The Pride | Summer 2014

PRIDE THE

Successful Passing of the Torch: David Dini sets his sights on a bright future Also in this issue:

Alumni Weekend: Marksmen honor the Holtbergs

Spotlight on Philanthropy: Legacies recognized on campus

Summer 2014 Volume 19, Issue 3 St. Mark’s School of Texas Alumni Magazine

Save the Dates 2014 ALUMNI CALENDAR OF EVENTS

October 6–9 East Coast Alumni Events

October 17 Homecoming Kick-Off Party

November 9–11 West Coast Alumni Events

November 26 Young Alumni Holiday Party

December 11 Alumni Holiday Luncheon

December 18 College-Age Alumni Holiday Lunch

January 3, 2015 Alumni Soccer & Basketball Games

February 12–13 Austin & Houston Alumni Events

April 23–25 Alumni Weekend 2015

May 22 Commencement and Senior-Alumni Luncheon

See the full Calendar of Events at www.smtexas.org/AlumniEvents

Contents

THE

PRIDE St. Mark’s School of Texas Alumni Magazine Volume 19, Issue 3 • Summer 2014

12

30

48

ON CAMPUS

2 | In Retrospect 3 | Letter From the Editor 4 | College Matriculation 6 | Student Art 8 | Sports News 12 | St. Mark’s Armed Forces Club 14 | 25 Years in the Wild 16 | Student Accolades 22 | Distinguished Speakers 26 | Holiday Traditions 30 | Baccalaureate and Commencement 36 | Retiring Faculty 38 | Retiring Trustees

ALUMNI NEWS

40 | Alumni Board Report 44 | Alumni in the News 48 | Alumni Weekend

SPOTLIGHT ON PHILANTHROPY

58

58 | Cementing New Legacies

FEATURES

60 | The Eighteenth Headmaster

NOTES AND REMARKS

60

66 | Class Notes 77 | Faculty Notes 78 | In Memoriam 80 | Endnotes

ABOUT OUR COVER Newly appointed Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini and Headmaster Emeritus Arnie Holtberg walk through campus.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | Contents

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On Campus

in retrospect

A Time for Fun The 1965 Marksmen yearbook contains this photo of boys and girls twisting and shouting at the 1964 Homecoming Dance. The caption below the photo reads “A Time For Fun.” If you can help identify or have a good story about this group of students, please let us know. Send information to Katy Rubarth, St. Mark’s School of Texas, 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75230–4047 or email her at rubarthk@smtexas.org.

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

Letters

from the editor

B

eginnings and endings, endings and

abilities and modeling the ideals of servant-

beginnings. At this time last year we

leadership, all with warmth, good nature,

celebrated the successful conclusion of

and infectious energy for his work. David is

The Centennial Challenge, a Campaign that

all that a Marksman represents and a perfect

both honored the first 100 years of St. Mark’s

role model for our boys.

and sought to ensure that excellence continued for the next 100 years. Last year

I know you join me in wishing David, Nancy,

we also celebrated a different, bittersweet

Caroline, Megan, Thomas, and Claudia the

milestone: the end of Arnie Holtberg’s tenure

very best as they move onto campus and

as Headmaster of St. Mark’s. On campus

further into the hearts of our community.

and across the nation, hundreds of alumni and friends turned out to say thank you to

Here’s to new beginnings,

Arnie and Jan during their Farewell Tour.

Katy B. Rubarth As the 2014–2015 school year begins, St. Mark’s

Director of Communications

now looks ahead to a new beginning with a new leader. The enthusiasm for David Dini’s appointment has been overwhelming, and the excitement generated by the implementation of new projects and programs, due to the success of the Campaign, is palpable.

For me, David’s appointment is especially exciting; I have had the honor to get to know him as a parent, a team member, and a friend.

For the past five years, I’ve collaborated with David on a wide array of School projects and watched him work tirelessly to ensure that St. Mark’s is able to sustain its mission. David brings out the best in those with whom he works, nurturing their

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | On Campus

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On Campus

2010–2014 college matriculation FOUR: Boston University Brown University Northeastern University Texas Tech University University of Michigan University of Texas at Austin—Plan II THREE: Baylor University Colgate University Davidson College

Ten or More: Dartmouth College Duke University Harvard University New York University Princeton University Rice University Southern Methodist University Stanford University Texas A&M University University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California University of Texas at Austin Vanderbilt University Washington University in St. Louis

Emory University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Pomona College Purdue University St. Edward’s University Trinity University United States Naval Academy University of Notre Dame University of Texas at Dallas Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University TWO: Carnegie Mellon University Cornell University Haverford College Hendrix College Indiana University Rhodes College Trinity College University of Georgia University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Oklahoma University of Texas at Arlington

FIVE TO NINE: ONE: Columbia University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Northwestern University Texas Christian University University of Chicago University of Miami University of Missouri—Columbia University of Virginia Yale University

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Amherst College Arizona State University Auburn University Bates College Bowdoin College Bowling Green State University Bucknell University California Institute of Technology

Chapman University Clemson University Colby College College of William and Mary Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Franklin & Marshall College Franklin Olin College of Engineering Furman University George Washington University Gettysburg College Hampshire College Houston Baptist University Howard University Johns Hopkins University Lehigh University Marion Military Institute Middlebury College Oberlin Conservatory of Music Occidental College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rollins College Schreiner University St. John’s University St. Lawrence University Swarthmore College Tulane University United States Air Force Academy United States Military Academy University of Alabama University of California—Berkeley University of California—Santa Barbara University of Colorado at Boulder University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Kansas University of Minnesota University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Richmond University of Rochester University of South Carolina University of Texas at San Antonio University of Wisconsin Villanova University Virginia Military Institute Virginia Polytechnic Institute Williams College

St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

class of 2014 college matriculation Southern Methodist........................ Anthony Garcia University Paul Herz

Michael Murphy

William Nelson

Joshua Perkins

Chase Squires

Brandon Sung University of Texas at Austin.......... Ali Ahmed

Cole Gerthoffer

Kellam Hall

Daniel McNamara

Blake Robins

Aarohan Burma (Plan II)

Kobi Naseck (Plan II) Dartmouth College.......................... Yima Asom

Robert He

Harrison Perkins

Michael Perkins

Benjamin Wilson Princeton University....................... Thomas Addy

Dylan Altschuler

Samuel Perkins

Vincent Shia

Victor Zhou Duke University............................... John Caldwell

Nikhil Jain

Carson Pate

Jeffrey Wu Harvard University.......................... Dylan Clark

Aidan Dewar

Alexander Munoz

Ryan O’Meara Stanford University......................... Creed Lowry

Matthew Mahowald

Jack Pigott

Maxwell Wolens New York University........................ Vincent Chen

Samuel Khoshbin

Johnathan Kim Northwestern University................ Malcolm Bowman

Nabeel Muscatwalla

Phillip Osborn Rice University................................. Andrew Gatherer

Vishal Gokani

Harrison Lin

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Vanderbilt University...................... Conner Gregory

Clayton Roberts

John Webb Washington University.................... Juan Chavez in St. Louis Bradley Mankoff

Woo Jae Shin St. Edward’s University.................... Jassiel Roman

Israel Soto Texas A&M University..................... Victor Calvillo

Mac Labhart Texas Christian University............. Matthew Brown

Jack Mallick University of Chicago...................... Tabish Dayani

Charles Marshall University of Pennsylvania............. Halbert Bai

Charles Golden University of Southern.................... Nicholas Brodsky California Martin Tirmenstein University of Virginia...................... James Diamond

Lucas Williams Auburn University........................... David Bentley Baylor University............................. Mark Burton Brown University............................. Jacob Wilner Northeastern University................. Oliver Ness Pomona College............................... Luke Munson St. Lawrence University.................. Alexander McKenna Trinity College.................................. Winston Brewer Trinity University............................. Daniel Solis United States Naval Academy......... Cameron Baxley University of Georgia...................... Ford Robinson University of Kansas........................ Reid Stein University of Miami......................... Richard McCants University of Missouri—................. Andrew Hatfield Columbia University of North Carolina.......... Riley Graham at Chapel Hill University of Notre Dame............... Teddy Edwards University of Oklahoma.................. John Garnsey University of Oregon....................... Andrew Balog Villanova University........................ Dean Addy Wake Forest University................... Richard Eiseman Washington and Lee University..... Zachary Papin Yale University................................. Jonathan Ng

Summer 2014 | On Campus

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On Campus

state of the arts Award-Winning Student Art

(above) George Lin ’15 (above right) Arno Goetz ’16 (right) Adam Merchant ’15

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

(above) Wesley Cha ’15

On Campus

sports news

(above) Coach John Turek with the 2013 SPC Champion cross country team. (right) The cross country team hoists its SPC Championship trophy. (far right) Varsity Captain Teddy Edwards ’14 spikes a ball during the volleyball team’s SPC Championship run. (opposite top) Swimmers Jack Pigott ’14 and Eric Li ’16 stand on the medal podium. (opposite bottom) Swimmers celebrate their Championship by throwing coach Mihai Oprea into the pool.

Volleyball Returning to SPC as defending champions, the varsity volleyball team beat both Houston Kinkaid and Greenhill 3–0 in early matches.

Cross Country

Those victories set the Lions up for a showdown

The weather at Ft. Worth Trinity Valley was

with the Casady Cyclones. St. Mark’s gained an

perfect for the SPC Cross Country Championship

early 2–0 lead thanks to captain Carson Pate ’14

race. Led by team captain Matthew Brown ’14,

and the powerful hitting of Timothy Simenc ’15,

six Marksmen placed in the top 20 and were

Teddy Edwards ’14, Harrison Lin ’14, and Parker

named All-SPC. Matthew finished sixth, followed

Dixon ’16. Despite winning set three, the

by JT Graass ’16 (seventh), Nick Buckenham ’15

Cyclones fell to blockers Tabish Dayani ’14 and

(ninth), Daniel Cope ’17 (thirteenth), Harrison

Blake Spangler ’15, and the Lions successfully

Perkins ’14 (fourteenth), and Rishi Kshatriya ’15

defended their title as SPC Champions.

(eighteenth). The team scored a conference best of 49 points and won the SPC Championship, its first since 2007.

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

Crew Hull Dedication Swimming

On Tuesday, January 7, 2014, members of the varsity

Varsity swimming took home SPC gold in one

crew gathered alongside faculty, staff, and friends of the

of its most impressive showings in the School’s

crew program to officially christen the newest addition

swimming history. The Lion swimmers held

to the St. Mark’s fleet of crew shells. The quad is named

more than three-fourths of the best times in the

2013 in honor of the 2013 varsity crew team, and is

championship meet. The team won all of the

the generous gift of the Quarls family: Harry, Karen,

relays, and also placed first in the 50m freestyle,

and Harrison ’13.

100m butterfly, and 100m breaststroke. The team

Varsity crew coach Pitts Yandell and Eugene McDermott

broke both School and SPC records in the

Headmaster Arnie Holtberg both spoke, praising the

200m free relay (Jack Pigott ’14, Richard Jiang ’15,

dedication of the boys, celebrating the team’s decorated

Eric Li ’16, and Kevin Kim ’16) and the 400

history at St. Mark’s, and thanking the Quarls family.

Free Relay (Jack Pigott ’14, Mason Smith ’15,

Then the members of the varsity crew officially

Kevin Kim ’16, and Eric Li ’16). At the end of the

christened their new vessel, pouring the traditional

day, the Lions got out of the water with 187.5

bottle of “champagne” over its hull.

points, more than any SPC Championship to date.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | On Campus

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On Campus

Class of 2014 College Signing (above) The State Championship water polo team celebrates with head coach Mihai Oprea.

Water Polo The water polo team finished off an incredible season by clinching the Texas State Water Polo Championship. Having won the north region for the thirteenth year in a row, the “Sea Lions” were poised to compete at the state level. In a

Yima Asom Soccer – Dartmouth College Cameron Baxley Crew – United States Naval Academy

tense championship game against defending

Malcolm Bowman

state champions Clear Creek, the Lions fell

Football – Northwestern University

behind early but pulled ahead in the second quarter and never looked back, winning 12–5.

Winston Brewer

Timothy Simenc ’15 was selected as the State

Wrestling – Trinity College

Tournament MVP, the top honor in the sport of water polo, making him the second consecutive Marksman to win MVP (after Warren Smith ’13).

Jack Mallick ’14 and Nathan Ondracek ’15 were named First Team All-State. Matt Mahowald ’14, Bradley Mankoff ’14, and Mason Smith ’15 were

Matthew Brown Cross Country/Track – Texas Christian University John Caldwell Football – Duke University

named Honorable Mention All-State. Coach

Sam Khoshbin

Mihai Oprea was also named the Texas State

Tennis – New York University

Water Polo Coach of the Year.

Zach Papin Wrestling – Washington & Lee University

Overall SPC Rankings Cross Country 1st Football 2nd Volleyball 1st Swimming 1st Wrestling 2nd Soccer 5th Basketball 6th

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

Water Polo (State) 1st Track & Field 4th Tennis 5th Baseball 4th Golf 3rd Lacrosse 2nd

Jacob Wilner Football – Brown University

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Courage & Honor For a school whose motto is “Courage and Honor,” it should come as no surprise that numerous Marksmen choose to dedicate their lives to serving our country both at home and abroad.

With so many alumni enlisting in every branch

unit in Afghanistan and began raising money

of the military, students Jake Holder ’15 and

to send supplies. Through fundraisers and

Travis Nadalini ’15 wanted to do something to

donations, the club was able to assemble care

honor those serving the United States while

packages containing ordinary, though vitally

simultaneously educating current students

important, supplies like coffee, games, hand

about military culture, ethics, and leadership.

warmers, toiletries, clothing items for the troop’s

In the fall of 2012, the boys formed the St. Mark’s

interpreters, and boxes of magazines donated

Armed Forces Club with a little help from Scott

by the St. Mark’s library. The club then boxed up

Hunt, Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching

all of the supplies and shipped them overseas to

Chair, photography instructor, and Texas Army

the troops. The final item in their care package

National Guard 2nd Lieutenant.

was a blue and white St. Mark’s flag. According to club co-founder Travis Nadalini, the troops were

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

To fulfill the first half of their mission, the

so excited to receive the supplies, that the club

club adopted a Texas Army National Guard

decided to sponsor them again the following year.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

As for the flag, the unit members hung it in their

Scott Hunt hopes to have the flag framed and

forward operating base, but when the unit

displayed on campus.

rotated home, the flag was placed in a shipping container with many of their other supplies

“The club’s motto ‘Courage, Honor, Duty’ builds

and essentially lost. Imagine Jake’s and Travis’s

upon the foundation set forth by the St. Mark’s

surprise when, this past fall, Scott Hunt came

motto,” Scott said. “Helping boys to accept duty

to school with the flag, signed by the unit.

and responsibility for something bigger than themselves is what the club seeks to instill and

“Getting the flag back from them was awesome,” said Travis. “The most rewarding part of the club is seeing the positive impact of our efforts to support our troops. It made us feel very appreciated.”

demonstrate amongst its members and in the community.”

(opposite page) The Armed Forces Club poses with its care packages before sending them overseas. (above) The Texas Army National Guard Unit that received the care packages sent this photo back with the signed flag.

On Campus

Not only was this year’s trip historic due to Mr. J’s quarter century of leadership, it was also the largest group that he has ever taken: 24 rising fifth-graders, plus staff and parents, including eight dads who themselves are

by Lawrence Piccagli ’85

Marksmen. It is hard to explain how truly memorable the experience is unless one spends the week together with the entire group. As fantastic an adventure as we all experienced, what stood out was how truly committed Mr. J was to ensuring that each and every boy and his parent had the time of their lives.

As a former student of Mr. J from 38 short years ago, I never forgot the persona of Mr. J’s third-grade class. He is the epitome of a master teacher and a master father figure to his students. He is ever present to guide and teach the boys about wildlife, nature, working together as a group, and just plain life in general.

His unwavering loyalty to St. Mark’s, the boys, and their parents is undeniable. He seemed to never tire and to never lose his patience and yet Mr. J always appeared to push the boys just a little bit more, so we could see a few more animals or get that perfect view of a snow-covered mountain. I am truly grateful for having had Mr. J as a teacher many years ago and for experiencing the overwhelming beauty of the Tetons and Yellowstone with Mr. J as our leader and guide.

This past summer marked the twenty-fifth year that Frank Jordan (Mr. J) has organized and led rising fifth-grade boys and their parents on the St. Mark’s Wyoming Trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

The trip also teaches the boys how to live together and depend on one another. Mr. J ensured that he would keep us on a tight schedule throughout the trip. But the boys had to look to one another to stay organized and “with it” even if things got tough. This is where relationships are strengthened, and this is why, for so many years, the Wyoming trip has been a mainstay at the School. Where the Pecos trip is the “official” rite of passage for Upper School boys to become young men, the Wyoming trip is a similar accomplishment for many of our boys moving into middle school.

Living among wildlife, sleeping in tent cabins, and hiking long days across many miles truly gives the boys a sense of accomplishment.

On the Wyoming trip, Mr. J builds multiple attributes that are cornerstones at St. Mark’s for boys becoming young men.

To read additional reflections on the Wyoming trip from other Marksmen dads, visit smtexas.org/wyoming.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

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On Campus

student accolades Marksmen Making News On Campus years, the highest honor awarded by the National Scholastic Press Association.

The ReMarker and Marksmen are sponsored by Ray Westbrook, Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair, and The Marque is sponsored

by Lynne Weber, Trustee Master Teaching Chair in Humanities.

Senior Named Journalist of the Year Ryan O’Meara ’14 was named the 2014 Texas High School Journalist of the Year by the Texas Association of Journalism Educators. His win elevated him to the National Scholastic Press Association’s nationwide competition, in which he placed second. For the competition, Ryan prepared a 50-page portfolio, highlighting his work in writing, design, photography, and (above) Riley Graham ’14, Sam Perkins ’14, Matt Mahowald ’14 and Carrington Kyle ’15 with the Gold Crown plaque awarded to the 2013 Marksmen yearbook.

Publications Win Triple Crown

multi-media projects over the three years he

For the second year in a row, all three of the

served on The ReMarker newspaper staff. Ryan

School’s major Upper School publications

is the second consecutive St. Mark’s journalist to

received a prestigious Gold Crown Award from

win the state title. Last year, Daniel Hersh ’13,

the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

now a student at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, was named Texas

The ReMarker student newspaper, The Marque

High School Journalist of the Year and went

literary magazine, and the Marksmen yearbook

on to place third in the national competition.

were among the 66 publications awarded Gold

Additionally, Sam Khoshbin ’14 placed second

Crowns out of more than 1,200 nationwide

in the statewide competition.

submissions for the 2012–2013 school year.

Publications were judged by a panel of industry

New Cum Laude Members Inducted

experts, and the final awards were announced

On Wednesday, April 23, 2014, St. Mark’s inducted

at the Association’s annual convention at

nine members of the Class of 2014 and ten

Columbia University on March 21, 2014. These

members of the Class of 2015 into the Cum Laude

awards continued the winning streaks for each

Society. The students were inducted based

publication, marking the sixth straight Gold

on academic achievement and selected by a

Crown for the Marksmen, the second for

committee of student and faculty Cum Laude

The Marque, and the eleventh for The ReMarker,

members. As per the society’s constitution, up to

the longest successive streak by a secondary

one-fifth of the senior class and one-tenth of the

school in the 89-year history of the organization.

junior class can be inducted.

Earlier in the school year, The ReMarker also received its fourth Pacemaker award in nine

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

After the new members were inducted, Lee S. Smith, J.D. ’65 addressed the students, faculty, and parents, recounting his experience as the

(above) The 2013–2014 St. Mark’s Cum Laude members. (left) Lee S. Smith, J.D. ’65

first black student enrolled at St. Mark’s.

Six Seniors Named YoungArts Winners The National YoungArts Foundation named six St. Mark’s seniors as winners for its 2014 season: Thomas Addy (visual arts), Cameron Baxley (visual arts), Wesley Cha (visual arts), Andrew Gatherer (photography), Harrison Lin (visual arts), and Blake Robins (photography).

These seniors were selected from a pool of more This year’s inductees included seniors Nicholas

than 10,000 applicants nationwide to be among

Brodsky, Aidan Dewar, Harrison Lin, Jackson

the 687 winners honored for their work in

Lowry, Matthew Mahowald, Charles Marshall,

the arts. At the request of The Commission on

Luke Munson, Kobi Naseck, and David Perkins;

Presidential Scholars, which is appointed by

and juniors Case Brabham, Christopher Carter,

the president of the United States, YoungArts is

Raymond Guo, James Kyle, George Lin, Nathan

also the exclusive path to the U.S. Presidential

Ondracek, Vikram Pattabi, Mason Smith, William

Scholars in the Arts awards.

Sydney, and Darwin Yang.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

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On Campus

(above) The nineteen seniors named National Merit Semifinalists.

National Merit Students Honored

National Organizations Honor Seniors

Nineteen Marksmen from the Class of 2014 were

Six Upper School students were recognized

recognized as Semifinalists in the 2013 National

for their academic achievements by the

Merit Scholarship program: Dylan Altschuler,

College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition

John Caldwell, Dylan Clark,Tabish Dayani, Aidan

Program and the National Merit Scholarship

Dewar, Cole Gerthoffer, Vishal Gokani, Charles

Corporation’s National Achievement

Golden, Robert He, Samuel Khoshbin, Creed

Scholarship Program.

Lowry, Charles Marshall, Alexander Muñoz, Luke Munson, Jonathan Ng, Ryan O’Meara, Samuel

Alexander Muñoz ’14 and Aidan Dewar ’14

Perkins, Vincent Shia, and Victor Zhou.

were named Scholars by the National Hispanic Recognition Program, which recognizes the

Twenty-nine seniors were also recognized as

top 2 percent of Hispanic/Latino students who

Commended Students. Congratulations to:

take the PSAT/NMSQT in their junior year.

Halbert Bai, Cameron Baxley, David Bentley,

Additionally, Jassiel Roman ’14, Victor Calvillo ’14,

Aarohan Burma, Mark Burton, James Diamond,

and Anthony Garcia ’14 were awarded

Charles Edwards, Richard Eiseman, Andrew

Honorable Mention by the organization.

Gatherer, Kellam Hall, Harrison Lin, Nikhil Jain, Johnathan Kim, Matthew Mahowald, Bradley

Lucas Williams ’14 was named a semifinalist for

Mankoff, Michael Murphy, Nabeel Muscatwalla,

the National Achievement Scholarship Program,

Kobi Naseck, Norman Ness, Phillip Osborn,

an academic competition organized by the

Carson Pate, Joshua Perkins, Michael Perkins,

National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which

Jack Pigott, Laurence Roberts, Woo Jae Shin,

recognizes academic achievement among Black

Nicholas Squires, Lucas Williams, and Jeffrey Wu.

American students. As a semifinalist, Lucas placed in the top 1 percent of applicants.

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

Additionally, four students were named to the ATPI Texas Imagemaker Team: Halbert Bai ’14, Mason Smith ’15, Arno Goetz ’16, and Alden

(above) Photo by Alden James ’16 (above left) Photo by Mason Smith ’15

James ’16. The Texas Imagemakers are the top ten photography students in the state based on awards received in state and national photo contests during the school year.

Student Films Selected for SXSW

(left) Film studies students Cole Gerthoffer ’14 and Harrison Chen ’16 attend the South by Southwest Film Festival.

Two film studies students screened their short films at this year’s South By Southwest Film Festival. Cages by Harrison Chen ’16 and Spark

by Kunal Dixit ’15 were shown as part of the festival’s Texas High School Short Film category.

Several film students attended the premieres at SXSW in Austin this March, where they had a chance to answer questions from the audience after screening their films. This marks the School’s second appearance at SXSW. In 2012,

Photography Program Named Best in Texas

the student film Drawings by Christian Larrave ’11

St. Mark’s photography program has been

and Alex McKenna ’14 was screened.

named “Top Program” for the eighth consecutive year by the Association of Texas Photography Instructors (ATPI). Students submitted ten-image portfolios in Landscape, Still Life, Architecture, and Thematic categories, winning first place in every category for the first time.

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On Campus

(right) Woodworking project

by Drew Balog ’14 (far right) Woodworking project

by Conner Olson ’15 (bottom right) Sahitya Senapathy ’20 stands with his team.

Woodworking Students Receive National Awards Several Marksmen were recognized at the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at both the national and regional levels. Three woodworking students received national medals: Drew Balog ’14 and Ben Wilson ’14 each won a Gold Key, and Conner Olson ’15 was awarded a Silver Key. The national winners were among 1,800 young artists chosen from more than 255,000 submitted works of art and writing. These students join Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote,

Sixth-Grader Helps Create First-Responder App

Robert Redford, Ken Burns, Zac Posen, and

For the civilian first responders of Plano’s

many others.

Community Emergency Response Team, finding

the ranks of prestigious past winners, including

one another and communicating during a crisis National medalists were honored at the 2014

can be difficult. But now, thanks to a team of

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards National

ingenious sixth-graders, there’s an app for that.

Ceremony in New York City on June 6, 2014.

Their work was displayed at the Art.Write.Now.

Sahitya Senapathy ’20 and a team of students

National Exhibition at the Sheila C. Johnson

from area schools worked together to create

Design Center at Parsons The New School for

a smartphone app aimed at supporting Plano

Design and Pratt Institute’s Pratt Manhattan Gallery.

CERT. Once signed in, CERT members can keep track of one another’s location and contact information, making it easier to coordinate during an emergency.

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

The team decided to help Plano CERT while

The seventh-grade robotics team consists of

researching first responders, and entered the

Kyle Smith, Ruoming Fan, Sahit Dendekuri,

app into two science fair competitions: the

Kamal Mamdani, and new members Jack Katz

Christopher Columbus Science Awards and

and Harrison Lee. Eighth-grader Dalton Glenn

the eCybermission Student Competition. “The

and former student Joseph Vetoretti ’19 also

fact that this app, which is an excellent product

worked on the patented project.

(above) Choir Director Tinsley Silcox stands with the Upper School Choir moments before they sing the national anthem at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

with real-world potential, has been developed by sixth-graders is mind boggling to many of us

Choir Performs Anthem at Rangers Game

who will actually benefit from this technology,”

The Upper School Choir sang the national

said Ron Moore, Plano CERT coordinator, in an

anthem to open the Texas Rangers game on

interview with the Plano Star Courier.

April 19, 2014. No doubt inspired by the Choir’s performance, the Rangers then took the field

Middle School Students Awarded U.S. Patent

and defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6–3.

On October 15, 2013, a device created by the

This is the second time that the Upper School

Middle School robotics team was granted Patent

Choir has opened a national sports game. In

No. US 8,558,702 B2 by the United States Patent

2012, the choristers sang the anthem at a Dallas

and Trademark Office. The team members were

Mavericks game, which also resulted in a victory

in fifth grade when they applied for a patent on

for the home team.

their device, which is described as an “apparatus and method for preventing pressure injuries and circulatory problems in sedentary patients.” The idea stemmed from a project the team created for the First Lego League Robotics competition, which focused on health and wellness.

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On Campus

distinguished speakers

(above) Dr. Alan Stern ’75, Dr. Brett Giroir, Dr. Michael Gould, and Dr. David Genecov ’82 field questions at Upper School Assembly.

Every year, St. Mark’s hosts dozens of

The scholars conducted a panel session at

extraordinary guest speakers, from astronauts

Upper School Assembly, sharing their wisdom

and soldiers to authors and professors.

about the sciences, and encouraging students to

This year was no exception as students had

keep an open mind and pursue their interests.

the opportunity to hear from a wide range

Each of them also visited various Upper School

of guest speakers, brought to St. Mark’s by

science classes throughout the day, where they

four unique programs.

spoke on topics ranging from growing stem cells and optimizing world food production, to deep-

STEM Festival

space exploration and robotics design.

On October 25, 2013, St. Mark’s hosted its first annual STEM Festival, which highlights the

The STEM Festival was chaired by Andrew

fields of science, technology, engineering, and

Gatherer ’14 and Jonathan Ng ’14 and sponsored

math. By inviting professionals in these fields

by Fletcher Carron, Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science

to visit St. Mark’s, the festival seeks to broaden a

Department Chair.

greater understanding of these topics and ignite passion for careers in the STEM disciplines.

Literary Festival On Friday, January 10, 2014, St. Mark’s held its

The inaugural festival welcomed guest speakers

seventh annual Literary Festival, welcoming

Dr. Brett Giroir, biomedical researcher;

visiting writers from a diverse range of

Dr. Michael Gould, agricultural engineer;

backgrounds. Upper School students had the

Dr. David Genecov ’82, craniofacial and

opportunity to hear from Ron Koertge, young

cosmetic surgeon; and Dr. Alan Stern ’75,

adult novelist and poet; Jill Sobule, acclaimed

planetary scientist.

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

visiting writers. Cole Gerthoffer ’14 won first

(above) Dr. Robert Sapolsky discusses neuroscience with AP Biology students.

in fiction, Michael Perkins ’14 won first in nonfiction, and Gopal Raman ’17 won first in poetry. singer-songwriter; Jim Holt, mathematician

The Literary Festival was run by student chair

and nonfiction contributor to The New Yorker;

William Sydney ’15, vice-chair Will Garden ’16,

Lev Grossman, best-selling novelist and TIME

and faculty sponsor David Brown, Victor F. White

magazine writer; and Evan Daugherty ’00,

Master Teaching Chair in English.

blockbuster Hollywood screenwriter.

Robert E. Dennard Visiting Scholar On Friday, the five writers spoke at a special

On October 9–10, 2013, Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky,

assembly, sharing their own experiences and

biologist, neuroscientist, writer, and stress

advice with the students. Each writer then

expert, took a break from his fieldwork and

spent the day visiting classrooms, talking with

neurological research to educate Upper

students in a more intimate atmosphere, and

School students about the biology of stress,

answering specific questions.

individuality, memory, and mental disease.

(above left) Jill Sobule serenades students with songs and stories from her career. (lower left) Author Jim Holt signs a copy of his book for Nabeel Muscatwalla ’14.

Dr. Sapolsky shared a unique mixture of At the end of the day, the writers gathered with

anecdotes and research data through a

students and teachers for a special reception

combination of storytelling and humor that

in the Green Library, where they announced

was perfectly suited to his St. Mark’s audience.

the winners of the annual writing contest.

Sapolsky conducted five small Q&A sessions

Numerous student entries were judged by a

with students in AP Biology, Sociobiology, and

panel of Upper School teachers and the five

AP Psychology, as well as with alumni.

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On Campus

Willard E. Walker, Jr. ’66 Visiting Scholar During their visit on February 26–27, 2014, The Celebration Jazz Orchestra dazzled students with musical selections and explained the structure of jazz music. Working intensively with the St. Mark’s Studio Band, The Celebration Jazz Orchestra conducted two full days of small-group sectionals, large-group rehearsals, and demonstrations. Comprising former high school and college musicians, music educators, and professional musicians, the 17-member Celebration Jazz Orchestra plays for the love of

(above) Members of The Celebration Jazz Orchestra perform for Upper School Assembly.

music. Their love of music, especially big-band jazz, easily spread to St. Mark’s students, faculty, parents, and staff.

Taking a break from their busy schedules, The

(right) St. Mark’s band director Tim Hicks performs with The Celebration Jazz Orchestra, which he co-founded.

Celebration Jazz Orchestra spent two days on campus and, after intense sectional rehearsals during the first day, Studio Band members immediately recognized the impact of their visit.

On their final evening, the intense sectionals, During these sessions, he imparted his knowledge of the evolution of the human brain, neurobiology, individuality, the relationship between age and openness to novelty, and human behavior with respect to brains, genes, and hormones. Speaking in his concluding session, Sapolsky’s humor, humanity, and rapid-fire delivery made the weightiest topics accessible to all and allowed students to engage with him concerning stress in their lives.

Dr. Sapolsky is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, professor of biology and neurology at Stanford

rehearsals, and Q&A sessions culminated in a joint concert with the St. Mark’s Studio Band.

The Band impressed the audience with songs featuring soloists Jack Pigott ’14 and Nick Buckenham ’15.

Afterward, The Celebration Jazz Orchestra took the stage, offering selections dear to the hearts of jazz purists.

In addition to being a member, St. Mark’s band director Tim Hicks co-founded The Celebration Jazz Orchestra in 1985.

University, and research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at The National Museum of Kenya.

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Thank You! Thank You from the students, faculty, and staff of St. Mark’s School of Texas for making a gift to the 2013–2014 St. Mark’s Fund. Together with more than 2,600 alumni, parents, and friends of the School, you helped us raise a record $3.16 million for current Marksmen and their teachers.

These gifts are critical in providing our faculty and students with the necessary support to sustain excellence at 10600 Preston Road.

54% of all alumni contributed a record $1.7 million to the St. Mark’s Fund, exceeding 50% participation for the sixth consecutive year. The 10 Reunion classes raised more than $651,000 of the total and broke five Reunion giving records.

90% of current parents contributed $1.56 million to the Fund, setting new records for giving, with three classes reaching 100% participation.

100% of the Class of 2014 participated in their Legacy Gift to support the St. Mark’s Fund, the Jan and Arnold Holtberg Family Scholarship Fund, and recognition items on campus.

Thank you for being part of an extraordinary year of support at St. Mark’s.

Lead | Inspire | Be Counted

On Campus

holiday traditions Community Service In the season of giving, Marksmen made a concerted effort to give back.

In November, Marksmen and Hockadaisies packed the McDonald’s parking lot at Preston/Royal to raise money for Austin Street Center.

In December, the Community Service Gift Drive collected gifts for children all across the Dallas area.

(clockwise from top left) Marksmen and Hockadaisies come together to support Austin Street Center.

Students organize gift drive donations.

Upper School elves greet children before their visit with Santa.

Santa (Jack Mallick ’14) hands out gifts at Jubilee Center.

Students compete in an epic dance-off during McDonald’s Week.

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

Grandparents’ Day St. Mark’s welcomed more than 500 grandparents and guests to campus for Grandparents’ Day. Boys brought their special guests along for the day to experience life as a Marksman.

(clockwise from top left) Carrington Kyle ’15 and Canyon Kyle ’18 stand with their grandparents.

Students and grandparents attend Lower School Chapel.

Lower School Music Teacher Mary Ann Livengood leads her students in a song and dance for their grandparents.

Middle Schooler Albert Luo ’19 with his grandparents.

A Lower Schooler and his grandfather peruse the library book fair.

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On Campus

Lessons & Carols The St. Mark’s community came together to celebrate A Service of Nine Lessons & Carols on Tuesday, December 17, 2013. The St. Mark’s Choir has sung this candlelit service since 1951.

(clockwise from top left) The Choir sings A Service of Lessons & Carols.

Ken Hersh ’81 reads a lesson.

Verger Cameron Baxley ’14 and crucifer Cameron Hillier ’13 lead the recessional.

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

All-School Christmas Party Hours before the start of Christmas Break, the entire school packed into the A. Earl Cullum, Jr., Alumni Commons for the All-School Christmas Party. In what has become an iconic tradition, the senior class entered the Great Hall carrying their Lower School buddies on their shoulders to decorate the Christmas tree. Afterward, Student Council President Charlie Golden ’14 announced that the Community Service gift drive had broken its previous record, collecting 3,304 gifts.

(clockwise from top left) Jacob Wilner ’14 carries his Lower School buddy into the All-School Christmas Party Victor Calvillo ’14 with his Lower School buddy.

A Lower Schooler places his ornament on the Christmas tree.

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On Campus

Baccalaureate & Commencement The Class of 2014 finished their

student careers at St. Mark’s with a week full of bittersweet tradition.

As the sun set on Tuesday, May 20, the senior class gathered to attend the Baccalaureate service and their final chapel as students.

For many seniors, this experience is a deeply emotional and rewarding conclusion to years of hard work. The small Baccalaureate service, attended only by seniors, their parents, the faculty, and the choir, featured several choral performances and remarks from Arnie Holtberg, Eugene McDermott Headmaster, whom the class chose, and Cole Gerthoffer ’14, whom the faculty chose.

After he finished speaking, Arnie was given a Class President Harrison Perkins ’14 gave a

standing ovation honoring him for his 21 years

heartfelt introduction to Mr. Holtberg in which

of service as Eugene McDermott Headmaster.

he called him “the epitome of an accomplished and respected Marksman and champion of the St. Mark’s community.”

Baccalaureate was bookended with a show of mutual respect between the seniors and faculty.

Before the service, the Class of 2014 lined the

The retiring headmaster exhorted the seniors to “consider doing what you feel you have to do, not

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

hallway to the Chapel and applauded the faculty as they processed in. As the service concluded,

just what you want to do.” Arnie’s speech ended

the faculty returned the favor, lining the

with the words, “Remember that we love you;

walkway outside the chapel and applauding the

that I love you.”

seniors as they recessed.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Seniors share a laugh at their last chapel service as students.

(above) John Webb ’14 walks to the Commencement Stage.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

(clockwise from top) Seniors take a selfie before Commencement.

Friends and family listen to the address by Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg.

Three days later, the Class of 2014 returned to campus, this time donning the traditional white

Class President Harrison Perkins ’14 speaks at Commencement.

dinner jackets. The Class marched down the Perot Family Quadrangle to the Ida M. & Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater and graduation.

Class President Harrison Perkins ’14 and Valedictorian Halbert Bai ’14 spoke for the class.

Navy SEAL Commander Rorke Denver then “All 86 of us put the Class of 2014 first,” Harrison

delivered the Commencement address. Denver

said. “By putting our class first we also put the

starred in the hit film Act of Valor and has

needs of the entire St. Mark’s community before

overseen all stages of SEAL training. The Class

our own.”

of 2014 requested Denver to be their speaker after he visited the campus more than a year ago

Halbert spoke of the emotional journey he

and gave a memorable speech about leadership

and his father took, from learning English to

and life lessons to students.

enrolling at St. Mark’s in sixth grade.

In his Commencement speech, Denver gave the “I stand here today knowing that my story is

graduates advice for the future with a focus on

only one of the many that make up the larger

the choices they will make. “Find what moves

St. Mark’s story, knowing that whatever

you, throw your hat in the ring, and pursue it,”

successes we have achieved have been made

Denver said. “The school of hard knocks still

on the shoulders of others, and convinced that

exists, and it is a degree you absolutely want in

St. Mark’s is one of the few institutions where

your quiver. Challenge the world and those in it.

building not just a community but a family is

Most folks are bystanders. They never enter the

essential to its mission,” Bai said. “Our collective

arena, and you need to get in the fight. Be kind

stories make up the St. Mark’s family.”

and just and, please, stand for something.”

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On Campus

The following excerpts were taken from Cole Gerthoffer’s Response of the Class at Baccalaureate and Halbert Bai’s Valedictorian Address at Commencement. View their full speeches and more from both events at www.smtexas.org/classof2014.

Cole Gerthoffer ’14: Response of the Class Every day we step onto this campus to learn.

We sit in chairs and learn how to differentiate exponential functions, and how to appreciate Melville, and how to say “I forgot to do the reading” in Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, and Latin. But I think I speak for all of us when I say the most important lessons we learned were never part of a curriculum or given to us on a test.

find some temporary peace, take a second to really think about the things you’ve learned here.

We learned empathy. We learned self-confidence.

Really learned.

We learned that procrastination will kill you if you let it. We learned how to care about the things

Deep down, some part of me doesn’t want to

that matter and how to not worry about the

cross that stage on Friday, but rather float quietly

things that don’t.

past any and all sense of finality. I want to begin another stage of this amazing life, but ending this

And for that we have to thank the amazing,

stage is more than a little crushing.

dedicated, inspiring community at this haven of a school. For I’ve found teachers in the actual

By accepting that diploma, we all cut the cord

brilliant minds who run our classrooms,

once and for all. Why can’t the warm glow of

I’ve found teachers in cafeteria staff members,

comfort and youth linger just a little longer?

and I’ve found teachers in fellow students.

Because that’s not how real life works. We move

“I’ve found teachers in the actual brilliant minds who run our classrooms, I’ve found teachers in cafeteria staff members, and I’ve found teachers in fellow students.”

on. But we never, ever forget.

Mr. Holtberg, when you graduate with us, you will no longer be our headmaster. You will instead be just a dear, dear friend.

We all move on. Don’t resent that. Time rockets forward and, as some have said, it keeps on

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Tonight, tomorrow, or whenever the graduation

slippin’ slippin’ slippin’ into the future. But don’t

adrenaline leaves your system long enough to

let it slip on past you.

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

Halbert Bai ’14: Valedictorian Address Tonight is a particular honor for me because my presence on this stage is unlikely.

From the time I was eighteen months old, my dad raised me. A single father with one boy. At first, we had no furniture and no car. The only things we had were a mortgage on our house, a refrigerator, a stove, and a lone mattress. Barely making ends meet, my dad worked fifty to sixty hours a week in his small medical clinic. In the evenings, he made our meals and washed our clothes. During the nights, I remember how I rested my head against his shoulder as he walked me around our house, comforting me.

On her deathbed, she wrote the recommendation letter that got me into St. Mark’s. She opened

There were times when I did not know who I

the seemingly bolted gates of opportunity and

was and where I belonged. But my dad was

gave me a place at this hallowed institution.

always there for me; he took me up in his arms

In the spring, we learned that she had passed

and carried me forward, looking back only to

away. A few days later, I received my acceptance

appreciate how far we had come.

into St. Mark’s.

My dad often said that I was a late bloomer.

This is my story. But I stand here today knowing

When I entered the first grade at Plano’s Daffron

that my story is only one of the many that make

Elementary school, my English was so bad that

up the larger St. Mark’s story, knowing that

my teacher sent me to ESL class. Late into the

whatever successes we have achieved have been

night, my dad would teach me the alphabet and

made on the shoulders of others, and convinced

eventually how to read.

that St. Mark’s is one of the few institutions where

“This is my story. But I stand here today knowing that my story is only one of the many that make up the larger St. Mark’s story.”

building not just a community but a family is essential to its mission.

As we embark on our next great adventure, let’s set sail with the spirit of Marksmen inside us, those who have preceded us and

Despite these early hurdles, I reached fifth grade

those yet to come.

and entered the advanced English class. It was then that my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Irving, encouraged me to apply to St. Mark’s. That winter, our class learned that she had breast cancer.

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retiring faculty

(above) Thelma Levells serving hungry Marksmen.

Thelma Levells & Lucy Sheppard | 42 years Lucy Sheppard and Thelma Levells didn’t know anyone when they started working at St. Mark’s

(right) Lucy Sheppard preparing her famous salad bar.

in the autumns of 1971 and 1972, respectively,

to their lives after St. Mark’s, they’ll always stay

but that didn’t deter them from quickly making

part of the family. As Stephens puts it, “Their

the School their home. Forty years later, the

retirement is like the passing of an era.”

two, along with the late Maxine Cantley, were honored at the 2012 Alumni Dinner for their

Bobbi Mailer | 41 years

impressive tenures at the school. Maxine,

Bobbi Mailer joined the faculty in 1973, and

who came to the School shortly after Lucy in

in addition to teaching English to ninth and

1971, passed away later that year and was the

tenth graders, she has served as secretary for

recipient of the 2013 Marksmen dedication.

the Cum Laude Society, faculty sponsor of the St. Mark’s Book Club, faculty advisor to the

Director of Food Services Sally Stephens points

St. Mark’s Literary Festival, and as the Director

out how intertwined Thelma and Lucy were with

of the St. Mark’s Visiting Scholars Programs.

the St. Mark’s community: “The other staff look up to them and treat them with respect for all

Throughout Bobbi’s tenure at St. Mark’s, she

of their years here. There is not a position in the

has seen the School merge into a place of

kitchen that they have not worked.” The two

learning with greater diversity that offers a

have certainly been here long enough to affect

broader range of experiences. Bobbi attributes

many generations of Marksmen.

this to not only the times, but also a fowardlooking Board of Trustees and Headmaster.

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On Campus | THE PRIDE

Both of these icons of the cafeteria have had

Bobbi said her fondest memories will remain

careers defined by dedication and loyalty. Their

the “aha moments” when students have insights

smiles have brightened many a Marksman’s

into literature: “When those lights go on, they

day, and their growth with the School has been

beam from the eyes. Those are the greatest

remarkable; so much so that as they move on

moments of teaching.”

St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

(clockwise from top) Bobbi Mailer with Jake McAuley ’08, Arnie Holtberg, and Rishi Bandopahay ’12 at the 2011 Literary Festival.

Sharon Hiner receiving honors for her service at the 2014 end-of-year faculty/staff luncheon.

Bill Marmion teaching AP Economics.

and I love to tell stories and work with the kids.”

Bill is not ready to completely give up teaching and, while working on his golf game, he hopes to continue teaching one class part-time.

Coaching was a highlight of Bill’s career. “There’s nothing like standing on a sideline and winning a football game,” he said. “That’s just a real thrill.”

Sharon Hiner | 14 years After teaching Spanish in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Richardson public schools for 28 years, Sharon Hiner arrived at St. Mark’s in 2000 ready

Bill Marmion | 29 years

for a new challenge. Upon arrival, Sharon was

Bill Marmion joined the St. Mark’s faculty in

immediately impressed by how much more time

1985 to teach history and economics and to

she could spend with her students and the sense

coach football and basketball. After five years,

of community she felt. As she described it,

he rose to Chair of the history department.

St. Mark’s was “a school that ran the way schools

Prior to moving to Texas, Bill attended a

should be run.”

boarding school in the Northeast, earned degrees from Washington & Lee University and

While at St. Mark’s, Sharon taught introductory

Harvard, and taught at an independent school

and advanced Spanish courses and sponsored

in North Carolina.

the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, a national honor society for Spanish students. Professional

As a third-generation teacher, the career path

development funds gave her the opportunity to

was an easy choice. Bill had heard of St. Mark’s

travel to Chile, Bolivia, Guatemala, Spain, and

before, and as soon as an opening became

Argentina to enrich her classroom.

available, he moved to Dallas. According to Bill, what has been most fulfilling is being able to do

Sharon said the feeling of camaraderie among

exactly was he set out to do — coach and teach.

faculty is part of what makes St. Mark’s a great place to be. “I’ll miss the people, the students,

“I like the subjects I teach, and when you’re a history teacher you get to tell a lot of stories,

St. Mark’s School of Texas

and their youthful enthusiasm,” she said. “These are my friends and this is my family.”

Summer 2014 | On Campus

37

On Campus

retiring trustees

Richard Squires

Michael Pegues

Richard Squires, father of Chase ’14, retired

The father of Marksman Toussaint Pegues ’18,

from the Board after nine years of dedicated

Michael Pegues joined the Board in 2008.

service. Richard was an active participant on

During his six-year tenure, he has been an

the Trustees, Investment, Finance, Audit, and

active member of both the Education and

Executive Committees and served as Chair

Development Committees. He has also

of the Development Committee during The

participated on the Finance, Long Range

Centennial Challenge. He has been among

Planning, and Executive Committees. His

the School’s most productive fundraising

level of enthusiasm, commitment, and passion

volunteers, helping advance not only the

inspired fellow Board members to be their very

St. Mark’s Fund and the Campaign, but also

best for St. Mark’s.

the overarching goals of the School.

Bob McClain

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Mary Beth Marshall

Retired after six years on the Board of Trustees,

Mary Beth Marshall retired after six years

Bob McClain, father of David ’12 and Dan ’16,

on the Board. She served on the Facilities,

has been an important contributor to the

Education, and Executive Committees and

Board throughout his tenure. He has been an

was the Chair of the Development Committee

active participant on multiple committees,

from 2009 to 2011. She is the mother of two

including Investment, Finance, and Audit.

Marksmen, Max ’12 and Charlie ’14. Her

Bob’s extensive business experience and

involvement in The Centennial Challenge, the

thoughtful perspective were vitally important

largest fundraising campaign in the School’s

and enabled him to make meaningful

history, was enormously important to the

contributions to the stewardship of the

achievement of our ambitious goals.

School’s resources.

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

On Campus

Wallace Hall, Jr. ’80

Leslie Diamond

Wallace Hall, Jr. ’80, the father of Getty ’12,

Leslie Diamond, mother of James ’14 and

Kellam ’14, and William ’18, has retired after

Will ’16, and wife of George Diamond ’83,

20 years of devoted service. During his tenure

joined the Board in 2011 as President-Elect

on the Board, Wallace has served on nearly

of the Parents’ Association. During her

every Committee. In addition, he was a

tenure on the Board, Leslie has been a very

member of the Alumni Board for many years,

active member of the Audit, Education, and

serving as its President from 1994 to 1996.

Development Committees. Leslie has been a

In 2009, he was awarded the Alumni Service

devoted and thoughtful Trustee, contributing

Medal by the Alumni Association and more

to every aspect of School life.

recently he served as one of three co-chairs of The Centennial Challenge, the largest campaign in the School’s history.

Mike Anderson Mike Anderson, father of Hayden ’10 and Connor ’12, joined the Board in 2000. During his 14-year tenure, he has been an active and contributing member on two key committees: Finance and Investment. While drawing no attention to himself, Mike has been one of the School’s strongest champions, helping advance the goals and aspirations of St. Mark’s in every way possible. He has quietly led behind the scenes, contributing mightily to the School’s mission.

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39

Alumni News st. mark’s alumni association Board Report from David Campbell ’86

(top left) Alumni Association President David Campbell ’86.

As the 2013–2014 school year comes to an end,

(top right) Dennard Visiting Scholar Dr. Robert Sapolsky talks about his work in biology research.

The Board’s steadfast mission remains its focal

(right and bottom right) Alumni gather at Arlington Hall for the Holiday Luncheon.

the Alumni Board is pleased to share a final report outlining the remarkable year it has been. point­—to become the best independent school alumni association in the country. The Board, in partnership with the Office of Development & Alumni Relations, continues to drive success by concentrating on three key areas: (1) Dallasbased programming, with a focus on Alumni Weekend, (2) the growth of the Alumni Network through the expansion of regional activities, and (3) maintaining our high standard of more than 50% alumni participation in the St. Mark’s Fund.

With more than 4,000 alumni calling various parts of the globe home, our community continues to find ways to engage and strengthen our school.

Dr. Sapolsky, a science and nature writer,

Dallas-Area Programming

biologist and neuroscientist, and stress expert,

The Alumni Leadership Speaker Series engaged

gave a fascinating lecture, “Sushi and Middle

alumni and community members with several

Age,” examining why we are less interested in

events throughout the year. This past fall, the

novelty as we grow older. The Alumni Holiday

Alumni Board hosted an Alumni Breakfast and

Luncheon has become an annual tradition,

Discussion with Dr. Robert Sapolsky, the Robert

with seven decades of alumni represented at

E. Dennard Visiting Scholar.

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Alumni News | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Alumni News

Young Alumni also gathered several times throughout the year. In November, a group of 75 alumni and guests gathered in Dallas at the annual Young Alumni Thanksgiving Party.

College-age alumni returned to campus in December to connect with faculty and friends the December 2013 Luncheon. More than 125

at the largest College-Age Holiday Luncheon

alumni enjoyed a holiday meal at Arlington Hall,

to date. Finally, the year closed with a Young

while Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie

Alumni Community Service event celebrating its

Holtberg gave the State of the School address.

ongoing relationship with Austin Street Center.

(left, top left, and top) Young alumni serve meals and perform at Austin Street. (above) The alumni basketball team.

Marksmen alumni rang in the New Year with the annual Alumni Games, competing against the varsity basketball and soccer teams. More than 50 alumni athletes took to the court and field to

Alumni Board 2013–2014 Retiring Members

2014–2015 New Members

Tom Landry, Jr. ’67

Randy Ackerman ’68

Bruce Jolesch ’73

Sandy Campbell ’76

Will Montgomery ’76

Dave Stager ’83

soccer team, while the varsity basketball team

Mike Weinstein ’88

Miles Lamont ’98

won by a narrow margin.

Gregory Sudbury ’94

Jake Wagner ’00

enjoy competition against their Upper School opponents. The alumni defeated the varsity

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Alumni News

St. Mark’s Fund Participation The Alumni Board measures the engagement of our Association members through participation in the St. Mark’s Fund, our annual giving priority.

For the sixth year in a row, our Alumni exceeded 50 percent participation. Fifty-four percent of us contributed more than $1.7 million, representing more than half of the total given. These incredible milestones are unique to our School and should be something we all take pride in.

Our collective impact is felt on campus every day, and I want to thank you for your ongoing support as we strive to strengthen our school.

My thanks go out to the 33 other members of the Alumni Board for their tireless efforts to strengthen the Alumni Association. In (top left) In Los Angeles, Taylor Hamra ’95 shares some memories with the Holtbergs. (top right) In San Francisco, Michael Merrill ’72 presents a framed bowtie to Arnie. (right) Farewell Tour emcee Scott Jolly interviews Arnie.

The Farewell Tour, Across the Nation

particular, I would like to thank the members

The Farewell Tour honoring Jan and Arnie

of the Executive Committee who help lead this

Holtberg made its way across the country,

amazing organization: Alan Schoellkopf ’91

stopping in New York, Los Angeles, San

(Vice President), Perch Nelson ’79 (Secretary),

Francisco, Houston, and Austin, before finally

Jeff Genecov ’77, Paul Genender ’87, Jon Morgan ’90,

culminating at the Spring Alumni Dinner in

Carl Sewell ’02, Gregory Sudbury ’94, and

Dallas. The unique events offered a setting for

Chris Winn ’99. Thank you to the Reunion

Marksmen to get a rare behind-the-scenes

Committees, Class Agents, and other members

glimpse of Arnie’s tenure as Eugene McDermott

of our community for their ongoing dedication

Headmaster. From coast to coast, more than

to making St. Mark’s a better place. I look forward

300 graduates, parents, faculty, and guests made

to serving alongside each of you in the 2014–2015

it a priority to say farewell to a man who has

school year.

honored and preserved the School’s history and

42

traditions while transforming St. Mark’s into an

David Campbell ’86

institution prepared for the next 100 years.

Alumni Association President

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St. Mark’s School of Texas

Alumni News

class of 2014 legacy gift

The Class of 2014 President Harrison Perkins, along with Outreach Committee members Richard Eiseman, Zach Papin, Ben Wilson, Jack Pigott, and Sam Khoshbin, presented their Class Gift, which included a $2,014 donation to the St. Mark’s Fund, to be completed over the next four years, bringing their participation in the St. Mark’s Fund to 100%.

(above) Members of the Class of 2014 pose with the Alma Mater plaque in Centennial Hall. (right) Class President Harrison Perkins ’14 presents part of the class gift to Headmaster Arnie Holtberg.

They also placed $5,000 into the Jan and Arnold Holtberg Family Scholarship Fund in recognition of the class’s close relationship with Mr. Holtberg.

The Class of 2014 also placed a banner with the The Alumni Board officially welcomed the

words of the St. Mark’s Alma Mater in the

Class of 2014 into the Alumni Association just

Great Hall and a plaque with the words of the

hours before graduation at the 11th Annual

Alma Mater in Centennial Hall. Their remaining

Senior Alumni Luncheon. More than 450 alumni,

money went into The Senior Support Fund.

faculty, seniors, and their families attended the

On behalf of the class, Harrison Perkins said,

celebration. Eugene McDermott Headmaster

“These gifts reflect the excitement we share for

Arnie Holtberg, Director of Alumni Relations

joining the Alumni Association and pay tribute

Jim Bob Womack ’98, and Alumni Association

to the faculty and staff who have dedicated their

President David Campbell ’86 expressed the

lives to strengthening our School.”

importance of staying connected to one another and the School.

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Summer 2014 | Alumni News

43

Alumni News

alumni in the news

(above) Steve Miller ’61 performs with St. Mark’s students and faculty. (right) Robert Edsel ’75 with the star-studded cast of The Monuments Men.

Steve Miller ’61 Rock legend and St. Mark’s Distinguished Alumnus Steve Miller ’61 recently completed a

Robert Edsel ’75

cross-country summer music tour with Journey,

This past February, Robert Edsel ’75 joined

playing for thousands of fans across more than

some of the top talent in Hollywood for the

thirty cities. As the tour kicked off in California,

premiere of The Monuments Men, based on

Steve released The Joker Live, featuring nine of

his 2005 book. Directed, co-written by, and

his greatest hits performed in concert. During

starring George Clooney, the movie follows an

the tour’s stop in Dallas on May 25, Steve had

unlikely band of soldiers, art historians, and

a chance to reconnect with former classmates

museum curators who attempt to save priceless

and St. Mark’s friends during the concert at Gexa

works of art from the Nazis during World War II.

Pavilion. As the tour neared completion, Steve

The movie also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray,

had more reason to celebrate as he married

John Goodman, and Cate Blanchett.

Janice Ginsberg on July 31, 2014.

Ross Perot, Jr. ’77 Despite his busy schedule, Steve has been

The September 23, 2013 issue of Forbes featured

a regular presence at 10600 Preston Road,

Ross Perot, Jr. ’77 and his father as its cover story,

performing in a surprise concert at Alumni

“Reinventing America.” The magazine profiled

Weekend 2011 and donating a pair of guitars at

Perot’s success in creating Ft. Worth’s Alliance

last year’s Celebrate St. Mark’s auction.

Airport and transforming it into a central transportation hub and the nation’s first largescale “inland port.”

This spring, Ross visited the St. Mark’s Investment Club, where he told stories of his

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Alumni News | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Alumni News

two-time Academy Award winner Alexander Payne, Paramount Pictures was wary of investing in a black-and-white film with no

(left) Ross Perot, Jr. ’77 speaks to the St. Mark’s Investment Club.

A-list stars, so Doug’s Blue Lake Fund and a partner helped finance the film’s foreign release.

“Our role was to step in and to help give Paramount the confidence to green-light the film by taking on a lot of the financial burden,” Doug told The ReMarker in February.

The investment paid off, with Nebraska grossing double its budget and earning a slew of award nominations. Doug also served as a producer on two other films last year: The Numbers Station and a new adaptation of Romeo & Juliet.

“My love of stories started at St. Mark’s,” Doug told The ReMarker. “I remember digging very deeply into Oliver Twist in Dr. Freeman’s English business ventures with Tesla, Amazon, and Dell, shared advice for breaking into the business world, and reinforced the importance of the St. Mark’s focus on ethics.

“If you want to get into business, find a business you like and find a business that has men and women of great integrity,” he said. “Go back to your St. Mark’s training where you learned to do it right, to do it the best you can, and to get better every day.”

Doug Mankoff ’81 Film producer Doug Mankoff ’81 scored a critical and commercial hit last year with Nebraska, which was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture. The film follows a son (Will Forte) who drives his father (Bruce Dern) to Lincoln, Nebraska, to claim a $1 million sweepstakes prize that might be a scam. While the film is directed by

St. Mark’s School of Texas

class. I love to talk about story, and we did that at St. Mark’s in a wonderful way.”

Keith Goodnight ’82 After a successful academic career, Keith Goodnight ’82 is branching out into the realm of science fiction, authoring his first novel in a planned series. The Child, the first book in The Red Light and Shadow series, follows a scientist researching a new energy source who accidentally unlocks the basis of psychic powers.

A biology major and animal behavior Ph.D., Keith had completed a stint teaching at SMU when he decided to flesh out the stories he had always thought about writing. While he focused mainly on the sciences at St. Mark’s, Keith still remembers the support he received from one English teacher: “Curtis Smith was always very supportive looking at the stories I started writing, and he gave me a lot of encouragement along the way.”

Summer 2014 | Alumni News

45

Alumni News

(right) Keith Goodnight ’82 with his new book, The Child. (far right) The 2014 Wimbledon poster designed by David Bartholow ’98

The Child hit bookshelves in November 2013 and a second book is already underway.

David Bartholow ’98

“It’s easy to connect the dots and understand how many great members of the St. Mark’s

For the first time, the organizers of the

community helped tap passions and wells of

Wimbledon tennis championship opened the

curiosity while instilling crucial discipline and

field of its 120-year-old poster design contest to

self-belief,” David said. “They made you want

include submissions from North America and

to try harder and harder, to deal with and

South America. After several rounds of voting

address challenges head-on, and I’m grateful for

by the public, the poster designed by David

their examples and influence to this day.”

Bartholow ’98 was selected as the winner.

The official poster has been an important part of David’s poster draws on inspiration from the

Wimbledon history ever since 1894, and became

London summer light, the mystique of

particularly famous when it was featured

Wimbledon, and the hues and geometry of

throughout the London Underground network.

Centre Court. Now the owner of a boutique marketing and design consultancy, David still

Evan Daugherty ’00

recalls the impact that St. Mark’s had on his

This summer saw two blockbuster films with

formative years.

scripts written by Evan Daugherty ’00. His adaptation of the young adult bestseller Divergent and his reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles both took the summer box office by storm. Divergent, starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet, was a worldwide hit, already spawning a sequel.

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Alumni News | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Alumni News

(far left) Screenwriter Evan Daugherty ’00 speaks at the 2014 Literary Festival. (bottom left) The poster for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for which Evan wrote the screenplay. (immediate left) Ty Montgomery ’11 in the Rose Bowl.

Ty Montgomery ’11 Wide receiver and kick returner Ty Montgomery ’11 enjoyed another outstanding year as a Stanford Cardinal, culminating in a tense Rose Bowl game against Michigan State. The junior led the nation with 1,091 kickoff return yards in the season, making him only the second player in Stanford Evan’s reimagination of the classic children’s

history to finish a season with more than 1,000

cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles earned an

return yards. Ty was also named to the American

impressive $65 million in its opening weekend

Football Coaches Association 2013 FBS

as the nation’s #1 movie. Evan is now hard at

All-America Team.

work producing a television series based on The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Just before Divergent’s release, Evan visited campus as part of the Literary Festival, where he shared some Hollywood secrets with Upper School classes.

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Summer 2014 | Alumni News

47

Arnie Holtberg is presented with a parting gift from the Alumni Association.

Alumni News

Alumni Weekend St. Mark’s celebrated its largest Alumni Weekend to date, welcoming more than 1,000 alumni and guests to campus for three days of recreation and reconnecting.

spring alumni dinner This year’s Spring Alumni Dinner was one of the largest to date, packing the W. W. Browning, Jr., Great Hall with more than 420 alumni, guests, faculty, and staff. The evening started with the announcement of the Alumni Award winners and Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award finalists.

Marietta Johnson was then honored for her forty years of service to the School. In his remarks, St. Mark’s Alumni Association President David Campbell ’86 said, “Whether in her classroom in Centennial Hall, in the Texas Hill Country, or with her large family, which includes 4 children and 8 grandchildren, Marietta brings an enthusiasm for life everywhere she goes.” The evening concluded with a special tribute to Jan and Arnie Holtberg as David Campbell ’86 made a surprise announcement and Assistant Headmaster David Dini regaled Arnie with a collection of accolades gathered from the students and faculty.

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49

Alumni News

Newly appointed Headmaster David Dini then took the stage to honor his friend, colleague, and mentor, Arnie Holtberg. David began by reading a list of words he had gathered from faculty and students to describe Arnie. The faculty’s list of adjectives included honorable, inspiring, iconic, ambitious, and courageous.

Drawing from a different vocabulary, the

Honoring the Holtbergs

students described their Headmaster as wise,

During this year’s Spring Alumni Dinner,

friendly, honest, commanding, tall, and, from

the Alumni Association honored Jan and Arnie

the third grade, snappy-dresser.

Holtberg for their 21 years of service to the School. First, Alumni Board President David

“Arnie truly represents the excellence of this

Campbell ’86 paid tribute to Jan, the “first lady

School, in the way he lives his life and comports

of St. Mark’s.”

himself in the world,” Dini said. “He has demanded the best from himself and everyone

“Jan has been an integral part of the life of the

around him and has ensured that character is

School in myriad ways,” Campbell said. “For

front and center, serving as an example of what

the last 21 years, she has invested her time and

real leadership looks like.”

resources in caring for our boys.”

As a parting gift and to commemorate his

50

Then, Jan received a surprise honor: The Alumni

dedication to shaping the whole boy, the Alumni

Board unanimously voted to name Jan Holtberg

Association presented Arnie with a scale replica

an Honorary Alumnus of St. Mark’s. She is the

of the Path to Manhood statue, depicting a

first individual to receive this distinction since

senior carrying his little buddy on his shoulders

1991 and only the sixth in the School’s history.

in one of the School’s most iconic traditions.

Alumni News | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

(top left) Casey McManemin ’79 receiving the Alumni Service Medal.

Alumni Service Medal

(top right) David Campbell ’86, Ed Wesneski ’03, and David Dini.

The Alumni Service Medal is St. Mark’s highest volunteer service award.

Casey McManemin ’79 has been a key member

(left) Dwight Phillips receiving the Ralph B. Rogers Award.

of the Board of Trustees since he joined in 1995.

As Chair of the Centennial Goals Committee and Co-Chair of The Centennial Challenge, he led the School’s most recent strategic planning

for several years. Last year, he Co-Chaired his

initiative. A champion for and grateful beneficiary

10th Reunion and helped lead his classmates to a

of financial aid, Casey and his family made the

record-setting year by raising more than $40,000

lead gift to establish the Alumni Financial Aid

for their Class Gift.

Challenge, resulting in more than $10 million of new financial aid funding. His passion and

Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award

leadership has strengthened the St. Mark’s

The Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award honors the

experience for generations to come.

legacy of Ralph B. Rogers, the Rogers family, and the St. Mark’s faculty by honoring a teacher or

Young Alumni Service Citation

staff member who supports the School’s mission

The Young Alumni Service Citation recognizes

by extending himself or herself beyond the

the outstanding service of an alumnus prior to

confines of the job description. At the Spring

his 15th reunion.

Alumni Dinner, finalists David Brown, Marion Glorioso, and Dwight Phillips were honored.

Ed Wesneski ’03 has been an integral member

The following month, at Upper School Final

of the St. Mark’s Alumni Association, serving

Assembly, Dwight Phillips was announced as the

faithfully on the New York Alumni Club

winner of the 2014 Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award.

Committee for the past seven years. In 2010, he co-created the annual New York Young Alumni Networking Event. He served on the Centennial Challenge East Coast Launch Committee in 2010 and has been a Class Agent

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Summer 2014 | Alumni News

51

Alumni News

golf tournament The weekend kicked off with a trip to Prestonwood Country Club and a gorgeous afternoon on the links. More than 100 alumni, faculty, and staff teed off across eighteen holes before sitting down for dinner. As Alumni Association President David Campbell ’86 remarked, “Judging by the scorecards, Marksmen are as creative as ever.”

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Alumni News | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

friday on campus As students arrived at school on Friday morning, more than 200 alumni and guests were right behind them, ready for a day of classes and nostalgia.

After a welcome and State of the School address from Arnie Holtberg, Eugene McDermott Headmaster, alumni had the chance to attend special faculty classes. Master Teacher Emeritus Tom Adams reviewed the twentieth century, throwing in some key dates in baseball; in a unique display of technology, John Mead, Eugene McDermott Master Teaching Chair in Science, addressed alumni from New York via Skype, discussing how the science classes are using technology to connect with scientists on the other side of the world. Co-teaching the class in person, Middle School science teacher Lukas Rahlson used Google Maps to take alumni on a virtual expedition; later, David Brown, Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair, discussed how manhood is taught through Shakespeare, prompting some spontaneous recitations from some of his former students.

At Alumni Chapel, students and alumni had the opportunity to hear from Life Trustee Robert Decherd ’69 as homilist. Afterward, alumni mingled with students over burgers and hot dogs on the Green and had a chance to tour the campus. Rhett Miller ’89 closed out the day with a special concert for the Upper and Middle School assemblies.

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Summer 2014 | Alumni News

53

Alumni News

saturday bbq A record number of alumni families turned out on Saturday morning for games, food, and fun on campus. In the planetarium, Dr. Steve Balog, Cecil H. and Ida Green Master Teaching Chair in Science, showed off some of the planetarium’s new features, while across the hall, chemistry teacher Ken Owens ’89 made a bang with explosive demonstrations.

In the gym, Doc Browning led games of kickball and dodgeball, while the Upper School studio band entertained visitors on the Green.

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Alumni News | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Alumni News

class reunions (from top to bottom) Class of 1964 50th Reunion Class of 1969 45th Reunion Class of 1974 40th Reunion Class of 1979 35th Reunion

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | Alumni News

55

Alumni News

class reunions (from top to bottom) Class of 1984 30th Reunion Class of 1989 25th Reunion Class of 1994 20th Reunion

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Alumni News | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Alumni News

(from top to bottom) Class of 1999 15th Reunion Class of 2004 10th Reunion Class of 2009 5th Reunion

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Summer 2014 | Alumni News

57

Spotlight Though the books officially closed on The Centennial Challenge at the end of June 2013, the improvements and enhancements made possible through the Campaign are still happening across campus. Indeed, the support and dedication of the St. Mark’s community has not waned in the slightest. This past spring, several significant gifts were made that both ensure long-term excellence and honor longtime supporters of the School.

Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair At the Annual Trustee Dinner this past April, Board President Randall Fojtasek ’81 announced that a new endowed Master Teaching Chair had been established and named in honor of the (above) Tom Adams is recognized after the Thomas S. Adams Master Teaching Chair was named in his honor.

Thomas S. Adams Master Teaching Chair

(right) Scott Hunt was named the first holder of the Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair.

School’s 17th Headmaster.

At a special event with campaign donors in February, Arnie Holtberg officially announced

The Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair

the creation of the Thomas S. Adams Master

was endowed by Howard and Rory Meyers,

Teaching Chair. Mr. Adams was in attendance at

along with their sons Craig ’94 and Kevin ’98,

the event, but was unaware that longstanding

as part of The Centennial Challenge. At the final

efforts to honor his years of service to the

faculty/staff meeting on June 2, 2014, Arnie

School had come to fruition. A sizeable group

announced that photography instructor Scott

of alumni, parents, and friends were on hand to

Hunt would be the first holder of the Holtberg

surprise Mr. Adams with this tremendous honor.

Master Teaching Chair.

The Thomas S. Adams Master Teaching Chair is one of eleven newly endowed faculty positions

Honoring a Commitment to Excellence

that resulted from The Centennial Challenge.

Just as Master Teaching Chairs ensure quality inside the classroom, endowed facilities ensure quality across campus. This spring, new signage was installed at 10600 Preston Road in recognition of the unwavering support that is vital to advancing the mission of St. Mark’s.

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Spotlight | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Spotlight

With graduation exercises now taking place at

(above left) The Perot Quadrangle.

the far end of The Perot Quadrangle, new and expanded signage was installed for The Ida M.

(below left) New signage for the Ida M. and Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater.

and Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater.

The in-ground recognition sits in the paved walkway that connects the Chapel tower to the A. Earl Cullum, Jr., Alumni Commons. Carved in granite and installed flush with the brick pavers, At the main entrance of campus, new signage

facing Centennial Hall, it serves as the formal

marks the Perot Family Quadrangle, which links

entrance for the Commencement processional.

the north and south ends of campus and honors

This installation is a permanent reminder of the

a family whose impact has been instrumental

vitally important role that Ida and Cecil Green

in shaping the history and future of St. Mark’s.

played in the founding and development of

Likewise, the newly dedicated Fojtasek Family

St. Mark’s School of Texas.

(above) The newly named Fojtasek Family Lower School.

Lower School honors the family of Board of Trustees President Randall Fojtasek ’81 for

For more than one hundred years, St. Mark’s

their unwavering support of St. Mark’s. Randall

has benefited from the foresight, vision, and

shared, “The opportunity to give back to

commitment of leaders who set the highest

St. Mark’s in a significant way, and to name

standards for our School. These signs and chairs

the Lower School in honor of my late father,

serve as another important reminder that it

seems fitting—after all, he and my mother

takes intentional effort and sacrifice to advance

sent my brother and me to the School almost

our mission.

40 years ago so that we could get the best education possible.”

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Summer 2014 | Spotlight

59

Features

David is already a regular fixture of campus life.

On July 1, 2014, the change became official.

David W. Dini became the Eugene McDermott Headmaster and began his journey as the leader of the school he loves so much.

T

here was no fanfare or ceremony. In fact, David was at the 21st Annual International Boys’ School Coalition Conference in

Nashville, Tennessee. Fittingly, the conference was titled “Building Boys into Good Men.” The conference started June 29, giving David an apparent two-day head start on his mission to make the School the best place it can be for its most important asset—the boys.

But after serving as former Headmaster Arnie Holtberg’s right-hand man since 1994, David really has had a 20-year head start. He’s ready.

Summer 2014 | Features

61

Features

“David’s accomplishments at St. Mark’s have been outstanding, but perhaps his greatest quality is his patient, humble, and professional approach.”

—the Search Committee announcement letter

O

ver two decades, David Dini has cemented a legacy in creating one of the most

impressive development and alumni programs in the nation. Under his leadership, the School has ignited its alumni program, tripled its endowment,

and completely transformed the face of campus.

When the Board of Trustees tasked the Head of School Search Committee to find the next Eugene McDermott Headmaster, the committee did an extensive, nationwide search. It turned out that the man for the job was already working on the second floor of Nearburg Hall.

“David’s accomplishments at St. Mark’s have been outstanding, but perhaps his greatest quality is his patient, humble, and professional approach,” the Search Committee said in its announcement letter.

A Marksman Through and Through Education has been a part of David’s life from the very beginning. Growing up in Houston, he graduated from Strake Jesuit College Prep before moving to Dallas and earning his undergraduate and graduate degrees from SMU. From an early

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Features | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Features

age, David participated in almost every sport

advancement program. To bolster alumni

imaginable from baseball to hockey, eventually

involvement, David began forming what is

settling on tennis. Throughout his high school

now the Office of Development and Alumni

career, David played in tournaments all over

Relations. In the two decades since, alumni

Texas. Later, he coached the St. Mark’s tennis

have a much more rewarding experience after

team for more than a decade.

graduating from 10600 Preston Road.

In 1994, newly appointed Headmaster Arnie

While the Office of Development is responsible

Holtberg saw an opportunity: The School needed

for fundraising, money has never been the

to do more to build and maintain relationships

central mission under David’s leadership. Rather,

with its alumni and, as a result, the School had

relationships are the real goal. Members of the

a great opportunity to move its mission forward.

St. Mark’s community know that David’s blood

David was charged with developing a program

runs blue and gold. He is a familiar sight at any

that would bring the St. Mark’s community

School event, from the playing fields to the

together, when Arnie recruited him to serve as

performance halls. He has even taken his lion

Director of Development. David’s hiring marked

pride global, chaperoning international student

the beginning of a renaissance in the School’s

trips to England and South Africa.

(far left) David and Arnie Holtberg at the 2001 International Boys’ School Coalition in London. (below) David with his wife and children.

Features

O

ne noteworthy aspect of David’s role at

grow to their full potential. David prefers to

St. Mark’s is his strong connection with

approach each employee not with the question

the student body. He gives ample attention and

candid interviews to The ReMarker, he delighted

“How can this person help me?” but “How can I help this person grow and strengthen St. Mark’s?”

in the Class of 2014’s “Childhood Nostalgia” senior prank, and he is known for his propensity

Still, under David’s leadership, the School has

to join a game of Wiffle ball or Frisbee on

seen its financial situation improve dramatically.

the Perot Quadrangle on a Friday afternoon.

As a direct result of improved alumni relations, the St. Mark’s Fund has regularly hit 50 percent

“His leadership style is marked by his belief in the importance of empowering others. His easy manner makes those around him comfortable, and his passion and hard work inspire all of us to go that extra mile.”

—the Search Committee announcement letter

alumni participation, an almost unheard-of feat for independent day schools. David has helped lead two campaigns for the School, which have completely transformed the campus.

Funding for every major initiative, from master teaching chairs to student financial aid, has seen healthy growth in the past two decades.

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Features | THE PRIDE

At times, he seems to be just one of the boys.

In short, David’s leadership has ensured not

As an administrator, David has always been a

only the financial security of the School, but

strong subscriber to the notion of “servant

more important, it has helped strengthen

leadership.” Rather than commanding from the

connections among students, parents, faculty,

top of the pyramid, David has focused on hiring

and alumni, all to make 10600 Preston Road a

strong, capable professionals and ensuring they

place unlike any other.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Features

The Next Eugene McDermott Headmaster On March 11, 2013, when Eugene McDermott Headmaster Arnie Holtberg announced his impending retirement, two things became clear.

First, Arnie’s twenty-one-year tenure had left an indelible mark on the School that would ensure excellence for many generations to come.

And second, finding the next Headmaster would be no simple task.

The Board of Trustees formed a Head of School Search Committee, which immediately assembled a list of qualifications and began fielding applicants from across the globe.

As stated in the official Opportunity Statement, the next Headmaster would have to be someone with an unwavering commitment to education.

He would need to be someone of the highest

In the days after David’s appointment was

moral character, a strong leader who is also

made public, the word around campus was

warm and personable and can easily connect

excitement. Students and teachers alike agreed

with students, faculty, parents, and alumni.

that he was the obvious choice to take the reins

He would have to understand the prudent

of the School. Every qualification the Search

business of running a school and balancing

Committee put forth, David met and surpassed.

excellence with fiscal responsibility. And most

Despite being a man of immense talent and

important, he would have to love the boys.

responsibility, David always greets coworkers,

(opposite) David addresses the Class of 2015 on Blue Shirt Day. (above) Marksmen and Hockaday cheerleaders celebrate with the newly appointed Headmaster. (below) David shares a laugh with friend and mentor Arnie Holtberg.

students, and visitors with a warm smile, lightBut, as it turned out, the Search Committee was

hearted attitude, and humble demeanor.

most gratified to learn that the right man for the job was already on campus. In fact, he had

Into the Future

already been serving the School for almost 20

Now the real work starts. In August, 855

years. Eight months after Arnie announced his

Marksmen returned to campus full of memories

retirement, the Board of Trustees appointed

of their summer adventures. David was among

David W. Dini to serve as the next Eugene

them, ready to get down to business and work

McDermott Headmaster.

for the boys.

The smooth transition will allow him to continue to make the School’s mission his foremost priority as the new era seamlessly begins. With boundless love for the School, a commitment to integrity and skillful, compassionate leadership, David Dini is well poised to take St. Mark’s to new heights as he sets his eyes on a very bright future.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | Features

65

Remarks 1950

1967

Bob Chilton ’50 continues

Rich Barrett ’67 will retire from government service in

his competitive drive in a dozen

September 2014, having served more than 47 years in the

croquet tournaments each year.

Reserves, on Active Duty, and as a Department of the Army

In December 2013, he won

Civilian. He and his wife, Meg, will remain in Copperas Cove,

the National Masters Doubles

Texas, where Rich will continue to serve as sacramentalist at

Championship in Florida and

St. Martin’s Episcopal Church.

was recently named to the U.S. Croquet Hall of Fame. Bob also

Bennett Cullum ’67 was selected for inclusion in the

continues his philanthropy

2014 Best Lawyers in America publication. Bennett is an

by donating $2.5 million to the

attorney at Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP, where he focuses

YMCA in Dallas, which is the second-largest such gift ever

on estate planning, probate, real estate, and civil litigation.

received. In recognition, the rebuilt Rockwall YMCA has been

Bennett and his wife, Betsy, reside in Dallas.

renamed the J.E.R. Chilton YMCA.

1965 | 50-Year Reunion

Paul Figley ’67 was named Professor of the Year by the students of American University’s Washington College

David Lawrence ’65 and his wife Judy recently relocated

of Law, where he is the Associate Director of the Legal

from Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to

Rhetoric Program. Paul and his wife, Marty, reside in

spend more time with family. While in Mexico, five of David’s

Annandale, Virginia.

photographs were featured on NatGeo.com, the website for National Geographic. David now takes photographs and

1976

creates prints for sale online through his website.

Robby Denton ’76 and his wife, Kathy, took their third Lindblad National Geographic Expedition in July 2013 to

A photo by David Lawrence ’65 titled “Hummingbird at Lunchtime”

Iceland and Greenland on the NGS Sea Explorer. Robby and Kathy enjoyed exploring the Arctic, and were able to witness humpback and killer whales in their native environment.

David Maldonado ’76 recently relocated to Houston, where he opened his own law firm in January 2014, focusing on estate planning and personal injury. As avid runners, David and his wife, along with their two dogs and a cat, love living near the Memorial Park running trail, and have already encountered both St. Mark’s alumni and former faculty there.

Will Montgomery ’76 was appointed to the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Oversight Committee by Texas House Speaker Joe Straus in November 2013. Will is honored to have the opportunity to serve the state and to help accomplish CPRIT’s mission to educate, prevent, and discover causes and possible cures for cancer.

Will and his family reside in Dallas, where he is a partner in the office of Jackson Walker LLP. His eldest son,

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Class Notes | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Class Notes

1978 Blake Montgomery ’10, and daughter, Daly (Hockaday

Harold Montgomery ’78 is the Chairman and CEO of

’12), attend Stanford University. Will’s younger son,

Calpian, the company that controls Money On Mobile, which

Stuart Montgomery ’15, is a senior at St. Mark’s.

was featured in The New York Times in December 2013 for its innovation and expansion in the mobile money market.

1977

Money On Mobile is the largest mobile payments network

Jim Bass ’77 and his son, Kevin Bass ’13 attended the 2013

in India and has 80 million unique users. Harold and his

Stanford football game against the University of California,

wife Kaysie reside in Dallas with their two children, Molly

where they had the opportunity to watch fellow Marksman

(Hockaday ’14) and Philip Montgomery ’16.

Ty Montgomery ’11 score five touchdowns, matching a school record. Kevin is a sophomore at Stanford, and Jim and

1983

his wife, Hong, reside in Dallas.

Craig Budner ’83 was featured in The Dallas Morning News for his work in founding and chairing the Board of

Jeff Genecov ’77 successfully completed his first

Directors of the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance with his wife,

Ironman in Tempe, Arizona, in November of 2013.

Dawn. The organization works with high schools and middle

Fellow Marksman Zev Shulkin ’98 also completed

schools in the DISD to make competitive debate an academic

the race. Jeff’s friends and family, including his brother

option. Craig manages the Dallas and Houston offices of K&L

David Genecov ’82, cheered him on throughout the

Gates and is the Firmwide Hiring Partner. Craig and Dawn

competition. Jeff raised more than $9,000 for his charity

have two sons, Will Budner ’13, a sophomore at Rhodes

partner, Smile Train, an organization in which doctors

College, and Ben Budner ’17, a sophomore at St. Mark’s,

perform repair surgeries on children with cleft lip and palate

and a daughter, Lily, a fifth-grader at Parish Episcopal School.

in underdeveloped countries.

1984 Victor Vescovo ’84 rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on August 27, 2013, to celebrate Emerge Energy Services’ initial public offering. Victor is a member of the board of directors and helps to oversee the management of Emerge (ticker: EMES), which exceeded $1 billion in revenue during 2013. Victor resides in Dallas and New York, where he is the Chief Operating Officer and a co-founder of Insight Equity.

Zev Shulkin ’98 and Jeff Genecov ’77

Don Lindsley ’77 recently became the Vice President of Finance for the SPCA of Texas, a local, nonprofit animal welfare organization that recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. Don would enjoy giving a full tour of the facilities to any St. Mark’s families. Don’s daughter, Jennifer, attends the University of Mississippi, and his son, Jack Lindsley ’12, attends Texas A&M University. Don and his wife, Cindy, reside in Dallas.

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Class Notes

1985 | 30-Year Reunion Scott McElhaney ’85 was inaugurated as the 105th

more than 15,000 nominees. Mike is a Managing Director

President of the Dallas Bar Association on January 11, 2014.

at JP Morgan, where he heads the firm’s healthcare team.

Scott is a partner at Jackson Walker L.L.P., where he focuses

He and his wife, Alison, reside in Dallas with their two

his practice on commercial litigation and labor and

children, Carter (11) and Ashley (7).

employment law. Scott and his wife, Allison, reside in Dallas, where their two sons, Christopher ’18 and Henry ’21,

1989

attend St. Mark’s.

Anne Clayton and Jacques “Bunky” Vroom ’89 announce

1987

the birth of their Wonder Twins, Sabine Ware Vroom and Sloane Mildred Vroom, born on September 17, 2013. Anne

Robby Goodman ’87 was named Senior Director of

Clayton and Bunky’s oldest daughter, Ellie (9), received a

Foundation Relations for the American Heart Association’s

Christmas puppy as compensation. The family resides in

Southwest Affiliate, which encompasses Arkansas, Colorado,

Dallas, where Bunky is President of the Vroom Group.

New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. Previously, he was a Director of Development at Texas Health Resources Foundation. Robby resides in Dallas.

Todd Howard ’87 was recognized by the Dallas Chapter of The American Institute of Architects with the 2013 President’s Medal, an annual award presented to an individual who has provided a consistent and substantial record of accomplishment on behalf of the Dallas chapter.

Todd and his family reside in Dallas, where he is President of t. howard + associates. Todd’s son, Boyd Howard ’17, is a sophomore at St. Mark’s.

1988

Sabine Ware Vroom and Sloane Mildred Vroom

1990 | 25-Year Reunion Royce Poinsett ’90 has been elected President of the Board of Directors of the Ronald McDonald House Charities

Aric Short ’88 was appointed interim dean of Texas

of Austin and Central Texas. Royce is a government relations

Wesleyan University School of Law in June 2013. Over the

attorney at the Austin office of Baker Botts L.L.P.

past year, he led the law school’s internal efforts to prepare for its acquisition by Texas A&M University. On August

Lee and Brad White ’90 are excited to announce the

13, 2013, the law school began operations as Texas A&M

newest addition to their family, Vivian Royal White, born

University School of Law, where Aric remains as interim

on June 14, 2013. She weighed 6 lbs., 14 oz. and was 19.75

dean. Previously, Aric served as the associate dean for

inches long. Vivian joins older

academic affairs at the law school. Aric and his wife, Tanya,

brother, Sebastian, who is

reside in Fort Worth with their three children, Zachary, Piper,

now 2 years old. The family

and Dylan.

resides in New York, where Brad is a portfolio manager

Mike Weinstein ’88 was inducted into the Institutional

for Carlson Capital. Brad

Investor’s Hall of Fame, following recognition in the

currently serves on the Board

Institutional Investor’s annual survey over the past 15 years.

of Trustees at St. Mark’s.

In the history of Wall Street, there are only 54 members out of

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Class Notes | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Class Notes

1994

1991 Catherine and Robert Einspruch ’91 are pleased to announce the arrival of their third daughter, Eleanor Joan Einspruch. She was born on September 7, 2013, and weighed 7 lbs., 1 oz. Eleanor was welcomed by big sisters Mila (7) and Ingrid (4). The family resides in Oakland, California, where Robert develops casual, family-friendly mobile games for PopCap Games, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts.

Scott Lincicome ’94 was named an Adjunct Scholar at the Cato Institute, a free market think tank in Washington, D.C., where he writes and speaks on international economic policy. In the fall of 2013, he became a Visiting Lecturer at Duke University, and now teaches an undergraduate course on International Trade Policy and Politics. Scott was also promoted to counsel in the International Trade Group at White & Case, LLP in December 2013. Scott and his wife Elizabeth reside in Raleigh, North Carolina, with their 1-year-old daughter Eve and their vicious guard dog Ivey.

1995 | 20-Year Reunion Becky and Christian

1993

Cullum ’95 joyfully welcomed their first child, Andrew Pierce

Adrienne and Brent Jackson ’93 are proud to announce

Cullum, on September 3, 2013.

the arrival of their son, James Augustus Jackson, on August

Andrew weighed 8 lbs., 9 oz.

1, 2013. Gus weighed 8 lbs., 4 oz. Brent and his family

and was 21.75 inches long. The

reside in Dallas, where he is the Founder and President of Oaxaca Interests, LLC, a development, leasing, and project management company.

Several members of the “Print Shop Posse” recently gathered at Joe Pruitt’s ’93 lake house in Canton, Texas, to catch

family resides only blocks from St. Mark’s, where Christian works in commercial real estate investments and development.

1996 Sara and Cristian

up and exchange stories about “the good ol’ days.” The

Hinojosa ’96 are thrilled to

weekend’s activities included grilling by Marwin Brown ’90

announce the birth of their first

and Otis Jennings ’90, golfing at the Twin Lakes Golf

child, Max Carpeaux Hinojosa,

Course, fishing, and table games. Other Marksmen in

born on November 5, 2013, at 5:02

attendance included Kevin Foster ’93, Palmer

p.m. at Presbyterian Hospital of

Johnson ’92, Johnny Jones ’93, Chris Turner ’91,

Dallas. Max weighed 7.2 lbs. and

and St. Mark’s Athletic Equipment Manager Ron Turner.

measured 19 inches long. Mom and son are absolutely healthy and recovering splendidly. Sara and Cristian look forward to introducing Max to their extended Lion family!

Cedric Lee ’96 was featured in a photograph on the front page of the Wall Street Journal on November 29, 2013.

The photograph captured Cedric and his team in Kabul,

From left to right: Johnny Jones ’93, Palmer Johnson ’92, Otis Jennings ’90, Joe Pruitt ’93, Chris Turner ’91, Ron Turner, Kevin Foster ’93, and Marwin Brown ’90.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Afghanistan, praying over their Thanksgiving meal.

Cedric is the lead campaign planner for the International Security Assistance Force.

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69

Class Notes

1997 Bethany and Christian Kelso ’97

Joni and Allen Lee ’98 were blessed with a baby boy, Jack

welcomed Campbell Sterling Kelso

Lee, born September 19, 2013. Jack weighed 6 lbs., 8 oz. Allen

into the world on December 20, 2013.

and his family reside in Dallas, where he is a vascular surgery

She weighed 8 lbs., 4 oz. and was

fellow at Baylor University Medical Center.

just shy of 21 inches long. Little Campbell joins big brother Preston,

Julian T. Lee ’98 has been selected for the 2014 Maryland

who is eagerly awaiting the

Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. Super Lawyers recognizes

opportunity to join the St. Mark’s

attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their

Class of 2030. A charter member of

legal practice. Julian resides in Baltimore, where he is a Tax

the Menter B. Terrell Society at St Mark’s, Christian and his

Controversy Associate at Rosenberg Martin Greenberg.

family reside in Dallas, where he is a tax and estate planning attorney at Malouf Lynch & Jackson, P.C.

Leslie and David Marcus ’98 are thrilled to announce the newest addition to their family, Matthew Reid Marcus, born

Jonathan Stein ’97 founded the online wealth

on December 14, 2013. Matthew weighed 6 lbs., 6.8 oz. at

management company, Betterment.com, which now

birth and is growing quickly. Big sister Elizabeth (2) is sharing

manages over half a billion dollars, and recently announced

her toys with remarkable grace. David recently finished his

a $32 million round of venture capital investment.

residency in Radiation Oncology at Emory in Atlanta, Georgia.

Betterment counts dozens of St. Mark’s alumni as clients.

David and his family will be relocating to Glenwood Springs,

Jonathan resides in New York.

Colorado, this summer, where he accepted a job.

1998

Ashley and Jeff Ray ’98 welcomed their second daughter,

Scott Cunningham ’98 made the annual “50 Most

Vera Gene Ray, on September 3, 2013. Jeff and Ashley, along

Beautiful People of Capitol Hill” in the Washington newspaper

with big sister, Emma (2), praise God for such a precious

The Hill. Scott serves as both legislative director and

blessing! Jeff and his family reside in Coppell.

scheduler for United States Congressman Kenny Marchant.

Kim and Heb James ’98 welcomed their first child, Nora Madeline James, on August 20, 2013. Nora weighed 7 lbs., 8 oz. and was 21 inches long. Heb and his family reside in New York City where he is a Principal at Southfield Capital Advisors, a private equity firm in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Vera Gene Ray

Zev Shulkin ’98 completed his first Ironman and second triathlon in 11 hours and 47 minutes in November 2013. Zev resides in Dallas, where he specializes in ocuplastics, orbital, and pediatric ophthalmology at the International Craniofacial Institute. (Photo: See Jeff Genecov ’77) Nora Madeline James and parents.

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Class Notes | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Class Notes

Megan and Trey Wilson ’98

Preston Zapffe ’99 and his wife

became the proud parents of Jack

Whitney welcomed their second son,

Thomas Wilson on September 16,

William Preston Zapffe, on February

2013. Trey reports that Megan and

15, 2014. He weighed 7 lbs., 1 oz.

Jack are doing great. The Wilsons

and measured 19.5 inches long.

reside in Atlantic Beach, Florida,

William shares the same birthday as

where Trey is a shareholder at Smith

older brother Benjamin (2), and all

Hulsey & Busey.

members of the Zapffe family are doing great. Preston and his family reside in Dallas.

1999 Ryan Brannan ’99 and his wife

Meridith and Jeremy Zidell ’99

Jen welcomed their first child,

welcomed Frank James Zidell into

Tennyson Rose Brannan, on March

the world on February 11, 2013.

7, 2014. Tennyson weighed 5 lbs.,

Frank weighed 7.13 lbs. and was

15 oz. and was 19.25 inches long.

20.25 inches long. The family resides

Mom, dad, and daughter are all

in Dallas, where Jeremy is a Senior

doing well. Ryan and his family

Vice President of Brokerage at The

reside in Austin, where Ryan works

Retail Connection.

as Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation at the Texas Department of Insurance.

2000 | 15-Year Reunion Brandon Castillo ’00 recently opened Deep Ellum

Sarah and Daniel Novakov ’99 are thrilled to announce

Postal and Grocer in August 2013. As an urban activist and

the arrival of their daughter, Marilyn Rose Novakov, on

supporter of the redevelopment of Deep Ellum, Brandon

October 1, 2013. Marilyn Rose weighed 6 lbs., 2 oz. and was

advocates walkability, the densification of Dallas, and

19 inches long. The family resides in Dallas.

weaning ourselves off car dependency. He also runs the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market, which gives local artists and musicians a venue to expose their talent, and businesses and restaurants to promote their services.

Michael Kinley Ruggeri was born on October 1, 2013, to Ashley and Anthony Ruggeri ’00. Michael weighed 8 lbs. and was 20 inches long. The family resides in Dallas, where Tony is Co-President of Republic Property Group.

Marilyn Rose Novakov

James Wang ’99 and Tim Patriarca were married on August 11, 2013. James and Tim reside in San Francisco, along with their dog George.

Michael Kinley Ruggeri St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | Class Notes

71

Class Notes

2001 The 2001 ReMarker team ventured to Roswell, New Mexico, for its annual campout in August 2013. Brian Beneke ’01, Matt Bradford ’01, Stephen Markus ’01, and Nick Orenstein ’01 spent the trip seeing aliens, rockets, and rodeos.

John Turek, James Helwig, Jamie Helwig ’01, and Crinny Dean ’01

2002 Chantel and Jose Cordova ’02 are proud to announce the birth of their second son, Lucas Cordova. Lucas was born on October 14, 2013, and was also welcomed into the family The 2001 ReMarker Team

by big brother Maximo (3). Jose and his family reside in Medfield, Massachusetts, where he is an accounting manager

Matthew Eshelbrenner ’01 and his wife, Nicole, are

in Waltham.

excited to announce the birth of their son, Gavin Arthur Eshelbrenner, born on February 5, 2014. Gavin weighed

Michael Martin ’02 married Jessica Elena Shaefer

6 lbs., 10 oz., and was welcomed into the family by big sister

on September 14, 2013, on the Polo Fields at Conyers

Violet. Matthew and his family reside in Columbus, Ohio.

Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. Groomsmen included Marksmen Chris Black ’02, Keith Cohan ’02, Matt Wallenstein ’02, and Jim Moran ’01. The couple resides in San Francisco, where Michael is General Manager of the San Francisco office of Code and Theory, a 200-person digital agency with offices in New York, San Francisco, and Asia.

Gavin Arthur Eshelbrenner

Crinny Dean ’01 and John Wilson ’01 gathered to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of classmate Jamie Helwig ’01 in September 2013 in Dallas. Cross country and track coach John Turek was also in attendance for the celebration. Jamie married Tara Geesaman in May 2014 in New York City.

Michael Martin ’02 and Jessica Elena Schaefer

Juston Johnson ’02 recently returned to the United States after working for nearly three years as Manager of Global Strategy for Samsung Electronics in Korea. He will now be taking a more active role in developing future products for Beats by Dre. Juston currently resides in Los Angeles.

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Class Notes | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Class Notes

2004 In March 2014, Bryan Monier ’02

Joe Lauinger ’04 married

performed leg surgery on cousin

Patty Murphree (Hockaday ’03)

John Montgomery ’10, who

on October 19, 2013 at First United

broke his fibula after slipping on

Methodist Church Richardson,

an icy sidewalk. Brian is in his

followed by a reception at

third year of orthopedic residency

Northwood Club. Marksmen

in Burlington, Vermont, and

groomsmen included Joe’s

John graduated from Middlebury

brother and best man, George

College in May 2014.

Lauinger ’07, Patty’s brother, Garrett Murphree ’98, Drew McDonald ’04,

Michael Prentiss ’02

and Kace Phillips ’04. Classmates also in attendance

was married to Stefanie Dee

were Nick Cassavechia ’04, Alex Eshelbrenner ’04,

Kronemeyer Coppel in Mazatlán,

Marcello Ortega ’04, Ryan Sablotny ’04, and

Mexico, on November 30, 2013.

Blakely Thornton ’04. Following their honeymoon in

Fellow Marksmen in the wedding

Thailand, Joe and Patty now reside in Dallas.

party included groomsman William Wolcott ’02 and best

Kyle Singhal ’04 won first place in the 64th Annual

men Carl Sewell ’02 and

Jacob Burns Van Vleck Constitutional Law Moot Court

Peter Lynch ’02. Also in

Competition in January 2013. The competition is the largest

attendance were Robbie Baty ’02, Seth Collins ’02,

and longest-running upper-level advocacy competition at

Alan Eberstein ’02, Nick English ’02, Miles Fisher

George Washington University, where Kyle is a third-year

’02, Roby Mize, Jr. ’83, and Carl Sewell ’61. Michael and

law student.

Stefanie spent their honeymoon in Thailand, the Maldives, and Hong Kong. The couple resides in Dallas, where Stefanie

2005 | 10-Year Reunion

runs her travel advisory firm, Posh Voyage, and Michael

Graham M. Radman ’05 married Erica Joan Fencil on

works for the private equity firm Argenta Partners.

October 5, 2013, at First United Methodist Church in Dallas, followed by the reception at the Adolphus Hotel. Classmate

William Wolcott ’02 was

Alex Mann ’05 was a groomsman in the wedding, and

married to Liz Simmons on

Joshua Tan ’05 served as an usher. Erica and Graham

April 5, 2014 in Clearwater Beach,

reside in New Jersey. Graham works for Pine River Capital

Florida. Classmates in the

Management in New York.

wedding party included the best man, Carl Sewell ’02, and Michael Prentiss ’02, a groomsman. Fellow Marksmen in attendance included Alan Eberstein ’02, Hill Perot ’05, Brian Pryor ’02, and Carl Sewell ’61. Following the wedding, William and Liz spent their honeymoon in Belize and Mexico. The couple plans to reside in Greenwich, Connecticut, where William works in financial services.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | Class Notes

73

Class Notes

2006 David Unwin ’06 was married

After graduating from Boston University in May 2013,

to Emily Barnicle in Durham,

Florian Dhondt ’08 was accepted at The Graduate

North Carolina, on August 10, 2013.

Institute Geneva, where he will complete his master’s degree

Fellow Marksmen in attendance

in development & sustainability.

included Walter Foxworth ’06, Ryan Lynch’06 and Evan Lee ’06.

Cody Dunlap ’08 accepted a position this spring with

Emily and David spent their

ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. Cody will be working full-

honeymoon in Seaside, Florida.

time as a Production Assistant on multiple ESPN shows and

The couple resides in Houston,

programs in a variety of roles.

where David works for the Texas First Court of Appeals.

2008

2009 andrew P.W. Gonzales ’09 graduated Magna Cum Laude

James Blair ’08 was married

from Harvard University in May 2013. Andrew majored in

to Laura Schalkle on February 2,

Molecular and Cellular Biology and minored in East Asian

2013, at Watermark Community

Studies with a Language Certificate in Japanese. One of the

Church in Dallas. James and Laura

highlights of his Harvard experience was his travels to major

met at Baylor University, where

Asian cities as the Director of Corporate Relations and

they both graduated in 2012.

Chief Financial Officer of the Harvard Project for Asian

James recently sold his company,

International Relations. His interest in Asia has its beginnings

Karbon Speed, which produces

from his wonderful Japanese teachers at St. Mark’s. Andrew

high-performance aerodynamic

is currently conducting neuroscience and genetics-related

carbon wheels and components for cyclists. James and Laura

research at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next two

reside in Richardson.

years, after which he plans to attend medical school.

Jordan Blumenthal ’08 is the Marketing Director at Dipont Education Management Group based in Shanghai.

Jordan handles the marketing for the English-language debate program, where he travels throughout China and introduces the idea of debate programs to parents, schools, and students. While on a trip to Hong Kong, Jordan met with fellow Marksmen Marc Rubinstein ’87, who is the Managing Director and General Counsel at Asia Pacific Land.

Andrew P.W. Gonzales ’09

Nathan Long ’09 graduated Cum Laude from Yale University in May 2013. Nathan double-majored in electrical engineering and economics, earned distinction in the electrical engineering major, and received the Franz Tuteur Memorial Prize for his research on using nano-scale transistors to help diagnose medical ailments. Nathan Marc Rubinstein ’87 and Jordan Blumenthal ’08

joined Bain & Company’s headquarter office in Boston as an Associate Consultant in September 2013.

74

Class Notes | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Class Notes

2010 | 5-Year Reunion Eli Ramirez ’09 was recently promoted to Senior Solar

Classmates Charles Branch ’10 and Daniel Rafkin ’10

Adviser after six months with the solar company One Block

were selected for positions in the new Financial Institutions

Off the Grid. In his new position, Eli helps homeowners

Group of the Corporate Client Banking division at J.P. Morgan

through the entire solar process, demonstrating saving

in New York City, starting in summer 2014. Charles and

opportunities with clean energy. Eli welcomes St. Mark’s

Daniel graduated in May 2014 from the University of Texas

families to contact him with questions about going solar.

and Harvard University, respectively.

Eli lives with his brother, Sam Ramirez ’06, in Lyle McDonald ’10 graduated from the United States

San Francisco.

Naval Academy in May 2014 and began training as a Jacek Zapendowski ’09

submarine officer. Lyle married Alexandria McIlveene

graduated from the United

on June 7 at Highland Park United Methodist Church in

States Military Academy in May

Dallas. Alexandria is a premedical student at the University

2013, and was commissioned

of Mississippi.

2nd Lieutenant in the Army.

Following graduation, Jacek will

John Montgomery ’10 graduated in May 2014 from

attend Infantry Officer training

Middlebury College with a degree in international politics

and Ranger School training, and

and economics. Following graduation, John relocated to

will be assigned to the 101st Airborne Division as Infantry

Houston, where he has accepted a job in energy-investment

Platoon Leader in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

banking with Credit Suisse. (See also Bryan Monier ’02)

Palo Alto young alumni gathered together for dinner in

Sloan Rudberg ’10, Dean Butler ’11, Garrett

February 2014 with Malcolm K. & Minda Brachman Master

Watumull ’12, Stephen Rambin ’13 , and Kevin

Teaching Chair Dr. Marty Stegemoeller. Kevin Bass ’13, Luis

Bass ’13 returned to 10600 Preston Road in December

Carrillo ’08, Chris Eubank ’09, Adam Genecov ’09,

2013 to share insights from their college experiences with

Blake Montgomery ’10, Mark O’Meara ’09, and

members of the Student Alumni Association. Students were

Eli Ramirez ’09, enjoyed reconnecting with one another

eager to get their advice on a variety of topics, including the

and reminiscing about their times at St. Mark’s.

internship process, time management, and the transition from high school to college. The young alumni emphasized the uniqueness of the St. Mark’s community and the faculty, who extend their time and devotion beyond the classroom for students.

2011 Johnathan Chen ’11 is the Founder and CEO of OneReasonRecordings, a music-based, nonprofit organization that works on fundraising campaigns focusing on a different charity and social justice topic every year, through music. OneReasonRecordings will be working with Children’s Medical Center in Dallas for its 2014 Miracles Palo Alto Alumni

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Campaign. Johnathan is currently a senior at New York University and is majoring in Food Studies.

Summer 2014 | Class Notes

75

Class Notes

Alex Miles ’11 spent the summer of 2013 in Berlin working for a member of the German Bundestag. Alex was the research assistant for the foreign policy spokesperson for the current political union in Germany. Alex is currently a senior at Northwestern University majoring in political science.

2012 Jason Altschuler ’12 accepted a summer internship at Google in its New York office. He worked on machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms. Jason is currently a junior at Princeton University, where he is majoring in computer science.

2013 Travis Garza ’13 and Raffy Salcedo ’13 gathered

back row: Cole Wright ’12, Nick Dyslin ’08, Tanner Montgomery ’11, Anthony Masucci, Eric Rawot ’15, Thomas Brown, Rishi Kshatriya ’15, and Austin Healy. front row: Jackson Stager ’12, Arya Mehrabanzad ’10, Connor Theilmann ’11, Elliot Chang-Tung ’10, Dustin Hesseltine ’07, Gus Blessing ’11, Jordan Dyslin ’11, Greg Kinman ’12, and Alex Shelton.

together with Director of Academic Information Systems Paul Mlakar at the Ohio State versus Purdue football game in November 2013. Travis and Raffy are both sophomores at Purdue University, and studying nuclear engineering and industrial engineering, respectively.

Travis Garza ’13 and Raffy Salcedo ’13 with Paul Mlakar (center)

The St. Mark’s Hockey Association hosted their annual Alumni Game on December 23, 2013, at the Dr. Pepper Stars Center in Farmer’s Branch. Following the game, the players and their parents enjoyed catching up at a post-game meal at Snuffer’s.

76

Class Notes | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Faculty Notes

FACULTY NOTES Stephen M. Seay ’68 Science Department Chair

Melissa and Casey Gendason are the proud parents

Fletcher Carron, his wife Paige, and daughter

of Zachary Reid Gendason, born November 18, 2013.

Eleanor (3), welcomed Fletcher Morrow Carron

Zachary weighed 6 lbs., 9 oz. and was 20 inches long.

into the world on February 8, 2014. He weighed 6 lbs.,

Melissa, Casey, and big sister Sophie (2) are excited about

4 oz. Fletcher also coaches basketball and is the

their new addition to the family. Casey is the Associate

Robotics Club sponsor.

Director of College Counseling.

Fletcher Morrow Carron

Spanish teacher and Zachary Reid Gendason

Community Service Director JORGE CORREA translated

Lindsey and Nick Sberna

the book Struck by Living by

welcomed Griffin Nicholas Sberna

Julie K. Hersh into Spanish.

into the world on May 21, 2014.

In the book, Julie chronicles

Griffin weighed 7.6 lbs. and was

her journey from depression

19 inches long. Big sister Hadley (3)

to hope with humor and

was excited to greet her little

brutal honesty. As Jorge

brother. Nick is the Humanities

explains, “When I read

Department Chair and the

Struck by Living, I decided

Wilderness Program Co-Chair.

right away that Spanishspeaking people should be able to read her book in their native language.” The Spanish translation, Decidi Vivir, will

Karan Windham became a grandmother again on March

be on sale this fall. Julie is the wife of Ken Hersh ’81 and

31, 2014, when her son, Jordan, and his wife, Samantha,

mother of Daniel Hersh ’13.

welcomed Parker Andrew Windham into the world. Karan shares that the family is doing well and that big sister Madilyn (3) is excited to have a little brother. Karan teaches 5th grade science.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | Faculty Notes

77

Faculty Notes

in memoriam Drury Shelton Blair, M.D., February 13, 2014, father of Joseph D. Blair ’73.

John F. Blocker ’62, April 2013.

Wylfa Alexander Bowles, December 19, 2013, grandmother of E. Ryan Bowles ’90 and great-grandmother of Christian A. Bowles ’22 and Gavin R. Bowles ’25.

Dr. Charles L. Branch, December 6, 2013, grandfather of Daniel H. Branch ’05, Spencer A. Branch ’07, and Charles V. Branch ’10 .

Jeanette Harris Schneider Burnett, November 14, 2013, wife of Judge Joe Burnett ’49.

Thomas H. Butler, December 1, 2013, grandfather of Alexander Brooks Jones ’12.

Carl L. Cotten, Jr., October 13, 2013, grandfather of Jacob S. Vandermeer ’08.

Ora Lee Clayton, January 14, 2014, mother of Gary R. Clayton ’74 and grandmother of Gary Sean Clayton ’98.

Sherry Knopf Crasilneck, October 7, 2013, mother of Jonathan C. Knopf ’73.

Ethelmarie Cronholm, November 4, 2013, grandmother of Trenton M. Cronholm ’07.

Frederick M. Addington, Jr. ’62, September 17, 2013.

William “Tiger” B. Allyn, Jr. ’74, December 8, 2013.

Robert F. Amundsen, March 6, 2014, father of Paul W. Amundsen ’75 and Robert F. Amundsen, Jr. ’72 (deceased).

Anne Christy Faires Atwell, January 28, 2014, mother of Anthony Atwell, Jr. ’78 and Christopher D. Atwell ’84.

Marie Giles Baldwin, November 5, 2013, mother of James L. Baldwin, Jr. ’79.

Sue Chen Barber, March 27, 2014, mother of Colton S. Barber ’19.

Mouzon Bass, Jr., March 20, 2014, father of Mouzon Bass III ’84, grandfather of former student Blake L. Beckham ’15.

Israel R. Berger, October 20, 2013, grandfather of Seth D. Berger ’89 and Ari D. Berger ’94.

Jewell Bell Culpepper, November 17, 2013, former staff member.

Kathleen M. Denman, October 14, 2013, grandmother of Peter S. Denman ’05.

Corrine Ebner, March 6, 2014, mother of Louis E. Ebner ’68 and Thomas A. Ebner ’75.

Thomas O. Evrard, January 8, 2013, grandfather of Jackson F. Cole ’16.

Elizabeth “Pinkie” Pinkston Feigl, January 17, 2014, grandmother of Allan Wesley Hibbs ’17.

Geraldine Faye Forrester, November 6, 2013, mother-in-law of Assistant Director of Development Janet L. Forrester, grandmother of Matthew A. Forrester ’93.

Leavenworth McGill Ferrell, December 14, 2013, father of Leavenworth M. Ferrell II, Head of Upper School.

Lloyd W. Birdwell, Jr. ’60, January 9, 2014.

Rev. Dr. Samuel Gamadia, January 21, 2014, grandfather of staff member Amee McGough.

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Class Notes | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Remarks

Murray A. Goldenberg, February 13, 2014, stepfather of Gil I. Wolfe ’81, father-in-law of Clifford L. Friedman ’76, and stepgrandfather of Zachary P. Wolfe ’10.

Clifford Ray Goldsmith, January 10, 2014, grandfather of William C. Moor III ’13.

Zane Bruce Hall, September 13, 2013, father of Donald R. Hall ’81.

Ronald G. Honea, October 27, 2013, grandfather of Luke W. Jacobs ’20.

Peter K. Lutken, Jr., January 13, 2014, Trustee Emeritus, father of Peter K. Lutken III ’67 and David M. Lutken ’75.

Sammie L. Mack, February 28, 2014, father of former faculty member Valencia Yarbrough and former student Al Mack, grandfather of Korey D. Mack ’00.

A. W. Patterson, Jr., December 20, 2013, father of Sam H. Patterson ’78.

Jacqueline Kennedy Plott, August 6, 2013, former staff member.

George Garrison Potts, February 1, 2014, father of Garry Potts, Jr. ’71.

Mary Josephine Vaughn Rauscher, January 5, 2014, mother of Jack C. Vaughn, Jr. ’72, Robert C. Vaughn ’74, and David C. Vaughn ’80, stepmother of John H. Rauscher III ’67, and grandmother of Jake M. Vaughn ’17.

Robert E. Rawitscher, October 16, 2013, father of Lee A. Rawitscher ’84 and Michael J. Rawitscher ’86.

Robert W. Ricketts, October 10, 2013, father of Shelby Ricketts ’86.

Leonard Lincoln Madison, M.D., March 27, 2014, father of Scott R. Madison ’70.

Pearl F. Segal, November 12, 2013, mother of Scott H. Segal ’82.

Lawrence E. Marcus ’34, November 1, 2013, Trustee Emeritus, father of Cary S. Marcus ’64.

Roy L. Taylor, Jr. ’49, December 9, 2013.

Raymond Marlow, October 11, 2013, grandfather of Cole A. Marlow ’11 and former student, Christopher C. Marlow ’14.

David Harley Marshall, March 30, 2014, grandfather of Jake Morris ’16 and father of staff member Anna Morris.

Oliver R. Mattingly, October 18, 2013, grandfather of Thomas U. Mattingly ’16.

Margaret Tuggle, November 7, 2013, grandmother of Steven D. Feinberg ’96.

Elizabeth Underhill, December 5, 2013, mother of A. William Underhill ’72.

Frank P. Yates III ’51, March 26, 2014.

Liny Leah Pajgin Yollick, January 31, 2014, mother of Eric L. Yollick ’79.

The Reverend Father G. C. McElyea, January 1, 2014, Trustee Emeritus.

Carmen Miller Michael, December 1, 2013, mother of Andrew J. Michael ’76.

Joy Elaine Mitchell, October 23, 2013, mother of Robert P. Mitchell ’92.

George E. Mooers, July 24, 2013, grandfather of Paul A. Ockelmann ’08.

Robert T. Moore ’56, January 29, 2014.

Robert Orr Mullins, December 16, 2013, grandfather of Daniel C. Burkert ’08, Thomas C. Burkert ’02, David C. Mullins ’80, and William P. Hickox ’03.

Roy Marvin Parks, February 16, 2014, father of Robert B. Parks ’71.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Summer 2014 | Remarks

79

Endnotes ONLINE GIVING The St. Mark’s Fund is the School’s most important, ongoing fundraising priority, providing more than 10% of its annual operating budget. You may give online through our secure server at www.smtexas.org/smfund. Every gift is appreciated.

ARCHIVE From the Terrill School, all the way to St. Mark’s School of Texas, ours is a school with a long and rich history. If you have something that you would like to donate to St. Mark’s to be preserved in our archives, please contact the Office of Development & Alumni Relations at 214.346.8800.

SUBMISSIONS Do you have a great story you’d like to share with your fellow alumni?

Have you made any changes in your life such as a new job, new degree,

THE

PRIDE St. Mark’s School of Texas Alumni Magazine

Editor Katy B. Rubarth

Communications Coordinators David Carden Alexandra George

Editorial Contributors Dylan Clark ’14 Charlie Marshall ’14 Ryan O’Meara ’14 Harrison Perkins ’14 Lawrence Piccagli ’85

Photographic Contributors

marriage, children, or other announcement? Please send your stories,

Brianna Brown Alden James ’16

along with any photos, to the Office of Development & Alumni Relations

Director of Development

so we can include them in our next issue. Submissions may be made

Jim Bob Womack ’98

in any of three ways:

Director of Alumni Relations

• www.smtexas.org Use our online form to send in your “Remarks.”

• Email | eshelbrennera@smtexas.org Send your information and high-resolution photos to Alex Eshelbrenner

Alex Eshelbrenner ’04

FPO

at eshelbrennera@smtexas.org.

• U.S. Mail Send to St. Mark’s School of Texas, Attn. Alex Eshelbrenner, 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75230-4047 Submissions received after July 1, 2013, will appear in the next issue of The Pride.

Printed on paper containing 10% Post-Consumer Waste.

THE PRIDE is published twice annually by St. Mark’s School of Texas, Office of Development & Alumni Relations, 10600 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75230-4047, and is distributed to alumni, parents, and friends of the School.

In producing this magazine, every effort has been made to ensure that it is accurate. Please report any errors, or receipt of multiple copies, to the Office of Development & Alumni Relations, and accept our sincerest apologies.

St. Mark’s School of Texas does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. © 2014 St. Mark’s School of Texas An Office of Development & Alumni Relations Publication

80

End Notes | THE PRIDE

St. Mark’s School of Texas

Leonard and Peggy Riggs: Menter B. Terrill Society In 1997, Leonard and Peggy Riggs decided to make a planned gift to St. Mark’s, thereby becoming charter members of the Menter B. Terrill Society. For Leonard and Peggy, their rationale for making this decision was simple: “We loved the School and everything about it.”

The Riggs’ two sons are both alumni, Preston ’04 and Jason ’07, and Leonard joined the Board of Trustees in 1996, ultimately serving as Board President from 2002–2004.

“After our sons enrolled at St. Mark’s, we saw what a wonderful place it was, and we saw the things it does for boys, including those who are there on financial aid. We just wanted to help perpetuate that and to give our support.”

Leonard and Peggy made their planned gift to the School in the form of a Charitable Remainder Trust, one of a number of vehicles that individuals can use for planned giving purposes. Leonard commented, “For us, setting up a Charitable Remainder Trust and including St. Mark’s as a beneficiary was a great way for us to prepare a legacy of long-term giving. It’s a great way for someone who has some assets that they’d like to use the income from, but then have an institution receive the benefit after that.”

Leonard added that the peace of mind that he received from setting up this gift was gratifying, as his contributions will help St. Mark’s well into the future. “In making a planned gift, you know that the School is going to get something important. Institutions like St. Mark’s are going to go on in perpetuity—this is infinite—and a gift like this allows the School to think long-term. The School has always demonstrated excellent stewardship of its resources, and it makes me feel good to give to a place that I know will be dealing with it properly.”

Leonard and Peggy’s generosity has already made a major impact on campus and will continue to do so, well into the future. For the Riggs Family, the decision to give to St. Mark’s was based in part on the terrific experiences that their sons had at 10600 Preston Road.

“At St. Mark’s, it truly is ‘all about the boys.’ Not only is St. Mark’s a terrific preparation for life and the eventual path to college, but the leadership and the values portion of the experience that our sons had was simply terrific.”

With their commitment, Leonard and Peggy Riggs have made an important gift for the long-term benefit of the School. A Charitable Remainder Trust is one of many options that an individual can choose to make a planned gift. Other options include life insurance, retirement plans, and/or gifts of real estate. For further information on including St. Mark’s in your estate plans, please contact Scott Jolly in the Office of Development at 214.346.8132 or jollys@smtexas.org.

St. Mark’s School of Texas 10600 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75230-4047 214.346.8000 • www.smtexas.org