14 minute read
What’s In A Name?
During our work-from-home months early on in the pandemic, I missed the interactions with my colleagues. I missed the sound of boys walking to and fro outside my window in Dunlap Hall. And I missed my daily walks on campus, exploring the indoor places and enjoying the outdoor spaces.
Perusing the plaques dedicated to Old Boys, Andrean families, and staff members has been a pastime since I started working at SAC in 2017. There are a lot! Names on buildings and sporting facilities. Names on trophies and awards. Names on wings, rooms, and objects. New names and old names.
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In fact, the cabinet where the Communications team congregates over coffee is dedicated to the memory of Stan Macfarlane. Of course, being a curious journalist, I needed to know all about Mr. Macfarlane, and my research showed he taught French, Spanish, and Latin at SAC from 1974 until he retired in 1982. During his time at the school, he led European bicycle tours during the summer and was a beloved faculty member, known as the “Mr. Chips” of St. Andrew’s.
What other stories are waiting to be told of the people memorialized on plaques and the people who chose to preserve these memories? I figure if I’m fascinated to learn more, readers of The Andrean will be, as well. The magazine is sent to friends of the school and parents of students as well as Old Boys, so quite a few readers aren’t familiar with all the places and spaces on campus.
Following is an abbreviated “behind-the-scenes” feature on a select few of our named places, spaces, and things.
– Julie Caspersen, Andrean Editor
PLACE
Signage inside the front doors of the school
Dem Rogers ’59 grew up on Willow Farm, just to the north of campus, and attended St. Andrew’s from 1948 to 1951, then from 1955 to 1958. These years cemented his lifelong connection to the school in ways that changed SAC for the better.
In 1926, St. Andrew’s relocated to its current home, mainly for boarding students. When Dem’s family moved to Aurora the year he was born, it was considered “the boonies,” he says, and there weren’t many day students in the area. No one knows better the life of a young Andrean than Dem, who boarded in Macdonald House, hopping the fence between school and home and making friends that he still holds dear today.
Dem remembers life as a Lower School student in Macdonald House, where the dorm rooms were on the top two floors, and all the classrooms were on the first floor. He recalls there was also a dining hall and infirmary in the house. At that time, the Lower School students shared the same facilities as the older boys.
Fast forward to today, when upon entry to St. Andrew’s, you pass through Rogers Hall, a “school within a school,” named after the primary benefactor to the Middle School facility that opened in 2003.
As a member of the Board of Governors since his son, Ian, graduated with the Class of 1991, Dem’s philanthropy and insights directly led to enhancing infrastructure, especially for the younger set.
However, he admits, with a chuckle, that he wasn’t exactly first-rate when he attended. “I’m just an ordinary person. I wasn’t a great athlete; I wasn’t an academic.” But he was an enthusiastic participant in all that St. Andrew’s had to offer and has maintained a constant connection to the school and his classmates throughout the years.
Dem has been one of the school’s strongest champions for the past few decades, albeit quietly from behind the scenes.
This year, he has one grandson, Kyle ’26, in his final year of Middle School and another in Grade 10, Bryce ’24, involved in the Cadet Corps, one of the traditions Dem is happy to see maintained.
His philanthropy has ensured future generations of young Andreans a place of their own where they can thrive and be part of the Rogers Hall community before advancing to the Upper School.
More than a century ago, when letter writing was the norm, many St. Andrew’s graduates would send handwritten correspondence to the Head of School, Dr. Macdonald. He continued to receive letters from soldiers serving their country during the First World War, and these mementos formed the basis for the SAC Archives.
Until the mid-1980s, school souvenirs were kept in boxes and stored wherever there was space. Much of the material remained in a small room in the basement of Dunlap Hall until SAC’s first archivist, Douglas Worling ’50, suggested in 1990 that the room under Towers Library would make an ideal place to store and display the historical treasures. A decade later, a group of Old Boys CLASS OF took up the challenge to create a home for school memorabilia and went to work establishing a dedicated place to house the ’54 ARCHIVES archival treasure trove.
“The Class of 1954 were looking for a worthy project to celebrate their 50th reunion and enthusiastically embraced the Archives project,” wrote former SAC archivist, Ken Ryan, in 2004, the year the archives room had its grand opening. “The new Archives consists of a large room with display cases for memorabilia and wall space for historical photos. It will also serve as a conference room for meetings.”
While items in the display cases get rotated, and photos on the walls are updated, the Class of 1954 Archives gift remains an example of a group of grads who set out to make a difference in preserving the past of a school they hold dear.
Edna Collins is our current Archivist (and former Associate Director of Advancement) who concentrates on expanding the archives’ digital platform and online presence and curating decades of SAC artifacts.
“Thanks must go to the amazing people who have made the Archives what it is today. Douglas Worling lovingly searched out and preserved the treasures; Ken Ryan found creative ways to curate and display the artifacts; Sue Hayter (former SAC Librarian) developed the online platform making our PLACE Edna Collins outside the Archives room collection shareable with Old Boys, staff, and students,” Edna says.
PLACE
FLAVELLE HOUSE
A benefactor who initially wished to remain anonymous is credited with ensuring the future of St. Andrew’s College a century ago.
This mystery man with humble roots and a Grade 9 education built a prosperous business career. He became a member of the Board of Governors in 1911 and was named board chair in 1923, a post he held for 15 years. He was known to speak at Prize Day and enjoyed attending football games at the Toronto campus.
His name: Sir Joseph Flavelle, namesake of Flavelle House.
During his time on the board, plans were being made to move the campus to Aurora, plans that stalled due to a lack of money. He added $75,000 to the building fund, which didn’t cover the entire shortfall. Faced with the choice of continuing without the necessary funds or closing St. Andrew’s, it was agreed that the project would proceed and the funds found. Flavelle’s donation of $130,000 led to the construction of Macdonald House. (Another governor, D.A. Dunlap, provided $150,000 for the construction of the administration building that bears his name.)
Yet another gift of $70,000 allowed Memorial Chapel to be built. The dedication plaque reads: Presented to St. Andrew’s College by a friend of the school. Erected in memory of Old Andreans who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1918.
Flavelle’s generosity came to the rescue again in the 1930s when money woes once more threatened the future of the school. He donated $50,000 to help relieve part of the bank overdraft, but the school’s future was still in financial jeopardy. So, he offered to personally pay the remaining overdraft – $90,000 – and challenged other board members to pay off the building account totalling $28,000.
This generosity is astounding, even by today’s standards. His contributions made possible the building of the chapel and two boarding houses.
Flavelle House, built in 1926, was originally used by Grades 10 and 11 students but since 1962 has been home to a blend of students in Upper School grades from across Canada and around the world. The house contains more than 30 rooms, a pool table, an air-conditioned library, and a separate common room with a kitchen.
Room dedication plaques in Flavelle House
TOP: George MacMillan Frost ’40: The furnishing of Room 103 is just one of many gifts from George, who attended SAC from 1937 to graduation. He donated a golf cart equipped for medical response in 2000; was a lead donor to the Campus Master Plan that built Rogers Hall, Staunton Gallery, Wirth Art Centre, and Yuill Gymnasium in 2003; and initiated the G.M. Frost Family Fund in 1995 in support of scholarships and bursaries. MIDDLE: Bob Williams ’64 furnished Room 204 in memory of Harry J. Addison ’64. Bob was also a founder of the Harry J. Addison Memorial Fund, presented to students and staff who make outstanding contributions to football at St. Andrew’s.
BOTTOM: Room 212 is furnished courtesy of the Birks Family Foundation. G. Drummond Birks ’36 was in the fourth generation of his family to run Henry Birks and Sons, a Canadian jewelry empire.
While there are entire buildings, wings, and houses named after Andrean friends and family, let’s not forget things we can hold in our hands. And what do students treasure more on Prize Day than a shiny trophy?
The Mark Oliver Memorial Trophy was presented by family and friends in memory of Mark Oliver ’85, who attended SAC from 1980 to 1985. It is awarded to the individual who makes the largest contribution to rugby over their career at St. Andrew’s College.
Mark played First Rugby (and was MVP in his graduating year), First Hockey, and First Football. He was a Prefect, Cadet Major, and House Captain.
The trophy was presented to the school in 1994, the year after Mark passed away due to Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
According to close friend, classmate, and lifelong Andrean, Michael Roy ’85, the beauty of the rugby award is that Mark learned how to play rugby at SAC through long-standing faculty members, Paul Kitchen ’70 and Stuart Swan. Both men valued a combination of pure athleticism, toughness, and a high sporting IQ.
“Mark possessed all three in spades,” recalls Michael, SAC’s Director of Admission, Marketing & Business Development.
The school also distributes the Mark J. Oliver Memorial Scholarship awarded to an Upper School boarding student who is an excellent athlete and a compassionate leader amongst his peers and with Middle School students. The award is funded through the Andrean Legacy (gift of life insurance) program by Michael.
Through the years, the many recipients fortunate enough to earn the award have helped keep the memory of Mark alive for Michael, their classmates, and Mark’s family. Reading the stories of the boys’ individual SAC journeys transport those who sponsor the award back in time to when Mark was at SAC.
It is cathartic to envision these boys’ futures and know that Mark’s scholarship helps spring them on a course toward success. For Michael, funding the award through the Andrean Legacy program allowed him, while earning a modest wage at the start of his professional career, to contribute to the memory of his best friend while helping incoming Andreans afford the opportunity that is St. Andrew’s College.
“The cost-sharing of the premium benefits with the school while I was young allowed for the policy to be paid in full in my early 40s. I have had approximately 15 years of witnessing the benefits to those who have received his award,” says Michael.
“That feature has been exceptionally impactful in my life and allowed me to give back to others in my friend’s name and memory. I thank SAC for their partnership and the joy it has brought me in getting to know these young men, understand their stories, and watch them grow into their careers and family life.”
THE MARK OLIVER MEMORIAL TROPHY
THING
Michael Roy ’85 with the Mark Oliver Memorial Trophy
QUAD & GROUNDS
SPACE
The Robert Giel tree and plaque detail; bronze “Andrew”
The campus grounds are home to quite a few living memorials. A stroll through the Quad in any season is pleasant with the 27 majestic trees – oaks, maples, and a couple of horse chestnuts – offering shade in the summer, a kaleidoscope of colour in the fall, contrast to a snowy landscape in winter, and the promise of new life in the spring.
Many of these trees, and others on campus, are dedicated to cherished Andreans, some living and some who have passed away. Old Boys, staff members, and families are honoured through this lasting legacy.
A recent gift was made in memory of Robert Giel, a beloved faculty member and Head of Business Studies, who passed away in 2018. Knowing the impact Robert made on generations of students in his 27 years at St. Andrew’s, his family opted to dedicate a stately maple in memory of his many contributions to the school.
“St. Andrew’s played a huge role in Robert’s life and in the life of our family. Not only did Robert teach here, but we all lived on campus while he was a Head of House for five years. His children, Arwen, Duncan ’05, Meredith, and Madeline, grew up here, and St. Andrew’s truly became home for the whole family,” says his wife, Kathryn.
Walking west from the Quad toward Cole Hall, you’ll encounter the Cadet statue standing guard in a tiny, lush oasis which boys rush past as they head to and from lunch.
This bronze, life-size statue was commissioned by the Ladies Guild (re-named the Parents Guild in 2009) to mark the centennial celebration of the Cadet Corps in 2005. Dubbed “Andrew,” it was presented to the school at the 100th anniversary Cadet Inspection. X
Geotechnology and Campus Memorials
By David Joiner, Canadian and World Studies Department Head
Geography classes within the department of Canadian and World Studies have tested field survey methods for recording the location of memorial and recognition plaques on campus.
For example, Upper School students have used smartphone applications like Esri’s Survey123 to record positions and images for plaques associated with trees planted around the school property. These attributes are then accessed through digital mapping and analysis software. Students in all grades have SAC-organization accounts with ArcGIS Online by Esri so they can learn and use geographic information systems (GIS).
When finished, this accessible map and database will allow visitors and students to locate specific memorials/ tributes or learn more about recognitions they have discovered on the grounds.
For those interested in naming opportunities on campus, for example, theatre seats, boarding rooms, locker rooms, music practice rooms, squash courts, and classrooms, please contact Greg Reid, Executive Director of Advancement, at greg.reid@sac.on.ca for more information.
