Introduction of William S. Speers

M AY 26, 2019 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

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Introduction of William S. Speers

As a member of the faculty and leader of students and teachers for forty years, Will Speers ignited and developed St. Andrew’s School as one of the great secondary schools in the world.

His teaching expresses a reverence and understanding of the art of literature. Under his passionate and discerning spirit, texts (poems, short stories, play, novels) came alive in all their vivid detail, urgency, and illumination. The Speers teaching genius emerged from his earnest and unceasing commitment to understand, appreciate, and translate the courage, vision, tragedy, and comedy of the writers he taught. In this capacity, the greatest novelists, play writers, poets, and short story writers found the reader they most valued and celebrated: a person with an ever open and expanding heart and vision, a scholar who was humble, patient, discerning, and kind, a teacher who could make texts come alive for a new generation of readers.

Will had teachers in his life who set his heart and mind on fire. Great teaching, his beloved prep school teacher exclaimed, is “like trembling,” and Will Speers set off to create that culture, that energy, that passion in every class he taught.

By the power of his soul, spirit, and imagination, Will Speers decided that his teaching would be about creating passion, discovery, enlightenment, both because he wanted to honor great writers and great teachers who inspired him but also because he loved his students even more than the texts that fascinated him.

Great teachers know that students possess wisdom, grace, and beauty in their hearts and souls, and they know that only through love, attention, enthusiasm, patience, and humility will the student open his soul to learning, to enlightenment, to engagement in the world. Will Speers is that teacher.

And so to honor his parents, his teachers and professors, his School, his colleagues, his beloved students, Will Speers made great teaching the passion of his life, and yes, he transformed, inspired, and cultivated greatness in St. Andreans and St. Andrew’s.

If teaching was the essence of Will Speers soul, his generosity and versatility made him an inspiring school leader. He held every office and leadership responsibility in the School: teacher, coach, dorm parent, English Department Chair, Dean of Studies, Dean of Admissions, Dean of Students, Dean of Faculty, Associate Head of School, Acting Head of School. He organized Parents Weekend, Trustee Weekend, Awards Night, and Commencement. He lived for the impact, development, and flourishing of this great school, and he refused to allow himself to ever retreat from his day and evening commitment to the essence of the community.

As a Head of School, I deeply appreciated and celebrated the grace, mastery, and intelligence Will brought to St. Andrew’s. We cultivated a friendship that lifted our souls and essentially supported us through the joy, learning, challenges, and tragedies of life and death.

As my friend, colleague, and key associate during my career as Head of School, Will was phenomenal. When I was alone, he was with me; when I was confused, disturbed, or anxious, he was clear, calm, and encouraging. When I felt betrayed, lacerated, and undermined, he gave me liberating trust and faith. When I did not know what to do or where to turn, he convinced me that I did know what to do. When I was frightened, he gave me courage. When I was wrong, he told me what was right.

As I introduce Will today, I am proud to share the variety of ways St. Andreans have honored him. He holds the Will Speers Associate Head Chair, the first endowed faculty Chair in the history of the School. All future Associate Heads of School will hold the Will Speers Associate Head Chair and work in his spirit of grace and goodness. Alumni and parents and past parents and Trustees have created the Will Speers’ Endowed Financial Aid Fund, now stretching towards a fund totaling $1.5 million. And finally, Classroom 17 will be known forever as the Will Speers Classroom.