In 2017, Mikael Owunna ’08 produced The Vision of Innekouzou, a dye sublimation print on aluminum, as part of his acclaimed Infinite Essence series. Innekouzou Dolo had visionary experiences and uncanny perceptions of stars and celestial bodies. In 1950, she shared with French anthropologists Marcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen the weight, size, composition and color of Sirius B, a star impossible to detect with the unaided human eye. In our Bicentennial celebration of Lux et Veritas, Owunna’s layered, glimmering and probing work is a serendipitous complement
Class Notes Update
You spoke, we listened. Starting this year, Class Notes will appear only in our summer/fall issue giving you even more time to send in your updates and read about your classmates. Keep the news coming, and stay tuned for all the great stories in this issue.
Do you have an update for the next round? Send it our way. classnotes@wra.net
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Meg Colafella
Chief Communications Officer
MANAGING EDITOR
Rose Vardell
Director of Strategic Communications
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Laura Stropki
Director of Internal Communications
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Suzanne Walker Buck P ’24
Head of School
Dr. Erik Chaput
Social Science Faculty
Erin Bickford ’26
The Reserve Record, Associate Editor
DESIGN
Blue Star Design
PHOTOGRAPHY
Hunter Barnhardt, Andrew Jordan, Rose Vardell, Raven Wang ’25 and Alex Lin ’26 of the Reserve Photo Network, curatedstorefront.org
CLASS NOTES
classnotes@wra net or contact your Class Correspondent ADDRESS CHANGES alumni@wra.net
FEEDBACK/SUGGESTIONS
Rose Vardell | vardellr@wra net
WRA Magazine is published twice a year for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends of Western Reserve Academy by the WRA Communications & Marketing Office.
Western Reserve Academy is committed to maintaining an educational and work climate for all members of the community that is free from all forms of discrimination. In particular, WRA strictly prohibits discrimination based on race, sex (including pregnancy), religion, color, age, national origin, veteran and/or military status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status and/or parental status
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Suzanne Walker Buck
Dear Friends,
Reporter Alexis Soloski recently mused, “What defines a community? Though often a physical space, it’s also more vibes-based and amorphous — the networks of feeling among its members and their environment, built and natural.”
As a student of anthropology, I am quick to observe groups and examine culture. How do individuals come together in a shared physical or philosophical place? What are the rites, rituals, and language that create and demonstrate meaning? How do they define culture?
Here at Reserve our physical spaces invite people to gather. Our beautiful campus holds rich history and shared memories. Our classrooms and playing fields are places of discovery and joy. Our neighboring town — with its quaint shops, clock tower and Village Green — nestles us into a place that feels safe, something I never take for granted for our students. Our philosophical spaces, or values and belief systems, also perpetuate positive culture. We are united in our conviction that education is essential. Quite simply, engaging with ideas and others makes us and our world better.
Recently I asked a set of our first-year parents why they chose Western Reserve Academy. They responded by saying that in addition to outstanding opportunities in the classroom, they wanted a place where the people were authentic, kind, demonstrated care for each other and the world around them, and where their daughter would develop skills in which to lead. I can’t think of a better community in which to hone such practices, or of a better time to do so, as we celebrate our Bicentennial and turn toward each other.
In this issue devoted to community, I share our intentional work in service to fostering empathy, understanding of differences, discovery of commonality and respect for others. Then, we highlight brave community builders who have used art, architecture, poetry, oration and athletics to foster inclusivity and belonging, the cornerstones of community. The courage of these people is all the more notable as it often was against the tides. I have no doubt you will share a sense of pride in the accomplishments of our impressive community members.
Our world is complex and our lives are complicated. Evolution is a constant; so too is your home within the Reserve Community.
Suzanne Walker Buck P ’24
The Gauntlet is a rite of passage, showering new students with good cheer and the warmest welcome.
2 2 3 4 4 5 5
Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck P ’24 kicks off the year with an inspiring Convocation, celebrating the theme of ‘Community’ and setting the stage for a year of connection, collaboration and shared growth.
A special tree lighting ceremony introduces our students to the Bicentennial Tree, preceding a neon-bright Glow Night
WRA students share homemade apple cider at the Hudson Farmers Market, happy to share the sweet taste of fall with the community. 1
Our new turf field is complete with stadium lights, ready to illuminate both the facility and the talent of our studentathletes. We’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on this impressive addition, made possible by a generous anonymous donor.
6 7 8 9
This year marks a milestone of excellence for longtime Boys Soccer Coach Herb Haller ’85, who reached his 300th career win this fall. Pictured here at last year’s Eclipse with his devoted team, Herb has not only shaped the soccer program, but also earned the lifelong love of those he mentored Congrats, Coach!
Family Days kicks off with a WRA Tailgate, cheering for our field hockey and soccer athletes at home games and applauding the student performers in our riff on a halftime show!
Families dive into the heart of student life during our Family Days, joining their students in the classroom for a hands-on taste of the WRA learning experience.
The talented cast of our production of High Fidelity strikes a pose, bringing the beloved story of music, love and selfdiscovery to life on stage.
Soccer player Mikyla “Ky” Hau-Golden ’25, soccer player Jared “Jax” Pena ’25 and tennis player Riya Hegde ’25 win the Gold Medal, earning the highest athletic honor for their dedication, skill and hard work
Student-dancers light up the court with an energetic performance before the Cavs game, showcasing their talent and school spirit to a wide audience.
This year, 26 athletes (with Girls Basketball, Boys Soccer, Girls Lacrosse, Boys Basketball, Girls Soccer and Boys Lacrosse all represented) signed their National Letters of Intent, committing to compete at the collegiate level
We’re proud of our students who attended the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), joining peers from across the country for an inspiring journey of growth, leadership and connection!
Students take the stage in a stunning dance performance themed ‘Seasons, ’ gracefully capturing the beauty and transitions of each time of year through movement and expression
The warmth of tradition fills the air as WRA students take in the serene candlelit Vespers winter concert, creating a magical evening of music and reflection to celebrate the season.
Snow on the ground, stars in the sky, and Einstein and Picasso debating at the Lapin Agile students brought wit and wonder to the winter play, Picasso at the Lapin Agile.
Our annual winter festival, Fire & Ice, is a huge hit every year featuring seasonal fun and ending with a beautiful fireworks display
FALL SPORTS SEASON RESULTS
Field Hockey: 2 - 8 - 1
Boys Soccer: 17 - 6 - 2
Girls Soccer: 12 - 3 - 1
Girls Tennis: 15 - 2
Girls Volleyball: 12 - 10
Golf: 3 - 5
Esports: 21 - 18
SAVE THE DATE —
Upcoming Big Games & Performances
• Spring Play: “The Three Musketeers”
April 25–27, 2025
• Spring Dance Performance
May 16–17, 2025
• Lacrosse MSLA Tournament
May 2–3, 2025
• The Longstreth Relays
April 12, 2025
15 17
Introducing the WRA Athletics App — your all-in-one hub for scores, schedules and team updates. Whether you’re cheering from the stands or from afar, stay in the loop with every Pioneer victory.
Search “WRA Athletics” in your app store and download today!
Stay Pioneer prou Stay Pioneer stron
Big News — WRA Joins NEPSAC Ranks
By
Rose Vardell
Western Reserve Academy is making headlines on the athletic front and for exciting reasons. Starting July 1, 2025, WRA will officially become an associate member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) This is a game-changer for our school, aligning us with our peers among some of the most respected independent boarding schools in the country.
Deerfield. Hotchkiss. Loomis Chaffee. The Groton School. Taft the list goes on, each linked by their powerhouse athletic programs, academic strength and storied traditions. It is only right that WRA athletes will now get to compete alongside them, opening up fresh opportunities for Pioneers to test their skills, gain exposure and compete against their peer athletes While NEPSAC membership will not
Under Hutchins’ leadership, the WRA athletic program has hit new mile markers our Girls Basketball team competed in the National Prep Championship in 2024 with Boys Basketball clinching the title. This season, Girls Basketball was selected again to participate in the National Championship and took home second place after a fierce competition Athletes across all teams are setting new PRs and school records nearly every season. The Boys Lacrosse program has seen remarkable growth, currently ranked No. 1 in Ohio and No. 2 in the USA Midwest by LAX Numbers. Furthermore, the addition of a new turf field illuminated by stadium lights has enhanced the school’s already exceptional athletic facilities
Beyond wins and records, Hutchins understands that coaching and competition are integral to the WRA experience This
“We’re thrilled to join a league that’s synonymous with excellence in athletics and academics.”
Pete Hutchins, Director of Athletics
355 TOTAL RHS MEMBERS 1959, 1965 and 1979
If you are considering a gift to WRA, we would be delighted to work with you and your advisors to explore options. Please contact us to discuss creating your own legacy at WRA by becoming a part of the Reserve Heritage Society. CLASSES WITH THE MOST MEMBERS
94 AGE OF OLDEST MEMBER
$4,000,000
35 AGE OF YOUNGEST MEMBER
The Reserve Heritage Society recognizes alumni, parents and friends who shape WRA’s future by including the school in their estate plans.
$5,000,000 IN 2023, FROM AN ALUMNUS IN THE ERA OF THE 1950S
By Suzanne Walker Buck P
‘24
sector that is highly competitive, with schools craving specific points of difference and programs of excellence. Not to mention, community seems like an especially hard hill to climb in a world where we more often hear of fractured collectives than cohesive ones. Oh, and then there’s the teenage thing: isn’t this the age of individualism?
So, when I chose community as a shared thematic focus for Western Reserve Academy this year, it was after
voice of social media chirping around our students, the nearness of our Bicentennial. Getting out of the gate on solid footing was essential. Working cross-functionally, we created guideposts for community engagement and introduced them to students, faculty and staff at the start of the school year. We included the guideposts in our Admission materials, so potential families can see what we stand for.
We gleaned knowledge from experts and luminaries. Our faculty summer read of Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation provided philosophical and actionable insights around cell phone use. Haidt’s central premise — that we under-protect kids in the virtual world and overprotect them in the real world — turns phone “deprivation” into generational salvation, and I am a believer. His advice tracks with what boarding school intrinsically offers: “give kids back some independence.”
I paid close attention to David Brooks’ research and musings, because of his attention to the joy of being seen and my passion for every Reserve student to feel this. In Brooks’ New York Times column, “The Character Building Toolkit,” he shares, “Moral formation isn’t just downloading content into a bunch of brains; it involves an inner transformation of the heart. It involves helping students change their motivations so they want to lead the kind of honorable and purposeful lives that are truly worth wanting. It’s more about inspiration than information.”
I think about the WRA faculty now and throughout our history and feel confident that this venerable cohort would say — at the end of long days — that their intent remains the inner transformations of our students, and that — even at a top college preparatory school — our Pioneers’ most important
Brooks talks about the tension between what schools have done and arguably should do. “Over the past many years,” he writes, “schools and the broader culture have embraced the idea that the purpose of childhood is to prepare for individual achievement, rather than caring for the common good.” He suggests that schools with a focus on community have a sense of moral mission, “that who you become is more important than what career track you pursue.”
Brooks also highlights the importance of rituals and routines to mark transitions and traditions at schools who get it right. “They have retreats and group travel so that people can see one another before the makeup goes on. They provide opportunities for struggle and growth. They often have sacred symbols and initiation rituals so that everybody knows they belong.” With this, Brooks — like Haidt — articulates what is happening at boarding schools and what is embedded in our value proposition. Sometimes this is easier to feel than to say.
Both Haidt and Brooks draw from psychology and neuroscience to pose questions and find answers. For Reserve, standing on 200 years of history, understanding complex principles but going back to basics is a path to cultivating the strongest community for the future. This year, for example, we’ve emphasized the importance of sit-down meals. While sitting for meals with those unfamiliar to you is not always comfortable, alumni tell me that these shared dining experiences were among the most significant elements of their time at Reserve.
Morning Meeting is another time-honored tradition. I think about students shifting in their seats as I read Brooks saying, “The French writer Simone Weil wrote that attention ‘is the rarest and purest form of generosity.’” Listening takes practice,
This year, we launched “Unplugged Retreats,” where classes ditch their cell phones and other devices for an overnight trip to Bellwether Farms for class bonding and real, human connection!
I think about the WR A facult y now and throughout our histor y and feel confident that this venerable cohort would say at the end of long days that their intent remains the inner transformations of our students, and that even at a top college preparator y school our Pioneers’ most important acceptance comes from within.
Suzanne
Walker Buck P ’24
WR A Guideposts for Thoughtful Engagement, Conversation, and Community Belonging
Ever y person is of dignity and worthy of respect.
Diversity of thoug ht, perspective, experience, and background makes our community stronger
Words are powerful. They should be used to lift others, not to bring them down.
It is important to seek understanding . Questions are of value. Interrogate the idea , not the person.
Listen thoug htfully Practice patience Do not interrupt
Ostracization and exclusion are the antithesis of fostering belong ing .
Invite participation.
Speak to others not about others. If someone is doing something you dislike, have a conversation directly with that individual. If you need assistance in doing so thoug htfully, utilize resources such as an advisor, teacher, coach, dorm parent.
Assume good intent and never assume to know what someone else believes, thinks, or has experienced.
Agree to disagree. Recognize that viewpoints can differ but while living in community we must find ways to respectfully, peacefully and productively exist
These principles apply in person, online, in social media , and in image, gesture, sound, and written expression.
Institutional Statements
WRA will not issue position statements related to political, social, and global events
However we will provide tools, resources, and spaces to educate and support students in understanding that which is transpiring .
and I love that focused time in the pews of the Chapel affords this.
Our emphasis on community is grounded in our strategic plan and its tenet of Immersive Community and Supportive Relationships. We have expanded and made more holistic the work of our Student Life Office; convened a cross-departmental committee of faculty and staff for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging; and created a disciplinary process rooted in restorative justice, helping students understand the importance of their actions in a community that can say both, “this is how we do things here,” and “relationships can be repaired.”
Finally, when it comes to building community, we have kept joy at center stage. Community building is researchbased and rigorous, but when it works, it is also spontaneous and deeply joyful. I felt this when our students learned about Emile Durkheim’s sociological theory of collective effervescence and blew bubbles at last year’s Convocation. I experience it when I pass by our Bicentennial tree, adorned with more lights than the Rockefeller Center
Christmas tree, and see kids gathered beneath it taking photos. I delight in it when I hear of a student advising her father to dress in a coat and tie for a meeting with Reserve leaders because, “that’s our dress code.” In planned and unplanned moments, joy bubbles up in community to the point that we’re positively viridescent — or becoming green and luminous — together.
We celebrated National Girls & Women in Sports Day with a FREE sports clinic at the Murdough Athletic Center! Nearly 80 young girls in grades 1-8 joined us for a day of fun and learning, led by our talented coaches and athletes.
Pierce House is home to monthly birthday parties, ensuring every Pioneer with a birthday over the school year has a chance to celebrate with cake and friends!
Rooted in Tradition, Growing Through Connection
A Match Game, A Mural, A Mindset
By Meg Colafella and Laura Stropki
From putzes to alma maters around the flagpole, Seymour Hall steps to the Murdough Athletic Center floor seal, Saywells to Open Door, WRA is a font of traditions, shared rituals and impassioned people. But if all the words that describe us were typed into a word cloud generator, without a doubt the word “community” would be the largest and most prominent. The beauty of this word is its constancy — its import to us is enduring — and its elasticity, in that it evolves with the times.
Today, the WRA community includes students from 40 states and 31 countries. Teenagers can be creatures of comfort, sticking to their own corner of the world or the social stratosphere, even in a global school community that prides itself on being kind. This year, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Iiyannaa Graham-Siphanoum and her team had a solution that fostered one of the more popular programs in Reserve’s recent past: The Connections Challenge.
became more challenging as its week-long duration passed, with points tallied to award the top connection maker with the grand prize of a golf cart chauffeur around campus for the day.
Proof of connection materialized in a top currency for teenagers today: the selfie. Over the week Graham-Siphanoum and her team amassed hundreds of photos of students, faculty and staff together, showing their delight at new friends, quite literally, found. The images were shared in the Chapel as a prelude to a talk by Dr. Bertice Berry, sociologist, best-selling author and award-winning lecturer, who urged students to expand their circles and cultivate compassion through genuine connections. The run up to Dr. Berry’s talk through a week of making connections was intentional. GrahamSiphanoum said, “We put a lot of thought and creativity behind our programming, always centering the experience around students.”
“The 2024 Connections Challenge was designed to get students out of their tight-knit friend groups, to meet with people they wouldn’t normally interact with,” Graham-Siphanoum said. Graham-Siphanoum and her team cleverly used technology to advance interpersonal, real world connection. The Connections Challenge amounted to a campus-wide game of digital tag, with the Student Life Office feeding the community clues about members of the student body, faculty and staff — everything from hometowns to hobbies to habits — and rewarding members of the community who found matches. The game
Another manifestation of the year’s focus on community was the WRA Connections Mural unveiled in Seymour Hall, featuring hand-painted tiles that represent each individual and their personalities and passions. Graham-Siphanoum, Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck P ’24 and Dean of Academic Affairs Wanda Boesch-Cordon led the unveiling of the mural in December. The Mural — like the engraved bricks that pave the path to the Chapel (the new tradition began five years ago, with every brick bearing each graduate’s name); the candles that light Vespers; the gong of the Victory Bell upon winnings — is yet another example at Reserve where singular contributions have a magnificent multiplier effect, one that culminates in feelings of community.
Here is an excerpt from our Viewbook, showing one of the ways we share our traditions with prospective families
Campus Speakers, Past & Future
By Laura Stropki
For almost 200 years, Western Reserve Academy has provided opportunities for community members to access voices that inspire, challenge and leave a lasting mark in the history of the school. Whether in the Chapel, Cutler House Common Room or the front of a classroom, our students are given a direct path to thought leaders and visionaries. When we consider our most famous orator, Douglass, and his inherent understanding that education is a form of liberation, we are reminded of the profound power of knowledge. This idea was especially evident in his 1854 address to graduates on our very own campus, in which he compared scholars to a “...gallant ship, newly launched, full rigged, and amply fitted, about to quit the placid waters of the harbor for the boisterous waves of the sea…” as students embarked upon the immense responsibilities of life’s great journey.
Ed Asner and Maureen Stapleton
Though visitors such as actors Hal and Ruby Holbrook — who performed for students in the Cutler Common Room in 1950 and 1951, and movie stars Ed Asner and Maureen Stapleton — who spoke to students in 1977 following the release of “The Gathering,” filmed outside Pierce House and on campus — were not part of a formal speaker series, dynamic presentations have been an integral part of Reserve’s culture since its inception. Thanks to the energy and direction of Rob Meldrum ’75, alumni returning for reunion weekends once again enjoy Chapel presentations made possible by the Reunion Chapel Program he spearheaded in 1995. Today’s students know “special schedules” — especially on Chapel days — mean access to interesting perspectives and enlightening ideas.
It should come as no surprise then that there has been an abundance of shared passion over the years. Dr. Lee Morin ’70 visited campus in 1994 to accept the Waring Prize and again in 2012. A NASA astronaut and physician, Morin shared his experiences in space exploration and research, emphasizing the extraordinary possibilities of human achievement. Dr. David Blight, renowned Yale professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, specializes in the Civil War, Reconstruction and the legacy of Frederick Douglass. Dr. Blight has given multiple presentations and panels. Celebrated fashion mentor and television personality Tim Gunn spoke to students in 2010 about the power of creativity and selfexpression. Described as one of Reserve’s more “colorful characters” during his time as a student, Kelly Reynolds ’54 performed as Henry Plant in 2004, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the prominent businessman and entrepreneur of the late 19th century.
In the years leading up to Reserve’s Bicentennial, an extraordinary lineup of luminaries honoring 200 years of excellence, growth and community has been curated. Award-winning journalist and PBS NewsHour correspondent Yang ’75 shared expertise in storytelling, media and the current political climate. Dr. Menna Demessie ’98, a scholar and policy expert, filled the Chapel with music and a resonant call for social justice. Robert Pappalardo, a planetary scientist with NASA, provided insight into Europa’s mission to one of Jupiter’s moons, in search of water and the possibility of life. Communication strategist and
crisis management expert Jonathan Franks shared accomplishments in the sensitive negotiation of hostages. Dr. Bertice Berry, sociologist and bestselling author, moved the Chapel to both laughter and tears, weaving a powerful message of connection. Her captivating rendition of “Amazing Grace” served as a poignant and unforgettable finale. Poet, scholar and author, Dr. Joshua Bennett explored themes of Black identity with the community through striking and Dr. Hearn Cho ’84, distinguished scientist and researcher, accepted the Morley
[Dr. Cho] left the audience with a call to action: Unite and use the power of your education to make the world a better place.
Science Medal, speaking not of his advances in cancer immunology, but rather of his experience as a student, aptly recalling how it felt to be a teenager. He left the audience with a call to action: Unite and use the power of your education to make the world a
As we continue to welcome changemakers into our Chapel throughout the next 200 years, we honor the legacy of Douglass and all of the speakers to grace our campus — ensuring that education remains a force for empowerment, progress and
Dr. Lee Morin ’70
Dr. David Blight
Menna Demessie
BOUNTIFU BICENTENNIA
As 2026 inches ever closer, our ar of celebratory and cerebral Bicentennial goings on continues to grow. Here’s a look at where we have been and what is on the horizon.
Bicentennial Recital & Speaker Series
The Bicentennial brings an extraordinary lineup of performances and speakers to campus. Showcasing the new donor-funded Bicentennial Steinway, the Chapel has hosted alumni musicians spanning genres and generations, with more to come. Our Speaker Series welcomes pioneers and thought leaders from within beyond our community, sharing insights rooted in li and truth Recordings and livestreams of both series available at wra.net. The roles of these forces of natur undercharacterized in this feature; each wears many (and many wore a green blazer, too)
April 19, 2024
Dr. Menna Demessie ’98, Waring Prize Speaker Diversity Champion
April 12, 2024
John Yang ’75, Journalist
May 23, 2024
Keigo Hirakawa ’96 (pianist) Jazz Quartet
Reunion 2024 | June 1, 2024
• Alumni Innovation PanelSusan Jung Grant ’84; Sanjay Mavinkurve ’99; Miles VanBlarcum ’14; Chris Wren ’89; Arland Zatania-Lojo ’18
• Faculty Innovation PanelDr. Robert Aguilar; Wanda Boesch-Cordon; Catilin Fritz; Ed Leonard; Beth Pethel
June 1, 2024
Reunion 2024 Keynote Speaker Robert Pappalardo, Project Manager, NASA
ember 20, 2024
than Franks, American cate and Public ions Crisis Consultant
October 25, 2024
Dr. Bertice Berry, Humorist and Educator
January 24, 2025
Dr. Joshua Bennett, Poet and Educator
January 31, 2025
Morley Medal Speaker Dr. Hearn J. Cho ’84, Professor and Multiple Myeloma Clinician and Researcher
February 7, 2025
Yemi Oyediran ’99 (jazz drummer) Jazz Quintet
March 3, 2025
Jessica Sun ’26 with premiere performance on the Bicentennial Steinway
March 8, 2025
Poiema Piano Trio with Ann Yu ’14 (violinist)
April 4-6, 2025
A scent Music Festival
June 7 - July 18, 2025, including the Immersive Bicentennial Experience for alumni musicians on July 13-18 (see story on page 28)
May 31, 2025
Mikael Owunna ’08 Reception and Gallery Talk at Reunion Weekend; Sept. 5, 2025 Chapel Talk; May 31 - Sept. 15, 2025 Artist Exhibit in Moos Gallery;
March 7, 2025
Waring Prize Speaker Maria E. Paparella ’16, Community Builder and Philanthropist
The Word Count Bicentennial Literary Festival at WRA, featuring short fiction authors Lori Ostlund, Anne Raeff, Iheoma Nwachuswu and Seth Borgen
Iheoma Nwachuswu
Fall 2025
Tenor Hak
Soo Kim ’99
Stay tuned
for new additions to the Bicentennial music lineup and information regarding a collaboration with Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Orchestra during Reunion 2026.
Seth Borgen
Lori Ostlund Anne Raeff
FRIDAY, MAY 30
Reunion Weekend 2025 Schedule of Events
8:30 a m 21st Annual Alumni Association Scholarship
Golf Classic in memory of Charlie Hammel ’65
$220 per person
Noon Lunch available | Ellsworth Hall
6 p m Bluegrass on the Green Reception & Dinner
Ellsworth Lawn Tent
Adults Only | Cocktail attire | $70 per person
SATURDAY, MAY 31
8 – 9 a m Breakfast available | Ellsworth Hall
8:30 a m Wellness Wake Up!
> A nnual Señor Fun Run & Memorial 5K |
WR A St adium
> Yoga | Tennis Cour t nex t to Bicknell
9 – 9:30 a m St ate of the School with Suzanne Walker Buck P ’ 24
John D. Ong Librar y
9:30 - 10:15 a.m. Prosecco, Pas tries & Panel Discussion
John D. Ong Librar y Hear from alumni who are communit y builder s and leader s.
10:30 – Noon Bicentennial Chapel Program, featuring a per formance on our Bicentennial Steinway Grand, alumni awards , the premiere of WR A’s Frederick Douglass shor t film and more | T he Chapel
Noon Celebrate Reser ve Famil y Picnic |
Ells wor th L awn Tent
$30 per per son | 12 and under free
1:30 p.m. Jim “ Señor ” Fraser Memorial Ser v ice | T he Chapel F ollowed by a reception with the Fraser Famil y |
John D. Ong Librar y
3 p.m. Mikael O w unna ’ 0 8 Galler y Talk & Reception | Moos Galler y
3 - 4:30 p.m. UEFA Champions League F inal Watch Par t y |
T he Green Key
6 p m Reunion Gala – Cock t ail Receptions , Class Photos & Dinner s
Adults Only | Cocktail attire | $85 per person
See Reunion Weekend Program for specific locations
9:45 p.m. A merican Firework s Display
Who are we celebrating?
While all alumni are welcome to attend Reunion Weekend, this year we are specifically recognizing those classes ending in 5s and 0s! Additionally, we’re thrilled to celebrate those reaching big milestones, such as the members of the Class of 1975, who will be celebrating their 50th Reunion!
This Year’s Theme Building Community: United As One
As we journey toward our milestone Bicentennial in 2026, each Reunion Weekend highlights enduring themes that have long been central to the Reserve promise and continue to shape our mission today. This year, we’ve designed programming that celebrates the vibrant sense of community at WRA its significance to our history, in the student experience now and its lasting impact for generations to come
Midnight Conclusion of the weekend. T hank you for celebrating with us! SAVE THE DATE for our Bicentennial Celebration Gala June 6, 2026.
Let’s come together to celebrate our rich history, embrace our shared memories and look ahead to the next century of pioneering achievements.
The Bicentennial Compendium
Work continues on a book chronicling the lifespan of our school. The book will be available in June 2026, and is the result of deep dives into our archives, those of Case Western Reserve University and dozens of oral history interviews. WRA has undergone dramatic changes over the past 200 years: what started as a temporary program ancillary to a small college on the American frontier has become a leading boarding school with a truly global focus. Through all the changes, there have been constants, and the book will explore our enduring commitments to academic excellence and our profound sense of responsibility toward achieving impact in the larger world
Reunion 2026 & Bicentennial Gathering & Gala
After the 1’s and 6’s celebrate with their classmates on Friday, June 5, 2026, campus will transform into a firstever All-Class Celebration on Saturday, June 6, 2026. The day will include traditions old and new, beginning with a throwback Morning Meeting, Bicentennial Cafe on the quad, classes with the new masters, even a Class Parade by the decades. In the afternoon, family fun, a meal packaging event that connects with the Center for Food Innovation, Sustainability & Service, and a celebration of our inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class will precede Saturday night’s Green Tie Gala Sunday will feature a Service of Remembrance in the Chapel and Bicentennial performance by the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall in University Circle. Details and ticket information is forthcoming.
What Bicentennial 2026 celebration would be complete without… Service
To the end of achieving impact in the larger world, the 2025-26 year of Bicentennial celebration will be built around the theme of Impact. Speakers, events and opportunities will lean into exploration of how Pioneers lean into others
Bicentennial Relay Marathon
WRA and Case Western Reserve University have gone the distance together – so what better way to celebrate our shared birthday than with a marathon along the 26.2 miles that serendipitously separate our two schools? Information will be shared in the coming months about this race, open to individuals and teams, which will occur on our Founder’s Day, April 25, 2026.
• Chapel LEGO sets
• The Reunion 2026 Bicentennial Boutique
• Archives Unearthed in the Moos Gallery
• New, beautiful botanicals flanking our Bicentennial Tree
• A Ferris wheel!
The Bicentennial is a celebration of and for all of us We are grateful for your questions, ideas and continued support.
Happy Birthday Reserve!
LIMITLESS LIGHT
Mikael Owunna ’08 and the Art of Becoming
By Meg Colafella
Encapsulating Mikael Owunna ’08 is a brain twisting challenge for a writer. You meet him, and he jumps off the page, defying traditional description. Then there’s the added complication of everything going on in his brain at any given moment — a beautiful, wild tapestry of connections between topics as old as civilization and as current, and big, as identity and belonging. His backstory can be gut wrenching, and pivoting to his present-day optimism seems almost impossible in light of where he’s been. He’s infinitely quotable, and the lines flow out of him like his art, but you wonder how to put everything down in a way that’s true to his intention for it. For someone who believes that humans are divine cosmic vessels, no simple story is a proper homage. Finally, there’s the issue of sounding like you’re fawning over him, because in the end he’s a humble kid from the rust belt, and he wouldn’t like the adulation.
Then there is the art. Owunna’s highlights newsletter from 2024, when printed, is 30 pages. With the Rainbow Serpent collective he founded with friend Marques Redd, last year he staged multiple exhibitions of art and sculpture, created a film and virtual reality experience, premiered a dance performance, wrote a musical score and illuminated three of Pittsburgh’s most famous bridges for an audience of two million people. His work has been exhibited everywhere from The Andy Warhol Museum to the Smithonian’s National Museum of African American History and
Culture, to the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, the Blue Sky, Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts and Fotografiska Stockholm. “Prolific” is overused, but in this season of Forevergreen at Reserve, Owunna’s catalog of work is true to the definition, constantly flowering.
The output becomes all the more wondrous when the backstory comes forward. Reserve plays a role — one which probably wouldn’t make us very proud. Owunna entered WRA in 2004, in a class with only four other Black students, none of whom were gay. Brave and bullied could sum up significant portions of his experiences here, announcing his sexual identity on MySpace on the eve of National Coming Out Day, only to be met by reaction that pushed this brilliant boy, with so much to share, back into himself, into his dorm, onto his computer.
“Whenever I was feeling lonely or isolated, I would throw myself into worlds of magic, often in video games, where I saw magic in the fiber of peoples’ beings. In a virtual world, I felt like a full and complete individual brimming with power and potential. Even if I was being bullied, I could enter into these worlds and feel like I belonged to something bigger than myself. I was struck by the idea that our bodies could create magic, that we were magic and full of life.”
Owunna went on to Duke, earning degrees in Biomedical Engineering and History. In 2009 he received a Rothermere Scholarship to Oxford University, and in 2012 he was named a Fulbright Scholar, Volume
spending his Fulbright year in Taiwan. On his behalf, you want to say, “Hell yes, I did!” because it’s nearly impossible to imagine the path from severe alienation from his Nigerian heritage and a series of exorcisms to purge his queerness, to where he is now. Fine & Performing Arts faculty Midge Karam ’79, a mentor for Owunna during his years here, describes Owunna today, simply and aptly, as “fully in your skin.”
During a particularly poignant moment in his Pittsburgh studio, Owunna described being doused with hot oil during an exorcism in Nigeria. In a moment that would indulge complete emotional collapse, he instead found resolve. Owunna said there was no way that he could possibly believe his own provenance could have been governed by intolerance and cruelty. He refused to accept that it was ‘un-African’ to be gay.
“I fell into a tangle of anxiety and depression as I struggled with being African and LGBTQ. But in a camera, I found a magic wand, where I could create and reimagine worlds within my frame in which people could be full and complete individuals. The more I worked in the medium of photography, the more the image became a space to challenge, to question, to wonder and to dream. My family never told me that art was an option, but I realized I could tell
my story through and with others, using my camera.”
Owunna says he began a first project, Limitless Africans, “to reclaim my Africanness and queerness on my own terms.” Limitless Africans took six and a half years to create, bubbling up and over while Owunna worked at a tech company in the D.C. area. “It was very dot.com –they gave us unlimited vacation,” he says. “No one else took it!” But Owunna traveled to ten countries across North America, Europe and the Caribbean to document experiences of LGBTQ African immigrants and refugees. The resulting portraits show dichotomies of pride and place, often with suggestion of institutional oppression in buildings or scenes in the background and subjects in the foreground, resolved to take back some power simply by being themselves.
The New York Times described Limitless Africans as, “defiant and arresting, challenging notions of what queer people look like, what African people look like and the grace that comes from loving oneself.” The book came out fourteen years to the day after Owunna announced his sexuality at Reserve.
If Limitless Africans was grounding, Infinite Essence — Owunna’s next significant endeavor — was transcendent, examining themes of Blackness, spirituality and cosmic identity. Owunna said it grew out of frustration with constant media images
of Black bodies as sites of violence and death. He said the goal of Infinite Essence was to “counteract the pain of those photos and create imagery that shows the black body not as a site of death, but as a site of magic.”
The process of capturing these images was a fusion of engineering and art perfectly suited to Owunna’s overactive right and left brains. Owunna said he realized he had magic to work to tell a new story about the Black body. He learned about fluorescent and glowin-the-dark paints, built an ultraviolet flash, painted models’ bodies in paint not visible to the human eye, focused his camera and saw the flash illuminate the models’ bodies for a fraction of a brilliant second. It was an engineering and photographic mic drop, not to mention a personal one.
Owunna, ever connecting, felt deep meaning in this work. “I thought a lot about how within the visible spectrum, we’ve created systems of oppression, but if we transcend what’s visible to the human eye, there’s a world of magic that inhabits the Black body. Every Black person deserves to see themselves in this way. I asked myself how an internal transformation like that can transform the world.”
It was, in every sense, brilliant, capturing the attention of the art world and taking flight in exhibitions around the globe. There is deep meaning to every image.
The Flying African
Of The Flying African, Owunna writes, “Throughout the United States, and especially along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, stories persist to this day of enslaved Africans who escaped bondage by taking flight and returning to their African homelands. Hypotheses persist as to the origin of his myth, but many point to the 1803 slave rebellion known as Igbo Landing on St. Simons Island in Georgia, where a group of enslaved Igbo people walked into a creek drowning themselves rather than being reenslaved. As they entered with water, they chanted, ‘The Water Spirit brought us, the Water Spirit will take us home,’ and were thus transported to the primordial blackness from which everything emerged.”
Spirituality runs like a long river through much of Owunna’s work and he believes that within everyone lies spiritual power open to activation and ready to interconnect with all beings. It’s an enlightened way of saying what we have been trying to say all year: community matters. In his public art projects, including 2024’s The Three Sisters, he reached perhaps his broadest public in a way that to a casual city visitor, appeared a holiday-time spectacular of light and landmarks. In fact, as with all his work, it came from a wellspring. Drawing inspiration from Native American traditions and African goddesses, the Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol and Rachel Carson bridges were illuminated each night for over a month to represent the Yoruba goddesses Yemaya, Oshun and Oya and the crops maize, squash and beans. The
inspiration for the project — nature, beauty and transformation — was universally appealing.
When asked if massive projects like these, which come with TV appearances, public partnerships, engineering considerations and gallery contracts, diminish the joy of art for art’s sake, Owunna says no, he sees all of this as a divine calling. “The more this is shared, the more it can catalyze complete change. We’re not stuck in an age of chaos, in fact I think we are on the brink of the next divine age.”
Photographs from Infinite Essence will appear in the Moos Gallery this April 17 through June, and include an Artist’s
Reception with Owunna on May 31, 2025, during Reunion. As we collectively celebrate our history of Lux et Veritas, we are better if we remember that light and truth are more than words we borrowed from Yale. In their next iteration — for two hundred years more — light and truth are alive in brave individuals like Owunna, who glow from within with possibility. His work has connected ancestral traditions to modern times to expand understanding of humanity. Similarly, Reserve can look back, building on what fortifies us and eschewing that which keeps us stuck in sand. There is too much glimmer and energy in every student to ignore when in fact, they’re ready to soar.
The Three Sisters - L to R Carson Bridge Warhol Bridge Clemente Bridge
Three Bridges
Setting the Summer Stage
By Meg Colafella
Classical music is so elegant, cooperative and artful that it’s easy to forget it’s also a wildly competitive venture. The best of the best don’t ascend easily, and early training is intense, requiring inspiration from world-class coaches and a persistent fire inside the performer For decades, WRA has been an incubator for top young musical talent, providing the backdrop for summer training series that have produced musicians who go on to attend the country’s best conservatories, perform with the world’s great orchestras, and overall, make the world not to mention our campus sound so much sweeter.
First it was The Summer Music Experience, then Encore, and now we introduce Ascent, three programs led, orchestrated and influenced by the stars of WRA’s musical constellation: WRA Musical Director from 1965-1989 William Appling, Cleveland Music Institute President David Cerone, and beloved Fine & Performing Arts Faculty Midge Karam ’79, chiefly, with collaborators like the Cleveland Orchestra, and new, world-class partners like Ascent
Our brick-paved musical memory lane provides an overture for where the school is now, ready to offer an opportunity for WRA alumni musicians at all levels: The Ascent Music Immersive Bicentennial Experience. Ascent Music’s Melissa Kraut among the world’s most soughtafter cello instructors calls the new offering “chamber music fantasy camp” for WRA alumni and friends It comes to campus this summer from July 13-18, 2025
Acursory look back will never sound as impressive as the music did, but it sets a necessary stage for this new offering. In 1972, Appling and Headmaster Henry Briggs began the Summer Music Experience (SME) at WRA, catching the attention of The New York Times and beginning our tradition of immersive music education programs in the summers.
un by Appling in partnership with the Cleveland Orchestra, he SME made WRA the only secondary school in the country to offer the opportunity for high school students to study and work with top professional musicians in a concentrated six-week summer program. WRA was hailed a “new music mecca,” even acquiring a double-decker bus to transport participants of the program to the Orchestra’s Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls for concerts and collaboration.
Next was Encore School for Strings, started in 1985 by Cerone and directed by Karam for violinists, cellists and violists. Encore was also a media darling, with regional and national notoriety gained for its six-week program that ran until 2006, attracting nearly 200 participants in peak years and drawing faculty members among the most renowned in their fields. Kraut says, “Hudson is renowned in the classical music world because of Encore. It put WRA on the map.”
Cerone was skeptical about running Encore at WRA, until he saw it He reportedly exclaimed, “This is it! Paradise has just fallen from the sky ”
I t was this same awestruckness and fond memory of the WRA campus, as well as his son’s time here as a student who loved musical theater and spent countless hours in Hayden Hall, that inspired Ascent’s Gary Stevens to convince Ascent Founders Alan Rafferty and Dr Sarah Kim to move their Cincinnati-based summer chamber music festival and tutelage to Hudson, starting last summer and continuing in 2025, and hopefully for many years to come.
“Summer music on campus has returned,” Stevens said excitedly “It is Encore reimagined ”
Last year, Ascent’s first summer on campus, 80 students attended, high-school and college-aged artists trained by an elite faculty. The 2025 faculty is a who’s who of classical music again, including Rictor Noren (Boston Conservatory), Amy Lee
(Cleveland Orchestra), and many more, preeminent performers and teachers from every corner of the world including Berlin, Hamburg, Moscow and New York. The full slate of Ascent faculty can be found at ascentmusic.org/faculty.
Karam was instrumental to the Ascent experience last year, drawing on her decades with Encore and championing student and faculty performances that covered campus and all of Hudson for six weeks Stevens believes the facilities, town, caliber of faculty and talent of students have the potential to gain Hudson the same notoriety and cache of renowned summer music festivals in places like Aspen, CO and Brevard, NC.
This year’s Ascent offerings include The Complete Cellist; Cello Festival; Viola Festival; Chamber Festival; and the adult creative retreat “The Immersive Bicentennial Experience” during the final weeks of the Ascent residency from July 13-18. Kraut particularly nergized by the ew addition for musically-minded umni and friends f Reserve
since childhood, or taken up later in life Coming back to campus, spending a series of days with fellow musicians and incomparable instructors, soaking in the summer at Reserve and connecting with new and old friends sounds magical. I hope the Reserve community will run to it.”
o many adults ave relationships ith music but on’t have a place o engage with struments they erhaps have een playing
60 spots are available to the Immersive Bicentennial Experience for Adults from June 13-18, 2025 on campus. For comprehensive information, visit ascentmusic.org/adultchamber-music or contact Melissa Kraut at Melissa.Kraut@ AscentMusic.org.
Revitalizing Akron, One Artist at a Time
Rick Rogers’ ’72 Urban Crusade
By Rose Vardell
On a quiet, tree-lined street in Akron’s Merriman Woods neighborhood, there is one home that demands a second glance and a lingering stare. On one side, a gorgeous portrait mural is painted in black and white set against the red brick. Above the garage sits a cluster of ceramic sea life, mounted clams and shells and colorful globs with antennae, a coral branch gutting out in proud display. But a glance inside distracts you immediately, revealing that this house is not a home for a family, but for art in every style and scale. Sculptures, paintings, carvings and more spill across every inch of the space testifying to decades of a singular focus: collecting.
“I do have guests stay here,” said Rick Rogers ’72, gesturing toward a bedroom where the art continues unabated. It seems safe to assume that he’s quite pleased when visitors come to stay. Another opportunity to see what catches their attention, to tell its story and how he came across it with a measured but undeniable enthusiasm.
If there was a beginning to Rogers’ collecting, you might say it was 1973, just a year
after Rogers graduated from Reserve. That summer, beloved Fine Arts faculty Bill Moos retired and held an estate sale, and cars lined up half a mile on 91 North to peruse and purchase. Moos, a legendary collector himself, offered a treasure trove of objects, among them a set of Indian rosewood panels that had long captivated Rogers. With savings from a paper route and other odd jobs, a teenage Rogers paid $1,000 for the panels — a small fortune for the time. Today, the panels are too special to sit in Roger’s gallery; they have a place in the home next door, Roger’s real residence.
“That was my first big purchase,” Rogers recalled, “but I had been collecting long before that.” As a child, it had been pennies and other small curios. The impulse, he believes, is universal. “I think everyone’s a collector to some degree.”
But Rogers’ love for art and craft is more than a hobby — he has made it his vocation. Today, Rogers is the Executive Director of Curated Storefront, an ambitious arts initiative he launched in 2016 with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The project has since activated over 40 spaces, featuring 150 exhibits
and showcasing the work of more than 325 regional and international artists. Under Rogers’ leadership, the initiative has revitalized a dozen buildings, led hundreds of educational tours and become a cornerstone of Akron’s cultural landscape.
“We’ve got about ten storefronts we’re working with right now,” Rogers shared. “We do a mural every year. Recently, we brought in [Italian street artist] Peeta to paint the Lock 4 wall of the Civic Theatre downtown.” The resulting piece is impossible to miss — a dazzling, seemingly three-dimensional composition of curves, platforms and jutting windows.
Rogers and his team’s curatorial vision is meticulous. Artists are handpicked from a vast network and matched to projects based on their unique talents and the location. At the time of our conversation, Rogers was particularly eager to collaborate with Chakaia Booker, a celebrated sculptor known for her innovative use of recycled rubber tires.
One notable project involved bringing Dr. Greg Pennington ’71 to LeBron James’ I PROMISE School. “Their goal was to provide the kids a perspective from mainly Black artists who have been successful in their careers and as role models,” Rogers noted. “The artists would present their work, demonstrate their medium and guide students through a hands-on project.”
Pictured above is Greg Pennington ‘71 at the I PROMISE School in Akron on a visit coordinated through Curated Storefront.
Dr. Pennington’s visit included a surprise tap dance performance that captivated the students. “He was a hit,” Rogers recalled. “LeBron’s mother was there, and she was thrilled by the whole experience.” Beyond the entertainment, Dr. Pennington spent several days imparting leadership principles, helping students identify and build on their strengths — an investment in both youth and community.
One of Curated Storefront’s most memorable installations (though Rogers can’t pick just one) is “World of Wonders,” a collection of 200 objects from the estate of Clayton Bailey, a West Coast funk artist known for his playful and irreverent work.
“Clayton was incredibly inventive,” Rogers explained. “He was integrating electronics into clay art back in the seventies and eighties. One of his pieces, the Burping Bowl, featured a brain floating in water, powered by an aquarium pump. When moving, it produced a massive bubble. He had a great sense of humor on top of all of it.”
Bailey’s flair for the eccentric occasionally caught headlines. He famously crafted a Bigfoot skeleton out of ceramics, which he would bury in remote locations before notifying the local press of a “discovery.” Under the pseudonym Dr. George Gladstone, Bailey would don a white lab coat and pith helmet, theatrically “excavating” the bones and verifying their authenticity — a playful hoax never intended to deceive.
It’s an example – a wacky example – of how disruptive art can be, something that Rogers finds deeply compelling. When you wonder what role art plays in the revitalization of an urban area, Rogers will answer citing German theatre practitioner, playwright and poet Betrolt Brecht’s words — “Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
“It’s a way of changing the landscape,” said Rogers. “Think of the Wynwood District in Miami, the RiNo District in Denver, Cincinnati’s over-the-Rhine. These places are full of vitality, exploding with life today. Art was a big component of those revitalization efforts. For me, it was how do we apply the same logic to Akron.”
Looking ahead, Rogers sees a future where Curated Storefront has expanded, doubling its efforts to revitalize downtown Akron to transform the city in its own unique and signature way. With the patience and laser focus of a seasoned art collector, he is unwavering in this mission, and this confidence is contagious. His vision — an Akron reignited, with art illuminating every corner — feels not only impossible, but inevitable.
WRA’s First Scholarship for Women
By Rose Vardell
The 2022–2023 academic year at Western Reserve Academy marked a significant cultural milestone: 50 years since women were readmitted to our storied school It was a moment for reflection and celebration an opportunity to trace the arc of progress and ponder the countless ways in which female Pioneers have enriched campus life since 1972. But beyond the festivities and speeches, there emerged a tangible legacy, both forwardthinking and grounded in the present: the 50 Brilliant Years of Women Endowed Scholarship Fund
With the goal of raising $1 million to establish WRA’s first-ever scholarship specifically for female students, the campaign challenged the WRA community to a tall task, and their response was spirited and swift. Alumnae made gifts in record-breaking numbers, spanning generations from the 1960s to the 2010s
We’re proud to introduce the inaugural recipient of this historic scholarship, Sydney Swiderski ’28 a bright and driven student from Lyndhurst, Ohio. Ever with her older brother (who Jesuit), happy to make the 30-minute commute to campus
Her journey at WRA, though still in its early stages, is already marked by camaraderie, academic discovery and personal growth
Sydney was invited to Morgan Hall for a brief interview on a Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m,, and she
arrived bright, early and smiling. Wednesday mornings are faculty meeting days, which means a late start for students; Sydney forfeited precious sleep to meet with us! It’s also worth noting that Wednesday is not a Reserve Green day, but she donned the school wear with pride, laughing good naturedly through the subsequent photos for this feature. If Reserve Green included a radiant smile, then Sydney would be in uniform every day. A feat, for a teen!
Reflecting on her first year at WRA, Sydney described it as “fun and eye-opening ” She emphasized the warmth and authenticity of the school community, adding: “I’ve never been around so many people that are just so kind and genuine.” One of her standout memories was her freshman soccer season, where she bonded with the team and formed lasting friendships. Sydney, a goalkeeper on the team, shared how playing alongside familiar faces, including her close friend Gabby Bowen, made the experience even more meaningful Coach Tara Bowen, her advisor, speaks of her with warmth, describing her as “a great person” without prompting.
When asked to describe three dney chose onate, kind siastic.” These e through in ctions and utlook. At dney enjoys time with her en playing mes like her parents parents.
A typical WRA day for Sydney is busy but fulfilling. “I have ceramics after this, a Spanish quiz, and a writing exercise in English,” she noted, adding that soccer practice is also on her schedule Her favorite classes include Spanish and biology the latter sparking her interest in nutrition and the medical field. “Learning about macromolecules was really interesting,” she explained, hinting at possible future aspirations to help others through nutrition and healthy eating habits.
Sydney sat momentarily stumped when asked what her proudest achievement was, but after some thought, offered a major milestone advancing to the playoffs with her soccer team. “Originally, I was on the lower team, but I was moved up,” she recounted. “We had a huge run at the end of the year and made it to the playoffs, which was so eye-opening.” Looking ahead, Sydney is excited about an upcoming showcase in Arizona
“Celebrating women is such an important part of our school and history. If I could say anything to those who made this possible, I would just say thank you. Thank you so much.”
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Sydney Swiderski ’28
Her time at Reserve is full and layered with friendships, passions and pursuits, but she is here with a big goal in mind, one that likely resonates with all WRA students past and present maintaining academic excellence. She is determined to finish the semester with all As. Beyond high school, she hopes to play college soccer and pursue a career in the medical field
Sitting with the first recipient of a scholarship of this nature, it felt only right to ask the question many answered in the alumnae survey who is a woman who inspires you? Sydney didn’t hesitate: “Oh, my mom, definitely. She’s just so caring and kind She always wants to help others before she thinks of herself ” It’s a touching reflection that mirrors Sydney’s own self-description compassionate, kind and enthusiastic.
At the beginning and end, Sydney was eager to share her gratitude at being chosen for the scholarship. “I felt so blessed and very grateful that they trusted me to be the recipient,” she shared “Celebrating women is such an important part of our school and history If I could say anything to those who made this possible, I would just say thank you. Thank you so much.”
Sydney’s sunshine-bright presence is a gift we treasure, made possible by all who gave to support her scholarship. Moreover, it is a testament to the impact of WRA’s commitment to empowering young women As the school continues to honor its past and forge ahead to its future, the legacy of the 50 Brilliant Years initiative will be a powerful one, one that will burn bright and light the way for future alumnae.
Revisiting Frederick Douglass’ Commencement Address
By Erik J. Chaput
As Western Reserve Academy celebrates its Bicentennial, we reflect on the extraordinary moments and figures that have shaped our institution’s legacy Among these is the visit of Frederick Douglass in 1854 a turning point not only for our school but for the broader struggle for justice and equality in the United States. Invited by the students of the Philozetian and Phi Delta literary societies, Douglass stood beneath a great tent in Hudson and delivered his only commencement address, one that challenged the pseudoscience of racism, championed the unity of mankind and called for a nation reborn in the ideals of equality
Written by Social Sciences faculty Dr. Erik Chaput, this feature revisits Douglass’ historic address and the courage of the students who brought him to campus. It is a story of perseverance, conviction and hope a reminder of how voices of truth and fortitude can echo across centuries.
In the spring of 1854, Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), a former-slaveturned abolitionist-reformer, was invited to Western Reserve College by two prominent literary societies, the Philozetians and Phi Delta, to deliver an address The tradition of the debating societies in the 19th century was for a student to select a speaker for the summer Commencement exercises Reserve junior William Kerrush extended the formal invitation to Douglass and asked him to travel from his home in Rochester, NY, a not-so-secret stop on the Underground Railroad, to the village of Hudson. The “inviting of Mr. Douglass, only sixteen years since a slave toiling beneath the oppressor’s rod on a southern plantation, to address the Literary Societies of one of the first colleges in the West marked a new era in the history of collegiate institutions,” read one newspaper editorial about the July 1854 commencement exercises
Douglass was very familiar with Ohio, particularly the Western Reserve region, having made numerous trips to the area. His daughter Rosetta (1839-1906) was set to start at Oberlin that fall. But, as Douglass later noted, he was hesitant to accept the invitation because he had never been “inside” a “schoolhouse.” “I engage today, for the first time, in the exercises of any college commencement,” Douglass told the large crowd gathered in a mammoth tent set up in front of the Chapel, close to where today’s commencement ceremony is conducted
It was a “new chapter in my humble experience,” noted Douglass as he started off his two-hour speech. To deliver “Claims of the Negro: Ethnologically Considered,” Douglass undertook to educate the huge audience on the pressing issue of race and racism through an examination of the American school of ethnology, a term in the 19th century that was used to encompass biological and cultural anthropology Douglass consulted professors at the University of Rochester. At Reserve, Douglass set out to counter what he labeled as dangerous pseudoscience, emanating from “learned men” and working on behalf of “slavery propagating statesmen.”
The preeminent reformer of the 19th century was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in 1818. He was the son of a slave woman, and in all likelihood, her white master Douglass was separated from his mother shortly after birth. He remembered seeing her only a handful of times before her death. “My earliest recollections are associated with the appalling thought that I was a slave - a slave for life,” proclaimed Douglass in, “A Nation in the Midst of a Nation” (1853), a speech that he drew from in order to write the commencement address for Reserve He spent twenty years in bondage on plantations and in the city of Baltimore, before escaping to freedom in 1838. Before his daring trek northward to freedom, Douglass learned how to read and write on the streets
“By bir th, we are American citizens; by the principles of the Declaration of Independence, we are American citizens; within the meaning of the United States Constitution, we are American citizens; by the facts of histor y, and the admissions of American statesmen, we are American citizens.”
As Douglass proclaimed at Reserve, his escape to the North was nothing less than a “miracle,” accomplished by “dint of some application and perseverance.” With papers borrowed from a free Black sailor, Douglass stole aboard a train and rode to freedom in Philadelphia He then made his way to New York City A few days later, Douglass was reunited with Anna Murray, a free Black woman who had helped him to escape
The two were wed in New York City by the prominent Black minister James Pennington, someone who Douglass would make reference to at Reserve. The couple then went on to the sizable Black community in the whaling town of New Bedford, Massachusetts Douglass began his antislavery speaking career in 1841 His star rose to new heights in 1845 with the publication of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, which reached international success. In 1847, Douglass, Anna, and their four children settled in Rochester, a thriving city on the Erie Canal, where Douglass quickly opened up an abolitionist newspaper, the North Star
In his 1881 autobiography Life and Times, Douglass maintained that he was aware that a number of Reserve faculty, including the president, George Pierce, were in great “distress” that a “colored man” had been invited to campus. A courageous group of students, invoking the founding abolitionist spirit of the college promoted by pioneering professors Beriah Green and Elizur Wright, the author The Sin Of Slavery and Its Remedy (1833), along with trustee Owen Brown, battled with the administration to make sure Douglass’ visit became a reality. As was noted at the time, the “position was not won for him without a struggle
on the part of his friends ” Douglass thanked them from the podium for their “moral courage.”
In addition to racial prejudice, the administration was surely afraid of what could transpire on campus in this intense and violent period In June 1854, Douglass penned a hard-hitting editorial justifying the killing of slave hunters who came north to recapture fugitive slaves. “Resistance” was “wise as well as just,” wrote Douglass, who later went on to support, at least in spirit, the murdering abolitionist John Brown whose father Owen was a founding trustee of the College Douglass did not give the Reserve audience a “traditional” antislavery address, as he had delivered a few weeks before in Toronto, Canada. The 3,000-person audience in Hudson would not hear Douglass’s loud, baritone voice discussing his years as a “chain-fettered bondsman” and the evil’s of the “slaveholder’s lash” as he told the newly formed Anti-Slavery Society across the border.
Yet when examined closely, Douglass’ remarks at Reserve were part of a long-standing effort to combat the evils of racism and promote Black citizenship His voice might have been a bit calmer, the academic references more plentiful, but the power of his message remained clear. Douglass’s speech in Hudson on that warm July day was later distributed widely in the North and even across the Atlantic in parts of Europe and served as a stern rebuke to the racist science of the era.
In 1854, ethnologists Josiah Nott and George Glidden published the widely popular and influential, Types of Mankind, which served to further the belief that Blacks were inferior and incapable of self-government. Douglass had long noted that racial prejudice reflected the “spirit of slavery” in the country. He often remarked that he was “continually reminded of his slavery by the invariable bitterness and malignant prejudice that surrounded him ” He understood that these theories could be used to promote the twin evils of slavery and racism
The “relation subsisting between the white and black people of this country is the vital question of the age.” It constituted the “moral battlefield,” said Douglass. As he told the Hudson audience, “ninety-nine out of every hundred of the advocates of a diverse origin of the human family in this country, are among those who hold it to be the privilege of the Anglo-Saxon to enslave and oppress the African.” The “Negro was a Man,” was a refrain he repeated numerous times.
It was during a major address in Clev in 1848, at a national Black Conventi that Douglass began to lay out the intellectual groundwork for his Huds address. “We are one people,” maintained Douglass, “one in genera complexion, one in a common degradation, one in popular estimation ” By the early 1850s, Douglass emerged as a key figure within the Black convention movement, with numerous national and state-level meetings taking place in Ohio in the 1840s and the 1850s Discriminatory Black Laws in the North placed restrictions not only on suffrage, but also on the ability to testify in court, serve on juries, vote, attend public schools, and in some cases, barring Black settlement in the state Black activists argued that their birth American soil bestowed a right to live unmolested and enjoy the fruits their labor.
A year before he came to Hudson, Douglass chaired a large Black Convention in Rochester, composing an “Address to the American People ” By “birth, we are American citizens; by the principles of the Declaration of Independence, we are American citizens; within the meaning of the United States Constitution, we are American citizens; by the facts of history, and the admissions of American statesmen, we are American citizens ” Douglass built on these ideas at Reserve “It is the question whether the rights, privileges, and immunities enjoyed by some ought not to be shared and enjoyed by all,” proclaimed Douglass in July 1854.
At Reserve, Douglass spoke at length about how “diverse origins” of man “did not disprove a common nature,” nor did it “disprove a common destiny” grounded in the natural rights tradition of the Declaration of Independence Physical and mental differences were the result of environmental factors not a sign of divinely separate origin stories. Douglass offered an argument, grounded in scripture, science and history, on the unity of mankind.
Douglass’ classic wit was on full display as he moved into an examination of some of the works of the ethnologists “Ignorance, malice or prejudice” generally would “disqualify” a “witness” in a legal case. But he asked, “why not an author”? The ethnologists ranked humans by supposed skull size and shape, with white European skulls supposedly demonstrating the highest intellectual capacity over the course of human history But what to do with the ancient Egyptians? Did their accomplishments later not influence the Greeks and the Romans? Another “unhappy circumstance is that the ancient Egyptians were not white people,” said Douglass, lambasting the pseudoscience for the Hudson
ed the writings of ancient Greeks, rodotus, the father of history, to s point about the skin color of the nt Egyptians.
Douglass, perceived differences sulted from physical conditions nd circumstances and not biology A “powerful argument in favor of the oneness of the human family is afforded in the fact that nations however dissimilar may be united in one social state, not only without detriment to each other, but, most clearly, to the advancement of human welfare, happiness, and perfection.”
Douglass later developed this heme in his important 1869 eech, “Composite Nation.”
eserve, Douglass made a clear or a national call to rebirth, for nd Blacks to live together, guided ciples of the Declaration. Douglass n apostle of both an American and African American form of hopefulness grounded in the natural rights traditions He did this to not only counter white colonizationists who desired to see African Americans removed from the country, but also to challenge Black leaders, such as Martin Delany, who were organizing emigration efforts to Liberia. Indeed, just a few weeks after Douglass’ address in Hudson, a large national gathering of Black emigrationists met in Cleveland.
The Boston Recorder newspaper noted that Douglass’ commencement address made a “deep impression on a large and gratified audience. It was received with decided expressions of approbation.” It was said that a note of thanks was given to Douglass of New York, and not [Stephen] Douglass of Illinois,” the prominent pro-slavery U.S. Senator from Illinois. After his address, Douglass traveled north to Cleveland to attend the National Council of Colored Men From there, he made his way back to Canada for another antislavery gathering If read ahead, Frederick Douglass’s 1854 commencement address stands as a prelude to the national reckoning on race that would come in the wake of a terrible civil war that would claim the lives of over 700,000 Americans, something Douglass labeled in of his final major addresses in 1890, “the race problem ” For Pioneers today, Douglass’ powerful discussion of race in America a century and a half ago still speaks to us all
John McCluskey’s 1977 article on Douglass’ address in the Negro History Bulletin (40:5) proved immensely useful. The folder in the WRA Archives on Douglass’s visit to campus was consulted. The ongoing Frederick Douglass Papers Project (Series 2 & 3), John McKivigan, ed., The Speeches of Frederick Douglass (2018), and scores of digitized newspapers via the Early American Newspaper database, were examined
The Archivist
It is with love and appreciation that we bid farewell and a happy retirement to our Hudson history aficionado and a true keeper of time —
Mr. Thomas L. Vince
By Rose Vardell
For nearly three decades, Tom Vince has been the custodian of Western Reserve Academy’s collective memory. In his hands, history became less a dry catalog of dates and more a complex tapestry of anecdotes, artifacts and lives lived. Like a modern-day treasure hunter, he’s unearthed, catalogued and happily retold the moments that shape who we are.
As he steps away from his post as archivist and historian, retiring to the quieter pursuits of a well-earned respite, we earmark this moment in the pages of our history, honoring the legacy he leaves behind. Ours.
From Page to Pundit
Born in Cleveland and raised in the tight-knit Nottingham neighborhood on the city’s east side, Vince’s lifelong love affair with learning began early. Originally one of five siblings, he graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1958 as class
valedictorian, foreshadowing the scholastic achievements to come. At just 16 years old, Vince embarked on what would become a lifelong connection to libraries, serving as a page at the Nottingham Branch of the Cleveland Public Library.
“At the Cleveland Public Library, I learned early on the importance of accessibility,” Vince once reflected. “The department heads sat right in the middle of their departments, ready to help anyone who approached. That’s where I picked up the idea that libraries exist first and foremost for their users.”
At John Carroll University, Tom’s academic aptitude shined, appearing frequently on the Dean’s List, earning recognition as the winner of the President’s Cup for Debate and being among the four best students to represent the college on the nationally televised College Bowl in 1962. And among those four years, he continued to serve as a page for the main branch of the Cleveland Public Library — furthering his interests in libraries and what they could do for their communities.
Fast forward over many years full of impressive work — including teaching at The Ohio State University, earning his Master’s in English, entering the School of Library Science at Case Western Reserve University and completing his M.S. in Library Science by 1996, and serving as a department head at the Cleveland Public Library — Tom eventually accepted his position as Executive Director of The Hudson Library and Historical Society in the fall of 1969.
“I enjoyed being a librarian because I could always go out and help people,” he shared. “For about two hours every day, I would be on the floor working with the public. So I think that I’ve always been a good listener. I’ve always listened to what people say.”
At The Hudson Library, Tom left an indelible mark with years of service, with notable triumphs including the acquisition of significant collections, such as the Clarence S. Gee Collection of John Brown papers and the David Hudson papers. Over 26 years, he transformed the library into a repository of Ohio’s rich history.
Unearthing the Archives
Retirement from the Hudson Library in 1995 proved brief! In 1996, then-Headmaster Dr. Henry “Skip” Flanagan Jr. invited Vince to become Western Reserve Academy’s first full-time
archivist, a position shaped as much by his academic rigor as by his gift for storytelling. Vince’s arrival marked a turning point for the school’s historical preservation efforts.
“I remember how much Skip valued the story of the school and sharing this with students, alumni, friends of the school and the general public,” said Tom. “He asked me to collect and preserve documents related to the history of the school and to find a way to present this history to the community. That was really important to him.”
To this end, Tom established WRA: Past & Present, a blog featuring stories and photos from the school’s long history (the blog is available at wra-pastandpresent.blogspot.com). He became a fixture in history classrooms, an enthusiastic guide for campus tours, and a familiar face on Hudson Community Television, where he shared local history insights with an evercurious audience.
But when Vince first encountered the WRA Archives, they were a makeshift collection housed in the attic of the Knight Fine Arts Center. The space, sweltering in summer and frigid in winter, held boxes of photos, letters and artifacts — in seemingly no particular order.
“I spent the first three years simply reading and acquainting myself with what was there,” Tom said. Gradually, he transformed the archives into a meticulously organized repository, now housed in the temperature-controlled garden level of the John D. Ong Library. Here, lines of file cabinets and back room storage sort through centuries of history, carefully catalogued into selections, and then sorted into folders, labeled in thick ink by his sure hand.
An Expert Storyteller & Detail Devotee
To encounter Vince in the archives is to lose track of time. His encyclopedic knowledge and unflagging curiosity could turn even the simplest query into an odyssey through the roads and alleyways of history. A favorite phrase, “You know, there’s a little story behind that,” often prefaced a fascinating sidenote.
Among his most notable discoveries was the story of Samuel Harrison, the first African American student at WRA. Harrison went on to serve as a minister and the Chaplain to the famous 54th Massachusetts regiment — the “Glory” group
who won distinction at Battery Wagner during the Civil War A documentary for PBS television was made of this story and Tom not only helped in the research, he even had a cameo role in the program.
His passion for accuracy was legendary. Misconceptions about the school’s history whether regarding its transition to an all-boys institution or the timing of its bicentennial were met with firm but good-humored corrections
“I’ve been trying to set the record straight for 28 years,” he laughed. “I’m always surprised by how some misconceptions seem to stick, like the idea that our transition to an allboys school was James Ellsworth’s idea. It was, of course, a recommendation given to him by the administration, who had aspirations of modeling themselves after Andover, Exeter, Taft, etc. And you know, lately I’ve been receiving notes that WRA shouldn’t be celebrating its Bicentennial because ‘didn’t we get started until after the college moved to Cleveland?’ This one is particularly absurd! There was always a school here, right from the start ”
But Tom took particular delight in answering students’ questions, which so often fell into the “who was the first ” category.
“I remember during one of the family visits, I had my door ajar and a student and his parents came in,” he shared. “I invited them to look at the Archives, and they tentatively asked me if I knew the name of the first Chinese student to come to Reserve They were from China, and they were curious It’s like I had been waiting for this. I pulled the file, and they were surprised I found it right away. I think they thought it would be recent, but I pulled a graduate from the 1930s, and they were blown away.”
An Honorary Alumnus
When Tom announced his plans for retirement, the school went straight to work to plan a celebration, fit for his decades of dedication and service After earning a nomination from colleagues, he was awarded the Leonard S Carlson Award, a distinction reserved for a staff member who has shown a profound commitment to the school, an exemplary work ethic and a merit that warrants recognition.
But the centerpiece of the festivities was held during our 2024 Reunion Weekend The much-anticipated “Spill the Tea with Tom Vince” took place in the John D Ong Library, offering an intimate and revelatory halflecture, half-exposé of untold stories from WRA’s past. Later that day, we hosted a retirement party that began with an unexpected flourish and a ceremonial nod to Tom’s devotion to WRA In a surprise Commencement ceremony, Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck P ’24, and co-Presidents of the Board of Trustees Marty Franks ’68 and Nat Leonard ’82 handed Tom his own WRA diploma, granting him honorary alumni status, ensuring he forever has a home at Reserve.
Some of Tom’s most memorable requests came from students. Whether it was an inquiry about the last solar eclipse to take place on WRA’s campus or the history of the Loomis Observatory it was a wide diaspora of questions related to their research, assignments or personal history, and he was always happy to provide as much as he could He shared that a particularly amusing and frequent question typically always returned every October “Is WRA haunted? Have there been any reports of ghosts?”
Perhaps one day we can convince him to return to lead a ghost tour through our campus to sate this enduring appetite for ghost stories but he may not have time! To no one’s surprise, Tom was immediately hired back by WRA as a part-time new hire, with his new post stationed again in the Archives you can find him there on the days he feels like coming in! Outside of Reserve, Tom is looking ahead to a full schedule. Tom plans to continue enjoying time spent with family close by including two surviving sisters, both of whom live within 10 miles of Hudson, and a niece and her husband, who relocated from Boston to Ravenna Street Other plans are also afoot, including visits to Civil War battlefields, perhaps another trip to England and certainly no shortage of time spent indulging his insatiable curiosity.
Whatever the future holds, Vince’s legacy at Western Reserve Academy is secure As historian, storyteller and steward of memory, he has given the school a gift beyond measure: a richer understanding of itself. And for that, the gratitude of generations will endure. Here’s to you, Tom the keeper of our story, forever part of it.
A o aring
Student
Over the summer, Tia Zheng ’27 competed in the Junior Free Flight World Championships, earning third place in the F1B female category and helping Team USA secure gold.
By Rose Vardell
Only a sophomore, Tia Zheng ’27 is already a high flyer. In February 2024, she packed her bags for Lost Hills, California, to compete in outdoor free flight events and, in short summary — she crushed it! So much so that the Aeromodeling Commission crowned her the Top Junior in the 2024 World F1 Free Flight F1B category. That’s a lot of “F”s for someone who’s clearly acing it.
In the world of aeromodeling, the free flight model airplanes are designed to fly without any external control after launch. They are designed to ride wind currents and thermal pockets like surfers on a Pacific wave. On the ground, competitors tinker, adjust, and calculate to make their planes fly longer and higher, chasing three-minute airtime goals with stopwatch precision.
“We adjust pre-made model airplanes, modifying the design to fit our needs,” explained Tia, which is a humble way of saying she’s part aerodynamicist, part meteorologist. She and her coach fine-tune every detail — from the wing’s angle to the tail’s configuration — to give her plane the edge against temperamental weather.
If you have ever thrown a folded paper airplane, then you have flown a free flight model in its simplest state. Free flight is the oldest form of aeromodeling, the OG of heavier-thanair aviation. It dates back to 1871 when French inventor and aviation pioneer Alfonse Pénaud launched his rubber-powered Planophore in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris. 150+ years later and much has changed since that original 11-second flight, and now, a new Pioneer is making her own mark on the sport.
Not long after Tia received global recognition, she was tapped to join the 2024 USA Junior Outdoor Free Flight Team. A nineperson assembly, with four athletes competing in the F1B category (including Tia), they traveled all the way to Prilep, North Macedonia in the Balkans for the Junior Free Flight World Championships this past August. There, she and her teammates snagged gold in the F1B category, while Tia landed a stellar third place in the overall F1B female rankings. Not bad for someone who’s only been to five competitions.
“I only started competing in free flight about two years ago,” she explained. She named her father, Yanlin Guo, as the one responsible for sparking her interest in the sport he also participated in at a young age. “I think he always hoped his
child would get into it as well That worked out well for him,” she joked
Her first foray into the field was remote-controlled flight, where she dominated at the national championship levels in China, her home country. But something about free flight spoke to her inner adventurer. “I wanted to try something else,” she said “And I knew immediately it was totally my thing It’s so fun ”
And it’s not just fun it’s a workout. Winding up a plane motor takes up to 400 turns, each one requiring a combination of finesse and brute force. Add in hours under the sun, and you’ve got a sport that demands as much stamina as it does brainpower
But for Tia, the thrill goes beyond physics and aerodynamics
“Our competitions start early like 7 a.m. early and you have to get there hours before so I’ve seen a lot of sunrises,” she said. And sunsets, too. Free flight takes her to vast, open landscapes fields, mountains, rivers where the only sounds are the rustle of grass and the occasional “baa” of a curious sheep “I feel like free flight has brought me to so many beautiful places I see the stars I see the sun It’s amazing ”
At the world championships, Tia faced a grueling test of endurance and ingenuity.
“It was boiling that day during the competition,” she explained “It was the hottest day of the entire week that we were there And when it’s hot, you have to put cold water on your motor to keep it cold. We put wet cloths on top of our planes to make sure they wouldn’t overheat. And we also have to cool ourselves down as well!”
Additionally, five days before the competition, Tia and one of her coaches, Xinpu Sheng, decided to change her method of manually winding adding turns to the motor (with a maximum of 400 turns), to release the model to the air. Before, she would hold it steady with an arm extended (when she demonstrates this, it almost looks like she’s fishing, reeling in a mighty catch). It’s a tough position to hold, and having to do this seven different times was a daunting prospect And if you blow up a motor a normal occurrence, we’re told you have to do it again And so they pivoted, adding a belt to her gear to hook the winder to, helping her prop up the equipment and alleviate the weight.
The adjustment paid off, but the road to the finals wasn’t without turbulence By round six, she was convinced she’d fallen short “I missed the three-minute window by seven seconds I was so down,” she recalled
But then came the moment she’ll never forget: a staff member approached with a certificate bearing her name. “Wait, is this
Tia stands with her biggest supporters her coaches, mentors and her proud father, a team that’s been with her every step of the way!
mine? I’m third?” she thought, overwhelmed by the surprise
Earning a world medal in any competition guarantees lifelong bragging rights, but for Tia, an even bigger takeaway was discovering the power of teamwork. On the day of the competition, when Tia began her first wind, she found herself surrounded by her teammates. Questions came in, sprinkled over her like confetti Tia, do you need this? OK, let me get that for you Your thing fell off! I’ll put it back on for you Do you need water? You’ve got this
“We shared everything,” she said of her teammates. “Our equipment, our ice, our water, our food. We helped each other with everything. And I finally understood the word ‘teammate.’ It’s different from ‘friend ’ We’re here for the same reason We’ve got each other’s backs We’re like a family ”
Back at school, Tia’s success is supported by a community that’s just as invested in her journey. When she asked for time off to compete in February, her teachers and school administrators worked together to create a plan that let her chase her dreams without missing a beat academically “I feel so supported by the school,” said Tia “I don’t know if I would have done so well academically without their help and understanding. I wouldn’t have gotten this chance to go to the World Cup. I wouldn’t be on the junior team. It all felt possible, because of this community.”
Recently in October 2024, Tia was granted time again to participate in the 2025 Free Flight World Championship qualifiers and though she did not place in the finals, the sum of her results have earned her a spot on the national team once again.
There are three people to whom Tia owes a great deal of gratitude and she took the opportunity at her interview for this story to name them and thank them for all they have done to help her reach such heights First, and most appropriately, the man who introduced her to the sport her father and two free-flying mentors who have been incredible supporters. “Jackie [Wang] and Sheng they’re like my parents in my air modeling career. There’s a word in Chinese and it sort of combines teacher, parent, family That’s them They also compete as well and keep a very busy schedule, but they still flew all the way out to support me in August.”
Tia’s already gearing up for her next adventure the Free Flight World Championship in August 2025. With her eyes on the skies and her feet firmly on the ground, she’s proving that when passion meets persistence, the results can be downright breathtaking So here’s to Tia Zheng, the high-flying sophomore whose story reminds us all to aim higher, dream bigger and keep your eyes on the skies.
History of Reserve Green
By Erin Bickford ’26, Associate Editor of The Reserve Record
WESTERN RESERVE ACADEMY–A cult?
Some preppy private school kids? A group of walking moss? These statements can be heard around Hudson, Ohio, as Western Reserve Academy students sprint downtown for a coffee boost. Yes, the green blazers make the student body stand out — but it also symbolizes a tradition dating back to 1925.
While many aspects of Western Reserve Academy have evolved over the century, the dress code has not been one of them. The classic Reserve Green Dress symbolizes our community in Hudson, Ohio.
As students at Western Reserve Academy struggle to meet the demands of Reserve Green Dress, some members of the community look to abolish the uniform. Maybe the community should look to the past to appreciate the blazers, and the tradition surrounding them.
The uniforms date back to Frederick Ashley, Class of 1880, and Headmaster from 1892-1897. Ashley created the initial dress code, along with the official school colors, green and white. In a letter, Ashley wrote, “To the best of my recollection the WRA colors, green and white, standing for strength and purity, were adopted about 1893.”
According to Mr. Vince, the school’s former Archivist & Historian (now Historian and Consultant), the official uniform students
know today roots from Mrs. Kitzmiller, the Special Assistant to the Headmaster from 1925 until 1955.
Mr. Vince explained, “The uniform hasn’t changed in over 100 years. It was Mrs. Kitzmiller who created the idea of having an identifiable way to dress. She certainly promoted the idea of a green jacket.”
Mr. Vince explained that the Reserve Green blazers became the official uniform in 1926, when Reserve returned to being an all-boys school. Interestingly, the stripers were not added to the uniform until the late 1950’s. This was followed by the addition of kilts in 1972, as Reserve once again became a co-educational academy.
Mrs. Buck, Head of School, described Reserve Green in a school-wide email as, “An important aspect of honoring self, school and fostering community.”
It seems certain students appreciate the opportunity to bond within the community.
“Even though it’s a uniform that is supposed to match our peers, it gives students ways to creatively express themselves,” said Carmen Reed ’24. “It is the perfect way to express individuality while still being a part of a whole community, and it is really interesting to hear how it has evolved.”
The largest change to the Reserve outfit has been the school crest, which is embroidered onto the chest of every blazer. The logo has been altered a whopping nine times since the founding of the school in 1826. With numerous similarities such as the torch and book, the overall shape and design of the emblem is constantly evolving.
Many teachers see the benefits of continuing the controversial tradition. Ms. Lopez, a Spanish teacher at Reserve, said, “When you have something that is easily identifiable, and it goes beyond the right now, it makes you part of a larger community.”
Contradicting the assumed narrative, some students want to embrace and appreciate the past, and embrace the customs of Western Reserve Academy.
As Carmen Reed said, “I think the uniform is powerful in the sense that it brings our community together. It is comforting to know that we are all a collective whole, and the uniform symbolizes that.”
Editor’s Note and Correction: Special acknowledgment is given to former Headmaster Dr. Henry (Skip) E. Flanagan, Jr., whose appointment in 1982 led to the reinstatement of Reserve Green. This dress code, defined by green blazers for all students, with plaid kilts and khakis, is now a WRA staple.
James “Señor” Fraser
December 1937 - November 2024
Something wonderful becomes apparent when looking back on photos of Jim Fraser: he was always looking forward. Photos show him on the cross country hills, running behind his athletes, offering encouragement, focus, discipline. When you think about the unselfish nature of this, the “you go first, I’m your wingman, I believe you will make it up this hill,” and the metaphors of this for a teacher, too, you experience the essence of Fraser.
Most people aren’t revered enough to be known by a single name and when James Arlington Fraser was born in 1937, who would have guessed it? But during his time at Reserve, James became synonymous with his talents, influence and impact on our community: so, he became Señor.
The idea that lo mejor de lo mejor of educators have your back is what the boarding school value proposition was built upon. The idea that here, the faculty — in loco parentis (apologies for mixing Spanish and Latin awkwardly) — could and would outclass the instruction taking place down the block or across town. If we were trying to establish that this was no ordinary school, Señor was the proof point.
A mainstay on campus for nearly 50 years, Señor retired as the longest tenured faculty member in WRA history, hired in 1967 and retiring at the end of the 2014 academic year. How the school, and the world, changed during his tenure! A timekeeper at heart by virtue of his running chops, one can only imagine all he experienced along the continuum: the range of students, the reintroduction of co-education, the thrills of victories and defeats, the changing administrations, building renovations, accomplishments and frustrations. But, his pace was steady, as was the admiration of all who knew him.
The best runners have a builtin wanderlust, because there’s always something unexpected around a course’s bend. This spirit propelled Señor around the world: after graduating from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, he pursued his dream of becoming a world-class athlete, training in the high-altitude air of Quito, Ecuador, while immersing himself in the language and culture. His travels took him across South America, where his family remembers that he “fell head over heels for the region.” For one whose feet were so deftly planted on the ground, you get the sense that the travel and culture was levitating.
After teaching English as a second language in Quito, returning to Canada to teach English to French-speaking Army recruits at the Citadelle in Quebec City, and receiving his master’s degree in Spanish from Middlebury College, Fraser was recruited to WRA and headed here with his wife, Molly. They had never been to Ohio before. Señor said what kept such a globally minded man in America’s heartland was simple: the students.
In addition to teaching Spanish and coaching cross country, Señor was a hockey coach, dorm parent and all-around mentor. He and Molly, an accomplished artist and educator, raised two children, Elizabeth ’89 and Michael ’93, on campus, hosting numerous exchange students and spending a sabbatical year in 1981-82 in Granada, Spain. His students were his family, too, and he opened the eyes and hearts of countless Pioneers through trips to Spain, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and France. With a world full of lessons and experiences, Señor’s hallmark was universal: kindness. One of his most memorable moments, he said, was when a former student approached him at Reunion and thanked him for being nice to her in the dining hall.
Perhaps one of the reasons why Señor was able to travel so proliferously was because he would have been seamless anywhere. Not brusque, not selfinterested, authentically curious. His leadby-example ethos must have shown these same qualities to his students whether they wanted to conquer the world, see what hard work looked like, or look outside of themselves to make an impact.
When Señor retired from Reserve, he told a student reporter that he had “no set plans” after a final sabbatical in Peru, Russia and Ukraine. But what lay ahead was a next chapter as lovely as the previous — golf, birdwatching, afternoons at cafes, food, love — he married his second wife Rossana — family and friendships.
If there was a soundtrack to his life, most might guess it as a flamenco, intricate and full of life, like Señor. Then again, it could be a piobaireachd, for anyone wise enough to know what that means.
Once the Reserve Record wrote, “An accomplished bagpiper, Mr. Fraser leads the graduation processional and occasionally plays atop the cross country hill at sunset, serenading the campus with the skirl of his pipes.” Señor went the distance for Reserve, from the superlatives — tops of the hills, ends of the earth — to the simple and sustainable — the classroom, our Reserve community. We will miss your smile, your style, your wit and your warmth, finding it ever a challenge to keep pace.
Western Reserve Academy will hold a memorial service for Jim Fraser during Reunion Weekend. All are welcome to join us on Saturday, May 31, at 1:30 p.m. in the Chapel.
Coach Fraser ever the steady guide, trails student Brian Shannon in 1989. Fraser’s quiet determination and boundless support left an indelible mark on generations of athletes.
In Memoriam
WRA Magazine wishes to express its sincere condolences to all family and friends of the deceased.
Class of 1941
Howard F. Callahan ’41 passed away on May 11, 2024. Devoted father, grandfather and friend to many, Howard lived a remarkable 101 years filled with warmth, curiosity and love for those around him. A proud World War II veteran, Howard was awarded the Purple Heart for his bravery and service. His passion for jazz music, dedication as a longtime church choir bass and interest in news, politics and family endeavors enriched the lives of all who loved him, including his beloved children and grandchildren
Class of 1942
Gilbert M. Lane ’42 passed away on December 16, 2023. Following his time at Reserve, Gilbert bravely served with the United States Navy during World War II Following his service, he attended Yale University and went on to own and operate Stow Auto Parts, earning respect and admiration in the community. He found great joy in playing bridge, racing sailboats and devouring books in a single afternoon. However, he was most proud of his role as father, uncle and grandfather, cherishing every moment of time spent with family Gilbert’s legacy of faith, service and love for friends and family is a lasting testament to a life well-lived and will continue to inspire all who were fortunate enough to know him.
Class of 1945
John K. Coffey ’45 passed away on January 23, 2023. John dedicated his life to service, beginning with a station with the U.S. Coast Guard. Following his service, John ran the Coffey Agency (the third generation to do so), providing insurance and real estate services to the Creston community before passing the business to his son. A pillar of the community, John served the Creston Fire Department in his retirement years, four as Fire Chief. A
dedicated Lions Club volunteer, faithful member of his church, serving as both an Elder and a Deacon, Meals on Wheels delivery driver and more, John was honored as Creston Citizen of the Year in 1995 But his greatest role was in service to his family, leading adventures to Canada, golfing, boating, flying planes and skiing. Affectionately known as “Crabby” (though not because he was), his impact on the community, his friends and family will never be forgotten
Class of 1946
Alan L. Hyde ’46 passed away on June 10, 2024. At Western Reserve Academy, Alan excelled in history and music and was known for his dependability, cooperation and great potential. As a member of the Glee Club, he cultivated a love for music that remained a touchstone throughout his life. His time at Reserve laid the foundation for his exceptional academic and professional achievements at Amherst College and Harvard Law School. He joined the Cleveland law firm of Thompson, Hine & Flory, where he practiced until his retirement in 1993 His legal career was deeply intertwined with his passion for Mexico and Latin America Alan’s expertise in international law and foreign business regulations earned him recognition as a thought leader in his field. Dedicated civic and social leader, Alan served as a Trustee and President of Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland, a Trustee of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs and Secretary and General Counsel for the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. Alan’s life was a testament to the power of intellect, compassion and dedication, leaving an enduring impact on his family, profession and the community as a whole.
L. Malcom “Mal” Kennedy ’46 passed away on January 3, 2025 Born in Trinidad, Mal came to the United States at the age of 16 to attend Western Reserve Academy. At Reserve, Mal demonstrated exceptional leadership as captain of the soccer team, and these qualities became
the hallmarks of this life. He went on to graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in chemical engineering, and met his wife Grace, with whom he shared 40 years of marriage. Mal dedicated 37 years to BF Goodrich, and his kindness and care for those he led earned him deep admiration among colleagues. But it is his legacy of love — reflected by Mal and Grace’s large family and carried forward by grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends and caregivers — that has a far-reaching impact. Mal’s gentle and accepting spirit is deeply missed.
Class of 1947
Emerson Garver ’47 passed away on November 22, 2023. Emerson dedicated his life to education, family and lifelong learning following his time at Reserve. His career as a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin was marked by a passion for teaching and inspiring the next generation of scientists. Emerson’s legacy lives on through family and students whose lives he enriched in profound and generous ways.
Samuel Gaylord ’47 passed away on May 6, 2024.
James “Jim” C. Roberts ’47 passed away on December 10, 2024. Jim’s lifelong dedication to education, community and the outdoors began at Western Reserve Academy. At Reserve, Jim’s time was marked by rigorous academics and camaraderie, laying the foundation for his future in medicine. He went on to Ohio Wesleyan University and earned his MD from The Ohio State University, where his journey into medicine began. Jim married his childhood sweetheart, Carol Roberts, with whom he shared 58 years of marriage and raised six children. After serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army in post-WWII Paris, Jim settled in Toledo, where he established a thriving pediatric practice and became a trusted physician. Jim spent countless hours fishing, hunting and camping with his children, creating cherished family memories. He embraced adventure, from
running the Glass City Marathon ten times to competing in triathlons well into his 60s. In 2011, after Carol’s passing, Jim found love again with Nancie Entenmann. Together, they built a life filled with joy, community and the natural beauty of their Swan Creek home. Jim’s devotion to his patients, his spirit of adventure, and, above all, his boundless love is mourned in his passing.
Frederick “Fritz” F. Smith ’47 passed away on May 7, 2024. Deeply rooted in science and health, Fritz was guided by a father who founded the first four-year chiropractic training program in the United States. Following his graduation from Reserve, Fritz continued his education at Oberlin College, followed by the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons and California College of Medicine. Insatiably curious, Fritz sought to expand his understanding of healing, exploring connections between structure, energy and wellness that traditional Western medicine could not explain. This research led him to establish Zero Balancing, a groundbreaking structural acupressure system that bridges energy and matter to address the mind, body and spirit. This revolutionary practice transformed countless lives and became his and his wife’s life’s work, with Fritz educating thousands of students. Following his wife’s death, Fritz credited the Zero Balancing community for keeping “the wind in my sails.” Fritz’s contributions to health, wellness and healing will continue to inspire generations of practitioners and patients, and he will be remembered not only for his groundbreaking work, but for his boundless curiosity and compassion.
Class of 1948
Roderick C. Hunsaker ’48 passed away on December 4, 2022. Following graduation from Reserve, Rod continued on to Case Western Reserve University School of Law and dedicated service to the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His legal career began at the National Labor Relations
Board before serving as an Assistant County Prosecutor. With his specialization in labor law, Rod joined John Hancock Life Insurance Company as Counsel and Vice President, respected in his field. Above all else, Rod is remembered for his integrity, warmth and dedication as husband, father and grandfather.
Gaylord “Jim” James Jr. ’48 passed away on September 12, 2024. Jim recalled his Reserve years fondly, sharing that his three years were some of the best of his life. Highlights included proofreading “The Reserve Record” with “Jiggs” Reardon and good naturedly enduring traditions like carrying bricks around for several weeks after stepping on the “Senior Walk.” After earning an undergraduate degree from Williams College in 1952 and a DDS from Case Western Reserve University in 1956, Jim served as a Navy dental officer, later transitioning to private practice and teaching. He became an esteemed associate professor at Southern Illinois University’s School of Dental Medicine, retiring in 2003. In retirement, Jim volunteered extensively, delving into genealogy and his love of model trains. Jim’s legacy of service, teaching and lifelong pursuit of knowledge is truly valued.
John M. Jarboe Jr. ’48 passed away on February 17, 2024. John approached life with openness and curiosity. After graduating from Reserve, he continued his education at Allegheny College and Harvard Business School before serving in the Korean War. This led to a natural transition into the aerospace and defense market where his leadership roles as President and CEO of three major defense contracting companies had a profound impact on the industry. Following retirement, John embraced the mild climate and active culture of Reno, Nevada, becoming an avid golfer and dedicating his time to the outdoors. John felt grateful for the lessons and experiences that shaped his life journey, especially related to his beloved family and the animals that enriched his life. His final wish was to be remembered by all as last they knew him, and his legacy of service and dedication to his family, community and country will continue to inspire.
Alan M. Krause ’48 passed away on January 2, 2024. Beloved family man, philanthropist and entrepreneur, Alan credits his formative Reserve years with shaping his path. Arriving at Reserve as a self-proclaimed “problem child,”
Alan remembered rising at 5:30 a.m. to study under the covers, overcoming challenges under the stern guidance of disciplinarians like “Scotch” McGill and “Herr” Kitzmiller. He described his time at Reserve as life-changing, preparing him for his studies at Cornell University, where he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Alan found his calling in real estate. Beyond business, Alan was deeply committed to philanthropy. His establishment of the Eliza Henry Barnes Chair in Neonatology at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital exemplified his enduring legacy of giving. Alan’s unwavering resilience, generosity and devotion to his family leave an indelible mark on all who knew him.
Donald J. Munro ’48 passed away on June 4, 2023.
Lawrence “Larry” B. Siddall ’48 passed away on May 22, 2024. Born in Canton (now Guangzhou), China, Larry’s worldly beginnings inspired a life of adventure and service. His time at Reserve left a lasting impression on him. He fondly remembered the New England charm of campus, late nights studying in a makeshift closet-lit workspace and the camaraderie of school dances, where he enjoyed jitterbugging with friends. Larry’s memories of lighthearted pranks, such as alarm clocks disrupting Chapel, showcased his vibrant spirit. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1952, Larry served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Munich, Germany, where he studied art history, igniting a lifelong passion. Larry built a distinguished career as a psychotherapist, working at institutions such as the University of Massachusetts Health Service and Kaiser Permanente. He was also an accomplished writer, publishing a memoir, “Two Years in Poland and Other Stories,” and a novel, “A Boston Love Story.” But above all, Larry was a devoted family man and his memory is a cherished legacy.
Class of 1950
Dorn M. Cobbledick ’50 passed away on August 23, 2024. Once quoting an anonymous source, Dorn said “I’ve spent my life building a family and raising a business,” and expressed gratitude that he and his wife Sue were successful at both. He believed Reserve had a great deal with “setting him the right course.” A U.S. Army veteran,
Dorn served in the dental corps after a paperwork error prevented him from deploying to Korea, a twist of fate that he believes saved his life. Dorn enjoyed a successful career in the automotive industry, including owning GM dealerships in Ashtabula and Shaker Heights, retiring in 1994. A lifelong sports enthusiast, he shared special moments with his father, Gordon Cobbledick, a legendary Cleveland sportswriter, including attending Cleveland Indians spring training in Havana as a ballboy. Dorn proudly accepted his father’s inductions into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather and member of The Federated Church in Chagrin Falls, Dorn will be remembered for his warmth, resilience and love of family.
John S. Spooner ’50 passed away on December 7, 2022. John was born and raised in Cleveland. After serving as an interpreter with the U.S. Army in Germany and a memorable teaching placement in China with his wife, John dedicated his life to enriching the Berea community through his work as a teacher. Known as Captain John to so many, John also cherished his time as a camp counselor at Casowasco, joyfully playing his ukulele around the campfire, tying knots and spreading love for the outdoors. He engaged visitors both young and old through his work as a docent at the SS Mather Museum, described as “docent extraordinaire” with a knowledge that fascinated many. John’s life of service, adventure and kindness knew no bounds and his memory is a comforting reminder of a life well-lived.
Class of 1952
John T. Mickel ’52 passed away in November of 2024. Son of the WRA Dean of Boys, John’s formative years were shaped by life on the Western Reserve Academy campus. He fondly recalled enjoying the “great Masters,” beating US, and Mr. Simons and the farm. After Reserve, John continued his academic journey at Oberlin College and the University of Michigan. Throughout his career, John traveled extensively, exploring new trails in search of undiscovered fern species. His work in Oaxaca, Mexico, resulted in the identification of 700 species, 70 of which were new to science. An accomplished author, John published numerous scientific works, including the
celebrated “Ferns for American Gardens.” Recognized for his dedication to science, John was one of the first recipients of the Western Reserve Academy Morley Science Medal, an honor that marked a remarkable career. A man of faith, John was deeply involved in his community, serving at Briarcliff Congregational Church and sharing his love of gardening and music with his wife, Carol. Together, they raised four children and transformed their 1857 farmhouse into a cherished family home treasured by children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and countless friends.
Class of 1953
Duane E. Banks ’53 passed away in November of 2024. Duane excelled academically and athletically at Reserve, laying the foundation for a lifetime of achievement. He is quoted as describing Western Reserve Academy as a “preparatory school not just for college but for everything,” reflecting on the profound impact WRA had on his life. Following Reserve, he went on to attend Princeton University, where he earned a degree in chemistry. At Princeton, he also competed in track and field, running the 440-yard dash and the mile, and was a proud member of the Tower Club, one of Princeton’s historic eating clubs. Duane attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University, where he met his wife, Margo, on a blind date. They married the following year and embarked on a life filled with adventure, service and family. After completing his residency, Duane served as chief resident surgeon at Kincheloe Air Force Base before establishing a distinguished urology practice in Coral Gables, Florida. Known for his humor, storytelling and love of the outdoors, Duane was an avid boater, dedicated volunteer at the Fairchild Institute and lifelong fan of old Western movies. Above all, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and his joy for life will be deeply missed.
Benson H. Hart ’53 passed away on October 16, 2024. At Reserve, Ben was highly respected for his intellectual prowess in philosophy and history, as well as his independent thinking. He was a gifted athlete, earning accolades in swimming, track and soccer, and his talent as a kayaker could have led him to the Olympics if not for his father’s encouragement to focus on academics. Ben continued his education at Haverford College, where his faith deepened and his commitment to civil rights began,
later earning a PhD in Economics from The Ohio State University. A staunch believer in education, Ben supported young people’s aspirations and lived by his belief that giving to others enriches oneself. Ben retired to North Carolina, where he preserved family genealogical records for future generations and cherished time with loved ones. Known affectionately as “Uncle Ben,” he was deeply proud of his family and his personalized license plate. Ben’s legacy of faith, generosity and unwavering dedication to others will be deeply missed.
Gerard “Gerry/Kink” M. Kincade III ’53 passed away on August 20, 2024. A Marine Corps veteran and Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, Gerry later worked in building products sales with Owens Corning, settling with his family in Ottawa Hills. A devoted father and a beloved grandaddy, Gerry was known for his generosity, humor and deep kindness. Gerry loved music, road trips, tennis and the outdoors. He also gave back to his community, volunteering with Hospice of Northwest Ohio and Maumee Habitat for Humanity, which named him Volunteer of the Year. Gerry will be missed by all who had the fortune to know him.
Class of 1955
Maurice “Tom” A. Tomlinson ’55 passed away on April 27, 2023. Tom spent his formative years in Ohio, excelling academically and athletically. At William & Mary, Tom earned All-American in swimming, a testament to his discipline and drive. Following his graduation in 1955, he built a successful career at Xerox in Rochester, New York, where he worked until his retirement in 1993. Tom is remembered for his remarkable athletic achievements and dedication to his beloved family.
Class of 1956
David P. Boesel ’56 passed away on June 2, 2024. A natural linguist, David made contributions to the school newspaper and art programs at Reserve. He also earned his varsity letter in wrestling, football and track. David continued on to Wesleyan University for his undergraduate studies and then on to Cornell University for a master’s degree and doctorate. Deeply committed to social justice, David participated in voter registration efforts during the Civil
Rights Movement in the 1960s and again in the 2010s and 2020s. Throughout his career, David worked on policy research and program evaluation for government and nonprofit organizations, including the Kerner Commission and the National Institute of Education. Fitness enthusiast, David had a passion for martial arts, founding Kaiwan Budokai in Severna Park and leading the American JuJitsu Association, as well as scuba diving, foreign travel and boating. In retirement, he dedicated himself to environmental preservation efforts along the Severn River’s shores. David will be remembered for his tireless commitment to justice, his contributions to social science and his enduring love for family and community.
Class of 1957
Sheldon “Shell” C. Rieley ’57 passed away on May 31, 2024. A beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, Shell’s life was marked by leadership and adventure. His years at Reserve were formative and unforgettable. Known as an outstanding citizen and leader, Shell excelled as a dorm prefect and athlete, earning recognition as captain, breaking school records and securing a spot on the AllAmerican Prep School Swim Team. As a soccer player and active community member, he left a lasting impression on classmates and faculty alike, building lifelong friendships. Shell went on to study mechanical engineering at Cornell University, where he met his wife of 63 years, Penelope “Penny” Byrne. Shell’s professional journey brought him to IBM in Burlington, Vermont, where he worked in engineering and management for 26 years. A lifelong passion for boating led Shell to years of exploration and service at the Lake Champlain Yacht Club, where he was honored as Outstanding Yachtsman of the Year twice. He and Penny’s adventures included completing the Great Loop, exploring the Caribbean and creating cherished memories with their children and grandchildren. He leaves a legacy of leadership, adventure, spirit and love.
Class of 1958
Laurence “Larry” E. Anderson ’58 passed away on March 31, 2024. Larry treasured his Reserve experience, often reflecting on the inspiring teachers who shaped his intellectual curiosity. Among his most vivid memories were the physics labs of Mr. Cleminshaw, who emphasized
the practical application of formulas, as well as the openbook tests that nurtured Larry’s analytical thinking. He fondly remembered Mr. Weber, who guided him through the intricacies of the German language, even with Gothictype textbooks, and Mr. Haigh, his first chemistry teacher. Larry went on to earn science degrees from Mount Union University and The Ohio State University, leading to a successful career at Nestlé USA, Inc. But mostly, Larry was a devoted husband, an irreplaceable friend and a “CatDad Supreme.” He loved antique cars, races, airplanes, the Metropolitan Opera, gourmet cooking, but especially White Castle breakfast sliders. Family and friends will miss Larry’s wit and warmth.
Michael L. Fitzgerald ’58 passed away on December 27, 2024. Known for his wit, humor and respect garnered from classmates, Michael was a vibrant member of the Western Reserve Academy community. Michael wrestled, sang in the Glee Club and managed the baseball team. Continuing on to Denison University for undergraduate studies, followed by Kent State and American University for his PhD, Michael was a respected business leader, serving as Vice President of Olin Hunt Company and Cookson UK Corporation, as well as President of the Alpha Metals Division. But above all else, Michael is remembered as a cherished husband, father and grandfather, and he is greatly missed.
Adam M. Hopkins ’58 passed away on November 27, 2024. Remembered for his lively energy and bright intellect, Adam came to Reserve via the British Committee of the International Schoolboy Fellowship for the 195758 academic school year. In his short time at Reserve, he made a lasting impression as fellow classmates remember his “pixie-ish sense of humor combined with depth of thought.” He is greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Class of 1959
Thomas H. Manwell ’59 passed away on October 18, 2024. Tom spent much of his formative years in Hudson, where his father served as Superintendent of the Cleveland Boys School. Tom’s Reserve years were marked by his intellectual interests and innovative spirit, laying the groundwork for an eclectic and accomplished life. He went
on to graduate from Amherst College in 1963 and pursued an advanced degree in physics from Cornell University, graduate studies in linguistics at UC San Diego and UMass Amherst and later earned a law degree from Western New England College. Tom made Conway, Massachusetts his home, purchasing land adjacent to his family’s property in the early 1970s. A true Renaissance man, he held diverse roles from leading cultural tours in the Soviet Union to selling wood stoves, software and maple syrup. A passionate train enthusiast, sauna aficionado and multilingual traveler, Tom was known for his sharp intellect and wide-ranging interests. His annual end-of-summer gatherings brought together friends from all walks of life, and his legacy of curiosity, community and camaraderie will truly be missed.
Class of 1961
Lorenzo “Ren” T. Carlisle III ’61 passed away on May 26, 2024. Beginning at Reserve, Ren’s guiding principle was to question, nurture and elevate — in an effort to leave every aspect of life better than he found it. Following graduation, Ren continued his education at Dartmouth College and dedicated much of his career to operating Carlisle’s Department and Specialty Stores as President, CEO and Chairman. Following the sale of the organization, he and his wife founded Carlisle’s Home in the Harbor, contributing to the revitalization of historic Ashtabula Harbor, on the shore of Lake Erie, a place of great significance. Ren also co-founded Lift Bridge Community Association and contributed to many additional community organizations, advocating for equity, access and education. Though his service and contributions were many, those closest to Ren remember him as a master of celebration. He was a world traveler, a most gracious host, a toastmaster, devoted card player and skilled conversationalist. But above all, he was an exceptional husband, father, brother and friend, whose humor and warmth spread far and wide. Ren is remembered by his words, “What is better than this?” as he relished his time with loved ones in the community he served. It is this spirit of gratitude and wonder that lives on.
John L. Schlacter ’61 passed away on October 12, 2024. John grew up in Hudson, so Western Reserve Academy was a natural place to explore his academic, athletic and
leadership potential. Continuing on to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, John played tennis and soccer at the collegiate level before earning a PhD in Marketing from The Ohio State University. That same year, he began his tenure at Arizona State University, where he became a beloved member of the Sun Devil community. A devoted fan of ASU, John embraced the maroon and gold spirit, often declaring “Fear The Fork.” His passion for sports, particularly golf and tennis, was matched only by his dedication to his family and students. John’s legacy of excellence, warmth and unwavering commitment to education will live on in the hearts of his loved ones.
Class of 1966
George R. Allin III ’66 passed away on March 25, 2024. Born in Washington, D.C., a city steeped in national service and history, perhaps George’s birthplace laid the foundation for his distinguished military career and lifelong dedication to his country. Following Reserve, George attended West Point and completed two tours in Germany with the 8th Infantry Division. He further assumed roles as an instructor in the Social Sciences Department at West Point, a Battery and Battalion Commander at Fort Sill and positions at the Command and General Staff College. His final military assignment was in the Office of Plans and Operations at the Pentagon. Following his retirement from the army, George transitioned to the transportation industry in Kansas City and was renowned for his mentorship. George’s volunteer efforts are extensive and his work as a community servant is most profound. Devoted husband, proud father and friend to many, George served his family and friends as he did his country, with honor, unwavering loyalty and a deep sense of love and responsibility.
Class of 1967
Don A. Holshuh ’67 passed away on April 7, 2023. Don credited Western Reserve Academy with shaping his life and confidence in profound and indelible ways. He shared a memory of his freshman year Christmas when Don was detained on campus for disciplinary reasons. Far from punishment, it became a cherished memory of freedom, with the campus at his disposal, watching TV, playing chess and gazing at the decorated Christmas tree from his North
Hall bunk. Saturdays often found him at the Brown Derby or Isaley’s, enjoying meals with friends, or playing handball with Remy Harris. The turning point of his time at Reserve came when Headmaster John Hallowell handed him grades showing he had made the honor roll his sophomore year. This unexpected achievement transformed his confidence and fueled his academic success, inspiring a lifelong commitment to excellence. Don graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan in 1970 and earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1974. A dedicated dermatologist, he cared for his community through his private practice until retiring in 2012. However, it was a thirst for adventure with his wife Cindy that most shaped the latter years of his life. An avid runner and cyclist, Don completed marathons and triathlons across the globe, including iconic events in Antarctica, Kenya, Berlin (the year the wall came down!) and on the Great Wall of China. He fulfilled a lifelong dream of cycling from Cairo to Cape Town and traversing the U.S. along the TransAmerica Trail. His adventurous spirit, compassion and gratitude for the transformative years at Reserve will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.
Robert C. Veenis ’67 passed away on April 14, 2024. Described as having superior integrity and ideals during his time as a student at Western Reserve Academy, Robert’s interests included the Glee Club, Science Club and archaeology. He brought this deep appreciation for discovery to the University of Pittsburgh, where he immersed himself in the study of human history and culture, studying Classics and Anthropology. Robert found fulfillment in his role as a bookseller at the University of Pittsburgh Book Center, where he shared his love for literature and knowledge with others. His insatiable curiosity left an indelible mark on everyone he encountered.
Class of 1968
John T. Sommer ’68 passed away on August 1, 2024. Known for his love of building and innovation, John’s career spanned motorcycle repair, heavy machinery design at Harnischfeger, and computer systems at IBM. His passion for creation culminated in assisting with airplane design in the Pacific Northwest, where he contributed to the iconic
Boeing Dreamliner. A futurist and adventurer, John adored trains, planes and automobiles, owning over 100 vehicles, including motorcycles and sports cars. A proud Air Force veteran, he combined intellect, humor and a deep love for family and friends, leaving a lasting legacy.
Class of 1969
Gerald W. Lewis ’69 passed away on August 6, 2019. Gerald distinguished himself at an early age with his intellectual curiosity, athleticism and passion for justice. At Reserve, he was a celebrated athlete, earning letters in football, basketball and track, and served as captain of the basketball team. His teachers commended his maturity, imagination and sensitivity, recognizing him as a thoughtful and committed student. Gerald continued to Duke University and then Bowdoin College where his commitment to advocacy and education deepened, laying the foundation for a lifetime of empowering the underserved. A central figure in the Black Power Movement, Gerald worked tirelessly to support African American students, spearheading the Peacemakers program, a comprehensive initiative promoting empowerment, discipline and self-determination of young people. Gerald became a mentor and father figure to many, leaving a lasting legacy of love in his wake. His daughter, siblings, nieces, nephews and many friends honor his memory and unyielding commitment to service.
Class of 1973
Kevin F. Schott ’73 passed away on July 25, 2024. During his time at Reserve, Kevin excelled academically and was known for his passion for literature and his curiosity about the world. A dedicated student, he found joy in the Reserve community’s intellectual and cultural vibrancy. Kevin was also a talented musician, often playing guitar and sharing his love for music with friends and classmates. After Reserve, Kevin earned degrees in French and German Literature from Oberlin College and a Master’s in French Literature. A devoted educator for over 35 years, Kevin’s Reserve years laid the foundation for a career spent inspiring others. Kevin is survived by his loving family and many cherished friends who will remember his warmth and intellect.
Louis A. Bailoni ’75 passed away in September of 2019. Louis was raised in Northeast Ohio, and continued his education at Kenyon College, where he majored in economics, combining his intellectual curiosity with a drive to understand and impact the world. A devoted son, husband and father, Louis’ love for his family and warmth and kindness is remembered by all who knew him.
Class of 1978
Martha C. Roginski ’78 passed away on April 11, 2023. Martha’s love of animals began at an early age, surrounded by a close-knit community in Silver Lake, Ohio. An accomplished equestrian, Martha earned trophies for her skill in horse jumping. After devoting 11 years to Pricewaterhouse Coopers as an administrator, along with various positions in bookkeeping and medical billing, Martha and her beloved husband moved closer to family. Her greatest joy was found in the company of loved ones and cherished pets, always happiest with a dog or cat by her side. It was this generous energy that is treasured by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Class of 1979
Ronald D. Sutton Jr. ’79 passed away on September 23, 2023. Throughout his school years in Ohio, Ron found great joy in painting and playing his guitar under the stars. Following Reserve, Ron graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. As a registered professional engineer, he worked with companies like Gould, MK Ferguson and Middough before establishing his own company, Chemron. His career reflected his passion for innovation and problem-solving. Ron’s creativity extended far beyond his professional life. A gifted selftaught artist and musician, he shared his love of art and music with his children. Known for his famous spaghetti dinners and snickerdoodle cookies, Ron cherished time with loved ones, especially around a warm fire, with good food, music and his signature firework shows. Ron’s brilliance and the joy he brought all is treasured.
Class of 2007
Andrew P. Schmitt ’07 passed away on December 21, 2024. Andy’s life, though far too brief, was marked by strength and courage, an enduring inspiration to many. Despite battling cancer during his time at Reserve, Andy approached life with unwavering strength, humor and compassion. His perseverance, coupled with his natural intellect and creativity, made him a remarkable individual. Andy’s sickness did not define him, rather it was his academic achievements, deep commitment to community and passion for storytelling that shone the brightest. As sports editor of the Reserve Record, he combined his encyclopedic knowledge of lacrosse — a sport he loved — with his talent for writing. He also served as a day student prefect, embodying the values of leadership and integrity. Beyond academics, Andy gave generously of his time to others. He participated in his church’s Appalachian Service Project, helping to rebuild homes in impoverished areas, and contributed to the vibrancy of the school community as a varsity basketball manager following his illness. Described as a young man of significant grit and courage, whose strength was evident to all who encountered him, these qualities, coupled with his puckish spirit and sense of goodwill, left an indelible mark on his classmates, teachers and family. Andy’s memory of resilience, kindness and determination will be cherished forever.
Class of 2024
Andrew Huntington Parrish ’24 passed away on October 7, 2024. Andrew’s life was marked by creativity, adventure and service. A natural performer, Andrew was a cherished member of the Cincinnati Boychoir and participated in numerous musical theater productions through church and school. His love of travel began early, including a memorable school trip to Australia. From roller coaster adventures across the U.S., to double-black diamond skiing, surfing and summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, Andrew embraced adventure at every opportunity. Andrew’s intellectual curiosity knew no bounds as he pursued a passion for business, engineering, math and science. He was consistently inspired by visionary entrepreneurs and valued innovation and the courage to venture into the unknown. Andrew was a faithful public servant,
volunteering his time and sharing his gifts. Andrew’s remarkable journey was filled with great energy, compassion and devotion to his family and friends. He leaves behind a legacy of love, adventure and service that lives on in the hearts of all who had the opportunity to know him.
Past Faculty
Frank R. Merrill passed away on October 2, 2017. Former faculty member of Western Reserve Academy (1959-1968), Frank was a scholar, teacher and creative spirit whose impact on the lives of his students and community was profound. Frank graduated from the College of Wooster, where he met his beloved wife of 62 years, Lorraine. Together, they shared a life filled with creativity, writing musicals, restoring a Victorian home and founding the Power of the Pen writing program, which has inspired countless young writers. Known for his passion for the humanities, he was also a published author and an accomplished pianist and composer. Frank’s contributions to education, the arts and his family will be remembered with love and gratitude. His legacy continues to inspire all who had the privilege to know him.
Board of Trustees
Martin D Franks ’68
Nathaniel E Leonard ’82 Co-Presidents
Special Trustees
Suzanne Walker Buck P ’24 Head of School
Susie Dix
Board of Visitors
Allison L Cole ’93 Co-Chair
Alumni Association Board
Chad A Jasiunas ’93 President
Stephan W. Cole ’66
Vice President
John M Fowler ’67
Treasurer
Mark J Welshimer ’69
Secretary
Daniel H. Bayly ’65
Meredith Broadbent ’77
Suzanne Day ’87
Thomas E. Dunn ’84
Warren W Farr III ’80
Dagmar F. Fellowes ’75
Philip E Franz ’00
John P Hewko ’75
Clifton D. Hood ’72
Michael A Johnson ’84
Jeffrey E Johnston ’89
Alana McClanahan Joiner ’02
Dale G Kramer ’70
Cecily P. Maguire ’78
Anne Cacioppo Manganaro ’75
Tucker H Marshall ’95
Priya B. Maseelall ’92
Marcia Prewitt Spiller
Michael O Russell ’05
Tianhao Barnabas Wang ’15
Timothy R Warner ’69
Kathleen A Wood ’02
Anthony Wynshaw-Boris ’73
Parents@WRA Co-President
Stephanie Schneider Parents@WRA Co-President
Chad Jasiunas ’93 Alumni Association Board President
Trustee Emeriti
Peter S. Hellman ’68
David M Hunter ’68
Robert T Michael ’60
Andrew R. Midler ’79
John D Ong
Mark R. Tercek ’75
Hayes B. Gladstone ’79 Co-Chair
Lauren M Anderson ’97
William C Austin ’06
Angela D. Carrano ’86
Oliver R P Curtiss ’11
Annetta M Hewko ’78
Peter W. Howard ’64
Emily H Kalis ’12
John G. Kirk (Emeritus)
Lorraine Debose Montgomery ’93
Gregory Pennington ’71
Benjamin W. Perks ’60
Ahmad Raza ’08
Richard M Sands ’78
Thomas D. Schlobohm ’99
Thomas F Seligson ’69
Charles L Tramel II ’79
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