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Recent Acquisitions Thanks to our generous friends and donors, the Altamont Art Collection continues to grow! Eleven pieces, listed below, have recently been added to the collection, and one has been given a new life.
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Dear Altamont Friends, On behalf of The Altamont Board, I invite you to explore the Altamont School. To Parents, it’s an opportunity for and investment in their most valued loved ones. To Alumni, it’s memories and everlasting friends. To Faculty and Staff, it’s creating the optimal learning experience. It’s hard work, dedication, and caring. And to Students, it’s everyday living and learning. It’s their journey to fulfilling, productive lives. The Altamont environment is alive and inspiring, and it is all of you that we have to thank. On visiting the school today, you will see such changes as: • The new Cabaniss-Kaul Center for the Arts • The new Margaret Gresham Livingston Gallery • The new Pharo Art Studio • The new Lacey-Day Photography Center • And the new Altamont Library, the “Rotunda”
Orpheus Restrung Carolyn Goldsmith 60” x 72” gift of the artist, inspired by Martin Hames
On a deeper look, you will find the C. Kyser Miree Ethical Leadership Center and, on the horizon, the New Athletic Facilities.
CAROLYN GOLDSMITH ART SHOW!
What remains unchanged is Altamont’s continued search for excellence and constant search for knowledge. These two virtues that our predecessors, B.U.S. and Brooke Hill, had the foresight to instill in us back then, drive us forward today.
Please mark your calendar for an Art Show of Carolyn Goldsmith’s works in The Livingston Gallery!
June 18th - July 23rd | Opening Reception June 18th at 5:00pm For more information about the artist, please visit: www.altamontschool.org/summerartseries.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THIS SUMMER! Untitled 1, Sarah Douglass Beaumont, gift of the artist in honor of her
Rabbit with Tin Cups, Ramon Kelly, gift of Bill Mason and Bob Scharfenstein in honor of Margaret Livingston
Untitled 2, Sarah Douglass Beaumont, gift of the artist in honor of her
Goody- Laurie, Susan, Betty, Ann, Mary Jane, Al Sella, gift of Beverly and Stanley Erdreich
love of Altamont
love of Altamont
Brothers and Sisters, Scott Fuller ’69, on loan from the
collection of Tim Callahan ‘66
Martin, Arthur Stewart, gift of Bruce Denson ’68
Guardian Angel, Patricia Gaines, gift of Margaret Shook Gaines in
End Hunger, Véronique Vanblaere, gift of the artist, created during
memory of Charles Lathem Gaines, Jr. (recent restoration)
Altamont’s Hunger Symposium
Buddhist Garden, William Keith ’80, on loan from the artist
Martin, Willard Whitson, gift of David Hezlep and David Silverstein ’74
So in closing we, the Altamont Board of Trustees, greatly appreciate your commitment to The Altamont School. Yours truly, Deakins F. Rushton, President, Board of Trustees
Untitled Kinetic Sculpture in the style of Alexander Calder, poured at Calder’s foundry in Tours, gift of Nancy and John Poynor
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READ AND REPEAT
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$
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amount awarded by Altamont in scholarships to students for the 2015-16 school year.
100% Percentage of Altamont Faculty, Staff, and Board of Trustees who contributed to the Annual Fund.
Number of State Athletic Titles won by Altamont since 1975. This year, our Girls Track & Field Team added a victory!
Designer: Shannon Robinson www.shannonrobinsondesigns.com Photography: Bryan Johnson of A Bryan Photo www.abryanphoto.com. Contributors: Teal Perry Cuellar, Suzy Dansby, Hube Dodd, Susan Edwards, Todd Emmons, Cary Estes, Drew Foster, David Goldenberg, Marygray Hunter, Deak Rushton, Charlotte Russ, Margaret Whiteside, Sarah Whiteside.
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and counting and
counting
Number of published Number of published authors in our Alumni authors in our Alumni Author Library. If you are Author Library. If you are a published book author a published book author or know of a classmate or know of a classmate who is, please let us who is, please let us know! Email mwhiteside@ know! Email mwhiteside@ altamontschool.org. altamontschool.org.
$ 4,521,128 over 4 years: College Scholarships offered to the Class of 2015
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and counting. New students enrolled for the 2015-16 school year! Welcome to Altamont!
The Altamont School admits students of any race, color, creed, gender, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions practices, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Special thanks to the Students, Parents, Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Friends, and Board of Trustees of The Altamont School.
The Mission of The Altamont School is to improve the fabric of society by graduating compassionate, educated individuals capable of independent thinking and innovative ideas. To this end, the School seeks to attract, nurture, and challenge students whose commitment to truth, knowledge, and honor will prepare them not only for the most rigorous college programs, but also for productive lives.
“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” - Albert Camus
ALTAMONT RECEIVES $500,000 BEQUEST! In September, Altamont received an unexpected and extremely generous bequest from the estate of Joseph Henry Moss in the amount of $500,000. Mr. Moss is grandfather to two alumni, Madeleine Moss ‘09 and JJ Moss ‘12. Mr. Moss appreciated the education that his grandchildren received at Altamont and wanted to help other students in their pursuit of an excellent education. The Joseph Henry Moss Visionary Fund will be a great opportunity to move the school forward. The gift serves as a great anchor to the school’s endowment, and it will allow the school to accomplish things that it otherwise would not be able to do. Joseph Henry Moss’s legacy will forever be cherished at Altamont. His generosity will touch many young minds and is a true celebration of his love of learning. Thank you, Mr. Moss!
JOSEPH HENRY MOSS September 15, 1922 May 14, 2014
When Mr. Moss returned from WWII as a Marine pilot, he had $3,000 in back pay. He used $1,000 to purchase a car and at the suggestion of an economics professor, invested the remaining $2,000 in the stock market, becoming a very successful investor. He served as a Delta pilot until his retirement in the early 1980s. Upon retiring from Delta, Mr. Moss continued working, managing investments until shortly before his death. He loved his wife and family; he valued education and work. Incredibly generous and kind-hearted, Joe and Nena Moss supported a number of educational institutions including Hillsdale College in Michigan and Woodward Academy in Atlanta (a private school similar to Altamont) as well as gifts to the Atlanta Children’s Hospital.
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS Rising seventh grader Maaz Zuberi has created an Android app called MiSafety which allows parents and children to communicate with each other in all types of situations, including emergency ones. Maaz hopes to be able to adapt his app for use on iPhones. Maaz also has started his own company called SMZ Tech and plans to develop more apps appropriate for school-age children. The Siemens Foundation named Arjun Guru ‘17 as a Semifinalist in the 2014 Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology. Out of the 4,500 students who submitted projects to the competition, only 408 students were named Semifinalists. Parrish Wells ‘19 participated in the “On the Set Summer Film Camp,” a local group that provides a film-making experience for students. Their film Finding Magic premiered at the Alabama Theatre. Rising junior Schuler Goepfert has been accepted to the Rassias Summer Program, which is based at Dartmouth College. Schuler will live with a French family in Arles for a month-long immersion program, as well as take French classes. Keegan Kariuki ‘15 was selected as one of the recipients of the Cornell University Tradition Fellowship. The Cornell Tradition is a fellowship program recognizing students for their
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commitment to a strong work ethic, service involvement, and academic achievement. Will Pannell ‘15 was named a Park Scholarship semifinalist at NC State, an honor awarded to about 265 out of nearly 1800 applicants. He was also one of twelve finalists for the 2015 Alabama Science Scholar Search and Gorgas Scholarship Program. At the end of April, rising junior Kiana Perkins organized Altamont’s first Stop Hunger Now mealpackaging event. Forty-two volunteers attended the event and packaged 11,664 meals in 1.5 hours! The National Society of Arts and Letters, a nationwide talent competition for students ages 18-26, named Alex Damman ‘15 2nd and Nicole Vaughan ‘16 4th place in their theatre performance competition. The class of 2015, consisting of 43 seniors, had 3 National Merit Commended Students (Sam Brinkley, Jay Harvey, and Keenah Mays) 4 National Merit Finalists (Alex Damman, Olivia Jones, Graham Rutledge, and Nathan Sorscher), and 1 National Achievement Finalist (Keenah Mays). Keenah is one of only 20 National Achievement Finalists in the state and 800 in the nation to be awarded a National Merit Scholarship.
CLASS OF 2015 SPOTLIGHTS The Altamont School congratulates Olivia Jones ‘15 as this year’s Volunteer In Philanthropy! Olivia is one of those people who makes the world around them a better place. Olivia has been elected class president for a number of years, which is a testament to the respect her peers have for her. Her passion is teaching, and she has been able to teach students at Altamont, Samford University, and the Avondale Library. No matter the age or the child’s ability level, Olivia has demonstrated an innate ability to interact with the students. She has an ease about her, which helps students understand the material that she is covering. Olivia has a 4.33 GPA and scored a 34 on the ACT. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Junior Latin Society, and the Latin Club; serves as Vice President of the Avondale Tutoring Club, and is Senior Class President. She swam on Altamont’s Varsity Swim Team where she served as Captain. Olivia was also selected as a Finalist in the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship Program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She is Altamont’s first finalist for this scholarship and only one of two from the state of Alabama this year. Olivia was also recognized at the 2014 National Philanthropy Day celebration for her dedication to serving her community.
Track and field star Taylor Young ‘15 signed a letter of intent to attend Division I University of South Alabama on a track and field scholarship.
9-12) and has set five 2A State Records (Long Jump, Triple Jump, 300 meter Hurdles, 100 meter Hurdles) during her time at Altamont.
According to Tim Timmerman, one of Taylor’s former coaches, “She’s a very, very talented athlete. She can run, jump, and throw. One of the things that makes her even better is she understands talent can take you only so far, that it also takes a lot of hard work. She has a good work ethic. She’s one of those kinds of athletes who can do anything she wants to if she focuses and practices.” Taylor holds 21 individual State Titles (earned in grades
Congratulations and good luck!
For more information, go to altamontschool.org.
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Grand Openings The Cabaniss-Kaul Center for the Arts The Margaret G. Livingston Gallery Pharo Art Studio and
Lacey-Day Photography Studio
Clockwise from top left: Spencer Lacey ‘06, Jack Lacey ‘13, Marygray Hunter, Kim Morgan ‘72, Corbin Day, Cece Lacey ‘08; Elizabeth Livingston ‘12, Margaret Livingston, Marygray Hunter; Marygray Hunter, Bill Cabaniss, Sara Armstrong; Ashley Luke, Geeta Lakhanpal, Trish Patterson.
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Clockwise from top left: Tricia Hungerpiller ‘87 and Brooke Coleman ‘87; Patricia Ellisor Gaines; Kim Crockard, Ralph and Kim Patton; Lyndra Daniel and Margaret Livingston; Andrew ‘93 and Liz Featheringill Pharo ‘96; Lee Styslinger and Bill Cabaniss; Sarah Whiteside, Bruce Alexander, Penny Whiteside.
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A Remarkable Year in the Lacey-Day Photography Studio The Altamont School has a vision of how its community is strengthened and bound together through colors, sounds, movement, and the meaning of life through the arts. Photography begins with what’s inside each person who takes and creates pictures.
ALTAMONT ALUMNI AUTHOR SERIES PRESENTS
The Headmaster’s Darlings
“Lost” by Mimi Davis ‘19
By Katherine Clark ’80
This art form becomes memorable and unforgettable when the photographer tells a story about life in one frame, one moment, and the viewer recognizes it with his heart and mind, because it’s his story too. Students in photography are constantly being challenged to tell a story in the way that they see their part in the world. This year Altamont photographers spread their wings and entered many competitions: Double Exposure- a photography competition with blind judging. This state-wide photography competition had over 300 entries, and 48 prints were picked for the exhibition. Altamont had 42 places among the 48. Of the top 5 awards given in the junior division, 4 were given to our students. Altamont photography students earned 214 awards in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the oldest art competition in the country. Two works by Altamont photographers were nominated for the American Visions Awards and 68 received Gold Keys in photography and were sent to New York for adjudication on the national level. On the national level, 2 Altamont photographers received medals. “Photographer’s Forum,” a professional photographer’s magazine, sponsors the Annual College and High School Photography Contest, now in its 35th year. Over 17,000 photographs from students in the United States, Canada, and around the world were submitted and the top 100 images were chosen to be published in the hardcover book Best of College and High School Photography. Of these top 100 finalists, 14 are Altamont photography students. 10
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Evening Book Release Party With special guest Pat Conroy
Thursday, September 3, 2015 The Altamont School *stay tuned for more details
“The Hunger Within” by Rachel Wright ‘19
“Life in the Circus” by Amrita Lakhanpal ‘19
“Because Altamont trusts and believes in the Arts, the students trust and believe in themselves.” - Marygray Hunter Altamont Photography Teacher & Head of the Fine Arts Department
“Paris” by Harris Pigford ‘18
The Headmaster’s Darlings is a satirical comedy of manners featuring the morbidly obese Norman Laney, an unorthodox, inspirational English teacher and college counselor for an elite private school in Mountain Brook, a privileged community outside of Birmingham. A natural wonder from blue-collar Alabama, Laney has barged into the exclusive world of Mountain Brook on the strength of his sensational figure and its severalhundred-pound commitment to art and culture. His mission is to defeat “the barbarians,” introduce true civilization in place of its thin veneer, and change his southern world for the better. Although Laney is adored by his students (his “darlings”) and by the society ladies (also his “darlings”) who rely on him to be the life of their parties and the leader of their book clubs, there are others who think he is a larger-than-life menace to the comfortable status quo of Mountain Brook society and must be banished. When Laney is summoned to the principal’s office one day in November 1984, he expects to be congratulated for a recent public relations triumph he engineered on behalf of the school. Instead, his letter of resignation is demanded with no explanation given. Faced with an ultimatum and his imminent dismissal, Laney must outflank the principal at his own underhanded game, find out who said what about him and why, and launch his current crop of Alabama students into the wider world—or at least into Ivy League colleges. In her debut novel, Katherine Clark, Altamont Class of 1980, casts a comical eye on southern society and celebrates the power of great schools and teachers to transform the lives of young people and lift up their communities. Surrounded by a colorful cast of his colleagues, his young protégés, and Mountain Brook’s upper echelon, Laney emerges as a heroically idiosyncratic character with Falstaffian appetites, an inimitable wit and intellect, and a boundless generosity toward his students that reshapes their lives in profound, unexpected ways. Please email Margaret Whiteside at mwhiteside@altamontschool.org with questions about the event. For more information, go to altamontschool.org/alumniauthorseries.
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO ALTAMONT New Global Awareness Program helps students learn about a variety of important issues BY CARY ESTES IN 1963, LONG BEFORE THE CREATION OF SMART PHONES AND FACEBOOK, WALT DISNEY UNVEILED A DELIGHTFUL LITTLE DITTY CALLED “IT’S A SMALL WORLD (AFTER ALL).” THE SONG INCLUDED THE LYRICS, “THERE’S SO MUCH THAT WE SHARE, THAT IT’S TIME WE’RE AWARE, IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL.” More than 50 years later, the world is smaller than ever. Communication is instantaneous, and a wealth of information is always just a few keystrokes away. Seven billion people, connected like never before. The Altamont School is helping shrink things even further by bringing awareness of the world’s issues into the classroom through the Edward E. Ford Global Awareness Program. Each school year, a different theme is woven into the curriculum (this year’s theme was Food/Hunger) in an effort to help students realize that the problems in Albania are often similar to the ones in Alabama, and that a single individual is always capable of offering solutions. “It’s really all about our kids understanding the world outside of Altamont, being aware of the obstacles that exist, and preparing our students to help solve these issues,” says Ally Leonard, Head of Altamont’s Middle School and founder of the program. “There are all these problems that are affecting us, and we’re sending kids out in the world who will be tasked with solving some of these problems. And they don’t even know the problems exist.” The Global Awareness Program is helping change that. In addition to the classroom work, students receive information about the current theme through special speakers and assemblies.
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The expectations are that information that is heard by students multiple times from various perspectives will have more of an impact on them and spur greater interest in finding solutions. The program began during the 2013-14 school year with a focus on Water. Future themes will be Cultural Identity (2015-16), Climate Change / Energy Resources (2016-17), Health and Human Rights (2017-18), and Human Footprint regarding pollution, recycling, etc. (2018-19). “Then we’ll start all over again with water,” Leonard explains. “The idea is that last year’s fifth and sixth graders will touch on water again when they are juniors and seniors. So has anything changed? Have things improved? Are we still facing the same issues? We just want to educate them about what’s going on in the world, so they at least have some idea about these issues when they leave here.”
it, and charitable organizations that help provide it to the needy. The goal was to raise awareness about food and hunger issues, and get a conversation started within the student body that ultimately leads to action.
a farmer of some type. Everybody grew their own food. Even if you didn’t have any money, you still had a corn field. Whereas here, we’ve sort of become distanced from our own food production and the source of what we put into our bodies.
“Service is part of our mission at Altamont,” says eighth-grade English teacher and Director of Altamont’s C. Kyser Miree Ethical Leadership Center Katherine Berdy ‘91, which includes an emphasis on global issues. “If we have welleducated students who do nothing with that education, then what’s the point? We want them out in the community. We want them making a difference in the world, feeling very passionate and confident about who they are as young adults.”
“Just telling these stories is a major way to inform students. I’ll tell them about going out to these farms and what we had to eat. How we grew it, how we stored it. All these kinds of things put the color into the sketch of the idea, and I think that stays with them.”
Michael Loop, a member of Altamont’s Class of 2008, certainly fits that description. He graduated from Eckerd College in Florida with a degree in East Asian Studies, and spent four months studying and one month backpacking in China. That was followed by a two-year Peace Corps stint with the Environmental Action and Food Security Mission in Togo in West Africa. One of his roles there was to work with locals about ways to improve their farming techniques. “That was a very rich experience for me. It gave me a lot of perspective,” says Loop, who shared these experiences with current Altamont students as the school’s Alumni Scholar in Residence. “When I was in Africa, I didn’t meet a single person who wasn’t
Photography Class Project
In an effort to further illustrate the importance of food production, Loop has helped establish a garden project at Altamont with the assistance of a grant from Whole Kids Foundation. Students grew kale in two 20-foot-long beds this past fall, then harvested their crop and it was used in the lunchroom. New plantings of other produce, including radishes, lettuce, spinach, turnips, and peas, took place this spring. “I want the students to gain the perspective that everybody can be a farmer, everybody can do at least a little bit, even if it’s just growing 20 radishes,” Loop says. “And then integrating that into the community, trying to get community gardens up and running across town, especially in places where people have difficulty accessing nutritious food. Getting that idea in the students’ minds is an important aspect of the garden.”
“End Hunger” by Véronique Vanblaere
In the program’s inaugural year, Altamont hosted two school-wide assemblies on the topic of water. Dr. Richard McGlaughlin, the parent of four Altamont alums, spoke about his efforts following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti to help clean that country’s water supply and deal with outbreaks of cholera and dysentery. Altamont alums Nelson Brooke ’97 and Frank Chitwood ’07 discussed their work with the Alabama Riverkeepers, which prompted current student Jay Harvey ’15 to seek an internship with the group. Meanwhile, this year’s student-led Food Symposium on April 6 brought together a panel of experts in the field, including those who grow food, chefs who prepare
For more information, go to altamontschool.org
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“Altamont School hums with an intellectual vibrancy that reminds a visitor of the thrill inherent when young students encounter big ideas for the first time. The Global and Awareness Program embodies the school’s commitment to a liberal arts curriculum while recognizing our increasing interconnectedness.” - John C. Gulla Executive Director, The Edward E. Ford Foundation
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helps broaden students’ horizons and gives them a different perspective on life, which is critical if we’re going to yield big-thinking minds.” Berdy agrees. She says several of the students in the Miree Center this year are working on projects related to food and / or hunger. For example, one student provided teachers and classmates with a bag of food that represented the average amount of food consumed each day by people in various countries. Berdy says the country she received was Ethiopia, and her food ration consisted entirely of a rice cake – symbolic of a bowl of rice – and some soy sauce.
The drivers of the program are hopeful they can continue to expand the global reach after the school recently was awarded a Ford Foundation grant of $50,000, an amount that was matched by private donations. That gives the school $100,000 to spend on speakers, programs, teacher development, student trips, resources, and marketing over the next three years. “Having the Ford grant is going to be the impetus that we need to really get this program going,” Leonard says. “It will help faculty explore different areas and ideas and ways to do continued special development, and to integrate those within their classroom.” The goal in all of this is to help Altamont’s students think about global issues and then act on them, both locally and globally. For students to realize that not everybody has easy access to clean drinking water or healthy food, and to become empowered by the notion that one person with one idea can have an impact that extends far beyond the classroom walls. “It speaks to cultivating leaders in a broader sense,” says Niko Tsivourakis, a fifth- and sixth-grade English teacher who is head of Altamont’s Friends of the World Club, a middle-school group that promotes community service. “And it’s not about necessarily getting people up front on a microphone, pointing fingers and instructing. This often manifests as leadership through service. Students are encouraged to take the initiative to create a project that is then implemented. “The beauty of this program is it cultivates empathy. We get a little bit closer to understanding somebody else’s predicament. It’s our responsibility as a pretty privileged school to do something with our privileges and whatever advantages we have. This program
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“That was it. It was hard to make it through the day on that,” Berdy says. “But it was also a great experience to know what that feels like, so you can hopefully change it. Things like that help students think very broadly. And if it’s something that really bothers them, they then become active participants in trying to solve the problem. “Getting outside of themselves at these ages, whether they are in fifth grade or twelfth grade, that’s still a leap for a lot of them. They’re students. They’re children. It’s natural for them to be all about self. This helps pull them out of that and plops them into the community, which is exactly what we want.”
The Edward E. Ford Foundation: A Matching Grant Opportunity The mission of The Edward E. Ford Foundation is to strengthen and support independent secondary schools and to challenge and inspire them to leverage their unique talents, expertise, and resources to advance teaching and learning throughout this country by supporting and disseminating best practice, by supporting efforts to develop and implement models of sustainability, and by encouraging collaboration with other institutions. GLOBAL EDUCATION: Sparking Interests and Passions at Altamont Please consider additional support to Altamont this year! Altamont has been challenged to raise $50,000 in matching funds from the Edward E. Ford Foundation! This prestigious grant aims to help Altamont further global topics such as water, hunger, cultural identity, and energy. Responsible citizenship will be encouraged through the program. Funds raised will be used for speakers, programs, professional development, hiring opportunities, library resources, technology, marketing, surveying, and student projects. For more information, please visit www.altamontschool.org/GlobalEducation. Thank you!
Or as Altamont Communications Director Margaret Whiteside says, “There is no way to go through this curriculum without your awareness of the world changing. And even if that’s as far as we get, that’s still pretty good.”
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A PART OF THE PROGRAM OR CONTRIBUTING TO ONE OF THE YEAR-LONG THEMES?
CONTACT PROGRAM DIRECTOR NIKO TSIVOURAKIS AT NTSIVOURAKIS@ALTAMONTSCHOOL.ORG “Melting Earth” by Zoya Mulji ‘19
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ALUMNI ACROSS THE WORLD HONG KONG, CHINA - Drew Foster ’95 ST. THOMAS, US VIRGIN ISLANDS - Susan Edwards ’64 ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Suzy Dansby ’06 COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA - Teal Perry Cuellar ’98 MICRONESIA - Todd Emmons ‘92 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - Rick Waters ‘92 MORE ALUMNI
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› News “I THINK STUDYING OR LIVING ABROAD IS FUNDAMENTALLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BECOME AS COMPLETE A PERSON AS POSSIBLE. THERE ARE SPECIAL REWARDS FOR THOSE BRAVE ENOUGH TO GO OUT INTO THE GREAT WORLD AND PERSEVERE THROUGH THE OBSTACLES, AGGRAVATIONS, AND HARDSHIPS OF ANOTHER CULTURE. WHEN YOU ARE 10,000 MILES FROM HOME AND TRULY ON YOUR OWN, YOU WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF THAN IN ANY COMFORTABLE LIBRARY AT SCHOOL.” - Drew Foster ‘95
school level as well as university and workshops. What would you say to a current student who is interested in studying or living abroad? I would encourage all students to travel abroad as students and lifelong learners. One of my most memorable trips was when I studied watercolor painting in Bali. I have walked the Camino de Santiago Compostella across northern Spain and the Via Podensa in France. Walking in Europe is a wonderful way to slow down and make friends and observations.
SUZY DANSBY ’06 Istanbul, Turkey Native English Teacher, Wall Street English How long have you lived outside the US?
DREW FOSTER ’95 Hong Kong, Hong Kong Asia Pacific Counsel, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates Describe Altamont in 2 words. Opportunity knocking. Did you travel abroad while a student at Altamont? What did it mean to you? I had the good fortune to be able to travel abroad while a student at Altamont. Some of the opportunities came in the form of school-sponsored travel such as a wonderful trip to London, Bath, and the Salisbury Plain with Magistra Whiteside and a wonderful group of students. But other opportunities came because I put myself in a position to take advantage of them. Although I took six years of Latin at Altamont, I also took French, giving me the ability to participate in a student exchange arranged by Madame Classé. I also took Chinese classes at Samford after baseball practice my sophomore and junior years, and this led to an opportunity to work in China on a summer project.
RICK WATERS ’92 Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State What is your current profession? My wife and I are both Foreign Service Officers, or
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diplomats, with the U.S. Department of State. We are reassigned to new positions every two or three years. Currently, I’m in Chinese (Mandarin) refresher training in preparation for my next assignment as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China. Since joining the federal government fifteen years ago, I’ve also been posted to Ecuador, Tunisia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, and most recently, Pakistan. Describe Altamont in 2 words.
I remember from a very young age I had always desired to study and live abroad. By the time I graduated University, I sought out the chance to pave my road to what ended up being an expat in Turkey. I have lived in Istanbul, Turkey, for 3 years now. Frankly, it has been the best experience of my life. Moving to a new country with little knowledge of the people, culture, and traditions has proven itself to be the most challenging yet rewarding adventure I have chosen. It’s a testament to personal strength and identity. I have no regrets.
Opens minds.
Did you travel abroad while a student at Altamont? What did it mean to you? Yes, three times. It meant seeing the world and learning more about different cultures, as well as seeing in real life what I had studied in class. How did your education at Altamont prepare you for life in another country? Altamont gave me the confidence to formulate my thoughts and express my opinions on a wide variety of issues, while, at the same time, respecting those of others.
TODD EMMONS ’92 Truk Lagoon, Micronesia Captain and Divemaster What was your post-Altamont education? Unlike most people matriculating from our alma mater, I had no clue where I wanted to go to college or what I wanted to study. I spent a year working, both in Birmingham and, after a move across the country, in Los Angeles... I enrolled at The University of Southern California, as it had a freshman honors program that mirrored Altamont’s passion for creating well rounded, independent thinkers. How did your education at Altamont prepare you for life in another country?
Describe Altamont in 2 words. Was there a teacher or mentor while you were at Altamont who inspired you to travel, study, and/or live abroad? Mrs. Whiteside, who taught us both Latin and the history of the Roman empire. When I was in advanced Arabic language training at our field school in Tunisia, I could walk to the site of ancient Carthage, which we learned in Mrs. Whiteside’s class was once the seat of a great empire until the Romans defeated them.
SUSAN EDWARDS ’64 St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands Art Teacher, Studio Artist Describe Brooke Hill in 2 words. Calm and cultured. What is your current profession? I am semi-retired and taught one drawing class spring semester at UVI. I am a studio artist working in oils, watercolor, and book arts and have taught at the high
Advantageous, Reverent. Was there a teacher or mentor while you were at Altamont who inspired you to travel, study, and/or live abroad? I can’t say there was just one teacher who inspired me to study abroad. It was more of the collective passion for teaching which lured me... All the teachers pushed me and believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. If I hadn’t had the support of Altamont’s staff, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I owe everyone a BIG thank you!
TEAL PERRY CUELLAR ‘98 Cochabamba, Bolivia English Teacher, American International School of Bolivia Describe Altamont in 2 words.
Altamont taught me how to think, how to learn. Teachers like Frank Taylor, Martin Hames, Margaret Gage, Sarah Whiteside, Betty Caldwell, and Jimmy Wiygul passionately (and I do mean passionately; Mrs. Caldwell, in 11th grade English, read a Moby Dick passage that brought every student in the classroom to tears) demonstrated how standing on the shoulders of giants offers an enlightening view of the world. Did you travel abroad while a student at Altamont? What did it mean to you? Mrs. Whiteside put up with our juvenile antics all over Europe and squeezed a dizzying amount of historical, artistic, and natural beauty into two weeks abroad. What tenth grader gets to sit at the base of the Matterhorn, wander the Colosseum with someone fluent in Latin, see a Broadway show in London, evaluate the art of the Louvre with an educated eye, and gaze at the loaded gun-top of Vesuvius from the ruins of Pompeii? Altamont students. For full interviews, please visit www.altamontschool.org/internationalalumni.
Family and influential.
For more information, go to altamontschool.org
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Class Notes What’s new with you? Send alumni news and updates to asnow@ altamontschool.org. Interested in becoming a Class Agent or helping plan your class reunion? Please contact Ashley Snow at asnow@altamontschool.org. 1964 Celebrating their 50th High School Reunion from B.U.S., gentlemen from the class of 1964 gathered at the home of Charles Caldwell.
Front Row (l to r): Sandy Mullins, Luke Evins, John Abele, Alan Howle; Back Row (l to r): Fred Turner, Steve Clayton, Tommy Roberts, Charles Caldwell Unable to attend: Tim Croswhite Deceased: Joe Dentici, Mickey Gee 1966 The Honorable Caryl Privett retired January 2015, after a forty one year legal career including twelve years on the bench presiding over civil cases that dealt with issues ranging from asbestos and bingo, to a sales tax that allowed for new school construction in Jefferson County. She plans to spend her time traveling, seeing more of her family, and tending to her photography hobby. 1967 Since her graduation from Brooke Hill, Louise Beard has enjoyed a wonderful career as a producer of stage and film productions. This year she was a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for her continued
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support of Altamont. Just recently, she has received well deserved attention for her role as the Broadway producer of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder which was awarded a Tony last year. Louise was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Cast Recording. 1969 Phoebe Robinson Donald and Red, married 41 years, now have six grandchildren. Son Donald ‘98 and his wife Katie have moved back to Birmingham after living in Virginia for the last 16 years. Son Robert ‘94 and his wife Katherine have welcomed their fourth child. Phoebe is the third generation president of Donald Real Estate, a company her grandfather started in 1925. She is the Columbiana columnist for the Shelby County Reporter, the president of the Columbiana Merchants and Professionals Assoc., the president of the Columbiana Friends of the Library, the Vice Regent of the David Lindsay Chapter of DAR, and the treasurer of the George Maris Chapter of Colonial Dames XVII Century. 1972 Cathy Blue Derian joined a team from Habitat East Bay Silicon Valley to travel to Battambang, Cambodia, for two weeks to work with local families and volunteers building homes in the area. 1975 Andrew Fies remains in Chicago as a producer for ABC News. He has three children- Ella, Thomas, and Charlie. Ella plans to attend Elon University in the fall which should keep some “southern-ness” in the family. 1976 Mary-Clayton Pearce Enderlein is employed by Seattle Children’s as the Director of
Occupational Health Services. Her responsibilities include overseeing the overall health, safety, and well-being of Seattle Children’s workforce. She has over thirty years of nursing, education, project, and clinical management experience in the fields of health care, wellness, and education. Prior to joining Children’s, MaryClayton founded and directed a business focused on providing health and wellness solutions to individuals, community groups, and corporations locally and nationally. 1977 Daniel Wallace was the featured speaker at the 2015 University of North Alabama Writer’s Series. The UNA Writer’s Series, sponsored by the English Department, is 32 years old and “considered one of the longest-running literary events in Alabama.” 1980 Barry Johnson serves as Senior Advisor and Director of Strategic Initiatives for the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. He also plays an active role in a number of White House-convened task forces formed to coordinate and align federal investments in regional economies. 1981 Leslie Coggin went into remission from rsd/crps and after extensive physical therapy no longer needs a wheelchair. She is a pain survivor and acts as an advocate for other pain patients at the Doleys Clinic. She works at Michael’s as a crochet instructor, and after taking two years of classes can proudly say she is a certified master crochet instructor. Deborah Hiett Valenti authored the well-reviewed comedic book When Mommy Loves Bama and Daddy Loves Auburn, which spoofs the classic football rivalry as well as the vintage style of children’s books. Deb wrote and starred
in the short comedy film “Open House,” which was a selection by both the 2014 L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival and the 2014 Los Angeles Comedy Festival. 1982 This spring, Rebecca Gilman was awarded the $25,000 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award for her play Luna Gale. Gilman, an Associate Professor of Playwriting and Screenwriting at Northwestern University, is the author of Spinning Into Butter and Boy Gets Girl, a Pulitzer semi-finalist, among many other plays (including a second play nominated for a Steinberg this year). Luna Gale debuted at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and has since played at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles. It will make its UK premiere at the Hampstead Theatre in London this June. 1984 Arthur Henley serves as the owner and President of Birmingham Printing and Publishing, which has been in business for over 114 years. Most recently, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus award for his work in the community and his ongoing commitment to Altamont. He sponsors the Linn-Henley Lecture series which continues to bring outstanding guest speakers to the school. Ellen Cogen Lipton, first elected in 2009, has served three terms as a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives. 1987 Journalist and author Warren St. John was named the 2015 recipient of the University of Alabama’s Clarence Cason Award in Nonfiction Writing. The award, named for the journalist
who founded UA’s journalism department in 1928, is annually bestowed on a writer who has made a “critical contribution to journalism and to the South.” St. John is currently Editor-in-Chief at Patch, a community-specific news, information, and engagement network. 1988 James Simon accepted the position of Director of Institutional Advancement for the Browning School in New York and is happy to be back in New York City after a sojourn in LA! 1989 Houston King lives in NYC and has sold sixty films, produced seven, and theatrically distributed ten. Among his many tasks associated with the business, Houston manages the script development and the production budget, raises financing from private equity, sells and delivers films within the U.S. and foreign markets, and monitors the accounting for the films. His most recent film Results was 2015. 1990 Burton Dunn is the father of Will age 7 and Emma age 5. He is an Associate at White Arnold Dowd and is co-owner of Cahaba Brewing Company with Andrew Pharo ‘93. 1992 Still working full time, Kwamena “Nana” Blankson is also perfecting the art of being Mr. Mom so Mary, his APRN wife, can simultaneously complete her final year of doctoral work at Johns Hopkins in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program and take a promotion as Chief Nursing Officer of Community Health Center, Inc., where she serves as Medical Director of the agency’s clinics in southeastern Connecticut.
Known as the “Alabama PR Man,” Daron Harris has over two decades of experience in media and entertainment. He owns a Public Relations Service that handles marketing and promotional services all over the state of Alabama with the greater purpose of highlighting Alabama’s positive cultural impact nationally and internationally. Most recently, Daron donated his time to Altamont in the planning and promotion of the 2015 Linn-Henley Lecture, which focused on the history of Rock n’ Roll, specifically the thousands of musical hits that were produced in Muscle Shoals from the 1960’s through today. He routinely serves as a consultant to the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (Swampers). 1994 Fred Schonenberg has launched his company VentureFuel, Inc. which brokers deals between major advertisers and new technologies. Located in New York, the company works with Fortune 500 companies and leading advertising agencies nationwide. Fred moderated a panel with USA Network, The President of OMD and Founder of Recess @ South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin titled “Brand Sponsorships for Start-ups.” Lastly, Fred was honored at the 20th anniversary of the Final Four basketball team at Trinity College, of which he was a member.
1995 Brent Wilson and his family have relocated to Baton Rouge after he accepted a position as Sales Manager for Crompion International. At Crompion, he is responsible for ensuring growth and success in both domestic and international stainless steel sales.
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1996 Rachel Wilson debuted as a YA novelist with Harper Collins, writing as Rachel M. Wilson. Her young adult contemporary novel Don’t Touch, set in Birmingham, launched from HarperTeen in the fall. HarperTeen Impulse also published her short story “The Game of Boys and Monsters” as an e-book in October. 1997 Nelson Brooke has served as the Black Warrior Riverkeeper for over ten years now, protecting the river and drinking water for the greater Birmingham area. Did you know that three of the seven Alabama Riverkeepers are Altamont alums? Nelson Brooke ’97, Frank Chitwood ‘07, and David Whiteside ’97. Regina Windsor lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and works in publishing and research, lately in the area of Mind-Body Medicine, and Yoga in Schools with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She also teaches yoga and meditation. “Not a month goes by that I do not thank my lucky stars for the renaissance education that I received at Altamont. I believe that it paved the way for a thoughtful and exciting - and everything in between - life.” 2000 Robin Dean graduated from the University of Washington School of Law in 2010. After completing a clerkship with the Washington State Court of Appeals, she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, to practice municipal law. Robin was called to the British Columbia bar and is also licensed to practice in the state of Washington. 2001 Charlotte Brockman completed the Professional Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management
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at California State University, East Bay. Kate Gardner Moran has a son Robert who will turn two in July of 2015. She is still a competitive rower (no excuses moms!). She and her husband enjoy living and working in the Washington, DC, area, and her husband was given an opportunity to brief the Attorney General. 2004 Cameron Acheson is currently working on the renovation and new construction of small multifamily residences at Landon Bone Baker Architects in Chicago. She received a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Interior Architecture from Auburn University in 2010, where she participated in Rural Studio’s 5th Year Program. After graduation, she joined the Rural Studio staff as an Instructor, where she taught 5th Year and Outreach students with Studio Director, Andrew Freear. 2006 Classmates Ellen Reilly and Grace Goodrich are living and working in New Orleans, LA. Grace works in the Arts and Culture Sector for Press Street, which serves the community as a place of expression and continued education. Ellen is a Reservations and Sales Coordinator at the Windsor Court Hotel, a luxury hotel in the Central Business District just steps outside the French Quarter. Lizzy Varnell graduated from Medical School at UAB in May 2015 along with Lauren Parks ’06 and Abhi Haritha ’07. 2007 Lara Avsar is currently getting her MBA at Harvard Business School. Lara and four fellow female
students at Harvard have launched the Lil’ She & Lil’ Me series. Lil’ She & Lil’ Me seeks to tell the stories of dynamic, daring, real life women through a series of children’s books, the first of which was released in March of 2015. Titled Lil’ Pauline Creates a Curious Concoction, the book features fashion industry executive Pauline Brown as its protagonist. Evan Miller worked with Teach for America for two years in Dallas then transitioned into the business world. He graduated from Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. Last summer he worked as a consultant with an Ed Tech company in New Orleans. Harry Miree has toured as the drummer for Grammynominated recording artist Whitney Wolanin. Their latest single “Forever” hit #27 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, making it their fifth consecutive charting release. 2008 Evan Shields finished his twoyear commitment with Teach for America teaching ninth grade Algebra in southwest Atlanta. His work both inside and outside the classroom was featured twice in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and he was invited to address the Georgia House of Representatives on issues of education reform. Keene McRae played musician Sting in the movie CBGB which features Alan Rickman as
the lead. He filmed the movie Wild directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, who also directed Dallas Buyers Club. In the film, Keene plays Reese Witherspoon’s younger brother, and Laura Dern plays their mother. He has signed with a new agency, United Talent Agency, which represents Channing Tatum. Michael Loop was on campus this year in our “Alumni Scholars in Residence” program. After graduating from Altamont in 2008 and from Eckerd College in 2012, Michael joined the Peace Corps and completed a two-year assignment in Togo. Michael’s first-hand experience in global issues and learning was invaluable in the classroom. He also started a garden at Altamont, sponsored by Whole Kids Foundation.
set a high standard in terms of literacy curriculum, which I know will help me as I begin to teach 7th and 8th grade Language Arts here in St. Louis.” Mia Tankersley works in Brett Litz’s lab at the Boston VA Hospital. Her team focuses on the dissemination of evidence-based PTSD treatments for service members and veterans reluctant to seek care, with a research emphasis on resilience. Afterwards, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. 2014 Emory Cox, a rising sophomore at Washington & Lee, ran against five other first-year students and won a spot on The Student Judicial Committee (SJC). SJC is a student-run body with one representative from each grade that handles all student conduct issues. Additionally, Emory was appointed by the University President to serve as one of two student representatives on the Student Financial Aid Committee. The Committee sets policy regarding financial aid to undergraduate students.
Alumni Holiday Party 2014
2009 Giacomo Barbone graduated from Harvard with a B.A. in Physics in December 2014 and was chosen to be the student speaker at the Midyear Graduation ceremony. In March 2015, Giacomo was named to the 2015 US World Orienteering Championship Team and will compete at the World Orienteering Championships this summer in Scotland. 2010 Dru Selden is teaching in St. Louis at Lyon Academy as a Teach for America Corps Member, after graduating from Kenyon College last May. Dru continued to swim all four years at Kenyon, was voted team captain, and received the Coach’s Award. She is anxious to see what opportunities TFA has to offer. “Altamont certainly
Clockwise from top left: Bill Cabaniss, Kacy Mitchell ‘69, Catherine Cabaniss ‘57, Guy Mitchell; Louise Hall Beard ‘67 & John Beard; Emily Poole ‘13, Sarah Bender ‘13, Lexie Kentros ‘13; Barry Johnson ‘80 and Jennifer Merritt ‘84.
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In Memoriam Francina Benejam, age 95, a resident of Mobile, AL, passed away on Friday, December 6, 2013. She was preceded in death by her husband Luis Benejam. Senora Benejam was born in Spain and lived in Barcelona and Quito, Ecuador, for many years before moving to Birmingham. While in Birmingham, she was instrumental in organizing a relief benefit for the 1959 Chilean earthquake. She was featured live on Alabama Educational Television as a Spanish teacher, and she taught Spanish at Brooke Hill and Altamont. Mrs. Benejam is survived by her daughters Eulalia Benejam Cobb (Edwin) and Nuria Benejam King ‘78 (Bruce) and two sisters of Spain. She also leaves to cherish her memory five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. William Henderson Brantley III ’50 passed away on January 2, 2015, at the age of 81. Born in Birmingham, he attended B.U.S., graduated from Loomis School in Windsor, Connecticut, and The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. He also served in the United States Army. He sold insurance at Cobbs, Allen and Hall and worked in the industrial development department of Alabama Power Company, soliciting businesses to locate in the state of Alabama. He was a member of the Redstone Club, Mountain Brook Club, the American Legion Post 134, and Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Henderson Brantley, Jr. and Evelyn Hassinger Brantley, his sister, Ann Brantley Cox, and his brother, Richard Kirven Brantley ‘53. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Forsyth Brantley and his three children: daughter, Lucy Brantley Hawkins (Michael), son, Arthur Forsyth Brantley (Ritsuko), and son William Henderson Brantley. He is also survived by six grandchildren. Dale Jones Carruthers ’52 died on August 23, 2014, at her home in Birmingham surrounded by her family. An only child, she was predeceased by her parents Roy Edward Jones and Bess Gilder Jones. Dale is survived by her husband Thomas Neely Carruthers, their three children: Thomas Neely Carruthers III (Brooke Monroe), Virginia Carruthers Smith ‘79 (David), and Catherine Everett Carruthers ‘81 as well as five grandchildren. Dale attended Brooke Hill School, Vassar College, where she graduated with honors in 1956, and Columbia University, where she took graduate level courses in Chemistry. After moving
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back to Birmingham, Dale worked for several years at Southern Research Institute doing cancer research. Dale’s passions were birds (she loved birding with Tom and friends); all species of the earth (she was an advocate for all flora and fauna, both endangered and in need of help); and the natural resources of the earth (she was concerned about the impact of human population on this wild and wonderful planet). Karen Sue Porter Elson ’62 passed away on Tuesday, October 28, 2014, at Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg. Sue was born in Portland, Oregon, where her father, Dr. Charles E. Porter was serving in the U. S. Army. When Dr. Porter was assigned to Europe, Sue’s mother, Joan, placed her first-born child in the back seat of the family car and drove across the country to the Porter family’s hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. Sue was eventually joined by a brother, Charles E. Porter, Jr. “Chuck,” who predeceased her, and a sister, Constance Porter Crutchfield. Sue attended Birmingham area schools, graduating from Brooke Hill School, where she was urged by her academic advisor to apply to Lynchburg’s Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. Sue spent four happy years there, graduating in 1966 with a major in biology. She was a member of the biology department at Central Virginia Community College until her retirement in 2001. Dr. Leon C. Hamrick, Sr. ‘50, a tireless servant to his country, community, church, family, and to the medical profession and his patients, died September 7, 2014, at the age of 88. At the time of his death, Dr. Hamrick was Chairman of Lloyd Noland Foundation. Since 1972, he had been at the helm of that Foundation, during decades when it was operating Lloyd Noland Hospital and Clinic and, in more recent years, as it became a leading provider of services for the elderly and chronically ill through Noland Health Services. Dr. Hamrick was born in Ludville, Georgia, and grew up with four siblings. Leon Hamrick joined the U.S. Navy while still in his teens, embarking on service to his country as a Pharmacist Mate serving in the European and Pacific Theatres. He taught over one hundred young surgery physicians during his long tenure with the Lloyd Noland Hospital surgical training program and later as Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama School of Medicine. A leader in Alabama public health and organized medicine, he
served as Chairman of the State Committee on Public Health that was overseeing the state’s public health programs, Chairman of the policy-making Board of Censors for the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, Chairman of the State Medical Licensure Commission, and a founding Director of Mutual Assurance Society of Alabama – now ProAssurance, a medical malpractice insurance provider. His wife of 57 years, Frances “Bunny” Brannan Hamrick, died in 2006. He is survived by five children including Dr. Leon C. Hamrick, Jr., Martha Hamrick Boshers (Russell), Mary Hamrick Bostock, Catherine Anne Hamrick, and Peggy Hamrick (Greg Bass), ten grandchildren, one greatgrandchild, his sister, and a host of treasured nieces and nephews. Michael Nardin Hoke, Jr. ’41 passed away peacefully on February 17, 2015. He was preceded in death by his parents Mary Ada Tarrant Hoke and Michael Nardin Hoke, Sr.; and brother Felix Tarrant Hoke Sr. ‘46. Survived by his wife of 40 years Bernice Gibson Hoke; sisterin-law Julia May Webb Hoke of Birmingham; son Michael Nardin (Susan) Hoke, III of Birmingham; son Daniel McMillan (Gail) Hoke of Selma, AL; son William Allan (Donna) Hoke of Pensacola, FL; daughter Mary Lea (Richard) Roselle of Nashville, TN; stepson Jacque LeMoyne (Delores) Oswell of Birmingham; step daughter Memree Stuart of Hawthorne, FL; 8 grandchildren; 2 step grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren. In 1942 he enrolled in Auburn University. At that time, World War II was raging, and he enlisted in the army hoping to pursue a boyhood dream of flying. During the war, he served as a fighter pilot in the Pacific Theater of Operations. At the end of the war, he served in the occupation of Japan, receiving his discharge in 1946. Waldo Lynn Frierson Kennedy ‘58 age 74, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, passed away on September 8, 2014. She was the daughter of John Woods Frierson and Waldo Meyer Frierson. Growing up, she attended Brooke Hill School in Birmingham and Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia. As a native of the Birmingham area, she was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. She was Founder of the St. Luke’s Daycare Community and the Alabama Society for Sleep Disorders at Baptist Montclair, and she was an Elder at St.-Martin’s-in-the-Pines. Survivors include her children, Frank Kennedy, Jr. of Mobile, Alabama; Deborah K. Rosser, Kathryn Lynn Kennedy; grandchildren, Austin
Rosser and Brandon Rosser all of Mountain Brook, Alabama. She is also survived by brothers John Frierson, Jr. of Mountain Brook, Albert Meyer Frierson of Ft. Myers, Florida, and a cousin, Amie Boyd Marks of Shelbyville, Tennessee. William M. Miller ’35 died on January 3, 2015, in his 98th year. He was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and soon moved to Birmingham. He attended B.U.S. and Ramsay High School, where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Delta (Sigma). While a freshman in the high school fraternity, Bill was given the nickname “Jig,” which stood for the remainder of his life. He graduated from McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and later the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi. In 1941 Jig enlisted in the U.S. Army at Camp Stewart, Georgia. He was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps as an Aviation Cadet and graduated as a Second Lieutenant. He was assigned to the A. F. 96th Bomb Group flying B17’s. He ultimately served in the Eighth Air Force in England during WWII and flew 30 missions over Europe. He was awarded two distinguished Flying Crosses and five Air Medals. After being assigned to the Pentagon, he helped develop the automatic bomb release system. He later served in the 20th Air Force Headquarters at Guam flying missions over Japan. He was honorably discharged in 1945 attaining the position of Major. On April 5, 1946, Jig married Olivia White Turlington in Birmingham. He spearheaded the Positive Maturity program, and was chair and trustee of the Birmingham Y.M.C.A. He was chair and board member of Jefferson Tuberculosis Sanatorium, (the Lakeshore Hospital and Foundation). He served on the board of the Children’s Aid Society and as president of Alabama’s Agency on Aging. He was on the Governor’s Advisory Board – for Commerce and Industrial Development, and was chairman of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce World Trade Association. He was elected Alabama World Trade Association “Man of the Year” in 1974. He served his church, Independent Presbyterian Church, as an Elder and was a member of Mountain Brook Club and The Redstone Club, and Duffy’s Bend. Bill was awarded the O.B.E., Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. Jig was preceded in death by his wife, Olivia; his brother, Frank Miller; and his sister, Carolyn Perry. He is survived by his three daughters, Olivia (Livy) Miller Ludington ‘65 (Dick), Laura (Laurie)
Miller Allen ‘68 (Craig, Jr.), Carolyn Johnston Miller ‘71 (Alan Finkel), seven grandsons, and three great grandchildren. Marianne Smith Morgan ‘43, the first Brooke Hill Girl, passed away on March 21, 2015. Mrs. Morgan exemplified qualities of loyalty, leadership, sportsmanship, scholarship, participation in school activities, and integrity that characterize the winners of the Brooke Hill Cup. The Cup is a distinction that remains today as the highest honor that an Altamont girl can receive. The School stayed in touch with Mrs. Morgan, honoring her at the 70th Anniversary of Brooke Hill in 2011. In a recent conversation, she was bubbly and reminisced about her relationship with Mrs. Elizabeth Blackburn, who served as the first Director of the School. In the spring of 1942, Mrs. Morgan designed and drew the coat of arms adopted by the School, with the dogwood as a symbol of the State of Alabama and of good citizenship and loyalty, the cross representing religion, and the open book and torch as the timeless reminder of the quest for knowledge and the Socratic ideal of Temet nosce. Portions of her coat of arms remain in Altamont’s crest today. After graduating from the University of Alabama, Marianne returned to Brooke Hill where she served as librarian and as an assistant theatre director, thus becoming the first alumna to become a faculty member. She had a “love of life” laugh that will be greatly missed. Ellen Cameron Hodges Powell ‘64, a lifetime resident of Birmingham, Alabama, passed away at home on Thursday, November 6, 2014. She was born on August 29, 1946, and is survived by husband Arthur Gray Powell II, daughter Dabney Weatherford Millwood (Allen), and brother Jake Chapline Hodges III ‘67 (Peggy). She is also survived by Arthur Gray Powell III (Kenny), Frances Powell Bryan (Charles), Marguerite Powell Bryan (Chad), and many grandchildren. Ellen was preceded in death by her mother Frances Spain Hodges, father Jake Chapline Hodges, Jr., and son Guy Allen Weatherford, Jr. She was a great supporter of Thistle Farms, Magic Moments, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Marco Island, Preschool Partners, St. Joseph’s on the Mountain in Mentone, Alabama, and the many ministries of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Birmingham. Gertrude von Rumohr “Trudi” Somerville ‘12, 20, known to her family and friends as Trudi, died September 28, 2014. She was born and raised in Birmingham, and spent much of her youth in
Medfield, MA. She attended the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and the High Mountain Institute in Colorado, before graduating from The Altamont School. As a sophomore at Birmingham-Southern College, she planned to major in English and Philosophy. Her loving, vibrant, and adventurous spirit will be dearly missed by those who cherished her and were close to her. Trudi was a talented painter who loved to hike and play sports. She offered a kind and generous nature to everyone she met and was a joy to be around. Trudi was preceded in death by her mother, Andrea Hurt Angell, and her grandfather, William Glassell Somerville, Jr. She is survived by her father William Glassell Somerville III; her siblings, Beatrice Somerville Steiner ‘02, William Hateley Somerville ‘05, Sarah Quincey Somerville ‘10, and John Tabor Somerville; her grandparents, Mary Hateley Somerville Hare, Nadia von Rumohr Hurt, and Christian Hurt. Other survivors include aunts and uncles, her stepmother Lydia Longshore Somerville ‘84, her stepfather Keith Gordon Angell Jr., her niece Willa Christiane Steiner, and numerous cousins, stepsiblings, and friends. Mary Ann Schanbacher Starke ’54 of Mountain Brook died Sunday, September 21, 2014. She was the daughter of Ella Rose Curran Schanbacher and Orville William Schanbacher. She attended Mountain Brook Elementary, Brooke Hill School for Girls, and University of Alabama. She was active in the community as a member of the Junior League of Birmingham, Birmingham Symphony Association, Birmingham Music Club, and Highlands United Methodist Church. Mary Ann was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Marcellus Starke; brother Orville William Schanbacher, Jr.; and sisters in-laws Eugenia Grubb Schanbacher ‘55 and Cary Starke Westhause. She is survived by her children: Walter Marcellus Starke, Jr. (Kim); Elizabeth King (David); and Curran O’Neal (Robert); her grandson, Walter Dean Starke; brother Robert Vincent Schanbacher (Aleta); sister JoAnn Schanbacher Miree ‘62; brother-in-law, John Metcalf Starke III (Pat); and many loving nieces and nephews.
of B.U.S. he left Birmingham for boarding school – Lawrenceville School, followed by Lehigh University, where he graduated with a degree in Engineering. Mr. Stockham is survived by his wife Peggy, his daughters Kate Stockham ’73, Anne Stockham ’74, Caroline Stockham Thomas ’77, and Midge Stockham Miller ’81, and his grandchildren Mara Thomas ’05 and Scooter Thomas ’08.
HUNTER F. WATERS SCHOLARSHIP On February 26, 2011, Hunter Waters lost the fight to esophageal cancer. His family and friends wanted to create something special in Hunter’s memory, and they knew that some of Hunter’s happiest memories were his times at The Altamont School. He was a friend to everyone, and his varied talents and interests were influenced by his teachers and peers at Altamont. He received a wonderful foundation that led him to Boston University and then CNN. Starting as an intern for “Larry King Live”, he was promoted to senior producer in ten short years. To celebrate Hunter’s life, a scholarship has been established in his memory. Scholarships make the Altamont education affordable for families, and they help the School attract the best and brightest students. The goal is to reach $100,000. We are so fortunate to have two of Hunter’s classmates helping us with our efforts. Brooks Marks ’96 and Kurt Michel ’96 have been a tremendous help. The support has been absolutely wonderful. For more information and to make a donation, please visit www. altamontschool.org/hunterwaters. Thank you! Below: Hunter with President Barack Obama and Larry King
Herbert Stockham ’45 was the longtime CEO of Stockham Valves and Fittings, a pioneer in the engineering industry. He received the Golden Knight Award from the National Association of Manufacturers. In the political arena, Mr. Stockham was instrumental in making Alabama a two-party state. As was the case in the early days
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Lasting Legacies
In Memory of Two Beloved Teachers ELIZABETH “BETTY” CALDWELL Brooke Hill and Altamont English Teacher, 1972-1982, 1984-1992 By Hube Dodd ‘91
Betty Caldwell has always been the woman I held out as my favorite teacher, and it is only on hearing of her death that I stopped to wonder why that was. Certainly she was fun, witty, enthusiastic, and an absolute joy to be around, both in class and in the theater projects I was lucky enough to pursue with her. She radiated light and energy and infused those around her with her love of life. But why, I kept asking myself after she died, did I consider her my favorite teacher? It finally dawned on me that in a time when people increasingly question the value of teaching the arts and literature, the question of the value of what Ms. Caldwell taught us was never at issue, because it was nothing less than what it means to be a person in a world full of people, what the concept of humanity truly means; that was the central lesson in whatever material she covered. She loved Southern literature because Southern writers loved people, and connected to the people in their novels whether they were grand or shrunken, sharp or 26
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ground smooth. Through Betty’s instruction her students made those same connections, and learned how to appreciate all the different parts that make up all the different kinds of people in this world, not just the parts that we naturally praise or easily understand. She taught us what it meant to be human, and in doing so made us all better at it. Betty Caldwell had more humanity than anyone I have ever met, and imparted on her students a greater understanding of our species in all of its glorious, imperfect incarnations. “Love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice,” said William Faulkner in his Nobel acceptance speech, talking about those things that make life worth living and art worth pursuing. These were the fundamental elements of every Betty Caldwell lesson, of every experience I ever had with her, and her light will be missed but will never dim in the thousands of lives she touched. My eternal gratitude to Ms. Caldwell for using her classroom to make us better friends and neighbors and sons and daughters and moms and dads. Mrs. Caldwell passed away on January 3, 2014.
own theorems – or at the very least, by writing down the largest figures we could come up with. As Mrs. Tent gleefully marked up a transparency on the overhead projector, we raced to answer questions, hopefully earning a “cha-ching” or a check mark from her for our efforts. Though we were skilled in diverting our other teachers away from their subject matter, our efforts to get Mrs. Tent off topic only led to treatises on her favorite mathematicians (which she would eventually turn into fantastic biographies in her second career as an author), or, occasionally, a fond remembrance of her college days at Mount Holyoke. And while we were focused on avoiding the embarrassments endemic to impending adolescence, she reminded us to look outward, and help others. The Friends of the World club she helped to start more than two decades ago is still running strong today. Scholarship and altruism: not exactly cool things for middle-schoolers to be into. With her enthusiasm and ingenuity, Mrs. Tent left a lasting legacy of both at Altamont. Mrs. Tent passed away on September 24, 2014.
P OST S CRIP TU M I hope it has been as thrilling for you as it has for me to read these fascinating stories about the ways in which our alums are living the Altamont Mission throughout the world. A common theme resounded in these stories as former students shared some of the ways in which the Altamont experience has shaped their lives. Often it has been the influence of a particular teacher or a certain class that piqued their interest or the encouragement and freedom to take academic risks in a safe environment. Or perhaps the Honor Code and the lasting friendships within a respectful and diverse community have forged the direction and path of our alums. But one thing is for certain—our graduates are committed to being lifelong learners and to improving the fabric of society. This long-standing tradition of excellence in teaching and learning is one that goes back over ninety years to the founding of B.U.S. and over seventy years to the establishment of Brooke Hill. The year 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the merger of these two remarkable institutions into Altamont, a school which continues to cherish Truth, Knowledge, Honor. You are an important part of this community of innovative, independent-thinking, compassionate individuals. If you haven’t been to visit us recently, I encourage you to come see our newly designed spaces—the Cabaniss-Kaul Center for the Arts, the Pharo Art Studio, the theatre classroom, and the Lacey-Day Photography Studio— and to hear about what our students are involved in. To paraphrase Thomas Wolfe, there’s no place quite like Altamont.
MARGARET “BUNNIE” TENT Altamont Math Teacher, 1992- 2007 By David Goldenberg ’97
For the tweens and young teens who piled into her Altamont classroom, most of us awkward and nervous and shy, Margaret “Bunnie” Tent was a revelation. Here was a teacher who was earnest but willfully goofy - and didn’t bother at all with pretense. Instead, she turned our pre-algebra class into a middle-school math laboratory where she honed her latest teaching innovations. We were encouraged to go hands on with numbers by constructing our
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