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Inspired to Teach Eyewitness to History Reunion and Commencement For Alumni, Parents & Friends of Westminster School
A view of the recently completed new entranceway to Cushing Hall.
3On the cover, left to right, faculty members A-men Rasheed, Mary Pat Gritzmacher, Michael Cervas P’96,’01,’10, Peter Newman ’80, Mark de Kanter ’91 and Jill Loveland who are featured in an article about teaching at Westminster beginning on page 12.
TRUSTEES 2011-2012 John S. Armour ’76 Emeritus Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. Elisabeth M. Armstrong P’04, ’06, ’07 Cherry Hills Village, Colo. Beth Cuda Baker P’09, ’12, ’15 New Canaan, Conn. Susan Werner Berenson ’82 Bethesda, Md. C. Andrew Brickman ’82 Hinsdale, Ill. Daniel Burke III ’87 Winchester, Mass. Trinette T. Cheng P’08, ’11, ’13 Kowloon, Hong Kong Abram Claude Jr. ’46, P’71, ’80, ’84, GP’02 Emeritus North Salem, N.Y.
David E. Griffith ’72, P’06, ’10 New Hope, Pa.
Moyahoena N. Ogilvie ’86 West Hartford, Conn.
David H. Hovey Jr. ’78, P’09, ’11, ’14 Ex officio Simsbury, Conn.
J. Pierce O’Neil ’76, P’10, ’12 New Canaan, Conn.
Leigh A. Hovey P’09, ’11, ’14 Ex officio Simsbury, Conn. Jeffrey E. Kelter P’12, ’14 Locust Valley, N.Y. Bernhard L. Kohn III ’92 Los Angeles, Calif. George C. Kokulis P’07, ’12 Simsbury, Conn. Seonyong Lee P’08, ’09, ’13 Seoul, Korea Peter B. Leibinger ’86 Schwieberdingen, Germany
John A. Cosentino Jr. P’00 Simsbury, Conn.
Scott B. McCausland ’87, P’14 Ex officio Burlington, Conn.
Lori P. Durham P’13, ’15 Denver, Colo.
Andrew D. McCullough Jr. ’87 Houston, Texas
William C. Egan III ’64, P’92, ’95, ’00, ’02 Emeritus Skillman, N.J.
Charles B. Milliken P’77 Emeritus Bloomfield, Conn.
Colin S. Flinn ’82 Sanibel, Fla. Joseph L. Gitterman III ’55, P’86, ’90 Emeritus Washington Depot, Conn.
T. Treadway Mink Jr. ’77, P’11 Chairman of the Board New Canaan, Conn. Anne K. Moran P’06, ’09, ’12 Unionville, Pa. John C. Niles ’81, P’14 Marblehead, Mass.
William V.N. Philip P’06, ’09 Headmaster Ex officio Simsbury, Conn. C. Bradford Raymond ’85 New York, N.Y. Allan A. Ryan IV ’78, P’06, ’07, ’12 Palm Beach, Fla. John Sherwin Jr. ’57, P’83, ’89 Emeritus Waite Hill, Ohio N. Louis Shipley ’81 Andover, Mass. C. Evan Stewart ’70, P’11 New York, N.Y. Samuel Thorne ’46, P’74, ’76 Emeritus Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. Gregory F. Ugalde P’05, ’07, ’10, ’12 Burlington, Conn.
WESTMINSTER BULLETIN FALL 2011 Published by:
Westminster School 995 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury, CT 06070 (860) 408-3000 This magazine is produced twice a year by the Marketing & Communications Office. Address Class Notes to:
Beth Soycher Westminster School P.O. Box 337 Simsbury, CT 06070-0377 Or submit via e-mail: alumninotes@westminster-school.org E-mail for address change ONLY: dribaudo@westminster-school.org Westminster School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin or sexual orientation in administration of its education policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other schooladministered programs. EDITOR Darlene Skeels, Director of Publications and Communications dskeels@westminster-school.org DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Ken Mason
Armistead C.G. Webster Ph.D. Hartford, Conn.
PHOTOGRAPHY Richard Bergen, Newell Grant ’99, Ken Mason, Chip Riegel ’90, Darlene Skeels, Scott Stevens and David Werner ’80
Sara L. Whiteley ’91 West Chatham, Mass.
CLASS NOTES COORDINATOR Beth Soycher
D. Scott Wise P’11 New York, N.Y.
DESIGN John Johnson Art Direction & Design Collinsville, Conn.
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inside Headmaster’s Message
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Commencement 2011
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Supporting Westminster . . . . . . 50
Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Martlets on the Move . . . . . . . . . 61
Inspired to Teach . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Eyewitness to History . . . . . . . . . 20
Closing Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
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Reunion 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
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Supporting Westminster
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Reunion Page . . . . . . . . . . 28
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Class Notes Page . . . . 64
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Dear Members of the Westminster family, Usually, upon entering the Headmaster’s Study in Keyes House, alumni from across the different eras of our school’s history pause for a moment to scan the space, recalling where “the desk“ was when they were students. Veteran alumni, whose memories span the tenures of a few headmasters, invariably chuckle, commenting that “the desk” seems to circle the room from one headmaster to the next. The metaphor captured in this observation conjures the image of headmasters riding a carousel while reaching for a brass ring symbolizing our school’s enduring values. Apparently, Prof. Milliken and Pete Keyes positioned “the desk” in the same space where it rests now, bracketed by the two windows looking out onto the Sixth Form Lawn, with the fireplace and the door to admissions to the right and the door to the dining room in Cushing to the left. Don Werner’s desk was against the wall opposite the fireplace, looking towards the door to admissions. Graham Cole moved “the desk” in front of the bookcase along the study wall shared with the dining room. Both my daughters are history of art majors, as was my wife, Jenny, my mother and even my mother-in-law. Among the many lessons they have taught me, is that decorative elements, while pleasing visually, also offer opportunities to convey significant symbolic messages. Today, you’ll find hanging above the fireplace in the Headmaster’s Study a beautiful Ogden Pleissner painting of the Farmington Valley, as seen from Williams Hill in the middle of the 20th century. This pastoral view extends for miles across the valley’s open farmland, far beyond the confines of Williams Hill. Pleissner’s painting, while capturing the stunning beauty of our setting, also serves as a reminder of our fundamental purpose as a school: that every single lesson — whether in the classroom, the art studio, the gym or an advisor’s home — is about preparation for a meaningful, productive life in the world beyond Williams Hill. On the mantle beneath this painting rest some of our most prestigious end-of-year awards: the Keyes Bowl, the Wilbraham Bowl, the Fourth Form Bowl, the Butler Bowl and the Bruyette Bowl. In different ways, these awards celebrate qualities of character worthy of distinction at our commencement ceremonies. While the academic lessons we teach remain very important, our aspiration as a school extends well beyond the classroom, as we seek to prepare young men and women to make a meaningful difference
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with their lives. By positioning these prize bowls in such a prominent location, I hope to emphasize the importance of the personal qualities which they celebrate in fulfilling our ambitious institutional aspiration. Whitney Powel, who hails from Cleveland, Ohio, was this year’s recipient of the Keyes Bowl, which was established by the Class of 1966 and is presented annually to a Sixth Former to recognize the qualities of loyalty, courage, leadership and humility. Described as an “everyday leader,” someone who sets a positive tone for each and every situation she finds herself in, Whitney’s loyalty to Westminster runs very deep and could be seen in the way that she represented the school in public settings, such as admissions receptions and revisit day panels, and also in private moments when she helped a younger student who was having a tough day or worked with others on the Prefect Board to confront a difficult situation. Highly respected by peers and faculty alike, she accomplished a great deal without ever bringing attention to herself or her many contributions to the school. Although the details differ, Whitney’s story echoes the stories of the other recipients whose names are engraved on the Keyes Bowl, including not incidentally faculty colleagues Peter Newman ’80, Chip Riegel ’90 and Michele Hatchette ’05, as well as our new Board Chair, Tread Mink ’77, all of whom won this award as students. Beyond the names of the recipients, this award resonates across our school community, since it reflects our school’s mission and core values of character, balance, involvement and community as well as our motto of Grit and Grace. Yes, we want Westminster students to excel in English, mathematics, science, history, language and arts, but we especially want them to excel as human beings. No matter the location of “the desk” as it circles the Headmaster’s Study, this enduring aspiration continues to distinguish Westminster School. In fact, it is my conviction that our nation and our world could use quite a bit more of the values celebrated so intentionally at this special school. In the spirit of Grit and Grace, Jenny and I extend to you our very best wishes!
William V.N. Philip P’06, ’09
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Winner of National Book Award for Poetry Visits as 11th Westminster Poet Terrance Hayes, winner of the prestigious National Book Award for Poetry in 2010, visited Westminster on April 11 and 12 as the 11th Westminster Poet. During an evening reading in the Werner Centennial Center, he read poems from his four award-winning books, and the following morning, he talked with dozens of English classes about his life and work as a poet. Terrance is a professor of creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and is the author of “Wind in a Box” (2006), “Hip Logic” (2002), “Muscular Music” (1999) and “Lighthead” (2010), which won the National Book Award. His other honors include a Whiting Writers Award, the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, a National Poetry Series award, a Pushcart Prize, three Best American Poetry selections and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Terrance was also featured recently in several fashion spreads in GQ and the New York Times. As last year’s Westminster Poet, Tony Hoagland, said, “Terrance is a very hot poet right now.” During his reading, Terrance discussed how most of his poems are about music and people. He also spoke about his interest in persona poems and how this stemmed from doing many impersonations as a youth. “A lot of what I am interested in is persona, projecting part of your identity or someone else’s identity,” he told the audience. “There is no one answer to what is going on in a poem. All kinds of things are happening. Multiplicity is what I like about poems.” “Terrance Hayes was fun to listen to because he made sure to engage everyone in the audience,” said Morgan Rubin ’13. “He loved it when people laughed and asked questions about his poems, and the stories behind each poem were really interesting.” “His poetic brilliance was apparent as he recited his favorite poems from his four books, but the most endearing aspects of his reading were his witty humor and his ability to captivate his teenage audience,” added Rosie Williams ’12. “He gave us insight into his poetic process, which enlightened us about what goes through a poet’s mind.” When Terrance visited English classes on Tuesday, he talked about growing up in South Carolina, his love of Scrabble and why he writes about the subjects he does. Students took advantage of the opportunity to ask him questions about poems they read in class and why he wrote
them. “I want to connect all that I do to poetry,” he explained. “I hope when you have finished reading a poet’s work, you have a sense of the poet’s relationship to the world. My poems come from my relationship to language.” “I loved being able to ask Terrence Hayes questions about his poetry that we studied in English,” said Sarah Holmes ’13, who read “Hip Logic” in Fourth Form English. “The fact that he was so candid about sharing his inspirations with us made his visit not only educational but also really fun.” “Terrance Hayes is exactly the kind of poet the English Department had in mind when we began the Westminster Poetry Series 12 years ago,” said Michael Cervas P’96,’01,’10, head of the English Department. “He’s an incredibly accomplished poet who happens also to be an excellent reader of his own poems and an engaging teacher. Studying poetry will always be challenging for high school students, but poets like Terrance Hayes make it all worthwhile. There was definitely a buzz around the school during and after Terrance’s visit, and that’s precisely what the English Department hopes will happen every year.” Terrance’s Westminster visit was made possible through support from the Ford-Goldfarb Fund, which was established in 2005 by former trustee Maureen FordGoldfarb and her daughter Kirsten Ford ’00 to support English Department enrichment activities.
Left, Terrance Hayes discusses poetry with students and, below, gives a reading in the Werner Centennial Center.
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Faculty Member Publishes Second Book of Poems Michael Cervas’ newest book of poems, “Captivated,” was published in June by Antrim House. In the book, Michael, who serves as head of the Westminster English Department, “pulls out all the stops” according to his publisher, the poet Rennie McQuilkin. “As in his earlier book, ‘Inside the Box’ (2007), readers are given splendid poems in which history, science, foreign culture and sport are metaphors for essential truth, but now there is an even greater admixture of hilarity and irony, increased emotional depth and a series of love poems to die for, though beneath it all, a current of melancholy runs deep.” In his review of “Captivated,” former Westminster faculty member Brian Ford writes, “Cervas’ own experience, from the house on Thorn Drive outside Pittsburgh where he grew up, to the nuns who taught him, to the squash courts of the school where he works, informs the collection from beginning to end. The opening poem takes place in the woods near that boyhood home, the final, title poem takes place in the landscape, 300
years ago, of the school where he teaches. The interior landscapes, however, from the boy’s mingled sense of safety and fear to the memories and regrets of a son and father and lover to the responses of a European traveler, range across the universe and into the ‘omphalos’ of ancient Greece, Delphi. And always one sees because he saw, and thought, and found words. “Cervas is capable of wild humor, deep, private tenderness and the wonders of world history. Always what one is struck by most, whatever the subject and whatever turns a poem takes from where it starts, is the eye for this painful Eden we inhabit in all its cryptic freedom.” Besides teaching English, Michael directs Westminster’s Poetry Series as well as the Friday Night Readings Series. Anyone who wishes to purchase an autographed copy of “Captivated” should send Michael an e-mail at mcervas@westminster-school.org.
Students Recognized in National Merit Scholarship Competition The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced in the spring that Sixth Former Hannah Ford was selected as the winner of a corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship award titled the National Merit Aon Corporation Scholarship, sponsored by the Aon Foundation. Hannah was among the first group of winners in the 56th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Approximately 1,000 distinguished high school seniors won corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards financed by about 200 corporations, company foundations and other business organizations. Scholars were selected from students who advanced to the Finalist level in the National Merit Scholarship competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors. Sixth Former Jacob Lee was also a Finalist in the competition. During Hannah’s Westminster career, she earned high honors and honors each term and was named an AP Scholar with Honor. She was very active in Dramat, sang in the school’s choirs, and was a member of the Student Music Organization and Improv Club. She received the J. Lawrence Gilman Award for Achievement in Music and Participation in Musical Activities, and the Burdett Prize for Achievement in the Study of French. She also played junior varsity softball for two years. She is attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where she is studying acting. Jacob achieved high honors every term and was named an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Latin Exam Gold Medalist. He received the Excellence in Chemistry Award, the Excellence in Asian History Award, the Excellence in Science Award, the Harvard-Radcliffe Book Prize and the Richard K. LeBlond II Honor Award. He also served as editor in chief of the Westminster News, and was a member of the John Hay Society, Black and Gold and the Debate Club. A recipient of the Squibb Bowl, he served as captain of First Boys’ Cross Country and participated in First Boys’ Squash. He is attending Princeton University.
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Soledad O’Brien Delivers Keynote Address at Diversity Day Broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien kicked off Westminster’s Diversity Day on April 28 with a keynote address about diversity and how diversity is woven into her breaking news coverage around the globe and her awardwinning documentaries. “Diversity is the wider circle; it is everybody’s individual story,” she told the audience of students and faculty in the Werner Centennial Center. “What I have found wherever I have gone is that human beings are much more similar than dissimilar. I have opportunities to tell stories of our shared humanity. My job is to capture that humanity. Diversity is how we are all pretty much the same in different ways. I want people to say, ‘That story is so much about me.’” She also explained that because the United States is undergoing such rapid change, diversity is a key element in every story she covers. “Diversity is about what it means to be an American today,” she said. “My focus is to increase understanding and awareness and improve lives.” Soledad shared some of her history growing up as the daughter of a white Australian father and a black Cuban mother, and some highlights of her more than 20 years as a journalist. In closing, she told the students, “Everyone in this room has the opportunity for a great education. You have a
responsibility to use it. You can’t be the person who stands by.” Following the presentation, Soledad, who is married to Westminster trustee Brad Raymond ’85, answered questions from the audience, met with faculty members and signed copies of her critically acclaimed memoir, “The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities.” A graduate of Harvard, Soledad is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN’s “In America” documentary unit, which has won awards for documentaries that include “Black in America 1” and “2,” “Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assassination,” “Rescued,” and “Latino in America.” She also is the author of the book “Latino in America.” She has received numerous awards including an Emmy, the George Foster Peabody for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina, the Alfred I. DuPont for her coverage of the tsunami in Southeast Asia and the Gracie Allen for reporting on the IsraeliHezbollah conflict. The National Association of Black Journalists named her the 2010 Journalist of the Year. A team of 50 students and eight faculty members worked throughout the academic year to plan Diversity Day, which included morning and afternoon group sessions for faculty and students. Students broke into groups to discuss socialization, stereotypes,
Soledad O’Brien.
race and ethnicity, and gender and sexuality, while faculty heard from guest speakers Sheri Schmidt, director of equity and social justice at The Ethel Walker School, and Joan Edwards, diversity, inclusion and cultural competency advisor at Kingswood Oxford School, who also works in admissions there. The day ended with everyone gathering in the Werner Centennial Center for closing comments and to view a student video about diversity.
During Diversity Day, left to right, students and faculty talk with Soledad O’Brien about her memoir, student posters about diversity are available for viewing in the Armour Academic Center, and students and faculty who planned the day meet briefly.
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Davis Scholars Bring New Perspectives Westminster welcomed Davis Scholars from Moldova and Egypt in about it,” said Ahmed about receiving the news of his Westminster 2010-2011, the third year of the program on campus. admission. “It was a good opportunity, and I just had to go.” Dima Kaigorodov ’12, who is from the Republic of Moldova, While living in Cairo, Ahmed attended high school at Misr American “wanted new ideas and perspectives,” so he sought avenues to study in College. Outside of school, his focus was squash, which he began playing the United States. With his family’s support, he successfully applied to “by luck” at age 9. During a visit with his cousin, who is a professional the Davis Scholars Program and arrived at Westminster just before school squash player, Ahmed’s father suggested that Ahmed learn to play started in September 2010. squash, which he did. “I didn’t fully believe it until I came here,” “My father always encouraged me to play said Dima. “I thought maybe it was just a but without any pressure,” explained Ahmed. “He dream.” He had never visited the United States told me it is not about winning or losing; it is just before and had only seen pictures of about playing sports.” But win Ahmed did. In Westminster from its Web site. “When I arrived, 2010, he was ranked No. 2 in Egypt under 17. I was very surprised by how big the campus is,” And as a Martlet this past year, he helped the he added. “It is even better than the pictures.” First Boys' Squash team have their best outing Previously, Dima, who speaks Russian, ever at the Class A New England Championships, Romanian and English, had attended a small coming in an impressive second place behind Taft. public Romanian school in Chisinau, the capital Ahmed went undefeated for the entire season of Moldova, and spent much of his free time and won the No. 1 flight to bring a New England playing basketball. Championship to the Hill. “I felt very proud and Dima Kaigorodov ’12 and Ahmed Abdel “I like different cultures and to learn from honored to play for Westminster,” he said. Khalek ’12. them,” said Dima. “I am pretty flexible in that “Everyone at Westminster is very helpful, way.” He credits his older brother, who studied in and the school day is very organized,” he added. the United States for a year, for prompting his interest in studying abroad. “I have made some really good friends.” But Ahmed did feel extremely Dima has visited the Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and anxious during the political uprising in Egypt earlier this year, even though Belarus to play in basketball tournaments. his family was safe and living 30 minutes outside of Cairo. “I really “I am very happy at Westminster,” said Dima, who likes math and wanted to be there,” he said. played football, basketball and lacrosse his first year on the Hill. “I have Dima and Ahmed joined three other Davis Scholars at Westminster had a lot of fun, but I also worked a lot. I can’t judge if I am a different from India, Vietnam and West Africa. For 2011-2012, two new scholars person, but probably so. Everyone is so nice and this is a very welcoming have just arrived from Slovakia and Bulgaria. environment.” Westminster was one of five boarding schools selected to Ahmed Abdel Khalek ’12, who lives in Cairo, Egypt, first heard about participate in the Davis Scholars Program, which is designed to increase Westminster School while playing squash in the U.S. Junior Open Squash and diversify the international and domestic student population of Championships at Trinity College in December 2009, where he placed American independent secondary schools and receives funding from first. It was there that he met Westminster squash coach Peter Doucette the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund. Following Westminster, the and decided to visit Westminster before he returned home. Follow-up scholars have an opportunity to attend college at one of the more than conversations ensued, and he was subsequently invited to participate in 92 Davis United World College Scholars colleges and universities in the the Davis Scholars Program beginning in fall 2010. “I didn’t need to think United States.
First Lecture Begins Series The first public lecture in the Westminster Lecture Series titled “Mother May I? The Significance of the Helen Episode in Virgil’s Aeneid” took place April 22 and featured Latin teacher Maureen Gassert. Two of her Latin students, Grant Kugler ’11 (left in photo) and Jacob Lee ’11 (right) also made major contributions to the evening with their impressive remarks. Numerous faculty members, students and guests filled the Gund Reading Room for the engaging and insightful presentations. The Westminster Lecture Series takes place throughout the academic year and features Westminster faculty members and students.
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Hundreds Turn Out for MS Walk A bright spring morning and a very important cause brought hundreds of people out to participate in the 11th annual Travelers Walk MS hosted by Westminster School on April 10. Before the walkers arrived, Westminster students and faculty took to their volunteer posts at registration tables in the Jackson Hockey Rink, campus parking lots, traffic crossings and rest stops. Volunteers from St. Mary’s Church also staffed a rest stop. Josh Kokulis ’12 and Tyler Mink ’11, who attended many of the walk’s committee meetings, served as the volunteer coordinators during the walk. After registering, the walkers enjoyed light refreshments and entertainment, and then assembled at the starting point outside of the rink. Head Prefect Matt Leach ’11 and Headmaster Bill Philip P’06,’09 welcomed the walkers, Lauren Darnis ’12 and her brother, Franklyn Darnis, sang the national anthem, and fitness instructor Mary Root led the crowd in warm-up exercises. Following a ribbon cutting at 9 a.m., the walkers followed a designated route through Simsbury and back. Upon their return, they had lunch at the rink. Among the walkers were teams named Robbin’s Hood, Peg Leg Petes, Soleburners MS Katers and Team Maureen, groups from Ethel Walker School and Avon Old Farms School, and Westminster faculty and students.
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Longtime English Teacher Barbara Adams Retires After 19 years of full-time teaching, including 16 at Westminster and three in Hawaii, and serving in numerous other roles at Westminster, English teacher Barbara Adams, the holder of the C. Hiram Upson Family Chair, retired in June. Barbara arrived at Westminster in 1970 when her husband, Dick Adams, was appointed to the faculty. They had previously lived in Hawaii, where she had taught English for three years at Punahou School. Before joining the Westminster English Department in 1995, she privately tutored students in reading and writing skills for many years and ran her own communications firm. She also spent decades living on Westminster dormitory corridors with Dick and their children, Megin and Jill ’93. One of Barbara’s favorite parts of teaching English was helping students develop their writing skills, although she is quick to point out that she also loved teaching literature. “The exciting thing for me was to see the progress students made, and I could see that most concretely in their writing skills,” she said. “Private tutoring really influenced my thinking about teaching. I tried to teach writing one-on-one to as many students as possible.” She is especially proud of the way the Westminster English Department prepares students for college. “Alumni came back from college all of the time to say how very well they were prepared in their skills as readers and writers,” she explained. She says another strength of the department is the faculty’s shared enthusiasm for literature. Serving Many Roles In addition to teaching English, Barbara served as the coordinator of the Chapel Program, advisor to The Westminster News and dean of the Class of 2001. As the chapel coordinator and advisor to the John Hay Society for seven years, she saw chapel as a way of expanding everyone’s perspectives in a variety of areas, ranging from learning about different religions to appreciating the varied cultural backgrounds of others. “But the most fun part was helping students develop their chapel talks and practice their delivery to the point where they felt confident and proud of themselves,” she said. As the longtime faculty advisor to The Westminster News, Barbara says she was very conscious of keeping it a student-run newspaper. “There were times when it would have been tempting for me to step in and tell the students they could do something a certain way, or I could have done more rewriting of articles, but I never wanted to do that,” she said. “The quality of the editors over the years was so high that they made my job easier.”
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Looking back at her teaching career, Barbara says her life would not have been half as much fun if she hadn’t spent it immersed in the lives of teenagers. “They made me laugh every day,” she said. “It is just so much fun to see who they are becoming and how they are growing.” She also enjoyed getting to know students from many different countries and backgrounds. Recognized for Supporting Students At this year’s commencement, both Barbara and Dick were named recipients of The O’Brien Award, which annually recognizes a member of the faculty who has, over the course of the year, been “especially selfless and generous with time and care in the nurture and support of students.” And at the closing faculty meeting of the year, Headmaster Bill Philip talked about how committed Barbara has always been to standards, “whether in student writing, by emphasizing syntax or by holding students accountable for their behavior.” He added, “Most importantly, she appreciates the wisdom in the adage of ‘just being there.’ She appreciates that our core values don’t just happen, that they require ongoing cultivation and that this cultivation is not someone else’s responsibility.” Barbara has given a lot of thought to her retirement. Some of the items on her to-do list include serving as a volunteer with the Westminster Crossroads Learning Program in Hartford, spending more time with her two young grandsons, reading, writing, cooking and traveling. She looks forward to a more relaxed schedule and admits she will not miss night and weekend faculty duties. But she plans to be back on campus often. “I will miss my colleagues tremendously,” she said. “That is why I expect to visit campus all of the time next year. The collegiality at Westminster is something rare. There is a shared commitment to the students. The faculty are an exceptional group of people and the tone is so positive.”
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Crossroads Program Becomes an Official Part of Westminster Roughly 10 years after its founding by Westminster faculty member Todd Eckerson P’09, ’11, the Crossroads Cooperative Learning Program (CCLP) officially became part of Westminster School. The new organization will be known as Westminster Crossroads Learning Program in Hartford (WCLP). What will not change is Crossroads’ mission — to serve the needs of students from Hartford, especially Hartford Public High School (HPHS). During a yearlong process, CCLP — which had previously been an independent 501(c)(3) organization to which the school loaned Todd’s services — dissolved itself and transferred its assets. “By coming into Westminster, Crossroads should be on a firmer financial foundation which ought, in turn, to increase the possibility that it will continue to exist,” suggested Todd. “Furthermore, after having done this work for 10 years now, we generally have a much clearer idea about what this sort of program should look like — what the needs are and what works. Becoming a Westminster program also gives us a certain amount of breathing room in order to retool and reinvent ourselves — to make WCLP more efficient and more effective than its predecessor, CCLP. In general, WCLP will seek to get Westminster students and Westminster teachers more involved.” For instance, during this past academic year, David Pringle ’05 was brought onto the faculty as an intern to assist with both CCLP and the Westminster Admissions Office. In his role with Crossroads, David’s duties included
Students use Kindles as a part of WCLP’s English as a Second Language/Adult Literacy Initiative.
spending time working with CCLP’s after-school program at HPHS, and tutoring both at Simpson-Waverly School in Hartford’s North End and at Capital Preparatory Magnet School on Main Street. “Part of the reason David volunteered at these schools was to see what other ways Crossroads might serve Hartford,” offered Todd. Summer and After-School Programs Continue Whatever the future possibilities, WCLP intends to continue the summer enrichment and after-school programs previously offered by CCLP. Again this summer, WCLP took up residence at Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford. WCLP opened its doors at noon for lunch and went until 3 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, for seven weeks. It also added two new initiatives to its approach: Khan Academy and Kindles. Khan Academy is a free online, interactive software program that allows each student to work at his or her own pace in a wide variety of course offerings. In particular, Khan Academy’s mathematics curriculum doubles as a diagnostic tool, helping each student identify his or her strengths or weaknesses and build upon previous knowledge before pushing ahead. It fit perfectly into WCLP’s emphasis on individualized attention. Westminster’s Cole Library lent the majority of the laptop computers that made the initiative possible. Westminster’s Technology Office also shared Kindles with WCLP to help push WCLP’s English as a Second Language/Adult Literacy Initiative in a new direction. HPHS has recently experienced an influx of immigrants. As a result, Crossroads has made learning English a high priority for those in the program for whom learning English is a necessity. This summer, WCLP combined the old-school method involving memorization (of Emily Dickinson poems) with the Kindle’s ability both to turn text into audio and to share books. For the 2011-2012 academic year, Todd looks forward to a robust after-school program at Hartford Public High School. Three key initiatives should continue to provide the core focus: “Walkabouts,” where WCLP
Westminster faculty member Lee Huguley with students at the WCLP summer enrichment program.
faculty/volunteers accompany students on visits to their teachers, thus tracking academic progress; “Sit for SAT” sessions, where tutors help students prepare for the SAT; and college and career planning sessions conducted by Westminster college counselor Peter Newman ’80. A Private School with an Authentic Public Purpose “It humbles me to know that Westminster has taken WCLP into the fold,” reflected Todd. “Westminster Crossroads is a sincere attempt to provide students in Hartford, one of the poorest cities in the nation, with opportunities similar to the ones available to Westminster students. I am grateful to be able to work at a school that extends itself in this way.” Trustee Brad Raymond ’85 and his wife, Soledad O’Brien, have honored Westminster School’s willingness to reach into Hartford through WCLP. Upon the decision by the Board of Trustees to make Crossroads an official Westminster program, The Soledad O’Brien and Brad Raymond Foundation gave $250,000 to Westminster for the benefit of Crossroads. The gift recognizes the idea that Westminster’s definition of community extends past Williams Hill — that Westminster is a private school with an authentic public purpose.
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Season Overviews Sports Information Director Betsy Heckman takes a look back at the extraordinary accomplishments of Westminster teams during the most recent winter and spring athletic seasons.
Winter Westminster teams had one of their most successful winter seasons, one that included five tournament championships and a number of outstanding performances.
FIRST GIRLS’ HOCKEY First Girls’ Hockey repeated as Class A New England Champions after winning their own Westminster Invitational Tournament over the winter break. In order to take home their second New England Championship, the Martlets defeated a tough Noble and Greenough School squad 3-1 in the finals. Amanda Boulier ’11 was named to the First Team All-New England for Division I, and Carmen MacDonald was named MVP of the New England Tournament. In addition, Amanda Boulier and Sydney Daniels ’13 won gold medals representing the United States on the U18 National Team in the World Championships. FIRST BOYS’ HOCKEY The First Boys’ Hockey team also won its holiday tournament, the prestigious Flood-Marr Tournament, a feat that Westminster had not accomplished since 2000. The team qualified for the New England Large School Earl-Martin Championship, which they won with a 5-2 victory over Governor’s Academy. Patrick Spano ’12 earned the honor of being named All-New England goalie. FIRST GIRLS’ SQUASH In squash, the First Girls’ team won the Class B New England Championship. Cricket di Galoma ’14 won the No. 6 flight and Christi DeSimone ’12 won the No. 3 flight. FIRST BOYS’ SQUASH First Boys’ Squash competed in the Class A tournament and came in second, its best finish ever. Jacob Lee ’11 took the No. 6 flight and Ahmed Abdel Khalek ’12 went undefeated for the season and won the No. 1 flight, establishing himself as the undisputed best player in New England. The First Boys’ team also earned eighth place in the United States High School Team Nationals. The team’s second place finish at New Englands (two weeks after the high school nationals) put it ahead of Brunswick, which was ranked fifth in the U.S. and third in New England, and Belmont Hill, which was ranked fourth in the U.S., and fourth in New England. Two Martlet lower teams also could boast undefeated seasons, Second Boys’ Squash and Second Girls’ Hockey. 10
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Spring Despite a rainy spring, the spring athletic season turned out to be one of the best ever for Westminster teams. FIRST SOFTBALL For the second year in a row, First Softball completed an undefeated season, resulting in a 34-game win streak. Led by pitcher Brittany Sutton ’11, Amanda Boulier ’11, Rachel Farrel ’11 and Carmen MacDonald ’11, this team has had an impressive run. They have earned four consecutive Class A Western New England Championships and five consecutive Founders League Titles, compiling an overall record of 63-1 in the last four years. This season, pitching ace Brittany Sutton averaged 11 strikeouts per game, pitched three no hitters and a perfect game, and allowed only four earned runs. FIRST BOYS’ LACROSSE With a 9-5 victory over Hotchkiss in what turned out to be the Founders League championship game, First Boys’ Lacrosse secured the title by going 7-0 in the league and winning it outright for the first time since 1996. Led by captains Brad Woodruff ’11, Nick Thompson ’11, Burt McGillivray ’11 and Taylor Paul ’11, the Martlets compiled an impressive 10-3 record overall. Highlights of the season included a double overtime victory against Avon and other exciting wins over Loomis, Trinity-Pawling, Taft, Kent and Choate. FIRST GIRLS’ TENNIS The First Girls’ Tennis team had one of its best seasons in a number of years with big wins over Taft, Choate and Loomis. The No. 1 doubles team of Carolyn Zimmer ’11 and Katherine Kelter ’14 earned the best record on the team by going undefeated for the season and only dropping one set all spring. While the team’s overall record was 9-5, the first winning season in five years for the squad, four of the losses were by a 3-4 margin, proving how competitive the team was against all of its opponents. BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD The Boys’ Track and Field squad compiled a winning record and a number of outstanding individual performances. Most spectacular was Chris Sailor ’11 setting a new school record in the triple, before he succumbed to a season-ending injury at the Founders League Tournament. This kept Chris from competing in New Englands, where he surely would have been a favorite.
Visit www.westminster-school.org/scores for the latest game results and team schedules or scan this QR code with your smartphone.
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Inspired to Teach ★
The role of a teacher at Westminster is not circumscribed by his or her time with students in the classroom. Teaching is a part of every aspect of life on Williams Hill, and it takes place 24/7. A brief look at the career paths of six Westminster faculty members, one from each academic department, reveals what attracts them to working in a boarding school community where they have multi-dimensional relationships with students, how their students continually inspire them and how they endeavor to stretch students in new directions every day.
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Michael Cervas P’96, ’01 ’10 HEAD OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Chance played a big role in Michael Cervas becoming a teacher 33 years ago. When he and his wife, Deb, were expecting their first child and he was in graduate school at Brown University, he interviewed for his first teaching job at Cincinnati Country Day School (CCDS), when a friend got cold feet about interviewing for the position. Michael was offered the job and soon determined that teaching high school, rather than becoming a college professor, was what he wanted to do. “Part of the allure was that at an independent school, you can be involved in so many different aspects of the lives of children,” he said. “You eat with them, you moderate clubs to which they belong and you coach them at different ages.” After eight years at CCDS, Michael sought an opportunity as the head of an English Department and was invited to apply for that position at Westminster, following the departure of longtime English Department head Gordon McKinley P’75. “I was absolutely blown away by the character of the people at Westminster, my colleagues especially,” said Michael. “I liked the students from the very beginning too, and it was a perfect place for my own children. You hear about Westminster’s core values all of the time, but the community part of it was really important. I felt it was a very special place, where I could be me. It was big enough to have a fair amount of diversity and small enough to have a common purpose. It is hard to imagine I could have stayed anywhere else for 25 years.” Over the years, Michael, the father of three Westminster graduates, Josh ’96, Emily Autumn ’01 and Anne ’10, has coached many sports and taught almost every level of English. He thrives on the dynamic nature of the classroom. He especially enjoys
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working with students who are 13, 14 and 15 years old. “Teaching is like playing jazz,” he said. “You have to be able to improvise. What happens at any given moment is based on a very complex dynamic of improvisation: listening to the kids, listening inside of your mind to different parts of you and what is going on at that moment, and all of that is centered on an idea or a text or a set of texts that we are looking at. I love the complexity and the subtlety of it.” His classroom discussions are lively, involve the rapid exchange of ideas and include humor as an important ingredient. “I need to know my students are challenged and are learning the skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking they will need in order to move forward in college and in life,” he explained. “I also need to know they are having fun doing that.” Michael says that when he was a student, teachers who were passionate about what they were doing inspired him. “The teachers whom I admired were able to engage us so that we felt we were a part of that process too,” he said. “The students were contributing to the ongoing task of learning and that kind of enthusiasm and excitement generates fun.” What particularly appeals to Michael about teaching at Westminster is the opportunity to have great conversations and moments with students in nonacademic environments. “In a boarding school, learning and
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teaching happens 24/7,” he said. “Sometimes the teaching has to be pretty direct and other times it is just the conversations that happen between adults and kids that are important. Those conversations happen at family-style meals, when you are coaching, during practices and games or when you are playing music together. We give our students a chance to interact with really interesting, thoughtful and good adults. They are people you would want your children to model their lives after. Our students also see us as spouses, parents, pet owners, artists and athletes, and I think it is very valuable for them to learn that being a complete person involves so many different parts of humanity.” Michael doesn’t feel his perspectives about teaching have changed much over the years. “I like to think I spend a fair amount of time thinking about my teaching, so I read books and articles about pedagogy,” he said. “In all of the essential ways, however, I am about the same now as I was 30 years ago. As a young teacher, I had just as much high energy and believed the same sorts of things that I believe right now. I have learned a little bit more about what works and what doesn’t work, but my attempt to engage kids in honest thinking about who they are, how the world works and what language and literature do would be basically the same. I am a different person because of my experiences, but I think those ideals have stayed the same.”
Mary Pat Gritzmacher HISTORY TEACHER
When she was growing up, history teacher Mary Pat Gritzmacher always thought about becoming a teacher. Her mother was a teacher and her father, who is a physician, taught medical students. Mary Pat also enjoyed spending part of her senior year in high school working on a special project in elementary school classrooms. As an undergraduate at Yale, she decided to pursue teaching and earned a bachelor’s degree in history, completed a teacher preparation program and earned a Connecticut secondary teaching license. She also was an All-American diver and coached diving at her former high school, Hopkins School. It was while coaching there that she met Westminster faculty member Mark de Kanter ’91 at a swim meet and learned about an opening at Westminster for a history teacher and a diving coach. She applied and joined the Westminster faculty in 2000. Today, Mary Pat teaches AP United States History and Modern World History, and is a corridor supervisor in Andrews House, with her husband, science teacher Grant Gritzmacher. They have two young children, Nathan, 3, and Addie, 1. “I love interacting with the students,” said Mary Pat.
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“Those interactions obviously include watching them learn and helping them grow in the history classroom, but my favorite thing is to teach them writing.” Students are required to write research papers and essays in all of her classes. “I love working with them individually on their writing and seeing their skills develop,” she said. “They learn how to write persuasive and analytical essays built from strong thesis statements, and concrete and immediate progression is discernable. It is also the most work. The best gift I can give them is to help them to become strong writers.” Mary Pat says her students inspire her every day with fresh ideas and questions. “There are new things all of the time in the classroom, and I try to get the students to do as much of the work and the talking as possible,” she said. “I try to vary class activities throughout the period and the week so that there are as many different opportunities as possible for them to be fully engaged in the learning process. In a class about the Great Depression, we might discuss the New Deal, see a short video about Franklin D. Roosevelt and break into pairs to discuss the Depression, the Works Progress Administration and the Wagner Act. Students will then share their ideas with the rest of the class, and I will highlight the main ideas with a PowerPoint.” Mary Pat says conversations that begin in her classroom often continue outside of class. “Students often stop me in the hallway or send me an e-mail saying they have found a piece of data or a video that shows something about a particular discussion we had in class,” she explained. “This could happen at any school, but given all the contacts I have with them during the day, from meals, to the dorms, to study
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Mark de Kanter ’91 SCIENCE TEACHER
hall at night, I often find myself discussing history with students throughout the day.” As an advisor and corridor supervisor, Mary Pat says her emphasis with students often varies with the student’s form level. “With Third Formers, I help them adjust and navigate through the early part of Westminster and boarding life,” she said. “Sometimes it is the small things, like never having had a roommate before or never living away from home. At the start of the year, I begin by encouraging them to ask their roommate how their day was. Grant and I also have the boys on our corridor over for weekly feeds at our apartment so they get to know each other well. As my advisees get older, my relationship with them becomes even closer.” She says a frequent topic of conversation with all of her advisees is about Westminster’s expectations for students, both in the classroom and in the school community. “As faculty members, we absolutely push them, help them and guide them,” she said. “We have high standards in terms of personal interactions, and this is one of the things that makes Westminster such a wonderful place.”
Mark de Kanter originally planned to go to medical school after college but decided he would try teaching for a couple of years before applying. He credits part of this decision to Westminster faculty member Todd Eckerson P’09, ’11, who had made a presentation about the merits of teaching to seniors at Williams College when Mark was a student there. After graduating from Williams, Mark took a teaching position at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Mass., and says he “became addicted” to figuring out ways to make the material he found so fascinating, interesting to students. After working at Eaglebrook for two years, he accepted a position in the fall of 1997 at Westminster, his alma mater, to teach chemistry and coach swimming. “I immediately had connections with students since my brothers, Nate ’95 and Seth ’97, had recently graduated,” said Mark, who had attended Westminster as a day student from 1987 to 1991. Currently, Mark teaches AP Biology, Chemistry and Biology and coaches cross country and swimming. He also serves as an advisor to the EcoTeam. He lives in a faculty home with his wife, faculty member Kathleen Devaney, and their two children, Emmett and Samantha. Over the years, he has taught numerous levels of physics, chemistry and biology classes, served as a corridor supervisor in four dormitories and served as the head coach of three sports. “One thing I enjoy about teaching science is that you need to stay current in the field; you can’t sit back on what you understand or how you understand things,” he said. “Every year, I try to revise my lesson plans and how I present material based on new understandings that have been made in the field. You can recreate yourself as a teacher every year, every semester and every class if you want to. You don’t
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As a coach of cross country and swimming, Mark brings lessons from the classroom to practice, often explaining the physiology of certain exercises. He also believes both sports involve a lot of self-discovery and goal setting. “In cross country, I try to explain to my runners why we are doing everything we do, so by the end of the season, I can be the lead runner rather than the coach,” he said. “In some ways, that is the way I want it in the classroom. I want to be the lead student or a resource for them. The only distinction between us is that I have been at it longer.” Mark is a firm believer in the value of Westminster students getting to see their teachers each day in many settings, something he experienced as a student on the Hill. “We are a specialized society where people get pigeonholed into roles,” he explained. “There are roles for students and there are roles for teachers, and you can only imagine people existing in one context. Our students get to see the faculty with their families, as people with opinions and interacting in the community in many different ways. This environment presents opportunities for informal interactions and effective role modeling. The differences between students and faculty are primarily about experience. I like to make the connection of teacher and student as people.”
A-men Rasheed have to do things the way you have done them before. There is a lot of autonomy in the classroom that is wonderful.” He finds his interactions with students invigorating. “They are not yet defensive about not knowing things and are willing to take risks,” he explained. “They have lots of questions and wonder. They know there are a lot of things they don’t understand, and they want to understand them better.” Mark says the ability to do group work in science classes helps students make the transition from seeing themselves as receivers of information to becoming analyzers and synthesizers of information. “I think students motivate each other when they are able to work together collaboratively,” he said. “I frequently ask them to start by talking with their peers about a topic and then roll into talking to the entire class. In AP Biology, for example, I try to get them up in front of the class every day and try to remove myself as the imparter of information. I teach them to have voices and to believe they can be the expert on a topic.” He is constantly amazed by the capabilities of his students. “This generation faces a lot of challenges, especially with overwhelming amounts of technology, but they move very easily in that realm, while also having a lot of enthusiasm for trying to understanding their world better,” he said.
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DIRECTOR OF THEATER
A-men Rasheed is relatively new to teaching in a boarding school environment. Now in his second year at Westminster as director of theater, he teaches Introduction to Theater, an independent study in play writing, and an English elective about adapting short stories for the stage or screen. He also directs Westminster’s theater productions.
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He earned his M.F.A at New York University and spent much of his career before joining Westminster as a performing artist, theater director and master acting teacher in schools and workshop settings. “I am inspired when I see students do work in the classroom and transfer that into performance,” he said. “Sometimes this transition takes longer than we want, but when it happens, it is the most incredible experience to observe.” He says it is natural for students to have a fear about breaking through their inhibitions when acting. “I tell them they have my permission to jump in and be as wild as they want to be, but I can’t really force a student to break that barrier. Continually reinforcing and guiding them in as gentle a way as possible makes it easier.” He says his approach to teaching has evolved over the years. “When I first started teaching, I was more apt to supply the tools for my students, but as my training as an actor and my teaching experiences advanced, I learned to take the back seat and see what is being proposed and work on pulling that out,” he explained. “I don’t want students to be a puppet for someone telling them this is how and why they should do something on stage. They need to have their own voice heard. Once they make that connection, I keep them rooted in themselves and any text we are working on.” As a corridor supervisor in Memorial Hall, a boys’ dormitory where he lives with his wife, Jessica, and their infant son, Kareum, A-men often finds himself connecting events that occurred during the school day to his conversations with students in his dormitory. “If I see someone who gave a great chapel talk, I will go to his room later and commend him on that and find out where he came up with the idea,” he said. “When students give us insight into who they are, we are able to get to know them a little better. I make it a point to reach out to them and tell them how much they inspired me and taught me something about myself. There is not a day where I can’t learn something about someone.”
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Jill Loveland MATH TEACHER
Jill Loveland’s first teaching experience took place while she was studying for her master’s degree in mathematics at the State University of New York at Binghamton when she taught remedial math to other students. Following graduate school, she worked in actuarial sciences for a large insurance company and as a computer programmer for an international consulting firm. She later returned to the academic world to earn a teaching certification in secondary mathematics and then began teaching SAT classes and tutoring at local public and private schools, including Westminster. In 1998, she joined the Westminster faculty and currently teaches Algebra 1 and Algebra 2. Jill says math was always her best subject in school. “I liked the challenge, the puzzle solving and the great feeling when you got the answer,” she said. “I was not gifted. I worked really hard at it, and it made sense to me.” The
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reason for why you are doing something applies to any field.” For the last 11 years, Jill has served as coordinator for the annual MS Walk hosted by Westminster, which attracts hundreds of community participants. It is a full-school service project that involves a year’s worth of planning and 100 student and faculty volunteers on the day of the walk. She works with students on all of the operational details and believes they learn a lot about responsibility from the experience. “If they give a lot, they will get a lot out of it,” said Jill. “They are enthusiastic and want to take part in it and to be leaders. We have a couple of students who even go to the planning meetings with me and are more involved than just the day of the walk. They soon learn that a little help can go a long way and that running a walk like this helps so many people. I know that students have gotten a lot out of the experience when they volunteer again the next year.”
importance of working hard is what she emphasizes to her students. “I am a teacher who presents a lesson, has my students take notes on it and work on the problem,” she said. “I really enjoy watching students develop throughout the year. They may start a little bit fearful, maybe from a bad experience in the past with math, and not have confidence in any of their skills. It is fun to watch them start to succeed in math, even if it takes a while. Usually by the middle of the year, they start having more confidence in themselves, which is always great.” Her classes often begin with a quick review of previous material, move to checking homework and then working on new problems together. She calls on students randomly to make sure they understand new material. When not teaching, Jill can usually be found in her classroom giving extra help to students. “I have as many kids as I can come in and work one-on-one with me, do their math homework or work on projects with other students,” she said. “I steer them on the right path and make sure they are not practicing wrong techniques.” Jill also enjoys the chance to get to know students better during these visits. “Our students are used to talking with adults and that is a very important skill to learn,” she said. Jill is a big believer in teaching students about realworld applications to math through projects and in-class discussions. She has a poster in her classroom that reads, “We All Use Math Every Day.” “I worked in the business world for a number of years and completed an internship,” she said. “I talk with my students about how they need to prepare themselves to do an internship and how they might present their work to a supervisor. This helps them see how they may utilize their math background in the future.” She also believes learning math teaches more than just math skills. “I think teaching step-by-step analysis and giving a
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Peter Newman ’80 SPANISH TEACHER AND COLLEGE COUNSELOR
Peter Newman’s interest in teaching was sparked by his experience as a student at Westminster. “I came here in the fall of 1977 and was amazed,” he said. “The connections that Westminster teachers made with their students was something I had never seen before and something, after experiencing it, I really wanted to be a part of.” He credits faculty members Charlie Dietrich; Mike Jackson ’49, P’75, ’82, GP’04, ’08; José Ilzarbe P’93,’97; Joan Howard P’00,’03; and Charlie Holmes for much of that inspiration. “You respected and admired teachers enough that you wanted to be not only a hard-working, achieving student but also a good citizen,” said Peter. “We emphasize leadership so much at Westminster that I feel it develops naturally for all of our students because of the expectations we have for them. Since we get to know students on more than one level, we can hold them to what I would call ‘different expectations,’ ones they might not otherwise hold for themselves.” Following graduation from Colby College, working in sales at Aetna and teaching at Milton Academy, and the Buckingham Browne and Nichols School, Peter joined the Westminster faculty in 1987. Since then, he has taught every level of Spanish and has held numerous academic, administrative and coaching positions. He currently teaches two sections of AP Spanish Language, serves as a college counselor and coaches First Boys’ Basketball and First Boys’ Lacrosse. He lives in a faculty home on the edge of campus with his wife, Robin ’87, and their children, Abby and Charlie.
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Peter says the bottom line in a successful language classroom is to have the students use the target language exclusively. “That is where they learn best, and I think breaking through that confidence barrier, or lack there of, is the biggest challenge,” he explained. “One of the ways we do that is to have them discuss a particular issue with each other and then present to the class. When they hear themselves speaking, they realize that they can, in fact, communicate in the language. The one major goal I have for my students is that they will want to continue studying the language and the culture beyond Westminster.” As an advisor, Peter feels it is important to develop relationships with students based on communication and expectations. “I have one young man who is a student in my Spanish class, he is my advisee, he is my college counselee and he plays on my basketball team,” said Peter. “He can expect certain things from me, and I can expect certain things from him and that is the quintessential Westminster student-faculty relationship, where you have conversations that might start in class and carry over into practice and later on at dinner or just passing in the hallway. They can be about anything from troubles with homework, to zone defense, to planning for a vacation. The key is for students and faculty to develop a relationship where they believe in each other.” As a coach, Peter thinks many important lessons about life are taught through athletics. “Student-athletes learn how to do something for the good of the team or the community and to extend themselves on behalf of others, knowing that they might succeed or they might fail,” he said. “I tell players they must learn how to handle the very real pressure of a high school lacrosse or basketball game, including the success they might earn or the adversity they may face, and how to put that pressure in perspective and grow. If they can do that, they are going to be better prepared when they confront life’s real issues. I believe competitive athletes develop wonderful life skills in the face of competition.” As a college counselor, Peter believes maintaining a good perspective is also paramount in the college search process. “I usually start my first college counseling meeting with a student by saying, ‘You are going to be great because you are going to drive this process and you are going to do the three things that you can control every single day: how hard you work in the classroom, how hard you work in after-class activities and what kind of citizen you are on campus,’” he said. “If they do the best they can in those particular areas, they are going to have choices.” One of Peter’s greatest joys as a teacher is seeing alumni when they return to campus. “It sounds so simple, yet when a former student, whom you may have taught,
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coached or advised comes back and shakes your hand, it doesn’t get any better than that because you see them as adults, and hopefully, you played a role in their development.”
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Eyewitness to History
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Allison Bailey Blais ’96 attended Westminster as a day student from Avon, Conn., and spent much of her time as a Martlet involved in the performing arts program. She liked writing, acting, singing and dancing, and chose Westminster, in part, because of the beautiful facilities of the Werner Centennial Center. Following Westminster, she attended Cornell University, where she majored in English and also sang in the chorus and an a cappella group. After college, her love of the performing arts took her to an administrative position with the Public Theater in New York City. It was while walking to work at the theater on Sept. 11, 2001, that she saw the unthinkable: an airplane flying into the World Trade Center. Following the horrific events of 9/11, she, like so many others, wanted to find a way to help. What she could never imagine that day, is the role she currently plays as the chief of staff for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum on the site of the former World Trade Center complex. The memorial was dedicated on Sept. 11 of this year, the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and the museum will open in September 2012. During a tour of the site in late spring, Allison shared the story of her involvement with this historic project.
I couldn't stop asking myself how this could have happened and why, and I felt helpless, not knowing what I could possibly do to make a difference. Like everyone, that day was seared in my mind, and I felt an undeniable pull to figure out some way to help.
What did you observe on 9/11? I was walking to work at the Public Theater, about two miles north of the World Trade Center, when Flight 11 flew over in what seemed like just feet above my head. By the time I turned south to see what was happening, it had crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center — I’ll never forget the way I actually felt that sound through the ground. I ran into the theater and up onto the roof with some of my colleagues. We saw the explosion when Flight 175 hit the south tower and saw the south tower collapse. I couldn't stop asking myself how this could have happened and why, and I felt helpless, not knowing what I could possibly do to make a difference. Like everyone, that day was seared in my mind, and I felt an undeniable pull to figure out some way to help. The next month, I volunteered for a couple days with the Red Cross at ground zero. What did you do as a volunteer? I helped make meals for the recovery workers, cleaned their boots, directed them
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Allison Bailey Blais ’96 serves as chief of staff to the president of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
where they could go for physical and emotional therapy, and distributed these incredibly heartwarming messages and cards that were sent from children all around the world. The work those men and women were doing and the depth of both loss and determination you could see in their eyes are something I will, absolutely, never forget. I was and am completely in awe of them. What we all saw in the days and weeks that followed — the proliferation of American flags, the lines to donate blood, the candlelight vigils, the thank you signs lining the roads to the World Trade Center site — is something I keep with me and treasure. With all of the still unthinkable tragedy, horror and heartache, there was also the invaluable lesson that we have this enormous collective capacity to come together with full hearts and bottomless compassion when it matters most. What led you to your work at ground zero? I continued with my regular work at the theater, but having had that small glimpse of
A view of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum under construction in August on the site of the former World Trade Center complex. PHOTO: JOE WOOLHEAD
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Construction work taking place on the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in April.
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how much people were giving of themselves at the World Trade Center site, I felt a continuous tug to go back and do something else to help. I think everybody felt like they wanted to do something, and I just didn’t know what that something could be. I also started thinking more about what I wanted to do with my life and decided to go to graduate school and get my master’s degree in American Studies from Columbia. While in school, I did consulting work for the Public Theater and other cultural institutions throughout New York, like Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Historical Society. I helped them navigate the process of building a project in New York and getting government funding, which had been my focus at the Public Theater. The whole time I followed what was happening at the World Trade Center through the news. When I finished graduate school, I happened to see an exciting job posting at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC). The LMDC was the government agency
created in the aftermath of 9/11 that was charged with coming up with a plan to rebuild the World Trade Center site and to revitalize downtown, including attracting and retaining residents and businesses. They were looking for someone to write speeches, perform research, work on policy issues, help with outreach to key 9/11 stakeholders and manage capital projects throughout Lower Manhattan. I was lucky enough (after I think 10 interviews) to get the job working for the chairman and the president of the LMDC. How did this evolve into your current position at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum? The LMDC oversaw the process to select the master plan for the World Trade Center site and the design competition for the 9/11 Memorial. When I started there, the memorial design had already been chosen, but in order to bring it to fruition, we needed to establish a
An aerial rendering of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum located on the site of the former World Trade Center complex. The memorial features two enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools, each about an acre in size, set within the footprints of the twin towers. The Museum Pavilion is located between the reflecting pools.
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Allison in April on the Memorial Plaza in front of the “Survivor Tree,” a callery pear tree that became known as the Survivor Tree after sustaining extensive damage, but living through the 9/11 terror attacks at the World Trade Center. The tree was freed from the piles of smoldering rubble in the plaza of the World Trade Center, and taken off the site to be nursed back to health. It was returned to the site in December 2010.
separate, private nonprofit to fundraise, program, build, and eventually operate both the memorial and the museum. That organization became the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, my current employer. I came to the 9/11 Memorial in 2006. I felt the memorial was really the core of all of the rebuilding and renewal efforts downtown, and was tremendously fortunate to have been offered my current position.
Allison with President Barack Obama and Joe Daniels, president of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, on May 5, when the president visited the site of the 9/11 Memorial to lay a wreath and meet with families of 9/11 victims.
What are your responsibilities with the memorial? I serve as chief of staff to the president of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Joe Daniels. I work on initiatives that are a priority for him and the board of directors, and make sure that our staff members have the resources to get things done. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg chairs the board of directors, and we have about 85 people working here — a number that’s quickly ramping up as we move toward opening the memorial and museum. My work can involve
public relations one day, a design and construction issue the next day or developing the official book of the memorial. I have also worked extensively with family members of the 9/11 victims. We’re fortunate to have a very strong fundraising program. We’ve raised about $400 million to date, which allows us to complete the construction of both the memorial and museum and operate through the end of next year. Now, we are raising money for the museum exhibits and the ongoing operation and maintenance of the memorial. We have a goal of raising about $25 million this year, and it will be a hefty lift going forward, so we’re also looking for government appropriations. Every day is different and fast paced. What part of your work has been the most rewarding? I oversaw the process to communicate with all of the next of kin to develop the arrangement of the names on the 9/11 Memorial. The 2,983 23
PHOTO: AMY DREHER
Allison inspecting the names of victims engraved on bronze parapets along the perimeter of one of the 9/11 Memorial’s reflecting pools with the architect, Michael Arad.
names are inscribed into bronze parapets that are installed along the perimeters of the twin reflecting pools where the World Trade Center towers once stood. They include the victims of 9/11, including at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon and those aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania, as well as those who died in the Feb. 26, 1993, bombing of the World Trade Center. We sent information packages out to more than 3,200 next of kin and had them tell us about their loved ones, where they were on 9/11, and if there were specific names they wanted to see next to the names of their loved ones. We compiled all of that information and worked with the memorial architect, Michael Arad, to come up with the arrangement of the names. What is special about the arrangement? The arrangement of the names makes this memorial so unique. There are names of family members together, brothers side by side, friends
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who worked alongside one another — all things that in any sort of conventional arrangement wouldn’t necessarily have happened. For example, the names of members of the Fire Department of New York are all together and with their units, and those units are arranged so that those who belonged to the same firehouses are together. There are also, heartbreakingly, a lot of families who were killed together, many of whom have different last names. Under a conventional alphabetical relationship, their names would not have appeared together. Because it’s so unique, and not necessarily intuitive, we developed a guide to help people locate names and show the relationships between them at names.911memorial.org. The way the names appear on the memorial underscores that the connections in our lives are what matter most — whether they’re with family, lifelong friends, or strangers who barely knew one another but came together during unthinkable tragedy.
What will happen on the 10th anniversary of the attacks? When the memorial is dedicated on Sept. 11, we will hold a ceremony for the victims’ families. They will be the first to see the memorial, the first to see their loved ones’ names permanently inscribed in bronze. The next day, the memorial will open to the public. Since for now we are still surrounded by the ongoing construction taking place on the rest of the World Trade Center site, we need to use an advance timed reservation system to manage capacity. Eventually, when the buildings, streets and sidewalks are completed, the memorial will be completely open and there will be no passes required. What has been the process to communicate with families over the years? It has varied as the years have gone by. There are many organized groups with whom we work, each interested in different parts of
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the rebuilding process. Prior to each new initiative, like the names arrangement process, we make sure that we have families come in to look at what we propose to do and tell us what they think. And in recent years, hundreds of families have been coming in to donate photographs of their loved ones or to participate in an oral history program by recording remembrances. We are working to gather all of that information to make sure that each of their loved ones is remembered in the museum as fully as possible. I especially love when extended families come into our offices to talk about their loved ones and bring things in to remember them. We had a group of four siblings who lost their father come in, and they sat around telling stories about him and laughing and reliving all of these really wonderful moments of his life. That’s the kind of thing that is just so moving, when these families so graciously let us into the lives of those who were taken from them. What are your major areas of focus moving forward?
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This will be our first year of operation for the memorial, with millions of people projected to visit. It’s also the year leading up to the opening of the museum, when we’ll unveil the exhibitions relaying not only the story of the 9/11 attacks, but also its context in world history, and the ongoing implications that still exist today. It won’t be a history museum in the conventional sense, because most of our visitors will know what happened very well for quite a while to come. We’ll begin to install the exhibits in September of this year. We have had great advisors in planning the opening of both the memorial and the museum. We worked with the biggest landmarks in the city and the country, and we are also very lucky to have people like Robert Iger, the president of Disney, and Emily Rafferty, the president of the Metropolitan Museum, on our board of directors. What have been some of the challenges in planning the museum? It has been extraordinary to be a part of the exhibition development process — something
I’ve never done. We have a wonderful team working on the museum that includes Alice Greenwald, who came to us from the United States Holocaust Memorial in Washington, D.C. Being so close to the events we’re conveying, every decision is highly charged and publicly scrutinized. And being at the very site of the attacks brings an added layer that requires tremendous sensitivity. We never forget that what we’re doing is on sacred ground. As in any project of this kind of complexity, there are the challenges of accommodating multiple points of view in a coherent, strong experience. In a project like this, many times those points of view can be diametrically opposed, but still both valid. What will the exhibits include? The exhibits will include an array of artifacts, from the very large — like the steel from the site, fire trucks and a portion of the north tower’s antenna — to the very personal and intimate — like a doll found in the rubble or the posters of people missing that proliferated around the city after the attacks. What I think people will find striking is that there is really
A view of the north reflecting pool and the Museum Pavilion during a testing of the lights.
PHOTO: AMY DREHER
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they are too large to come in by freight elevator or through a front door.
nothing in between. Given that 9/11 is the most digitally documented event of our time, there is also a lot of media in the exhibitions. Many of the larger artifacts had to be installed before we closed the plaza to open the memorial because
Can you please describe your role in the development of a book about the memorial? The book is titled “A Place of Remembrance,” and National Geographic is the publisher. I was very privileged to get the opportunity to write it with my co-worker Lynn Rasic, who is our senior vice president for public affairs. It is our organization’s official book and starts with the World Trade Center before 9/11 and goes through what happened on 9/11, the recovery and the planning for the site and the building of the memorial. It also includes a list of all of the victims’ names and their locations on the memorial. We wanted to create something that could be sold broadly to benefit the memorial, and also be a way for people who could not make it to New York to be part of the commemoration
on the 10th anniversary. It was a very exciting project, and a unique challenge to document such recent history. What is the biggest challenge in this work? Sometimes I think it’s just keeping things in perspective. For all of us working on this project, it’s not just a job. It gets very emotional sometimes, and it hits me in ways I would never expect. I might think something is going to be very difficult and then be fine, and the next day, I’ll listen to a recording that somebody has made about their loved one or a message someone had left on an answering machine, and it just breaks me. But part of that, while challenging, is also rewarding. When those moments happen you remember why we’re here — and you balance the heartbreaking with the heartwarming.
A rendering of the completed Museum Pavilion, which is scheduled to open in September 2012. The pavilion will house an auditorium for public programming, a multi-purpose area for contemplation and refreshment, and a private suite reserved for victims’ family members. Two of the original steel tridents from the Twin Towers will be enclosed within the pavilion’s grand glass atrium.
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A rendering of museum exhibition space below ground at bedrock, the archeological heart of the World Trade Center site. Visitors to the museum will descend a gently sloped ramp to make their way to the base of the site where the main exhibition space will be located.
Do you feel a sense of history in your work? I hope the memorial is one that people will come to and really be moved by forever — that it will convey the enormous magnitude of what happened but also be a very personal and intimate experience. I hope it lives up to the experiences people have when visiting other great national monuments, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial or Pearl Harbor. Was there anything about your Westminster experience that has helped you in this endeavor? I’m going to sound overly sentimental, but I truly think about the motto, Grit and Grace, all the time. I love both words, and together they’re a kind of reminder to me to give all I’ve got and still keep things in perspective.
Do you think your work at the 9/11 Memorial has changed you as a person? Working with colleagues who know this isn’t “just a job,” and meeting so many gracious and heroic people who have suffered but have channeled their pain into some cause for greater good is continually inspiring, and I know this project has made me grow in ways I never expected. We focus every day on a time of unspeakable tragedy in our nation’s history — but we focus too on how much 9/11 proved that ordinary people have the capacity to do extraordinary things, and to come together with limitless compassion. Even when we’re going through what seems like an unending maelstrom of controversies and challenges, it’s a job that doesn’t let you forget what’s really important in life. It’s truly the privilege of a lifetime.
Allison and her husband, Doug Blais, at Westminster during reunion weekend in May. They met while working at the site of the former World Trade Center. Doug is a program manager with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, managing security and interagency coordination.
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A record
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alumni and their guests
attended reunion weekend May 6-8, representing classes from 1946 to 2006. They gathered for class dinners on Friday evening at various faculty homes and restaurants then spent Saturday morning on campus hearing presentations about school admissions, student life and highlights of the past year. Members of the Class of 2006 also opened a time capsule.
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50th Reunion Dinner The Class of 1961 organized a running start into their 50th reunion by gathering in New York City earlier in the week for dinner and a Broadway show hosted by Lex Federbush and Robert Friedman. Traveling to campus on Friday, members of the class socialized on Keyes Porch and then moved to the Hinman Reading Room for their 50th reunion dinner, where Bill and Jenny Philip P’06, ’09, Larry and Ann Gilman P’78, ’80, and Geoffrey and Betsy Wilbraham P’76 joined them. Sam Gawthrop brought his recording of the 1960 Harmonaires and played it during the meal. He received the gratitude of his classmates for his work as their class agent for so many years. Many stories and toasts followed dinner, with more than one admission of a late-night trip up the water tower. Peter Dunbar recounted the saga of his midterm, unsanctioned trip from Simsbury to New York City (possibly inspired by Holden Caulfield) that traumatized Westminster corridor supervisors for generations thereafter. Members of the reunion committee included Sam Gawthrop, Malcolm Douglas, Lex Federbush, Robert Friedman, Dick Hoyt, Keith Keogh, Tom Turton and Peter Wendell.
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45th Reunion Dinner Members of the Class of 1966 held their dinner at the home of Carol and Buz Kohn and were joined by Marie-Pier and Alan Brooks ’55, P’89, ’91, ’96. They spent part of their evening hearing responses to a class survey Jody Vaill had conducted. Among the fondest and funniest Westminster memories Jody shared from the survey were “watching an automobile burn on the senior lawn the morning of graduation in 1966,” “throwing a tennis ball over Westminster House and running through the building and trying to catch it,” “flooding the rink at 2 a.m.” and “seeing who could grow their hair out the most before being warned.” At the class’s request, Alan Brooks also told the story of the $33 million dollar gift Walter E. Edge Jr. ’35 made to Westminster. Reunion committee members included Jody Vaill, Jeff Cook, Jack Eno, Tony Halsey, John Knox and Brian O’Donnell.
25th Reunion Dinner The Class of 1986 gathered for their 25th reunion dinner at Sanger House, the home of faculty members Amy and Scott Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12. True to form, most classmates were still able to recognize each other and everyone was especially surprised by Adam Smith’s arrival — his first return since graduation. More than a few late night stories were shared. Also at dinner were faculty members Pam and Nick McDonald P’96, ’04, and Barbara and Dick Adams P’93. Reunion committee members included Curt Brockelman, Malcolm Miller, Heather Frahm Cronin, Emily Forster Tappan, Kim Smith Guerster, Paul Gitterman, Alex Gray, John Mangel, Bryan Martin, Bob Santry and Wendy McConnel Sirchio.
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Headmaster’s Address During his headmaster’s welcome on Saturday morning, Bill Philip thanked alumni for taking time out of their busy schedules to return to campus. “You are going to see some buildings here that may seem different to you, but independent of those buildings, what has endured are the school’s values,” said Bill. He then gave some history of his tenure at Westminster and cited the year’s milestones in admissions, college counseling and annual fund contributions. “Westminster had a spectacular year, anyway you want to measure it,” he said. “The energy that is a part of this school community is exciting. It is a privilege to be headmaster and to work with the students here.” Following the presentations, everyone gathered in Andrews Memorial Chapel for the Sixth Form induction into the Alumni Association. “By staying involved in the Alumni Association, you will develop new relationships that will be invaluable to you in various stages of your life,” Chairman of the Board of Trustees John Armour ’76 told the Sixth Formers. “Welcome Class of 2011 to the Alumni Association.” At the Alumni Memorial Service that followed, Alan Brooks ’55 read the names of 25 recently deceased alumni,
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and Hannah Ford ’11 and Shelby Gamble ’14 sang “Pie Jesu” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. After leaving the chapel, alumni gathered with their classmates and participated in the Grand March, led by the Class of 2011, to the reunion tent for lunch.
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Class of 1996 Dedication
Reunion Giving Records
Members of the Class of 1996 gathered at the entrance to the Armour Academic Center following the reunion lunch to remember their late classmate Kristen Meyer, who died in December 2009, and to dedicate a granite bench in her honor. They were joined by members of Kristen’s family. “Kristen is one of those very special people who will always be a part of the Westminster School community,” said Headmaster Philip. Jennifer Glassman Jacobs spoke about how class gifts for the year were given in honor of Kristen and how Kristen, from a young age, knew what life was all about. Christa Rozantes Allen talked about how the idea for a bench resonated with her because Kristen often looked for a place to rest. And Allison Bailey Blais shared how Kristen “was always reminding us of the importance of taking moments out for yourself, your friends and your family and making sure the people you love knew. I hope people will see the bench and take a moment outside of their busy life here to sit with a friend.”
At the Black and Gold Reunion Dinner Saturday evening, Headmaster Philip recognized all of the classes for their reunion gifts saying, “This school continues to thrive because of your ongoing and enthusiastic interest, participation and philanthropy, and for all of that, I am very grateful.” The Class of 1961 was recognized for its gift of more than $90,000 in response to a classmate’s challenge. And the Class of 1976, celebrating its 35th reunion, was recognized for its gift of $1,690,506. They honored their classmate John Armour, who is stepping down as chairman of the Board of Trustees. The Class of 2006 surpassed their goal, reaching 63 percent participation, in the Young Alumni Challenge (YAC). Committee members included Jason Adams, Lane Bodian, Brock Bosacker, Danielle Beaudoin, Paul Brewer, Henry Dillon, Lauren Eder, Courtney Edwards, Andy Gomez, Alex Lavoie, Frances McGrath, Brett Morrell, Kate Philip, Morgan Roach and Cam Scott.
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1946 Front row, Spike Thorne, Abe Claude and Harry Sedgwick. Back row, Townsend Mink, Frederick Risley and Win Hotchkiss.
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1951 Front row, Peter Loomis, Kirk Cooper and Sidney Gorham. Back row, Andy Deeds, Bo Johnson, Bill McClendon and Peter Gage.
1956 Chuck Griffith, Christine Ahrens and Gilbert Ahrens.
1961 Front row, Morgan Shipway, Robert Friedman, Tom Turton, Sam Gawthrop, Peter Dunbar and Denny Sutro. Back row, John Durbin, Malcolm Douglas, Chandler Saint, Keith Keogh, Peter Wendell, Dick Hoyt, Lex Federbush and Richard Petrelli. 34
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1966 Front row, Scott Glickenhaus, Terry Haight, Elliot Cahn, Jody Vaill, John Knox and Reginald Morgan. Back row, Sam Childs, D.G. Van Clief, Hugh Thacher, Brian O’Donnell, Tad Ebling, Derek Fahey, Don Geissler, Stephen Bacon, Greg Islan, William Holbrook, Jeff Cook and Peter Marschalk.
1971 Front row, John Blakney, Harry Seidel, Abram Claude, Christopher Beale and Arch Montgomery. Back row, John Collins, Peter Briggs, Jim Steers, Doug Currie, Bill Bartholomay, Jay Bowen, Bill Rolfing and Doug Dobbin.
1976 Steve MacKenzie, Rick Worcester, John Armour, Betsy Blumenthal, David Hatch, Pierce O’Neil, Jeff Zimmer and Jonathan Seymour.
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1981 Front row, Emily White Herzog, Kimberly Wilkes Tirrell, Sarah Miller Haun, Margie Boll Blue, Dede Ford Cadieux and James Talarek. Back row, Andrew Mackenzie, Tom Nelson, Bob Knowles, Pancho Winter, Mary Hansen Pfeifer, Nancy Urner-Berry, Alison Lowe, Marc Jaffe and Anthony Pirruccello-McClellan.
1986 Front row, Tom Gitterman, Barry Deonarine, Peter Leibinger, Denny Hubbard, Bob Santry and Tuey Connell. Middle row, Sally Richards Lehr, Diana Wishard Clemente, Kim Smith Guerster, Jennifer Agnew Terry, Amy Thrall Flynn, Heather Frahm Cronin, Erica Heard Reilly and Emily Forster Tappan. Back row, Paul Gitterman, Christopher Lewis, Jim Briggs, Malcolm Miller, Paul McLaughlin, Mark St. Amant, Michael Terry, Stephanie Parkinson Briguglio, Hunter Kellogg, John Hayworth, Sean Bosack, Christian Humann, Sandra Humphrey Brinn, John Mangel, Michelle McConnell, David Lemire, Andrew Shiftan and Moy Ogilvie.
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1991 Lucia Quartararo Mulder, Brian Leddy, Hilary Rosen, Sara Whiteley, Chris Herman, Sam Gaudet, Chris Campbell, Matt Warner, Bruce MacKenzie, Laura Guthrie Lear and Mark Frahm.
1996 Front row, Katharine Stickney Sawyer, Katie Caruso Hanrahan, Christa Rozantes Allen, Jeremy Cramer, Jennifer Glassman Jacobs and Rebecca Brooks. Back row, Eret McNichols, Hilary Sawyer, Joanna Berger Frantz, Allison Bailey Blais and Jenni Walkwitz Hoffmann.
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2001 Front row, Caroline Schley, Jen Moyer, Christina Sochacki and Cole Pinney. Back row, Matt Innes, Dan Briggs, Christy van Voorhees, Amanda Wallace, Tim McCormick, Sean Devlin, Adelaide Sisk Ness, Mercedes Fernandez, Lara Glaister, Autumn Cervas, Stephanie Johnson Terry, Courtney Dow, Joe Seidensticker, Lindsay Daly, Peter Mettler, faculty member Barbara Adams, Matthew Watson and Mark Capeless.
2006 Front row, Jason Adams, Brock Bosacker, Paul Brewer, Russ Holland, Tucker Mauke, Brooke Lamothe, Kaytie Belfiore, Chris DeJohn, Jon Wolter, Colin Campbell and John Grymes. Middle row, Christi Cahill, Lauren Eder, Emily Verone, Annie Osborn, Robyn Nentwig, Cristina Fioramonti, Caroline Grymes, Sofi Garnett and Cam Scott. Back row, Courtney Edwards, Kelly Balavender, Lane Bodian, Alberto Roldán, Luis Quero, Danielle Beaudoin, Dan D’Addario, Molly Shea, Matt Bullen, Frances McGrath, Ray Allen, Ryan Higgins, Justus Kammüller, Samantha Hinckley, Hunt Eldridge, Kate Philip, Morgan Roach, Henry Dillon, Lamarc Comrie, Neil Hannah, Alex Lavoie, faculty member Kathleen Devaney, Steve Smith, Brett Morell and Cy Ryan.
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Class of 2011
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Commencement Members of the Westminster community celebrated the graduation of 110 students in the Class of 2011 at the school’s commencement ceremony May 29 on Commencement Lawn.
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“We gather as a school family today to congratulate the Class of 2011, to salute those who have excelled in the different realms of school life, to thank those who have made this achievement possible and to say farewell to those who soon depart our school community,” said Headmaster Bill Philip P’06, ’09 in welcoming hundreds of family members and friends of the class to the ceremony. In his salutatory address, Head Prefect Matt Leach talked about his own experience adjusting to life as a student at Westminster and how members of his class grew up together. “We went from uncertain adolescents to confident young men and women together,” said Matt. He encouraged his fellow graduates to “remember how along the way, we went from classmates to teammates and finally to friends for life.” He concluded by saying, “We move on, but Westminster abides both here on Williams Hill, and of course, in our hearts. In the evening of our memory, always we will come back Head Prefect Matt Leach ’11. to Westminster.” After numerous faculty and student prizes were awarded, Kathryn Griffith, in her outstanding scholar address, spoke about growing up on Williams Hill and how grateful she was for getting involved in numerous school activities. “I wouldn’t have done those and other things if all Westminster required of me was a grade point average,” she said. “Now I know that part of my education is pushing beyond Headmaster Bill Philip P’06,’09.
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comfortable boundaries.” She also talked about taking an art history class her Sixth Form year and finding her passion while visiting the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi on a school trip to Italy. “I felt then and there that moments like this were why I spent so much time learning throughout my high school career. This is what an education is meant to do: to cultivate in us a passion — a commitment to something bigger than ourselves. Westminster taught us to embrace our passions. We leave Westminster ready to pursue them wherever they may take us.”
Keynote Address The keynote speaker was Paul Oliver ’67, a principal with Wimberly & Lawson, Attorneys at Law in Atlanta, Ga., who spoke to the graduates about his experience growing up in the segregated South and having an opportunity to attend Westminster during his Fifth and Sixth Form years. “While in those years, 1965 to 1967, there was tremendous civil unrest and societal turmoil, on the Westminster Kathryn Griffith ’11 delivers the campus, I experienced a nurturing outstanding scholar address. environment where I knew no discrimination,” he said. “I learned a great deal about the importance of respect for others, of the importance of hard work and the significance of having an institutional commitment to human development and justice.” After graduating from Westminster, Paul earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He concentrates his legal practice in the areas of management employment law and litigation, and has a long track record of jury trial victories in both state and federal courts. He is also an adjunct professor of litigation at Georgia State University. “I hope that you, like Westminster, will not let your passion be stilled by what is the norm, but be independent thinkers willing to risk a little for the betterment of society,” he told the graduates. “You must judge yourselves not just by how well Keynote speaker Paul Oliver ’67.
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you perform academically, or in your jobs, but how you treat other people and address inequities. The greatest lesson that I hope you have learned in your experience at Westminster is that you will enrich your own lives when you reach out to help others who need and deserve that help.”
Presentation of Diplomas Headmaster Philip and Chairman of the Westminster Board of Trustees John Armour ’76 called members of the graduating class to the stage to present them with diplomas and to congratulate them on their graduation. Following the ceremony, members of the class participated in the Westminster tradition of passing their diplomas. They formed a circle on the Sixth Form Lawn and passed the diplomas they received randomly during the commencement ceremony until they received their own diplomas. They then stepped out of the circle signifying their graduation. The Class of 2011 achieved outstanding college placement results with 92 percent of them earning admission to colleges ranked in the top two categories of selectivity in “Barron’s Profiles of Colleges and Universities” and 66 percent admitted to colleges and universities ranked in the most selective category.
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Class agents for the Class of 2011. Front row, Olivia Frank, Margaret Berry, Whitney Powel, Katie Polio and Vanessa Larracuente. Back row, Kevin Hope, Andrew Marco, Gavin McGovern, Matt Leach, Michael Hom and Tommy Kirsch.
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The Lawn Ceremony At the Lawn Ceremony the evening before commencement, members of the graduating class brought members of the Fifth Form onto the Sixth Form Lawn. The last two students led onto the lawn were Will Stevens, the new head prefect, and Abby Huth, the new junior prefect. Other members of the Prefect Board for 2011-2012 include Jay Attys, Ellie Baker, Marquez Cummings, Atesha Gifford, Cameron Kurtz, Meaghan O’Herron, Dillon Tiner and Patrick Spano. As a part of the ceremony, faculty member Scott Berry P’11 was invited onto the lawn as an honorary member of the Class of 2011.
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STUDENT PRIZES GRETCHEN HUPFEL ’82 ART PURCHASE PRIZE Jae Hee Cho ’11
COWING ART AWARD Gabrielle Squire Christman ’11
EXCELLENCE IN DANCE THE SWAYZE AWARD THE C. HIRAM UPSON FAMILY CHAIR The C. Hiram Upson Family Chair for faculty in the humanities who are master teachers of writing rotates every five years and was made possible through the generosity of C. Hiram Upson ’50, P’86, who served on the Westminster Board of Trustees for 11 years.
Presented annually in honor of distinguished alumnus, trustee and former chairman of the Board of Trustees Townsend Swayze ’55, this award is given to a member of the faculty for outstanding contributions to the life of the school. Michael Cervas P’96, ’01, ’10
Anastasia H. Eckerson ’11
EDWARD SCULL JR. ’71 AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURE Gregory F. Lafaire ’11 and Tyler T. Mink ’11
EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE Jacob J. Lee ’11
EXCELLENCE IN CHEMISTRY Kathryn W. Griffith ’11
Betsy Heckman
EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS Joonho Park ’11
DRAMATIC AWARD FOR SERVICE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN ACTING Ryan C. Smythe ’11
THE O’BRIEN AWARD
THE JOHN SHERWIN JR. ’57 AND W. GRAHAM COLE JR. CHAIR Jack Sherwin ’57, P’83,’89, chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2004, established this chair in 2010 to honor his close friend Graham Cole H’09, the school’s seventh headmaster, and to recognize Westminster leadership. It will be awarded every three years to recognize a senior faculty member who sets the standard for leadership and embodies the true meaning of Grit and Grace. Greg Marco P’08,’11
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This award is presented annually in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Junie O’Brien P’81, who devoted their lives in service to young people and to schools. It recognizes a member of the faculty who has, over the course of the year, been especially selfless and generous with time and care in the nurture and support of students and whose extraordinary, ongoing personal commitment to young people sets an example to the Westminster community. Barbara and Dick Adams P’93
DESIGN AWARD FOR SERVICE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL SUPPORT
CRITCHELL RIMINGTON ’25 CREATIVE WRITING AWARD Kathryn J. Hill ’11
BURDETT PRIZE FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN THE STUDY OF FRENCH Hannah P. Ford ’11
RICHARD HOPLEY EXCELLENCE IN LATIN PRIZE Kathryn W. Griffith ’11 and Jacob J. Lee ’11
EXCELLENCE IN ECONOMICS Brian Alejandro Calderón De Stefano ’11
CLASS OF 1941 PETER MARS MEMORIAL HISTORY PRIZE Kathryn W. Griffith ’11
SIXTH FORM PRIZES FOR GENERAL SCHOLARSHIP Third in the Sixth Form: Jacob J. Lee ’11
Second in the Sixth Form: Sarah C. Ogden ’11
First in the Sixth Form: Kathryn W. Griffith ’11
Tyler T. Mink ’11
J. LAWRENCE GILMAN AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC AND PARTICIPATION IN MUSICAL ACTIVITIES Hannah P. Ford ’11
GORDON MCKINLEY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENGLISH Kathryn W. Griffith ’11
Commencement 2011
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WILBRAHAM BOWL This award is presented annually to a member of the Fifth Form who best embodies the qualities of Geoffrey Wilbraham, who gave distinguished and loyal service to Westminster from 1958 to 1994: high personal standards, consistent respect for others, unswerving commitment to the common good, steady insistence on fair play and abiding human decency. Atesha A. Gifford ’12
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OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR AWARD This award is presented to the Sixth Former who, in the opinion of the faculty, is the outstanding scholar of the class. The award is not necessarily determined by rank in class but is based, rather, on the attributes of the true scholar: curiosity, imagination, power to associate new observations with prior experience, thoroughness, appetite for ideas rather than for grades as an end in themselves and the ability to move easily in the realm of concepts. Kathryn W. Griffith ’11
KEYES BOWL Established by the Class of 1966 and recognized as the school’s most prestigious commencement award, the Keyes Bowl is presented annually to a member of the Sixth Form and recognizes the qualities of loyalty, courage, leadership and humility that were exemplified by Headmaster Francis P. Keyes (1956 to 1970). Whitney P. Powel ’11
PAUL WINSHIP ’35 ALUMNI BOOK PRIZE This book prize is awarded to a Sixth Former who has made an unusual commitment in both breadth and depth to the school’s programs and activities. It is awarded in honor of Paul Winship ’35, former director of the alumni program, whose vision resulted in many of the buildings on the Hill. Vanessa H. Larracuente ’11
BUTLER BOWL This award is presented by the faculty to a member of the Third Form for character and leadership.
BRIAN T. BRUYETTE ’77 SENIOR ATHLETIC AWARD This award is given annually to the Sixth Form boy and girl who best exemplify excellence in athletics and who contributed to the character of the team. It is given in memory of Brian T. Bruyette ’77, who in his enthusiasm, sportsmanship, effort and skills, represented all that is best in his school. Bradley D. Woodruff ’11 and Amanda L. Boulier ’11
RICHARD K. LEBLOND II HONOR AWARD This award is given annually to a member of the Sixth Form who exemplifies dedication to academics and loyalty to the school. Jacob J. Lee ’11
FOURTH FORM BOWL This award is presented annually by the faculty to a Fourth Former who shows outstanding personal qualities and concern for the community. Eleni M. Tebano ’13
Eleanor C. Deveaux ’14
Prizes and Awards
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The Class MATRICULATION
Timothy James Acker Pennsylvania State University Michael Ahn Brandeis University Leigh Anne Baldwin Vassar College Jacob Parker George Lyman Benedict IV Franklin and Marshall College Margaret Welles Berry Middlebury College William Case Bitterli University of Richmond Arianna Zari Boggs Widener University
COLLEGE
Jacob Gerard Bolton Junior Hockey William Slater Borgen Tulane University Amanda Leigh Boulier St. Lawrence University Grant Douglas Brainerd Bucknell University
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Nora Patricia Edmonds Colgate University
Kathryn Judith Hill Middlebury College
Bridget Alyce Eklund Emory University
Claire Patricia Hodson Boston College
Caitlin Campbell Fabbri Colgate University
Michael Leong Hom St. Lawrence University
Brian Alejandro Calder贸n De Stefano Northeastern University
Rachel Lauren Farrel University of Connecticut
Kevin Douglas Hope College of the Holy Cross
Kevin Murphy Campbell Wesleyan University
Briana I. Foley Reed College
Thomas Kenaston Hovey St. Lawrence University
Alexandra Jiovanna Kiana Cateriano Middlebury College
Hannah Phillips Ford New York University
Christopher Michael Ippolito Bentley University
Olivia Paula Frank Tulane University
Kaleigh McKenzie Kelley College of the Holy Cross
Andrew Chi Kan Fu New York University
Robert Hamilton Kelly University of Richmond
Charles Murphy Geitz Bucknell University
Andrew McKeen Kent Endicott College
Alexander Wells Gould Elon University
Warat Khaewratana Rochester Institute of Technology
Christina Parker Grey Colorado College
Joo Young Kim New York University
Tucker James Brumley University of Colorado at Boulder Karlyn Joan CalamitaCrowley Colby College
Katherine H. Cheng Stanford University Jae Hee Cho Cornell University Gabrielle Squire Christman University of California, Berkeley Andrea Claire Cross Providence College Andrew N. Cummings Springfield College
Kathryn Wilkins Griffith Wellesley College
Colette Sooyoung Kim New York University
Eliza Almy Breed University of Richmond
Francesca Somers di Galoma The George Washington University
Robert Sherwin Hamblett Trinity College
Thomas Kevin Kirsch Elon University
Casey Ellen Breese Saint Anselm College
Anastasia Hale Eckerson Skidmore College
Sophie Metcalf Harris Hamilton College
Grant William Benz Kugler University of Michigan
John Michael Eder Colby College
McCall H. Hawkins Reed College
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Gavin Hoyt McGovern Bucknell University
Whitney Parker Powel Elon University
Vanessa Heart Larracuente Syracuse University
Thomas Carrier McKeown Hamilton College
Luke William James Laszkiewicz Rochester Institute of Technology/Junior Hockey
Ashley Elizabeth Mercede Johns Hopkins University
Marguerite Glass Prescod Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Matthew Charles Leach Middlebury College Hannah Meeker Leathers University of Richmond
Nicholas John Liberator University of Michigan Carmen Wanda MacDonald St. Lawrence University Stuart Ketcham MacKenzie Trinity College Nicholas Michael Mahany Franklin and Marshall College Andrew Richard Marco Connecticut College Louise Ahern Marenakos Boston College Mallory Whitney Mason University of Louisville Burton Arthur McGillivray University of Vermont
Tyler Treadway Mink Furman University Elliot Beckwyn Nygard University of Denver Kelsey Rike O’Brien Wheaton College Sarah Caroline Ogden Middlebury College James Christopher Pappas University of Denver Joonho Park Carnegie Mellon University Taylor Andrew Paul Colorado College Emma Jane Pinney Hamilton College Stephanie Rae Piperno Davidson College Kathryn Elizabeth Polio Bates College
Taylor Katherine Virtue Middlebury College
Hayden Sean Radovich Bucknell University
Eric Hollister Wainman Bates College
Christopher Alexander Sailor Wesleyan University
Timothy Scott Welles Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Phillip Hughes Sandler Salve Regina University Emily Schrumpf Schwartz Union College Corey Michael Smith University of Pennsylvania Ryan Chalmers Smythe Emerson College Charlotte Jenifer Stewart University of Richmond Brendan James Sullivan Skidmore College Brittany Lauren Sutton Cornell University Bradley Stephen Taber University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Corey William Taber McGill University
Stephanie Jeanne Werner St. Lawrence University
MATRICULATION
Jacob J. Lee Princeton University
Jessica Taylor Mercier Wesleyan University
Robert Hennessey Thomson III Villanova University
COLLEGE
Gregory Francis Lafaire University of Miami
Matthew Alexander Wilson Franklin and Marshall College Morgan Hall Wilson Union College Harry Scott Wise Middlebury College Bradley D’Orsi Woodruff Union College Emily Gregg Worcester Hobart and William Smith Colleges Shishan Zhang University of Southern California Carolyn Madeline Zimmer Trinity College
Nicholas Charles Thompson United States Naval Academy
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Retiring Trustees Saluted At a dinner during their April meeting, members of the Westminster Board of Trustees paid tribute to six retiring trustees, including the board’s chair, John Armour ’76. “Tonight, we recognize departing trustees, all of whom have made significant contributions to the school during their tenures,” said Trustee Lou Shipley ’81, who then recognized the individual accomplishments of Brien O’Brien P’09, who served for five years; Tom Francoline P’96, who served for nine years; Dani Virtue P’11, who served for three years; Chris Seglem P’06, ’09, who served for five years; and John Davis P’05, who served for nine years.
Planning Committee, Committee on Trustees, Campaign Steering Committee and I am sure many more,” said Bill. “He is omnipresent on Williams Hill and our school community is always a better place for his presence, whether on the sidelines of games following Saturday board meetings or at countless alumni and parent events on and off campus. John’s energy and enthusiasm always inspire our school community.” Following his remarks, Bill invited Don and Graham to the podium to join him in “raising a glass to John in appreciation for all that he has done for us in his service to this school.” They then presented John with a photo album of his Westminster tenure and a painting of the Armour Academic Center. “Since my announcement in January that I believed the time was right to pass the torch, I have received literally dozens of letters, e-mails and phone calls from folks to say thanks for my commitment and dedication to Westminster,” responded John. “But it is I who should be saying thank you. It has been my honor and privilege to serve on this board for the past 19 years, and even more so, to have had the good fortune of being the chair during an extraordinary period in the school’s history. “Please know that I am well aware that what we have accomplished over the past seven years would never have happened without the dedication and hard work of a lot of folks. Many are here tonight, but there are many more. I am grateful to each and every one of you — fellow board members, faculty and staff — who have all worked so hard to advance Westminster.” He then talked about his 35th reunion in May and his years of involvement with
“He is omnipresent on Williams Hill and our school community is always a better place for his presence, whether on the sidelines of games following Saturday board meetings or at countless alumni and parent events on and off campus. John’s energy and enthusiasm always inspire our school community.”
Honoring Decades of Involvement The remainder of the evening was devoted to honoring John Armour for his decades of involvement with the school, from his student days, to his two years as a faculty member, to his 19 years of service to the Board of Trustees, including seven as board chair. Tread Mink ’77, P’11 will become the next board chair in September. Former Headmaster Don Werner P’79, ’82 spoke about knowing John as a student and hiring him to work in the Westminster Development Office. And former Headmaster Graham Cole H’09 talked about John as a “wonderful colleague” and a “great personal friend.” Headmaster Bill Philip P’06, ’09 began his tribute by saying, “Selfishly, the only way I can join in a celebration of John’s farewell as chairman of our Board of Trustees is with the assurance that he is not saying goodbye and that we will continue to see him often on Williams Hill.” Bill then gave an overview of John’s involvement with the school, starting with his time as a student, serving as a faculty member from 1981 to 1983 and becoming a trustee in 1992. “Does a school committee exist on which John has not served — Thring Society since 1995, class agent 1983 to 1992, Reunion Committee, External Committee, Capital Gifts Steering Committee, Strategic
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New Nominees for Executive Committee
Chairman of the Board of Trustees John Armour ’76 views a painting of the Armour Academic Center that was presented to him at the April trustees’ dinner.
Westminster. “People will often ask me why I have stayed involved for so long. And my answer is a simple one: because it is a special community that I care a lot about. But as all of you who know me and understand what this school stands for know, it is far more than that. I have stayed involved because: I believe in what this great school stands for, and its core values; I believe in the dedicated and talented people who have made this community their life’s work; I believe the world is a better place because of Westminster graduates; I believe in Grit and Grace and all it has come to stand for; and I believe it is critical that we do all we can to ensure the viability of Westminster for generations to come. And to that end I ask you all to provide Tread Mink, our next chair, with the same enthusiastic support you have provided me.” He concluded by saying, “I have never been prouder of Westminster than I am today and consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had this experience. As I said at the outset, it is I who owe all of you a large debt of gratitude for all your efforts in making Westminster the special and great place it is today. Thank you all for putting up with me for the past 19 years. I will never forget them!”
Left to right, former Headmasters Don Werner P’79, ’82 and Graham Cole H ’09, and Headmaster Bill Philip P ’06, ’09 toast John Armour in recognition of his years of service to Westminster.
The Westminster Alumni Association has announced the nomination of new members to join its Executive Committee: Robert H. Barnes ’65 of Norwood, N.J.; Kimberly G. Hovey ’80 of New York, N.Y.; Elizabeth Grant Schroeder ’84 of Dayton, Ohio; Douglas C. Kerridge ’85 of New York, N.Y.; Daniel J. Kanowith ’91 of New York, N.Y.; Kirsten A. Sichler ’98 of New York, N.Y.; and Lauren Polo Patnaude ’99 of Chicago, Ill. They will join President Scott B. McCausland ’87, Vice President John B. Ryan ’93, Secretary David S. Werner ’80 and the following members who are fulfilling three-year terms: George D. Vaill ’66, David S. Bailey ’69, Richard S. Hoyt ’72, David H. Bartram ’74, Michael Jackson Jr. ’75, Frederick L. Worcester Jr. ’76, Charles M. Baxter III ’79, Philip J. Bowers IV ’84, Bradford G. Thomas ’85, Heather A. Lawless ’87, James S. Peterson ’89, Andrew A. Black ’93, Colette A. Arredondo ’97, Brandt D. Hastings ’98, Daniel B. Farrelly ’99, Elizabeth S. Kelly ’00 and Jacqueline M. Stahl ’02. Members of the Executive Committee serve Westminster as ambassadors and enthusiastic fundraisers, reaching out to fellow alumni to provide essential support for the school community, which enriches all aspects of life for faculty and students. “We are grateful for their unceasing energy, enthusiasm and good will,” said Director of Annual Giving Shannon O’Shaughnessy. “Should you hear from one of these members or see them on Williams Hill or in your city, please take a moment to thank them for their loyalty and service to this special school.”
New Chair of Board Announced At last spring’s trustee meeting, T. Treadway Mink Jr. ’77, P’11 was introduced as the next chair of the Westminster Board of Trustees, beginning this September. He is the son of Townsend Mink ’46. Tread and his wife, Elise, are residents of New Canaan, Conn., and have two children: Tyler ’11 and Graham. Tread is a graduate of Ithaca College and is with RP Partners. He previously was on the Board of Trustees from 1996 until 2008. He also has served as a class agent, reunion chair, and as vice president and president of the Alumni Association. (A profile of Tread will appear in the next issue of the Bulletin.)
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1888: Cincinnati, Ohio Steve Smith ’72 hosted a reception for alumni and parents at the University Club in February.
1888: Chicago On July 14, a spirited group gathered at Brixen Ivy, across the street from Wrigley Field. The Cubbies held a 2-0 advantage heading into the ninth inning, only to see the Florida Marlins rally, scoring six runs in the top of the ninth. Spirits were not diminished and great conversations continued well after the game wrapped up.
Steve ’72 and Jill Smith, Andrew Squibb ’97, Hope and Jim Metzger GP’14 and Christopher Toney ’78.
Sean Bosack ’86, Lauren Polo Patnaude ’99, Andrew Brickman ’82 and Kate Hastings ’00.
1888: Columbus, Ohio Jane Kessler Lennox ’88 hosted a reception for alumni and parents at New Albany Country Club in February.
Nick Philip, Dave Werner ’80, P’10, ’11, Brooke Williams James ’90, Jane Kessler Lennox ’88, Jack Kessler P’88, David Carter ’80, P’15, Michele Knudson P’12 and Kate Sullivan ’08.
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1888: Manhasset, N.Y. Host Jeff Kelter P’12, ’14 brought together alumni and parents on July 12 for an afternoon of golf on a beautiful summer day at the Deepdale Golf Club. The crew enjoyed one another’s company on the course and after the round.
Ben Smith ’06, Jeff Kelter P’12,’14, Tim Joncas ’00 and Will Smith ’10.
1888: Andover, Mass. On June 28, hosts Joe and Deirdre Donohue ’78 brought parents and alumni together for an afternoon of golf and good cheer at Indian Ridge Country Club.
Mike Frank P’11, ’15, Joe Donohue, Deirdre Donohue ’78, Tom Nelson ’81, Jose Ruiz ’94, Scott Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12, Tim French ’80, P’13, ’15, Eric Egertson, Bini Worcester Egertson ’77, Newell Grant ’99 and Dave Werner ’80, P’10, ’11.
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Muttontown, N.Y.
1888: Hartford
Angela and Tom di Galoma P’11, ’14 hosted an alumni and parent reception at their home on April 19.
Alumni and parents enjoyed paddle tennis at the Hartford Golf Club in February.
David Simek P’10, Headmaster Bill Philip P’06, ’09, and Jeff Kelter P’12, ’14.
Cathy and Doug Hope P’11 with Rick and Anne O’Connor P’11.
Jenny Kelter P’12, ’14, Angela di Galoma P’11, ’14, and Lisa Simek P’10.
Mary Kay Pappas P’10, ’11, ’14 and Ann Steinle P’12.
Richard Weir P’96 and Chard Weir ’96.
Catherine Graffy P’06, Leigh Hovey P’09, ’11, ’14, Christine Werner P’10, ’11 and Sarah Leathers P’11.
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1888: New York City On July 20, more than 50 New York City-area alumni and parents gathered for a reception at Hudson Terrace.
Kristen Olney, Pete Olney ’85, Doug Kerridge ’85 and Susie Oliver.
Crystal Walker Brown P’15, Dan Kanowith ’91, Rob Horsford ’89 and Errol Gould.
1888: Seattle On June 23, 15 Martlets watched the Seattle Sounders take on the New York Red Bulls in an action-packed soccer match, with a record-breaking attendance of 46,065. The Sounders came out on top in the end, winning 4-2.
Front row, Jamie Costello and Autumn Cervas ’01. Back row, Mark Robertson, Steve Long, Abbie Wold Long ’99, Tom Miller ’91, Janine Cloney Robertson ’88, Woods Fairbanks ’83, Tom King P’12, Brooks King ’12, Alicia Hooper, Sara Miller and Mary Kleingartner.
1888: Fishers Island On July 29, John von Stade ’84 helped gather other Westminster alumni — Hi Upson ’50, Peter Upson ’86, Bob Thorson ’84 and Malcolm Miller ’86 — to host five foursomes for an afternoon of golf on Fishers Island. The rain and the wind stayed to the north, allowing for slightly better scores!
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Headmaster’s Reception: Korea During a four-night trip to Seoul in June, Headmaster Bill and Jenny Philip P’06, ’09, and Alie Philip ’09 visited with parents, took tours of cultural and historic sites, and participated in gatherings with alumni and parents. The Korean Parents Association hosted a Headmaster’s Reception for alumni and parents at the J.W. Marriott in Seoul on June 24.
Woo-Hyung Cho ’96, Michael Kim ’98, Jiah Kim, Jenny and Bill Philip P’06,’09, Chul-Kyun Jeong ’95, Jin-Pyung Kim ’94 and Yookyung Rhee.
Kathy Kim ’12, Michelle Yoon ’08, Jeannie Lee ’09, Julie Lee ’12, Jae Hee Cho’11 and Alie Philip ’09.
Eunice Lee P’08,’09,’13, Jeannie Lee ’09, Alie Philip ’09 and Bill Philip P’06,’09.
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San Francisco Reception Doug Prezzano ’93 hosted a reception for alumni and parents at the Olympic Club on June 1.
Jon Symonds ’87, Dan Burke ’87, Dave Kistler ’87 and Kerry Symonds.
Chrissy Miller Droessler ’00, Doug Warner ’00, Juliet Unfried ’96 and Christy Garcia ’00.
Griffin-Martlet Cup
Young Alumni Gathering, Worcester, Mass.
At the fourth annual Ryder Cup-format match in May between alumni, trustees and the headmasters of Pomfret and Westminster schools, Westminster had a convincing win at Hop Meadow Country Club this year. Westminster knotted the overall score, 2-2, and brought the cup back to Williams Hill.
Young alumni enjoyed excellent pizza at the Corner Grill near the College of the Holy Cross on April 17. They shared stories about their careers at Holy Cross and heard news about Westminster.
Stan Keating ’81; Scott Stevens P’07, ’09, ’12; Brad Hastings, Pomfret alumnus and headmaster; and John Gillespie, Pomfret parent and trustee. Mike Hallisey ’10, Nabi Hassanzoy ’10, Andrew Polio ’08 and Michele Ribaudo ’08.
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Sixth Form Dinner On May 24, the graduating Sixth Form was welcomed into the Alumni Association during the sixth-annual Sixth Form Dinner. Guest speaker Tim Gerges ’98 delivered some humorous comments about his time on the Hill. He also shared with the soon-to-be alumni some pointers about being alumni and staying in touch and involved with their alma mater. A number of alumni also attended the dinner.
Front row, Ryan McGuigan ’90, Lindsay O’Brien ’05, Tim Joncas ’00, Tim Gerges ’98 and David Pringle ’05. Middle row, David Werner ’80, P’10, ’11, Liz Grant Schroeder ’84, P’10, ’14, Neil Hannah ’06, Colin Heffernan ’98, Newell Grant ’99 and Ryan O'Donnell ’98. Back row, David Hovey ’78, P’09, ’11, ’14, Peter Briggs ’71, P’01, ’05, ’07, Dan Farrelly ’99 and Stephanie Houghton Sinclair ’85.
“One Year Out” Cookout On May 28, 15 members of the Class of 2010 returned to Williams Hill for the fifth annual “One Year Out” Cookout hosted by the Alumni and Development Office. Kane’s Market fired up the grill, and Westminster’s youngest alumni enjoyed themselves on Observatory Field. Front row, Maddie McPhee, Kristen Maxwell and Erika Olson. Middle row, Jacqueline Grant, Paige Decker, Margaret Wyatt, Francheska Munoz, Corinne Werner and Noel deCordova. Back row, Ben Sharaf, Ben Mandell, Liam Flaherty, Will Smith, Kinglsey Schroeder and Cris Gomez.
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Guest speaker Tim Gerges ’98.
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Annual Hovey Alumni Lacrosse Game Twenty-three alumni returned for the annual David H. Hovey Alumni Game against First Boys’ Lacrosse on Wilbraham Field on a sunny afternoon in May, where good lacrosse, great fellowship and alumni domination were the order for this year's game, won 10-7 by the talented group. Dave Hovey ’78 was game high scorer, while Win Hotchkiss ’10 was a wall in goal for the veterans.
Back row, left to right, Reid Acton ’08, Carson Christman ’08, Peter Christman ’05, Eric Phillips ’08, Matt Mahany ’10, Andrew Pappas ’10, Dave Hovey ’78, P’09, ’11, ’14 and Peter Newman ’80. Middle row, Colby Mauke ’09, Tucker Mauke ’06, Bill Mauke ’02, Billy Durand ’09, Colin Campbell ’06, Harry Kutner ’08, Davey Hovey ’09, Charles Santry ’80, coach Dennis Daly P’01,’04 and faculty member Scott Duddy. Front row, Derek Sandberg ’07, Win Hotchkiss ’10, Kevin Boyle ’10, Stephen Seymour ’10, Nik Schultz ’10, Brad Neuberth ’99 and Tim Robinson ’85, P’10.
First Annual Girls’ Alumnae Lacrosse Game Cam Scott ’06 and Kiley Murphy ’04 deserve a lot of credit for the great showing on May 21 for the first annual Girls' Alumnae Lacrosse Game, as they both did extraordinary work reaching out to alumnae and making sure that the event was a success. Alumnae split into two teams, with no particular system in mind, and played two spirited halves. “For many of us, remembering just how long the field is end-to-end was an event in and of itself,” said faculty member and longtime Westminster lacrosse coach Kathleen Devaney H’02. The players represented more than 25 years of lacrosse at Westminster, and the game has changed dramatically since many of them last took the field in any official uniformed capacity. The goggles were the biggest adjustment, and although some complained, the referees would not allow anyone to remove them. “It was great to see all these players and their parents back for the afternoon,” added Kathleen. “Watching all those talented, athletic women running up and down the field, playing defense and firing on the goal, all the while smiling and laughing while in one another’s company, reminded everyone of fine times had upon the Hill during afternoons of play, years ago. We are already looking forward Back row, left to right, Nick O’Brien P’05,’11 (goal), Margaret Miller ’10, Robin Newman ’87, Cam Scott ’06, Michele Wiernasz ’00, faculty member Jess Keeley, Liz Cole ’09, Emily Walsh ’09, to next year!” Emily Bennett ’01, Bella Zimmer ’12 (goal) and Lindsay O’Brien ’05. Front row, left to right, Gina Valles ’06, Lizzy Dickson ’02, Brooke Nentwig ’02, Jennie Fuge ’02, faculty member Kathleen Devaney H’02 and Kiley Murphy ’04. 59
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THE THRING SOCIETY
50th Reunion Rallies Around Planned Giving When the Class of 1961 met on Keyes Porch to celebrate their 50th reunion, they shared stories and family updates, and also marked an exciting milestone. Led by longtime class agent Sam Gawthrop, the Class of 1961 celebrated four planned gifts in support of Westminster. Sam had been encouraging his classmates throughout the year to consider a bequest, and it was gratifying that Tom Turton, Peter Wendell and Robert Friedman have all answered the call and joined him in the Thring Society, Westminster’s planned giving society. Bequests are particularly flexible and powerful ways to support Westminster: these gifts will support the school’s general endowment and will make a contribution to the daily life of students and teachers for generations to come. In addition, bequests do not reduce current income or assets, making them available to everyone who has an estate plan. Sam and Jackie Gawthrop.
It was wonderful to see so many members of the Class of 1961 back on campus celebrating their 50th reunion. It was also affirming to learn that these alumni continue to value their Westminster experience and want to ensure that future classes will have the opportunities they had. The Thring Society takes its name from the Reverend Edward Thring, headmaster of the Uppingham School in England from 1853-1887. Westminster’s Board of Trustees established this society in 1991 to recognize any member of the Westminster community who has made planned gifts or bequests with Westminster as a beneficiary.
For information on bequests or other gift-planning opportunities, please contact: Douglas Allen Director of Planned Giving Westminster School (860) 408-3027 fax: (860) 408-3044 dallen@westminster-school.org
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Crossing the Globe to Discover and Grow Rare Plant Species A “plant geek’s nursery” is how Sue Milliken ’77 describes Far Reaches Farm, the retail nursery she owns and operates with her husband, Kelly Dodson, in Port Townsend, Wash. The stock at Far Reaches is far from big-box-store ordinary. Its offerings are among the most exotic species available, many cultivated from seeds that Sue and Kelly have collected on expeditions to the most remote regions of Asia. The couple recently returned from their third seedcollection expedition in China, more than a dozen years after their first trip there in 1997. Always accompanied by experienced local guides, they collect and clean seeds, record notes and acquire the permits necessary to bring their discoveries back to the United States. In addition to China, they have traveled to northeast India, Bhutan and Tibet. “There is incredibly rich flora in China,” says Sue. “There are still varieties that are new cultivation and new to science.” Although they cross the globe to collect plant species, most of what they bring home can be grown in the Washington state area. They also share plants and seeds with botanic gardens throughout the United States. Sue is originally from West Hartford, Conn. Her grandfather was Westminster’s fourth headmaster, Arthur Milliken, and her father, Charlie, is a trustee emeritus. She says that her family did not presume that she would attend Westminster, but that it certainly was hoped for. Few women attended Westminster when Sue began her studies as a day student in 1973. “I entered the year after the first female students were admitted,” she explained. “At that time, there was no boarding Sue Milliken ’77, right, with her for women, just a girls’ lounge above the dining room. husband, Kelly Dodson, at their At least it was a place to chill out.” retail nursery, Far Reaches Farm. French teacher Bruce Burdett was a strong influence on Sue, not for his language instruction, but as an outdoorsman. “He was a birdwatcher and a beekeeper and made honey,” says Sue, who like her grandfather and father is an avid bird watcher. “I didn’t do so well in French; I was better with botanical Latin,” she recalls. Upon graduating from Westminster, Sue studied botany and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and northern studies from Middlebury College. She stayed in Vermont after graduation and worked for a couple of nurseries. Sue eventually purchased land in the town of Wolcott, Vt., and established her own business, which she operated for 10 years. Though a lifelong East Coast resident, Sue’s passion for plants and an invitation to join a sevenmember team on a seed hunting expedition brought her West. Sue and Kelly first met on the 1997 China expedition — Sue’s first — after a mutual professional acquaintance suggested that the pair collaborate. Shortly after that trip, Sue relocated to Washington state. "I rented a Ryder truck, packed my personal belongings overhead and the rest was plants,” she said. Sue and Kelly bought the property that is today Far Reaches Farm in 1999. Today, the farm is a working showplace, with display gardens and bird habitats that have made the farm a popular destination in tourism-friendly Port Townsend, a Victorian-era town situated on the northeast corner of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. They operate the farm with a small staff and a cadre of dedicated volunteers. Equally dedicated are Far Reaches’ customers, who helped fund Sue and Kelly’s most recent trip to China, donating air miles and making financial contributions in exchange for dispatches from the field. These same customers are now watching the seeds collected on that trip germinate at the farm. Sue and Kelly sell their plants at Far Reaches and at a number of off-site sales and will soon be venturing into mail order. They are frequent speakers at botanic gardens, conferences and on local radio shows. The couple hopes to return to China yet again to further explore the country’s steep limestone mountains. With rapid development occurring in once-isolated areas, ecosystems previously protected by geography are being replaced with roads and hotels to cater to tourists. “Rare species are in danger,” says Sue. “We hope through our work to preserve endangered plants and eventually return them to their native homes.” 61
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Transforming Neighborhoods
Rob Horsford ’89.
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Rob Horsford ’89 has overseen a transformation in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. His company, Horsford & Poteat Realty, a development, general contracting and construction management firm, recently completed a large-scale revitalization project that has taken previously blighted, vacant city-owned lots and empty buildings and created what is now a majority owner-occupied neighborhood. The construction of 24 new two- and three-family homes and townhouses and renovation of 20 existing homes — 15 of them on one city block — was completed in conjunction with the City of New York. “Our goal is to work hand in hand with tenants and owners to get residents living in a standard about which they are proud,” says Rob. “Our niche is the affordable-housing market. We are getting buildings back on the tax rolls.” Rob, his sister Alyah Horsford-Sidberry and their friend Edward Poteat, who Rob met while working in an internship as a student at Brown University, founded Horsford & Poteat in 1995. During Rob’s junior year at Brown, Rob and Edward had begun plans to start a business together, with the expectation that both would first spend some time in “corporate America.” After graduating from Brown with a dual degree in structural civil engineering and business management, Rob joined Verizon’s construction engineering division as a project manager. Within two years, he and the Horsford & Poteat team purchased, renovated and sold two small brownstone buildings in Harlem, the firm’s first construction project. Their entry into construction management came shortly thereafter from an elderly couple with a small building project, also in Harlem. They subsequently applied for projects with the City of New York and have renovated more than 700 housing units in the city. They currently manage and own more than 300 of those units and employ 30 people in the company’s construction and building management divisions, including classmate Hector Gordon ’89, who is director of construction management. The career path Rob chose was not what his family had in mind for him. The second oldest in a family of nine children, his grandmother envisioned him in a career in medicine. He attended Catholic and public schools in New York City, and was selected for the Wadleigh Scholars Program, a highly competitive educational scholarship initiative that led to his application to Westminster. Rob recalls his first visit to Westminster for his admissions interview. “The campus had a real family feel,” he says. “I was comfortable there.” While at Westminster, Rob was a member of the John Hay Society and the language club, and was a staff writer for the Westminster News. He also played varsity football and track, and was a member of the basketball team. Rob’s love of math and science, and the influence of former faculty member Mike Jackson ’49 steered him toward the engineering field. “The way Mr. Jackson taught made me even fonder of math and science, and he helped me decide a career direction,” says Rob. “I love the concept of building structures that will be there for people to see and touch.” Rob says he formed his “strongest, longest and dearest friendships” at Westminster. “The camaraderie we developed through dining together, sports and constant social interaction stand out from anything else I’ve experienced,” he said. Many of those friendships thrive today. He and his daughter, Naomi, recently traveled to Centreville, Md., for a vacation with Hector, and classmates Mtu Pugh ’89 and Will Beckford ’89, his wife, Randy, and their children. Rob’s next business project involves the development of another 300 housing units in the Bronx and Harlem, an expansive building-renovation project his firm will undertake through the nonprofit Urban Homeownership. His plans also include more time with his Westminster friends. “Now that the business is well-established, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my daughter and old classmates — and enjoying life,” he exclaimed.
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Discovery of Shipwreck Makes International News
Clockwise from top, a carronade from what is thought to be the wreck of the Revenge, Charlie Buffum ’78 diving at the site of the wreck, and Charlie at Cottrell Brewery.
Loose lips may sink ships, but in the case of Charlie Buffum ’78, his secret discovery of a long-lost piece of United States naval history was closely guarded for more than five years. In August 2005, Charlie, along with his friends Craig Harger and Mike Fournier, discovered a cannon believed to be from the remains of naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry’s schooner Revenge. The schooner ran aground the Watch Hill Reef in January 1811 in Westerly, R.I., while surveying the harbors of Newport, R.I.; New London, Conn.; and Gardiner’s Bay, Long Island, N.Y. Charlie, a longtime recreational diver, has taken his sport to the Caribbean, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of France, though Watch Hill, where the Revenge dives occurred, is just miles from his Stonington, Conn., home. The water off Watch Hill is known for its many shipwrecks, though Charlie says that few people, even locals, were aware of the wreck of the Revenge. Charlie’s search for the ship was inspired in part by Perry’s written account of the wreck, which is included in “Shipwrecks and Marine Disasters on the Shores of the Town of Westerly, Rhode Island, and Adjacent Waters,” a book given to Charlie by his mother. “We made assumptions about the tide, the surf and the direction of the vessel, and on our third attempt, we found the cannon,” said Charlie. “The day we found the wreck, we were chomping at the bit, but we only shared the information with immediate family.” The team’s discretion allowed for continued exploration of the wreck site and the subsequent discovery of an anchor, ballast bars and five additional cannons just 1,000 yards from shore and 15 feet from the ocean’s surface. It was not until January of this year, only days before the 200th anniversary of the schooner’s sinking, that the team publicly announced the discovery. The news made headlines in the national and international media and dive publications alike, though nothing surprised Charlie as much as receiving a call from family friends who were on a cruise off the coast of Brazil. “They called to tell us that our picture and story were on the front page of the morning news synopsis slipped under their cabin door,” he said. This fall, the United States Naval History & Heritage Command will dive at the site to look for markings that could prove the remains are indeed that of the Revenge. Little of the ship remains. Perry removed what he could from the ship as the USS Constitution came from New London, Conn., to assist in the salvage efforts. Its crew attempted to tow the Revenge’s deck to Fishers Island, N.Y., but they were eventually forced to cut the towline, and the deck floated out to sea. Six remaining cannons, each weighing over 1,000 pounds, were miraculously transferred to the longboats. While Charlie remains busy with the publicity surrounding the discovery, he is equally busy with his hobby turned profession: beer brewing. Charlie and his wife, Ann, own Cottrell Brewing Co., which they founded in the Pawcatuck section of Stonington, Conn., in 1996. Charlie and Ann met in London during an undergraduate program. He later returned to London to complete an M.B.A. at the London Business School. Prior to operating the brewery, Charlie was a management consultant with a U.K.-based telecommunications firm. His career kept the couple in the U.K. until 1993, when they relocated to Boston. “There was tons of travel,” says Charlie. “It was hard on a young family.” In what he describes as “a moment of insanity,” fully supported by Ann, he abandoned his career and took an internship at Ipswich Brewery in Massachusetts, where he learned the commercial brewing business. Cottrell Brewery is housed in a historic building that was once home to Charlie’s great-great-grandfather’s printing press manufacturing business, C.B. Cottrell & Sons, Inc. Each year, Cottrell Brewery produces about 5,000 barrels, and its Old Yankee Ale and Mystic Bridge IPA are widely available throughout New England. Anyone visiting the Stonington/Mystic area is welcome to visit the brewery for tours and tastings. While at Westminster, Charlie played tennis, soccer, basketball and golf, contributed to the Westminster News and served as a corridor prefect. Following Westminster, he earned a B.S. in economics from Trinity College. He remains close with many Westminster friends including Tyger Nicholas ’78, Russ Burgess ’81 and Doug Crawford ’76. They may be among the first to sample Cottrell’s next brew — the aptly named Revenge, slated to hit the shelves in November. 63
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In Memoriam 1935 Richard K. Hawes Jr. of
Westport Harbor, Mass., died Jan. 29, 2011. He was the husband of Anne (Rogers) Hawes to whom he was married for 68 years. Born in Fall River, Mass., a son of the late attorney Richard K. Hawes Sr. 1906
and Genevieve (Chase) Hawes, he spent his youth in Fall River moving to Westport Harbor at the age of 10. A distinguished area attorney, he began practicing law in association with his father in 1947, retiring in 1986. Richard was a graduate of Yale University, Class of 1939, and the University of Virginia Law School, Class of 1946. He was a past president, secretary and treasurer of the Acoaxet Club, where he had been a member since 1926. An enthusiastic yachtsman, he skippered his Concordia Sloop, Saltwind, throughout the Buzzards Bay and Maine waters for many years. He was a member of the Cruising Club of America, serving as post captain of the Buzzards Bay station for several years and the New Bedford Yacht Club. A longtime member of First Congregational Church while living in Fall River, he later joined the United Congregational Church in Little Compton. Richard was involved in numerous civic activities, including serving on the Westport Town Council and finance committee. He was a member of the board of directors for the former Fall River National Bank and Bank of New England N.A. South, and an incorporator and trustee for the former Fall River Five Cents Savings Bank, now Bank Five.
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Richard was a U.S. Navy veteran, having served during World War II. He was a deck officer and navigator on a destroyer in the Atlantic and Pacific. After a kamikaze hit his destroyer, killing the captain, eight officers and 33 enlisted men, he became senior officer, assuming command. He managed to complete his assignments and return his ship to safety for which he was awarded the Silver Star. Fellow classmate Roger Moore writes, “Twonk was Dick Hawes’s nickname. I have no real memory of the origin of that name. In recent years, Dick was faithful to both Westminster and Pomfret. You don’t find that kind of loyalty often. Richard was one of my ‘sailing’ friends. Twonk finished up at Pomfret but was always included in the master list of Westminster alums.” In addition to his wife, Richard is survived by two sons: Richard K. “Dickie” Hawes III, and Robert Rogers Hawes ’66 and his wife, Barbara, all of Westport; one daughter, Anne H. Gray and her husband, Robert, of York, Maine; two grandchildren, one great-granddaughter and many nieces and nephews. Richard was the brother of the late Simeon Hawes. Richard had a profound love for Westport Harbor, the river, the community and the cruising waters of Brooklin, Maine. He enjoyed nothing more than sailing in and around Westport Harbor with his children and grandchildren, and observing them from his boathouse deck.
1937 Willis Lansing Curtis died
April 18, 2011. Born in Marlborough, Mass., he was the son of John Arnold and Dorothy Rumsey Curtis. He was married to Jane Pitkin of Scituate, Mass., in 1940. Although the fourth generation of a shoe manufacturing family, he loved the outdoors and with Jane moved to Vermont to raise Jersey cattle and run a dairy farm, both in West Hartford and in Hartland, Vt. In the 1960s, realizing that small-scale farming was not viable, the couple bought the Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock. Advertising for the Yankee Bookshop on radio station WNHV led to another career for Will as a radio commentator. His program on Vermont Public Radio, “The Nature of Things,” was one of the first to address environmental concerns and was heard from coast to coast. His commentaries were compiled in two books, “The Nature of Things” and “The Second Nature of Things.” In collaboration with Frank Lieberman, Will and Jane published the art history book, “Monhegan, the Artists’ Island.” In all, they published six books, ranging in subjects from Calvin Coolidge’s Vermont years to the history of the Green Mountain Club. With Jane, Will participated frequently in Tony Adams’ popular WCAX television show, “Across the Fence.” For many years, Will took voice lessons and performed in numerous plays at Woodstock’s Little Theatre and in the St. James Church choir. He loved anything to do with the outdoors: spring skiing in Tuckerman Ravine, fly
fishing on the White River and backpacking on the Long Trail. In his 70s, he discovered the delights of watercolor painting. Best of all, he loved sitting around the dining room table surrounded by his family and dear friends. Will was president of the Woodstock Historical Society and on the board of directors of the Vermont Institute of Natural History. He represented Hartland as a representative in the Vermont General Assembly in 1963, serving on the Conservation and Development Committee. With Jane, he traveled from the Arctic to Patagonia, even tracking Siberian tigers in the Russian Far East. He was predeceased by his parents, four brothers and a daughter, Elizabeth. He is survived by his wife, Jane; daughter, Katherine Curtis Donahue, and her husband William Johnston Donahue of Hartland, Vt.; his sister Louise Hahn of Ontario, Canada; three grandsons, Thomas, Samuel and James; and a great-granddaughter, Alex Helena DonahueOchoa.
1940 Captain Lindsay H. “Pete” Welling of Oneonta, N.Y.,
passed away Nov. 30, 2010. He was born in New York City and grew up in Scarsdale. In 1942, Pete joined the U.S. Navy, and upon graduating from flight school, was accepted into the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in World War II with the VMR-353 Squadron, earning battle stars for Iwo Jima and Okinawa. While staying in the Reserves, he served in Korea with the Headquarters Squadron of the 1st Marine Air Wing.
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In Memoriam He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps as a major. After World War II, Pete joined American Airlines. His 35-year career spanned the golden years of aviation from the DC3 to the 747. He retired in 1980 as a senior captain, qualified on the 747. Pete married Claudia Cameron Kissick in 1960, and they moved to Armonk. There they raised their three children, and he found many hobbies, including coin and stamp collecting, golf and photography. He paired his talent for photography with a love of history and took many photographs for the North Castle Historical Society, of which he was a founding member. Pete joined the Armonk Rotary Club in 1964, and served as president of that club and as a director of the Oneonta Club. He and Claudia retired to Maryland in 1980, where he continued to enjoy his hobbies, as well as working with the Town of Maryland Planning Commission. Pete is survived by his wife of 50 years, Claudia, of Oneonta; his three children, Carol McVeigh and her husband, Michael of Irvine, Calif., Donald Welling and his wife, Lynne, of Somers, and James Welling and his wife, April, of Phoenix, Ariz.; and 11 grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, William Welling.
1942 Walter “Terry” Thomas of
Advance, N.C., passed away March 15, 2011. He is survived by his wife, Jane, and sons, David and Peter Thomas.
1943 John Remer passed away
in Chadds Ford, Pa., on Dec. 22, 2010. Born in Philadelphia, he is survived by his wife, Frances (Ketcham, Edmunds); two children, John Jr. ’69 and Elizabeth Kipp; three step children, Mabel Ketcham, Christine Ketcham La Monica and Helenor Ketcham; eight grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren; his brother, David; several nieces and nephews. A graduate of Yale University, Class of 1948, he also served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. He worked for Drexel and Co. in Philadelphia before joining Laird & Co. (later White Weld & Co.) as office manager in Wilmington, Del. A long-standing director (1956-1996) of Teleflex Corp. in Limerick, Pa., he joined the firm in earnest in 1974 as chief financial officer and was a vice president until his retirement in 1996. He continued as an advisor until 2007. An avid fly fisherman, John was a longtime director of The Atlantic Salmon Federation, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife, Frankie, enjoyed 40 wonderful summers along the St. Croix River. He was a director of The Bright Creek Park Association, Canadensis, Pa., where he was a member for more than 50 years. There the Remer Pool is a wonderful legacy to his devotion to angling and to his generosity in the conservation of wild lands for future generations. John was a strong believer in education and especially in helping those
In early spring of 1943, are, left to right, Mike Morehouse ’43, Foxy Jones ’44, Tad Montgomery ’43, Jim Osborne ’44 and Jim Goodenough ’44.
less fortunate. He served on the board of Westminster School for several terms and established the Helen S. Remer Scholarship in memory of his mother. He further joined the board of Tabor Children’s Services in 1980 and served as president for 21 years. John also served on the board of Delaware Hospice; was a founder and president of Hospice of Charlotte, where he guided a group of devoted volunteers to form what has turned into a pivotal community service for many people in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. His social club affiliations included the Wilmington Country Club, Merion Golf Club, Vicmead Hunt Club, Biderman Golf Club (charter member) and the Wilmington Club. John, affectionately known as “Sid,” will be remembered by friends and family as a gentleman with a mischievous sense of humor, steadfast loyalty, and an ability to listen and give counsel to those who needed an open ear.
1944 Foxhall Parker Jones died
Feb. 27, 2011, in Sharon, Conn. An avid athlete, Foxy played baseball, tennis and football at Westminster. He left Westminster in 1942 to enlist in the U.S. Marines, where he served in the South Pacific as a demolitions expert, particularly with the flamethrower, on Guam Island and Iwo Jima, where he was wounded twice. He also served in China after the Japanese surrender. Foxy graduated from the University of Virginia and was for 35 years a sales representative for Harper Publishers. He was a beloved man in his community and among the bookstore buyers throughout New England. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Kitty Benedict, five children, and two grandchildren.
1946 Marshall Carroll of New
Castle, N.H., passed away Aug. 20, 2010. He is survived by his wife, Janet, and two daughters.
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In Memoriam Willis Ellis Hartshorn III of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, died Nov. 21, 2010. He loved music and was an avid piano player. He was the husband of Deirdre, the father of Willis Ellis IV, Julia, Elizabeth and Jonathan; and grandfather of Anne, Peter, Halle, Claire and Liam.
1948 Robert Adam Ramsdell Jr.,
of Wilmington, Del., died Aug. 24, 2010. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Bob was the son of Robert A. and Evelyn Yerkes Ramsdell and lived in Wilmington since 1937. He was educated at the University of Virginia. After service in Hokkaido, Japan, during the Korean War, he worked in the trust department of the old Equitable Trust Co. (PNC Bank today). Later, he formed a tax and accounting firm, specializing in small businesses in New Castle County. Here are a few words that Art Hendrick wrote to Bob’s wife about remembrances of Bob. He wanted Westminster to have them as well. “I was very sad to learn that Bob is no longer with us. We shared many good times together, one of which I remember to this day. We loved going to Eddie Condon’s nightclub in Greenwich Village to listen to Wild Bill Davidson’s great jazz band and have a few pops. The time was Christmas vacation in 1947, and since we were short of cash, we took a wellconcealed pint of bourbon to the club with us. We stayed until the wee hours of the morning and had a very happy time. I had a vague recollection of boarding the Lexington Ave.
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subway uptown. I can't recall where or when Bob got off, but I do remember falling asleep and winding up in Harlem. I reversed direction and got to bed sometime around 3 a.m. This was only one of many adventures we shared, and I treasure them all. My heart goes out to his wife and family. He will be missed by all of us. When I think of Bob, the first thing that comes to mind is his delightful sense of humor.” Bob is survived by his wife, Janet Cozart; daughter Evelyn Ramsdell of Wilmington; daughter, May, and her husband Robert R. Ullrich of Elkton, Md.; and son William B. and his wife, Stacy, and their two children of Piedmont, Calif.
1949 John Brooks “Jack” Ritchey of Sarasota, Fla., a
highly regarded yachtsman and retired IBM executive, died April 17, 2011. He was the husband for 53 years of Jane Barber “Putsie.” Jack was one of six “amateurs” selected to enhance the professional crew aboard the schooner America, Rudy Schaefer’s replica of the original America’s Cup winner, during a 1968 re-enactment of the 1851 race around the Isle of Wight from Cowes, England. It was one of many seagoing experiences he enjoyed as an owner or invited crewman on numerous races to Bermuda and elsewhere. He was equally adept as a soloist, skippering Dhow dinghies and Frostbite dinghies, and holds the record for 12 consecutive winters as Frostbite champion of the Norwalk Yacht Club, where he was a longtime member.
A native of New York City, Jack devoted 32 years to a career with IBM in a variety of assignments, the last as a manager of the data security department. He and his wife raised their two sons in Rowayton. Jack graduated from the University of Virginia in 1953. With his NROTC college training and further study at Newport (R.I.) Naval College, he served as an ensign in the U.S. Navy for three years aboard a patrol boat off the New England coast. He was a mainstay of the Rowayton Nativity Pageant and a member of the Cruising Club of America, the Salty Old Boaters and Ischoda Yacht Club. Also surviving are sons, John Brooks Ritchey Jr. and wife, Sarah, of Norwalk; and Peter William Ritchey and wife, Nancy, of Wilton; a sister, Jean R. Ross, and husband, Wallace Ross, of Vero Beach, Fla.; and four granddaughters, Robin and Kelsey Ritchey of Wilton, and Campbell and Lauren Ritchey of Norwalk.
1955 John T. P. Jackson of
Lancaster, N.H., died Feb. 8, 2011. He graduated from Yale College and the Berkeley Divinity School. He was a devoted priest, most recently in the dioceses of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and was an enthusiastic teacher in Oklahoma, New Jersey and Massachusetts. He also served as a school chaplain, a chaplain of the fire department and a hospice chaplain and volunteer. John loved family summers on Cape Cod where he sailed. He was a curious traveler, especially
enjoying trips taken when each of his oldest five grandchildren turned 13. He was an avid birder and was pleased to make recent birding trips to the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and Mallorca. John made close friends everywhere he lived and his cheerful countenance and warm wit will be greatly missed. John is survived by, his wife, Anne Jackson, of Lancaster; his son, John T. P. Jr. ’78 and his wife, Ellen Todd of Groton, Mass., and their children, John T. P. Jackson III, Clark Jackson and Nathan Turner and his wife, Monica; his daughter Martha Jackson Gegan of Davis, Calif., and her husband, Brian, and their children, Caroline, Natalie and Lydia Gegan; his son Benjamin Jackson of Brooklyn, N.Y., and his wife, Martha Lee, and their children, Sophie and Oliver Jackson; his stepson Peter B. Sahlin of Lyndon, Vt.; his former wife Beatrice Vincent; his brothers Michael ’49 and Timothy ’65 Jackson and his sister, Phyllis Mills, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, Jimmy Jackson, and a stepdaughter, Amy Sahlin. Douglas Kramer passed
away Dec. 28, 2010. Born in Chicago, Doug was a 45year resident of Winnetka, Ill. His life was characterized by great personal courage, a wonderful sense of humor and deep abiding love for his family. He leaves a rich, lasting legacy to his family and to his community. He was the chairman of Draper and Kramer, Inc., based in Chicago. One of the country’s oldest and most
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In Memoriam successful real estate firms, the company was founded in 1893 by his grandfather, Adolph F. Kramer and by Arthur W. Draper. Doug’s time with Draper and Kramer began in 1958, after many boyhood summers leasing apartments. He became a director in 1964 and was appointed president in 1972 and chairman of the board in 1995. With more than 50 years service, he led Draper and Kramer in all facets of the business including property and asset management, development and numerous partnerships sponsored by Draper and Kramer. He broadened the company’s vision and interests well beyond property management into local, national and international commercial real estate development. Doug served as the long-term chairman and director of Slough Estates, USA. He was on the Board of Slough Estates PLC, Slough, England, since 1981 and retired after 25 years as director. In addition, he served on the boards of Tipperary Corporation, independent oil and gas production company headquartered in Denver, Colo. He served on the board of Kirke-Van Orsdel, Inc., an insurance brokerage business in Des Moines, Iowa. He was former chairman of River Oaks Bank and Trust, River Oaks, Ill. Doug was involved in a variety of civic organizations. He was a member of the Chicago Crime Commission since 1973 and served as its chairman from 2001-2005 and vice chairman since 2005; a governing member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Hull House
Association, and The Institute for Hearing and Speech. He was a member of The Chicago Club; The Standard Club and the Lambda Alpha International, Chicago. He also was a member of Lake Shore Golf and C.C, Glencoe, Ill., and Jupiter Hills, Jupiter, Fla. He had a long-standing love of golf and truly enjoyed fishing from Canada to Central America. Alan Brooks writes, “My classmates and I first met Doug in 1954 when he joined our Sixth Form class at Westminster. I cannot say I was a close friend of Doug’s at school, but over the subsequent years, I have visited him frequently in Chicago, the last time at his home in Winnetka with his family. When Doug was facing some very tough times with his cancer, we carried on a telephone relationship, talking with each other about every two or three weeks over the past five years. While Westminster was conducting and then celebrating its successful fundraising campaign, Building Grit and Grace, Doug was undergoing rounds of radiation and dialysis treatments.” Though only a one-year student at Westminster, Doug showed more grit and grace during his illness than I could ever imagine. No matter how bad it was going for him, Doug never lost his sense of humor or his interest in other people. Sometimes, without identifying himself, Doug would begin the phone conversation, ‘So, this man walks into the bar...,’ and he would be off and running with his latest off-color joke. And regardless of what
he was dealing with, Doug was always most interested in knowing what I was doing or what my kids were up to or even my siblings, most of all, my twin sister who was going through a serious illness herself at the time. Quite simply, Doug personified grit and grace. I’m going to miss those phone conversations!” Doug is survived by his wife, Mary Lynn McClatchey Kramer; children, Kathryn S. Walley, Valerie S. Kramer, Michele S. Kramer and Kara M. Kramer; a sister; a brother; grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews Thomas H. Sawyer of
Augusta, Maine, passed away suddenly on June 11, 2011. He graduated from the University of Maine and also attended Williams College Trust School, where he became a certified life underwriter and a certified financial planner. Tom had been employed by Key Bank as a senior vice president of the trust division for more than 20 years. He previously worked for Travelers Insurance and had been a teacher and coach at Boothbay Regional High School for several years. Tom was a member of the Augusta Country Club and was an avid golfer. He was involved with Maine Senior Golf and Megantic Fish and Game. He was also an avid fly fisherman and enjoyed fly fishing on the Miramichi. Tom was active in many civic organizations in the Kennebec Valley, including Old Fort Western, Kennebec Historical Society and the Republican Party. Fellow classmate, Hal Anthony writes, “At Tom Sawyer’s service, I learned
that he loved to play golf, among other things. His good friend said nice things about Tom, one which I thought everyone would like. ‘Tom was always where he said he would be and on time. The only time he was late was the Friday before he died.’ Sara, Tom’s wife, invited Karen and me to come to their house after the service. I heard many times from his family (wife and three daughters) how much Tom loved Westminster, and they were very glad someone was there from both his class and Westminster. He will be missed.” Tom is survived by his wife of 53 years, Sara Sawyer, three daughters, five grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
1956 Robert C. Schenck Jr. of
Dayton, Ohio, passed away April 1, 2010. Born in Dayton, Bob was the son of Robert C. Schenck and Jane Mead Schenck. He graduated from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., and served two years in the U.S. Army. Bob worked at Duriron Company for 25 years and then left with partners to start Cercona, Inc. He enjoyed fly fishing and traveling, and was an avid car enthusiast. He built two cars in his retirement years. Bob especially enjoyed the camaraderie of a Wednesday night dinner group and Tuesday breakfast meetings. From childhood, he enjoyed spending as much time as possible at Number Four New York, always describing it as a little slice of heaven. Bob is survived by his wife, Barbara; two
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In Memoriam sons, Jim of Wareham, Mass., and Robert of Austin, Texas; and daughter, Jane of Chicago, Ill.
1959 Peter Davis Coe was a
Yankee by birth and a Southerner by choice (and a cosmopolitan by inclination). Childhood friend Shep Wild ’58 says that “no one enjoyed life more than Peter” and that he was “an adventurer in every sense of the word.” Peter passed away June 29, 2011, but not before living his life to its fullest. Born in Waterbury, Conn., to the late Robert and Dorothy Coe, he is survived by his sister, Elsie Carley, of Connecticut and his daughter, Sabra Coe Young,
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her husband Bill and their children, Davis and Liza, of Virginia Beach. From successfully mixing homemade gunpowder at age 11 to running with the bulls in Pamplona (captured in a series of photographs by Life Magazine) to skiing in the Alps, it was never dull being around Peter. He will be remembered for his love of life, his love of people, and his love of great food and wine. Peter grew up in Waterbury, Conn., and attended Boston University. Some of his favorite childhood summer memories were from Camp Kewaydin in Vermont. His future career started early as his first business was selling Rock Cornish game hens to everyone in town during
summer breaks in high school. Peter briefly lived in England, where his father was a special ambassador to support the country’s reconstruction under the Marshall Plan, and it was here that he began his lifelong love affair with The Grand Duchess, a right-hand drive Triumph that he continued to drive occasionally right up until 2011. After a brief career in banking and in the brass industry, Peter made his way to Virginia Beach in 1973 to pursue his true passion and founded Taste Unlimited with his childhood friend John Curtis of Williamsburg. Taste Unlimited quickly expanded from Virginia Beach to Norfolk, and Peter brought
the best foods and wines from around the world to Tidewater for the first time. His leadership was recognized nationally with a spread in Bon Appetit magazine in 1983 and board membership in the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. Taste Unlimited grew into a local institution, and Peter was thrilled when his daughter, Sabra, and son-in-law, Bill Young, joined him as partners in 1999. Even after the business was sold in 2006, Peter continued to host the popular “In the Kitchen with Peter Coe” cooking classes and “Taste Uncorked” wine tastings. Peter’s impact was felt throughout the community as a founding board member of the
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In Memoriam Contemporary Arts Center, Tidewater Performing Arts Society and the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic, and his active involvement with numerous other local institutions. Peter left behind a group of friends who enjoyed his company, good food, laughter and camaraderie. Four classmates who attended his funeral included Chasper Fischbacher, Charles Dilks, Phil Sayres and Peter Kellogg. One of the eulogies was presented by Shep Wild ’58, a longtime Waterbury
friend. Peter will be memorialized in the Class of 1959 Memorial Fund and, along with other classmates, will leave a legacy to Westminster in a scholarship fund.
1962 Thomas Marston of
Meriden, Conn., died March 22, 2011. Tom attended college at Wooster Polytechnic Institute, City College of San Francisco, and he received a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Southern Connecticut State University in 1985. Before his retirement, he worked for the U.S. Postal Service, both in San Francisco, Calif., and Wallingford, Conn., at the Southern Connecticut P&D Center, along with other computer programming positions. Tom was a fan of the New England Patriots, San Francisco Giants and UConn Huskies, and loved March Madness every year. He enjoyed working with
computers, crosswords, Sudoku and many intellectual games and puzzles. He and his family enjoyed vacations in Woods Hole, Mass. Besides his wife, Joyce Hale Marston, he is survived by his son, Thomas Sands Marston; daughter, Jessica Marston Gomez, and daughter, Jocelyn Hale Marston; and son, Benjamin Sands Marston.
1969 Rich Trapnell passed away
on June 6, 2011, near his home in Kuranda, Australia. He was predeceased by his parents, Richard W. Trapnell III and Jane Trapnell Buck, as well as his younger brother, Judson B. Trapnell. Rich grew up in
the Wilmington, Del., area, where he attended Tower Hill School. He attended Harvard University. In 1971, Rich moved to Kuranda in North Queensland, Australia, where he and several friends, also from Wilmington, started Rosebud Farm and Nursery. For the next 40 years, Rich planted and created a tropical garden, horticulturally renowned for its collection, which he had obtained from his travels to Asia and South America. Surviving Rich are his two sons, Nathan H. Trapnell and Jonathan “Digby” A. Trapnell, both of Kuranda, Australia; his brother, George H. Trapnell and his wife, Kathi, of Wilmington, Del.; his sisterin-law, Rose C. Trapnell of Charlottesville, Va.; and five nieces and a nephew.
1970 William C. McKay Jr. died
on April 5, 2011. He was born in Grosse Pointe, Mich., and graduated from Denver University. He was the president of Atlantic Plant Maintenance in Watertown, Mass., and was the North East Division manager for General Electric. Bill is survived by his spouse, Mary McKay.
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Closing Thoughts A Boarding School Journey By Trustee Anne K. Moran P’06, ’09, ’12
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I remember, as clearly as if it were yesterday, my first drive up Williams Hill. As we rounded the top bend, on that cold, drizzly New England fall day, the stunningly beautiful Westminster quad stretched out in front of us. I literally gasped. A tingle of excitement ran through my stomach. I felt a smile stretch across my face. Without fail, nine years and literally dozens of trips up Williams Hill later, I still get that same feeling. My family’s boarding school journey had started six months earlier when Elizabeth, our oldest daughter, who was a student at Upland Country Day School in Pennsylvania, decided she would like to explore the boarding-school option. My husband, Michael, had gone to boarding school, but I had not. Growing up in Ireland, my only previous experience with boarding schools was seeing my brother shipped off at age 7 and only really getting to know him later in life. You can imagine my apprehension when the former Head of Upland Country Day School, Russell MacMullan Jr., who was also the secondary school placement director, gave us a list of four boarding schools, three in New England and one in Maryland, that he thought would be a good fit for Elizabeth, and ultimately, all of us as a family. I was filled with many questions and fears: Why boarding school? Which boarding school? A two-hour drive or a fivehour drive? Three hundred students or 600 students? A strict dress code or a relaxed dress code? Academic excellence or athletic excellence? The list was endless. As we were driving around the quad on our way to the Admissions Office for Elizabeth’s first interview, we passed neatly dressed students who were smiling, laughing and clearly enjoying their surroundings and each other’s company, despite the weather. I entered the Admissions Office somewhat apprehensively, since first impressions are so important. I need not have worried.
Everyone in the office made us feel welcome and at home. More impressively, they made us feel that we were important to the Westminster community and its future. This was my first taste of how uniquely special Westminster people are. The interview and the tour could not have gone any better. By the end of that day, my biggest question was answered. Was Westminster the right fit? Absolutely! Michael and I had found the nurturing, caring environment and homeaway-from-home feeling we so desperately wanted for Elizabeth. Little did I know then that this decision would ultimately involve all three of my children. Elizabeth applied to Westminster in January of 2003. She received her acceptance letter in March, and we drove back up Williams Hill for the second time in April for Revisit Day. There was that same tingling feeling in my stomach. It was all I could do to stay quiet and not influence Elizabeth in her decision. After all, this was going to be her home for the next three years. She needed to take complete ownership of this decision and understand the privilege and responsibility that go with being a Westminster student. That fall, Elizabeth started at Westminster as a Fourth Former. The look on her face when we drove up Williams Hill and saw beaming Sixth Formers all standing at the stop sign to greet us was unbelievable. We felt the excitement and enthusiasm of everyone present. The Westminster family was gathering for another year together. Elizabeth had arrived for preseason field hockey with a friend from Upland, Annie Osborn ’06. Two polar opposite feelings stand out in my memory from that day: sheer terror the moment former Headmaster Graham Cole, after his welcoming address to new parents in Werner Centennial Center, asked us to say goodbye to our children, and the utter joy at the sight of Elizabeth and Annie trotting off arm in arm and giggling across the quad toward their new
home in Edge House. I did not know whether to laugh or cry. I probably did both. Elizabeth made First Girls’ Field Hockey that fall, so I tried to attend quite a few of the games. It gave me the opportunity to meet parents and faculty members on the sidelines. The kids love the support and encouragement that comes from the whole Westminster community. Those first couple of years at Westminster were a huge learning curve for me. From the sidelines, I was thrilled to watch Elizabeth learn to understand the commitment her coaches expected from her. After meeting her teachers that first Parents’ Weekend, I learned about the support team that surrounds every student and is reinforced by his or her advisor. From the time students get up in the morning until they close their eyes at night, someone is watching over them. From day one, Westminster has given me a feeling that everything is “right” in the “village” at the top of the hill. From the dedicated and passionate faculty and staff, the polite and inquisitive kids, and the supportive and friendly parents, the Westminster community is warm, engaging, thoughtful and nurturing. Time and time again, I am reminded of this from Pat Thompson in the dining hall, who is always asking me how my girls are, to Kathleen Devaney, who at the end of Elizabeth’s Westminster lacrosse career wrote some very touching comments about her. Emily, our youngest daughter, once told me she wanted to go to a school where there were “real people.” At the time, I really did not understand what she was trying to tell me. Now I know. At the top of William’s Hill is a community filled with real people, who year after year, gently and patiently, guide and mold our sons and daughters into strong, confident, well-rounded and concerned citizens of the world. The fit is special and right. My children have all felt, in one form or another, excitement, apprehension and a pounding of their heart when they drove up the hill. I have sensed it sitting in the car beside them. In 2006, the year Elizabeth graduated, I was invited to join the Westminster Board of Trustees. This was an opportunity I eagerly accepted. I knew it would put me in a position to understand more fully the inner workings of the Westminster community, and hopefully, afford me the chance to give back in some small way to a school, which by then, I knew had given life-changing experiences to two of my three children. As daunting as it was to join such a board, it was evident immediately that everyone was joined together by a desire and commitment to maintain the standards, traditions and ethos of a top-tier school.
I felt lucky to be right there when the huge decision was made to build the Armour Academic Center. It entailed raising more money than Westminster had ever raised in all of its previous campaigns combined. It was a tremendously brave step, one not taken lightly, but made with confidence and faith in the extraordinary product that is Westminster School. From my five years on the board and as a member of its Faculty and Students Committee, I have learned what it takes to be a member of the Westminster community. I see the faculty and staff as all sharing a vocation for patiently molding young teenagers into confident, well-rounded adults. I see them as a strong and cohesive group of people who believe in each other and what Westminster stands for, and have a passion and dedication for educating and teaching life-skills to our children that is second to none. I have lived my Westminster days vicariously through my three daughters: Elizabeth ’06, Caroline ’09 and Emily ’12. Sometimes during my hundreds of hours spent driving to Connecticut, I daydream about what sort of a Westminster student I might have been. I like to think I would have espoused, wholeheartedly, every wonderful tradition from the Senior Lawn to Hill Holidays, from Candlelight Service to the Lawn Ceremony, from Black and Gold to the John Hay Society, from family-style dinners to stickball. I might have even played a few sports or managed a team, joined Chorale and spent my Saturday nights at the rink cheering on the hockey team. I might also have walked down the hill to Starbucks with my friends, and we would have dreamed about what colleges we might attend. I would be honored and proud to think that I would have left Westminster, as my children have, armed with those core values that allow one to live a life with grit and grace. I understand now more than ever the African proverb that “It takes a village to raise a child.” My last big drive up Williams Hill was this September when I brought Emily back early, so that she could stand as a Sixth Former at the top of the hill and enthusiastically greet the underformers as they arrived back on campus for the fall term. It is the start of my last year as a parent at Westminster. I try not to think about it as it makes me sad. However, I can honestly say I feel truly blessed and will look back on my Westminster years with a smile on my face, a lump in my throat and a tingle in my heart. And, as I mounted up the Hill, The music in my heart I bore, Long after it was heard no more. ~William Wordsworth
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Westminster Dramat’s production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” drew standing ovations from audiences during its Feb. 18-20 performances in the Werner Centennial Center.
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