Thacher Magazine: Spring 2018

The Magazine of The Thacher School • Spring 2018

The Good Goodbye Thacher Salutes Michael K. Mulligan and Joy Sawyer-Mulligan as they retire from decades of service to the School.

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CONTENTS 12

12 • Armchair Wandering Milestones in the journeys of two educators.

14 • The Good Goodbye

Thacher marks the end of an era with a heartfelt sendoff for Michael K. Mulligan and Joy Sawyer-Mulligan honoring their decades of service and celebrating the vibrant community they have done so much to strengthen.

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ON & OFF CAMPUS

ALUMNI & COMMUNITY NEWS

01 • View From Olympus

30 • Gatherings

A Q&A with heads number eight and nine as they look back on Michael’s service and forward to Blossom’s.

Thacher hosts a once-in-a-generation gathering to recognize and celebrate the service of Joy and Michael.

03 • Readers Respond

34 • Class Notes, etc.

On living up to school mottos.

Alumni news, milestones, and news from faculty, staff, and friends.

04 • The Pergola

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An assemblage of noteworthy School and community intelligence.

43 • In Memoriam 45 • The Best We Can Do Toby Rosenblatt CdeP 1956 shares a toast to Joy and Michael.

FRONT COVER Pepper Tree Lane, which crosses just below the Head of School’s Home, has long served as the entryway to Casa de Piedra, but the road runs both ways. We wish the best for Joy and Michael (and Lydie) as they follow their road wherever it takes them.

Photo: Callie Giovanna.

VIEW FROM OLYMPUS…

Head to Head With Michael and Blossom RECOGNIZING THAT THE BOARD MEETINGS of spring 2018 would be Michael Mulligan’s last as head of school, Board Chair Cabot Brown CdeP 1979 set aside some meeting time for a Q & A with the outgoing head and the one who will fill his shoes, Blossom Beatty Pidduck CdeP 1992. Cabot led a discussion before past and present board members in the Study Hall, giving heads number eight and nine an opportunity to talk about their past achievements and future plans, and for Michael to pass along some advice. An edited* version of the conversation follows.

CB: Michael, what among your many accomplishments makes you most proud?

MM: The most important accomplishment for me at Thacher has been to help create a culture at Thacher that is dynamic, healthy, fun, positive, and uplifting. The thing that has always been the most rewarding for me in education—prior to Thacher and at Thacher—is to help students progress from fair to good and good to great. When that happens, your school progresses in the same way. It is so rewarding to work with boys and girls and watch them grow into thoughtful, dynamic, and competent young men and young women.

CB: Blossom, what from Michael’s tenure as a leader will you apply and carry forward as you lead the School?

BP: Michael has obviously been a mentor to me in so many ways.

But when I think about what I’ve learned from him personally as a leader, I think mostly about the mindset that he brings to this work.

It’s not just a growth mindset, it’s also an ability to take everything that comes in stride.

Michael talks a lot about the deleterious effect of stress mathematics.

This year is a perfect example. A lot of us would want to look at this year at Thacher and say, “Look at all these terrible things that happened,” and to add them all up and to make a judgment about what this year has been and to allow that judgement to define our state of mind and being. That isn’t something Michael does. He deals with what’s in front of him and does it with incredible optimism and good humor. I think we share optimism and humor—I hope he agrees—as characteristics, and I’ve learned from him to use those strengths to approach each day and each challenge with a focus on all that is possible.

Beyond that there are all the lessons I’ve learned about building culture as he’s just described. A positive, healthy, dynamic, inclusive, and honor code driven culture is the foundation of success and well-being for our students and the School.

Lastly, I’ve learned from Michael the essential power of keeping our focus on the students. Think about all Michael has accomplished in the course of his tenure here; so much of it is because these kids are always at the center of his mind and his heart. And that’s something that I don’t

*The original transcript was condensed and some context and detail were added for the benefit of the reading audience.

see often in other heads of school.

CB: Blossom, what are the things you’re looking most forward to when you take the reins July 1?

BP: We at Thacher work with just an incredible team of people, the administrators, the faculty, and staff, and I have to admit that that’s the part that I’m most excited about—getting right in with that group of folks who I think are also really excited when they look down the road and the years ahead and what we can do here at Thacher. And, of course, the other essential part of that team is the students. I’ve really missed the Thacher students while we’ve been on sabbatical. So I’m truly looking forward to welcoming them back to campus and to us all getting started on this adventure together.

CB: Blossom, next year you’re in your new role. What are you going to miss most about your current work?

BP: First and foremost, I’ll miss my daily interactions in the classroom with students. As an administrator over the past seven years, I’ve been able to continue teaching a junior American Literature course. I love the dynamic of the classroom and the process of exploring literature and culture together with students who are developing their senses of voice and purpose in the process. I will have opportunities to be in the classroom as head of school, but it won’t be the same as teaching a core English class and working with students in that way. Of course, I’ll have many new and different opportunities to build those relationships with students and I look forward to developing those.

As I listened to Alice Meyer, who has taken over as director of studies, talking to the board yesterday about the academic program, I could feel that little part of myself that wanted to be right at the front of that work again because I’ve loved the process of evolving curriculum and exploring with teachers and students all the possibilities for Thacher’s future. The good news there is that it is certainly something I will stay involved in as head of school.

CB: Blossom, what have been your greatest accomplishments when you look back at everything you’ve done here, which is formidable.

BP: In terms of accomplishments, I think again of Alice Meyer talking about our plans to move beyond being an Advanced Placement school.

When I came into the role of director of studies there was a lot of interest and appetite for looking at the academic program, for evaluating our curriculum and exploring what the future should hold. I felt very strongly that I wanted the process of curriculum development to be a partnership among the faculty’s grassroots work, the administration’s support, and the students’ needs and interests.

There was a moment yesterday when Alice was asked whether this was a dramatic change to the curriculum or an evolution and she said that the feeling of the faculty and students was that it was an evolution. I felt as if that was an indication that I had accomplished what I set out to do, which was to have everyone move along almost organically to thinking about the work that they want to do, to thinking about how we as a school The Thacher School 1

might shift and grow and evolve the curriculum in line with our mission and values, rather than feeling as if someone had told them in a top-down fashion that this is what needs to happen on the academic front. That felt good to hear.

CB: Blossom, what does it mean to you to become the first woman to serve as Thacher’s head of school? When you were a student here did you ever think you’d be in this seat?

BP: So my father reminded me not too long ago of a moment that I had completely forgotten, when I was being interviewed for my first job after college. It was actually to be a dean in the office of admission at Amherst College where I was about to graduate. As part of that job interview they asked me where I saw myself in 10 years. So as only a 21-year-old filled with the confidence and arrogance of graduating from college and facing one’s life ahead could, I said, “Well, in 10 years I’d like to be the head of a school.” I mean, I’m 21 at the time telling a group of 10 Amherst admissions officers and the dean of admissions that in a decade I plan to be running a school. I had completely forgotten about this moment of hubris until my father reminded me. I didn’t get the job, by the way.

What was it that got me to a place at 21 where I would think that being a head of school was something that I could do? I think about the role models that I had—mostly at Thacher. I think about women like Bonnie Robinson and I think about Joy Sawyer-Mulligan and I think about Phyllis Johnston. I think about people who were living leadership as women and who looked at me and whose job and purpose was to say, “Here’s what’s inside of you.” It’s something that Michael and many of my former teachers, now colleagues, have continued to do for me as an adult in this community.

I’m not sure beyond that 21-yearold self that I imagined sitting here in this way, but I certainly know that I have many people to thank for making this a possibility.

When I think about being the first female head of Thacher, I hope that it means I will do the same for other young men and women wondering what’s possible for themselves and in the world. I hope that it also means that I play a role in this institution’s continual evolution and the rich history of this place. Consider those board members and school leaders who made the decision for Thacher to become a coeducational institution. I don’t imagine that was an easy decision to make at the time, but it charted a course of inclusivity and equity that I am immensely proud to be part of.

It is humbling to think that I play a role in that trajectory and that it can expand the sense of belonging and possibility for the School and for everyone in our community.

2 Spring 2018

CB: How do you and Brian imagine his role as first husband of head?

BP: That’s a great question and one that we’ve certainly had a lot of time to think and talk about on sabbatical this year. I’m incredibly blessed to have a partner in life who is really a partner. And I think that we approach the head of school work as partners, much as Michael and Joy have, knowing it’s something we take on together.

And it’s an interesting moment for Thacher because, of course, we haven’t ever had the genders switched in this way, and there’s a sort of tension that comes up around that. Even with the students, who will ask me, “Is Mr. Pidduck going to wear an apron?” I believe this is great for Thacher because bringing all that to the surface and thinking about what some of our expectations and biases are around gender roles will lead to meaningful discussions and, I hope, an expansion of our understanding of what equity looks like in action.

But in terms of Brian’s role, it will absolutely be one of partnership. We have made the decision that he’ll teach a little bit less than he has been and that’s mostly about making sure that our daughters—we have twin 10-year-old daughters—get the full support they need through this transition. And, of course, some of it we will be figuring out as we go along. But knowing that he, as a Thacher alumnus and a faculty member and director of the Outdoor and Camping Program for 20 years, is deeply committed and connected to this School means that we come to this work on equal footing. It’s a labor of love for both of us.

CB: So Michael, what are your plans next year?

MM: Next year I will serve as the executive director of Cross Creek Consulting. I am particularly proud of this achievement as I appointed myself to this august position by starting my own company.

The work of this firm will be to help schools go from fair to good and good to great. We will help schools learn how to build powerful, dynamic school cultures that uplift their students and set them on higher trajectories. I will also help independent schools in crisis as well as assist school heads in their efforts to build the best possible schools. I would particularly like to help boarding schools find their highest and best selves—and stop confusing wealth and excellence.

I also look forward to helping Thacher next year by working, as needed, to close out our very successful capital campaign. And I will also work on Thacher’s Greatest Good Leadership Program with the outreach part of this project. I will hope to embed myself at a public/charter school here in Ventura County that is working to succeed and also want to set an example of excellence for other schools. I will spend a lot of time listening and watching and then trying to help the school and its students find the most positive and dynamic paths forward. I am quite sure I will learn as much from them as they do from me. So much of this will be about finding approaches, strategies, and policies that promote health, happiness, wellness, and a positive learning environment that is not resource dependent. This will be quite a challenge and very interesting.

CB: To close, Michael could you share with us and Blossom the best single bit of advice anyone gave you about being head of school?

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The Magazine of The Thacher School Volume 12, Issue 1 Spring 2018

MM: I have three points of advice for Blossom: The first and single most important job for a school leader is to serve as chief meaning-maker.

A school leader has the responsibility of creating meaning, purpose, and direction around the life of a school and the events of a school year. Otherwise students, parents, and faculty often just take away the negatives and not the powerful and transformative positive learning experiences that arise out of all situations. Falling off a horse, forgetting your rain gear on a camping trip, or failing a calculus test, if not framed properly for a student, can otherwise result, for many students, in quitting riding, never camping again, and dropping calculus. Meaning-making is the core central job of a school leader. So every event that takes place that has any significance requires thoughtful discussion, consideration, coaching, direction, and meaning-construction. And this can be the most rewarding part of the work.

The second bit of advice comes from my favorite Harvard professor, Dr. David Kuechle, who taught negotiations. It is this: Most crises arise from compressed timelines. So watch all timeline-constructed decision making carefully. If you wait too long you lose opportunities and create institutional wallow. If you compress, you create the ripe grounds for crisis. Most of your constituents will create an atmosphere of panic and rush around a crisis. Beware any rushed decision making. You will pay the price.

And finally, I close with advice from the sage of Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau, who noted, “It is characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.” Desperation should never be part of our lives at Thacher.

Calm, thoughtful deliberation is the order of the day.

CB: Did you get all those down?

BP: The sage has spoken.

READERS RESPOND… School Pride In the Fall 2017 issue of Thacher magazine I was delighted to read the letter from John Truog of 1961 about his horse experience. While I had a different horse experience than his (I was President of the Horse Club and a proud member of the Silver Dollar Club), I found his account of the horse experience completely believable.

No school experience is perfect.

I am proud that Thacher printed his letter because for me, and I hope for him, but if not that’s OK too, the best part of the whole Thacher experience was its dedication to the values of Honor, Fairness, Kindness, and Truth.

If I were to write a complaint letter to either of my other two schools of Harvard (motto = Veritas) or Stanford (German for “the wind of freedom blows”) I would not expect them to print it. Their mottos I consider to be politically correct but factually … inaccurate. Great schools, but overly sensitive about their public images.

Thacher is different. It can put out a magazine issue about failure as the cover story and lead off with a complaint letter.

That’s a school I can be proud of.

Thanks.

Chad Brown CdeP 1967

EDITOR Christopher J. Land ASSISTANT EDITOR Natalie Selzer CdeP 2008 CLASS NOTES EDITOR Aaron Boydston ARCHIVIST Bonnie LaForge DESIGN Charles Hess, design director Lisa Lewis, designer ILLUSTRATIONS Olivia McGiff PHOTOGRAPHY Callie Giovanna, David Kepner CdeP 2007, Christopher Land, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan, Dana Schryver, Carin Yates HEAD OF SCHOOL Blossom Beatty Pidduck CdeP 1992 DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT AND PLANNING William P. McMahon DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Jeffery D. Berndt

Thacher is published twice a year by The Thacher School, and is sent free of charge to alumni, parents, and friends of the School. Every effort is made to ensure that contents are accurate and complete. If there is an omission or an error, please accept our apologies and notify us at the address below.

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THE PERGOLA… NOW ARRIVING IN RIVER CITY, IOWA

A few weeks before opening night, if you had asked a member of the cast or crew about this year’s spring musical, you might not have received a particularly confident response. “We entered rehearsals for The Music Man with a serious disadvantage: We had already lost at least two weeks of rehearsals to the Thomas Fire,” remembers Tracey Williams Sutton, director of the production. “That was daunting, to say the least.” When the curtain rose on opening night, however, any lingering doubts were quickly dispelled.

Strong performances, vibrant costumes and sets, and impressive singing and dancing all came together on February 9 and 10 for an engaging, fun, and memorable production.

4 SPRING 2018

TOAD FEST THE ANNUAL Toad Fest once again packed the Milligan Center stage with talent from many corners of the Thacher community, with students, faculty, staff, parents, siblings, and others entertaining the gathered crowd with a wide range of musical performances.

FIRE RELIEF IN FOCUS A CHANGED LANDSCAPE called for a changed tactic. In the wake of the Thomas Fire, Community Service Day organizers Apple Farrelly ’18 , Nick Amano ’18, Lexie Silverman ’18, and Molly Perry CdeP 1985 and Heather Grant made the gametime decision to recalibrate the annual event to zero in on a single mission: Offer meaningful help to ongoing fire relief efforts throughout Ventura County. Students and faculty members traded in a half day of classes to instead fan out across the community and work on a variety of service projects including: inventorying food and clothing donations for those affected by the fires, lending a hand on land and trail restoration projects, planting trees in fire-devastated areas, and cleaning debris from local organizations and family homes that were impacted by the fires.

ORGANIZED CHAOS LIKE MUCH OF 2017–18, the close of the year brought something different. Instead of sitting for finals after EDTs, students finished them before they went camping and then spent the final few days of the year engaged in interdisciplinary, non-credit micro-courses dubbed “MayHEM.” “It was a chance for all of us, faculty and students, to experience learning for curiosity’s sake alone, to dive deep into an area of interest outside the confines of a normal academic schedule, and to collaborate and create together across disciplines,” described Director of Studies Alice Meyer.

In “Multimodal Storytelling: Thacher and the Thomas Fire,” students studied the elements of storytelling and then collected and curated narrative nonfiction writing, documentary film, photographs, and audio into an immersive digital record of the fire. In “Tracing the Border,” crossdisciplinary readings, videos, and research helped establish a basis for understanding the social and cultural realities of the U.S.-Mexico border before students and teachers headed to the border itself for a few days of cultural immersion in this unique, binational region. In “An Eye for Design,” students visited the workshops of local craftsmen before brainstorming, designing, and collaboratively constructing prototypes of chairs, light fixtures, and other practical items for use in the new dining hall. All in all, 16 courses were on offer, all emphasizing creativity, collaborative work, and the bridging of disciplines—an exciting experiment for students and teachers alike.

HONORING A LEGACY To mark and commemorate this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Thacher community came together for an informative documentary screening; an illuminating panel discussion featuring activists, academics, and thought leaders; and breakout sessions that allowed students and faculty to thoughtfully dialogue with individual panelists in small groups.

BREAKING GROUND ON JANUARY 26, crews officially began work on the highly anticipated new dining hall and construction has continued at a rapid clip ever since. Given the size of today’s community, the new dining hall will provide much-needed additional space and improved acoustics, as well as better accommodate the evolving operational needs of the kitchen as it continues to focus more on sustainability and healthy eating. The current Hills Dining Hall, which was built in 1897 and last received a major upgrade in the 1980s, will remain standing and eventually be converted into work, meeting, and gathering space for administrators, students, and staff. The dining hall project is slated to be complete by fall 2019.

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THE PERGOLA…

OUTSIDE OUTLOOKS VISITING SCHOLARS, ARTISTS, AND EXPERTS SPARK NEW IDEAS AND INSPIRATION.

JUDGE RICHARD WELCH P ’16, who has served as an associate justice for the Massachusetts Superior Courts since his appointment in 1994, shared his deep expertise and knowledge with the Thacher community during a three-week stint as an Anacapa Scholar.

In addition to teaching about constitutional law in Jason Carney’s Contemporary Ethical Issues class, Judge Welch gave an all-school talk about the tensions that can arise between federal and state policies.

ALEX MYERS is a writer, teacher, and speaker who spent a few days in the Thacher community sharing insights on gender identity and sexual orientation, including his own perspective as the first openly transgender student at his boarding school and then university. During his time at Thacher, he gave an engaging all-school talk; consulted with Dean of Students Sabina McMahon; met with Spectrum, a student group dedicated to issues that are important to the LGBTQ+ community; and met one-on-one with students.

TIM WISE has been an anti-racism activist, speaker, and writer for more than 25 years. As this year’s William H. Orrick Lecturer, Mr. Wise delivered a powerful, thoughtful talk entitled “Towards a More Perfect Union: Racial Justice and the Fallacy of Colorblindness.”

WILLIE MATTHEWS is a renowned artist best known for his depictions of the American West. Thacher was lucky enough to welcome him into the community this spring.

DAVE CHEN, chairman and head of product development and research at Equilibrium Capital, delivered a talk to the School in which he discussed his work at an investment firm that focuses on sustainability and environmentally responsible practices.

KIZUNA DANCE is an NYC-based contemporary dance company that focuses on dynamic, cross-cultural productions and on-stage experiences. During the group’s short residency at Thacher, these professional dancers conducted workshops with Dance Ensemble, exposing our students to new and unfamiliar forms of choreography. The group also hosted a dance workshop open to anyone in the community and ended their time on campus with an engaging performance.

6 SPRING 2018

On foot, on horseback, by kayak—faculty and students made their way through an amazing array of backcountry landscapes during EDTs this spring, including Zion National Park, Catalina Island, the Lost Coast, Death Valley, Grand Canyon National Park, the Kern River, Montaùa de Oro State Park, and Sespe National Forest.

GYMKHANA Green, Blue, and Orange all competed valiantly throughout the spring, but Orange took home ultimate bragging rights at the close of Big Gymkhana this year.

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THE PERGOLA…

SCOREBOARDS Boys’ Track and Field

Boys’ Varsity Tennis

As captain, Colin Kirkpatrick ’19 oversaw a particularly successful year for the boys’ track and field team in addition to notching many personal achievements. One of the main highlights of this exciting spring season: the Distance Medley Relay team’s outstanding performance throughout, with Ford Shaper ’19 running the 1200m, Jesse VanNewkirk ’19 running the 400m, Edison Chadwick ’18 on the 800m, and Colin on the 1600m. These four trained hard, stayed focused, and ultimately placed 6th at the Arcadia Invitational and 8th at the highly competitive and elite Penn Relays (with fans at home cheering them on via live stream in Room 14!). These successes ended up placing them 23rd overall in the nation!

Additionally, Colin, Ford, and Kyle Sun ’20 qualified for the CIF prelims, where Colin and Ford ran the 1600m and 800m, respectively, and Kyle ran the 300m hurdles. Both Colin and Ford went on to the CIF Finals and Colin ultimately won CIF Division 4 in the 1600m and set the School record with a time of 4:17:25.

It was another great season for the talented boys’ varsity tennis team. Led by senior captains Jeffrey Ding and Connor Callahan, the Toads closed their season third in the league with a 5-4 league record and a 6-4 season record. The highlight of the season was a huge 10-8 home win against league champion Nordhoff; the clinching point was earned

by Max Golbère ’19 and John Han ’19, Thacher’s #3 doubles team, when they took out the #1 team from Nordhoff in a tiebreaker. This exciting late-season win, in the eyes of Coach Boyd, “highlighted the growth the team experienced.” All that growth translated into a trip to the playoffs, where the team played a hard-fought match and ultimately lost 12-6 to San Luis Obispo (a tough team with a 19-1 record). Their success was certainly helped by the strong leadership, calm on-court demeanors, enthusiasm and pride, and supportive attitudes brought by many of the players.

Girls’ Track and Field Led by captains Caroline DelVecchio ’19 and Isabel Hosafros ’19, the girls’ track and field team enjoyed a successful season in which the runners worked hard, with most seeing significant improvements in their performances over the course of the season. Excitingly, a number of the runners were given additional opportunities to compete during weekly invitational meets in Los Angeles on weekends, in addition to the league meets. The extra efforts of this team paid off: The Thacher girls sent more athletes to compete at the CIF prelims and finals than any of the other teams in the league! This included Tess Edwards ’19 in the 400m, Annika St. George ’20 in the high jump, and Caroline in both hurdle events. A special shout-out goes to team captain Caroline— in addition to winning All-League Sprinter of the Year, she closed with an undefeated season in the 100m and 300m hurdles, placed 3rd in Division 4 at the CIF Finals in the 100m hurdles and 6th in the 300m hurdles, and broke her own school record in the 100m hurdles with a time of 15:01.

8 SPRING 2018

Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Congrats to the girls’ varsity lacrosse team on a fun and exciting season this year! Led by senior captains Béa Pierrepont and Olivia Driscoll, the team improved tremendously over the course of the spring and closed with a 5-5 league record. Highlights included a thrilling 13-12 win on the road against San Marcos High School (and the second win at home against the same team a week later), as well as their win at home against Santa Barbara High School, which avenged an early season loss. At the close of their final season of lacrosse at Thacher, Béa finished with an impressive 109 goals in her career, while Olivia closed with 426 saves as a four-year starter in goal.

Varsity Baseball Though this was something of a “rebuilding” year for Thacher baseball, the impressive growth and great groundwork set during the course of the season bode well for future seasons out at Bard Field. The team ultimately closed with a 7-9 season record and a 3-7 league record. The two seniors on the team, who were also its stalwart captains, both had very strong seasons: Chris Robinson ’18 hit .382 with six

doubles and never struck out once during league play and Elias Ceseña ’18 hit .290, stole 10 bases out of 11 tries, and had a fielding percentage at shortstop of .925. The league took notice of their accomplishments and selected Chris as a First Team All-League player, and Elias as a Second Team All-League player. With these two at the helm, the team was able to beat all rival Ojai schools this season at least once, while also winning 3 of its last 5 league games, demonstrating the growth and improvement the team saw throughout the season. Preston Brailer ’19 and Tyler Vondriska ’21 were also selected to Second Team All-League, while JJ Mazzola ’19 received All-League Honorable Mention. Tyler was also the recipient of the new “Thacher Basher” Award, which goes to the player with the best offensive production and performance, which includes hits, runs batted in, scoring runners from third base, starting an inning by getting on base, moving runners from one base to another, and bunting. Overall, Thacher Baseball looks forward to what promises to be an exciting and successful 2019 season.

Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse The 2018 boys’ varsity lacrosse campaign was a rollercoaster season. The ups and downs showcased both some of the best team lacrosse played at Thacher in the last five years and the heavy impact that unfortunately timed injuries and illnesses can have on even a strong squad.

This year’s team, led by senior captains Adam Marcelo ’18, Henry Hancock ’18, and Thomas Boneysteele ’18, had an incredibly high ceiling, illustrated in convincing wins over Santa Barbara, Viewpoint, and Cate to start the season. At their best, they were a team that could put up big numbers by sharing the ball, pushing transition opportunities, and finishing their shots. When they were stricken by injuries, however, they struggled to maintain the rhythm that characterized them at their best. The boys showed a tremendous amount of resilience in beating Dos Pueblos away from home after having lost to them in double overtime a few weeks earlier at Thacher, as well as in putting together a strong final effort to defeat Brentwood 18-6 after having lost at Cate in a disappointing game the week before.

NUMERACY

CdeP 2018 ANOTHER GRADUATING CLASS BIDS THACHER A GOOD GOODBYE Nicholas Satoru Amano, Carnegie Mellon University Shan Nicole Bassolino, Northwestern University Shalan Mimi Billault-Lee, Brown University

Thomas Baskeville Lewis Hudson, University of Colorado at Boulder Ethan Rimes Kallett, University of Pennsylvania

Thomas Merlin Boneysteele, University of St. Andrews

Finnegan Peter Keilty, Carleton College

Connor Wheaton Callahan, Santa Clara University

Anne Marie Wainjiru Langan, Amherst College

Elias Schwab Ceseña, Denison University

Yousef Lawrence, University of Chicago

Edison Gregory Chadwick, University of California, Berkeley

Ricardo López, Stanford University

Kibibi Ife Asantewea Kwakye Davis, Skidmore College

Oscar Daniel Luna, University of California, Merced

Olivia Huntington de Polo, University of California, Davis

Bjorn Wester Lynge, Colorado College

Jeffrey Ding, Harvard University

Adam Lirio Marcelo, Yale University

Olivia Phoebe Driscoll, University of California, Los Angeles

Clare Marie McCormack, Colgate University

Olivia Fiona Edmondson, Tulane University

Reina Kuroda Nadeau, Tulane University

Aeddon Rhys Edwards, Santa Barbara City College

Griffin Blake O’Neill, Colorado College

Nicholas Montgomery Edwards, University of

Kathleen Joyce O’Neill, University of Virginia

Wisconsin, Madison Apple Tereza Farrelly, Wesleyan University

Kelly Seohee Oh, University of California, Berkeley Yosephina Antonia Peters, Barnard College

Sarah Ann Finch, University of California, Davis

Béa Low Pierrepont, Colorado College

Peyton Lewis FitzHugh, Washington and Lee University

Michael Noel Ratsimbazafy, Bates College

Jane Lucretia Gamble, Savannah College of Art and Design

Christopher Burke Robinson, Duke University

Christopher William Gilbert, University of Michigan

Joelle Rubeli, Northwestern University

Emma Theresa Gilmore, Colby College

Diallo Kandia Scott, Johns Hopkins University

Helena Teresa Girardoni, Wesleyan University

Gabriela Isabelle Sierra, Wake Forest University

Paiton Toshiko Kanda Gleeson, Stanford University

Alexis Anne Silverman, Wesleyan University

Suzanna Juliet Gulick-Stutz, Dartmouth College

Griffin Daniel Somaratne, Stanford University

John Henry Hancock, The University of Texas, Austin

Madeline Reeves Waltemath, Wake Forest University

Willa Grace Hancock, University of Virginia

Mary Ophelia Walton, University of Virginia

Joseph Bennett Hardwicke, Dartmouth College

Pa Houa Xiong, Macalester College

Elizabeth Frances Hatton, Northwestern University

Lingyu Yan, Johns Hopkins University

Emily Hidalgo, Colorado College

Francisco Vidal Zamora, Santa Clara University

Ruoyi Huang, University of Southern California

MICHAEL AND JOY are well known for their memorable Open House evenings and, as generations of Thacher Toads know, the custom is to leave one’s shoes out on the front porch.

One evening, Joy noticed the pairs of shoes were exclusively either orange, blue, or green—and there were exactly 60 pairs. Seeking to organize them for easier retrieval later on, Michael decided to rearrange the pairs of shoes into groups of three. Remarkably, no matter how he attempted to make up the sets of three, each triplet contained a pair of orange shoes!

How many blues, how many greens and how many orange pairs of shoes were on their porch?

Send your responses to thachermagazine@thacher.org.

Puzzler-in-chief Kurt Meyer has determined that the winner of the Fall 2017 issue puzzle is Stephen Wyle (father of Alexandra Wyle Eastman CdeP 1986, Noah Wyle CdeP 1989, and Aaron Wyle CdeP 1993; and grandfather of Owen Wyle ’21). He showed how only one draw is necessary to identify the mislabeled boxes. Accolades shared, however, with other solvers whose answers came in a few days later: Scott Cooper CdeP 1978, Kip Witter CdeP 1964, Gordon Chamberlain CdeP 1956, Peter Scott CdeP 1968, David Babbott (father of David CdeP 2001, John CdeP 2003, Ben CdeP 2005, and staff member 2000-2008).

The ThacheR School 9

THE PERGOLA… BLURB & SQUIB BOOKS I Will Be Complete is a memoir and the latest book from Glen David Gold CdeP 1981, known for his bestselling novels Sunnyside and Carter Beats the Devil. Kirkus calls it “A strong memoir that oozes with the excitement of a life well-lived—and well-analyzed.”

In Becoming Ridiculously Awesome, life coach and neuro-linguistics programming master practitioner Meredith (Bressie) Herrenbruck CdeP 1994 offers practical guidance designed to help readers overcome obstacles and reshape their lives for the better. As the book’s subtitle puts it, “Who doesn’t want that?”

Food editor and recipe developer Lindsay Hunt CdeP 2005 authored Healthyish: A Cookbook with Seriously Satisfying, Truly Simple, Good-For-You (but not too Good-For-You) Recipes for Real Life. As reviewed by Real Simple, “A guilt-free guide to nutrition, Healthyish emboldens you to dine on indulgences like shakes and cookies while also showing you how to spice up your salad. Each recipe is fit for both the cooking-averse and pros.”

Jim Levy CdeP 1958 has published a book of poetry called Monet’s Eyes, which contains monologues by or about Rilke, Hart Crane, Elizabeth Bishop, Handel, and the bluesman Robert Johnson, among other artists.

EXHIBITION This spring The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco mounted an exhibition by Eliza Gregory CdeP 1999. Entitled Testimony, the installation of photographs and texts captured the experiences of 10 Bay Area immigrants—both documented and undocumented.

FILM Point of No Return, a film made by Quinn Kanaly CdeP 1996, is making the film festival rounds. It documents the epic story of Solar Impulse in its endeavor to be the first solar-powered airplane to circumnavigate the globe.

PODCAST Caliphate, the first audio series by the New York Times, tackles the question, “Who is ISIS?” Reporter and terrorism expert Rukmini Callimachi CdeP 1991 takes listeners along for the ride as she interviews a former ISIS fighter and gathers evidence in an active war zone.

PUBLISHED Thacher senior Nick Edwards earned an author credit on a research paper published in the Astrophysical Journal. This is most likely the first time a current Thacher student has been published in a professional astronomical journal. Read more about it at thacher.org/magazine/spring2018.

RECOGNITION Medievalist Michelle Warren CdeP 1985, a professor of comparative literature at Dartmouth College, has been awarded two major fellowships: one from the Guggenheim and the other from the American Council of Learned Societies. These awards will support Michelle’s work as she explores the ways a medieval text is read over the course of 800 years and, in the process, the ways technologies of reading affect our understanding of history.

Randolph Head CdeP 1974, professor of history at the University of California, Riverside, traveled to Zurich to collect the 2017 Max Geilinger Prize, which recognizes work that advances literary and cultural ties between Switzerland and the English-speaking world.

10 SPRING 2018

FROM THE ARCHIVES 125… 100… 75… 50… 25… YEARS AGO AT THACHER

TWIN PEEKS

A Backward Glance Through the Pages of CdeP Publications

125 years ago: 1893 “The place has not been given the title of school. While it is a school as far as progress in study goes, it is hoped that it will always preserve distinctly the more normal life of a household and ranch.” (Out of Door Life and Study for Boys, Sherman Day Thacher’s one-page “view book”)

100 years ago: 1918 “Each year it is customary to heap the onus of praise for excellence of the [play] production upon Mr. Thacher. His work is self-evident, axiomatic. Dramatics without Mr. Thacher would be impossible, just as anything else at the School would be impossible without Mr. Thacher.” (El Archivero, 1918)

75 years ago: 1943 “The manpower shortage [because of the war] has led to certain adaptations, but our teaching, athletics, and camping have gone on much as usual and we see no reason for our not being able to continue to have them do so…. One can’t just follow tradition nowadays. There are no precedents to the present situation.” (Letter to the Alumni, Anson S. Thacher, June 23, 1943. The Thacher Notes)

50 years ago: 1968 “David C. Twichell CdeP 1936 Thacher’s Headmaster for the past five years, with Mrs. Twichell and their five children, drove east last month to their vacation home at Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts. In the fall, the Twichells will be in the Boston area, when Dave enters the Harvard Graduate School of Education.”

(The Thacher School Alumni News, Summer 1968.)

25 years ago: 1993 “At the May meeting of the board of trustees, Michael [Kent Mulligan] will be named the eighth Headmaster in The Thacher School’s 104-year history … Nothing reveals Joy [Sawyer-Mulligan] and Michael’s devotion to boarding school life more fully than the weekly open house they have for students, faculty, parents, and visitors ...There is a simple explanation for his exuberance about school life.

Michael says, ‘You have to love kids, you have to love what boarding school is all about. I do.’” (The Thacher News, Winter/Spring 1993) “En route, on one of the potreros, the Headmaster replaced the off fore shoe of his gelding. I have never before seen a headmaster shoe a horse. It is an impressive sight to behold. I wonder if any of the first seven could have done it. Possibly Bill Wyman, mountain man and burro skinner. Michael’s performance was efficient and effective.” (Jack Huyler’s account of his last Thacher camping trip in The Thacher News, Summer 1993, page 12)

10 years ago: 2008 “Schools that succeed are those that know who they are, keep focused on their mission, work hard to promote excellence across the board, and make sure that their living environment is a happy, healthy, and safe one for their kids.” (Michael K. Mulligan writing in “View From Olympus,” Thacher magazine, Spring 2008, page 3)

5 years ago: 2013 “B … is for Burrito Bet, Mr. Mulligan’s annual promise that if there is a student whose name he doesn’t know, the burrito (perhaps a Thacher burrito from Ruben’s in Ojai) is on him.” (Thacher magazine, Spring 2013, page 16)

HATS OFF! The top photo captures a rare hatless Michael Mulligan at one of his first Assemblies as head of school in 1993. The second photo was taken during one of Michael’s last Assemblies this spring when Board Chair Cabot Brown CdeP 1979 led the visiting trustees, students, faculty, and staff in a hats-off salute to Mully.

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ARMCHAIR WANDERING…

These Boots Were Made for Boarding School Milestones in the Journeys of Two Educators

Michael Mulligan and Joy Sawyer were not always educators, but their love affairs with boarding school—and with one another— are tightly twined and trace back to their youth. As they now take up a trail that leads away from Thacher, here are some of their significant waypoints until now.

1967 Michael finds his way to Governor Dummer Academy (the oldest boarding school in the country, 1763) in Byfield, Massachusetts. He makes friends for life with peers and teachers.

1972 After graduating from Conant High School Joy matriculates to Colby College, where Willard Wyman II is her English professor and faculty advisor. (He will leave in three years to become Thacher’s seventh headmaster.)

1974 Michael serves as a White House intern for Presidents Nixon and Ford.

“coaching” crew at Choate Rosemary Hall, which mostly consists of driving the boat, erratically, at best, so that some actually knowledgeable adult can do the coaching. She spends summers returning to SPS to teach English and mentor interns.

1977 Michael is recruited by Governor Dummer Academy. He teaches English and history; coaches soccer, wrestling, and lacrosse; and runs a dormitory floor for 16 sophomore boys.

They all learn from each other.

1978 Joy is recruited by Headmaster Willard Wyman to teach English and work in the Admission Office at Thacher, which is in its second year of co-education. Joy believes that this will be a 1or 2-year experiment at the far edge of the world.

1971 Michael wins the New England Independent School Wrestling Championship before graduating from Governor Dummer Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts. 1971. Joy gets her first glimpse of the peculiar and wonderful alchemy of boarding school (inspiring teachers, curious and eager-to-learn fellow students) when she attends the summer Advanced Studies Program at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire.

FALL 2012 1200spring 2018

1975 Michael captains the Middlebury lacrosse team that wins the Eastern College Athletic Championship. Graduating with a degree in economics and psychology, he wins the Middlebury’s outstanding scholar-athlete award. He soon goes to work as a salesman for Xerox after being told by his own prep school that, no, he just graduated from college and to “come back later if you want to work here.”

1976 After graduating from Colby Phi Beta Kappa and spending her summer as an intern in the SPS ASP (see 1971, above), Joy begins two years of teaching English, serving as a dorm head for 75 ninth- and tenth-grade girls and

1979 Michael and Joy meet in the dining hall at the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College where they are both pursuing master’s degrees. And soon, each other.

1981 Michael and Joy are married in June, Michael delivering his vows as if rousing a team to victory. Joy leaves Thacher to join him at the Governor’s Academy, where Joy is appointed assistant director of admission, co-dean of students, and English teacher. Together, they run a small dormitory in a rambling farmhouse that becomes a great home to them and 14 freshman boys that year—then sophomore girls for the next four.

1986 Joy is hired as Thacher’s director of admission and financial aid. Under her direction, the application process grows more personalized, and she launches more routine School communications with parents through The Parents’ Post. Wyman tells Michael he can become the School’s new “dean of administration,” a position that is a mystery to everyone, including Wyman. That said, Michael goes about administering this and that, starts learning about horses, coaches lacrosse, enjoys the camping, and teaches sophomore English.

1987 Michael sneaks off with Bruce Oxley and buys his first horse, Duster. Duster knows more than Michael does—a good thing.

1990 Enter Annie Sawyer Mulligan in January.

School Holiday ensues.

1992 Michael appointed interim head and the big red door swings wide for the first Saturday night Open House—an all-School party that generations of Toads will find themselves unable to fully explain to their friends at home.

1993 Michael takes office as Thacher’s eighth leader and the first to be called head of school instead of headmaster.

1995 Joy turns the Admission Office over to Monique Devane and directs her focus to teaching English. She will also become the mainstay of Thacher’s growing communications program through her writing, photography, and production of publications.

2008 Joy and Michael stand at the podium with Annie as she receives her Thacher diploma.

2009 Having successfully concluded the Campaign for Thacher and launched Annie off to college, Joy and Michael accept an offer from Board Chair Justin Faggioli to take a well earned semi-sabbatical, a half-year away from campus to recharge their batteries, travel, and explore areas of interest. Highlight: working for two weeks at the newly founded African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa.

2010 Joy sets aside her camera and communications writing to become chair of the English Department and creates innovative, multimodal senior electives such as Turning Toward Home, Deconstructing Narrative, and Thacher 360.

2011 After 19 years of handcrafting each Senior Tribute on her own, Joy turns the task over to a committee (that can’t quite comprehend how one person pulled this off by herself for so long).

2012 Joy is awarded Thacher’s Bonnie Moon Robinson Chair for Excellence in Teaching.

2017 In February, Michael and Joy announce that they will be “graduating” with the class of 2018. In October, the Board announces that Blossom Beatty Pidduck CdeP 1992 (Joy’s advisee in her sophomore year) will succeed Michael as head of school.

2018 More than 1,250 students, alumni, parents, trustees, family, friends, and members of faculty and staff past and present gather under a huge tent on the Upper Field for The Good Goodbye, a once-in-a-generation gathering to celebrate and honor Joy, Michael, and the community they have so ably led for the past three decades.

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The Good Goodbye The Impress of Persons We Admire

14 spring 2018

In 1993, the winter/spring issue of this magazine devoted itself to introducing Thacher’s newest head of school and his family. Bookending that issue is the current one, which honors and celebrates all that Michael K. Mulligan and Joy Sawyer-Mulligan have brought to Thacher in the intervening years. That 1993 issue opened with a letter from Michael in which he quoted Berkeley professor Huston Smith: “In the final analysis, goodness becomes embodied in society neither through might nor law, but through the impress of persons we admire.” Michael went on to write, “May Thacher continue to be a school inhabited by those whom we admire, and may we always work to increase our impress.” All these years later, it is safe to say that leading the list of Thacher’s admired are Michael and Joy. If you want specifics, the pages that follow are overflowing with them, so much so that we’ve only been able to print a small fraction of the tributes and memories that have poured forth since the news of retirement was shared. Above and beyond the many moving encomiums these two have inspired, The Good Goodbye—Thacher’s epic and epochal celebration of their time here—made manifest the vibrant, appreciative, kind, and … well, loving, community they had worked for all these years to encourage. So, today, a few days after Michael and Joy hit the road for the Tetons, Thacher is missing a couple of its most admirable citizens, but, thanks in large measure to the talents and energies of these two, the community they leave behind remains stronger than ever in its commitment—individually and collectively—to deepening that positive impress.

The Thacher School 01

The Best Yet? Initial Assessments at the End of an Era

AS JUNE CAME TO A CLOSE, so did the tenure of Michael K. Mulligan, the eighth head of The Thacher School and the longest to serve in that position since Sherman Day Thacher himself. By the time Joy and he took their leave of campus to find the road north to Wyoming, there was hardly anybody around to take note. The students had already departed, many of the faculty were also gone, and campus was quiet but for the skeleton crew that keeps things running during the summer (including the facilities staff preparing the Head of School’s Home for its next residents).

Despite the seemingly anticlimactic end, it had been an eventful year, bringing a memorable close to a notable chapter in Thacher history. One major theme of the year, of course, was the impending departure. Often, it was only a subtext to the everyday, a layer of poignancy, a catch in the throat, a reason to pay extra attention. At other times, the departure came to the fore: at Assembly, for instance, when Michael made a regular practice of awarding books to those who could answer his questions about Thacher history, horsemanship, or spiritual leaders; he was thinning out his library for the move.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, a spring celebration send-off was in the works. And before we knew it, the season of lasts was upon us—the last Gymkhana (yes, Michael’s team won the packing race again!), the last Extra-Day Trip, the last Open House, the last Senior Vespers (where Joy was the honored speaker), the last Commencement. And now that the year has run its course, it is natural to wonder how this era in Thacher’s history will be remembered. Where should we look to find the signifiers of the Mulligan legacy?

We could start by considering the data. Between 1992, when Michael formally became the head of school, and the end of June 2018, when he turned over the reins to his successor, outside interest in Thacher grew dramatically. Annual applications doubled; the acceptance rate dropped from 30 percent to 12 percent; and yield rose from 63 percent to 78 percent. Our geographic diversity has never been greater and half of incoming students self-identify as students of color.

During the same time period, the Thacher endowment grew from about $23 million to more than $165 million. Adjusted for today’s dollars, Thacher’s nest egg quadrupled.

Along the way, the School undertook significant visible, tangible transformations. We saw every dormitory either replaced or renovated, the addition of a top-notch performing arts center and a student commons, new and upgraded athletic facilities. We became better stewards of our limited resources by adding a solar array that supplies most of our electricity needs. We implemented water conservation systems that serve as models for other campuses. Golden Trout Camp, Patton’s Cabin, the Thacher Observatory, and barns and arenas were all upgraded and expanded to better serve our mission in exciting new ways. And all of these changes were undertaken with a deep appreciation for Thacher’s history, values, and traditions.

This is not meant to be complete list, but as long as we are listing, let’s mention the capital campaigns that fueled this progress and the many gifts that were bestowed upon the School only because of the faith donors placed in our leadership. Let’s note the vibrancy of our 16 spring 2018

Horse and Outdoor Programs, core elements of the Thacher experience that have never been stronger than they are today. Don’t forget our standing among peer schools, thanks in large measure to a head of school who was a leader among his peers and a champion of boarding schools on the national stage.

We could go on, yet, somehow these measures, as impressive as they are, don’t tell the full story of the impact Joy and Michael have made here. And these two would be the first to remind that credit for these gains is not theirs alone, but the shared work of a community.

What better measures of impact might there be? That word “community” provides a clue. Rather than study data, you might instead have been a fly on the wall at one of Joy and Michael’s weekly Open Houses—or better yet, entered in and experienced the warm welcome that greeted anybody who kicked their shoes onto that porch and followed the smell of fresh chocolate chip cookies inside. There’s a good reason that Open House became a metonymy for Michael and Joy’s leadership of the School.

From this angle, we can read the signature of the Mulligan era not in quantitative benchmarks but in impressions made upon generations of students, colleagues, parents, and alumni. Favorable statistics, after all, may be a byproduct of positive impressions, but they are not the primary goal. The goal, as any educator should be able to tell you, is to transform lives.

What made the The Good Goodbye so good was the striking breadth and depth of transformed lives that were on display—so many different people over so many years influenced in such powerful and enduring ways. Christine Carter CdeP 1990 touched on this in her remarks to Michael and Joy: “I know that I’m not alone; even though these are my personal stories, I have, in the last few weeks, heard dozens and dozens of unbelievable stories about how you have shaped people’s lives. I can’t tell all of those stories, but believe me, I read this to you on behalf of all of your former students.”

Marshall Milligan CdeP 1969 summed up the Mulligan/SawyerMulligan magic this way: “They lead by example. They are hands-on.

They know every human being in the School community, and most of the horses. Creating calibrated challenges and picking up those who fall . . . is a daily, personal endeavor for both of them.”

Given their way of making an abstract concept like “community” concrete, one thoughtful gesture at a time, it makes sense that the legacy of the Mulligan era might be nothing more than the long-term effects of myriad acts of attention, inspiration, invitation, high expectation, encouragement, along with innumerable gestures of kindness, and carefully chosen words repeated across decades and with thousands of students, colleagues, and friends. Could it be a numbers game after all?

In the pages that follow, you’ll find further insights into the legacy of the era just ended, along with some reason to believe that Joy and Michael’s signal contribution may well have been that of positioning Thacher to make the next era the best one yet.

By Christopher J. Land

LEAPING LYDIE! Joy, Michael, and the newest member of their household take one of their last strolls down Pepper Tree Lane.

THACHER HEADS OF SCHOOL Sherman Day Thacher

Newton K. Chase

1889 – 1931

1968 – 1969

Morgan Barnes

Edgar L. Sanford Jr.

1931 – 1936

1969 – 1975

Anson S. Thacher CdeP 1923

Willard G. Wyman

1936 – 1949

1975 – 1992

Newton K. Chase

Michael K. Mulligan

1949 – 1963

1992 – 2018

David C. Twichell CdeP 1936

Blossom Beatty Pidduck CdeP 1992

1963 – 1968

2018 – Present Ed. note: Michael Mulligan was the first to use the title “head of school.” Prior to that, we had headmasters.

The Thacher School 17

Away With Words Excerpts from the Eloquent and Heartfelt Parting Remarks Shared by Joy and Michael

To Think, How Lucky I’ve Been Excerpts From Joy’s Remarks

ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE HE DIED, Marvin Shagam said to me, “you know, if you stay around long enough, they’ll say all kinds of nice things about you that may or may not be true.”

....

My grief at leaving Thacher lodges in that physical space vaguely between where swollen tonsils might be and where norovirus first stirs. It hits unexpectedly at the site of a bear track in the Huntington’s dawn lit dust, Karleanne and Frankie Pants the other witnesses.

Or hearing Chamber come out of rehearsal, singing their way to their next class. Watching Luke Snyder run up to Rob Carney, arms wide, ready for the hug he knows he’ll get. My grief is with me now as I look out at all of you. But with me, too, is grief’s requisite companion, bountiful gladness at having had something to miss, something to feel the absence of, both, as Andy Kille at last reunion said, “movements in our souls too deep for words.”

So, my soul a roiling wreck, I close by channeling our first Mr. Thacher, two lines from the letter he wrote 100 years ago to his pal, Horace Taft: “I certainly have had more of the really good things of life than the average. I could die smiling any time. To think, how lucky I’ve been.”

18 spring 2018

“My grief is with me now as I look out at all of you. But with me, too, is grief’s requisite companion, bountiful gladness at having had something to miss.”

Building a Society to Match our Scenery Excerpts From Michael’s Remarks WALLACE STEGNER WROTE IN HIS BOOK, The Sound of Mountain Water, “One cannot be pessimistic about the west. This is the native home of hope. When it fully learns that cooperation, not rugged individualism, is the quality that most characterizes and preserves it, then it will have achieved itself and outlived its origins. Then it has a chance to create a society to match its scenery.” Here in the East End of the Ojai Valley, encircled by mountains, backed by the Los Padres Forest, lies Thacher, a school that Stegner would laud for its western scenery and for training its charges to celebrate rugged individualism, while practicing the high art of cooperation as rooted in honor, fairness, kindness, and truth. It’s here that we hope to produce citizens and leaders who, over the course of their lives, create a society that matches the beauty of this transcendent West, thereby fulfilling, as Stegner would have it, its greatest promise. Joy and I are honored to be here tonight with all of you on this verdant carpet overlooking our celebrated valley. But we are keenly aware that this event is properly more about Thacher than a paean to either of us. Thacher finds itself in the excellent position that it does today because of the persistent hard work of devoted members of this community over many years.

....

We stand tonight on the shoulders of those who have come before us and many of whom are present right here. Our time at Thacher has been shaped by some who are no longer with us, but who remain loved and respected and certainly helped create the school we have today.

....

But where is the real magic? Thacher is strong not only because the faculty are knowledgeable and passionate, but because they are good and wise mentors to students, and the students, in turn, become good mentors to their peers. And if we have put our finger on any fundamental truth in our years here at Thacher it’s that schools become transformed when inspirational faculty inspire individual students to higher levels of achievement and character.

The students then become beacons of light to their peers who then work and reach for higher goals. Great schools are great because the students themselves work hard to find and build their best selves, not because a head of school tells them to, but because they are inspired by teachers, by their peers, by upperclassmen to reach for higher goals. This is the beauty of Thacher. This is the gift Thacher students bring to the world. This is the reason why it is all our responsibility to build and protect the school.

“We are keenly aware that this event is properly more about Thacher than a paean to either of us.”

View complete video of the remarks by Joy, Michael, and others at thacher.org/magazine/ spring2018.

The Thacher school 19

Summa Cum Laude No Thacher commencement is complete without the customary tributes to each member of the graduating class. To help Joy and Michael commence their retirement, past board chairs Justin Faggioli CdeP 1969 and Andrew Shakman CdeP 1990 presided over Joy and Michael’s “graduation,” awarding them diplomas and, per tradition, reading the following accolades.

Joy Sawyer-Mulligan No pressure … just because Joy wrote close to probably 1,000 of these accolades during her time here, each incredibly detailed, eloquent, and unique … each an example of rare talent and exquisite craftsmanship. Joy’s collection of Senior Tributes is, without question, a work of art; it’s also the perfect springboard for showing what a once-in-a-lifetime, one-of-a-kind woman Joy truly is—for it takes a person with incredible creativity, an indefatigable work ethic, an unmatched vocabulary, a real understanding of adolescents, and a deep love for the details and the process to do an endeavor such as this. It takes … Joy. Turns out that phrase can be said about much of what Joy has done at Thacher: strengthening outreach to both past and future Toads with her clear voice and vision during her time in admission and communications; innovating and expanding her reach in the classroom to more effectively teach students with diverse perspectives and learning styles; providing an open, safe, and fun home-awayfrom-home every single weekend and, in a sense, every single day of the year; taking advising and one-on-one meetings to an entirely new level; and, keeping alive the tradition of handwritten letters and birthday cards… just to name a few.

And then there are the intangibles—the high standards and positivity that Joy has ingrained in the Thacher community; the role model she has been, both professionally and personally, to countless young women; the thoughtfulness behind every word she says and every action she takes. We don’t know of a person who exudes warmth and approachability more than Joy. For teenagers and adults alike, she listens fully and offers encouragement freely, generally with a dash of humor and candor and always with a big dose of understanding and wisdom. Fortunately for us, you can take the girl out of New Hampshire but not all of New Hampshire out of the girl. Joy, you have been the rock (or the granite, more specifically) and a source of unconditional support for your family and the Thacher community. Your soul, your energy, and your bright light will unquestionably remain a permanent thread in the Thacher fabric.

As you move on to your beautiful Wyoming home, we wish for you sleep, unhurried morning walks with Lydie and Michael, endless hours reading and writing, and the peace in knowing that you have done the best work in this world that you could ... in spades. For that, and for you, we are forever grateful.

20 spring 2018

Michael Kent Mulligan Where does one begin when describing the multitude of Michaels that have manifested themselves throughout the past 30+ years? There is the proud and caring father and husband, who carves out time for his own family in the midst of parenting another, much larger one. There is the enthusiastic adventurer, who revels in camping and horsemanship and embraces at his very core the lifelong lessons learned on mountains and trails. There is the gifted orator, whose messages and stories comfort, inspire, and provide clarity when our community needs it most.

And then there is Spike Hooligan, who recognizes the value of a good wrestle or a spontaneous jump in a swimming hole … and Michael the mentor, who has nurtured countless students and teachers alike, helping them achieve beyond what they thought possible. There is the thought leader, who articulates the importance and relevance of secondary boarding schools in today’s society … and there is the meaning maker, whose steady morals and ethics ask everyone around him to rise up to higher ground.

Each part of Michael is a force in and of itself—but put them all together, and you have a man who has propelled Thacher to the top in U.S. education while meticulously ensuring that it remains authentic and true to the values that bond its community. A man whose infectious energy and commitment to excellence have led the way in creating a high school culture second to none. A man who one day, while watching a game, said to a faculty member, “Here’s the thing: I love boarding school. I’ve loved it since I was 13 years old. There’s always something to do or somewhere to be. It’s perfect.” And that right there gets at why Thacher has been so lucky to have Michael Mulligan. In every decision that has required his keen intellect and judgment, in every speech that has needed his precision and nuance, and in every moment that has demanded his incredible leadership and strength, Michael’s heart and his genuine, deep love for this place have been the anchors.

Michael, thank you for choosing Thacher as your calling. You have brought the full community with you on your journey to making Thacher exceptional, and you have never wavered in staying the course you know to be right. We admire you, we love you, and we applaud you as you explore new horizons and take on new challenges. May each year of the wide-open, winding road ahead be your best year yet.

Andrew (left) and Justin read their tributes to Joy and Michael at The Good Goodbye.

The Thacher school 21

Much More Than a House Party A Thacher senior takes a long form look at Joy, Michael, and our favorite weekend event.

A pivotal year such as this one invites attempts to make sense—or, as Michael Mulligan would say, “make meaning”—of it. One of the most noteworthy efforts of this sort is Open House, a long form journalistic piece by senior Rico López, written as part of a winter independent.

Supervised by English Department Chair Seth Boyd, Rico dug into the Thacher archives and conducted hours of interviews to create a tribute to Michael and Joy that will serve as an important archival record of their service to the School. Open House takes as a central focus its namesake weekly community shindig at the Head of School’s Home.

But the all-school house party is only the organizing principle of Rico’s investigation into what makes this couple tick. He goes far deeper, peering into their pasts to trace the origins and evolutions of their thoughts and methods.

Here are some excerpts.

The Attentive Hosts Though most students never notice, Joy and Michael are on the constant lookout during Open House. They are not expressive in their vigilance. They do it through subtle gestures: the intermittent scanning over the bustling crowd, the glances towards students as they sluice about the home, and the passing questions they ask the kids. Most often, these questions are targeted—tailored inquiries for a specific student. Joy and Michael will ask about a parent or sibling. Maybe they will ask about a recent trip off campus, a student’s sports team, or a class they seem to gravitate towards. Without fail, they just want to know how a kid is doing.

How You Change a Culture “Whether you can effect change or not is dependent on your vision of what is possible,” Michael says. “I had seen at Governor’s with the dormitories we ran a whole different approach. We created our own unique culture and atmosphere where the kids in our dormitory were some of the most high achieving, really best community members. In coming to Thacher, I knew that we could take that microcosmic experience and make it macrocosmic.”

Taking Care of the Small Things “Unless you’re crawling on your hands and knees in exhaustion and it’s 10:30 at night, you don’t walk by stuff,” Joy says. “If you start to walk by a student and you don’t know her name and even if it’s January, you make yourself stop and ask. You don’t walk by trash. You don’t walk by a kid who you think might be upset and is alone.”

Major Themes: Vision, Consistency, and Selflessness When Joy heard about this piece, she immediately said, “I hope this can be framed knowing that we all make the Thacher we have each year. If I’ve been in a more powerful position to influence that vessel, that’s great. But my hands are only one set on the wheel.”

Michael held similar reservations.

“I’m not that interesting,” he said.

“We’ve all gone to work on this school. This will run the risk of cliché, but every student has power which he or she cannot even imagine. The easiest way to come into touch with that power is to recognize the influence you have to improve other people’s day—a kind word to a friend, a help to one of the kitchen crewmembers, a word to your teacher of appreciation. They are all small but symbolic of the power that we have to make a difference in the lives of others. At the end of the day, we’re all working.”

Open House can be read in its entirety at: thacher.org/magazine/spring2018.

22 spring 2018

Senior Rico López (left), who turned his winter independent into a tribute to Open House and its originators.

“An invisible current carries the energy in Open House.

It surges through the Mulligans’ home. It is felt the moment you walk in. It takes you to each unseen alcove and room, launching you directly into the roaring dances, the amusement, and the community. Propelling you as you exchange words with friends and faculty, this current inevitably arrives at the nerve center of Open House: the kitchen.”

The Thacher school 23

Insider Insights Some thoughts and perspective from a few who know Joy and Michael well.

The Friendly Rival A little over 20 years ago, I received a note from Michael written in his distinctive longhand, congratulating me on my appointment at Cate.

The genuine sentiments contained in that first missive have distinguished our every interaction since, leading to a friendship that has been invaluable to me both personally and professionally. Our schools share a unique bond that, though competitive at times, is full of respect and admiration and appreciation. Michael has helped to forge that connection and fortify it through his own commitment not simply to Thacher and the character of his community but to the principles that catalyze great citizenship, great sportsmanship, and great collaboration.

His impact is even broader than what we see on our respective campuses. Through Michael’s leadership of the board of The Association of Boarding Schools, the organization was able to produce the first definitive study of the benefits of a boarding school education. A true champion of our distinctive communities, Michael has played a pivotal role in advancing our industry and in setting the community of residential schools on a collaborative path. He has offered similar service to the Headmasters Association and the board of the California Association of Independent Schools.

But generous as Michael has been outside of Ojai, his most distinctive service to schools is the example he sets in his leadership of Thacher. There at Casa de Piedra, together with Joy, he has shown us all what commitment looks like, what community can mean, and what well-intended, able people can accomplish together.

Ben Williams, Head of School at the Cate School

The Daughter Growing up as an only child, I struggled when it came to sharing; whether it was my toys, my parents, or my house. On Saturdays, however, I had to share all three; it was called Open House and I had a love-hate relationship with it. I loved it when my mom would sneak one of her famous cookies into their back bedroom for me, but I hated it when I would try to get my dad’s attention and he was occupied with his guitar in the fireplace room entertaining all the students. I loved it when my mom would let me watch a movie in her bed during Open House, but I hated it when she would then let all the faculty kids watch it with me. However, as I grew up, I realized that I was going to have to learn to share, because my parents both have an ingrained characteristic of sharing everything, whether it be their home, themselves, their knowledge, and even my toys. It is this quality, in my opinion, that truly makes Thacher what it is. My parents have made positive lasting impressions on every single student who has crossed through the Thacher gates and they did that by sharing every piece of themselves with every student. It is hard to express in words the impact I have watched them have through the eyes of a faculty child, a student at Thacher, an alum, and as their daughter, but even though I constantly felt like I was sharing them with hundreds of other people on any given day, I still felt loved by them and still felt important and that is why they have made a lasting impression on every student. Although every student could be vying for my parents’ attention at any given time, they 24 spring 2018

made sure to make every student feel “at home,” not just on Saturday nights, but every day. This ability to make everyone feel “at home” not only leaves a lasting impression on the students, but also on every parent who has had a child attend Thacher. The strongest quality that they both possess, the ability to share selflessly, is a rare quality to be able to exert 100 percent of the time, but they both do it together and Thacher is considered “home” to every person who comes through its gates because of it.

Annie Sawyer Mulligan CdeP 2008, Daughter of Michael and Joy

The Childhood Friend Michael Kent Mulligan has come to embody Thacher as a fine teacher, incredible mentor, and a school head who has helped raise Thacher to the very top rank of independent schools. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that Thacher, thanks to his guidance, is now the best independent school in the country. He has a unique combination of skills from warmly dealing with alumni, to stimulating the faculty, to guiding school development, to horsing around with a nervous freshman, to befriending all the students, and providing a loving and firm guiding hand. His accomplishments are singular. But, none of this was apparent at an early age.

I have known Michael since the age of 3. In our youth we would day-

Illustrations: Olivia McGiff

dream of riding horses, living in the mountains, and camping by trout streams. These, however, were just far-off dreams. Michael was allergic to horses, we lived nowhere close to a mountain, and our camping was confined to a few mosquito-filled, sleepless nights within walking distance of home. Honor, Fairness, Kindness, and Truth? Well, let’s just say that we were typical young adolescents of the time who had yet to achieve those lofty goals. Academic excellence? Neither of us remotely achieved that standard at an early age. Indeed, Michael refused to be assigned to the advanced class in seventh grade because all his friends were stationed in the more remedial section. This was probably a wise choice since Michael’s middle school years were mostly occupied by his teasing of stronger, older students (who—more than once—chased him, crammed him into a metal trash barrel, and sent him rolling down a hill) and his occasional subtle harassment of a particularly pompous and turgid history teacher.

It would await later years for Michael to become the scholar, the athlete, and the man of character that he is. Looking back on our youth, we both still shake our heads and wonder how we ever accomplished anything. Perhaps this history of underachievement, however, is invaluable. Given our rocky beginnings, Michael is able to understand and empathize with adolescent development, excitement, confusion, and misadventure. This gives him the ability to bond with even the most challenging Thacher student. Indeed, as I look at my best and oldest friend, I still see that adolescent lurking within. One can do worse than having a dose of Peter Pan. So, what explains Michael’s success? Of course, it was always within him. But, let’s also give a lot of credit to the teachers who finally stimulated his interest, a slowly developing sense of maturity, and— of course—the wisest choice he ever made: Joy Sawyer-Mulligan.

The Honorable Richard Welch, MKM childhood friend and Thacher parent

The Successor So, Joy, I want you to know in front of all 1,400 people here tonight, to the question of whether or not as the next head of school I will be baking cookies, my answer is “Hell yes, I will be baking cookies.” And I won’t be doing it because I’m a woman. And I will not be doing it because I’m a mom. I’ll be doing it because I’m an educator and a leader and I’ve learned from the best.

Blossom Beatty Pidduck CdeP 1992, Thacher’s ninth Head of School

The Thacher school 25

Memento Mully Expressions of Gratitude from the Community

When I first heard the news that you would be leaving I couldn’t even process it—how can Thacher EVEN EXIST without the Mulligans?! But, of course it will, and it will continue to be the outstanding institution it has always been thanks to your thoughtful stewardship.

Shauna (Nyborg) Weisburst CdeP 1999 Dear Joy, I was once quoted in a Thacher Notes magazine as saying Thacher “felt like the friendliest place on Earth.” Over the years, I’ve realized the source of that happiness, that kindness, that joy, was you.

From the first day I visited in 1986 when you interviewed me, to this past weekend at the Big Gymkhana, you always made me feel welcome, made me feel at home. You are the reason I came to Thacher. My classmates and I all loved you, as a surrogate mother, or favorite aunt. You always showed us the best side of people, not through didactic lectures, but through gentle consistent demonstration. We learned to emulate you, and in so doing, we all became better people. Your patience, kindness, and compassion toward us, even when we were obnoxious teenagers, is something I will always treasure. You also showed us the great example of a modern woman, who could be a wife and mother, and yet still have her own strong voice and place in the world.

Kris Zierhut CdeP 1990 Michael, thank you for being such a bright guiding light. Thank you for hiring me (and entrusting me with the basketball team!). Thank you for your commitment to Thacher—which so clearly pulses through your veins. Thank you for singing songs on the guitar at Assembly. (Here Comes the Sun was a favorite.) Thank you for your wisdom and tremendous energy—and for being a stalwart beacon of growth mindset.

Thank you for being a fearless adventurer. Thank you for your commitment to the wilderness and everything that lives in it. Thank you for your incredible sense of humor. Thank you for embracing the nickname “Spike.” Thank you for being so damn fun. Thank you for all the wonderful things you have brought to my life.

Joy, thank you for making me tear up as I type this because I love you so much. Thank you for your wisdom, intelligence, and generosity— for your tireless and devoted commitment. Thank you for showing me what a teacher does, not just says. Thank you for lip-syncing to Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble at Assembly. Thank you for every one of your chocolate chip cookies that I’ve eaten. Thank you for inviting me into your class to talk about storytelling—it meant the absolute world to me. Thank you for giving me so much support with all my creative pursuits. Thank you for taking me with you to Golden Trout.

Thank you for being brave.

Melissa Johnson, Former Faculty Member

26 spring 2018

Together you have created an extraordinarily warm, nurturing, caring, compassionate, vibrant, inclusive, loving, generous, energetic, diverse, hard-working, talented, supportive, safe and unique community, built a beautiful campus and developed exemplary, challenging and often unique programs, and shared your lives, your values, and family with the Thacher community. You each have put your special stamp on The Thacher School. The Mulligan years will long be remembered as a lustrous period in the School’s life.

Marcia Edwards, Former Faculty Member The extended Thacher community—students, faculty, alumni, campus workers, board members, parents, grandparents—have been so lucky to know and work with you. In every way you have “done the best work in the world that you can” while sustaining and honoring all that Thacher represents. And now, as you step into the next chamber of life, “building each new temple nobler than the last” we stand together wishing you both all the best in your well-deserved retirement. Not that we can imagine either of you really retiring, but as you “leave the past year’s dwelling for the new,” you are headed for exciting adventures on the trail ahead. There will be new campsites in new country with good water and grass. You’ve had quite a ride so far, but just maybe the best is yet to come.

David Livermore CdeP 1973 Even when you didn’t know me and couldn’t spend much time getting to know me, you both knew my name. Mr. Mully has never failed to say hello in the dining hall, and even if I am too shy to say much back, I always receive a warm smile. Ms. Mully greets me every time she sees me around campus, always with Lydie in tow, and I think “How is it

so easy for them to know my name, and why do they care to know it? ”

Nina Harbison ’20

The Gift As part of The Good Goodbye, the planning committee (see page 32) commissioned a memento box and invited members of the extended Thacher community to share their memories, photos, farewells, and other expressions of gratitude and appreciation. The box itself was designed and fashioned by faculty member Bo Manson (shown working on the box at left) before it was filled with hundreds of submissions (including those on the facing page) and presented to Joy and Michael at the end of the school year. The wood for the box—acacia and cedar—came from campus trees that once stood near the Head of School’s Home.

The Thacher school 27

GATHERINGS… The Good Goodbye Celebrating Joy Sawyer-Mulligan and Michael Mulligan’s 30+ years of service to Thacher.

ON MAY 5, AROUND 1,250 MEMBERS of the Thacher community— including former teachers and administrators, parents past and present, generations of alumni, current students, members of the faculty, and many other friends of the School—gathered on Upper Field to honor, celebrate, and give thanks to Joy Sawyer-Mulligan, whose many roles have included chair of the English Department and director of admission and financial aid, and Michael Mulligan, head of school, for their decades of truly extraordinary service to Thacher. Held under a vast white canopy that seemed to cover most of the turf, the evening got underway with a performance by The Chamber Singers. Once the crowd had taken their seats for dinner, Christine Carter CdeP 1990 assumed her emcee role. E. Randolph Labbe CdeP 1960, Michael’s first board chair, shared a few words along with a reading of Forest Cooke’s Thacher Litany. Current Board Chair Cabot Brown CdeP 1979 spoke and then asked Jon Swift, Kurt Meyer, Gregory Haggard, and Jake Jacobsen to

28 spring 2018

join him at the podium for a special rendition of Tom Petty’s Learning to Fly. Blossom Beatty Pidduck CdeP 1992 paid tribute to Joy before former Board Chairs Marshall C. Milligan CdeP 1969, Justin M. Faggioli CdeP 1969, and Andrew Shakman CdeP 1990 spoke, the latter two presiding over a brief “graduation” ceremony in which Joy and Michael stood to hear their tributes read and received their Thacher diplomas. Next, video screens throughout the tent showed a film tribute entitled Stamp of Our Lives created by Sydney Bowie CdeP 2010. Joy and Michael, the guests of honor, had the last word before the event transitioned into an exuberant dance party capped off with ice cream sandwiches. We thank the volunteers of the planning committe whose contributions of time, vision, and expertise made the event the success it was: Ella Brittingham, Cabot Brown, Christine Carter, Sasha Gifford, Elizabeth Hastings, Newlin Hastings Jr. CdeP 1970, Cristina Hudson, Louise Patterson, Sarah Lavender Smith CdeP 1986, and Stefanie Warren CdeP 1996.

Facing page (clockwise): Libby Hatton ’18 takes a solo during the Chamber Singers’ performance; Stephen Yoo ’19 cuts loose on the dance floor; Board Chair Cabot Brown CdeP 1978 is flanked by James Newton Howard and Ross Anderson, both CdeP 1969; Marshall Milligan CdeP 1969 delivers his tribute to Joy and Michael.

This page (top): Elizabeth and Newlin Hastings Jr. CdeP 1970 with Blossom Beatty Pidduck CdeP 1992, (bottom) Michael Mulligan huddles up with the Chamber Singers.

The Thacher school 29

CLASS NOTES…

* 1940 1942

*1948

1950

1956

30 SPRING 2018

INDICATES REUNION YEAR

^

CORRESPONDING PHOTO ABOVE

ROBERT “SHOVEL” THOMAS says, “Greetings from the class of ’40 and me (we seem to be one and the same).

I am very proud of my name so finding it used to name a terrible fire didn’t thrill me! The best to all.”

PETER ARNOLD reports, “Still kicking, perhaps without the same verve as a few years ago. Got out hunting and bagged my annual wild turkey a month before my 94th birthday.”

CHRIS BOYLE says, “My long-absent best wishes to all my 1948 classmates still surviving. At 88, I’m still pretty active, though no longer scuba diving—my main physical activity for many years. I’m widowed but not dating anyone now. Send me an email.” SAM WRIGHT reports, “Continuing a tradition of over 50 years, 13 Thacher alumnae and alumni gathered this past December 11 for a luncheon at the Pacific Union Club, in San Francisco courtesy of ELLIOT HAYNE. The annual gathering, dubbed the ‘San Francisco Do Nothing Except Have Christmas Lunch Club’ (SFDNEHCLC), consisted of: BRUCE DOHRMANN ’47, PETER DUNNE, ELLIOT HAYNE, SANDY WALKER (still plying his architectural practice after 60 plus years), SAM WRIGHT, JIM KIRKHAM ’50, GEORGE MONTGOMERY ’51, JIM ACQUISTAPACE ’61, CABOT BROWN ’79, PETER DUNNE ’81, MARK HAYNE ’86, ISABEL HAYNE ’14, and GILLIAN KNEASS ’91. Also, those from the class of ’48 registered and heading back for our 70th (!) Reunion in June are JOHN BISSELL and Claire, ELLIOT HAYNE and Judy, SANDY WALKER, and SAM WRIGHT and Terry.”

JAMES “KIRK” KIRKHAM updates, “I’m still married to Kathy Dibblee (57 Years); two children, Lila and James D.; and four grandchildren. Also, four stents and two artificial hips—three actually; one got blown out cross country skiing and had to be replaced. Still play squash (doubles) twice a week. MILES CARLISLE is coming west from his home in Washington, D.C., to celebrate our birthdays together. We hope to see BRUCE ’47 and ERIC DOHRMANN ’49—both of whom, like me, are still alive to my knowledge. Anyone else alive among the CdePs of the half century?”

DEAN V. AMBROSE reports, “I practiced business law in Los Angeles, 1965-1995. For the next 10 years, I developed and managed commercial and industrial real estate.

Thereafter, I retired, devoting a lot of time to charities including National Public Radio Foundation (1994-present) and UCLA Geffen School of Medicine (2000-present).

I live In Los Angeles and Indian Wells.”

*1958 1959

JIM LEVY writes, “I have a new book of poetry called Monet’s Eyes, published by Cedar Forge Press in June.

The book contains monologues by or about Rilke, Hart Crane, Elizabeth Bishop, Handel, the bluesman Robert Johnson, and other artists, as well as by a Gnostic priest, an Epicurean, and a Cynic.”

^

JOHN HEARD reports, “Anne and I have moved to East Ridge at Cutler Bay in Florida, just South of Miami, a continuing care retirement community. Son DAVID ’79 is just north of us, in Miami, with wife and our two grandchildren. It is beautiful and green here. We are surrounded by peacocks.

I’m battling health problems, but the medical community here is very good. We are optimistic. I stay busy with USAID Alumni Board activities like international mentoring.” CHRISTOPHER HENZE shares, “Shana—daughter of NORMAN GOSS ’33—and I celebrated our 50th anniversary in a farmhouse in Provence. We were interested to discover that resistance hero and martyr Jean Moulin parachuted into France and spent the night of my birth in a shepherd’s refuge nearby!” LYNN WHITE writes, “My next book, called Rural Roots of Reform before China’s Conservative Change, will be published by Routledge in June; the paperback and hardbound editions are scheduled to appear at the same time. Barbara-Sue and I still spend springs and autumns in Princeton, but other seasons mostly in Berkeley. Retirement is liberation!”

^

1962

^

ROGER IGNON sponsored a memorial art exhibition for his father, Gui Ignon: The Gui Ignon Memorial Art Show for Young Artists. Gui was also father to LANCE ’74 and Sandy.

Gui taught art at Thacher from 1951 to 1963 and his wife, Olga, was the librarian. He passed away the summer of 1963.

DON PORTER recalls a sculpture he did under Gui’s tutelage: “He was a heavy smoker; with a cigarette dangling from his lips, ashes would occasionally fall on the marble hands carving as they came to life. I would not be an artist today were it not for Mr. Ignon. Rich memories!” DON PORTER checked on all 1962 classmates affected by the recent fires and floods.

PAUL RECSEI reports, “We live in a chaparral ‘wild landurban interface’ and were under mandatory evacuation orders for both the fire and then for the deluge. But mandatory does not mean mandatory in this case, so my wife and I decided to stay at home and we rode it out both times. Fire fighters were phenomenal and no doubt the same is true for rescue and recovery workers.” BILL BALDWIN notes, “I am fine in Florida.” CHUCK GRAY updates, “We’re fine and actually in Italy at the moment. We did have to evacuate for

John Heard ’59 and Anne have moved to Florida; Christopher Henze ’59 and Sharon visited Province, France, for their 50th anniversary; Roger Ignon ’62, Jackie Ignon, and Don Porter ’62 at the opening of The Gui Ignon Memorial Art Show for Young Artists; Archie Look ’64 and Richard Livermore ’64 in Sunnyvale, Calif., for Archie’s grandchildren’s birthdays; Paul Gavin ’71 taught lacrosse at Villanova University in 1982, 1983, and 1985; Sketch of Martin Sproul ’71 by cartoonist Crowden Satz; Randolph Head ’74 received an award in Switzerland; Don Osborne ’76 at the Joshua Tree Resort Center in California; Josh Rosenblatt ’76 and Kate at Guatemalan ruins where their daughter was married

MILESTONES MARRIAGES & ENGAGEMENTS

the fire but no harm and were out of the flood zone for the flooding. The devastation has been horrific, and the recovery is going to take some time.” DAVID VAN HORNE informs, “We are fine. We had limited technology to communicate, except for the reliable old ‘land line.’ Devastation was all around and no movement in or out of the community.

Katie was also fine after the downpour.” DAVID MARSTEN describes, “I think we all are tired from the dramas of the past three months... I hope the rest of 2018 is quieter. We are fine now though it took two months before we could return home... and a month of cleaning up to put things in order.

Quite an ordeal!” SANDY LARSEN reports, “I was on Maui with girlfriend celebrating birthday 63. Fires were within one mile, but house is ok. I had to evacuate for 10 days and stayed with sister Kay in Marin.”

1964

*1968 1969

J.P. MANOUX ’87 and Valerie Gerber eloped in December 2017. “Our sole wedding guest/best man/maid of honor/videographer was the Purple Grapes from Fruit of the Loom. Those who know me would expect nothing less.” (photo 1)

^

ARCHIE LOOK reports, “I visited Thacher and Michael Mulligan with a delegation from the Japanese school that the Look brothers attended as children living in Tokyo. A few days later, I had lunch with TED RHODES ’65 and my brother JACK ’66 in Santa Barbara. Then, RICHARD LIVERMORE ’64 stopped by to help me celebrate my grandchildren’s birthdays in Sunnyvale.”

CHUCK EVANS aka Carlo Burton says, “Let’s shoot a movie and take it to Marche du film Cannes Festival. Blockchain everything. www.MakeADifferenceFilms.com” JUSTIN FAGGIOLI announces, “Sandy and I are ecstatic with the arrival of our first grandchild, Phoebe Sternberg (daughter of CLAIRE FAGGIOLI ’02 and Daniel Sternberg). We were recently fortunate to spend time in Hawaii with our son and daughter-in-law, NATHANIEL ’00 and Stacie. CLAY PELL ’00 also joined us for a few days.

I am having a wonderful experience as chair of Save the Redwoods League. The league celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. I also recently joined the board of C. Mondavi & Family, the oldest winery in the Napa Valley.” SCOTT WILSON shares, “A funny thing happened at our 45th reunion... Going to parties of classmates who had moved back to Ojai, I began to question selling off the Ojai property my siblings and I inherited. I ended up partnering with a sister on a portion of the family property and, in April, our son will be married there. As we converge on (semi?) retirement, I look forward to reconnecting with classmates and meeting under the oaks—looking toward Nordhoff Peak and Topa Topa—planning the next round of parties.”

1

2

DAVID GAL ’02 got married in July 2017 at Sugar Bowl to “my girlfriend of seven years, Sarah Raifman (the babe in white!). TIM STENOVEC, ROB BROWNELL, JULIEN RHODES, and my college roommate started the day at 6:30 a.m. skinning to the top of Mt. Lincoln and skiing down. Later that afternoon, several Thacher grads helped celebrate at the top of Mt. Disney. ROB even forced everyone to sing Domine (pictured). Thacher grads in the photo: ROB BROWNELL, TIM STENOVEC, ANDREW POOLE, BOBBY KELLOGG, CLAIRE FAGGIOLI, CHELSEA BAUCH, DANA GAL ’05, CLAIRE MILLIGAN, LUCY MILLIGAN ’00, HEIDI COLE, MARSHALL MILLIGAN ’69, JOSE ESTRADA, JOHN BOSCHE ’72, JULIEN RHODES, NICK HORTON, and JUSTIN FAGGIOLI ’69. It was awesome!” (photo 2) CHANCE PHELPS ’03 married Evon Li in September 2015 in China. (photo 3)

3

BIRTHS MEREDITH BRESSIE HERRENBRUCK ’94, Marc, and Elyse welcomed Olivia Rhys, born September 2017. “Marc and I are blessed to have our second child.” (photo 4)

Read and submit class notes online at blogs.thacher.org/classnotes 4

WIL CALDWELL ’98 and his wife, Lauren, welcomed their third child, Caroline Caldwell, into the world in May 2017.

“We couldn’t be happier!”

The ThacheR School 31 (photo 5)

CLASS NOTES…

1971

^

PAUL GAVIN writes, “Tonight, Villanova University won the NCAA finals. My father, Austin Gavin, was an Ojai resident and Villanova Prep Ojai class of 1940. I followed my father to Villanova University and played varsity lacrosse my freshman year (thanks to Thacher’s lacrosse program and classmate TODD OPPENHEIMER’S insistence I try out). I shared the 2016 victory with my father. Then he passed in 2017 at 94 years. But my Mom, family, and I think Dad and his Ojai childhood friend, JOHN LYTTLE ’42, rooting from their ‘sky box,’ enjoyed the night—and perhaps assisted in this victory.”

SCOTT REAM says, “Debra and I are doing well; sold ‘the big house;’ dropped the landline—now using cell phones; and are now animal free—no pets—after over 30 years of having various dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, etc. We love the freedom of our new lifestyle splitting time between the New Jersey townhome (November to May) and our cottage in the village of Bar Harbor, Maine (June to October). We’re enjoying children and grandchildren while we both still work at our company Virtual Corporation. I say we are ‘in early

ONE OF MANY LETTERS OF GRATITUDE Michael, I still remember when I first introduced myself to you when you were Assistant Head and I was a junior. You had a spark then that has only grown over time. After leaving Thacher, I often heard from faculty, board members, and other alumni about the great work you were doing for the school. And when I got the chance to return there, I've been able to see it myself. Some of my fondest memories over the last decade are from the weeks when you have allowed me to lead and colead backpacking, extra-day trips down the Sespe Narrows. Spending those days with Thacher's students really makes clear the outstanding gifts you and Joy have given to Thacher. Michael, by working tirelessly to raise the reputation and visibility of Thacher, so as to attract the best students from all walks of life; and Joy, by establishing the ethos in the Admissions Department to bring in students that are not only bright, but well-rounded, kind, and genuinely interested in engaging in their Thacher community, you two have provided the School with one of its greatest resources: legions of students who have helped forge the stamp of the School even as they have received its impression as the stamp of their lives. Thank you both ever so much for all you have done for an institution that I love dearly.

Very best wishes, Eric C. Anderson CdeP 1988

32 SPRING 2018

planning of our exit strategy into full retirement.’” MARTIN SPROUL updates, “I’ve dialed back my law practice and use my law office mainly to pursue my first profession: teaching transcendental meditation. On account of the anxious times in which we live, or perhaps because brain science and trauma therapy have caught up with what Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was teaching half a century ago, these days more people want to learn an evidence-based meditation practice. Smart, mature, funny students come for instruction here in Walnut Creek. After receiving a special dispensation to operate his iPad during class, cartoonist Crowden Satz did a sketch of yours truly.”

^

*1973

JOHN RUBENSTEIN reports, “Co-organized with JEFF STIVERS a class of ’73 dinner in San Francisco with a great turnout: STEVE LAU, ROB MONTGOMERY, DAVID MOFFITT, JAMIE EDWARDS, ANDY HERR, JON O’DONNELL, TREY ELKINS, MICHAEL JONES, and even one Cate Ringer (brother of BILL DAWSON ’72).

HANGING UP THEIR HATS In the summer of 2017, while John Aaron CdeP 1971 spent some time in the Thacher ceramics studio working on a side project, he created this small ceramic sculpture as a gift to Joy and Michael, his way of offering a lasting tribute to their work at Thacher.

Grant Fletcher ’78 still enjoys diving; Kevin Wagoner ’80 enjoyed a ride from Jacksonville to San Diego; Thacher makes an extensive appearance in Glen Gold’s ’81 memoir; The Callahans (L to R): Will starts Thacher fall 2018, Liam ’84, and Connor ’18 (Diana behind camera); Ami Becker Aronson ’86 in Reno, Nev., visiting Leslie Clark Clay Caron ’86; Daughter of Tom Hale ’86, Julia ’21, at her first Alumni Day at age 7; Sarah O’Brien ’86 with husband Aaron and sons Pierce (10) and Ronan (9) in Mexico; Carrie Johnston ’88 and her family protesting

MILESTONES

1974 1976

BIRTHS

^

RANDOLPH HEAD shares, “In November 2017, I traveled to Zurich to receive the Max Geilinger Prize, awarded for building cultural relations between Switzerland and the English-speaking world. Celebrating over lunch at a 300-yearold guild house was quite an experience.”

^

DON OSBORNE says, “I just completed the fifth ‘Arising Moment’ event at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center with my friends Robert and Terri Talltree of the Ojibwe tribe. This year’s theme was walking in a sacred manner—very nice!” JOSH ROSENBLATT reports, “Kate (EW ’76) and I still love living in New England after 16 years—longest I’ve ever lived in one place. Our younger daughter has been in Central America for the past four years and recently married her Guatemalan love in some ruins in their home town. Our older daughter and her husband love working in Manhattan and living in Jackson Heights, Queens. Three years back, Kate’s 97-year-old dad moved back to the area; we’ve loved having him nearby (he taught at Deerfield Academy for 38 years). If you’re in New England, please get in touch.”

5

^

*1978 1980 1981

1984

ALEXIS MACDONALD BORMANN ’98 announces, “This past September 2017, we happily had a baby boy we named Brock.

Can’t wait to introduce him to Thacher this summer at reunion!” (photo 7)

6

^

GRANT FLETCHER says, “Hello, All. My oldest, Jamie, now combines personal training, yoga, and nutrition into custom fitness programs; Katie’s in health management in D.C.; and Corie will be back soon from a USC year abroad in France.

Traveling, still in commercial real estate management, and fire/ lifeguard EMS. About to call it quits in 2020. Surf trips and diving and Hawaiian home still a mainstay... All the best!”

7

^

KEVIN WAGONER finished up a Jacksonville to San Diego bicycle ride in March. “Passing the sign for Thatcher, Ariz., (Founded 1888) brought a smile and several miles of reminiscing.”

^

GLEN DAVID GOLD reports, “My memoir, I Will Be Complete, is coming from Knopf in June. There is an extensive Thacher appearance. Look out. I mean that in every conceivable sense.” LLOYD GUNTHER DALLETT writes, “I live in Santa Barbara because I fell in love with this area when at Thacher. Because I live here, I have been lucky to crosshatch with both MARY EVERETT BOURKE and MARIANA SCHWARTZ who both have kids here. It’s better than school because we’re adults now... I send best wishes to all who survived the horrifying Thomas Fire and then the mudslides.

It’s been an insane time here. Best wishes to all y’all.”

4 8 9

^

DIANA LEWIS CALLAHAN shares, “Liam and I are thrilled that our oldest son, CONNOR, graduated Thacher in June and our youngest son, Will, will be starting in the fall! So proud of both of them! Liam and I are working hard and launching our new organic cow yogurt. Look for it at a store near you!

Thanks to all of you who reached out during October fires.

Between the Santa Rosa and Ojai fires it has been a bit crazy!”

AMANDA HARTNACK ’98 and Allen Roussel are excited to announce the welcoming of Franklyn James Roussel into the world on July 3, 2017, in College Station, Texas. “He shares a birthday with his uncle PETER HARTNACK ’02.” (photo 6)

5

LUCIA WEAVER CRAVEN ’98 announces that June Helene Craven joined their family in January 2017. “Big siblings Palmer, Huck, and Fern are thrilled as well. Loving our (not so quiet) life outside of Washington D.C., raising baby activists and taking names.” (photo 8) BESSE GARDNER ’00 welcomes identical sisters Frances Gardner Gross and Magnolia Michael Gross on October 26, 2017, in San Francisco. “Mike and I are in awe. Big brother Bo is particularly proud.” (photo 9 BROOKE TOELLER KATHREIN ’02 and Mike welcomed their son, Jack, on October 12, 2017. “Baby Jack is a pure joy and big brother Will is excited to have a new playmate!” (photo 10) PHOEBE HALSEY ’03 and her partner, Andrew, welcomed son Shepard’s arrival on November 21, 2017. “We’re smitten and look forward to introducing him to the Thacher community at Reunion this year. (I was introduced to Andrew by KATIE TELISCHAK.)” (photo 11) The ThacheR School 33

CLASS NOTES…

1986

^

AMI BECKER ARONSON writes, “Hard to believe I have lived in D.C. for the past 20 years! I love our nation’s capital and my children are sixth generation. I manage a private foundation and invest in people and ideas (www.bffdc.org).

Any toads are always welcome to share arts, culture, and democracy! I spent a few days in Reno with LESLIE CLARK CLAY CARON over Christmas. MICHÈLE BARNETT BERG ’87 remains my ‘little sister’ forever and always!” TOM HALE and family are settling back into the Bay Area after moving back from Texas in August. Karen Hale, mother of JULIA HALE ’21, spent the last six months creating two nests: one in Hillsborough and one in Ojai! Julia’s first Thacher Alumni Day was at age 7 and now she’s hitting the trails with her horse Sheriff and doing big Gymkhana. “Having a daughter at Thacher has given me a great reason to be back in touch with RAUL PACHECO, STEVE KONG, CAROLYN and DOUG KIRKPATRICK, CHRIS DIENER, J.P. MANOUX, and NOAH WYLE ’89!” SARAH O’BRIEN reports, “In October I went to see a fantastic Ozomatli performance with RAUL PACHECO in Santa Barbara with my husband Aaron.

It was great to see fellow toad TOM COLE ’87 at the event enjoying the incredible music. Winter Alumni day was a great opportunity to catch up with classmates CAROLYN and DOUG KIRKPATRICK, TOM HALE, and JUNG LEE ’92.

I just returned from a wonderful spring break in Mexico with my family.”

time with family, friends, travel, weekly tennis, and the occasional horseback ride keep me focused on what matters.

And, of course, sending all my best to the Mulligans as they ride off into their next chapter!”

1992

^

^

*1988

1990

34 SPRING 2018

^

CARRIE JOHNSTON shares, “I love living and teaching in Berkeley and feel lucky my kids are in Berkeley schools. When not teaching, reading, or hiking, I spend a lot of time writing postcards to voters; attending political meetings with other middle-aged middle-class women; going to marches; and generally rabble-rousing. Our new family pastime (besides protesting) is Family Band: Tom (9) on guitar and vocals; Martha (12) on fiddle; Adrian on bass guitar and recorder; me on banjo, vocals, and occasional tambourine. Mom Phyllis and dad David live nearby and are very involved grandparents.”

Go to blogs.thacher.org/classnotes to hear them play. DAVID SHOR (photo) says, “Hey Toads. I’m enjoying the ‘Advil years.’

Two teenage girls, Sara (17) and Jessica (16) who are great kids. Running a venture capital fund (SM Venture Partners), digital marketing agency (Prove.it), and a vacation home rental company (Wanderhome.com which will be launched soon!). Looking forward to the Reunion!”

JENNIFER UTMAN SOMMER shares, “So much going on with life here in Pacific Palisades. Having spent nearly a couple decades with Food & Wine magazine, I recently transitioned into my second career as a granola baker with my line of Sommer House granola. Nationwide distribution and lots of buzz have kept me busy on the work front, while

*1993 1994

MAGGIE RENIERS writes, “With our son home safely from the Marines and our daughter heading off to Davis, Gwyn and I are excited to get back down to Ecuador to work on our foundation, Latitude. We will open both a community acupuncture clinic and an English-language school on our hotel property, as well as continue our scholarship program.

Casa Latitud will house extended-stay groups and travelers focusing on cultural or language immersion. We are thrilled to get to transform the closed hotel into something more substantial. If you have any interest in bringing a group, please let us know!”

TOBY COOPER reports, “After selling my business, I’m now focusing on raising my three daughters in wholesome Miami Beach. Hope all is well with the fire recovery in Ojai.”

MEREDITH BRESSIE HERRENBRUCK says, “A rolling stone gathers no moss—and there is no moss under these feet! A week after our second child was born, we found our perfect home in San Rafael. Let’s make change all at once! Why not?

Now, being mostly moved in, I am focusing on catapulting Becoming Ridiculously Awesome: Who Doesn’t Want That? book and business into the next stratosphere. Our nephew, JAMES ’21, is a freshman Toad and we are thrilled to have the next generation experience what we have, and to join a group of exceptional people.” RIKA HOWE TOLL says, “I was lucky enough to have lunch with fellow classmates AMANDA O’SHEA ARMATTA and MARY EVERETT CONARROE in San Antonio, Texas. How easy it was to sit and chat for hours.” KATIE KIRKMIRE VINING shares, “I had the wonderful experience of attending fellow classmate and dear friend KENYON PHILLIPS’S variety show in New York City.

Dubbed Unisex Salon with Kenyon Phillips, the show featured talented singers, dancers, actors, and comedians—and a guest performance by my five-year-old son, Mitch ‘Bird’ Vining. We laughed, we cried, we clapped, and we sang along with so many talented performers. It was the highlight of our trip. So grateful I was able to attend Thacher and make these kinds of bonds with friends that have carried me into adulthood, parenthood, and beyond.” JUSTIN STEPHENS updates, “All three kids are now old enough to be on a ski team at Sugar Bowl. They’re either having a ball, or doing a great job pretending. We recently passed the 10-year mark since our winery project started. It’s shocking, and scary, how quickly

^

^

^

David Shor ’88 has been busy with his teenagers and three business ventures; 1994 classmates Rika Howe Toll, Amanda O’Shea Armatta, and Mary Everett Conarroe; Katie Kirkmire Vining ’94 with Kenyon Phillips ’94 and Katie’s son in New York City; Justin Stephens ’94 and his family at Sugar Bowl; Alexia Allen ’96 at Hawthorn Farm in Washington; Amy Purdie White ’97 and Jaime Kellogg ’97 are winners; Michael Disner’s ’01 children at Easter; Richard Winters (far right) demonstrated a heel shot on Wes Myers’s ’01 ranch; Dillon Flannery Valadez ’05 sends his best wishes to all

a decade has passed. We still see ALEX SLAWSON ’94 and his family quite frequently and LEXI ANGELIDES a bit less often. We look forward to next year’s reunion. All our best, the Stephens family.”

1996

1997

^

ALEXIA ALLEN writes, “My husband, Daniel, and I completed a year of eating completely hand-harvested food. Salt from sea water, syrup from the local maples, and the bounty from Hawthorn Farm kept us alive. www.

HawthornFarm.org” ALOYSE BLAIR says, “Believe in a better tomorrow. I am a candidate for mayor of Hamilton County in Tennessee. The primaries are in May and the general election is in August. I am the first woman to run for this office and am up against a good ol’ boy.”

ONE OF MANY LETTERS OF GRATITUDE Mully and Mrs. Mully!

I was so regretful I couldn't make the trip to Ojai for your Good Goodbye. It might have required a small miracle to get there, but after seeing pictures and hearing glimpses I so wish I could go back in time to make that happen.

You (in plural) will always mean "Thacher" to me. Joy was likely the first person I spoke to with any depth, and what a conversation that was. Do you recall that Joy? It was my interview with you, while I was still in 8th grade (Fall, 1989). I was telling you about my "Charm" class, required by my Baptist middle school. You stopped the interview to go chat with my mom, to ensure such a ridiculous thing actually existed. We had a good laugh. I don't remember any of my lessons from that Charm class, except I still don't know how to apply make up very well.

Mully, of course most of my memories of you revolve around the athletic fields. We both spent quite a bit of time there, feeling at home. Thacher's Upper Field for me is a home no one else may ever understand. It was a place I felt completely myself and fully understood, even when no words were spoken. I had none of the typical insecurities of a high school girl while on that field. It helped to define me as a person. Thacher athletics were hard to explain to people along my path. I played division 1 soccer but never played club soccer? I played varsity with people who hadn't really played much before? Thacher athletics were so much more. I thank you for being a

*1998

^

AMY PURDIE WHITE updates, “For the last year-anda-half, I have been living in an RV with my husband and traveling the country while working remotely. In our travels I caught up with JON NEWMAN and JAIME KELLOGG separately. Jaime and I reigned supreme in some competitive family card games which brought back fond memories of our time together at Thacher. We’ll loop the West Coast again next year and I look forward to reconnecting with more alums. I’m a senior data analyst for MoveOn doing fascinating statistical modeling and targeting to support our grassroots campaigning and election work.”

CINDY LIU says, “After much training and a recent stint working two jobs as a lead in a start-up and as a research faculty, I am now an associate professor and chief medical officer of the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center at the George Washington School of Public Health in D.C. I am passionate about improving public health through human

role model to all of us on those fields. And I will ALWAYS remember playing in the alumni games with you, running around like a crazy person with twice as much energy as the rest of us (not quite) half your age.

At graduation I still remember you called me "self-effacing" during the little snippet about my time at Thacher. I actually had to go look that up later, I didn't know what it meant! HA! I held that with me pridefully during my college experiences playing soccer and lacrosse.

I recall one lacrosse game passing to a new player, allowing her to score a goal, instead of scoring it myself (we were winning handily).

Later she told me that she would never forget scoring a goal on the lacrosse field in college. To me, that was Thacher.

And then you welcomed me back! You let me come back to learn more from you both, while attempting to teach/coach/advise CdePers not all that much younger than I was at the time. I think about that experience from time to time. I fully took for granted the opportunity I was given to be at Thacher a second time. But, I didn't know who I was yet, leaving when I did was the right choice.

I'm not quite sure what I will do when you are not at Thacher for my 25th reunion next summer. Are you sure you don't want to stick around for 1 more year? :) Better yet, just make a trip down every June and say hi to us all again. It will be like you never left.

You are loved and will be deeply missed.

Mary Everett Conarroe CdeP 1994 The ThacheR School 35

CLASS NOTES… Daniel Vega ’06 (M) with Lauren (L) visited Lisa Dadian ’06 (R) in the Cayman Islands; Lanlan Jin ’07 visited her Japanese hometown with cherry blossoms in full bloom; Drew Connick ’09 and Chris Rowe ’09 at the Griffith Observatory; Model of library designed by Jesse Gates ’12 showing a cross section with interior spaces

microbiome research and tracing sources of antibioticresistant bugs from the environment. I also enjoy working with corporations and public agencies on public health issues, such as how to use antibiotics more judiciously.”

1999

2000 2001

ELIZA GREGORY reports, “My project in conjunction with the Asian Art Museum runs April 5 through June 10. It’s called Testimony and focuses on narratives of immigration to the Bay Area. The project endeavors to both broaden and add nuance to the contemporary dialogue around immigration in the United States.”

NICOLE HAGGARD shares, “I was recently chosen for Take the Lead’s 50 Women Can Change the World in Media and Entertainment. I am honored to be included with this incredible group of powerhouse women in Hollywood.”

MATT BREWER is in the process—with another co-owner and a chef—of opening Che Fico restaurant on Divisadero in San Francisco. MICHAEL DISNER reports, “We arrived in Bangkok at the end of September and have been enjoying our time here so far. We’ve got a guest room available if anyone is passing through! The kids are great, and the boys absolutely love their baby sister, Adela Tula Disner.” WES MYERS updates, “We kicked off 2018 with having a group of Thacher students over to do some ranching and explore some of the aspects of California agriculture. They were guided by Thacher’s own Richard and Cheryl Winters. Everyone had a blast! Mr. Winters showed us his slick heel shot! Thacher is so lucky to have such a great family to carry on the Schryver’s impeccable legacy at the School.”

2007

2009 2012

^

^

*2003 2005 2006

36 SPRING 2018

CHANCE PHELPS announces, “I got married in September 2015 to Evon Li, and we moved back to the U.S. in December 2015. We now live in Houston, Texas. I am currently taking time off from work to pursue a master’s degree in ocean engineering from Texas A&M University. If you ever find yourself in Houston, please let us know! All the best.”

^

DILLON FLANNERY-VALADEZ you all are well!”

^

says, “Hi everyone, I hope

DANIEL VEGA reports, “Lauren and I traveled down to the Cayman Islands to visit ANOUSH (LISA) DADIAN ’06 and Raoul Pal. After a couple of years of hard work, Anoush has finally opened a service center for children with autism on Grand Cayman. She and Raoul took some time off from their busy schedules to show Lauren and I around Grand Cayman and Little Cayman. We had a blast catching up and it was just like old times. We will be back to visit them again soon!”

2014

^

LANLAN JIN shares, “I am visiting my Japanese hometown in the countryside of Nara Prefecture. Walking amidst drifting cherry blossom petals, I am reminded of the wonderful walks under starry night skies at Thacher. There’s a Japanese saying, ichi go ichi e, which translates to: “each encounter, precious encounter.” It is a mindset that reminds us to savor the present moment with whomever we are with, for everything will change with the passing of time. It is with a gentle heart that I send warm wishes to you along with the mild fragrance of cherry blossoms!”

^

DREW CONNICK says, “CHRIS ROWE and I touched down to enjoy the sights at Griffith observatory, after spending a few years off planet.”

^

JESSE GATES updates, “I began a master’s of architecture degree in fall 2017 at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. I was offered a full scholarship after I attended the school’s Making and Meaning summer program. In my first semester, I designed a public library for the Hyde Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. my work can be seen at www. metrologist.work.”

MELANI SHAHIN shares, “I was recently awarded a 201819 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Germany.

As part of this fully-funded, ten-month grant, I will be teaching German students English and serving as a cultural ambassador for the U.S.”

HOW TO SUBMIT DIGITAL PHOTOS: • Shoot using your camera’s best photo setting.

• Files should be 200k or larger.

• Save photos as JPEG files.

• Identify every person in the photo, state time and place, and suggest a caption.

We can accept good old-fashioned prints as well.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept photocopies or images from magazines or newspapers.

TWO WAYS TO SUBMIT PHOTOS: 1. Email digital files as attachments to alumni@thacher.org.

2. Mail prints or digital discs to: The Thacher School Alumni Office 5025 Thacher Road, Ojai, CA 93023

FACULTY, STAFF & FRIENDS…

DEPARTURES After 24 years at Thacher spread over two stints, beloved physics teacher David Harris is once again an object in motion. Generations of Toads are likely to remember David for his abundant wit, oversized tea mug, and a seemingly endless collection of t-shirts emblazoned with bad puns (most of them science-related). And nobody will forget David’s annual bed of nails physics demonstration in which an assistant wielding a sledgehammer would break a cinder block on his chest while he reclined on a bed of nails. First arriving at Thacher in 1990 and returning in 2007 after four years teaching in New York, David played many roles here, including Science Department chair, Lower School dorm head, faculty advisor to the Judicial Council, and dedicated coach.

David and his wife, Joanna CdeP 1989, will relocate to the south where David will work at the de Toledo School in West Hills, California.

The language department is bidding farewell to two teachers. Jael Hernandez-Vasquez is headed to New York to pursue a doctorate in classics at Columbia University. And Eric Shi, teacher of Mandarin, will be teaching at a day school in the Los Angeles area. After more than a decade at Thacher,

William Okin, a member of the horse faculty, teacher of mathematics, and faculty advisor to the Meditation Club, is leaving to assume a leadership position in his spiritual community. "I have loved working here," he write, "and will miss the amazing community dearly, there are some other things I need to do in my life before it’s too late. After three years in the Admission Office, Chris Thomas CdeP 2008 is trading Ojai for the metropolis to our south, where he’ll be a marketing and operations lead at Wondershool, an early childcare start-up. When he began work at Thacher a decade ago, Horse Camping Director Rene Dukyearts had a broken leg. His boss, Cam Schryver, told him that it was something of a tradition in the Horse Program to start with a broken something, as both Cam and Mike Swan Top row L to R: David reported to work with broken bones. Now, Rene is Harris, Chris Thomas, off to Montana with his wife, Debbie, where he plans Eric Shi. Bottom row to keep busy by “building a few saddles and knives, L to R: Rene Dukyearts, fishing, hunting, writing stories... and exploring the Jael Hernandez-Vasquez, West with more interest. I will rest later.”

William Okin.

The ThacheR School 37

FACULTY, STAFF & FRIENDS…

Assisted by Liz Mahoney CdeP 1988, David Harris sacrifices his body for the sake of science in his annual bed-of-nails demonstration.

The Alumni and Development Office reports some transitions. David Kepner CdeP 2007 will find himself in Sherman Day Thacher’s old stomping grounds as he joins the fundraising team (including former director of development Brandon Doyle) at Yale. Sarah Cardey, events manager in the Alumni and Development Office, is moving north with her husband. And Sarah Palacios, director of alumni relations, has accepted a position at Dartmouth College. And the Communications Office will miss Natalie Selzer CdeP 2008, who has been a mainstay there for the past three years; she is leaving to pursue a master’s in library science at UCLA.

SABBATICAL ROTATION Blossom Beatty Pidduck and Brian Pidduck (both CdeP 1992) are back from sabbatical, which took them to New York, Colorado, and France, among other destinations. They are looking forward to getting settled in the Head of School’s House once it has been readied for its new occupants.

Meanwhile, the Hooper family is out the door for a turn at a sabbatical.

The family will start with a trip to Bhutan and Thailand in the summer followed by visits to parks—National and Baseball—throughout the US. For the school year they’ll settle in Austin, Texas, where Jeff will focus on professional development for coaching by shadowing several high school programs while also developing the next evolution of his Thacher economics course. Kara will take a leave of absence from College Counseling Office and volunteer with an Austin organization that supports first-generation young women in college process.

38 SPRING 2018

Taking the dean of faculty mantle from Jeff Hooper will be Jason Carney.

And Sara DelVecchio will take over the History Department chairship from Jason.

BIRTH Heather Grant (science) and Bill Omansiek (athletics) announced that their daughter Max had welcomed a brother. Felix John Grant-Omansiek arrived on Thursday, April 12 at 7:41 pm, weighing in at 8 lbs 5 oz.

Felix John Grant-Omansiek himself.

IN MEMORIAM… DONALD M. GREGORY JR. CdeP 1946 Donald was a third generation San Franciscan with his sister Joan and attended The Hamlin School and Town School for Boys before Thacher. His CdeP classmates appreciated his soccer team captaincy, his sportsmanship, and his willingness to help others.

Donald then attended Yale and Wharton Business School.

After time in the U.S. Army and government service in Washington, D.C.—where he met his wife, Joan— Donald returned west and worked for Standard Oil and Coldwell Banker.

Then he formed an independent real estate investment firm which he continued until his death. He was a founding Trustee of the Cathedral School for Boys and a Director of the Point Reyes Bird Observatory among his many philanthropic interests.

Donald had a lifelong love of skiing and the Sierra Nevada mountains.

When the snow melted, he would fly-fish with friends and family in Idaho, Montana, and New Zealand. Family was a central focus for Donald. He loved toiling at the Farm in the Santa Cruz mountains, where he also enjoyed tending to his raspberries and teaching his grandchildren how to drive the Gator. Donald enjoyed traveling, particularly to Africa and family vacations to the Hana Ranch.

Donald was predeceased by his daughter Laura. He is survived by his children Alan, Ann, and Robert; two grandsons; and a large extended family.

He died peacefully at home on March 2, 2018, and will be remembered for his disciplined and gentlemanly demeanor, his sparkling blue eyes, sense of humor, and love for animals—particularly his piggies.

DWIGHT G. LUMAN CdeP 1949 Dwight Garrigues Luman was born September 23, 1931, in Rock Springs, Wyo., to Kenneth James and Edna Garrigues Luman. He died of cancer September 8, 2016, in Holladay, Utah.

He attended Thacher from 1945 to 1947 and then graduated from Exeter Academy. After finishing at Stanford University, Dwight served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His business career was spent in banking and real estate.

Dwight married Janet Pierce and together they had three daughters: Mary Nielsen, Barbara Packard, and Nancy LaMothe. They were later divorced, and he married Nancy B. Smith, who survives him. Also surviving are his daughters, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

J. HOLT ROSE CdeP 1952 Joseph Holt Rose passed away in early 2018. At Thacher, “Joe” was quiet, contributed greatly to school activities, regularly devised scientific devices, and could often be seen on the athletic and gymkhana fields. “He vociferously extols the merits of his horse, Gizmo—a quaint beast most remarkable for attempting to run races backwards,” described El Archivero. Also having attended Thacher were Holt’s father, Joseph H. Rose CdeP 1919, and his children Walter H. Rose CdeP 1980 and Louise Rose Curcio CdeP 1982.

Michael Mulligan recounts of Holt: He has been such a good friend to so many for so many years. And he was our good friend at Thacher. Dedicated, loyal, generous, helpful, Holt never missed an alumni gathering or a reunion. He never failed to offer his insights, considerations, and constructive criticism to us at Thacher. He only wanted Thacher to be the very best school it could be, and he went out of his way to help us all along. We have lost a good, kind, generous, fun, thoughtful, helpful man, and we are so sorry. Holt was a pillar of our alumni body and we feel his loss already.

THOMAS C. ALBRIGHT CdeP 1954 Thomas C. Albright passed away on January 3, 2017, from a massive stroke. He leaves behind his wife of 59 years, Diane Daland Albright; his two children, David and Vicki; and two grandchildren.

While at Thacher, Tom captained the basketball team, was a letterman, served on El Archivero board, participated in Masquers, and would talk knowledgably and tirelessly on the subject of automotive locomotion. After graduating from Stanford, Tom was an automobile dealer in Millbrae for many years. Upon retirement he devoted his time to the Boy Scouts as a scoutmaster. He guided many young men who are still grateful to him.

Tom had a great love of music and was a talented piano player. He also loved sailing, motorcycles, cars, numbers, and living in the country. He could fix anything and loved working on the property in Foresthill. He served on the Nevada County planning commission and the traffic committee. In Foresthill, he served the Lions Club as treasurer for more than five years.

Tom was 80 years old and is deeply missed.

SCOTT L. DAVIS CdeP 1958 After a month-long battle with a traumatic brain injury received when he was thrown from his horse, Scott passed away April 30, 2016—three months past his 75th birthday. Scott was preceded in death by his wife of 44 years, Christina. He is survived by brother Bill, son Scott Jr., stepchildren Peter and Cornelia, and three grandchildren.

Scott came to Thacher as a middleschooler; he captained the tennis team and was active in soccer and gymkhana.

He received his BA from UC Berkeley, his MBA in business from UCLA and a JD from Columbia Law School. He started his legal career at the prestigious Dewey Ballantine law firm in New York City. He then enjoyed an extremely successful career as a corporate finance and business lawyer until his retirement in 2001. He always enjoyed his passion for playing the cello, his love towards dogs, riding horses, and playing polo. For the last few years he served as President of the Spokane Polo Club until he passed.

Scott would want everyone to remember that every time he is thought of, he will be there, and he would want everyone to celebrate his life knowing he was satisfied living a full life.

The ThacheR School 39

IN MEMORIAM… WILLIAM H. STRONG CdeP 1958 William Harpham Strong passed away unexpectedly on December 14, 2017. Born into a Santa Paula pioneer family, he grew up on a citrus ranch, and was educated at Thacher; he was a very good-natured student. Will attended Middlebury College (BA), University of Madrid (was fluent in Spanish), and The Thunderbird School of International Management (Master’s). William leaves behind his loving wife, Linda, and daughters Abigail and Elizabeth.

After ROTC in college, Will served in the U.S. Army in Korea; he loved his country and respect for the U.S. military. Will worked for Lockheed International and was vice president of the International Division of Teledyne for 19 years. He and Linda moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1989 where William directed international marketing for Teledyne Allvac, then consulted at Ketema, and then at McCrometer. He traveled the world for business. After retiring in 2010, Will volunteer mentored small business owners. He loved golf and lunch with friends.

William enjoyed skiing and hiking with his beloved family and was always interested in their lives. He loved to travel with Linda—for their honeymoon, they went around the world in seven weeks. In 2017, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They loved their beautiful home of 24 years, in Charlotte, before downsizing to lovely and quiet Waxhaw. Will was strong, vibrant, determined, hardworking, larger than life, a force to be reckoned with, a loyal friend, and he had a good-natured sense of humor. He enduringly loved his wife—and good steak, North Carolina football, and his hometown, Santa Paula.

MICHAEL H. WALLACE CdeP 1959 Michael H. Wallace, of Westlake Village, died peacefully in his home on August 23, 2017, surrounded by his family. Michael leaves behind beloved wife Judy; loved children Steven CdeP 1979, Melissa Lennox, Meredith, and step-sons Tyler and Blake Segal; eight adored grandchildren; and brother Craig. He was modest, kind, generous, and respectful; he helped others unconditionally.

Michael spent his early years in Visalia and Camarillo. During the last of his three years at Thacher, he had the highest riding mileage and was in the letterman’s club. After being in the first graduating class of Adolfo Camarillo High School, he went on to USC. Michael was a well-respected business man with many successes along the way including Wallace

40 SPRING Fall 2016 2018

Machinery Company, Estrella Cattle Company, developing real estate, and owning Team Automotive Group.

Michael loved adventures and had a zest for life. He particularly enjoyed traveling the world with his beloved wife, family, and friends. He was a great horseman spending much time on his ranch. He also enjoyed fishing, bird hunting, skiing, golfing, and was an avid reader. Michael embraced life and was not afraid to take a risk whether in business or pleasure. While traveling with family in Africa, they were not surprised that—at the age of 63—he bungee jumped off of the Victoria Falls Bridge before all of them. He was a true example of living life to its fullest and will be remembered for the footprints he left on the hearts of those he has touched along the way.

STUART O. WILSON CdeP 1967 Stuart O’Melveny Wilson passed away at his home in Corvallis, Mont., on September 24, 2017, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was surrounded with love by his wife, Candace, and their two children: Sarah Hannay of Oakland, Calif., and Ryan Wilson of Stanford, Calif.

At Thacher, he was well known for his intelligence, his distinctive laugh and dry sense of humor, and a tendency to fall asleep in class. After Thacher, he attended Stanford University, graduating in 1971 with a degree in Fine Arts, focusing on photography—one of his enthusiasms while at Thacher. He continued this line of study in Oakland at the then California College of Arts and Crafts. Stuart worked as a general contractor and real estate developer on many projects in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. He retired in 2009 and happily relocated with Candace to Montana’s beautiful Bitterroot Valley. Through the years, he enjoyed the outdoors: including downhill skiing, fly-fishing, and his passion for sailing the ocean. He loved to create things, which was played out in his building career and in his new-found love of baking in retirement.

He is survived by his wife, Candace, and their children and grandchildren: Sarah Wilson Hannay, her husband Robert Hannay and boys, Miles and Reed; Ryan Wilson, and his wife Nicole and girls, Bentley and Reese. Stuart’s brother, John C Wilson 1964, predeceased him in 2014.

RICHARD A. EGET CdeP 1971 Richard Allen Eget passed away on Monday, August 28, 2017. Richard was born on December 3, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, to Daniel and Jeanne Eget.

He is survived by his children Adam, Sarah, Nikki, and Nathan; his sister Pamela; and his partner Stephanie.

Rick had a lust for life. He enjoyed many adventures while traveling the world. He had a passion for music, art, and collecting. He will truly be missed by all who knew him.

THE BEST WE CAN DO… TOBY ROSENBLATT CdeP 1956, HONORARY TRUSTEE TOBY ROSENBLATT HAS GIVEN MUCH TO THACHER OVER THE YEARS, BUT ONE THING HE WAS UNABLE TO GIVE IS THE TOAST HE PREPARED FOR JOY AND MICHAEL TO BE GIVEN AT A THACHER EVENT THAT WAS CANCELED DUE TO THE THOMAS FIRE. HERE, HE TAKES A FEW QUESTIONS AND THEN GIVES US HIS TOAST.

…

HOW DID YOU COME TO THACHER IN THE FIRST PLACE? My brother Norman was CdeP 1949. I followed him from Salt Lake City to Thacher, arriving 1952. Newt Chase was headmaster at the time and he was another of the truly outstanding leaders guiding Thacher.

WHAT CAME AFTER THACHER? The process was different in those days. William McCaskey, who was director of studies at the time, invited me into his office for the college counseling session. It might have taken 20 minutes: “You will apply to two universities: Harvard and Yale. You will get into both. And you will attend Yale. Do you have any questions?” And so that’s what I did.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR INVOLVMENT SINCE THEN? I first served on the board from 1970 to 1982.

My second term of service was 2003 to 2012. And since 2013, I’ve been an honorary board member.

I’ve been at Thacher during the headships of Newton Chase, Ted Sanford, Bill Wyman, and Michael. So, four of the eight so far and soon to be five of nine. I estimate that I’ve made 90 to 95 trips to Thacher over the years. I’ve also had the chance of seeing my nieces and nephews—Josh CdeP 1976, Gideon CdeP 1981, Jody CdeP 1983, and Natasha CdeP 1987—attend Thacher, as well as my wife’s nephew, Bruce Krill CdeP 1979.

YOU’VE GIVEN SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME TO THACHER. WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF IT? Giving back is good, but I’m getting a lot out of it myself. I’m constantly enhancing my understanding of education, of the evolution of education and pedagogy. One of the things that has always been a preference of mine in work I’ve done with school boards is being involved with an institution at a stage where they are embarking on new ideas. It’s a growing and building opportunity, not a maintenance experience, which is what we are in the midst of again here at Thacher. That’s the creative side; that’s where there is opportunity to make a contribution and provide support.

For me, it starts with the relationships with the other board members and with the senior staff, and the chance to work closely with the head of school, especially when it is a head like the one we’ve had for the last few decades.

SO, ABOUT THAT TOAST. CAN YOU SHARE IT WITH US HERE? Honor, Kindness, Fairness, and Truth. These are the watchwords that we all know define Thacher and always have.

They are the framework against which the School is governed and the values of everyone touched by the School.

When we talk about, and today when we toast, Michael and Joy, they clearly define their approach to the world, but we can add a few more defining words: charisma, culture, character, values. These are watchwords that define what they do and how they live their lives.

Both in their own ways have charisma—they are great storytellers; Michael is a natural performer and unabashedly uses humor and poignancy; Joy’s writing lifts off the page into one’s heart; they so complement each other.

They know that a great school is shaped by its culture; they know that building character shapes student success; these—culture and character based on values—are their intentional

goals. They talk about it; they write about it; they teach it; they are exemplars.

They so wonderfully communicate. We all benefit from their charisma in their writings, their talks, their conversations, their passion for Thacher and for students. Most recently I discovered sections of the Thacher website which I urge you to look at: Under the Explore menu look at Toad Blogs and for other “aha” moments look in the search menu; put in Joy’s name and put in Michael’s name.

What comes with this skill and art of teaching are as well a love of community; a sense of humility; an appreciation of place and, thank God, a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy—they are the definition of multi-taskers.

Think of the creative cycles in their Thacher lives and one can appreciate so much how they keep these perspectives: They see the growth of a student each year; they see the maturing of the students through their four years; they see the faculty grow in wisdom and skill in their careers; and they see the School ever improve with new initiatives, new facilities, new players, and constant values. Life can be exciting and fulfilling as this happens around you and even more so if you can be a driver of these cycles, as they are.

So, Michael and Joy, we thank you and we toast you. We share with great pride the Thacher you have made as it is today and will be in the coming years.

Toby’s senior year photo in El Archivero.

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Photo: Callie Giovanna

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