe recalls her Miss Fine’s teachers: Mrs. Fine, Miss Campbell, Moyne Smith, Arlene Smith, Mrs. Liu, Shirley Davis and Leon DuBois.

Mary Young Bragado remembered Miss Fine’s as “the awe-inspiring building on the corner of Stockton St. and Bayard Lane…my seventhgrade entry, hoping to fit in…Miss Davis showing me the real possibility of learning another language…Mrs. Roberts putting me in my place and teaching me, not always successfully, about being empathetic…getting the hang of lacrosse with much encouragement from Betty Cobb…the Christmas concert and the ‘Adeste Fideles’ candle-lit procession complete with descant…singing ‘Jerusalem’ not often enough in assemblies.”

Julia Lockwood recalled “walking down Nassau Street with Susan Fritsch Hunter, Phoebe, and Jennie Borgerhoff to have lunch at PJ’s Pancake House. (It’s still there!).” Julia also remembers May Day and “my first day at Miss Fine’s in eighth grade with Mrs. Roberts and being elected class president when I knew no one!” She also recalls “the large homeroom at Miss Fine’s with all the grades together — 9-12, my mother’s third grade classroom right off the central hallway, art class with Arlene and making my sculpture head of Pilar from “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”

“Then there were ‘word studies’ and reading “The Iliad” and “Odyssey” (I think) with Mrs. Shepherd, walking down Nassau Street with Jennie the day Kennedy was shot, field hockey, Latin class with Mrs. Fine, social studies with Mrs. Boutelle and studying Mesopotamia, science with Mrs. Schleyer and making a model of Boron.”

Marta Nussbaum Steele remembered that “there was a rat in the wall of the study hall. Moyne Smith performed some sort of medieval incantation next to the wall, and the next morning it was dead. I don’t remember whether there was an actual rat body, but the

scampering ceased.”

As for me, Susan Fritsch Hunter, my time at Miss Fine’s was short, but I have lasting memories. I entered in the middle of ninth grade, after returning from the fall semester in Rome, Italy, where my father was on sabbatical. I too remember the sunny study hall and the wonderful teachers. Miss Campbell helped me make sense of math, and Miss Davis opened the door to real French conversation (and told me (in French) not to yawn in class). Moyne Smith inspired me along my path in English literature, and I too loved singing “Jerusalem” in Friday assemblies.

Julia Lockwood ’67’s grandson, Sid, at eight-monthsold. He is the son of her daughter, Rachel Miller, who lives in Boise Idaho and teaches American History at the College of Idaho.

Illustration of Miss Fine’s School by Nan Lee, submitted by Phoebe Knapp Warren ’67

Susan Fritsch Hunter ’67’s poetry book, “Unfinished Spaces,” was published in February.

And most important were my life-long friends who made the switch from public school, Mary, Julia, Phoebe and Jennie, and the new friends I made at Miss Fine’s. We had a great class, led by teachers who were wonderful role models.

As far as my other news, my poetry book, “Unfinished Spaces,” was published by Finishing Line Press in February. Thank you to those who have ordered the book and sent me sensitive and moving comments about the poems.

1968

Sia Godfrey Bauer sbauer2086@gmail.com

Mary Hobler Hyson bassett7750@cox.net

Thanks to all of our classmates who have contributed to this special issue of the PDS Journal.

From Connie Sayen Ban: “My dear Cousin Mary Bassett, it is always wonderful to hear from you—even in ‘an official capacity!’ Thank you for doing this column for so many years!

“As I’ve told you a million times, it always delights me to see our classmates—each one with a beautiful story of a life of engagement and service. I also think that our class is blessed with an abundance of humor! I recall that, at last year’s gathering, we all were laughing a lot.

“Today’s world is filled with so much that is not humorous. However, that doesn’t mean there is nothing to giggle about. After all, we are talking about the funny foibles of human beings. As Puck said, ‘Lord, what fools these mortals be!’

“All is well with us; I am immensely grateful to

say. In fact, we are traveling to Sicily today!”

From Bob Ramsey : “Well, it’s been 56 years since our PDS graduation, and I am finally finished with my education. On May 11th, I was awarded a doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed. D) from Rider University. I found the pursuit of this degree to have been extremely helpful in meeting the educational challenges posed by having judges and lawyers as my students at my continuing legal education school, Garden State CLE. The sad thing is that among the many lawyers in our class (Jerry Pitt, Rick Ross, Rich Raines), Rich is now gone, and the rest are now too old to be required to take continuing legal education classes! Then again, so am I!

Best regards and wishes for health and happiness to my classmates.”

From Rick Ross: “Cheers! Hope this finds you well. Judy and I traveled to New Zealand and Australia for February 2024. We visited the North and South Islands of NZ. Including a Haka greeting and crewing a Waka war canoe with Māori elders, a trip to the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, and Picton and Charlotte Sound. It’s a strikingly beautiful country with great people. Then on to Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne, and Sydney (great ferry service).

From Gillian Gordon-Crozier : “It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by since we all gathered at Connie Sayen Ban’s for a delightful 55th.

“I am still living in Springs, NY, the UN-Hamptons and spending equal time in LA and London visiting our grandchildren. I have become an adjunct professor in film at Brooklyn College, which has been wonderful and some of my photography will be in a group show in June.

“I was thinking the other day about when I climbed up to the top of the Monument in front of Miss Fine’s. I had almost made it to

his tri-corner hat when I heard that all too familiar voice, ‘Holy Moses in the bull-rushes! Get down from there before I march you into Miss Davis’s office!’

Lisa Lawrence wrote about her remembrances of Miss Fine’s: My first momentous memorable encounter with Death was when I had been in Princeton and Miss Fine’s School for little more than a year. Even though it had been wildly impressed upon me since the night before, the precognition of my sister’s imminent passing by falling out of the sky in a well branded United Airlines “silver tube”— as she would refer to the aircraft in a poem

she would leave out on her desk for us to find after she had departed - did not do much to buffer the impact of seeing Buff’s coffin at the funeral. What had been ephemeral became dramatically tangible in that instant.

It was as if someone had hit me in the forehead and split it open with a baseball bat: My older sister’s physical presence had been snatched away! The “she” I knew was never ever coming back. Not to discuss how she had known as much as I what would happen and yet proceeded to her death. Not to show frustration with my inevitably irritating existence as a younger annoying obligation.

Rick Ross ’68 with his wife, Judy, and their helicopter pilot while traveling in New Zealand and Australia

Not to sit down and draw with me or let me see how she symbolized a waving hand by a few quick dashes at the end of an arm. I had no idea how, nor any inclination to draw the hole in space or in my being that described the vacuum I found and would continue to find for years everywhere she had been. It was as if CERN had already irrevocably opened a portal that liquified space and matter and time. And yet it was nothing so accommodating as to afford my sister passage back home again.

Walking into Miss Fine’s soft, well worn, tried and true old building thereafter was a comfort. It was ancient, but it then endured, supporting the steps of shoe sizes of all kinds, regardless where they had been. And the faces I was only beginning to know showed immeasurable empathy and kindness, as well as fear. For death had touched them too.

And I felt not just a little self-conscious about carrying it around, as if I wore clothes that had been thoroughly smoked in a devastating fire and wreaked enough to taint every room

I entered. Yet, I was accepted.

I think I shall always remember Miss Fine’s for the endless variety of individuals who walked the halls. Each student, every teacher and all administrators and the nurse struck me as heroines in most remarkably distinguished journeys, whether they ever spoke of them or not. It was in the air. Everyone wore it, the indisputable valor in existing. It was like a communion everyone took.

Differences were often acute, but acceptance was more the rule than not. At least, that is how I saw it. And that is what I chose to remember. Even as the continuity was challenged in the transition to Princeton Day School, there was always the sense that all were touched by a unity that allowed each to individuate to her or his heart’s content. Even when I was transplanted to a boarding school, that extraordinary connection with those at PDS remained a resilient vital thread.

And many of those souls are my nearest and

dearest today. They bless me over and over. We met at a well from which we continue to drink in its physical absence because the spirit still fills us. My gratitude is immeasurable. My wonder is itself astonished. My learning is thankfully endless. Communion continues beyond the limitations of political and religious alliances. Simply, one’s uniqueness complements the other’s. We are not done and we like it that way.

Ann McClellan sent a postcard in January. She wrote that “2023 was filled with health challenges. I am just now catching up with myself. I am still writing. My new cherry blossom book is due out in 2025.”

Good Luck, Ann.

Beth Schlossberg sent an update. “All is good. Working four days a week, playing pickleball, enjoying walks with Charlie (malti poo), and planning regular getaways.”

Go Panthers!

Ingrid Selberg sent word of her trucking along and enjoying time with her son and her wonderfully delightful grandchildren. “My son and I had a fabulous trip to the Pantanal of Brazil this summer on the hunt for jaguars, ocelots, giant anteaters, tapirs, common caiman, and hundreds of fabulous birds. The trip was amazing and so nice to spend one-on-one time with my son. I briefly saw Connie Sayen Ban at the end of the trip, which was enjoyable as ever. I do miss my dear husband a lot and nothing really replaces that gap in your life. It’s hard, but once again, we have to live with what life deals us.” Ingrid, we hope that your heart is healing.

Yours Truly, Mary Bassett Hobler Hyson, has enjoyed being a member of the MFS/PDS family since I started in the eighth grade.

And the beat goes on!

1969

Beverly Bevis Jones beverly@bbjonespr.com

Beth Healy wrote: “I’m sad to report that Tracey Green Whitney passed away last fall — remember her red hair! She and I grew up across the street from each other since kindergarten at Miss Fine’s and kept in touch over the years. She went to Stuart in ninth grade and graduated from there. Her family spent summers near Lake Placid NY where she met a wonderful guy, Wade Whitney, whom she married. They have two great kids, Ned and wife and grandchildren who live nearby, and daughter, Devon, who lives in Massachusetts. Tracey studied photography in NYC and owned a specialty food shop near Lake Placid where she did most of the baking for many years. She had lifelong issues with her back and many surgeries so I’m thankful she’s now relieved of that pain. I loved Tracey, my forever friend.”

We are also sorry to report the death of Bill “Chevy” Chalverus this past spring. His memorial service was held on July 6 in Albuquerque. His wife wrote: “A memorial fund has been established through our church. This fund will be used to build a soccer field in Bill’s name in Chinandega, Nicaragua. Bill’s last week of his life was spent in Nicaragua visiting several churches that our church helped to start. Bill played soccer with children from these churches and he was a superstar in their eyes. They could not play a game without Mr. Bill. Bill was full of joy and the spirit of the beautiful people we were with—and who all supported me during his final days. They will always be a part of our family. I know that Bill’s final moments on this earth was full of the love and beauty of our Lord and the faithful people who surrounded him. If you wish to contribute to Bill’s memorial — check out Vertical Church Albuquerque.”

The Gorge Under a Galactic Sky, a painting by Lisa Lawrence ’68

1970

Ann Wiley awileyemail@gmail.com

Tom Berger reported in from London (UK):

“Once again in 2024, my wife, Diane, and I spent January and February in Venice renting an apartment on top of a 16th century palazzo on the Grand Canal. Venice has a strong Princeton bond due to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection there and its connection with the Lawson-Johnston family. But the Princeton link to this Venice art museum does not stop here! Within the grounds of the Guggenheim Collection there is a separate wing of post1945 paintings donated by my cousins, Rudolph Schulhof and family. Both my Dad and Mr. Schulhof (who were born a year apart) emigrated from Czechoslovakia in the 1930s and found their way to the US to settle, build businesses and raise families.

“Diane and I remain based in London but travel frequently to France and Italy. This allows us to do three things: delight in British practicality, savour French chic and experience Italian style.”

Eve Robinson is a new grandmother! She wrote: “My first grandchild was born on December 18, 2023, to my daughter, Sophia Fraioli, and her husband, Bobby Daniels. His name is Heath Michael Daniels. They live only 10 minutes away from us; we are very lucky to be able to spend a lot of quality time together. I am still working and teaching but am making as much time as I can to spend with Heath. Who knows? It may spur me to finally retire, we will see.”

Wendy Lawson-Johnston McNeil reported that she “spent most of 2023 as a co-chair of the search committee for a new museum director in NY. After months of making sure we had considered every possible type of candidate, we were successful in engaging

Mariët Westerman, current Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi. We are all thrilled to have this brilliant and insightful leader committed to assisting the board in shaping the vision for the next chapter of the Guggenheim Museum in NY, Venice, Bilbao and Abu Dhabi. It was a gigantic win when she accepted the role, and I am excited to work with her.

“Life on the family tree farm in South Carolina is idyllic. We are surrounded by nature which gives me a continual sense of peace and joy, amidst a difficult season for our country.

“With two new hips I am back on horses and soaking up as much time as possible doing what I love outdoors in a canoe, on a horse, tromping through the woods looking for the

next perfect picnic spot, exploring the rivers by boat with my sister, sharing this life with my kids and grandkids as often as possible. You just can’t beat it!

“Wish I had more to share but other than the endless doctor appointments for one minor thing after another, life is great. But could someone tell me how the heck we got to be over 70 so quickly? It wasn’t that long ago when we were in dancing school or on a sports field or in a classroom just being kids. I am

hoping to stretch it out as long as possible and make it to the end of the runway with a big grin knowing I didn’t let health issues get in the way of absorbing all the good that comes from a life in the rural backwoods of the South! Hope each of you has your own version of a great life that brings you peace of mind.”

Hilary Martin wrote: “Last summer, my husband Kevin and I bought a five-acre waterfront property in the Chesapeake Bay area, near Chestertown, MD. We are down there for four-day weekends constantly; fortunately, it’s an easy commute of 85 miles. We love it sooooo much: a barn; 100s of trees; a vegetable and flower garden, which I’m now learning to manage; a dock; more birds of every variety than I ever thought to see—we have ospreys nesting on a platform just off our dock right now. It’s just so beautiful and relaxing here. Great kayaking, too.

Tom Berger ’70 sent this photo, of the PCD Student Council in June 1965. “Note the fashion for Madras jackets from the Princeton Prep Shop sported by myself and others in the photo.”

Heath Michael Daniels, grandson of Eve Robinson ’70

Hilary Martin ’70 (l-r) with her son-in-law, daughter, and husband in Australia

Anton Sedalik, grandson of Cintra Huber McGauley ’70, at his first Easter egg hunt on Sullivan’s Island, SC.. “I love living close to my kids in South Carolina.”

“Part of the reason for acquiring this place is that it is also close to both our children and their families. We entice them and the grandbabe—one two-year-old and another soon to come.... more anon? We hope so! A play/swing set is about to be installed. Also, Allison (Gilbert Kozicharow) and family are also close; they’ve been down several times, and we intend to have them as regular visitors!

“Last June, Kevin and I had a fab trip to Ireland. He (not I!) drove us all over Northern Ireland, coast to coast, and hit much of the Republic of, too, including Dublin and surrounding areas, ancient burial ground wonders and the most beautiful coastlines and countryside (with crazy winding, narrow roads)!

“Then over the Thanksgiving holiday, our daughter, Amanda, and her Aussie-born husband, and our grandson, Wes (19-monthsold then), traveled Down Under with family and friends, for their Covid-long-delayed wedding celebration in Sydney. Nice for Nigel’s family and mates to be part of the big event. Wonderful time there, especially since it was the beginning of summer! Then Kevin and I hopped over to NZ for an incredible exploring and hiking vacation. It’s like being on another planet, what with the Maori culture, unusual flora and fauna — and geysers! Stunningly beautiful.”

This past spring I (Ann Wiley) cruised the waterways of The Netherlands and Belgium. The Keukenhoff gardens were spectacular. In the fall, I will be on a trip on the lower Danube. Next spring will be our 55th Reunion, and since we were a bit short-changed for our 50th, it would be great to get together. Let me know if you are interested. Would love to hear from more of our classmates!

1971

Blythe Kropf blythekropf5@gmail.com

Tom Worthington worthington_tom@yahoo.com

David Claghorn reported with SMSG honed precision (remember those yellow soft-covered “New Math” books?) that he and Betsy are 75% retired, traveling and staying energized with their six(!) grandkids.

From Dede Pickering : “ Suzy Waterman and I are looking at our class photo together right now reminiscing! Suzy and Gar Waterman ’74 and I have just returned from Antigua where Stan Waterman was buried at sea. His final resting place was a beautiful coral reef offshore of Antigua. Surrounded by family and an intimate group of divers and underwater filmmakers, his ashes were laid to rest. A wonderful few days celebrating his 100 years on earth and under the sea. Stan Waterman was my inspiration for photography and travel. I credit who I am today to Stan and Miss Fine’s School for inviting him to thrill us with his inspirational lectures and films. I flew from Bolivia, where I was on a photography shoot, to meet Suzy and friends in Antigua for Stan’s celebration. What wonderful memories we have of each other and of our lives together. Much love to all from Dede and Suzy…. after all these years!”

Bill Flemer provided these PCD memories: “As a newly minted Anglophile (we went to England in 1963), I loved the English school touches: ‘forms,’ ‘masters.’ the coat-and-tie dress code required for fourth, fifth and sixth formers. I loved the stone steps at the entrance, worn down by the scuffling feet of

generations of boys. My dad went there in the 1930s and had Mr. McAneny as a French teacher. Back then, the Headmaster, Mr. Murch, would read aloud to the boys. Dad brought that practice to our family, reading Sherlock Holmes stories to us.

“I remember a very brief exposure to baseball, with a real baseball, hard as a rock, thrown fast. It seemed like the pitcher was aiming for my head — you could get killed out there! Thus, began for me a long career of avoiding sports as much as possible.

Bob Peck ’70 and family “ferrying around San Francisco Bay…Come to Oakland, everybody!

Tom Berger ’70 this past winter on the balcony of the apartment he and his wife rented in Venice

David ’71 and Betsy Claghorn with their grandchildren

Class of 1971 seventh 7th grade soccer team; they had to use PCD jerseys because the PDS ones hadn’t come in yet

Half of the class of 1971 in 1965

“In morning assemblies, Nat Hutner ’65 played the piano for the hymns we were expected to sing. Chris Reeve ’70 gave a great performance as the English housekeeper (cook?) in that year’s play, “Witness for The Prosecution,” with a credible English accent. (All the female parts were played by boys.)

Even then, Chris had actor’s blood in his veins. And, finally, the school song.

First verse:

“‘Above the lake where rival crews have bowed to Princeton’s eight

Hard by the field where football foes have felt the Tiger’s weight

In such surroundings there has grown, in classroom and at play

The winning spirit of the boys of Princeton Country Day!’”

Bill and I have been trying to piece together the remaining verses; we wonder if anyone has saved a recording or copy of the lyrics? Bill continues to play bluegrass, folk, and his blend of Americana at venues around Princeton.

Vicki Willock gave this report from the road: “John and I are driving with our border collie cross country for the next four weeks visiting friends—from Miss Mason’s, Miss Fine’s and PDS, as well as friends from college and grad school. In addition to spending time with individuals we trust and respect, it is fun to see cities and towns that have been on our list for years and visit attractions I read about as a child and am only getting to see now. Presently sitting in a rural motel after a day of driving from the desert in Southern California to the Petrified Forest near Holbrook, Arizona. This country is so spectacular to see close up. We are a diverse country with something for everyone. And the dog gets her desired car ride on a daily basis.”

It is always a special treat to hear from classmates from our early years at PCD and

PDS. Thus, I was delighted to get a note from Ted McCluskey. Ted, Kevin McCarthy, and I all left St. Paul’s School on Nassau Street after third grade and were in First Form together at PCD in 1962. Ted and his family lived just up Broadmead Street from PCD. I remember nighttime walks from his house to the Princeton Observatory and getting a chance to bother some poor grad student with our pleadings to look at the telescopes. He moved to the West Coast after seventh grade at PDS. He reported: “I am retired and hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area a couple of times per week. Went to Austin for the eclipse. Going hiking in May in Zion/Bryce National Parks. I have a daughter, but no grandchildren.”

Lisa Warren reported: “This past fall we had a great trip to Croatia where we met up with our daughter, Rachel ’13, and her fiancé for a few days before enjoying a coastal tour. Since they live in Atlanta, we tend to see them around trips, holidays and special events. Proud parents’ moment when, over Mother’s Day weekend, we watched her receive her MBA from Emory’s Goizueta business school. In a couple of weeks, she and her fiancé will move into their new home in Atlanta just in time to celebrate her upcoming birthday. In September, they will marry. A lot of celebrations. On the PDS front, the Mock Trial team won the county competition this year, and advanced, but did not prevail, in the regionals. I am still enjoying co-coaching the team.

“It has been great to have seen my dear childhood friend, Katie Poole , a few times in the last several months. She is well and enjoying grandmotherhood. I hope everyone is finding time to enjoy life in any way big or small, that makes you happy.”

Natalie Huston Wiles sent some memories from her time at Miss Fine’s School, which she attended from first grade through sixth grade, from fall 1959 to spring 1966 and then on to PDS.

• L etter from an Upper School girl to incoming Middle School fifth graders (Mine was from Lisa Lawrence ’68). Generally being in awe of Upper School girls.

• Creating murals in art class with Mrs. Smith

• Creating musicals with Mrs. Gilbert (Allison ’70’s mom) in third grade

• M ilk and cookies delivered by Edgar in second grade

• Christmas Candlelight program and Lower School pageant; we learned the King James Version of Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus…and we said it in unison.

• Maypole dancing on May Day

• Halloween parade

• Having to shake hands and curtsey with Miss Weigel each day as we left

• Being terrified of Mrs. Roberts

• L oving my home room teachers: Mrs. Vogt, Mrs. Peck, Mrs. Barclay, Mrs. Lockwood, Mrs. Kane and Mrs. Patterson.

• M rs. Barclay taking us out to the countryside, in several station wagons

driven by parents, to pick wildflowers. I still have the book we made after pressing them.

• Being fascinated by the way Mrs. Conroy erased the board (the arm not holding the eraser pumped in and out in tandem)

• M r. Leon DuBois teaching music or accompanying us.

• Phonics with Mrs. Goodchild.

• French with Mme. Holenkoff. We asked her if she was Anastasia but she said she’d never tell…

• M r. Kovacs playing a violin concert for us in an assembly.

• M rs. Cobb and Mrs. Corlette for gym.

• Watching John Glenn’s flight on the television at an assembly in the gym on my birthday.

Lastly, Melissa and I ( Tom) remain busy with various non-profit boards, volunteering together at the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge, and spending time with our four granddaughters whenever we can. Come visit us in Minnesota!

Mrs. Whitehall’s seventh grade (class of 1971) math class. Tom Worthington: “She was a wonderful teacher — the best math teacher I had at PDS”

Gar Waterman ’74, Dede Pickering ’71, Suzy Waterman Reid ’71 in Antigua

John Moore johnlmoore3@gmail.com

Hank Bristol wrote that “he is having an art show of his watercolor in October at the Nassau Club in Princeton. Look forward to seeing many local alums at the opening!”

Karen Turner wrote: “I retired from Temple University’s Department of Journalism effective 12/31/23 after 31 years. As I said to those who attended my celebration event in December, I don’t call this next life chapter ‘retirement’ but rather ‘refocusing.’ I’m finding I have better control of my daily schedule though I don’t seem to be any less busy. I will continue to teach my race, class,

and gender in the media course that I created online in 1997 occasionally as an adjunct. I’m thrilled and honored that Temple University’s president and the Committee on Trustee Affairs of the Board of Trustees have invited me to serve an initial three-year term as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Klein College of Media and Communication, effective last month.” Congratulations, Karen!

Jan Hall Burruss wrote: “This fall brought another marriage — my oldest daughter, Meriwether, married Mark Finegan in Somerville. It was a fun and joyous event. Now, all three kids are happily married, and we have two granddaughters with whom we just watched the total eclipse up at their home in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Awesome. I retired at the end of October

after my last gig — almost 10 years in the activities department at the nursing home where my mother lived for many years. I love being retired as I now have time to read, walk, watch the birds, go to art museums, reconnect with old friends, and attend to our old house and farm.” Congrats, Jan!

Jean Beckwith Funk wrote: “We DO have another son getting married in September!”

MacKenzie Carpenter responded with: “The most exciting PDS-related event for me this year was in early April when a few of us met at Mediterra in Princeton with Peter McLoughlin ’75, youngest brother of our beloved Harriette McLoughlin. Peter had suggested a dinner to reminisce about Harriette, who we lost 50 years ago when she was just 19. It was a wonderful evening, including Mackenzie Carpenter, Alex Laughlin, Peter McLoughlin, Janet Laughlin (Alex’s wife), and Jody Erdman. Alex figures prominently in the timeline of Harriette’s life, since he was the first boy in our class to ask a

girl out on a date—and that girl was Harriette! Jody and I were close neighbors of hers and recalled many exciting adventures together— trips to the Jersey Shore, and secret smoking sessions behind the old Miss Fine’s School gymnasium. We will miss her always. (Fun fact: Peter, who as you may know, was team president of the Seattle Seahawks from 2010 to 2018. The team won the Super Bowl in 2014. He is retired and living in Montana with his wife, Kelly, and between them they share five children, plus a granddaughter named Harriette.)”

John Kalpin shared: “Everyone has the thing that ignites their passion for living. For me, a beautiful home environment has always been essential to my well-being and sense of identity. So, this is my version of ‘downsizing.’ Purchased last year. Lake house and Florida residence sold. Down to two. I am deriving great satisfaction from the process of returning her to her glorious beauty from 1925 with contemporary updates. Still operating two childcare facilities currently licensed for 165 children. Looking to expand one more time, perhaps getting to 200+ children while concurrently handing the businesses off to my two directors this year.

Artwork by Hank Bristol ’72

Janet Laughlin, Kenzie Carpenter ’72, Alex Laughlin ’72, Peter McLoughlin ’75, and Jody Erdman ’72 gathered to remember their classmate/ sister, Harriette McLoughlan ’72

John Kalpin ’72’s dream house renovation

“Meanwhile, I started working-out at a friend’s personal gym three years ago this month. Positively impacting all aspects of my life. I had great opportunities to grow and develop participating in both individual and team sports at PDS, memories of which I still carry within, and which fostered confidence, teamwork, and perseverance. At the conclusion of this year’s CrossFit Open Challenge with almost 343,000 participants worldwide, I ranked 18th out of the 70-year-old male participants, a satisfying result.” (That is AWESOME, Johnny K!)

“ Steve Zudnak is preparing our week-long itinerary for this year’s motorcycle road-trip in August. Looking forward to that and the lifelong connection.”

My wife and I ( John Moore) made a big move this past fall. After dreaming and “looking” for years, we found our retirement home in southern mid-coast Maine, east of Brunswick and Bowdoin College. We purchased and closed in mid-November and moved in Christmas Day. We sold our home in CT on May 1st and are now completely Maine located. We are so happy to be leading a less intense and less complicated lifestyle.

Since no one responded to the request for PCD or Miss Fine’s memories, I will throw out the following (although I did not attend PCD, I experienced it vicariously through my Laughlin cousins). I remember stories about cinnamon flavored toothpicks, writing “numbers” as punishments (but there were enterprising classmates who sold copies of “numbers” thanks to carbon paper, and truly epic Blues vs. Whites contests. I remember dynasty families such as the Smoyers, Claghorns, Wandelts, Donaldsons, Erdmans, Cooks, Raymonds, Battles, etc. I recall teachers such as Griggs, Combs, Lea, Sawyer, McAneny, Bronk, Miller, Roberts, Barron. Hockey at Baker Rink. Happy Anniversary to PCD (100th) and Miss Fine’s (125th)!

1973

Sandy Oxley cassandra.oxley@gmail.com

1974

Polly Hunter White pwhite2224@gmail.com

Walter Poole is a pastor in Asia. He left PDS after eighth grade. Some of you may know his sister, Katie ’71 who graduated from PDS and his father, Dick, who taught French at PDS from 1966-1976.

He wrote: “This is a quick synopsis of my life since 1974. After a college degree in geography (1979) and a summer working in

soil conservation, I decided to go in a different direction and get theological training. Part of my theological training involved interacting in the Asian neighborhood in Chicago. I ended up spending 15 years getting to know the peoples of Southeast Asia, mainly refugees.

“In 2003 my wife and I went to Cambodia. My wife is from South India, and we have spent a good amount of time there as well. With our two children, we have founded a Baptist Church in Phnom Penh. In addition

to our church work, we enjoy the amazing diversity of this city, interacting with people of many, many nationalities.

“If you ever come this way, please let us know! My email is: wpoole03@yahoo.com.”

Wendy Cohen wrote: “All kinds of stuff has happened the past couple of years. My mother and father divorced around 44 years ago. We (Wendy and her wife) ended up having both of them move in with us. At first, we weren’t sure if it would work out, but surprisingly, they enjoyed each other’s company. Our longtime housemate and dear friend, Becky, had to move to a nearby assisted living facility.

“During the last year, Becky’s cat, my father’s dog, and my father passed away, so now we are down to my mother, my wife and me. My wife, Marge, and I have both retired. Marge was an RN for 30 years. I sold real estate here in the Joshua Tree area for about 12 years. These days I make clothes, garden, read a lot and dabble in community theater. And there you have it.” Wendy’s email: WendyCohenRealtor@gmail.com.

Ethan Johnson reported: “I am still practicing law in New York City and Miami; I plan to retire in October 2025. I am living in Coral Gables, Florida and Cashiers, North Carolina.

1974 classmates Evelyn Turner Counts, David Straut, Jill Goldman and Polly Hunter White Received the PDS Annual Fund Award for Highest Participation on behalf of their class

Sandy H’87 (l) and Iris (r) Bing joined 1974 classmates at brunch on Sunday morning of Alumni Weekend

1974 classmates Sab Russo, David Straut and Cam Ferrante enjoying their reunion

Wendy Cohen ’74 and her wife, Marge, standing in line to get married in San Francisco in 2004

I have been married to Beth for 40 years. Beth and I have three children: Sarah (Bernard Clemm Von Hohenberg), Austin (Lulian Lucena) and Whitcomb (Natalie Boyse) and two grandsons, Gustavus and Casimir plus another grandkid on the way. Life is good.” Ethan’s email until October 2025: ethan.johnson@morganlewis.com.

Comments on our 50th Reunion

Diana Roberts: “I found the reunion to be the most joyous occasion and wish it could have gone on for hours. I’m sorry to not have talked to everybody in depth and there were people I didn’t reach out to, not for lack of caring, but for lack of time. When I sat at the table (Class of 1974 Friday night dinner) with Beth (Ross), Trina (Waters), Melinda

(Cragg), Liz (Penick), Sandy Bing h’87, Meriel (Lindley), Annie (Williams) and Palmer (Uhl) I felt like I was home.”

Francis Treves: “It was a wonderful evening. A great thanks to the committee for great food and fond memories. I left wishing I could have talked to more of you. Perhaps we might need

an interim gathering as I felt the next five years may be too long a wait.”

Sab Russo: “Kudos to the planners (Reunion Planning Committee), we know who you are. It was such a fun evening. They finally had to throw us out of the venue.”

Cole Harrop (came from France): “It was a delightful experience! I was so pleased to see old friends and classmates. I am glad to have the email list for future contacts. I just spent a lovely afternoon with Amy Stanley and Camilla Carpenter who were sad they were not able to make the trip. They send their best wishes to all. The reunion committee did a wonderful job. The evening was so comfortable-thank you to all. I look forward to seeing the photos.”

Palmer Uhl: “Agree with all! Thanks to the committee for a great reunion. It was truly wonderful to see so many old friends. And really missed all who couldn’t make it.”

Anne Williams: “It was great to see you all. But frustrating that I didn’t get to spend more time with some or any time with a few. Life is short. I am glad I did it.”

Beth Ross: “I so appreciate the significant effort the reunion committee put in on our behalf. and the generosity and openness of those who still live in the area. What a great class, right?! Take good care everyone and if you ever find yourselves in California, mi casa es su casa.”

Liz Penick Romanaux: “Congratulations to all who planned this great event. It was so wonderful to see you all.”

Jill Goldman: “What a wonderful reunion weekend! To all who were able to make it, in person or via Zoom, what fun to be back together. For those unable to join, know you were missed, and for all, mark your calendars for our 55th!”

Barbara Spalholz: “Echoing everyone’s sentiments. Great to see you all and thanks to the reunion committee for a great event.”

Eleanor Funk Schuster: “Many thanks to the reunion committee for your hard work. It was a resounding success!”

Warner Leu (our exchange student): “Many thanks to the organizing committee and to all of you. It was great to come back after 50 years and meet you all.”

1975

Yuki Moore Laurenti ymlaurenti@gmail.com

Molly Sword McDonough mollyswordmcdonough@yahoo.com

Eric Dunn reported that his son, Gregory, and daughter-in-law, Ellen, are expecting a daughter in August. This will be Eric’s first grandchild. His daughter, Sarah, is engaged to a great guy, Nick, with a wedding planned for next summer.

Members of the class of 1974 celebrated their 50th reunion this year

Claudine Frank ’74 and Wendy Friedman ’74 connecting at their 50th reunion

Walter Poole ’74

By the time the Journal goes to print, some of us will have attended our 45th college reunion and next year some of us will return to PDS to celebrate our 50th! While John Brinster did not have news to report, he does remind us that we need to plan for that milestone. Wishing classmates good cheer and good health.

1976

Kathy Kehoe kgkath@verizon.net

Hello old friends! It has been a challenging year for me so far dealing with the aftermath of a garage fire that thankfully did not do extensive damage to our home. The “what if” scenarios really rattled me, but we are all safe thanks to a miracle in timing—my husband just happened to pop out to the outside fridge at one am to grab a drink, was met with dense smoke, and had the fire out with the garden hose before the FD arrived, else the house would have become involved as we slept. It was a close call. Hug your loved ones and appreciate today!

It was nice to hear from Cintra Eglin Willcox, who had these memories of Miss Fine’s School: “It was a very grand, elegant old place. I recall that the kindergarten room, presided over by Miss Weigel and her assistant, Mrs. Sutcliffe, was in the basement. There must have been windows high up on the walls, though, because I remember it not as a dark place but having plenty of light. I think the cafeteria was also in the basement, along with Miss Duff’s crafts studio and Mrs. Paterson’s first grade class. The other first grade class, Mrs. Gulick’s, was upstairs. We had music class with Mrs. Gilbert in a big room on the first floor of the building, off of the huge front hall. The spaces seemed enormous to me, but then I was experiencing them through a five-year-old’s eyes! When the big girls changed classes, they made a great

deal of noise moving from room to room. We called the sounds of their footsteps ‘herds of thundering elephants.’ The playground and playing field were behind the school, and the gymnasium was in a separate building. I think the gym may still be standing? Mrs. Cobb was our gym teacher. The gym was also where assemblies were held; it had a stage upon which plays, and the beloved Christmas Pageant took place. A fence made a boundary between the playing field and ‘Morven’ next door. One day during recess, Ned Harvey somehow managed to drop his army helmet over the fence, and Mrs. Gulick announced, ‘The Governor now has an army helmet.’ I remember dancing around the Maypole in the spring, in a charming, picturesque old tradition. Another year-end event was when the senior girls played the faculty in some sort of athletic competition, and we laughed in delight to see our teacher, Sally Paterson, wearing blue jeans and a Tom Sawyer-like straw hat! As our first-grade year came to a close (June 1965), we each received a new pencil. It was white and said on it in blue letters PRINCETON DAY SCHOOL. This was my introduction to the new school where we would start in September.”

Jonathan Stein offered: “Last May, two days after wife, Beki, retired after 33 years at Alvernia University, we flew from Philadelphia to Atlanta, where we met up with daughter, Remy, and her childhood friend, Victoria. From there we hopped the long flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, to start a slightly early 40th anniversary adventure. Over the next two weeks we visited game camps in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, and saw almost every imaginable wild animal possible, including elephants, giraffes, leopards, a honey badger, hippos, rhinos, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, lions, and much more. The only animal we were hoping to see but was a no show was a cheetah. On a night drive, the tracker/guide got us so close to a feeding male lion that there probably were not more than three feet

between that lion’s jaws and my left knee. It would not have been a good time to check my heart rate or blood pressure. We also saw Victoria Falls and had a short stay in Zambia. What was the best part? All of it. It was truly amazing and sadly, not something we’ll probably get to do again, though any encore trip would need to be in East Africa. What passed for a major road in South Africa was closed, so we had many miles traversing dirt roads through small villages. With three different camps we had to take several short flights into and out of little air strips and regional airports. The entire trip was amazing thanks to the incredible company that set up the trip for us.”

Sally Lincoln Jeffery wrote: “Greetings, I’m in my 16th year operating Isaiah House, a longterm residential treatment program for men with substance use disorder. I am the clinical supervisor and see clients in private practice. Next week I’m heading to Orkney, Scotland for 11 days, having traced my father’s mother’s family to these remote archipelagos. I have been hiking four miles daily in preparation! I’m in my second year of beekeeping and have

doubled my boxes. I love this hobby! I keep up with Emily Rothrock-Kastler who still lives in Bethesda MD. My sister, Irene Lincoln Nemser ’73, has moved to Florida to be near two of her children, and my brother, Allen Lincoln ’87, is a chaplain for Buckingham’s Choice-Acts Retirement in Maryland.”

Princeton University men’s hockey traveled to UNH (University of New Hampshire) last winter. In attendance (l-r): Johnny Moore ’72, Billy Erdman ’76, Peter Moore ’73, Peter’s son, Ian (Nordic skier for UVM), and Tommy Moore ’76.

Last Easter, the Sherman family celebrated Mrs. Sherman’s birthday at Davis’s house in Maryland: Front row (l-r): Mrs. Sherman, Davis Sherman ’75, Clooie Sherman ’77, and Clooie’s nephew Steve; Back row (l-r): Roger Sherman ’73, Davis’s wife, Anita, and Clooie’s wife, Deborah

Amos Harris shared: “Quick update. My family — wife and three kids, 13, nine and nine (thankfully I am not good at math) — moved from S CA to Granada, Spain last year. Loving Spain. Life is easier, it is beautiful here, kids have more freedom — largely because we can walk or get the bus to anywhere — we don´t own a car here, kids just need to be home for dinner — otherwise they are mostly on their own. Travel to the rest of Europe is easy. Not retired, able to work remotely, but commute back to St Louis and NYC about once every 45/60 days.”

A little birdie told me that Tim Frey is alive and kicking at an undisclosed location in Virginia. If you read this, Tim, please give me a shout so we can catch up!

Memories of PCD and MFS were requested for this edition and here are mine: I remember a huge porch with pickup and drop off managed by Thomas. Vast ceilings and windows seemed to dominate, and loud squeaky wood flooring made everything echo. Kindergarten is cloudy aside from cookies and milk with Miss Weigel and Mrs. Sutcliffe,

but I remember my first-grade classroom and Mrs. Gulick with a bit more clarity. My favorite was recess and the enormous heavy wooden seesaws. I recall what seemed like a very tall slide with support poles that I liked to shinny. And I remember May Day and the Maypole dance. On the PCD side, we used to attend my brother, Bill ’64’s, baseball games where I fought off boredom by rolling down an embankment and cooling off with twin-pop popsicles (orange or cherry, thank you very much) from the ever-present ice cream truck. He played hockey, so my memories of Baker Rink go back to those games as well as family skate time there that both schools sponsored.

2026 and our 50th reunion will be upon us in the blink of an eye. With most retired and traveling extensively, I want to urge you to put a pin in May 2026 and plan to attend what will no doubt be a memorable event. Hope to see you then!

1977

Sandra Benson Cress sbcress@aol.com

Welcome, one and all. Spring is ramping up to be busy out here in Portland for your trusty class scribe, Sandra Benson Cress…in May, I have a flamenco performance (gosh, I so wish I had started dancing flamenco in my youth!), and a choir performance (choral pieces by Franz Josef Haydn and Arvo Pärt, performed with the Portland Baroque Orchestra). I am surprised that I’m losing sleep with performance anxiety — while I’m pleased that my musicianship actually continues improving, my senior brain retains less and less! I am hoping to be able to keep singing with my choir through our UK tour in 2026. The last two tours included singing services in Notre Dame, the summer before it burned, and St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, which were both mind-blowing experiences. We also have outof-town guests coming this month, and I’m continuing volunteering as an English tutor for a Ukrainian woman in Kyiv. (Isn’t zoom amazing?) We are gearing up for the summer when my husband, Doug, and I will volunteer for the Paris Olympics. Doug and I will also travel to Helsinki to see Bruce Springsteen in July! We boldly (or stupidly) opted for the G/A standing room in front of the stage—we figure if Bruce can perform for three-plus hours, we should be able to stand/dance for the same amount of time. Also, our experience at a recent Springsteen/U2 concerts is that

the crowd is basically all our age and older (much!), so it’s not much of a mosh up front. Feeling grateful for health and leisure time, and, of course, friends and family, and Bruce… soundtrack of our lives!

My harassment of classmates to submit their “news” did sometimes have an effect, and I kept my class notes open ‘til the very last minute!

Lisa Yokana continues to work through her official retirement as an award-winning teacher. Due to extensive prodding, Lisa wrote: “Is it too late? Sorry it’s taken me so long... We have many, many changes going on... My husband retired at the end of May after 40 plus years in architecture. The house he has designed that we’re building in northern Vermont is on schedule to be finished July 1. We’ve added to the confusion by selling our big house and downsizing to an apartment right down the hill in Westchester, so we can still be close to our beautiful one-year-old grandson, Andres. We are still figuring out how much time we will spend in each place. My consulting career is going strong with some amazing projects on tap for next year— still working at the intersection of making, entrepreneurship and equity in education. I will have a lot more freedom to work remotely, but all projects will require some stunning travel.”

How GREAT to hear from Alex Zaininger, from life down under! Alex wrote: “I’m not certain if it was Wilde or Twain who said: ‘I’ve written you a long letter because I didn’t have time to write you a short one’ — but here is my long letter. My goodness, how quickly another year has passed! I suspect that like most of our class, the news will be about adult children, grandchildren, and retirement plans. Our case is no different! Last September our oldest ‘child’ Paula got married. She traded one difficult surname for another! Her husband, Lars Mejnertsen, is

Jonathan Stein ’76 with museum Director and Curator Kevin Kelly at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. The car is Jonathan’s 1976 MGB GT V8.

Alex Zaininger ’77 and family at his daughter, Paula’s, wedding.

Sandra Benson Cress ’77 and husband, Doug, enjoying a Springsteen show in Phoenix

half-Dutch, half-English, grew up in Holland and combined with Paula’s German/Ukrainian heritage is really mixing up the gene-pool! They met at Imperial University in London. Paula needed a new flatmate and Lars moved in and never moved out. Even though they both now live in Sydney, we decided to have the wedding in Germany as it was easier to mobilize our small family than to bring Lars’ huge family to Sydney. Paula is a paediatrician and Lars an astrophysicist and they tell us that they are still too busy paying off their mortgage to give us grandchildren. Our son, Augustin, was finally awarded his DPhil (Covid admin delays, not academic issues he tells us) and now is a post-doc at Oxford saving the planet researching a new type of solar cell. Louisa, our youngest, came back to Sydney during Covid and resumed med school there — although it seems to us that she spends more time in her outdoor passions (free diving, rowing, camping). It seems like these Millennials are really embracing the work-life-balance mantra! We are starting to take a cue from them and are planning to slowly wind down our professional lives. I’m slowly extracting myself from the PE funds that I have been involved in for the last 15+ years and Amely is trying to enthuse some of the young cardiologists working for her in her practice to take on more and free her up (there is that pesky work-life-balance again). Nevertheless, we’ve decided to try and have more downtime—both in Sydney and in the northern hemisphere. And as always, if any of you make it ‘Down Under,’ be sure to look us up! I’ll promise you a great Aussie barbecue and a sail on the harbour! And if at all possible, I’ll make it back to Princeton for our 50th! Warm regards to all!”

From Alexis Arlett Kochman: “Like others in our class, I celebrated my 65th along with family and friends! Coach Tabs was there to help celebrate and regaled us with the stories of our girls’ soccer team’s spirit of grit when we traveled to play Yale!”

Libby Hicks Blount shared two photos, one with her four kids, taken in Providence, RI at a family holiday gathering, and the other with five of her six grandkids (the sixth is an infant who was asleep). She proclaimed: “Being with this brood is my happy place, for sure!”

Libby is currently living in Durham, NC with husband, Steve, dog, Nellie, and near one daughter, her hubby and their two daughters, seven and four.

Ophelia (Fifi) Laughlin lives in Ringoes these days, just a couple of miles from where Barbie Russell Flight used to live. “Since retiring in October I have been slowly finding my way. Presently, I am serving as an occasional supply priest, teaching English to a group of Ukrainian women (note: Fifi volunteers with an org called Welcoming the Stranger, and I volunteer with an org called ENGinProgram) and working with Cleo to get her fully certified as a therapy dog. Only the paperwork remains! Regardless of what I find myself doing, I am extremely grateful to be able to claim my time as my own.”

Caroline (Clooie) Sherman contributed: “I’ve been working part-time as an independent contractor (under my business name, Handy Admin, Office Nerd for Hire) for the Fremont Chamber of Commerce here in Seattle for slightly over 10 years, the longest I’ve worked anywhere! Contemplating retirement but haven’t nailed down a date. Deborah and I flew East to visit my mom and family for her 92nd birthday. She’s still living independently, but her memory is fading. While we were there, sitting around the table, she seemed to go into a reminiscence and mistook me for her childhood best friend after whom I’m named. It took a bit of calm questioning to

bring her back to the present. That was a little disquieting but also a gentle introduction to what is likely to come. I am grateful for my brothers and how the three of us are working as a well-oiled team taking care of her... Happy 100, PCD! And 125 Miss Fine’s!”

Fifi Laughlin ’77’s successful project—training Cleo as a certified therapy dog

Libby Hicks Blount ’77 with her four kids

Quinn McCord ’77 and wife, Mary Eileen.

Libby Hicks Blount ’77 with five of her six grandkids!

Alan Johnson ’77 and his wife, Merle.

Alan Johnson, an education specialist at New Jersey Youth Corps of Trenton, wrote that he is currently living in NE Philadelphia, and has grown twins and four grandchildren.

How great to hear from Helen Stein, formerly known as Jaimie Beaumont, who shared: “I am finishing my 37th year of teaching. Right now, I’m working as a librarian and teacher of gifted students for the Albuquerque Public Schools. I’m planning to retire after one or two more years. Come visit me in New Mexico!” It should be noted, while I might have thought Helen was a

“lost” classmate, she was keeping track of our classmate activities via our Facebook page, “Princeton Day School Class of 1977” — please join, if you haven’t already! I believe Rob is still the page administrator.

Quinn McCord shared: “After our threeweek road trip out West, across the UP to Yellowstone with our 1966 Shasta Astroflyte Classic, we did a 10-day river cruise from Paris to Normandy. Pretty good year, I’d say!”

Well, these days, just being around for our “third third” (apologies to Annie Lamott) counts for a lot! I’m already planning to make my way back East for our 50th (Ack!) in 2027. Keep those updates and pictures coming!

1978

Nora Cuesta Wimberg nlazz@mac.com

All is well in South Jersey. We had a great time in the Poconos this February with two other couples. We love tubing, great fun. We rented a huge VRBO in the woods and it

snowed while we were there, a great bonus! My brother-in-law passed away this past Thanksgiving; we ended up buying his condo in Stuart, Florida. We are renovating the entire place, (since it was built in the 70s), we are excited as we watch the changes and upgrades. It is on the water; we LOVE having our coffee as we watch the manatee sunbathe every morning.

Tom Gates wrote: “Tracey and I had lunch with Liz and Don Gips at their home in Menlo Park on March 22nd. It was so good to connect after a long gap! We were on a 15-day tour of the greater SF area and Bend, OR, where our son, Ren, his wife and two grandsons live.”

Sue Fineman Keitelman wrote: Sue’s grandsons turned two (Wesley) and four (Ezra) this year. Ezra (in “safety goggles” and a tool belt!) got a tool kit so he can help Daddy (Sue’s oldest son, Jordan) do woodworking.”

Lisa Yokana ’77’s dream house in Vermont is taking shape!

Kerin Lifland ’77 with sister, Carol ’73, and brother, Charlie ’75, at a recent family wedding

Best friends, Celia Hope Schulz ’77 and Sarah Williams Goldhagen ’77 as kindergarteners in June 1965; they were in the very last kindergarten class at Miss Fine’s School

Nora Cuesta Wimberg ’78 and husband, Charlie enjoyed tubing this past winter

Sue Fineman Keitelman ’78’s grandsons

Tracey Gates, Liz Gips, Don Gips ’78 and Tom Gates ’78 enjoyed lunch together this past March

Robyn Ultan wrote: “I am retired, from guidance counseling, and have been helping my mom who is (knock on wood) quite autonomous but needs some assistance. I enjoy singing in the Jewish choir I have participated in since 2000! We are currently preparing for our big spring concert, which will take place in mid-May. I also am a member of a local karaoke club where I can sing anything, rock, show tunes etc. I am planning to help the Biden campaign save democracy, and hope many of my classmates will join me. I think our wonderful American history teacher, Mr. Lott, would agree that this election is one of the most important in American history. All the best to you and my classmates!”

Keith Baicker wrote: “Life has been quite busy for me and full of good fortune. My older son married last fall on a wonderful fall weekend in New Hampshire. It could not have been nicer. After recovering from some major health issues, I am back to photography with a shout out to Mr. Denby again for getting me started. When I am pressed for time, I simply stop by Colonial Lake, not far from the PDS campus, and walking distance from my house. Recently, I was able to capture these cormorants fussing for position on the tree branch. Their bright orange facial markings and vibrant blue eyes are really quite striking.”

Gail Reeder wrote: “We are still enjoying Florida. Jack is loving life in St. Pete, and Mark and I are still happily dividing our time between Longboat Key and our Old Kentucky Home.”

Jennifer Chandler Hauge wrote: “Upon hearing the news that Arky Vaughn, Barbara Vaughn’s father, (who was credited as the creator of the Head tennis racquet I played with while trying my best to defeat Rob Olsson and Tommy Gates on the tennis court), passed away in April, I am reminded that everyone can use more beauty in their life, so be sure to follow @bvphoto on Instagram. I’m still living in Washington, DC, recently retired, finding more time to catch up on the US history I never learned from Mr. Tibbals, and, inspired by Madame Noel’s art-historyas-French lessons, to visit art museums with my painter-husband. And now here’s a plug for classmate Lucy Englander Vandenbrand’s expertise in facilitating world travel adventures. Thank you, Lucy, for making sure we got where we wanted to go and had a blast in Vietnam, Cambodia, Paris, Rome, Tuscany, and places in between!”

Alice Lee Groton wrote: “John and I are at last taking the trip to Spain we planned for April 2020! As tennis players and fans, we’ll be spending a few days at the Barcelona Open and then the Madrid Open, taking in these cities as well as Seville in-between. We can’t wait! Back at home in Stonington, CT, we are blessed to have both daughters and husbands living nearby; Sara and Ben moved back from CA to RI and now have an 18-month-old son, Briggs, who we see weekly, and Sophie and Thomas live just 15 minutes away. This has been my third winter of cold-water swimming with a group of about 15 other crazy women (The Intrepid Lasses!) who wade into the ocean off of a small beach nearby. It’s always tough getting in but exhilarating and never regret it after. I’m having fun painting, exploring abstract in both acrylic and watercolor. It’s hard to believe almost a year has passed since our 45th! That means only four years until our 50th! See you then!”

Brian Trubee wrote: “I moved out to a property in Sequim, Washington, and now have a greenhouse and a shop. My son, Robert, has a one-year-old boy and is looking at

becoming an airline pilot when he gets out of the Air Force in a few years. My younger son, Philip, just got engaged and is planning the wedding in August. I’m keeping busy tending my property, flying, doing woodworking, a nd building a car.”

Sheila Mehta wrote: “For someone who was so ambivalent about retiring, it is laughable how quickly I have grown to love this new phase of

Sheila Mehta ’78 loves hiking now that she is retired

Sheila Mehta and her family visited India this past December

Greg Morea ’78 with his wife, Barbara, the night he was formally announced as a “Distinguished Shipbuilder” by Electric Boat after 40 years of service!

Gail Reeder ’78 with her family in Florida

Photo of cormorants by Keith Baicker ’78

my life. In December, my husband, our two grown children, and I traveled to India, and we toured Kerala and Rajasthan for about half the time and for the rest of time, we stayed with my family in Delhi. Among other new endeavors, I have started a four-year theology program of study and reflection, and I am trying to learn Spanish. In April, I will begin a six- or seven-week solo pilgrimage in Spain, the Camino de Santiago, carrying my things in a backpack and walking for about 570 miles. I also have been hiking almost every week since retiring and have made a new group of friends in my hiking buddies...I’ve never been so HAPPY!”

1979

Evan Press EvanRPress@gmail.com

Cathy White Mertz cathywhitemertz@gmail.com

Cathy sent:

Ned Foley is looking forward to returning to Princeton during the 2024-2025 academic year for his first extended stay since graduation. He

Jan Baker,

will be a visiting research scholar at Princeton University, working on a book about how best to reform election procedures to counteract partisan polarization. He hopes to reconnect with classmates and PDS during the year.

John Ager : “Sad I missed the reunion — have been busy on a big project. My wife and I are contented empty nesters but do enjoy when the girls come to visit. Looking forward to heading to Lake Placid for the mountain air and Can-Am rugby.”

Gordon Rubenfeld : “I am a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto after a fair bit of time at the University of Washington in Seattle. Sarena basically retired after running a nonprofit and now is fulfilling the charge I gave her when she decided to retire (‘have fun’). Covid was strange for me since I am a critical care physician who has devoted most of my career to studying the pneumonia that Covid causes. It was strange having neighbors, friends, and families finally understanding what I do for a living (‘Oh, that’s what a ventilator is.’). I don’t really find myself explaining what it is anymore. So, the pandemic was a busier time for me at work than for most.”

Andy Jensen: “Life in Colorado is great— especially retired life! This year, my oldest graduated from Colorado College. My youngest is transferring back to Colorado and CU (go Buffs!). Last year my wife and I did

the Tour de Mont Blanc, skied in Zermatt, and managed another 70 days here in Colorado on the slopes. This last year was my 39th ski patrolling at Breckenridge and I still have both of my original knees! If you are in Summit County look me up — cutting the line is still lots of fun!”

Joe Lapsley : “I had a heart attack in November, it was a close call. Doing well now though — taught the whole spring semester, queer history included, which is a real treat for me. Still at Loyola Chicago and Columbia College of Art. My band here in Chicago, PortmanteauZone is back up and going — original songs, we played in March, and we’ll be back in the studio this summer. This year is also the 40th anniversary of Neighborhood Texture Jam, the band in Memphis for whom I am the lead singer. We are playing our annual show in Memphis July 20th.”

Ann Gillespie ’79 and Porter Gillespie ’80 at Chambers Walk, PDS Reunion Weekend in May

The class of ’79’s Quinquennial Softball Game, PDS Reunion Weekend in May. Front row: Martha Hicks ’79, Cathy White Mertz ’79, Laura Farina ’79, Joe Lapsley ’79, Evan R. Press ’79, Alice Waugh (wife of Ben Dubrovsky ’79), Oscar Mertz (husband of Cathy White Mertz ’79). Second row: Bobby Davis (friend of Evan R. Press ’79), Chris Horan ’79, Chris Price ’79, Ben Dubrovsky ’79, Geoff George ’79, Maggie Montana (girlfriend of Evan R. Press ’79). Back row: David McCord ’79, Ned Foley ’79, Phil Maltese ’79, Jeff Johnson ’79, Sarah Woodworth-Gibson ’79, Harriette Brainard ’79

Susan Reichard, Eric Reichard ’79 and Ben Dubrovsky ’79 at Chambers Walk, PDS Reunion Weekend in May

Drew Rosenberg ’79, Evan R. Press ’79 and David McCord ’79 at Chambers Walk, PDS Reunion Weekend in May

Evan R. Press: “45th Reunion? Remarkable! That I was able to share this great experience with my best budro from college, Bobby Davis, and my favorite girlfriend, Maggie Montana, whom I love very much, was a fantastic bonus! My son, Nevin, just graduated cum laude from Trinity University in San Antonio, and a grand time was had by all guests. Daughter Hartley, and her beau joined us. She is living in Philadelphia and loving her dosimetry work in her first year after receiving her master’s.”

Martha Hicks: “After some wonderful years spent living in New Hope, I returned to my Cape Cod roots last September, and though I am very glad to be there, it was a tough decision after reconnecting with Laura Farina and Caroline Hartshorne. But the upside is, I get to see a lot more of Cathy White Mertz and Oscar and Cathy’s mom. I continue to struggle with a severe pickleball addiction but am working hard to offset that with some

writing and volunteer work. I had a fantastic time at the reunion and enjoyed spending time with old friends and new. Our class is truly made up of some wonderful people and I felt so grateful to spend time with each and every one of you. Folks, if you’re on the Lower Cape, don’t hesitate to reach out. I welcome a chance to show you my favorite spots.”

Cathy White Mertz: “Laura and Caroline’s loss is my great gain— I am thrilled to have Martha Hicks living close by! In February, Oscar and I had a fantastic visit with our son, Noah (29), in Paris, where he is living, teaching, and working on his thesis for his master’s in French literature and philosophy. One of the top three highlights of our trip was having lunch with Linda Eglin Mayer at her restaurant, Buvette, in Pigalle. When I’m not traveling to Paris, Princeton, the Cape, or Turnip Island, I keep myself VERY busy with a grassroots advocacy group, the Needham Housing Coalition, that Oscar and I co-founded with a few other folks last year. I had a stupendously wonderful time at our 45th reunion in May — each one feels more magical than the last. I’m already looking forward to our 50th (gulp)!”

Suzanne Albahary D’Amato suzannemndamato@yahoo.com

Karen Kelly k2pk@comcast.net

This past March, Kara Swisher ’80 spoke to the PDS community. Supporting Kara (center) were classmates (l-r): James Burke, Treby McLaughlin Williams, Leslie Straut Ward and Howie Powers.

Michael Southwick ’81 at his ordination this past January

Camie Carrington Levy ’81 ran into Jon Peter ’80 in Sun Valley Idaho in March. Have not seen each other in 30 years, it was a great surprise.

Camie Carrington Levy ’81’s newest grandchild, Palmer Drew, was born December 8th, 2023. “By far the happiest child I have ever seen.”

Camie Carrington Levy ’81’s older grandchild, Luke, loves his new sister, Palmer Drew!

Phil Maltese ’79, Sarah Woodworth-Gibson ’79, Chris Price ’79, Oscar Mertz (husband of Cathy White Mertz ’79) and Geoff George ’79 on Phil’s Harley, PDS Reunion Weekend in May

1981

Camie Carrington Levy camie@palousetravel.com

Kirsten Elmore Meister kmeister5@yahoo.com

Michael Southwick was ordained as a Priest in The Episcopal Church on January 6, 2024. While he is still serving as General Counsel and Legal Secretary of the Eastern Territory of The Salvation Army, he is looking forward to this second career with much joy and anticipation.

1982

Lorraine Herr LHerr@herr-design.com

Over the weekend of November 12, 2023, there was a fun gathering at the Stone Pony Club in Asbury Park, NJ that brought old

1981 classmates: Rosalind Waskow Hansen, Sarah Sword Lazarus, Kirsten Elmore Meister, Debby Burks Southwick, and Sarah Burchfield Carey celebrated their 60th birthdays on Nantucket in May 2023

friends from PDS and beyond back together to celebrate Tom Marshall’s 60th birthday. It was a grand musical occasion!

(l-r) Stellan Parr ’01, Phillip Clippinger ’83, Lea-Lea Erdman Marshall ’82, Lindsay McCord Norman ’82, Michael P. Erdman ’50, John Sprow ’82, Tom Marshall ’82, Brad Batcha ’87, David Abrahams ’82, Roger Holloway ’82, Stephen Thomas ’81, Peter Cottone ’82, and E. MacKenzie Sharp ’82 at the Stone Pony

2024 found your

Herr

Tom Marshall ’82 and Trey Anastasio ’82 on stage.

Suzie Haynes Hallé ’82 and her 10-year-old Hanoverian Gelding, Sunday Serenade, competing in the International Ring at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington FL, March 2024

April

trusty class agent, Lorraine

’82, celebrating her 60th birthday, with sons, Emerson Beinhauer (l) and Holden Beinhauer (r), in Evanston, Illinois.

Anna Marshall (l-r) with her parents Lea-Lea Erdman Marshall ’82 and birthday boy, Tom Marshall ’82

Jeff Perlman ’82, his daughter, Raquel Perlman Friedberg ’08, and her son, Max (18 months), celebrated New Year’s together

1983

Noelle Damico revdamico@gmail.com

Sylvia Wills Millar sylvialmillar@gmail.com

Rena Whitehouse renawhitehouse@hotmail.com

1984

Ted Willard tcwillard@mac.com

On November 16, 2023, to celebrate Courtney’s and my 30th anniversary, she got us tickets to hear Neil deGrasse Tyson speak in Greensboro, NC. It was a real treat to learn about the cosmic perspective from an astrophysicist’s point of view. He’s an incredible speaker, on top of being quite funny! Checkout his StarTalk videos on YouTube. My favorite is how he explains big numbers.

Recently we also attended the Nate Bargatze comedy show in nearby WinstonSalem and we were also fortunate to see a discussion with Trevor Noah at Wake Forest, which was also entertaining.

I’m sorry I was unable to attend our reunion. This fall, my mother, Patricia Willard, is planning to move to the Kansas City area, closer to my sister, Cate, so we planned to return to Princeton around the end of June and couldn’t swing a second trip. I’m sure it was fun!

1985

Lynch Hunt lynchhunt@alumni.upenn.edu

Marisa Petrella sales4metoo@msn.com

Marisa welcomed her first grandchild, Gianna, in March 2023. “What a wonderful joy. Subsequently I met up with Lynch Hunt to listen to John Hartmann play at a local bar.”

Lynch Hunt wrote while cruising in Greece: “My lovely wife, Sharon, and I were blessed to go on a fantastic 12-night cruise on the

Celebrity Ascent ship this past May. It was a Best Of Greece and Italy cruise stopping in five countries and 10 cities: Barcelona, Spain; Nice, France; Florence, Rome; Naples, Italy; Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Athens, Greece; and Ephesus, Turkey! We had an excellent time enjoying the sights, the scenes, the shopping, the history, and the people!

“I even learned how to say hello, good morning, thank you, and how much in Spanish, French, Greek, and Turkish! Lol!”

We send our deepest condolences to Adam Sternberg and his sisters Michele Sternberg ’87 and Lindsey Sternberg Pierce ’95 on the sudden death of their father, Dr. Gerald Sternberg.

1986

Mollie Roth mollie.roth@pgxconsulting.com

1987

Sterick “Stick” Ivey sterickivey@gmail.com

Sofia Xethalis sxethalis@yahoo.com.au

Stick Ivey : Hello PDS family of ’87! I hope everyone is doing fantastic as we enter 2024. I wanted to share some exciting highlights from my life since our high school graduation. After attending Cook College at Rutgers University New Brunswick for my undergrad, I pursued graduate school at Pennsylvania College of Chiropractic for a year. From there, I became a loan officer for Vision Mortgage and also obtained licenses as a realtor, as well as Life and P&C licenses, which I’ve held for over 25 years. In 2002, I got married and had the privilege of raising two amazing daughters, Makenzie, now 19, and attending Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business as a sophomore, and Peyton, 16, who is a junior at Lawrence

Marisa Petrella ’85 (center) with her daughters, Jenna (r) and Angela (l) the mother of baby Gianna, Marisa’s first grandchild

Lynch Hunt ’85 and his wife, Sharon on their cruise last May

Stick Ivey ’87 (l-r) with his daughters, Makenzie and Peyton, and niece, Noel

High School. Thankfully, everything has been going smoothly so far. In 2005, my ex and I purchased the Trenton Conservatory of Music, a beautiful mansion with 14 rooms, six baths, and a large multipurpose room. We hold various events there including concerts, small weddings, book signings, retirement dinners, and also offer music, dance, and theater classes. I am also in the process of developing a digital art gallery to commemorate those who have been lost due to Covid and the 9/11 attacks. The reception from family members, corporations, artists and individuals I have consulted with has been significant. Recognizing my limitations in executing a project of this nature independently, I am aware that many of you possess extensive expertise that could contribute significantly to the successful implementation of this initiative. I invite all who are interested in learning more to call, text or email me for more information...thanks so much! Looking forward to hearing from you. 609-775-6405 and stick87pds@gmail.com

Stick was able to get many updates:

Michael Rassweiler wrote: “I remember this as a very cool group of kids, too. A lot of consideration for each other and general goodwill. It’s inspiring to reflect on the days I shared with you, K-eighth grade, then at parties or random encounters. These days have so much to concern us, it’s nice to remember simpler times.

“My story in broad strokes is buying 50 acres not far from Princeton (1994) and establishing an Organic Farm in West Amwell Township. I am still driving the roads we drove those many years ago as I visit my dad just around the block from where I lived while at PDS. May thru November you can find me at the West Windsor Community Farmers Market on Saturdays, selling cut flowers, veggies and specialty herbs. This year we were selling CBD “Hemp” Flower and while the State of NJ has granted us a Cannabis License (conditionally), our local township is giving us the runaround. Regardless, I’ve recently established a two-acre orchard of Rutgers Bred, NJ Suited, hazelnuts and hope to be harvesting in a few years. I ran a farmer training program for ten years and now am putting a lot of that energy into the not-for-profit. We have chickens for eggs and I’m at the point where I am revisiting my next “Ten Year Plan,” likely to be focused on the farm activity to provide opportunities for experiential learning, self-sufficiency (at any level) and maintaining our connection to nature. I welcome reconnecting, best to text me 609-647-9754, or check us out at North Slope Farm.”

Kiki Wolfkill wrote: “Late to the party (when am I not?) but so incredibly delighted to get to read all these updates. Thank you, Stick, both for kicking this off and for sharing some of your experience and perspective…it has definitely caused me to reflect a bit on all our time together with a different lens. The thing that still rings very true is it did and does feel like a special time and a special group, our class of ’87, for which I’m so grateful.

“I was lucky enough to see a few of you in 2022 (?) and got to see Sofia Xethalis and her husband while I was working out in Budapest this past spring, which was rad. I’ve been out in Seattle since we graduated but have traveled fairly extensively through that time. I am lucky enough to have had a long career in video games (first as an Art Director then as an Executive Producer) before moving into transmedia and film/tv development. I am still with Xbox but head up their IP Expansion business now. Yes, you can either thank me or curse me for your child’s current career trajectory depending on your feelings about video games!

“I’ve been married for 18 years to an incredible partner—no kids but an excess of rescue kitties at any given time. I still like to move fast so get out on the track here and there though the racing years are long gone. Like Mr. Rassweiler, I’m starting to think about my next 10-year plan, which I hope to discover/unveil over the next year. I’m definitely learning that the pace of my 20s and 30s is not really sustainable in my 50s! There’s just so much more fun out there to be had. My mother turns 93 next week so I’m taking inspiration from her on how to live a long and fulfilling life.”

Peter Biro reported: “Career-wise, I solved for flexibility and mostly have made a living working part-time for multiple companies at a time. I still do this now as a CFO, part-time, for four companies. I also built and sold a 13-unit Five Guys franchise group in suburban Boston where we lived for 20 years. I learned a lot from that experience, maybe more than I bargained for. It’s all worked out pretty well even though for most of my career, my friends and parents did not understand what I did for a living.

“I also took care of my dad for many years. My mom died suddenly in 2011, and he needed a lot of help. He moved to Massachusetts in 2013 and died not long after our reunion in 2017. I

don’t know where the rest of you are on this journey. I’ll just say that it was important to me — and it took a real toll, especially as I was sandwiched between that and having young kids. It also happened around the same time my daughter, Sophie, had a traumatic head injury in a swim meet that made most of high school a struggle, even before Covid wiped out most of their junior and senior years.

“In the meantime, I did a lot of volunteering at our Temple, where I was the VP Finance/ Treasurer for a spell. I also became a competitive endurance athlete (triathlons mostly), which, believe me, surprises me, too. I’ve made a lot of good friends that way, traveled the world for races, and got my daughter, Lily, hooked; she and I most recently raced together in Madison, where she’s a junior at Wisconsin. Sophie’s at Northwestern, so they are close to each other in addition to being best friends. I also became a pretty good cook. We’ve hosted Thanksgiving 21 years in a row—Jody and family have been there for most of them — even now that we sold our house and moved. We split our time between Miami Beach and thanks to Katie, the South End in Boston.

“I’ll wrap this up by saying that a payoff of my many unusual life choices since PDS was seeing TSwift in Chicago with my kids this past summer. Fun fact about me is that for years I was in Spotify’s top 1% of Taylor Swift streamers, which like my career decisions was not super popular for most of the 2010’s either. Didn’t care. I was a country music fan, admired her as an artist and as a businessperson, and had her on repeat for a lot of hard times with my dad, super-long bike training sessions, and many years of carpooling. Then for that show, Sophie and Lily kind of fought over who got to sit with me since I was the biggest fan in the family, and we got to experience that moment together. For a moment, it sort of all made sense, kind of like it did in the summer of 2003 when they were born.”

Andrew Blechman ’87 with his daughter

Andrew Blechman wrote: “I’ve been living in the Berkshires, about two hours from NYC and Boston, for the past 20 years or so, with pit stops in Germany for several years. Highlights include two books for Grove Atlantic, my daughter Lillie, 19, (who I call Schnuffie, just because I can), and our awesome ‘pupper,’ Gingersnap, 14. After nearly three decades in journalism (newspapers, magazines, books, etc.), I am three-quarters through a second master’s, this time in Marriage and Family Therapy, and am already seeing clients. The work is amazing as is the emotional growth. I’m still ‘interviewing’ people, but at the moment I’m not writing about it, although I feel a book about child custody brewing…

“One thing is clear to me above all else in this beautiful thread—it takes a Sterick ‘Stick’ Ivey to bring us all back together to share and communicate. Thank you, Stick. And thank you for letting us know about the very real challenges you were facing at PDS amidst so much privilege. At the time, it likely didn’t occur to me to consider what you were going through, but, in recent years by coincidence, I had begun to wonder what it might have been like for you to travel between such different worlds each day. And then... there you were in my email box with a delightful hello, and the energy to revive a perennially empty Class of ’87. Love to all of you, 413-329-6885.”

Sheara Graber reported that she is “living in NY with my husband and three (almost grown) sons — 21, 18 and 16. Life is busy but good.

“I can’t believe how long it has been since high school. Maybe we can catch up at the 50th reunion!”

Liimu Simms McGill is “living in Malibu, CA with my husband of 22 years and our four children, aged 21, 19, 17 and 12. We also have a goldendoodle and three cats. I have been running a training and documentation consulting company since 2008 and in 2014, began offering abundance mindset coaching to

executives and entrepreneurs. I’m also enjoying stretching the boundaries of what’s possible myself—I ran a marathon in 2005, did a one woman show (and a YouTube series showing the making of) in 2018 — basically just because I wanted to see what it was like to do those crazy things (okay, and a little bit for the bragging rights…).”

Jane Podurgiel Hoeffner wrote: “Hello, all! It has been such fun to read these updates and see what everyone has been doing over the last many years. Mine is pretty dull by comparison: I’ve been in Weston, Connecticut, since 2004, mostly as a stay-at-home mom, although I have spent a fair amount of time as a docent at a local National Park site (Weir Farm), and as the president of a local youth hockey organization (no, seriously). My son, Henry, is a senior in high school who recently earned his private pilot’s license, although at 6’6” he can barely fit in a plane. He undertook a long research project on the stock market last year and I was delighted to see ‘The Antisocial Network’ cited in the bibliography. My husband and I are discussing relocating to the Jersey Shore once Henry heads off to college — my mother passed away in 2000 and my father moved to Spring Lake, so we would like to be a bit closer to him. I haven’t visited Princeton in many years but a reunion at Conte’s would be worth the trip—no matter what they say about Connecticut pizza, it’s not a patch on Conte’s.”

Katie Gellenbeck is “still living in Boston with my husband and daughter—it is going on 16 years, after being out west for 20 years. I took some time off from my career to be a fulltime mom (best job ever!) and my daughter is now 14-years-old, attending Thayer Academy (smaller version of PDS). I switched into selling real estate in Boston (not the kind they do on reality TV), which is demanding and exciting.”

Allan Kyle wrote: “I’m not great at keeping

in touch but find myself sitting in an airport and seeing all of these messages. Great to hear what everyone is up to. Sitting next to me are my mom, wife, Alaina, and two kids: Seattle and Grayson (19 and 17). We are all headed home after spending Christmas with my brother, Kent ’89, in Naples, and his family. We are leaving behind the 70-degree and sunny days to fully lean into winter at home in Wilmington DE. At least we are leaving on the first rainy cold day so that should ease the transition. Can’t wait to get back our puppy, Yvie.

“In terms of updates, not much to tell. After many years of travel for work, I find myself enjoying being fully WFH with just the occasional business trip (NYC and London last couple weeks). We are all in the throes of college planning and college applications and thinking about an empty nest in the next few years. Got into sailing on the Chesapeake over the past summers and hope to get more serious this season. As for travel, we had taken the family on a number of trips over the years, but now we are all just waiting to see where life takes us.”

Heather Campbell Wagner has been married for 28 years and has two daughters in college (Amanda and Brooke). Amanda is just finishing up at Williams College and is competing in her final swim team season. Next home meet is against rival Amherst! Brooke is a sophomore at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, MA where I had the pleasure of meeting the new PDS Head of School, Dr. Kelley Nicholson-Flynn at Olin Family Weekend. Her older child just graduated from there. Small school and small world!

“We reside in the beautiful seaside town of Marblehead, MA, which has its fair share of local characters that could be worthy of a new Ben Mezrich book. For example, we have the tax-evading, beer-brewing monk arrested by the FBI, home and furnishings seized and then

charges mysteriously dropped…Career-wise: after working in the non-profit museum and environmental sector, I wanted to balance work and family and began a gig economy career as a designer in the closet industry and have been working in this industry for 19 years. Initially, I put my PDS architectural drafting skills to work and now use design software. I currently work for New England Closets. 781-576-9374 — wagerjh@gmail.com.”

Jon Bylin is “currently living in Montclair NJ and working in NY city for JP Morgan Asset Management as an Investment Specialist. Travel a ton for business where I get to see cities from the inside of office buildings. This last year I saw conference rooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Mexico City, Santiago, Tokyo, Santa Fe, London, Austin, Portland, and many others. On the family front — approaching 25th anniversary to my lovely wife, Nan, and have three boys (Miles 23, Gus 21, and Harry 19) all of whom are taller than me. Miles graduated from U of Colorado this spring and Harry just graduated from L’ville (where his hockey team ended the 74-year tournament curse and won it — definitely the highlight of the year especially for a PDS person). I saw Anne McDougald there. Our son Harry is playing junior hockey now. Gus attends Tufts in Boston and is a goalie on the hockey team. Also have a fourth sort-of-son, Nareece, who has been living with us for the past 10ish years and is playing football for Monroe. On a personal fun front — still play men’s league hockey and been on same team for 20-plus years and we still stink but love it. Also, an avid golfer where once again I still stink but love it. Anyone in Montclair and want to jump on the links let me know. I would love an excuse. (917) 518-7237.”

Sofia Xethalis wrote: “My daughter, Celeste, is a senior at Culver Academies, a big hockey school. I love the hockey girls in her dorm. My husband, Chris, and I just celebrated our 25th anniversary. One of the things we did was go

and visit Kiki in Budapest last March. (both Chris’ and my maternal grandmothers are from Budapest). It was fun seeing Kiki.

“I have two seniors this year, Celeste (17) at Culver and Kristen (21) at Emory. Thankfully graduation dates are two weeks apart. Both girls are applying to schools right now. As for me I spend most of my time doing volunteer work and hiking or cycling. Currently, I just finished my term as President of the Decatur Public Library board. I am still on the board. We are focusing on childhood literacy among other projects. I love coming to reunions to see you all. Best wishes. 217-454-3345.”

Karen Cunningham wrote: “It’s great to read the updates! Having recently bought a house in Princeton many of you have been on

my mind when I drive past PDS. I’ve been living in NYC the past 35 years and currently live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tim. The Princeton house is our weekend place and where I now have my art studio. I worked 25 years as a professional photographer and an ICU nurse the past 10 years at Lenox Hill Hospital. In between both these professions I continued my fine artwork, exhibiting shows in NYC and the UK. During the pandemic, my two professions crossed, and I published a story in The New Yorker. This serendipitously set me on my new course as full-time artist... better late than never!

“For those of you who’d like to reach out, please do. I welcome reconnecting. I’m always cooking up something for dinner and my husband, an oenophile with a nice

collection is delighted to break open a good bottle…hit me up if you’re in BKlN or Princeton. P.S. I sometimes break out my lacrosse stick at the local handball courts… people still look perplexed.”

Randall Walter wrote: “Excellent holiday email thread! I continue to live in southwest NH with my wife, Marni. We have two daughters: Natasha is a sophomore in high school and a pointe dancer, and Carina is a freshman at U Miami studying marine biology. We are avid skiers and are part of the local ownership group that is reopening our ski area Granite Gorge. In 2020, I launched an architect-lead real estate development company focused in NH and VT, with a few projects in CA and CO. We are currently focused on mill building rehabs for mixed use and housing from design, construction, and operations. Continuing the ice hockey theme, I skate a couple nights a week, when I can, year-round in NH, with a few of my college teammates in rinks around Boston. 603.721.1227.

Joel Faller has been “living in Boston the past 20 years with my wife, Lisa, and two children. Cecelia (19) is a sophomore at UC Davis and Liam (15) is in high school in Boston. I am an attorney at a small litigation firm focused on real estate disputes. Dry stuff, but we got a little bit of excitement this year with a verdict

on an eminent domain trial in May that looks like it’s going to hold as the highest in the state for 2023 unless someone tops us in the next three days. Otherwise, life is fairly quiet. We have a reasonable PDS Class of ’87 contingency in Boston, so whoever makes it up should give us all a shout.”

Brad Batcha wrote: “Great to hear from everyone. I have 18 nieces and nephews and eight are actively playing hockey. My brother, Lee, Dan Knipe ’95 and I play on a men’s league at Navesink Country Club, and my other three brothers (Christian ’91, Courtenay ’92 and Alex ’94) join us there to skate once in a while. I live in Mantoloking NJ, just about a mile north of where I spent my summers in Bay Head, and a few doors from Rich Tavoso (Ben Mezrich, Ugly Americans reference). I’ve been on our town council for the past five years trying to keep our town and beaches safe after we were nearly washed away in Superstorm Sandy.

“On the work front, this will be my 30th year as a real estate attorney based in Shrewsbury, NJ, where my sister, Erinn ’89, also helps out part-time. I handle transactional work throughout the state but specialize in highend waterfront homes and homes in flood zones along the NJ coast. This year I finished my term as President of the Monmouth Bar Association and last year as the Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Real Property Trust & Estate Section, which allowed me to argue several amicus cases before the NJ Supreme Court.

“At home, I have been together with my fiancé, Victoria, for about 12 years now and am proud to help raise her daughter, Tess, who is a singer-songwriter and sophomore at Belmont University in Nashville, studying business and pre-law in the music industry. We love visiting Nashville and seeing live music in nearby Asbury Park NJ. Last month, we had the pleasure of attending Tom Marshall ’82’s

Brad Batcha ’87 with his brothers and sister (who all attended PDS) and all his nieces and nephews Mo Kimble ’87 with his wife, Wonda

60th birthday at the Stone Pony, where I got to catch up with the ’82ish PDS crowd and listen to Tom and Trey Anastasio entertain us. If anyone is at the Jersey Shore next summer, let me know, we are always on the beach, hosting a summer party at our new Post-Sandy Beach House or out seeing some live music. F. Bradford Batcha, Esq. Batcha & Batcha, PC, 600 Broad Street, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702. 732747-8300. brad@batchalaw.com”

Morris Kimble wrote: “My son, Morris III, hung up his running shoes once he graduated college in ’21 after running year-round (XC, indoor and outdoor track) since middle school

with high school teammates like Cole Hocker (’22 US Olympian) and college teammates at NC A&T (’22 Olympians Randolph Ross, Trevor Stewart, Daniel Stokes, Akeem Sirleaf, etc.). His degree is in chemical engineering and he’s working in pharmaceutical manufacturing here in Indianapolis. My daughter, Milani, is a college sophomore pre-med major and cheerleader (she’s been cheering since fifth grade), also at NC A&T. As for me, my wife, Wonda, and I have lived in CA (Bay Area and Sacramento Valley) and Indiana since we married 27 years ago. I’ve been a high tech and pharma marketer along with a former youth sports coach and music ministry lead over that time.”

Jennifer Altman has been “living in Highland Park, NJ with my husband, John, for over 20 years. It’s a little town next to Rutgers, which plays a big role in our family. It’s where I did undergrad and my doctorate, my husband teaches documentary film, our son, Jack, is

a sophomore, and where more than half our friends teach or work. Our daughter, Maddie, is a sophomore in high school, but hopes to go there, too. Go Scarlet Knights!

“As for me, after many years working on policy and research in the government and university setting, I made a semi-career switch 13 years ago and became a sociology professor at our local community college. Most of my students are first-generation college students, and lack the preparation we got at PDS, but I love the challenge and love the students! I also coordinate the program at the college that links community projects to the college faculty and their classes, so I put my extrovert skills to good use! My husband and son are pickup basketball junkies (I hilariously married a 6’6’’ man, so they all tower over me) and my daughter is obsessed with soccer, playing on her school and club team, and catching premier league highlights every night.”

Elizabeth Hoover Moore wrote: “Hi, everyone! I’m living on the beach in Belle Harbor (Queens) with my husband, Ben, and our two cats. My son, Raanan, is 29 and living his best life in Colorado, where

he works for the Mental Health Center of Denver. He’s become quite the explorer/ mountainman and we’ve had the fortune to visit him several times and also see my sister, Ingrid ’89, and her family, who live in Denver and at Lake Granby.

“I’m lucky to work 100% from home as the Nurse Coordinator and OB Navigator for the Center for Perinatal Education and Lactation at NYU Langone Health. I’ve been a nurse now for 30 years and an educator for the last 12. I still love working with expectant families and new parents.

“We’re active in our synagogue and with the beautiful community here. I still go often to Princeton to see my parents who are both doing well, thank God. Happygolizzie@gmail.com.”

Michele Sternberg “moved to Newtown, PA about 18 years ago with our two daughters, Jaden (22) and Brenna (20). Jaden just graduated last May from Brown University with an honorary degree in Visual Arts and Literary Arts. She still lives in Providence, and I feel has the perfect gig for someone who just graduated and missed some good quality

Mo Kimble ’87’s son, Morris Kimble III

Mo Kimble ’87’s daughter, Milani Liz Hoover ’87

Jill Campbell Maurice ’87 (center, back) has recommended students from Trenton to attend PDS. Jana (left) will attend PDS in September.

college experience because of Covid! That year and a half sucked (especially in my opinion for college students)! She works as a TA at Brown for several art professors and continues to write her “Great American Novel.

“Brenna is a sophomore at Ithaca college playing field hockey and majoring in business, concentrating in sports management.

“Dave and I are total roadies and try to travel to every game. Lots of good quality time in the car. And this year was an added bonus because Ithaca made it to the Sweet 16 of NCAA D3 Field Hockey. We easily accrued close to 8,000 miles on our car this fall. Exhausting but worth it!

“As for me when I’m not traveling to games, I’m working for NOVA, a non-profit organization working for victims of crime

in Bucks County, PA. I’m in the Prevention Education department and present programs to help prevent victimization. Love being able to present a program to preschoolers one day and then to middle or high schoolers the next. Love being able to visit all types of schools and present many various programs.”

Jill Campbell Maurice wrote: “I have stayed close to the area, living in Burlington, NJ, and teaching, mostly math, in the Trenton Public School District for 33 years! Ugg, that is hard to admit! I had one of my former students, from way back, graduate from PDS in 1998. I am happy to say that I took a small group of my students to visit PDS last November. One of the students was accepted, and she will start the seventh grade at PDS this September. Her younger sister, Mariam, was put on the waiting list for fourth grade. Hopefully, a

spot will open for her, so that they can attend school together. I am so happy and excited for her. There are so many students in the city of Trenton that are deserving of such an education. I only wish that I had recommended more throughout all my years.”

Rachel Stark reported: “My news is that we went to Ben’s movie (‘Dumb Money’). We were completely entertained (Pete Davidson was a riot) but I still don’t know how to make it a big selling short…We’re still hunkered down here in Princeton, watching all of you globe-trotters on Facebook exploring the world. If anyone is in town, give me a buzz!”

Robin Cook McConaughy wrote: “Jon (McConaughy ’85) and I are still living in Hopewell, NJ and operating our livestock farm. Last year, we sold our market and restaurant, Brick Farm Market and Brick Farm Tavern, to a local operator but are still supplying all the meat for the two entities from our farm—so are still connected, and a little relieved! In between, we have been traveling as much as we can. Jon and I celebrated our 25th anniversary last summer. We have been to Colorado and Maine quite a bit to see our two sons, hike, and ski. Finn, our oldest, just graduated from U Maine as a mechanical engineer and is living in the suburbs of Boston. Drew ’21 is a junior at the Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder. He is playing hockey and lacrosse while studying finance and soaking in all the Deion Sanders hype!

“On the PDS ’87 front, I just saw Tracy Needle in NYC to take in the Manet/Degas show at the Met and this summer connected with Sofia Xethalis while she was in town. Also enjoying claiming Ben Mezrich as my PDS classmate…loved ‘Dumb Money!’

“If you are in town, please come by for a visit.”

Ben Mezrich wrote: “Enjoying these updates and glad a couple of you saw ‘Dumb Money!’ The movie will be debuting on Netflix on

January 13 for those of you who haven’t. Life is good here in Boston and Vermont (we split our time in Boston and Quechee!). My kids (Arya and Asher) are 11 and 13 so we are firmly in the drama of middle school! The writing is going well, Breaking Twitter is out now and will be a tv show going into development after the new year. My book, ‘Once Upon A Time In Russia,’ will be coming to Netflix as Peter Morgan’s next show after ‘The Crown’ (I believe will be called ‘The Patriot’). Still looking for my next non-fiction book idea, but I have a sequel to my book, ‘The Midnight Ride,’ is coming this August! Otherwise, I am playing tennis (poorly) and skiing (reasonably average) and going to lots of events (my wife is the Style Editor of Boston Magazine, so she drags me to lots of things. Great to read about everyone, love hearing all the happy stories!”

Tracy Hofmann sent news: “I was in Princeton visiting my mom when I read your email. I’d driven my daughter by PDS earlier that day and had been telling her about the wonderful emails I’d gotten from the wonderful people I knew there. As for you, I remember your smile vividly, made all the more special now knowing the things you shared about that time in your life. I wish I’d known then. I’m so happy that you brought this group together to share everyone’s news.

“I worked for National Geographic after college doing budgets for the photographic division while I applied to the FBI. I decided to get my law degree before joining the Bureau, so I withdrew my application. I went to law school, then fell in love, so I ditched the FBI. Josh and I married two days before 9/11 at the River Cafe in Brooklyn across from the towers. We left after that for New Mexico to go (a little bit) off-grid. Our son, Ash, is 19 and a freshman at the University of Denver. Harper is 15 and a freshman at a small school that’s a lot like PDS. They both started skiing at three and are pretty talented at all things outdoors, given where they grew up. My dad

Robin Cook McConaughy ’87 with her husband, Jon McConaughy ’85

lives a mile up the hill from us; Regan ’85 is in Middleburg, VA working for the UN.

“This is my 25th year practicing law. I started with a firm in Manhattan after a clerkship in Trenton, then moved to Santa Fe. I headed up the public finance practice at my firm, then got recruited to the healthcare sector about eight years ago. I’m lucky enough to be in-house for a national company from here, which lets me hike my rescue husky daily. While I’ve loved New Mexico, I’m excited to split when Harper goes to college. I feel like I need a start-up to finish up my career. We’ll see!

“Love and happy new year to all. If you come through Santa Fe, please call! We’d love to see you. 505-484-9738.”

Alex Wolfson wrote: “Wow. So nice to hear from everyone. So, a few updates. Married to Chika since 2008 and now living in Berlin, Germany since 2010 in a relocation from Nokia (sadly fell from glory after the Microsoft acquisition) and now working for BMW in Munich. Feel free to drop a line if you happen to be over. Two boys (Kai, 13, and Teo, 10).”

Dafna Tapiero reported: “I’m writing from safari in Kenya at the moment, where I am with my husband, Alan, and two daughters, Laura Julia “LJ” (19) and Talia (16). LJ is in her sophomore year at Barnard and Talia is a junior in high school.

“I’ve lived in Washington DC for about 30 years (with a brief stint in New York right after graduate school) working for the World Bank for the first 20 years on everything from privatization Russia to the Asian Financial crisis, to large infrastructure finance—and then for the last 10 years, I co-founded (with my husband, Alan) a CEO Advisory firm (Laurel Strategies) advising CEOs and leaders around the world on strategy, communications, positioning, philanthropy and more. Still loving the travel but I’m trying to slow down a bit.

“I used to run into Lisa Lavinson from time to time before she moved to the Boston area. I end up in NYC weekly, so would love to see folks there or in DC!

“And Ben, I watched ‘Dumb Money’ on the plane over here and loved it! Can’t wait until your next.”

Sandy Glickman Borowsky reported: “Welps, here’s what happens if you don’t share an update... Stick comes to your office and hunts you down!! True Story! I am just so bummed that I was out at a conference yesterday and wasn’t there to say hello in person. Come back anytime, Stick! (See, did I really need to provide an update since people can just figure it out?

“OK, here goes. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis (where I never saw James Weatherill even once), I stayed in STL and worked as a buyer for a large (now, obviously, defunct) department store chain. After meeting a guy on a trip to Los Angeles (thanks for the intro, Michele Gans!), I decided to ask for a job transfer to our LA office. Two years after, we were planning our wedding and my dad hired a headhunter to fill an open position at his company, Starr Bus Charter & Tours in Hamilton Township. So... long story short, the headhunter contacted me, I took the job, he paid the headhunter to hire his daughter, and now that he is retired, I own the company (along with my husband who joined Starr six years ago). Running a business is super rewarding (except during Covid, which sucked) and I get to travel to some pretty cool places and meet very cool people. It’s been 26 years at Starr. Five years ago, we started a new business called College Break Bus. We take kids home and back to school during breaks. Maybe your kids have even used it. Check it out!

“Family stuff...I am the mom of three boys. Miles, 22, is a Vanderbilt grad and will be

graduating (again) from Vandy next month with his master’s in education. He will be certified to teach high school math and is certified to teach Spanish, too. He spent 10 years as a “jump-roper” and was a national champion while coaching his own team. That was a pretty cool mom experience for me. Next year he is planning to teach English in Spain and will hopefully come back to teach in the Northeast after that.

“Ethan, 20, is a sophomore at Emory in Atlanta. After spending a year at Penn State, he decided to swap for a different environment, and the warm weather is a major bonus. When he was in seventh and eighth grade, he told us he would like to look into private schools. After brushing him off for a year, he insisted. So, we visited and applied to a bunch of area schools (NOT PDS actually), and he settled on HUN. He LOVED his four years there and it shaped him into a great, well-rounded kid. A great golfer too!

“Dylan, 18, will be graduating HUN this June and heading off to University of Richmond (yep, they all went south!). He has also loved his four years at Hun. He is a pickleball player (along with golf and soccer) and has even managed to get himself a couple pickleball sponsorships. A very innovative kid!

“My husband, Pete, is an import from Los Angeles (via Colgate ’93). Yep, a younger man! Pete loves building/fixing things and in addition to working at Starr, has his own website—an original art marketplace called Zatista.

Allen Lincoln ’87 with his older son, Gabriel, who builds and repairs off grid eco homes in the New Mexico desert. “Hard working Hippie”

Allen Lincoln ’87 with his younger son, Eliot, a senior at Arizona State University. “Future Financier”

Allen Lincoln ’87 leading his parishioners

“When I am not working or traveling, I ride my Peloton, ride my hybrid bike, play pickleball, and walk our goldendoodle. We live in Yardley, PA, not too far from where I grew up in Washington’s Crossing.

“I see Melanie Shendelman and her family regularly and I grab lunch/dinner regularly with Lisa Somerstein and Michele (Sternberg), too. I enjoy following many of you on Facebook.

“So, there you have it. Now, the rest of you must share your update or Stick will come and hunt you down!”

Allen Lincoln would love to hear from classmates. He can be reached at The Rev. Allen Lincoln 806 Rust Dr NE, Leesburg, VA 20176; 239-223-4010; Gracemakers@aol.com.

We send our deepest condolences to Michele Sternberg, her brother, Adam Sternberg ’85, and her sister, Lindsey Sternberg Pierce ’95, on the sudden death of their father, Dr. Gerald Sternberg.

1988

Mike Lingle mlingletonic@yahoo.com

1989

Doria Roberts doriadonati@gmail.com

1990

Debby Bushell Gans gansdebby@gmail.com

1991

Aly Cohen alycohen@yahoo.com

It truly is a small world when you run into one of your oldest classmates on the sidelines of your kids’ sports events! I ran into Christian Batcha at the PDS vs. Hopewell varsity lacrosse game where our boys were competing! Christian and his wife, Mary, work as financial advisors at Merrill Lynch and are raising their three kids in Hopewell.

In the nick of time...just hours before the class notes deadline, I got a chance to meet up with Fanya Stansbury Gallo and Chris Varone while lecturing out West, and swapped stories and laughs for hours! Fanya is busy raising

her two beautiful boys with husband, Michael Gallo, Jr., and Chris and his wife, Sasha, both architects, are co-founders of Studio Varone Architecture, Inc., an award-winning, full service architectural firm located in San Diego, California.

My boys, Asher Lewis ’25 and Landon Lewis ’27, are loving school and are now playing on the PDS boys varsity lacrosse team together! Also on their team, Ethan Mack ’26, son of Kim and Tony Mack ’91. (circle of life!!!)

On my end, I recently joined the UC-Irvine, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI) to create and manage the Environmental Medicine and Integrative Rheumatology curricula for physicians. And I’m excited to announce that my new book (title TBD!), published by Simon & Schuster, will be released in early 2025 (preorders available in October), connecting the dots between environmental chemicals and the epidemic rise in immune/autoimmune disorders...and what we CAN all do about it! Please follow my real-world tips and health info at “The Smart Human” on TikTok, Instagram, FaceBook, and X, and take a listen to The Smart Human podcast!

1992

Sharon Thomas Haber ziggythomas@hotmail.com

Jud Henderson jhenderson@callawayhenderson.com

1993

Darcey Carlson Leonard darceyva@gmail.com

1994

Cynthia Shafto Cynthia.678@icloud.com

Aly Cohen ’91 and Christian Batcha ’91 on a lacrosse game sideline

Fanya Stansbury Gallo ’91 and Aly Cohen in Newport, California

Aly Cohen ’91 and Chris Varone ’91 in Newport California

1995

Missy Woodruff Mccormick mwoodruf99@yahoo.com

It’s been a while since I’ve sent an update, but I love seeing what everyone is up to on Instagram and Facebook! I’m still teaching Middle School drama at Chapin School and for the past 15 years, I’ve lived in Newtown, PA with my husband, Kevin, and our three kids. Our oldest, Connor, is starting at Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in the fall. He’ll be pursuing a B.S. in Audio Engineering and Sound Production. It’s hard to believe I’m old enough to have a kid going off to college!

Ian Wijaya is keeping busy with his band, Hope Well. They play everywhere from New Hope, PA, to Asbury Park. Ian wrote: “I caught up with Dan Knipe and Mark Gray ’96 at one of my band’s shows.” Apparently, Ian also runs into Taryn Esposito White on the sidelines of their kids’ lacrosse games!

Ian isn’t the only one with a band! Dan Rizza , who also lives in Newtown, has a band and invited Dan Knipe to be the lead singer. I absolutely love that these guys are all still playing music.

On a more somber note, we send our deepest condolences to Lindsey Sternberg Pierce, her brother, Adam Sternberg ’85, and her sister, Michele Sternberg ’87, on the sudden death of their father, Dr. Gerald Sternberg.

It’s wild to think that we’re coming up on our 30-year reunion. Hopefully everyone is doing well, and I’m looking forward to hearing from more of you in the coming year.

1996

Dana DeCore Falconi dana.falconi5@gmail.com

I know that I left you all with a cliffhanger a few issues ago when Brian Kalmus reported that he had “nothing” new in his life. Well, I am sorry to share that Brian still has nothing to report.

But thankfully, Karen Masciulli does! She wrote: “On October 16, 2023, my twins, Ellie and Winston, were born. They join my older children, Sophie and Charlie who are 16 and 14 years old. Fun (and insane) to be starting over!” Congratulations, Karen, on your beautiful new additions! I think we can all agree though that the only thing “insane” here is that you look exactly the same AND you just had two more kids. What’s the secret?

A mini reunion of sorts happened last August when Chandler Plohn Dektas, Dana Vetrecin Hurley, Sarah Green, Morgan Altman

and Sara Hart got together to see Bruce Springsteen at the Meadowlands. I loved everything about receiving this email from Chandler…It made me smile! Girls, you look fabulous! I have a feeling that attendance would be much higher if all our reunions were organized around a summer concert.

Dan Rizza ’95 and Mark Gray ’96

Karen Masciulli ’96 and her twins, Ellie and Winston

Missy Woodruff Mccormick ’95 with her family: (l-r) daughter, Cameron, son, Jackson, husband, Kevin, son, Connor, and Missy.

Dan Knipe ’95, Mark Gray ’96 and Ian Wijaya ’95 (l-r) at one of Ian’s band’s shows

(Seriously, Jessie D’Altrui Davidson, how excited would you be?) Let’s put a pin in that idea, shall we?

I enjoyed catching-up with Katie Jamieson this winter at PDS’ fabulous Upper School musical, “The Prom,” where my daughter, Ryan ’25, and her daughter, Anne ’27, were both performing. (We didn’t feel old at all watching our daughters on stage together.) Although we did snap a picture, we promised the girls that we’d only use it if there were no other submissions.

And finally, I have an idea…In an effort to generate more Class Note engagement, let’s have some fun. Please submit two truths and lie. All answers will be provided in the following issue. Who wants to go first?

Justin Krebs, Nick Pinto? I have a feeling you guys would come up with something fantastic. Let’s go, ’96!

Hope to hear from more of you for the next issue!

1997

Ellyn Rajfer Herkins ellynrajfer@gmail.com

Mandy Rabinowitz Plonsky mandyplonsky@gmail.com

1998

Giovanna Torchio Lockhart gray.giovanna@gmail.com

1999

Joanna Woodruff Rominger jbw1980@gmail.com

2000

Natasha Jacques Nolan nkjphoto@hotmail.com

Sapna Thottathil sapna.thottathil@gmail.com

Natasha: I’ve had a very exciting ’23-’24 school year. In August I started working at Pace Academy in Atlanta as a Pre-First Associate Teacher. I have been selected to be a member of the Isdell Center of Global Leadership Food cohort for the 2024-25 school year, which includes the cohort traveling to Thailand for 10 days in April to learn more about how other countries deal with food. Then create a curriculum around the global theme of food for the school pre-first-12. In December, I graduated with my master’s in Elementary Education from Mercer University, with honors from Phi Beta Kappa. I’m looking forward to the graduation ceremony in May.

2001

Carolyn Yarian Morgan carolyn.morgan2012@gmail.com

Wilson Weed wweed1@gmail.com

2002

Aviva Perlman Fintz aperlman26@gmail.com

Hello Class of 2002! I have been completely negligent as a class agent but was determined to get some news in for this special issue.

Our class expanded quite a bunch this past year with at least three of us having baby girls. My daughter, Rebecca Margaret was born on November 4, 2023. Her six-year-old brother, Simon, had been absolutely smitten with her and is always such a good parent’s helper!

Kabeer Malhotra and his wife, Chelsea, welcomed their first child, Lela Turner Malhotra, in October 2023.

Natasha Nolan ’00 received her Master’s of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education from Mercer University. Pictured with Natasha (l) is her mother, Sue Jacques (r), and daughters Piper and Reese.

Simon and Rebecca Fintz, children of Aviva Perlman Fintz ’02

Jack and Annelise Christ, children of Christina Koerte ’02

And finally, Christina Koerte’s daughter, Annelise Mara Christ was born on February 9, 2024. Christina wrote: “Her big brother, Jack, (as were we all) was immediately smitten.”

All the way over in England, Sarah Blake Maloney said: “In 2023, my third book of poetry, “In Springtime,” came out from Wesleyan University Press, my second novel, Clean Air, was optioned for television, and I got married! In 2024, I got my permanent residency to stay in the UK.”

Rebecca Bramlett shared some of her own professional news: “In November 2023, I left my job as the Special Collections Librarian at Carleton College (Northfield, Minnesota) and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. I now work at MIT Libraries’ Department of Distinctive Collections, where I teach and plan outreach with rare books and archives. If anyone in the area wants to say hi, please reach out! (rebecca.bramlett@gmail. com). Outside of work, I’ve started playing the harp and studying Latin again, and have taken up bookbinding.”

Our final bit of news comes from Johanna Dickson. She shared that after five years at an amazing publishing job, she was let go due to restructuring. However, this past May, Johanna did find herself at a major publicity firm as a publicity manager.

Her other news was that she moved from New York City at the end of 2023. At the time this was being written she wasn’t clear where she was going to end up, but she had her eyes on Toronto, Seattle, or Portland. She said: “I’m ready for a big change and I’m excited to see where I end up!”

2004

Kate Chimacoff Dickens Mrskatedickens@gmail.com

Scott Rosenberg rosenbergse@gmail.com

Jeremy Hofmann sent news: “Unfortunately, Julianna Clark (now Hofmann) and I won’t be able to make the 20th reunion, but we both can’t believe it has been 20 years and hope it’s an amazing weekend! In the meantime, a quick update on us. We will be celebrating our 12th anniversary this summer and are keeping ourselves busy with our three kids–we have an eight- year-old daughter, a six-year-old son, and a four-year-old son. We moved out to Seattle more than six years ago now from New York and we’re really enjoying it. We’ve had the pleasure of hosting Dylan Leith a number of times now and have even convinced Russell Joye to come out and visit a few times too. To the extent you are ever out in the Pacific Northwest, we’d love to see you!”

Allison Marshall amarshall220@aol.com

2005

Hilary Richards Conger hilary.conger@gmail.com

Rajiv Mallipudi said: “In May of 2023 I read ‘Can’t Hurt Me,’ by David Goggins, and it radically changed my mindset of what is possible. I realized I needed to do more hard things, go through more challenges ‘that suck’ to continue to grow mentally and physically. I had to become a ‘savage’ again. Since reading that book, I have competed in two powerlifting competitions, winning first place in August 2023, and getting second place in January 2024. I also hate running. So, for that exact reason, I also did two Spartan Race Ultramarathon 50K obstacle course races in the mountains of Vernon, NJ and finished one in September 2023 and did another in April 2024 — beating my time by 88 minutes! I love the challenges and seeing how much pain I can endure and what my mind can overcome. I’m 37-years-old and training harder and getting mentally tougher and more resilient than before! As David Goggins would say, ‘STAY HARD!’”

Jessica Parton Watkins wrote to say: “My husband, Ryan, and I welcomed our second daughter, Lucy Jo, on December 22, 2024. Our

eldest daughter, Sadie, turned three on May 4th and loves being a big sister.”

Hilary Richards Conger and her husband are making the move from Brooklyn to Mendham, NJ in June. They’re excited to finally have a backyard for their energetic two-year-old son and are welcoming a daughter in September.

2006

Mendy Fisch mendyman@gmail.com

During this edition of class notes, Jeff Richmond-Moll wrote about his new daughter, Nell, and the family’s move to Boston: “My wife, Tae, and I welcomed the birth of our daughter, Nell Juniper RichmondMoll, at the end of December. Her big brother,

Class of 2004 members Nic Benacerraf, Michael Costa, Kate Chimacoff Dickens and Scott Rosenberg were sad to miss the reunion but gathered the following weekend on the West Coast. “It is the 20th time we have held a small reunion!”

Rajiv Mallipudi ’05

Jessica Parton Watkins ’05’s daughters, Sadie and Lucy

Beck, and big sister, Willa, love making her smile and she brings all of us so much joy. We also moved in January from Georgia to the North Shore of Boston for my new job at the Peabody Essex Museum, where I am the curator of American art. (Come visit!) So far, we’ve run into former PDS-er Gage Caligaris in the security line at Logan Airport, but we hope to see more people from the class of 2006 now that we are back in the Northeast.

2007

Nina Crouse ninacrouse@gmail.com

Vish Gupta vishgupta2@gmail.com

Ali Hiller Rorick ali.rorick@gmail.com

2008

Tess Glancey Crampton tessicaglancey@gmail.com

2009

Ashley Smoots asmoots@gmail.com

Vinay Trivedi vt1090@gmail.com

2010

Anna Otis annaotis92@gmail.com

Alex FeuerPortale awfeuer@gmail.com

Evan Quinn was recently promoted to SVP, Financial Advisor at Wealth Enhancement Group. He and his wife, Krista, live in Atlanta.

They are heading to Italy, France, Turkey, and Greece this year!

Anna Otis was recently promoted to Manager, Brand Marketing at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. She and her partner, Alex, live in North Jersey with their Shih-Tzu, Mia.

James Fuhrman and his wife Diane welcomed new baby, June, to their family in April.

Brooks Herr got engaged to fiancé, Micaela in March 2024.

2011

Evan Seto eseto17@gmail.com

From Alexus Davis: “It’s been a while since I last wrote in — plenty of changes! To begin, I’m Dr. Alexus Davis! By God’s

Willa, Nell and Beck, children of Jeff RichmondMoll ’06

Alexa Maher ’08 and Erik Hove welcomed their second child, Cole Michael Hove on March 25, 2024

Alexandra Feuer Portale ’10 and her son, Dylan, in Philly with classmate, Adrienne Esposito

Elizabeth Yellin Talmud ’10 and her husband, Jesse, welcomed baby, Jordyn, into their family this January. Alexus Davis ’11

grace, I completed my PhD in medical sociology at University of Manchester in Manchester, United Kingdom, where I reside. My mixed-methods (and often creative) research considers global maternal health, systems of care, and maternal phenomenologies. My doctoral research investigated the maternal care experiences of First Nations Australian women.

“I recently completed a lectureship in disability studies in the department of medical sociology at Middlesex University of London, where I was also a master’s dissertation supervisor in public health. I’m currently a qualitative researcher for two very different, but equally fascinating, studies. At Aston University, I examine middle-to-lower income participants’ everyday experiences of their personal finances — specifically in the context of physical health and wellbeing. At University of Sheffield, I research experiences of informal donor conception and assisted reproduction, mediated by digital technologies (my MSc in global health ethics and law is really getting a workout here!). I also teach decolonial studies at Manchester, which is a joy.

“In 2022, my feature-length collection of poetry, “Cartoon Logic, Cartoon Violence” was published with Baobab Press, with international distribution. I look forward to a poetry residency outside of Naples this summer, as I am working on my next book. When I am not doing research, or writing poems, etc. etc., I work as a full-spectrum birth doula.

“I keep in touch with quite a few Class of 2011 folk, including Carla Tamburro (and her lovely husband), Tiffany Patterson (my favorite writing partner), Caitlin Cannon (and my two brilliant godchildren), and Matt Garry (26 years of friendship!). I try my best to come stateside once or twice a year, so please do reach out if you want to reconnect.”

On March 8th, Kevin Francfort and his wife,

Amy, welcomed a baby boy, named Cameron. The three of them are enjoying their time together exploring Cambridge, MA—with a recent highlight being a visit to the public library to register the family for library cards! Please reach out if you’re in the area, we’re always looking for adventure friends (especially from the PDS community).

Meade Atkeson and his partner, Shannon, are now living in Shelburne, Vermont with their 10-month-old daughter, Noelle! They are loving the new scenery and having family close by. They were right in the path of eclipse totality, which was awesome! Recently, they went on a trip to Quebec City, where Meade had to brush up on his French (Shannon is fluent).

Ashley Hudson earned her PhD in child, family and school psychology last fall and accepted a postdoctoral fellowship position at the University of Michigan providing integrated behavioral health primary care services to children and families. She also recently finished climbing all 59 of the Colorado 14ers and ran her first ultramarathon. “Come say hello if you find yourself in Ann Arbor over the next couple of years!”

From Allison Reilly : “I’ve merged my interest in public service with my love for the environment in my work implementing climate policy at the U.S. Department of Energy. I credit George Sanderson and Liz Cutler for inspiring these passions, and I am glad that passing a George Sanderson current events quiz was not a prerequisite for getting the job. I continue to be thankful for the PDS friendships I have maintained and that have blossomed through the years. I hope to see many of these friends on upcoming travels with my sister, Meg Reilly ’13. We are several years late to embracing the remote work life but hope to make the most of it by inviting the Gerschel brothers to join sometimes.”

Evan Seto has no meaningful updates to include, but thinks it was nice to hear from all his classmates and would keep encouraging them to reach out, even when he’s not soliciting class notes from them.

2012

Rachel Maddox rachelhmaddox@gmail.com

Peter Powers peterfpowers@gmail.com

Annie Nyce Questell annienyce@gmail.com

Peter collected the following news:

Eric Powers wrote: “In a devastating blow to women everywhere, I am getting married this September in Chicago to my fiancé. Those that wish to attend should text either of my brothers to get on the list. Doors open at 5:00pm and use promocode PANTHERS for 15% off. We are registered at Ace Hardware. Thank you.”

Mackenzie Stricklin shared: “I have been enjoying my work as a senior software engineer at Vanguard—I’m highly engaged with the technology and problems we’re solving, and love that I get to coach our newer developers along the way. My partner, Tim, and I also just moved into a new home together in Exton, PA, and have been taking our time settling into our new neighborhood, in particular trying out all the local restaurants. Recently I joined the softball league at work—I’m pretty rusty, but it’s a blast!”

Mikey Gray just moved to Montana. “Swing by!”

Cara Hume moved to the Windy City for a clerkship with a judge after six years in NYC.

Amidst deep dish pizza, Lake Michigan dips, and Cubs games, Cara has also taken to writing poetry after reading Natasha Rao’s poetry book on a high-speed train from Paris to Pau, France. Cara has two published poems, one orange cat, and zero idea where she’ll be after her clerkship ends this fall, though a New York return is on the table.

As for me, Peter Powers, I’m unfortunately turning into a crotchety Upper West Sider at a troubling pace—I have accidentally walked to the grocery store in Crocs more than once. I met up with Callie Schneider on the top of a mountain in Utah and am having a blast watching Walker Ward’s flourishing TikTok career.

2013

Leah Falcon lgfalcon04917@gmail.com

Bob Madani robert.s.madani@gmail.com

2014

Rory Finnegan ref8af@virginia.edu

Mary Travers marygrtravers@gmail.com

2015

Grace Lee gracelee6666@gmail.com

Caroline Lippman crlippman@gmail.com

2016

Kate Cammarano camm1217@aol.com

Helen Healey helen.healey97@gmail.com

Peter Klein

pwklein3@gmail.com

Jonah Tuckman wrote: “I am currently living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (actually as of a couple days now—just moved). I am the Product Strategy and Operations lead for a company called EverCommerce (software as a service company, which is a portfolio of lots of smaller SaaS companies). Really like my job, living in New York, and all in all, very happy! Still see PDS friends all the time in the city!”

Lauren Finley wrote: “I’ve had the opportunity to work on exciting new Windows features as a software engineer at Microsoft. After starting my career in Seattle, I’ve since moved to New York City and am loving spending time with friends and family here!”

Tillie Lighte wrote: “I graduated from Barnard College in 2020 with a degree in Art History. Following other stints around the art world, I’m now working in the Imaging Department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York—most likely inspired by mass amounts of time spent in Mrs. H’s photo studio. I still regularly see my PDS friends and most recently had a minireunion with classmates: Katie Sanderson, Julie Goldberg and Sophie Freedman (also a Barnard graduate).”

Jamie Maher got engaged to Jack Cusworth on May 11, 2024. The couple met through James Fragale, who was Jack’s college roommate at RPI.

2017

Abby Atkeson abigail.atkeson@gmail.com

Tyler Birch tbflyers@gmail.com

We received news that Kiely French Morris had some of her research published in the science journal Nature. “Kiely is on a team of Harvard and MIT neuroscientists who have been examining the relationship between two primary types of human brain cells, neurons and astrocytes. They examined 191 human brains using RNA sequencing and latent factor analysis, and found that this relationship (which they call ‘SNAP,’ for Synaptic Neuron and Astrocyte Program) is inhibited in both aging and schizophrenia.

“Some of Kiely’s other research interests include how neuropeptides in the amygdala are affected by early life adversity, and how they influence suicide.”

2018

Hallie Hoffman halliebryn@gmail.com

2019

Amon DeVane amond1234567@gmail.com

Raina Kasera raina.kasera@gmail.com

2020

Needs Correspondent

2021

Needs Correspondent

Hope Jerris sent a text to her advisor, PDS ceramics teacher Eric Rempe. She wrote: “I’ll be interning with NASA this summer in San Antonio, doing research on the CO2 absorption of salty sea ice for the upcoming Europa Clipper mission, and I got a Hollings Scholarship from NOAA yesterday that provides some merit scholarship for two years and a paid full-time internship with any NOAA facility next summer!! Currently feeling very lucky about all the opportunities that I’ve had and the many adventures that lie ahead and for having such a strong support system along the way; it’s taken a lot of hard work to get here.”

2022

Milan Shah milanushah1@gmail.com

2023

Jai Kasera jai.kasera@gmail.com

Jamie Maher ’16 and Jack Cusworth are engaged!

FORMER EMPLOYEE NOTES

Steve Bailey wrote: “Heather and I are enjoying our retirement in Vermont. We continue to lead hikes and other outings for the Green Mountain Club and to volunteer at the local food pantry. It’s been ten years since we moved to Vermont.

“2023 was a notable year for us in that we got back to international traveling. In April, we spent three weeks in Argentina and Uruguay, hiking and sightseeing. The highlight of the year, however, was a family hiking trip to the Italian Dolomites. We were joined by our children, Dave ’98 and Melissa ’00 plus our daughter-in-law and eight-month-old grandson, Quentin.

“We also visited Jamie and Krista Atkeson, who recently became full-time Vermont residents, in their wonderfully restored farmhouse near Lake Champlain.”

Helen Bodel wrote: “As a former — and long-retired — faculty member and PDS parent, my school-related news has more to do with former students’ weddings and my own grandchildren’s Vermont school lives! Always honored to be invited to beautiful weddings, I have driven down to Princeton from Vermont for those rites, and to see family, id est, my siblings and their children. Up here, I live just a few miles from PDS graduate, Michael Bodel ’99, and his wife, Alex Parra, and their two children, September (13) and Sebastian (11). Michael is the Director of External Affairs at Dartmouth’s Hopkins Center for the Arts. Alex is an attorney for a Brattleboro firm. Annie Bodel ’03 is a biochemist at NASA in my own far-off home state, California. She’s a water specialist in San Diego, which makes lots of sense to those of us who know how much time she spends in the Pacific! Sending greetings and love to everyone!”

Hank Bristol ’72 wrote that he has “an art

show of his watercolors in October at the Nassau Club in Princeton. Look forward to seeing many local alums at the opening!”

Peter Buttenheim wrote: “Though I only taught at PDS for three years, 1971 to 1974, the school had a great impact on me. I had intellectually curious and exciting students, my faculty colleagues were some of the more discerning and caring teachers with whom I ever worked, and Frances and I enjoyed being PDS parents with our older daughter Jennifer in Grades K, 1, and 2. Jennifer would have graduated in 1984 had we stayed at PDS!

“Over the years, I have remained in touch with the Ferrante family, the Bash family, the Benson family, the Bundy family, Celia Schulz ’77, and John Gordon ’72 with whom I exchange great mystery paperbacks for outstanding Vermont maple syrup.

“Frances and I now live at Kendal at Longwood in Kennett Square, PA, after living in Wilmington, DE from 1999 to 2021. This is a continuing care retirement community, but one has to be in pretty good shape, both physically and mentally, to keep up with all the excellent things there are to do here. Our fellow residents are bright and thoughtful people from all the professions.

“Jennifer and her partner, Dmitri Eremeev, now live in Riga in Latvia. Dima’s company is there while Jennifer is a history lecturer on a number of cruise lines: Viking, Regent, Seaborn, and Cunard.

“Our younger daughter, Alison, and her partner, Paul Saint-Amour, live in Philadelphia where they both work at UPenn—Alison in the School of Nursing and Paul in the English Department.

“Jennifer and Dima have one daughter, Francesca, who lives in Washington, DC where she works for Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and lives with her beau and her black lab.

“Alison and Paul’s daughters are busy in academe: Claire has moved on from Yale in Classics to pursue a PhD in classics at Cambridge, UK, while her younger sister, Julia, is finishing her junior year at Bryn Mawr College (NEARBY!) with a major that seems to combine art, art history, archeology, and even some geology.

“Every day after one turns 80 is a bonus day. Onward!”

Kay Haartz Cortelyou reported: “The fact that I have not sent my news until now is an indication of how busy I am being retired and being a grandmother. My horseback riding trip this year was to Columbia, SA. Beautiful scenery and more luxurious accommodations

Krista and Jamie Atkeson with Heather and Steve Bailey

Artwork by former MS faculty member Hank Bristol ’72

Steve Bailey and family in the Italian Dolomites

than I have had on other riding trips. My three granddaughters are 10, eight, and 18 months. My husband, Kip, has a huge garden and we eat just picked veggies every day of the year—a benefit of living in Texas. I am still showing my horses and still winning most of the time. I look forward to joining the class of 1974 for their 50th reunion.”

Liz Cutler “spent the winter and spring ’23 as The Master Teacher-in-Residence at The Island School. I’ve also been working as a sustainability consultant at evaluating schools and helping them become more sustainable. I had a big local art show with 19 new pieces of pressed flower art and put together a website for that work. My two big pieces of news: I am so honored to have been given the 35th annual Donald B. Jones Award by the D&R Greenway Land Trust; and was invited to be a ’24-’25 Fellow at the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford, so Tom and I will move to Palo Alto for the next school calendar year. Wishing everyone well!”

Jeff Cutts wrote: “ Becky ( Johnson) and I both worked at PDS from 1983 to 1985 …

a two-year period that seems more like 10 because of the wonderful experiences and the people we crossed paths with while we were there.

“PDS will always hold a special place in our hearts because that’s where we met and were eventually married. Our wedding was held at the Episcopal Church in Princeton and our wedding reception at Colross. Our PDS colleagues, students and their families helped us celebrate in style!

“Life happens.

“Here we are almost 40 years later with four children and five grandchildren evenly spaced from ages two to 10 with number six on the way!

“We have been full-time residents in Naples, Florida since 2019…which is paradise despite the occasional pesky hurricane.

“Still working, I’m a partner at an actuarial consulting and pension administration firm where I lead our business development in the corporate pension space.

“Becky has retired from teaching but remains active volunteering at organizations that support education for the underserved in addition to continuing to hone her tennis game and developing pickleball skills.

“We both are active in our church and enjoy golf…I even had my first hole in one last year!

“If anyone finds themselves in Naples, please look us up.”

Tina Dadian sent a family update: “Our family has been quite busy. Aram and Tina continue to enjoy working every day, Aram in his wood shop, Tina in her studio.

“Aram is also engaged with a local project

bringing sustainable agriculture to our neighborhood.

“Our two oldest daughters both have children. Mian ’98’s oldest son is now 18, and off to college in the fall. Her daughter is 16, and is a boarding student at Solebury School, just across the river from all of the grandparents. Mian is a paramedic in the emergency room of one of Charlotte’s busiest hospitals. She brings love and compassion to what is often someone else’s worst day.

“Our middle daughter, Zoe (Katie) ’02, lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband and eight-year-old son. Their lives are all full to overflowing with love and activity. Her husband, Matt, is an amazing chef and owner of the Bull & Beggar restaurant, and also, The Baby Bull. Their son, Autry, is a passionate soccer player. He loves music, art, Greek Gods, nature, and so many things! Zoe is amazing. She does everything.

“Our youngest, Anoush (Lisa) ’06 is also married and lives in the Cayman Islands, where she set up a clinic for autistic children. She is currently finishing up a degree in clinical psychology. Always the adventurer, Anoush’s current passion is climbing the seven summits, the highest peaks on each continent. So far, she has summited Aconcagua (in Argentina), Mt. Vinson, (in Antarctica), and Kilimanjaro (in Tanzania). She is currently training for Denali (in Alaska) and Mt. Blanc (in Europe), which she will be climbing this summer. The last two mountains, Everest in Nepal and Carstensz Pyramid in Papua New Guinea, are scheduled for next summer.

“That’s the news from the Dadians. We are all busy, happy and healthy, and beyond grateful for each new day.”

Betsy Davis wrote: “2023 brought me a double hip replacement, but I was still able to get out and adventure. After one hip was done, I spent some time in Roatan scuba

Eileen Hohmuth-Lemonick with her grandchildren

Former LS Librarian Jenny Mischner and her husband, Ken, with their two grandchildren

diving in August. After hip two, I spent a little over a month in Peru in November, which included time in the Amazon River basin, Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu/Sacred Valley, Ica, Lima, and Rainbow Mountain. And I just returned from a trip to Morocco.

“I also got to visit both of my kids, Meg ’10 and Grahame ’13. Meg is in Boston, MA and Grahame in Burlington, VT where he’s wrapping up an MBA and graduating in August ’24.

“After he graduates, we’ve signed up to hike the tour du Mont Blanc. I’m doing my best to prepare for that and give my new hips a workout.

“Aside from travel, I spend a lot of time playing pickleball (year-round) and golf in the summer. Winters in Jackson Hole are harsh, and so I’m always looking for a reprieve. We just got about 27 inches of new snow this weekend. Yikes.”

Luke Hensel is working in the field of Orthopaedics in Pennsylvania. “I am working primarily with surgical patients and in the operating room daily now providing surgeon

support. I am trying not to treat myself as I’ve been training in jujutsu and judo for the past five years. I competed at the Good Fight Submission Only World Championships, which were held in Mannheim, Pennsylvania back in early December; I was fortunate enough to win my division.

“We have our small farm in the Poconos and are happy to host any of our PDS family if you are in the region or wish to get away to a quieter place.”

Eileen Hohmuth-Lemonick reported: “The past two years have been tough. I have been laid up with long Covid. And now the latest insult to injury is that in early April I fell and broke my elbow very badly, requiring surgery and a three-month recovery.

“I love hearing from my former students. Come by to visit!”

Holly Fewkes Kem “still lives in Buffalo, NY with her husband, Gordon. After 17 years as the Associate Director of Athletics at Nichols School, I have moved on to the college level. I am now working at the University at Buffalo in their Athletic Office. I am excited about this new opportunity and am learning a lot about the NCAA Division 1 level of play in my new role. Gordon and I enjoy traveling, playing badminton and attending any Buffalo sporting event! I am still in touch with Carol Koiro, Ted Harrington and John Levandowski. All the best to everyone at PDS!”

Jenny Mischner: “We had a great visit to Charleston in February. I love playing pickleball and I am involved in the Windy City Knitting Guild. I enjoy playing in my handbell choir as well as spending a lot of time in the stained-glass studio, ceramics class, and woodshop down the street. I’m also on the board of our condo building, which has been very interesting. We love spending time with Lindsey ’08, her husband and their two kids in Madison, WI. Sarah ’06 and her partner

moved there this spring, so we have lots of reasons to visit! We look forward to traveling to Sicily, Puglia, and Calabria in September and are planning to visit Japan next year. We will be spending Christmas 2024 in London with our eldest daughter, Kaitlin ’05, to visit her godparents and hope to go to Luxor with them if the Middle East is calmer. Chicago is so wonderful in the summer: I’m looking forward to swimming in Lake Michigan, farmer’s markets and festivals, and biking along the lakefront trail.”

In January Laurie Parker and her family visited her Lower School colleague Natasha Jacques Nolan ’00 and her girls in Atlanta. They explored the National Center of Civil and Human Rights on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, “It was wonderful catching up.”

Kathy Schulte reported: “After 20 wonderful years at PDS, I have moved to the Midwest, and I am now at Detroit Country Day School as Chief Advancement Officer. My husband, Pat, and I are enjoying exploring our new home state of Michigan and the great city of

Judy and Charlie Williams in New Zealand

Former Lower School teachers Laurie Parker and Natasha Jacques Nolan ’00 with her daughters enjoyed catching up in Atlanta this past winter.

Luke Hensel after he won his division in the Goodfight Submission Only World Championship

Detroit. At the very end of the Eastern Time zone, I enjoy long sun-filled summer evenings (the sun sets at 10pm), which make up for the cold and dark few months of winter. I now eat square pizza (Detroit pizza is a thing!) and Coney Islands (hot dogs) and drink pop (soda). My son, Jack Amaral ’17, is engaged and is planning an October 2025 wedding to Madi. Jack and Madi live in Denver. My daughter,

Maggie Amaral ’20, is graduating from Trinity College in Hartford, CT in May. We have loved having Jack, Maggie and Madi visit us in Michigan along with other friends and family. Please let me know anytime you are in the 313 area. I’d love to see you.”

Herb Spiegel (spouse of former music teacher Regina Spiegel) reported that he is “still living in Lambertville. Many visits from our 11 grandchildren. Whenever they are in town, they love to visit PDS where their grandmother taught and their parents, Jon ’78, Suzanne ’81 and Adrienne ’84 attended school.

Bunny Webb has moved to a new apartment in the same complex in Buffalo, NY. “I’m comfortable here and at 93 need a bit more care. The Journal shows remarkable and

IN MEMORIAM

excellent changes at PDS and stimulates my own memories of many interesting years of the school’s changes and growth and its remarkable graduates.”

Judy Williams is “still living in Bridgehampton, New York where I enjoy hitting tennis and golf balls (badly) and being near the prettiest beach in the world. My husband, Charlie, and I just returned home from a “Bucket List” trip to New Zealand. We enjoyed the incredible scenery, the friendly people, and the slow pace of life (no traffic). Our plans for the summer of 2024 include a month in Nova Scotia. Our daughter, Christina ’94, is a trauma surgeon in Cincinnati and our daughter, Austin ’97, lives in Denver with her husband and three children. It’s a busy life for all of us.”

Kate Winton and John Burns wrote with big news: “We’re expecting a grandson any day now! He will join his two-year-old sister, Ellie, who is a joy! Other news on our front, I (Kate) am on the other side of a full knee replacement and eager to get back in the wilderness with a week’s trip through the remote Missouri Breaks in MT and hikes planned in the North Cascades this summer. John and I are also volunteering to restore for public use street end properties abutting Lake Washington so all can enjoy.”

Anastasia Yonezuka reported: “I have been tied with my dermatologist this last year and trapped at home with my beautiful cat, Coco Chanel.”

Princeton Day School mourns the passing of the following alumni and former faculty members. We honor the memories of those we have lost and extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.

ALUMNI

E. Bloxom Baker ’60

William “Chevy” Chalverus ’69

Peter Erdman ’43

Janet Butler Haugaard ’50

Mary Jane Burbidge Hayes ’60

Mary Fenn Hazeltine ’52

Elizabeth “Betsy” Hall Hutz ’56

Ellen Levy ’63

Susan Shew Jennings ’62

Sturges Karban ’96

Julia Gallup Laughlin ’55

Charles Mapes ’48

Marie Frohling Rawling ’43

Eberhard “Bambi” Rosenblad ’58

Ariel Ruvinsky ’08

Jean Millholland Shriver ’50

Pamela Sidford Schaeffer ’63

David Smoyer ’56

Valerie Greey Vrieze ’44

Tracey Green Whitney ’69

FORMER FACULTY

Marilene Edrei Foster

Ronald Meldrum

Arlene Smith

Janet Westrick

Coco Chanel, Anastasia Yonezuka’s cat

Arlene Smith, former art faculty member and department head, passed away in November 2023.

DATE ________________

POP QUIZ

Before you set this issue aside, let’s see how much you learned along the way. We’ve put together a quick quiz to test your recall of some interesting tidbits from our pages. No pressure — it’s open book! Grab a pencil and see how you do. All answers can be found at the bottom of the page, but no peeking until

1) IN 1904, WOODROW WILSON HAD 11 POUNDS OF WHAT FRUIT MAILED TO HIM?

A. PINEAPPLE

B. LEMONS

C. APPLES

D. ORANGES

2) TRUE OR FALSE: PRINCETON COUNTRY DAY’S SCHOOL COLORS WERE BLUE AND GREY.

3) COLROSS FEATURES ______________-STYLE ARCHITECTURE.

A. GREEK REVIVAL

B. GOTHIC

C. GEORGIAN

D. GREEN BUILDING

4) WHAT WAS THE FIRST ADDRESS OF MISS FINE’S SCHOOL?

A. 42 MERCER STREET

B. 38 STOCKTON STREET

C. 10 BAYARD LANE

D. 650 GREAT ROAD

5) FROM 1944 TO 1947, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY'S HOBEY BAKER RINK SERVED AN ALTERNATIVE PURPOSE. WHAT WAS IT?

A. PUBLIC ICE SKATING FACILITY

B. TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL

C. CONCERT VENUE

D. TRAINING FACILITY FOR OLYMPIC ATHLETES

6) DEAN MATHEY COMPETED IN WHICH PROFESSIONAL TENNIS MATCH?

A. AUSTRALIAN OPEN

B. FRENCH OPEN

C. U.S. OPEN

D. WIMBLEDON

7) TRUE OR FALSE: DR. J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER WAS THE GUEST SPEAKER AT MISS FINE’S SCHOOL’S FINAL GRADUATION CEREMONY IN 1965.

SAVE THE DATE FOR ALUMNI WEEKEND, MAY 16-17, 2025!

ROOTS of EXCELLENCE

HONORING 125 & 100 YEARS OF MISS FINE’S AND PRINCETON COUNTRY DAY

Join us on the afternoon of Friday, May 16, for a special celebration of our founding institutions, open to all MFS and PCD alumni.

THE EVENT WILL FEATURE

A celebratory luncheon with Head of School Dr. Kelley Nicholson-Flynn

Guided tours of historic downtown Princeton and former sites of MFS and PCD

Exclusive tours of the PDS campus

Other festivities include the 50th Reunion Dinner, Family Picnic, Alumni Awards Ceremony and the Blue and White Bash

WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE!

For more details, visit pds.org/aw