A M AGA Z I NE PUBLI S HED BY T H E GO VER N O R ’ S AC AD E M Y
GOVERNOR’S ALUMNI IN EDUCATION
FA LL 2 0 1 9
TRUSTEES OF THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY James M. Pierce ’72, P’08, President James L. Rudolph ’68, P’05, ’12, Vice President Francesca DeMeo ’02, Secretary Steven G. Shapiro ’74, P’09, Treasurer William L. Alfond ’67 William H. Brine, III ’80, P’09, ’14 Byung Soo Baik P’18 Frank Cousins, Jr. P’20 Colin Cross ’74 Rob DeLena ’87, P’21, Alumni Council President Jonathan J. Doyle P’08, ’09, ’19 Milan Gary ’12 Alumna Trustee Phillip S. Gillespie P’22 Bruce Ginsberg P’18 Stephanie Ginsberg ’85, P’20
“Just like Govs was my home away from home, the dance program became my family away from family. From my first day in the black box as an anxious ninth grader, I felt nothing but warmth from everyone there. This is something I knew I wanted to model as I became an upperclassman and welcomed new dancers into the studio. I will forever cherish the relationships and bonds I have formed because of the dance company at Govs. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity for four years to express and explore my creativity in such a lovely environment.”
Stephen G. Kasnet ’62, P’95 Mitzi Lawlor P’19, ’21 David R. Masse P’21, ’23 Karen Ruth McAlmon, MD, FAAP P’13 Meredith Lazo McPherron ’85 Thomas M. Mercer, Jr. ’61 Jen Migliore ’10, Alumna Trustee Paul Nardone ’86, P’19 Brian Patrican P’21 Spencer L. Purinton ’75, P’13, ’14, ’20 Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14, ex officio Archie Seale ’93 Peter Starosta ’81, P’18, ’23 Mark B. Whiston P’21
—Isabella Wood ’19
CURIOUS ABOUT OUR NEW LOOK? See page 3
Governor’s Alumni in Education 4
Contents
PUBLISHER
Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14 Head of School
Message from the Head of School
2
Governor’s Alumni in Education
4
Lindsay McPherson Batastini Director of Marketing & Communications
Radical Love: DEI at Governor’s
8
Ola Russell P’21, ’23 Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
Visiting Professional Seminar Series
9
Caley S. Lynch Assistant Director of Communications
EDITORS
With True Courage, The Campaign for Governor’s 11
DESIGN
The Archives: Senior Pranks
ACADEMY ARCHIVIST
16
Graphic Details, Inc. Sharon Slater P’16, ’20, ’22
Back in Byfield
PHOTOGRAPHY
ON CAMPUS
18
ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, AND ARTS
24
CHAT
30
Alumni in Action EVENTS
32
40
CLASS NOTES
In Memoriam
76
Faculty Profile
77
Carly Gillis Leo Lin ’21 David Oxton P’03, ’08 Paul Rutherford William Tangorra DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT (INTERIM)
Elaine White P’16, ’21 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI & PARENT ENGAGEMENT
Amy R. Swiniarski P’17, ’19
ABOUT THE COVER Local photographer (and educator) Will Tangorra trekked to Needham to catch up with Saundra Watson ’93, Special Education Coordinator for the Needham Public Schools, for the photo shoot. “I could tell from Saundra’s office that her students really love and admire her. Walls and shelves covered with artwork and trinkets that they had given her, and her descriptions of those items let me know that she truly loves her work!” Photo and quote by Will Tangorra
The Archon is published two times a year by The Governor’s Academy. Letters are welcome from alumni, parents, and friends of the Academy.
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
1
Message from the Head of School I have been an educator for over thirty years now and I believe more than ever in the power and importance of education, which is the focus of this issue of The Archon. But the truth is, education was not the career I had in mind when I arrived at Govs as a new sophomore boarder in 1982. It took the long-term investment of genuine, caring teachers and the Govs experience to help me find my way, and ultimately my true calling. I arrived at Govs from a small town in upstate New York, a world far away from the sophistication of east coast independent schools. I often felt out of place and was frequently homesick. But early on in that first year, something truly remarkable happened. One night after eating dinner alone in the dining hall, a senior member of the faculty, David Williams, came to me and said, “Peter, how are you doing?” I hadn’t really ever talked with him before, and I was surprised that he knew me by name. I tried to brush him off by assuring him that I was fine, but he was not buying it. He let me know that if I ever need to talk, all I had to do was ask. I did not take him up on his offer right away, but his empathy and expression of concern were an enormous source of comfort for me, that night, and for many weeks to come. Mr. Williams, and many teachers like him, changed my life. They saw things in me that I could not see in myself. They recognized qualities that I did not know I had. They pushed me to challenge myself intellectually, to develop my leadership skills, to think more analytically, and to articulate my ideas more clearly. Simply put, I am more than the person I would have been had teachers like Mr. Williams not invested themselves in me. Fast forward thirty-seven years to a day this summer when I received an email from a former student of mine. In the winter of 2001, I was a new residential college dean at Yale and in one of my first weeks on the job, a sophomore came to me to ask for help. She had just been sexually assaulted. It was an earth-shattering experience for her, and all I could do was help her access the right resources and be there to listen as she dealt with the aftermath of the trauma in the weeks and months ahead. We lost touch after she graduated and then sixteen years later, just a few months ago, she emailed me to say that she had just finished her training as a diagnostic radiologist. “I would not have gotten here without you,” she wrote. Her email moved me to tears. I never could have guessed how much my support and encouragement helped her at that time and for years to come. Perhaps I was her Dave Williams.
2
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
The reality is that teachers are full of these stories. As teachers, we are constantly invited into young people’s lives in ways that allow us to have a profound and lasting impact that might not be clear at the time. In truth, it is my calling and I am grateful every day for the privilege to do this work at Govs, and more so among colleagues who share my passion. For nearly a decade at Govs, I have witnessed our faculty devoting themselves to the education of our students, both in and outside the classroom, giving them the skills and confidence they need to succeed in a world that is changing faster than at any other time in history. These young people will face some of the world’s most intractable problems: geopolitical and environmental threats that will affect global stability and access to resources; cyber threats; and humanitarian crises around the globe. But I believe in our students and feel confident and hopeful about their futures, supported as they are by the education and guidance we offer them. As you read about our efforts and the work of Govs graduates in the field of education in the following pages, I hope you will share my sense of optimism. The challenges may be daunting, but our students are amazing, and our faculty and staff are committed to engaging in this life-changing work— work that I firmly believe will make our world a better place. Sincerely yours,
Peter H. Qumby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14
GOVERNOR’S ALUMNI IN EDUCATION The motto of Governor’s, Non sibi sed aliis, “Not for self, but for others,” is well known to all in the Academy community. It’s a sentiment that may be realized in gestures both small and large, but nowhere is it writ larger than among those alumni who have chosen a career in education.
Princeton, he earned his PhD in computer, information, and control engineering (CICE) at the University of Michigan and began teaching, first at the University of California, Berkeley
Whether found in public school or private, in an elementary school classroom or a university corridor, Governor’s alumni in education believe deeply in the tenets of service, commitment, accessibility, rigor, and results that are the hallmarks of the Academy experience.
A dedication to innovation Michael Stonebraker ’61 is the definition of educational innovation that the Academy holds dear. Currently an adjunct professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Stonebraker has distinguished himself both as an academic and as a serial entrepreneur in the field of database software development. He has earned a host of prestigious awards, including the IEEE Michael Stonebraker ’61 John von Neumann Medal and the ACM Turing Award, widely considered to be the Nobel Prize of computer science, and he has founded numerous companies. In addition, he is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. While he derives joy from probing new concepts and taking ideas to market, Stonebraker also finds great pleasure in the classroom. After graduating from Governor’s in 1961, he continued at Princeton University, earning a bachelor’s in electrical engineering. “I had an aptitude for math and science, and my dad was an engineer, so I was familiar with the field,” he recalls. This was also the time that computers were coming into existence and Stonebraker realized they were the future. After graduating from
4
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Science teacher Marcus Soule and four Governor’s students (Nicolette ’19, Grace ’19, Ava ’19, and Victoria ’19) visited alumna Nicole Whelan’s ’94 elementary school, The Curtis Guild School. Nicole helps run the afterschool girls’ STEAM team for girls in grades 2–5. The mission of the group is to provide girls with access to opportunities in science, technology, engineering, math, and art, and to help instill within the girls an identity as scientists and engineers. Govs students brought Micro:bits and taught the girls how to program games and simple graphic designs.
and then at MIT. “Research was my primary focus for the first twenty-five years of my career,” he concedes, “but I do love teaching.” Stonebraker now spends his days working with the next generation of scientists to explore the possibilities inherent to big data. The Academy is thrilled to have Dr. Stonebraker return to Byfield this fall to share his knowledge and experience with current Governor’s students through a visiting professional seminar: Entrepreneurship 101: Starting a Business in 12 Short Weeks. True to the Governor’s motto of not for self, but for others, Dr. Stonebraker is offering his seminar to Governor’s students pro bono, simply for the love of teaching.
Nicole Whelan ’94 also understands the need to innovate, although in her case, the breakthroughs are more focused on methodology than materials and on realizing success within the oftentimes challenging public school environment. As a fourth grade math teacher in the Boston Public School System, Whelan must manage a complex demographic mix of students. Her school is comprised of eighty-five percent English language learners and was recently named a “Welcoming School,” one of just three elementary schools in Massachusetts and sixteen in the nation dedicated to embracing family diversity and gender inclusivity, preventing bias-based bullying, and supporting transgender and non-binary students. “Teaching in a publicNicole Whelan ’94 with her student at The school environment Curtis Guild School can be a challenge,” she concedes. “There’s lots of frustration, stress, and anxiety and many disparities between schools and districts, but it’s also super rewarding to work with these kids and feel like you’ve made a difference.”
A commitment that reaches beyond the classroom The rewards of the teacher-student relationship resonate with Abigail (Abbie) Clavin ’13 as well. A teaching fellow at Boston’s Nativity Preparatory School, a tuition-free, Jesuit middle school that serves boys from low-income families, Clavin works an elongated day that runs from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., interacting with students not only in the classroom, but also in the lunchroom, study hall, and on the playing field. The job is intense, she concedes, but also incredibly rewarding. A graduate of Boston College with a degree in sociology and business, Clavin had no formal teacher training before
Abbie Clavin ’13 coaching the 2018 Nativity Prep soccer team
beginning work in 2018 as a fourth and fifth grade social studies teacher at Nativity. “I had tutored at the school my senior year of college and I loved it,” she explains. “I knew that I wanted to go into education, but I wasn’t sure what aspect, teaching or administration, so when the chance arose to teach at Nativity, I grabbed it.” With just a year of professional experience, Clavin admits that her initial experiences as an educator have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, with all the highs and lows that visual evokes. But, she continues, the experience has been invaluable and has already broadened her own education considerably. “The first year of teaching is always difficult for anyone, but I’m learning every day, whether it be about the art of teaching or something that the boys have taught me.” Clavin has also discovered that she’d like to learn more about school administration. She is currently working on her master’s in education. “My calling is in education,” she observes. “I’m just not sure if it’s in a classroom or an office.” Regardless, she wants to remain in a private school. “It seems that in public schools, there’s often just one way of learning, and if that approach doesn’t happen to work for a student, he loses out. I believe educators in private schools have much more flexibility as well as the opportunity to get to know students both inside and outside the classroom.” “As a student at Govs, I found the learning environment very holistic and caring. The faculty was accessible—they not only lived on campus but were also available to us as coaches and as leaders of extra-curricular activities.” The arrangement gave Clavin a chance to know her teachers in a different context and to learn from them in a host of ways, something she found quite valuable. It’s a model she has carried into her own teaching. “I try to make myself as accessible to my students as possible—it makes a difference.” For Governor’s faculty member Amy Block ’06, the ability to educate students with a thoughtful balance of academics, athletics, arts and service to others is what makes life as an educator so compelling. A mathematics teacher, Block also FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
5
SEVEN ESSENTIAL SEVEN SEVENESSENTIAL ESSENTIAL SKILLS SKILLS SKILLS
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE SKILLS IN OUR THE DEVELOPMENT THESE SKILLS IN OURPROGRAM: STUDENTS DEFINES OF OUR CO-CURRICULAR THE DEVELOPMENT OFCO-CURRICULAR THESE SKILLS INPROGRAM: OUR STUDENTS DEFINES OUR STUDENTS DEFINES OUR CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAM:
Think critically and solve problems Think critically and
Be thoughtful and
engagedand readers Be thoughtful engaged readers Be thoughtful and engaged readers
solve problems Think critically and solve problems
Understand roles in larger Understand roles in larger community and actact within a a community and within Understand roles in larger moral ethical framework moraland and ethical framework community and act within a moral and ethical framework
achieve commongoals goals achieve common achieve common goals
in written, oral, digital,
graphic formats inand written, oral, digital, in written, oral, digital, and graphic formats and graphic formats
Access and analyze Access and analyze information information Access and analyze information
Adapt readily to new situations andreadily information Adapt to new Adapt readily to new situations and information situations and information
serves as the head coach of Girls Varsity Soccer, assistant lacrosse coach and a head dorm parent. She believes deeply in the value of an education that takes place both inside and outside the classroom, an opinion borne of personal experience. “The close relationships I formed with my teachers, coaches, and peers during my time as a student at Governor’s is what first led me to consider education as a career path,” says Block. “My advisers were mentors and friends who remained in my life after graduation.” Whelan echoes Block’s Amy Block ’06 feelings for the Academy. “I remember having a conversation with a neighbor and asking, ‘Who was your favorite high school teacher?’ and she said she didn’t have any,” says Whelan. “I was shocked—I had so many favorites at Governor’s including Wally Rowe, my English teacher. He was a superstar.” In fact, the two remain in touch to this day. “I got a great education at Governor’s,” says Whelan. “I was challenged 6
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
academically, I played sports, and I made best friends there who are still my best friends today. I loved it all.” Still, the two alumnae have travelled different paths since graduation. After departing Governor’s, Block earned her bachelor of science in mathematics and economics at Union College while also playing soccer and lacrosse, an experience that cemented her desire to teach in a boarding school. “Being able to teach and coach was an enticing prospect,” she says. So, when Block was offered the chance to return to her alma mater after graduating, she didn’t hesitate. “Working with the Academy’s talented faculty and motivated students has enabled me to grow as a teacher and a coach,” she observes. Indeed, in 2018, Block completed her master of science for teachers in mathematics from the University of New Hampshire. “I have the opportunity to get to know my students as fully rounded individuals, I am generously supported in my pursuit of continuing education, and I enjoy time with talented colleagues who share their knowledge. It’s been a wonderful experience.” Block is a strong advocate of the Academy’s Seven Essential Skills and sees them as an essential part of the Governor’s experience. “We build our curriculum around them and work hard—inside and outside the classroom—to develop these competencies in our students by the time they graduate. Our goal is to equip students with both the Seven Essential Skills and the twenty-first century skills they will need to succeed.” “Had I not gone to Governor’s, I’m not sure what I would be doing now,” Block concludes. “I might still be teaching, but I’m not sure that I would have discovered the joys and rewards of teaching in a boarding school like Governor’s.”
A respect for both public and private education While Whelan shares Block’s affections for the private school experience, she ultimately decided that working with public school students was her calling. “After completing my bachelor’s at Hobart & William Smith Colleges and my master in art education at Lesley University, I did a pre-practicum at Buckingham, Browne and Nichols as well as at a public school in Roslindale, and ultimately I felt drawn to the challenges that the public school environment represented,” she explains. Public education is demonized quickly and easily, and often
Nicole Whelan ’94 with former Govs teacher Wally Rowe P’82
unfairly, continues Whelan. And she admits there are issues. “There are a huge range of abilities within each grade and we’re constantly assessing how we serve the kids, especially those who are struggling.” For example, she says, there’s an ongoing push-pull regarding intervention on literacy versus math, and standardized assessments are a hot topic. “As a teacher, hearing that you’re in the failing group or the lower ten percent can be stressful.” Nevertheless, Whelan is proud of the work Boston public school teachers are doing. “If you compare us to other major cities, we’re in the top three and a leader in the field. Of course, there’s always room for improvement, but there are lots of talented educators working in the public school system as well as many talented students who just need a bit of help in overcoming the many obstacles standing in the way of their bright future.”
Saundra Watson ’93 also believes strongly in the power of public education and is committed to making it work for every student. As a Special Education Coordinator for the Needham Public Schools, she spends her days helping children with learning disabilities and mental challenges gain access to education. Watson confesses to some surprise at finding herself in this position. “I never wanted to be a teacher,” she says bluntly. “As an undergraduate at Lesley University, I majored in human services and social work.”
a private high school, for example, a great deal of emphasis is placed on where you’re going to college, but in many instances, the curriculum that’s taught is much the same as that offered in public schools.” The public versus private debate extends into higher education as well, says Watson. “I went to private schools for my advanced degrees, but in retrospect, I wish I would have considered state schools. I believe it’s possible to get an equally good education in these institutions.” Nevertheless, Watson is quick to acknowledge the benefits she enjoyed as a private school student. “My time at Governor’s undoubtedly affected my career path, both because of the composition of the student body and the emphasis on achievement,” she observes. “The Academy exposed me to what’s possible and, together with my family, encouraged me to always strive higher. It made a lasting impression.”
“My time at Governor’s undoubtedly affected my career path, both because of the composition of the student body and the emphasis on achievement.” —Saundra Watson ’93
Saundra Watson ’93
After graduating, Watson spent a decade running a residential treatment program at the Walker School, a private special education school serving kids from kindergarten through eighth grade who suffered from behavioral, social, and emotional challenges. A change in the program’s focus prompted a move into the classroom, but after teaching for several years and adding two master’s degrees to her résumé, Watson decided that educational administration was her calling. She earned her administrative license and joined the Needham school district. The decision, she says, was a sound one. “This district has wonderful administrators and good resources, and I’ve been given many opportunities to expand my knowledge base, not only in my area of specialization, but also in education as a whole, for example learning how to run a school system.”
Stonebraker, too, credits the Academy for playing an influential part in his educational journey. “I got a very good education at Governor’s and I doubt that I would have gotten into Princeton had it not been for my time at the Academy.” Private school or public, however, he argues that kids today must graduate from college with some viable skills for employment. “When I went to college, you could major in pretty much whatever you wanted and once you entered the workforce, your employer would teach you what you needed to know.” But that’s no longer the case, he says. “Today’s graduates need applicable skills; at MIT, for example, fifty percent of the students major in computer science. Pursuing a degree nowadays requires a significant investment, so students must secure knowledge they can use to support themselves when they enter the workforce.” Whether they are challenging conventional wisdom, reaching beyond the confines of a typical school day to connect with students, or demonstrating that learning occurs in a range of environments, all five educators exemplify the Govs mission of advancing education and giving back to their communities in ways that leave an indelible mark.
Although Watson acknowledges that some public schools are better than others, she also argues that a private school education shouldn’t automatically be viewed as superior. “In
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
7
RADICAL LOVE: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION Graduates of Governor’s will live and work in a globally connected world, and the Academy continues to build on its commitment to preparing them to thrive in that environment and take responsibility for cultivating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their daily lives. Readers of spring 2018 issue of The Archon will recall that the issue was devoted to highlighting multicultural education at Governor’s. Since that time, we have continued the conversation and expanded our work to make Govs a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. And for Head of School Peter Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14, continuing the work of his beloved colleague Kathy Guy P’05, who passed away in 2017 after a forty-year tenure teaching at the Academy, is central to this work. In Guy’s honor, Quimby created the Katherine Krall Guy Social Justice speaker series, which funds bringing a nationally acclaimed social justice speaker to campus every year. “Kathy touched many lives over the years— some described her as the conscience of the Academy,” says Quimby, “and it’s an honor to remember her in this significant way and carry on her commitment to making Governor’s a more inclusive and diverse community.” Dean of Multicultural Education Eddie Carson, who joined the Academy in 2018, comes with expertise in social justice and intersectionality—the Academy’s multicultural education theme for 2019. An historian who focuses on black identity, religion, the work of W.E.B. Du Bois, the nature of history teaching, and “radical love,” Carson leveraged his connections this past winter to bring two powerful
8
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
voices on the front lines of diversity, equity, and inclusion to visit campus on MLK Day: Wade Davis, the NFL’s first LGBTQ+ inclusion consultant on issues at the intersection of sexism, racism, and homophobia; and Simone John, a poet and social activist. In the spring, Carson organized a convocation where he facilitated conversations among students around gender identity and invited Simone John to work with Govs students in affinity groups. Carson also brought Milton Academy history teacher Vivian Wu Wong to campus to speak with our faculty about Asian students, racism, and the particular needs of this population. This year, Carson has invited two more speakers to campus. The first, Rev. Sharon Washington Risher, was our keynote speaker on MLK Day. Risher, who suffered extreme personal loss, including the death of her mother in the Charleston, SC shooting at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015, has become an outspoken voice regarding the nation’s gun laws. In October, Arno Michaelis, author of My Life After Hate, hosted a workshop with our community to show how compassion, curiosity, and kindness can build the foundations for diversity appreciation and cultural agility. “We frequently see wonderful public gatherings and discussions around
Kathy Guy P’05, Faculty Emerita, 1949–2017
diversity, equity, and inclusion, but I’ve also found myself in countless private talks with students and colleagues about our direction,” Carson explains. “People want to move from contemplation and pondering to identifying concrete ways in which to move our work forward. They are anxious to see real change.” As part of the process, Carson asks his students and colleagues to consider some big questions: Why should we be excited by the concept of radical love, about loving in the face of bias, anger, and even hatred? And what does it mean for us as an institution? “I want people to be excited by the idea of other institutions talking about Govs as an inclusive change agent,” he concludes.
VISITING PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR SERIES MARKS ITS THIRD YEAR Interacting with and learning from seasoned professionals who are experts in their field is a thrilling experience, and Govs students are eager for this opportunity. Our Visiting Professional Seminar Series allows Govs students and faculty to learn from experts in unique fields of study, and to investigate local projects of interest as well as important national and global issues. Each seminar is also designed to further students’ fluency in the Academy’s Seven Essential Skills. Atwell House Seminar
Social Justice Seminar
Eight Govs students from grades ten through twelve spent a year studying a topic close to home: the historic preservation of the Atwell House, an eighteenth-century structure on the Academy campus that is currently undergoing renovations.
Janette Carson, a greater Boston-area activist and organizer, hosted a seminar focused on social justice. Entitled “Social Justice and Political Activism in Society,” the seminar explored the injustices faced by those with fewer intersectional privileges. #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #ImmigrantsAreUs, and #LoveIsLove demonstrate the pronouncement of emerging hashtags that rallied people to organize and speak out for social justice.
“If These Walls Could Talk: Historic Preservation Case Study” was led by Bethany Groff Dorau, the North Shore Regional Site Manager for Historic New England. In addition to working with Dorau, students also heard from a series of guest lecturers and worked closely with Ms. Slater P’16, ’20, ’23, Archives Manager at the Academy. At the completion of their project, they presented their findings to an audience of parents, students, faculty, and members of the Museum of Old Newbury in the Frost Library.
Atwell House toward the end of its historic preservation and renovation this past summer.
The seminar taught students the tenets of social justice and mass movements by engaging them in past and current case studies related to the injustices of marginalized and oppressed people. Leading activists participated as guest speakers, teaching students their methodologies for organizing and their approaches to effecting change.
El ’22 and Bejunior ’21 participate in a discussion during The Social Justice Visiting Professional Seminar.
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
9
Eddie Carson with student Minhui ’21
As a concluding project, students examined our school’s facilities and identified areas demanding immediate attention to ensure equal access for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Janette Carson was ably supported by her husband Eddie Carson and a cast of guest speakers. Simone John, a poet, educator, and freelance writer, also came to campus to speak about injustices to black and brown queer women, and explored how poetry can be used as a form of activism. Students gave a school presentation on ableism and the injustice of access due to physical barriers on the Govs campus, followed by a tour to demonstrate the injustices that exist. “Our Visiting Professional Series is an excellent way to engage our students in project-based learning by providing them with authentic learning opportunities that build skills and, ideally, impact the lives of others within our community or beyond,” observes Academic Dean and Assistant Head of School Elaine White P’16, ’21. “It has been an incredible boon to the school in a variety of ways. For one, the Academy has made connections with businesses and individuals who are typically outside the purview of the school. We’ve also re-established connections with alumni like Michael Stonebraker ’61, who will be leading an entrepreneurship seminar in fall 2019. The majority of these folks have had no experience with teaching, and yet, when
10
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
“Our Visiting Professional Series is an excellent way to engage our students in project-based learning by providing them with authentic learning opportunities that build skills and, ideally, impact the lives of others within our community or beyond.” — Elaine White P’16, ’21 Academic Dean and Assistant Head of School they come into the seminar and engage with our students, they invariably find that they love the work. They are buoyed by that interaction—a genuine exchange with students—and they are thrilled and excited by this experience! The adults can’t believe that our faculty get to work with these kids every day. Tapping into the passions of our kids and letting them engage in these incredible projects and experiences has also been an unexpected gift for me—we are all so lucky to have this caliber of students.”
With True Courage, the largest and most ambitious comprehensive fundraising campaign in our school’s long history, continues with impressive momentum. With your support, we are able to build the places, support the people, and develop the programs that help rank Governor’s among the top boarding schools in our country.
GROW THE ENDOWMENT
RAISE ANNUAL SUPPORT
FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS
Meet Herb Kent ’08
Director of Annual Giving
A 2008 graduate of the Academy, Herb received his bachelor of science in finance from Bentley University, and his master of science in business ethics and compliance from the New England College of Business. Herb comes from a corporate analytics background, having worked as a seniorlevel analyst at Rue Gilt Group and Wayfair.com. Newlywed Herb recently moved to Danvers, MA with his wife Francesca after living in Boston for the past ten years.
current students support The Governor’s Fund. I can’t stress enough how important participation is to the spirit and health of the Fund. My message to our young alumni, in particular, is that the amount of a gift doesn’t matter—it’s participation that counts.
Seeking to switch his career path to one that would impart a sense of purpose and satisfy his passion to give back, Herb joined The Governor’s Academy last year as the Associate Director of Annual Giving. When the opportunity to advance into the role of Director presented itself this past spring, Herb knew that this was his chance to bring his considerable skill set and experience to do even more for the Govs community. “My sincere dedication and belief in our great school is something that I have always carried with me; I believe in this place,” said Herb. “To be able to come back home to Govs and give back to the school that gave me so many opportunities as a young student is incredibly rewarding.”
Every year! Annual giving, regardless of the amount, is a great way to show your support and passion for the Govs community. On the other hand, I am always thrilled when someone makes multiple gifts in a fiscal year, especially when we are closing out the fund at the end of the year. This year, we had many repeat gifts, which resulted in a recordbreaking year!
What is your favorite part about Govs? All the people that make up the Govs community—our faculty and staff, and also the greater community of alumni, past parents, and friends.
Tell us more about The Governor’s Fund, and why it’s so important to the Academy. The Governor’s Fund, the Academy’s annual fundraising program, supports ten percent of the school’s annual operating budget, which provides all of the elements that make Govs great: the academics, arts, athletics, and the everyday experiences on campus that
12
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
make for those memorable days and nights with your fellow classmates. It’s one of the most important funds in terms of the direct impact on every student’s experience, every day.
Who donates to the Fund? It’s a really large community of people who, for all kinds of reasons, have a special connection to the community and want to show their support at whatever level they are able to contribute. In short, it’s current and past parents, alumni, faculty and staff, grandparents, our board of trustees, and our community vendors. Even our
How often should I donate to the Fund?
What is the difference between The Governor’s Fund and With True Courage, The Campaign for Governor’s? The Governor’s Fund is our annual fundraising program that bridges the gap between the income we receive from tuition and the true cost of providing a Governor’s education. The difference is about $14,000 per student and The Governor’s Fund helps to offset that amount. With True Courage is a comprehensive fundraising campaign that has a specific start and end date, spanning seven
T H E C A M PA I G N F O R G OV E R N O R ’ S
years with a $75 million goal. With True Courage includes gifts for capital projects, endowment, and annual support from The Governor’s Fund.
“To be able to come back home to Govs and give back to the school that gave me so many opportunities as a young student is incredibly rewarding.” —Herb Kent ’08
What percentage of the alumni community gives on an annual basis? About twenty-five percent of our alumni give on an annual basis, which is great. However, some of our peers in other ISL schools are seeing between forty and fifty percent alumni participation. One of my goals is to increase our alumni participation and inspire a more competitive spirit around the Fund. I know we have an alumni base that can bring this up and as an alumnus myself, I still have that competitive spirit against other schools, so I know other alumni do, too!
What is one of the challenges you hope to take on this year? People love the school and easily agree to support Govs, but people also get busy and forget—it’s just human nature. To help with this we have set up a userfriendly online system to make a multiyear pledge with automatic recurring payments super easy.
How do I give to The Governor’s Fund? There are multiple ways to give: online at thegovernorsacademy.org/giving, by check, by calling me directly, in person (please come back and visit), Venmo @ gogovs, or stock.
For additional information, questions, or to connect with Herb call 978.499.3215, email hkent@govsacademy.org or come back to Byfield and visit in person!
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
13
WITH TRUE COUR AGE
Fall 2019 Campaign Update of support from so many has contributed to what will be the largest fundraising effort in the school’s 256-year history. But there is still much work to be done as we strive to achieve our $75 million campaign goal and to secure the Governor’s experience for generations to come. You can make an impact on our school’s courageous future. Alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends: your spirit of generosity, school pride, and commitment is humbling; it tells us that you believe in the courageous future of our great school. Together, we will make our campaign goal, and together, we will go further than we ever thought possible.
The progress of the campaign is already evident around campus: a new track, new housing for our dedicated faculty, restoration of historic buildings, and the Sager Bowl renovation. We have raised more than half of the funds needed to break ground on two major capital projects: a newly imagined and greatly expanded Peter Marshall French Student Center and a state-of-the-art $14Environmental M Parker River Studies THE GOVERNOR’S Center. These two projects will be game FUND changers for the Academy, and we invite you to be a part of this historic moment for the school. CAMPAIGN We are grateful to those who have GOAL BREAKDOWN: brought us to this moment in the campaign; the collective commitment
With True Courage, The Campaign for Governor’s continues with impressive momentum, reaching and surpassing historic milestones with nearly $55 million raised towards the $75 million goal. Achieving this goal will mean that we are able to build the places, support the people, and develop $19 M the programs that help rank Govs CAPITAL PROJECTS among the top boarding schools in our country.
$12 M
$30 M
DEFFERRED SUPPORT FOR ENDOWMENT
ENDOWMENT TO SUPPORT FINANCIAL AID AND FACULTY
PROGRESS TOWARD CAMPAIGN GOAL
$75 M $14 M
$19 M
THE GOVERNOR’S FUND
CAPITAL PROJECTS
$55 M $36 M
$42.3 M
CAMPAIGN GOAL BREAKDOWN:
$27 M $12 M DEFFERRED SUPPORT FOR ENDOWMENT
JULY 2017
OCTOBER 2017
JULY 2018
OCTOBER 2019
$30 M ENDOWMENT TO SUPPORT FINANCIAL AID AND FACULTY
JUNE 2021
PROGRESS TOWARD CAMPAIGN GOAL
14
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
$55 M
$75 M
T H E C A M PA I G N F O R G OV E R N O R ’ S
Class of 1971 Peter Alfond Memorial Scholarship Fundraising efforts meet and surpass original goal In the summer of 2018, the Class of 1971 launched an ambitious fundraising effort to establish an endowed scholarship fund in memory of beloved classmate Peter Alfond, who passed away unexpectedly in 2017. The class had originally announced the intention of raising $250,000 by their 50th Reunion in 2021. As of October 2019, the original $250,000 goal has not only been met, but has been exceeded with a total of $323,000 raised to date and a new goal of $500,000 set. In addition to this impressive fundraising achievement, Peter Alfond’s classmate and friend Andy Nelson ’71 attended The
(L-R) Andy Nelson ’71, Trustee Bill Alfond ’67, Head of School Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14, and Board of Trustees President Jim Pierce ’72, P’08 at the 2019 Board of Trustees retreat
Governor’s Academy Trustee retreat this past September and, along with Board President Jim Pierce ’72, P’08, announced that a $1 million challenge grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation has been awarded to the Academy. The Foundation, established by Peter’s father in 1950 to further the family’s philanthropic legacy, awarded the grant to match two-for-one gifts made in honor of Peter Alfond between now and the class reunion in June 2021. Once the Class of 1971 has completed its new goal, the Class of 1971 Peter Alfond Memorial Scholarship will total $1.5 million to support the endowed financial aid program at the Academy. The thoughtful philanthropy in honor of Peter Alfond’s memory and the generosity of the Harold Alfond Foundation provides an especially meaningful tribute to Peter, who was an inspiration to his friends, classmates, and family. As Andy Nelson remarked during the Trustee retreat, Peter Alfond was a “connector;” he embodied the Govs ideal of community and had the true courage to try new things as a student; he was not defined by one particular talent and embraced many new opportunities while here. Andy spoke of Peter’s kind, engaging, and inclusive nature, and the lifelong friendships that began at the Academy, all values that will be his legacy and continue to be part of the Academy’s enduring qualities today.
Endowment for Financial Aid: A Campaign Priority With True Courage, the Campaign for Governor’s presents an unprecedented opportunity for us to make a Governor’s education available to as many qualified students as possible, regardless of financial need. Nearly one-third of our $75 million campaign goal will directly build the endowment for financial aid at the Academy, thereby allowing us to broaden our reach and yield candidates who earn our highest ratings in academics, co-curriculars, character, and leadership potential. In short, those students who will most benefit from and contribute to The Governor’s Academy community. A robust endowment for financial aid will reduce our dependence on our tuition income to fund and grow our financial aid program, allowing us to keep tuition in line with our peers and remain competitive in both tuition fees and the amount of financial aid we can award.
Average amount of financial aid awarded each year
$4.7 MILLION* 9% *Amount from endowment restricted for financial aid
*Four-year average, 2015–2019
Archives
LEFT: The Class of 2007 decided to decorate the chapel by filling it with cardinal and white balloons. The seat-high flood of balloons made getting to one’s chapel seat a special challenge that day; RIGHT: The victim of the Class of 1980’s senior prank, English teacher Debbie Craig’s 1979 MG Midget
Senior Pranks Senior pranks can be found all over YouTube and Google, but they are not a new phenomenon. Governor’s alumni recollections and archival photos confirm that seniors have been pulling pranks on campus for over fifty years. Many of these good-natured high jinks, of which faculty were often the target, have remained in people’s memories for years. Here are a few of the antics that made an impression on those involved. “Debbie Craig was a young English teacher with a big dog, and a 1979 MG Midget, barely 48 inches wide, 11 feet long and only weighing about 1500 lbs. We pushed it from the front of Pierce up along the path between Commons and The Mansion House around Parsons and to the entrance of the footbridge. The two bollards were just a couple of inches too narrow...we planned ahead...Chris Stafford’s mother supplied us with 2 x 12 boards which Chris threw into the woods near the Duff’s house. We later retrieved them to construct a ramp so that we could get the car up onto the bridge by the side 16
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
between the bollards and the railing. The funniest moment was the next day. We stood in my dorm looking out the window watching Mr. Champoux and several of the physical plant staff with a measuring tape. They were standing there scratching their heads. They double-checked the dimensions of both the car, the bollards, then the car again.” —Helen Mazarakis ’80 “Another foiled prank I recall is when a group of us made off with a car-load of pumpkins. It was, we imagined, a truly altruistic attempt to decorate our campus
for the Halloween celebration. The Rowley police enjoyed watching us load my yellow Toyota pick up to the brim and head down Route 1A for campus before applying the sirens and flashing blue lights.” —Spencer Purinton ’73 “A group of us were hanging around in the Pierce Butt Club around 9:00 pm, and the talk swung around to what we were going
THE ARCHIVES
LEFT: The deans got into the spirit of the Class of 2005 prank of
replacing the G flag that flies above the Alumni Gymnasium with the Jolly Roger, as they negotiated the original flag’s return; RIGHT: Using much ingenuity, members of the Class of 1969 managed to make Thompson Auditorium into a car dealership by pushing faculty cars through the front doors into the main lobby.
to do for a senior prank. I do not know who, but someone said, ‘Hey let’s make the lobby of Thompson Art Center look like a used car dealership!’ Those were the days before there were steering wheel locks on cars, so if someone left their car unlocked, (at least three little foreign cars parked in front of Pierce seemed to be open), we were all set. We took turns: one guy would sit in a car, and the rest of us pushed it around on the driveway all the way over to the Thompson Art Center. Someone had a key since they worked at night in the grill there, so we got the big glass doors unlocked! We pushed the cars carefully up the three shallow steps and into the large lobby. Someone made ‘For Sale’ signs with prices, and these were placed on the windshields.” —Peter Dorsey ’69 “They heisted the ‘G’ flag from the roof of the Alumni Gym and raised the Jolly
Roger in its place. I recall that we used a locker in the Frost basement as a ‘drop box’ to exchange the flags. On at least one occasion, I read my communique at Morning Meeting. As I recall, they managed to hang the ‘G’ flag on the PAC stage and the school president and senior class president parted the curtain to unveil it at a Friday morning meeting. I think I returned their skull & crossbones flag to the locker in Frost.” —Bill Quigley P’04, ’10, faculty “Jay Goswami and I ‘borrowed’ two faculty canoes and hauled them up to hang over either side of the foyer of the old Thompson Auditorium. We had to dodge the security van, carry the canoes to the building (during which I rolled my ankle and broke the fifth metatarsal in my left foot), and break in through a propped window. We tied the ropes to the canoes, climbed up to the foyer roof,
then hauled them up. We had to estimate how much rope should be between the two so they would hang just above the doors. Overnight the rope stretched so that one of the canoes hung a little too low and the door scraped it (causing a little damage to the canoe, which was the low point of the prank for me—it was supposed to be a victimless prank). We had meant to make a dummy to place in the canoe with a fishing pole and a note that read, “Seniors gone fishin’,” to express the kind of slacker attitude characteristic of the Class of ’95. All in all, I thought it was a pretty impressive prank (executed by only two people, when the original plan was for four or more) that was under-appreciated. I expected a bit more impact, knowing intimately how difficult it had been to pull off (with a broken foot, no less!), but, alas.” —Michael Noon ’95
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
17
Back in Byfield Grandparents & Grandfriends Day On April 24, 2019, nearly 200 grandparents, grandfriends, and family joined their students for our annual Grandparents & Grandfriends Day. Guests spent the day attending classes, practices, and rehearsals with students, enjoying lunch in the Alfond Family Dining Hall, and attending a presentation and High Tea hosted by Head of School Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’87, P’14.
Lizzie Sununu ’22, Diane Hefford, Jane Sununu ’19, and Charlotte Hefford P’81, ’86, GP’19, ’21, ’22
Loretta Alibrandi GP’19, ’22, Max Alibrandi ’19, and Lily Alibrandi ’22
Frank Goldstein P’87, GP’22, Amy Northup ’87 P’22, Charlotte Northup ’22, Wendy Northup GP’22, and Edward Northup GP’22
Fred Carter GP’15, ’20, Cathy Mackey-Carter GP’15, ’20, Jessica Rose ’20, and Ellen Rose P’20
Carol Hibbs GP’22 and Katherine Riley ’22
Paul Kyte GP’21, ’23, Arlo Winokur ’21, and Jane Kyte GP’21, ’23
Nia Pile ’22, Herma Wickham GP’22, and Wady Wickham (Nia’s favorite uncle)
18
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
New Members of The Governor’s Academy Board of Trustees Frank Cousins Jr. P’20 Frank is President of the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In this role, Frank supports the entire business community to help local businesses thrive. Previously, Frank was elected Essex County (MA) Sheriff in 1996, becoming the first African American sheriff in Massachusetts. He served in that role until 2017. Prior to being elected, Frank served as a State Representative from 1993–1996, and also served on Newburyport’s City Council. He presently serves on the Board of Directors at the Provident Bank, headquartered in Amesbury, MA, and at Anna Jaques Hospital.
Phillip S. Gillespie P’22 After an eleven-year run, Phil left his position as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at State Street Global Advisors, where he was responsible for the company’s global affairs and oversaw a global team of attorneys, paralegals, and assistants. He was also a member of State Street Global Advisors Executive Management Group. Phil joined State Street Global Advisors from OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (OFI), where he was Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, responsible for the day-to-day operations of OFI’s Legal Department. Prior to joining OFI in 2004, Phil was First Vice President—Legal Advisory at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM), where he managed a team of attorneys and paralegals providing legal services and oversight for MLIM’s US-based investment teams, operations, and its U. registered fund business.
Frank Cousins, Jr. P’20
From 1993 to 1997, Phil was an attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in its Washington, D.C. headquarters, holding posts as Senior Counsel in the Legal Policy and Counseling Group of the SEC’s Office of the General Counsel and as Senior Counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management. Prior to joining the SEC, Phil was an associate in the corporate finance practice of the Seattle law firm, Perkins Coie, and started his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Charles Clark, Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Phil is a graduate of Georgetown University and Tulane Law School. A native of Mississippi, he lives in Salem, MA with his partner, Dr. Daniel Randall, MD, their two daughters, three dogs, and a fish.
Phillip S. Gillespie P’22
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
19
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
Brian J. Patrican P’21 Brian is originally from the North Shore and attended high school locally in Hamilton and at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. He went on to Babson College, earning his degree in finance and entrepreneurial studies, and studied at the University of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia, during his junior year. Following college, Brian joined IBG, Inc., a family-owned corporation founded by his father fifty years ago. IBG, Inc. specializes in all areas of real estate development and has four divisions: Manufacturing, Engineering/Autocad, Construction, and Commercial Real Estate. Today, having worked for the firm for twenty-six years, Brian is Chief Financial Officer of IBG and is responsible for overseeing the financial management of all operations, capital expenditures for the manufacturing division, and leasing of commercial buildings in the company’s office park. Brian says it was his own experience as a student at Choate Rosemary Hall that convinced him of the value of an independent school education. “Choate opened my eyes to the world, and the teachers provided me with the tools to explore a whole new level of learning. I consider my experiences at Choate as the pivotal point that essentially provided me direction for the balance of my adult life,” he says. Brian’s son, Maxwell, is a junior at Governor’s and his daughter, Avery, is a ninth grader at Cushing Academy. Outside of work, Brian has competed in Sprint, Olympic, and half Iron Man Triathlons and has run the Boston Marathon three times. He also likes to spend time skiing, hiking, and playing ice hockey.
David R. Masse P’21, ’23 David is the founder and CEO of Georgetown Capital Management; founder and Partner at Panther Properties; co-founder and CEO of Compass Realty Associates and founder and CEO of AAM 15 Management. Georgetown Capital focuses on corporate strategy, acquisitions, leasing, investor relations, debt and equity financing, and dispositions. Panther Properties develops and manages the company’s investment plan, including acquisition selection, investment underwriting, capital structuring, corporate budgeting, and investor relations. Compass Reality is a private equity real estate firm, and AAM 15 Management is a hospitality investment and management company. Prior to forming Georgetown, David spent almost twenty years at Boston banks, including the last nine years as a senior vice president at Boston Private Bank & Trust Company, where he managed the bank’s commercial real estate lending group and played a key role in the bank’s average annual growth rate of +25% during his tenure there. He has been involved with over $1 billion in real estate financing transactions. David's son Justin is a junior and his daughter Audrey is a ninth grader at Govs.
20
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Brian J. Patrican P’21
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
256th Commencement Exercises Held Over Memorial Day Weekend The Governor’s Academy held its 256th Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 26 and celebrated the graduation of 109 seniors. After receiving their diplomas in front of family and friends, graduates spent a few minutes celebrating with faculty and classmates on the lawn in front of the historic Little Red Schoolhouse. Friends then joined hands and took a metaphoric leap into the next chapter of their lives. The jumping of the wall, when graduates literally jump over the stone wall behind
the Mansion House, has been a tradition since the 1950s and continues to be a treasured and significant ritual for each graduating class. Delivering the Commencement address this year was Frederick M. Lawrence. Lawrence is the 10th Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s first and most prestigious academic honor society, founded in 1776. Lawrence is a Distinguished Lecturer at the Georgetown Law Center and has previously served as President of Brandeis University, Dean of the George Washington University Law School, and Visiting
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
In his address to the Governor’s Class of 2019 entitled “Is Change Really the Only Constant?” Lawrence urged graduates to use their college experience as an opportunity to learn how to think. He said, “Embrace breadth and long-term thinking; avoid narrowness and short-term thinking. In a college course, do not ask ‘am I learning a specific piece of information I can use?’ You likely won’t be able to use it in ten years, or even ten months, and possibly not in ten days. Instead, ask ‘am I learning a way of thinking that I will be able to use for the rest of my life?’ ‘Crosstrain’ your brain in college. And don’t ever stop.”
Professor and Senior Research Scholar at Yale Law School. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2018 and the American Law Institute in 1999. An accomplished scholar, teacher, and attorney, Lawrence is one of the nation’s leading experts on civil rights, free expression, and bias crimes. Lawrence has published widely and lectured internationally. He is the author of Punishing Hate: Bias Crimes Under American Law (Harvard University Press 1999), examining bias-motivated violence and the laws governing how such violence is punished in the United States. Lawrence’s legal career was distinguished by service as an assistant U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York in the 1980s, where he became chief of the Civil Rights Unit. Lawrence received a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in 1977 from Williams College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a law degree in 1980 from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Alek Sophia Davis ’19 of of Leesburg, VA was awarded the Morse Flag, which is presented each year to “a senior whose record in all respects meets the highest approval of the faculty.” The Thorndike Hilton Cup, awarded to “the highest ranking scholar of the graduating class,” was presented to Weizhi (Will) Zhao ’19 of North Andover, MA. The Academy Prize was presented to Vinay Metlapalli ’19 of Andover, MA. This prize is awarded to “a senior whose unselfishness and sportsmanship have best exemplified the spirit of the school.” Susannah Moore List ’19 of Reading, MA was the recipient of the Peter W. Bragdon Head of School Cup, which is given to “that senior who, in the judgment of the Head of School, has best served the mission of the school.” Congratulations to the Class of 2019!
COLLEGE DESTINATIONS FOR THE CLASS OF 2019 University of Connecticut Elon University Fisher College Fordham University Georgetown University Georgia State University Gettysburg College Hobart and William Smith Colleges College of the Holy Cross Johns Hopkins University Keio University Kenyon College Lafayette College Lewis & Clark College Marist College University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst College Bates College Bentley University Boston College Boston University Bowdoin College Bucknell University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Santa Barbara Clark University Colgate University University of Colorado at Boulder Connecticut College 22
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
University of Miami Michigan State University Muhlenberg College University of New Hampshire at Durham New York University Northwestern University Pennsylvania State University University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh Princeton University Purdue University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of Richmond Roanoke College Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University Sacred Heart University Savannah College of Art and Design Sciences Po – Columbia University Dual BA Program Seton Hall University Skidmore College St. Lawrence University Syracuse University Trinity College Tufts University University of Vermont Wake Forest University Williams College Xavier University Yale University
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
Capstone Each year in the week leading up to Commencement, Governor’s seniors take part in Capstone—two days of volunteering at local schools, parks, or other local non-profit organizations. Capstone offers seniors a chance to bond and give back to the community by living out our mission statement, non sibi sed aliis—not for self, but for others. This year’s volunteer opportunities included the following Massachusetts-based organizations and locations: Lowell Humane Society; Nourishing the North Shore in West Newbury; The REAL Program in Lynn; Community Giving Tree in Boxford; Esperanza Academy in Lawrence; Newbury Elementary School; a memorial site in Atkinson Common in Newburyport; environmental research at nearby rivers and water sources; and Maudslay State Park in Newburyport.
Bella Borek ’19, Mia Borek ’19, Caroline Gow ’19, and Nicolette LeVan ’19 at Lowell Humane Society
The Newbury Elementary School group worked on the school’s playground area.
Aurian Zarrineh ’19, Connor Mooney ’19, Jolie Preece ’19, Book Chalermkit ’19, Chloe Kim ’19, Miki Takahashi ’19, and Hee Won Youn ’19 helping plant flowers in Newburyport
Eloise Gerry ’19, Isabella Wood ’19, Dara Pokelwaldt ’19, Taylor Xie ’19, Victoria Wilson ’19, and Rose Anderson ’19 pose at Community Giving Tree with their group leader.
Charlotte Whittier ’19, Amy Liu ’19, Brianna Lawlor ’19, Maeve Forbes ’19, and Sydney Hall ’19 before taking water samples for environmental research
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
23
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
Governor’s Hosts Project Based Learning Workshop
(L to R): Govs faculty Jade Qian P’13, ’15 and Tom Robertson P’16, ’20, ’23, and in the back row (L to R): Jamie Brandt, Erika Mitkus, Andrew DeSalvo, Katie Alex, and Danielle Kingsbury P’20, ’23 at the PBL workshop.
For three days in June, after students had gone home for the summer, twenty-five Governor’s teachers attended the “Project Based Learning Works” workshop on campus. Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge. PBL prepares students for academic, personal, and career success, and readies young people to rise to the challenges of their lives and the world they will inherit. The three-day workshop was led by Brookwood School (Manchester-bythe-Sea, MA) Director of Innovation and science teacher Rich Lehrer. Lehrer, an expert in PBL methodology, is a sought after public speaker and teacher on the subject. Academic Dean and Assistant Head of School Elaine White P’16, ’21 says, “This is one type of methodology that we believe is helpful in the classroom because it focuses on inspiring students by engaging
24
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
“Each time I get the chance to learn from and practice doing PBL, I believe in it more. It is a great vehicle for making what I teach more practical and relatable for my students. If I can give what I teach more meaning to my students I am all for it and that is what PBL does.” —Jamie Brandt, science teacher them in authentic learning opportunities that build skills and, ideally, impact the lives of others within our community or beyond. It is not the only type of methodology we use in the classroom and we are not becoming a PBL school; it is just one type in a very flexible bag of methodologies so that we can be the best teachers possible for our students.” For three full days, teachers were hard at work learning and applying this methodology. Each teacher created a unit that they can use in the first three months of the 2019–2020 school year. In creating a classroom project, Governor’s teachers experienced the process themselves that they will teach in their
classes. The workshop included learning content from Lehrer, individually crafting ideas for projects, pitching those ideas to colleagues, responding to peer critique, refining projects, and crafting assessments and rubrics. English teacher Lynda Fitzgerald P’93, ’00 said, “This was a very practical and wellorganized workshop that emphasized the need for students to engage in experiential learning that definitely connects to our Seven Essential Skills. My project focused on Hamlet and The Catcher in the Rye, and I plan to implement it in my classes this fall. I am grateful to have had this opportunity for new learning.”
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
2018 Guggenheim Fellow Rania Matar Visits Govs Rania Matar, the photographer of our spring 2019 Remis Lobby exhibit, visited campus on April 16 to speak to students about her work. Matar’s “A Girl and Her Room” has been exhibited widely in the United States and internationally. The 2018 Guggenheim Fellow’s landmark series is comprised of environmental portraits of teenage girls in the United States and the Middle East. Her images are in the permanent collections of several museums worldwide. Photography teacher David Oxton P’03, ’08 expressed how grateful he was to feature Matar’s work at Governor’s. “Matar’s exhibit has traveled all over the world. I was amazed when she agreed to exhibit fourteen of her photos here at Govs. Now, everyone at Govs—not just photo students—have a chance to study, confront, and appreciate her remarkable depictions of young women,” he said. Oxton has shown Matar’s work in his photo classes, he said, and the response was strong. “Students love all the details in the photos that reveal the personalities of the young women. They appreciate Matar’s sense of composition and her ability to put her subjects at ease. Students feel that her portrayals of young women are authentic and compassionate.”
Rania Matar speaks to students and faculty at The Governor’s Academy.
Matar spoke to classes during two blocks in the Remis Lobby. She showed many of the images from the series on exhibit, and also showed students some of her other work. Students asked questions throughout her presentation, ranging from her artistic process to how she finds subjects for her photos.
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
25
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
Church & State In her four years at Governor’s, Susa List ’19 nailed every role that came her way, including the lead roles in Sister Act, Deed of Trust, and Little Shop of Horrors. But for this ambitious theater enthusiast, there was more to be conquered in the world of the performing arts at Govs. With help from fellow actors and the theater tech crew, List took on her most challenging role to date: producing and directing a play on her own in the spring of her senior year. Church and State, a politically charged, funny, and very human play, is the masterwork of playwright Jason Odell Williams. In the words of Williams, “It began as a germ of an idea shortly after the shooting massacre at Virginia Tech in 2007...then Tucson happened...then Aurora. And I watched again, riveted and angry. Then Newtown. And I’d had enough. A month later, I had a first draft of what would eventually become Church and State. I hope this play raises questions, sparks debate, and of course, I hope this play speaks to your heart.”
is a privilege. Church and State is a controversial play delving deeply into those conversations that we are warned aren’t polite to have in public: religion, politics, guns. But at its heart, it was about convictions, love, having the courage to do what many are afraid to, and following through with your vision for the greater good. I had been watching the news and Susa List ’19 every few weeks a new mass shooting would appear as a headline. And not only did they keep occuring, but it felt like they kept getting closer to home. My sister’s friend lost her best friend in the Antioch shooting. I know people who had family or friends at Mandalay Bay and Parkland. Prior to that, my middle school history teacher had a nephew at Sandy Hook.”
“It is easy in this polarized society to shy away from controversy because it seems simpler than engaging on any level. But, if we never talk about controversial issues, we cannot find a compromise or come to a consensus. Empathy is how we solve problems.” —Susa List ’19
“I wanted to have a conversation with my peers that wasn’t preaching or lecturing, or biased. When I found this play, I knew I had to do it.”
“Picking the play I wanted to produce and direct was probably the hardest part of the process,” said List. “I wanted a play that would be relatable to the audience, filled with real human emotions; but I didn’t want it to be a feel-good play because life isn’t always like that. With how blessed we all are to attend Govs, sometimes our view of life can be privileged, and it’s easy to forget that it
26
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
List’s production surely would have lived up to Williams’s expectations, and certainly it lived up to ours: we laughed at the characters’ very human moments, we became angry when they forgot their humanity, and we cried when the protagonist paid the ultimate price for his moral conviction. Every actor delivered a top-notch performance, and Arlo Winokur ’21 in the lead role left the audience speechless with his deft and hauntingly real monologue at the climax of the performance.
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
Spring Concert 2019 along with Rafer Gardner ’20 on alto saxophone, were joined in their set by soprano singer Grace Studley ’21. Studley moved the audience with her pure yet powerful rendition of Gus Kahn and Ishram Jones’s standard “I’ll See You in My Dreams.”
(L to R) Director of Instrumental Music Barbara Friend, Albert Cha ’19, Grant Palmer ’21, Chloe Kim ’19, and Cindy Zhang ’22
The Spring Concert, much anticipated each year, is a culmination of students’ hard work and dedication, and the community found this year’s concert on May 5 to be particularly memorable. Full of complexity, creativity, and a diversity of musical styles, the performance was an ambitious and spirited undertaking by Director of Instrumental Music Barbara Friend P’16 and Director of Choral Music Currie Joya Huntington. “I’m constantly impressed with what our students are willing to undertake, and the Jazz Band and Orchestra welcomed the challenge of playing technically and musically demanding pieces,” says Friend, who directs the Academy Orchestra, Jazz Band, and small ensembles, and teaches courses in music theory, music history, piano, and percussion.
intensity in their performance of Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” Anuvind Iyer ’19 was the student conductor of the orchestra and led the group in the rousing medley “Go West,” a collection of Western film themes arranged by Ralph Ford.
The highlight of the Jazz Band’s set was an exceptional performance of the Pee Wee Ellis funk tune “The Chicken” that featured Rafer Gardner ’20 on alto saxophone and Christian DiVincenzo ’19 on guitar. The Jazz Band closed their set, and the concert, with the familiar and uplifting “Sir Duke.” The Academy Orchestra demonstrated subtlety and
The newly formed Classical Trio performed Franz Doppler’s “Andante et Rondo” and featured Lily Zhao ’21 on flute, Jessica Choe ’22 on violin, and Minh Nguyen ’21 on piano. The powerhouse Six-Thirty Jazz Combo with seniors Billy Marella on tenor saxophone, Christina DiVincenzo on guitar, Anuvind Iyer on piano, and Arif Abd Aziz on drum set,
(L to R) Rose Robinson ’20 and Willem Henkes ’21
Huntington, now entering his fifth year leading the choral ensembles, has led the Academy’s choral singers to stellar performances of challenging and unexpected music. The thirtyseven members of the Academy Singers were joined by guest percussionists for “Shadowland” from The Lion King and Rollo Dilworth’s gospel tune “Everlasting Melody.” Select choir The First, comprising twenty auditioned singers, performed a set including Paul Rardin’s contemporary piece “My Spirit is Uncaged,” with text by Walt Whitman, and Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” a rockand-roll showstopper for which they were joined by members of the Six-Thirty Jazz Combo. Student conductor Wes D’Alelio ’19 led The First in a performance of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” from the eponymous Broadway musical. The two choral groups combined for an emotional final performance of “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman. “This concert really gave these singers the opportunity to demonstrate their musicianship and flexibility,” says Huntington. “Radmila Repczynski, our longstanding and incredibly talented collaborative pianist, had to leave for a family emergency four days before the concert. Rather than being thrown off, these singers figured out how to work with a new pianist in a heartbeat.” Indeed, ninth grade singer and pianist Selina Liu ’22 stepped down from the risers to play the piano part for “Shadowland,” after learning it in just a few days.
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
27
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
Winter Athletics 2018–19 BOYS ALPINE SKI: 29-10 Most Valuable Skier: CJ Baroni ’19
GIRLS ALPINE SKI: 13-16 Most Valuable Skier: Charlotte Whittier ’19 Coaches Award: Maeve Forbes ’19 and Jane Sununu ’19
BOYS BASKETBALL: 13-12 Most Valuable Player: Joseph Pridgen ’19 Most Improved Player: Marcus Bucknall ’21
GIRLS BASKETBALL: 14-10 Most Valuable Player: Kathryn White ’19 Coaches Award: Jolie Preece ’19 and Grace Kenkel ’19
BOYS ICE HOCKEY: 6-22 Most Valuable Player: Owen Fowler ’21 Most Improved Player: Alexander Duncan ’19 Coaches Award: Olle Akermark ’19
GIRLS ICE HOCKEY: 5-17-1 Most Valuable Player: Elizabeth Shannon ’22 Team Award: Victoria Wilson ’19
BOYS INDOOR TRACK: 7-9 Most Valuable Player: Luke Moriarty ’19 Coaches Award: Shane Mullen ’19
GIRLS INDOOR TRACK: 11-6 Most Valuable Player: Kianne Benjamin ’20 and Grace Everett ’19 Coaches Award: Sydney Hall ’19
WRESTLING: 16-2 Most Valuable Player: Trevor Nugent ’21 Heb Evans Award: Mitchell West ’21
28
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
Spring Athletics 2019 BASEBALL: 3-12 Most Valuable Player Award: Zachary Clough ’20 Senior Trophy: Parker Deptula ’19
GOLF: 3-11-4 Most Valuable Player Award: Bimba Carpenter ’21 Louis Quinzio Coaches Award: Henry Carlson ’20
BOYS LACROSSE: 14-3 Most Valuable Player Award: Luke Moriarty ’19 Coaches Award: Patrick Flaherty ’19 Senior Lacrosse Trophy: Jack Wood ’19
GIRLS LACROSSE: 6-11 Coaches Award: Jane Sununu ’19 and Stephanie Tamasi ’19
BOYS TENNIS: 7-10 Most Valuable Player: Anuvind Iyer ’19
GIRLS TENNIS: 4-11 Most Valuable Player: Mallika Chari ’22 Coaches Award: Nicolette LeVan ’19
BOYS TRACK: 8-3 Most Valuable Player: Oliver Berzansky ’19 and Andrew Swiniarski ’19
Coaches Award: Shane Mullen ’19 Gilbert Distance Running: Alexander Tollman ’19
GIRLS TRACK: 9-3 Most Valuable Player: Kianne Benjamin ’20 Coaches Award: Julia Russolillo ’19 Gilbert Distance Running: Eloise Gerry ’19
SOFTBALL: 14-1 Most Valuable Player: Lilly Armstrong ’19 Coaches Award: Caroline Gow ’19 FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
29
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
Chat with Adeliza Rosario-Vasquez ’20 Where are you from? How did you learn about Govs? I first stepped on campus the summer after sixth-grade as a GovsPLUS student from Lawrence, MA. Attending the program each summer until eighth grade convinced me to apply to Govs. Now a senior, I am no stranger to the campus— this community has been an important part of my life for nearly eight years.
What will you miss about Govs when you graduate in the spring? I will miss the Govs “grittiness” on the sports field and the best friends I have in the dorm. I will miss the support I feel in the classroom and the chocolate chip muffins from the dining hall every morning. I will miss Dr. Quimby thanking members of our community with Kind bars at Monday Morning Meeting, and I will miss seeing the McLain’s pig wandering the turf during field hockey season.
What advice would you give to your ninth-grade self? I would tell her not to worry so much— things will fall into place; to be ready for the amazing students, staff, and faculty at Govs. I’ve been truly blown away and maybe my ninth-grade self could have used a small warning to enjoy every moment because it goes by so quickly. I would also tell her to microwave the chocolate chip muffins; it is life-changing!
Can you describe a faculty member or coach who you look up to? Picking one is hard, but there is one faculty member who always brightens my day. Although I may not seek their advice, I always feel assured that they are there for me. Simple eye contact and stopping to ask about my day makes a difference. I admire this faculty member’s
30
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
ability to be compassionate, kind, and always willing to crack a smile that can change my day.
inside jokes, all while analyzing rhetoric. The laid-back vibe in the class made it easy to learn and even easier to enjoy.
What do you think you want to study in college?
Where do you hope to go to school next year? How many schools will you apply to?
Honestly, I have absolutely no idea. I hope that in my final year at Govs I discover my passion and potentially study that in college. I know that I want to continue studying the Spanish language. It’s been an honor to study my native language at Govs and I would love to continue expanding and perfecting my knowledge of Spanish.
I hope to go somewhere that challenges my intellectual potential and offers a range of resources that will help me find my career path. This fall, I plan to apply to about twelve schools. Most are close enough to home so that I can visit on weekends if I am in dire need of my mom’s home-cooked meals.
What activities/programs/sports are you involved in at Govs?
What are you most excited about for college?
I have kept myself busy at Govs! I play field hockey, basketball, and track at the varsity level, and I will be captain of the latter two teams. I’ve felt most included and comfortable being a part of sports teams and so I dedicate a lot of my time during the school year to being a good team member. I am also involved with SWAGA (Strong Women at The Governor’s Academy), which I’ve found to be my safe place to speak about what is it to be a woman on campus and in our world. In my sophomore year, I also joined ADL (Anti Defamation League) where I learned how to speak for those that need speaking for, and how to spread awareness about social issues. I have also been a part of the Student Council for four years—this year as Academy President.
I am excited to meet new people, to find ways to advocate on a new campus, and I am excited for the freedom that comes along with growing older.
What was a favorite class at Governor’s? In my junior year, Ms. Hamovit’s AP English Language and Composition class was always a delight to attend, and unique. We discussed current news, the latest trending article, and we had our
What was a moment of courage you had during your time at Govs? I will never forget when my dorm proctor taught a few of us ninth-grade girls a Fifth Harmony dance performance as her Senior Spring Term Project. It was all fun and games until we had to perform at the Spring Guild in front of our entire community. I thought this was the end of the world. I was so nervous, given my dancing skills were most definitely below average, and I couldn’t trust my clumsy self to stay on two feet. But I was reminded of the nightly practice in Nannie B and our countless performances in front of the rest of the girls in the dorm. To make a long story short, we performed. And if I do say so myself, it was a hit at the Guild!
B A C K I N BY F I E L D
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
31
Alumni in Action
Boston Business Leaders Luncheon Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston, MA Nearly 200 business leaders, parents, and alumni gathered on April 30 for the 11th Annual Boston Business Leaders Luncheon at the Boston Harbor Hotel Wharf Room. The Academy welcomed keynote speaker Tom DiNanno ’85, who serves as the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Defense Policy, Emerging Threats, and Outreach with the Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Bureau. DiNanno provided insight into his most recent role as Assistant Administrator at the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tom was introduced by his niece Tess DiNanno ’21. This annual event continues to provide a unique opportunity for the Governor’s community and their guests to network with each other and to become educated in topics relevant to the Boston business community.
32
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
TOP: Members of the classes of 1985–1987 reconnect at the 11th Annual Boston Business Leaders Luncheon (L to R): Trustee Rob DeLena ’87, P’21, John Huard ’86, P’23, Kip Brown ’87, Trustee Stephanie Gardner Ginsberg ’85, P’20, Trustee Paul Nardone ’86, P’19, Tom DiNanno ’85, Anthony Fusco ’85, Courtney Church ’85, Nolden Johnson ’85, Derric Small ’86, and Head of School Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14; LEFT: Lucy Purinton ’14 and Amy Swiniarski P’17, ’19 greet Tom DiNanno ’85; RIGHT: Joe DiNanno ’84, P’21, Ted DiNanno P’84, ’85, ’90, GP’21, Peg DiNanno P’84 ’85, ’90, GP’21, Tess DiNanno ’21, Tom DiNanno ’85, Eileen DiNanno P’21
ALUMNI IN ACTION
Alumni Association Welcome Dinner On May 21, alumni guests joined members of the Alumni Council to host the Annual Alumni Association Welcome Dinner for the graduating senior class. Alumni Council President Rob DeLena ’87, P’21 welcomed the Class of 2019, and Director of Annual Giving Herb Kent ’08 reflected on his time as a student at Governor’s and shared deeply personal reasons for giving back to the Academy. Both speakers focused on the importance of staying connected to each other and the Academy after graduation. The evening concluded with a formal handshake, and a welcome to the graduating students by alumni.
TOP: Alumni Council members and alumni guests join the seniors for the dinner program and formal welcome. Pictured L-R are: Ray Long ’96, Peter Quimby ’85, P’14, Paige Valchuis ’08, Jeff Kelly ’85, P’17, Decia Splaine ’08, Herb Kent ’08, Greg Waldman ’87 P’20, 22, Kevin McDormand ’98, Rob DeLena ’87, P’21, Tanya Markos ’14, Zack Menard ’08, Emily Harrold ’10, Amy Block ’06, Maria Polcari ’73, and Corie Grewal ’13; LEFT: The Class of 2019 is formally welcomed into the Alumni Association with a handshake from alumni guests.
Boston Area Young Alumni Gathering On July 25, Boston area young alumni gathered at Night Shift Brewing’s new location on Lovejoy Wharf in Boston. It was a a beautiful summer night and alumni enjoyed the venue’s great vibe, awesome views of the Charles River, delicious food, and a large selection of craft beer. Night Shift is owned and operated by cofounder Michael Oxton ’03 and the brewery’s cool interior design is courtesy of Night Shift Creative Lead Tim Oxton ’08. A great time was had by all! TOP: Kelsey Duryea ’12, Academic Dean & Assistant Head of School Elaine White P ’16, ’21, and Meg O’Connor ’12; BOTTOM LEFT: Terri Costello ’15, Mary Lenox ’15, Justine Wilk ’15, Namita Bhattacharya ’15, Jessica Timmer ’15, Marco DiBlasi’15; BOTTOM RIGHT: Zack Menard ’09, Ray Boghos ’09, and Derek McCarthy ’09
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
33
ALUMNI IN ACTION
Alumni of Color Reception Dean of Multicultural Education Eddie Carson and Head of School Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14 hosted an Alumni of Color reception during Reunion weekend. This event, which has become an annual Reunion mainstay, provides an opportunity for Dr. Quimby and the Dean of Multicultural Education to update our alumni on key initiatives around diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community, and to celebrate our alumni of color. Carson and Quimby spoke about how DEI work remains a top priority at the Academy.
Trung Tran ’14 and Arjun Bhatnahar ’14
Chip Mason ’59
Preceding the reception, Carson facilitated a round table conversation between alumni and current students of color, who all shared their experiences of being a student of color at the Academy. It was a special event and deeply meaningful to all. Alumni participants included Chip Mason ’59, Bill Poole ’64, and Ike Suggs ’78, P’97, ’02.
Eddie Carson, Jade Qian P’13, ’15, and Mark Acerra ’60
Reunion Weekend 2019
TOP: Members of the Class of 1969 prepare to launch their kayaks in the Parker River on Friday afternoon; BOTTOM: Billy Clyde ’69, Doug Macdonald ’69, and Jack Connelly ’69 return a long “lost” Governor Dummer Academy sign to Head of School Peter Quimby Ph.D. ’85, P’14
34
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
More than 300 guests gathered on campus for one of the most beautiful Reunion weekends in recent history. The weekend was full of fun activities—a 50th Reunion kayak tour up the Parker River, the annual Reunion Pie Race, the Alumni of Color Reception, the Meeting of the Alumni Association and Awards Ceremony, facultyled workshops and seminars, croquet and wine tasting on the Mansion House lawn, class dinners, and live music and dancing under the tent.
Belle Struck ’94 and Brendan Forrest ’94
Lucy Purinton ’14, Maria Krull ’14, Emilie MacDonald ’14, and Christina Merullo ’14
Mark Hoffman ’14, John Nicodemus ’14, Patrick Farrell ’14, Arjun Bhatnagar ’14, Trung Tran ’14, Mark Beluk ’14
Annual Reunion Pie Race
A bagpiper leads the annual Parade of Classes from the Milestone to the Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association.
Bob Weiss ’64, Ralph Johnson ’64, and Jeff Karelis ’64
Troy Dagres ’79, P’10, Henry Rosen ’79, Steve Judson ’79, and Avery Woodworth ’79 P’13
Nicole Suggs ’97, Lisa Purinton P’13, 14, 20, Spencer Purinton ’75, P’13, 14, 20, Ike Suggs, Jr. ’78, P’97, ’02
Meg McShane ’99 and Jessica Karlin ’99
Becky Vieira ’94, Nicole Whelan ’94, Noelia Kvaternik ’94, and Brendan Forrest ’94
Cathy Riley Scerbo ’84, P’12, ’14, ’16, Betsy Tuthill Farrell ’84, P’14, ’17, ’18, ’22, Charlotte Johnson ’84, and Kim Burgess ’84
Members of the Class of 1989 gather for their class dinner on Saturday night.
Class of 2013 poses before their class dinner.
Members of the Class of 1964 celebrate their 55th Reunion.
The Class of 1969 celebrates their 50th Reunion.
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
35
ALUMNI IN ACTION
Saundra Watson ’93, Cassie Firenze ’92, and Cassie’s son Niko Firenze.
Cassie is celebrated by her classmates after receiving the Non Sibi Sed Aliis Award.
2019 Non Sibi Sed Aliis Award Catharine “Cassie” Wickes Firenze ’92* Introduced in 2014, the Non Sibi Sed Aliis Award is presented annually by the Alumni Council to a graduate who embodies the spirit of the school motto, “Not for self, but for others.” This year’s recipient is Cassie Wickes Firenze ’92. The award was presented by Assistant Head of School Elaine White P’16, ’21. Cassie Wickes Firenze was a beloved friend to all since her first days of running up the stairs of Phillips Dormitory and yelling, incredibly loudly, for whoever might be on the third floor. She was the member of the class whose voice was the loudest and every day she would greet friends by loudly calling out some portion of their first or last name. She was the kid who couldn’t whisper in class or be quiet in the dormitory after lights out. She always got caught, and then made it worse as she tried to talk her way out of the situation. Along with that loud voice, though, came the biggest heart. Cassie was always selfless, investing in her friendships and her family. Whether as a proctor during her GDA days, as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, or as the GDA Class of 1992 Class Secretary, she continuously brought people together and created community wherever she went. Through her work in independent school admissions, she impacted numerous children and provided them with opportunities to benefit from the nurturing, familial environment that an independent school provides; the same
36
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
one that she personally benefited from here at Governor’s and that she valued so deeply. She always responded to what people needed—a seat at the table, a spot in an incoming class, a listening ear, a helping hand, kindness, or compassion. Cassie was always a true reflection of our school motto because, as one nominator stated: “it is simply part of her constitution.” Despite battling a difficult prognosis of breast cancer since December 2017, she continued to focus her time and attention on helping others. Rather than “circling the wagons” and retreating inward, she raised funds for cancer research by supporting her many friends running the Boston Marathon this past spring. At her own 45th birthday celebration in February, Cassie orchestrated a letter-writing campaign, asking 150 guests to write letters of encouragement on postcards that she mailed to the marathon runners leading up to the race on Patriot’s Day. And in true Cassie fashion, she called the Matty in the Morning show the next day to make sure that the fundraiser reached more people and raised more money. She would never have done such a thing for herself, but she had the courage to put herself out there because she was helping others. The epitome of non sibi. *Sadly, Cassie passed away on August 28, 2019 after a valiant battle with breast cancer. Please refer to our In Memoriam page online to read her full obituary.
ALUMNI IN ACTION
Head of School Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D., ’85, P’14 and Alumnus of the Year Rob DeLena ’87, P’21
Classmates join Rob to celebrate his award (L to R): Lucy Armstrong Henkes ’87, P’21, Greg Waldman ’87, P’20, Rob DeLena ’87, P’21, Kip Brown ’87, and Carla English ’87, P’22
2018–19 Alumnus of the Year Robert C. DeLena ’87, P’21 The Alumnus of the Year award is presented annually to a graduate who has been steadfast in his or her loyalty to the Academy and shown an unwavering commitment to the place that meant so much to them. The inscription on the award itself reads: For Loyalty, Dedication and Service to The Governor’s Academy. As a student, DeLena was a leader on campus serving as Academy President his senior year. The recipient of a Special Prize at commencement, his head of school noted that “his quiet courage and unassailable integrity guided him, as he guided the Academy.” On the ball field he was a two-year captain, MVP, and ISL All League in baseball. Long after jumping the wall, his leadership, loyalty, spirit, and commitment to the Academy continue to inspire. In addition to his long-term tenure as Class Agent, DeLena continues to lead as a member of the Alumni Council. During his tenure on the Council he gained the respect and friendship of alumni across all classes and generations, so much so that in 2018, he was elected to lead that body as its president. During his first year in this role, he has successfully led the charge to restructure the Alumni Council committees and subcommittees to better meet the interests of its members, and to better align its priorities with those of the Academy. He has championed programming that connects alumni and students, and young alumni with professional alumni mentors. He was the voice and face of The Governor’s Fund appeal last fall, and last winter
he engaged alumni of all ages with his charismatic storytelling at the Boston Holiday Gathering. In each of the last two years, he has welcomed our youngest alumni into the fold at the Alumni Association Welcome Dinner for the senior class, telling them this year that as graduates of the Academy, they were members of a proud family, and that if any of them were to call on him for assistance Rob celebrates his award with daughter in the future, he would do Abigail DeLena ’21 whatever he could to help because that is what family members do for each other. What a powerful message for our youngest graduates to hear from the President of their Alumni Council. In his capacity as Alumni Council President he also sits on the Academy’s Board of Trustees, where he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow board members for his insights, common-sense approach to issues, and boundless passion for the Academy. Over the past two years he has been able to add yet another dimension to his relationship with the Academy as a parent to his daughter Abigail, a member of the Class of 2021.
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
37
ALUMNI IN ACTION
New York City Alumni Gathering It was an especially chilly May evening, yet despite the inclement weather, our New York City guests turned out and enjoyed the beautiful city views, great conversation, and fellowship. Special guest Head of School Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14, provided an Academy update and shared highlights of the With True Courage campaign achievements to date. Mike Moonves P’82, ever a champion of financial aid, inspired the crowd with his closing remarks about the impact of a gift in support of financial aid.
Michael DuCharme ’14, Emily Shea ’12, Ginny Durkin ’14, M.J. Zhou ’14, and Lauren Robinson ’14
Mark Fraser ’71, Bill Connolly ’72, Walter Rivera ’73, former faculty Michael Moonves P’82, Bruce Sheldon ’73, and James Fleming ’71
Aboubacar Okeke-Diagne ’11, Vincent Yan ’13, and Cham Suksangium ’14
Palo Alto Gathering Head of School Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14 hosted an intimate gathering for Happy Hour at Local Union 271 in Palo Alto, California. We were excited to reconnect with alumni in that area, hear some wonderful stories, and forge new friendships on the West Coast.
38
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
CONNECT
YOUR GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY COMMUNITY We are excited to announce the new and improved alumni network! We’ve partnered with Graduway to provide a dedicated space for alumni to connect with each other from the convenience of a desktop or smartphone. Leverage the shared history you have with other Governor’s alumni to expand your professional and personal networks, and deepen your connection with our vibrant and engaged community of alumni. REGISTER NOW Visit governorsacademyalumni.com to join the network. Use your LinkedIn, Google, or Facebook profile, or the email address that we have on file for you. DOWNLOAD THE FREE MOBILE APP Search for Graduway Community in the App Store and select The Governor’s Academy from the dropdown menu.
CONNECT NOW! governorsacademyalumni.com
USE THE FILTERS IN THE COMMUNITY CONNECT Find fellow alumni, see what they have been up to, reminisce, gather together, and stay in touch.
GIVE BACK Become a mentor to alumni of all generations; help them network and find jobs.
EXPAND Expand your professional networks and meet other alumni in your field of interest. We are excited to launch this new platform, and we hope that you will find it both useful and fun as you connect with your classmates and other alumni across the globe.
Questions? Contact Director of Parents & Alumni Engagement Amy Swiniarski at 978.499.3187 or aswiniarski@govsacademy.org
Class Notes CLASS OF 1946 Bill Silver billsilver@comcast.net Just the fearsome four left! It has only been seventy-three years since we graduated and went out into the world from our protected days—and nights—in old Byfield. Lots of memories and bumps in the road, but we pursued! Never thought that I would be married for so long (sixty-seven years) after those quickie dates at the Glee Club concerts. Never thought I would be playing tennis in my nineties or still working on teeth at the Medical Examiner offices. Never thought I would have six grandchildren and three great grandkids all from one grandson. WOW! Just to brag a bit, recently I went to the screening of my son Jeffrey’s new movie The Lion King which he produced. And next week he is off to England as producer of The Little Mermaid. My son Scott gets married again this year and son Mike is busy at work in public relations for TUFTS. My granddaughter Maya just started her five year residency program in Pediatric Neurology. It has turned out to be a very interesting world and after just celebrating my nintieth birthday, I appreciate the opportunity to observe all the happenings for so long. I hope we all make it to our 75th Reunion in two years.
CLASS OF 1948 Bob Skeele rbskeele@aol.com We were glad to hear from Hoover Sutton’s former wife, Gerry Eastler, of Portsmouth, NH. They have seven grandchildren, five boys and two girls aged seventeen to thirty-three— wonderful people scattered about the Northeast. Three are married; but no greats have appeared yet. Gerry says it’s been a thrill to watch the three children doing a great job as parents. Also, she appreciates that the three kids are all in
40
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
long-term marriages of thirty-plus years “and that is an amazing statistic in this transient relational culture that we all share.” Hoover died in 2002, and Gerry says, “We miss him and his remarkable energy and caring.” We 1948-ers well remember what a super classmate and athlete Hoover was, along with his late brother Pete ’47 who, incidentally, was married for many years to Jeanie Sager. Bill Lindquist reports: “Diane and I are touring the Canadian Maritimes, New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador. We are driving my pick up and by the time we are finished will have driven 3,000 miles. More than 1,000 of them will be on dirt roads. This is my fourth trip doing this itinerary. Tonight we are in Bonavista Newfoundland. In July, Diane and our children put on a surprise birthday party for my nintieth! Between children, grandchildren and great grandchildren there were about forty to enjoy a lobster/clambake at our summer home on Lake Kennebago Maine. Life is good!” Recently my Amherst classmate Gordon Hall, cousin to Dan Hall ’47 and Manson Hall ’49, published a short book on the history of Phillips Academy and Phillips Exeter Academy. It is called Satan in the Pulpit, recognizing that the founders were appalled by the threat of their Calvinism being overtaken by Unitarian and Presbyterian doctrines. Gordy Hall points out that although there are many histories of Andover and Exeter, there are none which link them together by reference to their family connections through the five consecutive Samuel Phillipses: Samuel I (arrived in America 1630), Samuel II (a banker), Samuel III (Harvard graduate and pastor), Samuel IV (Harvard graduate and merchant), and finally Samuel V, the sole survivor among seven children. Here it gets more interesting, as Samuel V at age twelve in 1764 was “sent away to a school that
became a new and lasting educational model.” It was Dummer Academy. Soon after his Harvard graduation in 1771, Sam Phillips began to plan, with help from his father, his Uncle John and Eliphalet Pearson (his Dummer Academy classmate) to found a new school in Andover. It opened in 1778 as Phillips Academy, with Eliphalet Pearson as Principal. A few years later, Phillips Exeter Academy opened, with Sam’s Uncle John underwriting it with both his energy and his money. As for your Class Scribe, Bob Skeele, he avers that he and Nancy are enjoying life, and very busy, at Seabury, the retirement community in Bloomfield, CT near Hartford. I’m on the Resident Council and Nancy is busy with music activities in the Greater Hartford area. Also I am occupied with affairs of the Amherst Class of ’52, planning a minireunion in September which will feature a discussion with Prof. Austin Sarat, a widely-known opponent of the death penalty, whose topic will be, “Democracy in Decline: It Isn’t Just Trump.”
CLASS OF 1949 Manson Hall Kenneyhall@hotmail.com Classmates will recognize that in recent years I have highlighted unofficial obits on a more frequent pace and this edition is no exception. I regret that we have lost two special classmates—John Edwin Veasey and John Charles Canepa. (Of course all of us are special!) A few weeks ago Rick Tyler called to tell me that Ed Veasey had died on June 27, a short few months after learning that he had cancer. Ed and Rick were very close friends, having played on the GDA lacrosse team together. Classmates will remember Ed as a very outgoing presence on the GDA campus. Always in good cheer and fun to be with. He remained that way throughout his
life. I remember him as a headwaiter standing behind Buster Navins’ table in the dining room and as a quick forward on our soccer team with Ash Eames ’48, either one to be counted on to score a goal. But probably Ed’s best game was lacrosse. He was an outstanding attacker and, I believe, always the high scorer on the team along with Rick Tyler. After GDA, Ed attended Syracuse University, where he became a standout midfielder on a nationally ranked lacrosse team. It was at Syracuse that he met Zoe Mary Marshall and they married soon after graduation. Ed joined the United States Marines, did the Paris Island training, became a Second Lieutenant, then a First Lieutenant and served in Japan as an embarkation officer. Ed joined the Haverhill Savings Bank in 1955, rising to become the Vice President. At some point Ed was Vice President of the Family Mutual Savings Bank and then Director of TD Banknorth, a position he held until mandatory retirement at seventy-two. In class notes a few issues ago, I featured Ed and Zoe when Ed left banking to found and develop Cedardale, which became the largest and most successful health/fitness club in New England. It may be remembered that the club was devastated by fire in 2017. Ed and Zoe rebuilt the club and it was reopened shortly before Ed passed away. Ed’s passion for both sailing and skiing allowed them both to enjoy the New England coast and mountains. But perhaps, beside his family, Ed’s proudest legacy was his contributions to his community. He was a trustee of the Haverhill Public Library, president of the Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Haverhill Rotary Club and a Freemason and member of the Merrimack Lodge F & A.M. as well as the Monday Evening Club. Ed is survived by Zoe and five children: Ada McKenzie, Valerie Veasey, John Veasey, Jr., Kate Sirois, Carolyn Jackson and thirteen grandchildren.
John Canepa died on January 26, 2019 and is survived by his wife of sixty-five years, Marie, and by his brother Richard, four children and eleven grandchildren. I remember when John arrived on campus because he quickly became a quiet leader and mainstay on all our athletic teams. But he recalls his arrival quite differently. In his letter in our 50th Reunion book he comments “I came from an Italian immigrant blue collar family from Newburyport. We didn’t have a family car. So I had to hire a taxi ... When the taxi pulled up in front of Phillips, all the students were staring at me wondering who this rich kid was whose family had hired a taxi to take him all the way from Boston to South Byfield.” John described himself as very serious and shy but he attributes his classmates in helping him to develop a sense of humor. John directed the football team as quarterback, was a starter on the basketball team that won the Class B New England Prep School Tournament, and the shortstop on the baseball team. John’s serious study habits gained him membership in the GDA Cum Laude Society, acceptance to Harvard University where he graduated in 1953 with a concentration in economics and later an M.B.A. from New York University. John first worked for Chase Bank in New York, then The Provident Bank in Cincinnati before moving to the Old Kent Bank in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1970 where he served as Chief Executive officer from 1988 to 1995 when he retired. He continued to work as a bank consultant for many years. Along the way John, received many honors as “CEO of the Year,” “Business Person of the Year,” and “Honorary Doctor of Law Degree” from Davenport College. John was also on the boards of many schools, colleges, foundations and corporations. Clearly John Canepa was a most outstanding graduate of GDA and as a member of the Class of 1949.
Your secretary and wife Ann are now back in Chatham, MA enjoying family and friends for the summer after a short cruising trip in France up the Rhine River to Lyon. We moved into a retirement community in Naples, FL, Moorings Park, in June and hope to continue spending six months each in Chatham and Naples. Finally, I think it is quite possible that this will be my last effort to produce class notes unless classmates are able to provide material for print.
CLASS OF 1950 Bob Goddard bob.goddard2012@gmail.com
Save the date for your 70th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020 Gardiner White’s wife, Sonja shares: Since Gardiner is struggling with Alzheimer’s, I am writing to you about Gardiner’s many fond memories of The Governor’s Academy. Unfortunately we were unable to attend the Reunion
Gardiner White ’50 and his wife Sonja
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
41
Weekend. We are both retired and living in the wonderful town of Dartmouth, MA. Our three children live very nearby: our daughter Robin lives across from us with her family, and our two boys and Christopher live with their families within a mile of our home. We are ever grateful for their support and that of their children as we make our ways through our “senior years.” Gardiner was very involved with soccer while at Governor’s and continued playing during his years at Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA. We attended many reunions with other classmates. We are hoping to travel to the Academy for a tour which I am sure will stimulate Gardiner’s memories of the wonderful years he spent there.
replica of a casket and I thought it was a rather odd ornament with which to be decorating one’s desk. I must admit that as a vulnerable thirteen-year-old, I was a bit spooked wondering about my new roommate until I learned that the family business was the manufacture of caskets. Since that time I have been very aware of Louie’s love of the family business and recognized when I read the article that this must’ve been very difficult for him. However, given Louie’s personality he appears to be in good spirits and ready to move forward in a very positive way. Good luck to you Louie!
Bob Goddard called in to say: Tim Greene and I are working hard to get at least ten to twelve people at Reunion next year…our seventieth! Tim, Bob and Charlie Bowen have already committed. Pencil in June 5–7, 2020!!
Charlie Windisch writes in: Ahoy Dirk Owens, Well I’ve screwed up that address enough times to get it right this time! I’m one of the fallen few of the Class of ’52. I suspect there are of more of us drifting about. I never felt compelled to reconnect with GDA although I thought I should check in before my recycling date rolls up. I have been biding my time in one of God’s waiting rooms on the California coast for about a year. My copy of the 1952 class year book went away with our last move. The local post office still delivers The Archon, which inspired this note to you. Having never achieved the fame and fortune that the masters at GDA aspired for us, I tried other more complicated things which might not inspire other young and impressionable minds in as it did for me. Alas I have no great wisdom to share with the coming generation. As prominent French writer wrote of his life, “I have nothing, I owe much, and the rest I leave to the poor.” Life ain’t that bad yet but I wonder. I assume you are still living in New York and keeping an eye out for what the Clintons are up to when they are in your neighborhood. Hope all goes well with you and yours.
CLASS OF 1951 classnotes@govsacademy.org Ken Bistany writes in: I was sorry to hear that Louie Tobia’s business that had been established for decades burned to the ground. For those of us living far away from the Boston area we very much appreciated learning about this from George McGregor. Thank you George for your thoughtfulness in alerting us to this terrible happening for one of our classmates. I spoke to Louie on the phone, and he was very upbeat and at the time appeared to be planning to rebuild the business in a different location. Louie was my roommate in my freshman year in a room in Mr. Stone’s home that was close to the little red schoolhouse and a separate unit within the house so to speak. Reading the article from the Boston newspaper that George sent to us brought back a flood of memories from those days. When we first arrived at school as freshmen Louie decorated his desk with a small 42
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
CLASS OF 1953 classnotes@govsacademy.org Newt Hyslop shares: In keeping faith with Marr’s Maxim, here is my report on a sentimental journey to Twillingate Island, Newfoundland, almost exactly fifty-nine years after my only previous visit, when as a fourth-year medical student, for ten weeks I was a “Student Doctor” together with Harvard Medical
CLASS OF 1952 classnotes@govsacademy.org
TOP: Road Scholar 2019 Newt Hyslop, ’53, displays “Twillingate Revised,” a donation to the Twillingate Museum MIDDLE: Newt Hyslop, ’53, presents “Twillingate Revised” to Daphne Wheeler, Curator & Manager of the Twillingate Museum BOTTOM: Student Doctor Hyslop, with medical bags, prepares for a house call in VW Bus
School Class of 1961 classmates Jim Vernon and Ray Yerkes. We made house calls on the island by VW bus. For other remote settlements, we went by fishing boats and served weekly tours on board the hospital ship, The Bonnie Nell II. We were there before the collapse of the cod fishery in the 1980s, caused by intensive international overfishing only three miles off the coast, and today still not reversed after belatedly instituting the 200-mile limit. In our time in coastal Newfoundland, automobiles and paved roads were a rarity, television was just being introduced, and a proud, capable, independent people were living in traditional marginal timeworn ways—fishing, seal hunting, timbering, boat building, growing root crops—that would soon be overturned by technology and forced relocation of remote communities. My return in July 2019, as a touring Road Scholar, was graced by the presence of my daughter and son-in-law on their first visit to Newfoundland. Marcia Elizabeth (“Beth”) had been two months old in August 1960 when I left her and wife Debbie with her grandparents. To keep Debbie informed, I kept a journal, typewritten until the keys of the old manual typewriter jammed. My report of life on Twillingate formed the core of Twillingate Revisited, a book I compiled and edited this spring for the occasion of my return. Printed and digital copies were presented to the Provincial Archives, The Center for Newfoundland Studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and, in Twillingate, to the Public Library and Twillingate Museum. The roads are now paved, Twillingate is connected to the mainland by bridges, and the economy is aided by tourism built on the natural wonders of geology, botany, biology and anthropology of life on The Rock. Offshore oil production, 200 miles off the coast, and returns of earnings from the diaspora working in Calgary and The States, boost the income. With only
500,000 inhabitants, several massive national parks and millions of acres of unspoiled landscape, the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, like the Amazon, one of the last preserves of nature, needs protection from international exploitation and unsustainable development.
CLASS OF 1955 George Gardner george.gardner3@gmail.com
Save the date for your 65th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Rick Sears and his wife Bobette purchased a principle residence in Longboat Key, Florida which will put them there in the October–May period not far from Phil and Rosie Angel in Venice. Sadly, Peter Littlefield’s wife Phyllis passed away on December 26, 2018. I had a nice telephone conversation with Alan Keith who retired after working in the financial industry to a farm in Chilmark on Martha’s Vineyard in 2000. Among many other activities, he works the farm and has authored or coauthored five books; one on Vineyard wildlife and the others on birds of the West Indian Islands, Hispaniola and areas of New England. Unfortunately, his wife of fifty-three years passed away in 2017. He and Peter Scott are seriously considering attending our 65th Reunion.
CLASS OF 1956 Jim Dean covecottage10@gmail.com Pete Renkert shares: Have switched from fishing saltwater in the Florida Keys to fly fishing for trout here in the West. My recent heart problems have washed
downstream. Did Yellowstone with kids and grandkids. With the exception of bison, saw the same animals we see in our yard. Hope all of the Academy’s “greatest class” are doing well.
CLASS OF 1957 Lyman Cousens lymancousens@comcast.net The Class Secretary’s job is both good and can be very bad. Good when you get responses from old friends and bad when you get a call from relatives of a recently deceased classmate. Let’s get the bad news out of the way real quick! We lost Charlie “King” Tutt back in December and just last month ( July) Don Kaufman lost a bout with a heart infection. Very sad, two wonderful classmates and friends. Harold “Mouse” Pouser passed away in March, 2009. I was the Best Man at Harold’s wedding in 1961 at Bickford’s Restaurant in Harvard Square! Miss you guys! On the bright side, Jeff Fitts (Golf Team, ’55, ’56, ’57) has announced his “official” retirement from the Fitts Insurance Agency in Framingham, founded by his father in 1932. Jeff’s sons, Tim and Chris, finally got their dad off the payroll. Dad and lovely wife Sandy are enjoying their retirement in both Sarasota and Wolfeboro. Reunion Chair ’22 (I hope), Mel Blake (Honor Roll, ’56 and ’57) and Pat have become world travelers, recently visiting India with a three week trip on the Ganges and another three weeks in Spain. Next up?? How about Singapore, Myanmar and a family reunion in Aruba. Great to hear from you Mel! Wonderful note from Skip Dickerson (School Store, ’56, ’57) and Lynda, living in Duxbury, MA at the Village at Duxbury, and their Cape Cod cottage at Truro. Both are very active in their communities, while traveling to visit kids and grandkids and, occasionally, just for fun. One of the best measures of our health (my opinion)
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
43
is the number of pills consumed in a day. Skip is down to a couple which puts him way ahead of me (with a very depressing number). Speaking of good news on the health front, Max Ule, (Camera Club, ’55, ’56 and Cum Laude) passed his prostate biopsy with flying colors. Max sent along a couple of great stories about his “tour of duty” in and about Vietnam. They are lengthy, fascinating and therefore un-editable. I will forward them to our classmates, unredacted. Max is a Board member and Foundation Trustee of Squadron A, a non-profit dedicated to helping returning veterans. And still a working stockbroker. I suspect there are not many in our graduating class who knew Howard Zucker, aka Zack Norman, since he was only there freshman year before moving on to the bright lights of New York City. Without doubt our most recognized classmate, now as Zack Norman, Howie is renowned throughout the arts community where he is an icon. Recognized as one of L.A.’s 100 Most Fascinating People for 2019, “Zack Norman is an actor, producer, writer, comedian, musician, film financier, painter, art collector and real estate developer.” In August, 2017 Zack was featured on the front page of the ART Section of the New York Times, promoting his latest effort, Chief Zabu. Google it for lots more information. Go for it Howie! Your Class Secretary/ Agent is doing well in small-town New Hampshire. I managed to get the Red Sox to make an appearance here, well, the Mascots and the 2018 World Series Trophy anyway. Big day for the locals, especially the kids. I am still on a Goodwill Board Committee (Sustainability); Board Member of Northern New England Employment Services, placing handicapped folks in jobs cleaning Federal facilities; Boy Scouts Investment Committee; Boscawen Conservation Commission; and I am Chair of the Boscawen Old
44
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Home Day Golf Classic. None of which earns me a dime! Doris retired recently, so we are still sorting out our duties, and it is great to have her around!
CLASS OF 1958 classnotes@govsacademy.org From James Main: I’ll try to make this brief, but on May 12th, I just returned from a 111-day cruise around the world on the beautiful Pacific Princess. Boarding in LA, we traveled westbound over to Hawaii, south through Polynesia, over to New Zealand and Australia, north through Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and then south visiting the island countries off the eastern coast of Africa (including the Seychelles, Maldives, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Reunion) before arriving in South Africa for a two-safari, five day visit featuring Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope, We then proceeded to Namibia before heading west to the Island of St. Helena and over to Brazil and north to Devil’s Island. After visiting several Caribbean Islands and a stop in Ft. Lauderdale, we went through the Panama Canal and back to L.A. via stops in Costa Rica and Mexico. Truly a trip of a lifetime, it was highlighted by visits with some old friends in Darwin, Australia and Cape Town, South Africa. The safaris were the icing on the cake. We crossed the Equator four times, the International Dateline once, so I can easily call myself a Shellback now. Unfortunately I did gain a few pounds in completing the whole process; it goes with the territory. On a sadder note, I was sorry to hear of the loss of our classmate Neil Quinn. We had a nice visit at our 50th Reunion in 2008.
CLASS OF 1959 Randy Light clight@twcny.rr.com Antarctica was and is on the travel list of some classmates. Peter Sherin
made a trip to the Antarctica a few months ago, and Bob Pouch and his wife are planning on taking an extended cruise in the next few months that goes around South America with a stop in the Antarctica. Peter wrote in: “Last February my son David and I traveled to Antarctica partly to assuage our love of travel but also to reignite our lives by evolving the mourning process created by Margy’s death the prior year. We avoided the two-day ship slog from Chile through the Drake passage with its constant seventy-foot waves with a two hour flight to our ship Hebridean Sky waiting at anchor for seventy people from all over the world. We were in a moon-like environment made beautiful by the vastness of everything in a constant changing kaleidoscope of color and shapes knowing we would not survive if we had parachuted in. But with layers of nylon clothing, experienced staff, and our well-equipped comfortable ship, our hiking on ice and snow in a different area every day after a Zodiac landing was comfortable and exhilarating. Penguins? Everywhere! The scientists from many nations are busy gathering critical information to understand the climate change already impacting the earth. As eons old ice breaks up, they have access to air captured within it hundreds of thousands of years ago. With devices that go miles down into the sea, they are also measuring current speed and temperature. The hard data now being collected (not theoretical calculations) is more than unsettling! There is a clock ticking.” Bob Pouch said: “Susan and I are planning a seventy-seven day circumnavigation of South America with Holland America Line. Including the national science foundation research facility at Palmer Ice Station in Antarctica.” Bob also reported that he had “just completed…[the] tenth annual grandchildren cruise to Mystic Seaport
and Block Island” and that during the trip, he had learned that his grandson James, who has dual US/UK citizenship, had been appointed to the British Olympic ski team. Congratulation to Bob’s grandson. I will be looking on the “telly” to see Brian Marsh and the Pouches at the next winter Olympics. Walt Cannon hopes to visit GDA in the fall. He was able to spend “a month at [the] New Hampshire [farm] with… twelve grandkids and their parents for a total of twenty two people.” Walt added: “It was a lot of fun albeit a bit hectic at times.” Walt is still an active glider pilot and flew recently in a regional contest in Ephrata, Washington. Walt has a granddaughter who is following in his footsteps as a physician. She is headed to medical school in the fall. Walt says that he is “still…not thrilled with all that is happening in Washington and hope[s] for the best for our country.” For those classmates who were unable to attend our 60th Reunion this past June and who are not on the Class email page, I repeat parts of my earlier emailed summary of the Reunion: “GDA made the Reunion a most welcoming event with a variety of interesting activities and with ample opportunities for classmates to get together and to catch up with one another. Adding to the weekend was that GDA apparently ordered and definitely received outstanding weather that matched the excellent weather of the 55th Reunion. GDA must have an ‘in’ with the weather gods. Those classmates in addition to myself who were in attendance at part or at all of the Reunion were John Catlett, Bob Dietz, Steve Volpone, Peter Sherin, Bob Pouch, Topper Terhune, Brian Marsh, and Chip Mason. Chip was joined by his wife Gail. Several of our classmates came from considerable distances to attend the reunion. Kudos particularly go to Brian Marsh, who flew in from
London. Although Ferg Jansen and Fred Huntress could not make the reunion, they were able to schedule and have a Friday lunch with Brian and Topper in Waterford, Mass. Bill Whiting and his wife Bobbi were going to attend the reunion, but had to bow out at the last minute due to a death in Bobbi’s family. Peter Stonebraker (of the Class of 1960…) and his wife Eva joined in some of our class gatherings… From my perspective, the campus was in pristine condition, even with the [unfinished] renovation of the football field, and rivals in many respects a small college campus. You will not want to miss the event where you can renew old friendships and sit back and enjoy the entertaining wit of Brian Marsh and his good humored repartee with his close friend since the GDA years Topper Terhune. It is worth the price of admission.”
marshland that I had in Rowley to the Essex County Greenbelt, to help their efforts to preserve the Great Marsh, which is useful and unique for Governor’s Academy teaching experiences. Best to All! The donation to Greenbelt is very generous on Don’s part.
CLASS OF 1960
Tony Greene shares the following noteworthy information and updates: Our youngest child, thirty-eight, is getting married at our place in Cape Elizabeth in late August. All four children are doing well. Our six granddaughters, ages six to twenty-six, also are in good shape. Asylum family some of you helped to get started also are doing well. Great people! I highly recommend befriending an asylum family. And thank you and kudos to Tony and his family for their very special commitment to helping others! The world needs more people like the Greenes.
John Elwell johnelwell@verizon.net
Save the date for your 60th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Don Alexander sends greetings: Thanks for your efforts to try to keep the Class of ’60 aware of what we all are doing. For news, I don’t want to repeat the usual boring stuff I send, but I can offer the following for news items. First, I had a good visit with Peter Stonebraker at our 55th Bowdoin Reunion. We are both looking forward to our sixtieth next year. Second, next year, I’ve got to start thinking about retirement from my work as a Justice of the Maine Supreme Court. Third, I donated the remaining family
Bob Adams is not far from the Farm and stops by from time to time. He reports that he is fully recovered from hip surgery and spending the summer months on the water. I am fully involved as a tour guide and coordinator of events at Lowell’s Boat Shop in Amesbury, the oldest continuously operating boat shop in America (226 years). If any classmates are in the area let me know and I will give a great tour of the boat building and museum portions of the shop. Looking forward to our 60th Reunion at GDA! Bob’s volunteer work at Lowell’s Boat Shop is a significant endeavor on his part. Kudos to you Bob!
Richard Henry reports on his Maine summer adventures: We started at a friend’s house in Kittery, followed by staying at my cousin’s in Round Pond. Then were joined by our son (from Florida), daughter and granddaughter (from Texas) for two weeks in Camden. Then off to Boothbay Hahbah for four days before we head home. But on our way south we are spending two nights with a college friend in SE ‘Chusetts. And
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
45
Eva and Peter ’60 Stonebraker near South Sawyer Glacier
I’ve eaten a LOT of blueberries in Maine. My wife and I always have a contest: does she eat more lobstah or do I eat more blueberry pie? Love that Maine dialect…way to go Dick! I saw Mal Flint (and John Catlett) at our 55th Princeton Reunion in May/June. Hoping to make it up to Byfield for our 60th next year! We hope you do too, and we can share authentic downeast Maine stories. Peter Stonebraker reports on another one of his significant and memorable travels! Eva and I just returned from an “Inner Passage” tour of Alaska. It was an eye-opener: glaciers, various sea and land mammals and birds, totem poles and Native American museums and artifacts gold rush trips and panning. Alaska is unique is so many ways. I have attached a photo of Eva and myself near the South Sawyer Glacier. One more item crossed off our “bucket list.” My best to all classmates, looking forward to the 60th Reunion, next June! Peter and Eva your travel bucket list is extensive and comprehensive…thanks much for sharing! John Silver writes: We are planning to head north from Florida maybe first week of July—won’t know until window installer gives us a firm date. We just moved closer to our daughter—new address is 1639 Beach Parkway Apt 102, Cape Coral, FL 33904. Best regards to my classmates and prayers for Jim’s family. Thanks for sharing the news, John, and don’t forget when you come north the porch light is always on at 266 High Street.
46
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Chris Prewitt writes: Dear John, always wanted to do a Dear John letter, All is well here in the Bahamas. Jill and I have been on the boat most of the year because the house has been rented quite a lot. Our son Chris continues to do his surf coaching in Australia and the Maldives, rough life. Our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter just moved from North Carolina to Nazareth, PA. He does placement work for graduating students; wish someone had found me a job after school. I have just built a large work shop back of our house to get me out from under the tent that I used to restore the two wooden dinghies I have finished. One is a 1969 20' that is now a motor sailor with forty-eight volt electric motor which has solar charging. As an aside, do any of you remember the company we started at GDA, Thirstney? We were ahead of the Bitcoin craze. It is hard to believe it has been that many years ago that we were all in Byfield. Time flies when you are having fun and so far Jill and I are having fun! Best to all! And best to you and Jill, Chris. I am envious of your craftsmanship and skills. You sure make a difference on the Island. We still talk about the time you met us at the boat on the Island…a very special time for us! The Elwell clan is still doing well. Carol and I now have nine grandchildren and our family is all in Massachusetts. Carol helps at the Farm, volunteers at the local library, and loves doing many different things with the grandchildren. I am off on August 8 for another MVPA cross country convoy this time from York, PA to San Francisco on the Lincoln Highway with forty-plus military rigs. No pun intended…it is a very moving experience as we have dedicated our vehicles to a veteran. Along the route people turn out by the tens and hundreds to wave to us, cheer and clap, veterans salute and children wave homemade flags. The Farm will take a beating while I am gone and I will take a beating when I get back catching up on six weeks of Farm absence, but it is worth it. So sorry
to hear of Jim’s passing! Look forward to seeing all at our reunion in June! Remember the porch light is on for you at 266 High Street, Newburyport.
CLASS OF 1962 Tom Tobey ttobey13@gmail.com “Strangers once we came to dwell together, sons of the Governor tried and true…” How much of this once familiar song do you remember? After fifty-some years, the words of the Senior Song may have begun to fade, but if you think about it for a minute, you might be able to come up with a few more words of the song. I personally can unlock some of these old memories by singing. In the old days I found that having someone like Burke Leahey as a partner next to me in glee club really helped! He had perfect pitch. There is little doubt today that this exercise of recounting the school songs would bring a smile to Burke’s face. Burke is currently near his home in Duxbury battling the ravages of Parkinson’s. Another early memory of GDA for me was when we would have the chance to leave campus and see the world beyond Mason House or the Phillips Building. My first weekend pass was going off with Nick Strater, whose family home was some twenty minutes away. I am forever grateful to Nick and his family for taking me in, even for an overnight! Small pleasures. I spoke to Nick a few months ago and yes, it felt good to know that he is still at the same address, in the same office, doing what he has done for years. Stability is a good thing. Another classmate that I can always count on for not moving very far from his home base is John Davagian, on Indian Pipe Road in Concord. I was recently in touch with “Davag,” as I referred to him back in the days, when everyone had a nickname. It is reassuring when an old friend is on the other end of the
line. John, like most of us, is suffering the usual aches and pains, but he is still there. He assured me that he is not playing goalie in hockey anymore! Peter Machinist is actually starting to slow down and has retired from his position at Harvard. But his change in status is relative. He is currently the Hancock Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and other Oriental Languages in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard. It is easy to say that Peter is still at it, and my guess is that his productivity hasn’t waned much either. I do know that his wife Alice spent a good portion of last year cataloging Peter’s personal library of thousands of books. Now the challenge for him is to find an appropriate place for that library to rest, where it can be truly appreciated. Peter also got together recently with Charley Pyne and Hamilton Agnew in Boston at the Harvard Semitic Museum. Hamilton Agnew recently made a swing through New England to check on another of his former GDA mates, Tim McNally. Tim’s partner, Maureen Nicholson, and Tim and Ham, joined together for a picnic lunch in a local park. Maureen is currently the Mayor of Pomfret. I had the chance before sending this copy to GDA to schmooze with Tim. Tim, still at his company, BCS Inc., “provides manufacturers with a single source for cleaning, deburring, polishing equipment, abrasives,
chemicals and effluent treatment systems to control those processes.” Tim and I subsequently enjoyed an hour catching up on random subjects of the day. He and Maureen have plans to head to Egypt for their next adventure. Bob James is about to return to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for his fifteenth year at the Santa Fe Opera. The setting for this venue is unique and unforgettable. Bob and I talked recently and shared common interests about the story of Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta lived a very short life, and her cancer cells are the source of the Hela cell line, the first immortalized human cell line in medical cancer research. Bob MacLaughlin is still an active member of a running club with his wife, Rene. Bob and Rene are active members of the club that is aptly named the “Running Fossils.” When I say active member, I am talking about being very active. Bob’s goal this year is to log as many running races as his age. Now seventy-five, he intends to meet this goal this year. Today I learned that Pete Kelly is still the owner of Kelly’s True Value (originally Lunt & Kelly’s) located at the traffic circle on Route 1 in Newburyport, MA just five miles from the Academy. He has been at this business for better than fifty years. His daughter-in law, Dionne Kelly, holds the job of Administrative Coordinator of Advancement at the school. Her husband Jeff Kelly ’85 has been teaching and coaching at the Academy since 1991. Mark Johnson and his wife Patti celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary on the Big Island of Hawaii this year. Their festive tropical garb, fruit drinks, and beach photos suggest that this was a great place to commemorate a special anniversary.
Charley Pine ’62, Peter Machinist ’62, and Hamilton Agnew ’62
All the best. Drop a line or let me know if and when you anticipate coming to the San Francisco area.
CLASS OF 1964 Don Balser dsb-co@comcast.net Lou Higgins writes in: When my wife died in 2012, I decided to make some dramatic changes. Fundamentally, I decided to dispossess myself of all unnecessary material goods and, going forward, collect experiences rather than things. This decision was not undertaken lightly. I saw it as an irrevocable commitment and practically irreversible. It was born of the old conundrum, Do I own stuff or does stuff own me? I was brought up to believe that ownership imposes various duties, among them to clean, repair, maintain and insure (though, curiously, not necessarily to need or use). Over time, I found ownership can be burdensome, and confining. Anyway, I got started. One night, after a decent amount of scotch, I took down an oil painting and, next day, dropped it off at an art dealer. That was my first step, my first act. Having started, thereafter it was simply momentum. I kept at it. It took a couple years but, finally, it was gone, all of it. My law office and library and client list, my home in Lake Placid, New York, together with all the farm and logging equipment accumulated over forty years; vehicles and vessels; furniture and art and crystal, silver and china (145 place settings!); bedding and linens and clothes. In the beginning, it was tough—so much memorabilia, so many small items of endearment, some of it shamelessly sentimental. But not everything. Some stuff was just evidence of a long life in comfortable circumstances. For example, I discovered eight sets of sherry glasses carefully wrapped in newspapers published in Eisenhower’s first term. Sherry glasses? Demitasse cups? Napkin rings? Fish forks? I never used these things. What in the world was I keeping them for? If you don’t find a use for
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
47
something in sixty years, it’s probably a safe bet you can do without it. First, I gave stuff to my daughter, stuff that she said she wanted. Wasn’t much. Kids don’t live as we do; they don’t want our stuff. I almost had to thrust the silver upon her. I told her, “Take it. If you don’t use it, sell it.” Next, I sold various collections to stores, art dealers and individuals. Note: Books—even ancient leather bound volumes—and jewelry have very little value, almost none. Guns, on the other, always seem to appreciate. Finally, all the rest and remainder—two and a half tractor trailer loads—I sent to an auction house. They remitted seventy percent of the proceeds back to me. In the end, I kept one car, two pairs of pants, five shirts, two outer jackets, one hat, and two pairs of shoes. I kept my smart phone and my laptop. And Abby, my beagle, I kept her. Together, we set off. So, how did that feel? Initially, somewhat disorienting. I felt a bit untethered, like I’d pulled my mooring. We, Abby and I, traveled around the U.S., me doing research for a book I was writing, Abby exploring the smells of America. Over her life she swam in Lake Placid, Mirror Lake, Lake Champlain, the Atlantic (Unintentionally—she fell off a boat in the Florida Keys!), Lake Michigan, Walloon Lake, Flathead Lake, the Pacific, the Rio Grande, the Gulf of Mexico, and countless other lakes, ponds and rivers, here unnamed. Anyway, over time, untethered became the new normal, and gradually morphed into a feeling best described as liberating. Life became very simple, very quickly. For example, I now write maybe five checks a year— one for car insurance, a couple to the government, one to my accountant. I live online, but do not use social media. Rarely watch TV. Mostly, I read and I write. And I travel. Where, you ask? Well, a partial list of trips—each taken with my daughter—includes Kenya and Tanzania; Siberian Russia and Mongolia; Argentina and Antarctica (We cut a hole in the ice
48
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
and went swimming! It was a National Geographic Expedition.), and Alaska. Solo trips include the rivers of Europe, from Amsterdam to Budapest; Russia— from Moscow up the Baltic Canal to St. Petersburg; Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Australia (including Tasmania), New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Chile (extensive travels in Patagonia), Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador (mostly the Galapagos). Previously, I’d traveled pretty extensively throughout Western and Northern Europe, the Caribbean and to a few places in Central America (My dentist is in Costa Rica.) Along the way, I’ve had some interesting experiences: I’ve had the pleasure of maybe fifteen African safaris, been unpleasantly detained by Azerbaijani border guards, been declared undesirable by South Africa and expelled therefrom, been hospitalized in Santiago, Chile, marooned in the Pacific, been trapped by a sand storm in Namibia’s Kalahari, crawled around a sound-proofed concrete torture chamber used by the KGB to restrain prisoners who had descended into madness, stretched out on Stalin’s bed in his private railroad car in Gori, and been chased through the jungle and across the border between Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Livingston, Zambia by baboons in the middle of the night (that was scary). Incidentally, I write about this stuff but it seems no one from GDA is on my email list. Travel wise, coming up in November is a trip to photograph the polar bears on Hudson’s Bay, and next year I have booked travel to Papua New Guinea (one of the last places to study cannibalism), Indonesia (especially Komodo), Thailand, Cambodia, Bali, Fiji—that general area. Incidentally, these trips are quite long— they average about four months. I favor off-the-beaten track destinations. Have no present use for the London-ParisRome stuff. Maybe I’ll return to those
places in my dotage. Maybe….Do I miss my old life? No, not at all. Only regret I didn’t start earlier. So, there you have it. Sorry I was not at Reunion to catch up with my old classmates. I’m in Florida, holed up and writing. Please pass this along to whomever you want, along with my best wishes to all! Lou Higgins // 518-637-2396 // lhh2013la@gmail.com
CLASS OF 1965 Ken Linberg ken.linberg@gmail.com
Save the date for your 55th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Ken Linberg heard from fellow classmates also residing in the great state of California! Peter Sargent is clearly glad to have retired from his professorial position in the University of California system. He writes: “I am truly, fully retired and finally enjoying it. I say ‘finally’ because it took about eighteen months for me to figure it out. Several things into place (and this can be a discussion topic for us next June and all future meetings, no?), including how to find something where I felt of value. I am on a couple of boards but trying to get off them, since it’s a bit too much like work. I am volunteering at the Exploratorium, a hands-on science museum in San Francisco. I am tutoring in math three afternoons at the local high school. I continue to sing in a couple of choruses, including the San Francisco Symphony Chorus (year number sixteen coming up). I am making beer—what a blast! It’s like getting my lab back (but you should see the garage!) I am traveling with wife Caroline Damsky (Iceland and Greenland coming up), and finally I am enjoying the company of my two granddaughters,
aged eight and nine, who live close by.” Peter also sent the sad news that his Dad, L. Manlius Sargent, passed away on February 22 in Bath, ME. He certainly was a popular math teacher at the Academy when we were there. Peter plans to come to the Reunion and to see a plaque the Academy is planning to place in his Dad’s honor near the math classrooms. Terrific to hear from you Peter, and congrats on retirement! Also chiming in was Craig Johnson. He submitted a photo of him and his good pal Cynthia Ziemer from their exploring the Green Mountains by motorcycle last June, a trip that ended in a lovely stay in Boothbay Harbor, ME. More recently, shortly before his seventy-second birthday, he penned these poignant reflections we can all relate to these days: “When the darkness comes I will be alone, because in that final solitary splitsecond between what was, what wasn’t before and what isn’t anymore there is no place or time for even the comfort of love as last gasps are consumed with panic, surrender or wonder at the ultimate singularity. I admit that I am still unaccustomed to the notion that my stream of consciousness with its often-turbulent rapids, its swirling eddies of confusion and rare still pools
will abruptly evaporate along with the memories at its source and the intentions towards which it flowed. It is only a moment, then even the darkness is gone.” Ned Helm also shares: Still living the life on the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennessee with our two Tennessee Walkers. I am 100% disabled due the SEA War Games, in which I was a willing participant. I will try to get to the fifty-fifth if my current Alpha-Gal allergy abates (we both managed to get bitten by the Lone Star Tick) and I can “eat out” again.
built themselves on a 200-acre organic farm in Chesterton, Maryland. Ford’s daughter and family live in another house on the farm. I am attaching a photo of Ford with son Robin and wife Marilee in back. In front is son in law, Brandon, with Japhy (six), daughter, Brook, and Ilex (three). The photo was taken by Robin’s drone.
Summer is here and the Parker River is alive with boats and mosquitoes.
Jeff Weber writes that he thinks back fondly to our fiftieth in Byfield and reconnecting with old friends, some he even recognized. He has remained in touch with Ted Caldwell and they have managed to get together several times. I am attaching a photo where Ted was introduced to two of Jeff’s grandchildren who surprisingly had recognizable names: Ted Weber age five and Caldwell (Wells) Weber, age two.
Ford Schumann stopped by for a visit. He is playing in three bands, as well as running his recycling business. Ford and his wife, Marilee, (Abbott Academy graduate) live in a farmhouse they
David Hartz sent along the following note: I remember Mr. Art Sager preparing the Glee Club for our New York trip and us performing at the World’s Fair at Flushing Meadow and staying at the
CLASS OF 1966 Jim Connolly jim@connolly.legal
LEFT: Craig Johnson ’65 and Cynthia Ziemer TOP MIDDLE: Ford Schumann ’66 with his family; BOTTOM MIDDLE: Ted Caldwell ’66 meeting the
grandchildren of Jeff Weber ’66
TOP RIGHT, BOTTOM: John Whitmore ’66…before
and after!
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
49
Waldorf-Astoria. I remember training outside for Winter Track and feeling as if my lungs would freeze when we got beyond the tree line barrier and got the full blast of frozen air off the water/tide flats. We moved to Chehalis, Washington in 2005 from Southern California and bought a 5,000 sf retail independent bookstore [in] which we also sell art supplies and do custom framing. It’s a good mix. It’s hard work but we love it. We are located halfway between Portland, OR, and Seattle on I-5 in Southwest Washington. Slowly moving into retirement and selling the store to the current employees over the next year or two. My youngest daughter will be getting married June 20, 2020 at Black Butte Ranch near Sisters, Oregon, about fifteen miles west from Bend. Jack Trickey sent the following note: Trickey news: Our last offspring was married in June with reception here in Pelham. All three of our children have had their receptions at our place. It will be a few years before any of the grandchildren might ask. I am off to Brooklin, ME in August to spend a week at the Wooden Boat Company taking a course in boat building. I am having a little problem with the lofting concept but you coastal folks probably know it well. And last, but not least, John Whitmore gave us the following reflections with illustrative photos: As for this ole bag o’ bones, trying to scale back at work and only work part time. As the attached picture shows I’m ready to jump but the landing can be a bit rough (though not really expecting it to be)! The summer found us with family and friends on the boat and in the water a lot—enjoying five of the six grandchildren to the fullest, ages ten to thirteen. My oldest grandson, twenty-three, is working full time at Barton and Gray Mariners Club after graduating from Sacred Heart University a year ago last May. Also Wade and I cele brated our 50th anniversary this year—our three girls threw us a hell of party!
50
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
CLASS OF 1967 Ben Beach benhbeach@gmail.com The University of Vermont is building its long-awaited Multi-Purpose Center with a lead four million gift from Marna and Chuck Davis, a member of UVM’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Beyond the improvements it will provide for varsity athletes and fans, the center will become the hub for recreation, wellness, and fitness for the entire campus. The Recreation and Wellness Center will be named after Chuck’s mother, Phyllis “Phiddy” Davis ’45. “The Phiddy” is for the student body, faculty and the community, and Chuck likes the slogan: “Get fit at the Phiddy!” Also planned are study areas and lounges that will support the academic and social objectives of the Department of Athletics and other UVM units.
Elsewhere in the world of higher education, Kathy and Gene Romero were at Worcester Polytechnic (WPI) in the spring as their daughter Kate graduated with high honors. Also on stage, Gene noted, was Dan Morgan, a WPI trustee. Kate is applying to med schools. In the fall Kathy and Gene visited Machu Picchu and then the Amazon for some boating, hiking and camping. Bob Bass’s supersonic business jet, the Aerion AS2, with the engine from GE, a derivative of the 737 engine, now has a substantial investment from Boeing. Be patient, though, as commercialization will not be until 2025. By the way, “Aerion” is a variation of “Arion,” the fastest horse in Greek mythology. (Bob clearly was paying attention in class when our Old Guard classical literature teachers held forth.) Dick Boucher now has three grandchildren, though he hasn’t seen his grandson in Tempe, Arizona, yet.
TOP: Larry Miller ’67 (left) after reeling in a 40-pound-plus Kingfish/Spanish Mackerel in March off the South Florida coast. When not fishing, Larry saw Grapefruit League games featuring the Nationals, Cardinals, Mets, Yankees, and Phillies BOTTOM: Bill Alfond ’67 was on the White House South Lawn May ninth, a week before his birthday, as President Trump saluted the Red Sox for their 2018 World Series victory. He also made it to London in June for the Red Sox-Yankees series.
He enjoys trips from his Pennsylvania home to Hatteras, N.C., with his son and is going to try to get to Joe Schwarzer’s Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. Dick also visits Surf City, N.J., where, as a lifeguard one summer, he completed a seventeen-mile swim. Speaking of Joe Schwarzer, he continues to work “a ridiculous schedule” keeping three North Carolina museums healthy. “I hate missing the reunions, but they always occur during budget negotiations with the state,” he explained. “Miss seeing everyone.” West Newbury native Andrew Nichols was back on home turf last summer, attending Yankee Homecoming in Newburyport. He now has a condo up there, though Baltimore remains his primary residence. Fellow Marylander Mick Doolittle is semi-retired, and he and Laurie have a third grandchild to fuss over. “We’re now fully committed to living in Florida as we sold everything in Arkansas,” Jay Marsh wrote. “We put our ‘on-the-gulf-beach’ condo back in the rental market and now live full-time in an ‘on-the-intracoastal waterway’ condo. Watching boat/barge traffic pass by our front door makes for lazy days when I’m not boating, bicycling, kayaking, walking or tracking tropical storms. Both condos are on Perdido Key, and since it is a premier vacation destination, we see more of the kids and grandkids than we did in Little Rock. Our twin granddaughters were two of only twenty students in the state who gained early admission as sophomores into the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA), a residential high school that is a part of the University of Arkansas administrative system. ASMSA is ranked tenth in Newsweek/Daily Beast’s survey of America’s best public high schools. I’m still working some as a testifying trial expert on money damages as clients like to combine depositions in Pensacola with time on the beach. Life is good.”
Rick Jensen had a heart ablation done last spring to fix his persistent AFIB. Afterwards, he wrote, “Words of the day: sinus rhythm! I am OK after the ablation. My ejection fraction was excellent, no blockages, and no blood clots. And yes, I am in sinus rhythm!” Rick said that his AFIB began with the flu and a respiratory condition in December 2018. “It turns out that many cases of AFIB begin with the flu. Who knew?” Harper Follansbee checked in from central Connecticut with this message: “My youngest, who is at least two inches taller than his old man and twice as smart, is off to college and, after twentytwo years, we are downsizing and selling our beautiful home and moving into a condo. I continue my life as a tutor, helping students of modest means get into the colleges of their choice. The kids are wonderful, as are their parents, and none of them knows any coaches at Yale.” Our other soccer co-captain, Rich Brayton, says he is “loving every minute” of retirement. Yes, he’s dealing with Parkinson’s disease, but so far it’s under control. In recent months he has toured Vietnam and acquired his first granddaughter and his first grandson. Rich visited Don Congdon in Barrington, NH and gave him a 50th Reunion hat that Don says he wears “all the time.” Don quit smoking and, as of August, hadn’t had a cigarette in a year. Down in Austin, Ted Dix is spending most of his time writing music. He’s also finishing a few academic projects, exercising every day, and transitioning from being a carnivore to being a vegan. “The transition has been frustrating at times,” the Longhorn acknowledged, “but ultimately it’s been rewarding. I feel great and expect to live longer and happier.” “No plans to retire,” wrote Fred Burchsted. “My dentist says that his goal is that when, many years hence, I am found dead in the library book stacks, I will still have all my own teeth.”
Last spring “I was honored to attend a memorial luncheon for Manny Sargent,” said Win Burt. “I think that, like many others, I learned from Manny what a sense of humor is...probably the most important life lesson I took from the GDA years.” David Marsh, who spends part of the year (“but not enough!”) in Sedona, wrote from the Grand Canyon State that he’s “very much enjoying the friendship of my Arizona neighbors, Deirdre and Mike Rogers, who encourage me in visual art, wine-tasting, and faith. Good combination!” Mike’s art continues to draw audiences to galleries near his Prescott home, and he recently curated a series on classic western films at the Phippen Museum. In August Mike resumed his Civil War reenactment activities, playing the role of a field medical steward and infantryman “against the defiant Rebels.” Wife Deidre also remains active on the arts scene, playing at the famous Palace Saloon twice a month and writing a play, among other things. “Amy and I are still on our plan to split the year into six months home in Newburyport and six months cruising,” Roger Block reported. “It seems to be working pretty well. Our boat “Shango” is in London and we’ve been home since October. We’ll return to London in the spring for another six months of cruising. Our most likely destination will be either the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland or the Baltic coast of Sweden. Getting a six-month respite each year from the U.S. political craziness does wonders for our spirits.” Jeff Harris continues to be an active grandfather. He was with four of his grandchildren at York’s Long Sands Beach on the Fourth of July and was back in York in mid-August to romp with all seven. Jeff traveled to Colorado in the fall. Sid Bird retired February first after forty-six years. Two days later, he and Mary bought a twenty-nine-foot motor
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
51
home. Ten days after that they were off for some hiking in Uganda to see silverback gorillas. In May Sid spent ten days cruising the Danube from Budapest to Prague with his brother. On May 22, he and Mary hit the road to Albuquerque to compete in the National Senior Olympics—Sid in racquetball, Mary in the 40K bicycle race. Sid won two out of three matches, but it wasn’t enough to move him to the quarterfinals. Mary finished better than she’d expected. Also racking up miles on those continents were Caroline and Tom Taylor, who made it to four game parks in South Africa last spring and saw all of the big six animals except leopards: elephants, lions, rhinos, water buffalo, and hippos. “I now have a much better understanding of Cry, The Beloved Country,” Tom said. “The only drawback was the sixteen-hour non-stop flight from Atlanta.” In 2018 they cruised up the Danube River. “I was surprised at the prosperity in the former communist countries, which seemed about as prosperous as Austria and Germany.” Jeff Wood checked in with this summary: “Still working, still writing, and watching the grandchildren grow up (too quickly, I might add...).” “Ruth and I couldn’t resist the lure of the Dakotas,” wrote Alan Rothfeld from southern California. “Because it’s there. We spent some time there getting to know the area as one of our summer trips. My youngest son is starting his career as a clinic physician on skid row in downtown L.A. He didn’t get it from me.” Alan said that the Medical School at the Claremont Colleges, which he’s trying to help start, “is looking like a go. I have to say: This is a great time of life. Quite the surprise.” “This was to be my year to finally master golf,” Lew Rumford reported. “I signed up for many lessons and planned a massive improvement program. Alas, my left hip objected to my new, improved
52
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
swing and refused to cooperate. I have been x-rayed and MRI’d. Now I am waiting to see my hip doctor again for further diagnosis. Suffice it to say, 2019 proved not to be my summer for golf.” Two projects kept Rusty Bolles busy during the summer: landscaping up at the lake in New Hampshire and a total make-over for his store. In September he and Diane went on a cruise in Alaska with two other couples. Speaking of Nobody Special, Reid Pugh spent the first weekend of August in New York attending Red Sox games with his son Brad, a rabid Yankees fan. “It was fun,” Reid said, “despite the unfortunate season-killing four losses for the Sox.” Checking in from the Motor City, Don Gay reported that he sang at St. Joe’s Catholic Church over the summer and refereed high school volleyball in the fall. “I hope all of you are aging more gracefully than I am,” Gardner Sisk remarked. “Once again the Gardner Mattress Manchester float received accolades in the Manchester-by-the-Sea Fourth of July parade. I look forward to seeing all of you in June 2020.” “I’m still vertical after all these years and still getting out and hiking lower peaks,” Phil Congdon reported from Colorado. In July Bart and Paul Hemmerich spent two weeks at a remote campground in Washington State, and in September these gather-no-moss old-timers did a bike tour in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzogovina. “What a tour through history! This land has been washed over by so many cultures, religions, and, yes, wars, that it is difficult to understand. I learned things that you cannot get in books.” After thirteen years and seventytwo mass evangelistic crusades, Mac Barnes’ Haiti chapter is complete. “There will be something new for me, but I am not walking in it yet,” Mac wrote. In August, he and Anne added a
granddaughter to their two grandsons. Mac described turning seventy as “not as bad as it seemed from high school. We are still loving every day.” Doug Curtis reported: “I am still enjoying work and keeping busy, and working on a two-year plan to place the business on auto-pilot per the newer rage, ‘Risk Analysis.’ We also were certified to ISO 13485-2016 this past winter, an upgrade from the prior 2003 version, for international medical devices. In July I celebrated a full year of aerobics (lost sixteen pounds, restored some muscle tone) and feel great.” Edwin Beatty left his Albuquerque home in late March for another motorcycle adventure. “I headed out to La Paz, Baja California, with a lot of wandering along the way,” he wrote in July. “Made one long loop, 3,000 miles, down the wild Sea of Cortez side… and saw incredible sites, people, places. I paddled in Magdalena Bay on the Pacific Coast, timing it to hit the peak of the gray whale season. I saw lots of whales, many within ten feet… But the rarest sighting: a fellow Govie! Michael McDowell ’74 was on the same outing, along with his wife, daughters, sonin-law and two grandkids. Absolutely delightful family and great company. After kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, et al., I took the ferry from La Paz to the mainland…and went home through Hermosillo and Nogales.” At the end of a two-week trip to Scotland last summer, having visited countless castles and gardens with Mayo, Dan Morgan tried his hand at the Old Course in St. Andrews, known as the “Home of Golf.” The golf gods were smiling and, with the help of a great caddie, Dan (16.0 handicap index), carded an eighty-one. Rem Clark found what he believes must be the only CD copy of Edmund Hall’s last live concert at GDA, in 1967. “It sounds great,” Rem said. “The Newport
Ted Nahil tednahil@gmail.com
passed away on April 27th, 2019. We had been keeping in touch for a while through Facebook. He had emailed me in June last year just before our 50th Reunion saying he was ill and would not be able to make an appearance. He also asked me not to share that information. Today I wondered why I hadn’t had any response from him since April 24, where I found a link to [his] obituary. I hope not to make more discoveries like this any time in the near future!” I know I speak for all of us when I say our sympathy goes out to Chuck and his family, and to Rick’s family, too.
I start our notes for this edition with sad news on two fronts. Most of you know already that Chuck Johnson’s wife, Chris, passed away in late April. Chuck wrote: “My wife Chris’s heart finally gave out about 9:00 Sunday morning (April 28th) and she passed to a more peaceful place with me, our son Brian and my brother Bill by her side. She and I had already had many discussions about this moment and had plans in place. We will have a memorial in Sacramento sometime the near future and will scatter her ashes at our family tree farm in New Hampshire with the immediate family sometime next Spring after snow season. The family picture was taken a week earlier on Saturday while we were in Seattle visiting the grandkids.” We also learned from Elliott O’Reilly that Rick Haas had passed a day earlier after a battle with liver disease. Elliott wrote: “Ted, I just discovered that Rick
On a brighter note, Dave Mitchell checked in at the beginning of February, after the deadline for the spring edition of The Archon, and I promised I would include his update in the fall: “Not much new. Christmas in Connecticut with a couple of our kids and grandchildren. Had 1” of snow on Xmas eve, so we got our snowflake fix for the year. Columbus State is great and continues to thrive. Academia is different, but a lot of fun. Lots of work with United Way, which is very rewarding. Trying to figure out if the programs we support actually work. No one seems to have asked that in the past.” The beginning of February also brought the Founder’s Day Challenge and as usual, our class stepped up to the plate! Dan Look in particular went out of his way to honor the request I forwarded for donations from the Alumni Office: “I have fulfilled your request. Thank you for the nudge and
Folk Fest was one of the best ever. We plan to go west in January. All five grandchildren are great, and none has been incarcerated yet.” Stanley Greenberg enjoyed the Old Guard Reunion in June. “The highlights were kayaking on the Plum Island River with Paul Hemmerich and touring the Christiana Morgan Tower with several classmates,” he wrote.
CLASS OF 1968
your Visa number. It made the donation much easier. Or was it a Veas number? Senior moment.” Elliott O’Reilly jumped in with a blast from the past: “I wish I’d had Veasey’s number instead of having to cash in my S&H Green stamps! It’s tough being a member of the old guard!” Dan’s reply: “Today, S&H offers ‘greenpoints’ as rewards for purchases made on the Internet. However, if you still hold some Green Stamps, they do not expire, and you can redeem them for greenpoints or cash. I remember licking those god-awful stamps and filling a book. Then you got a catalog and sent away. Thanks, Elliot, for the run down memory lane.” Jay Worthen reminded those of us who had forgotten, or had never known in the first place, that they had trouble with the Federal Trade Commission with a suit that made it all the way to the Supreme Court! Don Hayes wanted to know if splitting his donation with his dog, cat and dracaena would help towards the number goal, but sadly it didn’t. For a look at Don’s fine-looking dracaena, see the pretty badly Photoshopped pic from last year’s reunion with Ted Brooks, Bob Parsons, Rob Lord, Simon McCulloch, Yours Truly, Josh Burns, Art Veasey, Paul Gares and Don and his dracaena below. The beginning of March also saw a wonderful article on Jim Rudolph and his years of work in the Swampscott and Marblehead government, various charitable organizations, and the local, regional and national ADL, published LEFT: Chuck Johnson Family – Chuck Johnson’68, his family, and late wife, Chris; RIGHT: GDA ’68
plus Don and his dracaena (L to R) standing: Ted Brooks, Bob Parsons, Rob Lord, Simon McCullough, Yours Truly, Josh Burns, Art Veasey, Paul Gares; foreground, Don Hayes and his dracaena
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
53
in the Jewish Journal and brought to our attention by Art Veasey. Tuck’s reply: “Wait…does Veasey get the Jewish Journal?! How did I miss his conversion? See you at Passover this year, Art.” Harry Kangis wrote: “Great article on Jim—Thanks for sharing. We’re going to get four to six inches of snow! Julia and I are escaping to Phoenix in a week to escape all this!” The middle of the month saw Dan Look email a good number of us with a plan for a sailing trip somewhere in New England. Soon, Dan and Jim Rudolph had worked together to arrange a weekend get-together in the Marblehead harbor. CF Spang and his wife Judith, Dan and Jim began to plan to meet and invited anyone else in the area who wanted to attend to join them. Jim reserved rooms at the Boston Yacht Club which is located in Marblehead for anyone who wanted to stay overnight. Dan was to sail his Freedom catboat up from the Carolinas; CF and Judith were to sail down from New Hampshire to Manchester-by-the-Sea/Marblehead. This planning took place from midMarch to a couple of days before the
weekend of July 19. In April, Marc Tucker sponsored a table at the annual Boston Business Leaders Lunch at the Boston Harbor Hotel on the thirtieth. This is Jim Rudolph’s brainchild and among the attendees were CF Spang, Art Veasey, Chris Page and Wayne Barbaro. Rick Kaye-Schiess replied that he had to decline not only the luncheon but the sailing weekend being planned as he was working the public sails out of the Portsmouth Harbor on the Gundalow, a replica of a large sailing barge. Josh Burns wished us all well and said he was sorry he couldn’t join us. Maybe next year… As our sailing weekend approached, Jim arranged for us to have dinner Friday night, July 19, at the BYC, and he and Susan graciously put together a meal for us Saturday night at their home in Marblehead. At the last minute, Dan Look had to bow out because his wife, Anne, broke her kneecap and Dan stayed at home to assist. Thanks to him, though, for coordinating everything and to Jim and Susan for their generosity! It was a wonderful couple of days! Friday night’s
TOP LEFT: BYC Friday Dinner (L to R) CF Spang, Jay Worthen, Ted Nahil, Jim Rudolph; TOP RIGHT: On Forever Young, (L to R) Rob Lord, Marc Tucker, CF Spang, Judith Spang BOTTOM: Dinner at Jim and Susan’s, (L to R) CF Spang, Jay Worthen, Peter Barkin, Rob Lord, Jim Rudolph, Marc Tucker, Ted Nahil, Wayne Barbaro, Ross Raymond, Chris Page
54
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
dinner included CF Spang and Judith, Jim and Susan along with their daughter Katie ’12, Jay Worthen and me. Saturday morning, Jay took Rob Lord and me on a wonderful tour of Marblehead after breakfast. The sail Saturday afternoon was incredible, despite the record-breaking temperatures. There was enough of a breeze and intermittent clouds to mitigate the fact that the temp was just under 100. Those who sailed on Jim’s boat included Jim, Jay, Peter Barkin, CF and Judith, Rob, Tuck, and yours truly. Pictures below of Jim’s Forever Young, some of us on the deck, and the Saturday evening gathering at Jim and Susan’s home. In addition to those of us who had sailed in the afternoon, new attendees Saturday evening were Jay’s wife Cindy, Chris Page, Ross Raymond and Wayne Barbaro and his wife, Jayne. Again, on behalf of all of us who were able to be there, a huge thank you to Jim and Susan as well as Dan Look for all the effort they put into making it a wonderful couple of days. We sure did miss you, Dan! We also missed Art Veasey who was squirrelled away on some island in Maine. Hopefully you can join us next year, Veas! Charles Johnson expressed his dismay at not being able to join us either, but his reason was quite extraordinary: “I wished I had known sooner but I had a task to complete. Before our future was stolen from us, my Dad and I and a few others were planning a fishing trip for tuna just off Cape Cod. My brother Wick and I completed that circle with Spencer standing in for our father and went after tuna at the Gulf Stream east of Wilmington, NC. A great time was had by all. Hopefully I can join you all for the Second Annual Sailing Excursion in 2020.” Tentative plans are already underway, somewhere on Cape Cod perhaps. Harold Levine has extended an invitation and dates and events are already being bandied about. This is destined to become an annual undertaking, something to which we can all look forward!
Jay Shay checked in from Thailand and said hello to all. He sent a picture of a Red Dog sighting on Koh Mak and of him relaxing there…tough life! Late in May, Chuck Johnson gave us a brief update on his life post Chris: “Thank you for all the cards and emails of condolence on the recent loss of my wife Chris. Working towards returning to a new normal, I regretfully will not be able to attend the festivities as I will be beginning my thirtieth year at 8,000 ft in the Sierra Nevada mountains at Scout summer camp. I still vividly remember the last time Chris and I sailed an O’Day 23 from Marblehead to Rockport, a wonderful day almost fifty years ago. I know those of you who will be in Marblehead will have a great time.” The rivalry between Boston and Saint Louis came to the forefront with the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Elliott couldn’t resist: “While we were at GDA, St. Louis radio station KMOX was one of five clear channel stations in the US. They carried all the major sports broadcasts. Not long after the Gibson and the Cardinals beat Longborg in the World Series, I was often able to listen to St. Louis Blues games during their first season when the radio signal would reach the East Coast at night. It’s fitting that the Blues would meet Boston again after fifty years to avenge Bobby Orr’s ‘infamous goal!’ It’s also fitting since Boston ended their
LEFT: Jay relaxing on Koh Mak—Jay Shay, Thailand; RIGHT: Jay and Friends – Jay Worthen, center, in Oshkosh, WI
World Series jinx against the Cardinals that the Blues would end their Stanley Cup jinx against the Bruins (especially since an O’Reilly was the star)! It was also great fun trading barbs on messenger with Veasey during the playoffs!” Then, ahead of his seventieth, he added: “I spent today tending my vegetable garden, making chilled cucumber soup, cooking bacon for BLTs for dinner with our homegrown tomatoes and waiting for fresh lobster meat from Maine to make lobster rolls for my seventieth birthday dinner tomorrow.” Other birthdays in the recent past included Pablo and Rob. Jon Williams also sent in this update: “I took a part time position teaching at the Colorado Homebuilding Academy, in Denver. My dad wanted me to be a teacher, and he spent his post retirement years teaching at Choate. I’m not sure that teaching concrete theory was what he had in mind but it’s a lot of fun. We’re helping a lot of high school students and young adults train for careers in the building industry. Other than that, we are enjoying summer in Denver, in our new home. We are close to our grandchildren and daughter which is wonderful.” Jay Worthen reported in early August: “I just returned from my tenth flight to the EAA annual convention and air show in Oshkosh, WI (see photo below). My first
flight was in 1992 when I flew my dad out. Our Skyhawk, N739KB, is not too fast, but very reliable. Ten flying hours to get there, eight flying hours to get back, because the wind giveth and the wind taketh away. You may recall that Tuck flew out with us a few years ago. This year we (being the plane owner and I) took my oldest nephew. He is a private pilot currently working on his instrument rating. Swung by Niagara Falls along the way. Cindy and I are sitting in Logan awaiting departure to Athens via Philly. Two days in Athens, then a week being sailed on the Ionian Sea on a 60’ catamaran. May not come back!” Charles Johnson sent in this update, augmenting what he had said earlier about his reason for missing the sailing weekend: “Only item of note is the completion of a sort of ‘bucket list task,’ that of going out to the Gulf Stream for tuna. Last month Spencer, standing in for my father, checked it off along with my brother Wick and two friends, [who] went out on a fifty-four-foot sport fishing boat. The day’s excitement included landing twelve dorado (mahi-mahi) from two to almost four-feet, seven large barracuda and a two-foot, false albacore. Among the escapees were two large sail fish and a yellowfin tuna guesstimated at an excess of 250 lbs. After twenty-five minutes in a brief rainstorm with nothing to show for the effort but a straightened hook and an excess of adrenalin I have had the fight of a lifetime to add to my memories. He won and I lost but the experience was worth the losing effort and maybe there will be a next time… Best part of the day was watching Spencer have a ball and his successes. One proud and thankful father, and that’s what it’s really all about.” I even got a reply to my lastminute solicitation for news from Roger Smith—nice to hear from you, Roger, glad that you’re doing well! Ross Raymond also added some thoughts: “Don’t really have words to describe how much it meant to spend
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
55
time with the coolest and kindest classmates around on the hottest day of the year. Thanks again to Jim and his gracious family. My opportunities for future permanent employment doing what I enjoy are still not totally clear. I can be slow on the uptake, but I have eventually learned that there is really no other way to approach uncertainty than with some combination of faith, hope and optimism. I have pretty good health, can ride a bike fifteen miles on a weekend, my boys and I are extremely close, and their mom and I treat one another with respect and consideration after twenty-five years of marriage and ten years post-divorce. I’ll put that in the ‘gratitude column’ and keep on keeping on. My best to all...” Here in Florida, Terry and I continue to enjoy life in the Sunshine State. We’re blessed to have half of our family so close, our daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons, eleven and six, who we see often. Our son and granddaughters live in Denver and it’s harder to see them, but we manage a
couple of times a year for me, more for Terry. They just wrapped up a week visit here, and it was wonderful! Our neighborhood is terrific—we have great friends who keep us feeling young. A group of us did a cruise in June on a relatively new line in the Caribbean, MSC, and I actually did their 800-foot zip line, despite my deathly fear of heights! We’re headed to San Francisco in September to spend some time in wine country, and we are making plans now for another cruise with the family and lots of friends next spring when I have another speed limit birthday as I like to call them—ending in a zero or a five—and this one’s a zero! We continue to consider ourselves very fortunate to have our family and friends, and I want to say that I feel extremely fortunate to have had, and still have, all of you in my life. Here’s to the best group ever! Keep the updates coming and have a wonderful holiday season!
CLASS OF 1969 Bill Clyde coachbclyde@gmail.com The Class of 1969 came through in fine fashion this past Reunion Weekend. All the planning and recruiting that went on behind the scenes paid off as twenty members of the class returned for all or part of the festivities. Much thanks to all the committee members who contributed. Nice. We kayaked the Parker River and golfed at Ould Newbury. Gosh, but the course seemed longer than I remember it! The Academy provided ample opportunity for us to be suitably impressed with the accomplishments of the students and staff. The campus looks beautiful and the future looks bright. There was a lot of catching up this weekend… Rick French and Doug Bradshaw found time for a jaunt to the Clam Box. What? No clams in Cleveland? Kudos to Doug for his work on the memory book and
TOP LEFT: Class of 1969 kayaking the Parker River (L-R): Doug Bradshaw, Billy Clyde, Tim Tenney, Jeff Gordon, Peter Dorsey, Josh Miner, Doug Macdonald, Brian Pfeiffer, Jack Connelly, and Bob Amsler; TOP RIGHT: ’69ers Billy Clyde, Jack Connelly, Doug Macdonald, Josh Miner at Ould Newbury Golf Course BOTTOM LEFT: ’69ers Doug Bradshaw and Rick French at the Clam Box; BOTTOM RIGHT: (Walking the Banner) Front: Peter Dorsey, Rick French, Bob Amsler, Ned Lattime, Shelden Sacks, Tim Tenney, Doug Bradshaw; Back: Wilson Durham, Nat Follansbee, Billy Clyde, Jack Connelly, Josh Miner, Brian Pfeiffer, Doug Macdonald, Andy Costello, Ralph O’Leary, Hal Terrie, Jeff Gordon
56
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
providing us with a photo-montage throughout our Saturday dinner. It is nice to have a techno-genius close by. Good work! Nattily dressed Andy Costello greeted the flotilla of kayaks as we made landfall. We tried to call Art Schultz around midnight. No answer. Doug Macdonald, Jack Connelly, Josh Miner and Billy Clyde found time to hit the links. The links hit back! Peter Dorsey helped in the search for lost balls. Tim Tenney, Andy Costello and Ralph O’Leary tried their luck, as well. Good to have Bob Amsler with us for two reunions in a row. Family and travel are big parts of Bob’s retirement. We still wonder where Rick Robins may be. Any ideas? Chris Barker, fresh off his role in Sweeney Todd, could still take George D to the mat! Casper Durham made it from Wilson, Wyoming…or, is it the other way around?! Good to have you back! Ned Lattime remains thoughtfully reserved and is always interested in what others have to say. His professional work is life-changing. Shelden Sacks is in fine shape with work, travel and family keeping him busy. Good to see Hal “have chess
board....will travel” Terrie. Hal travels the world looking for his next checkmate. I discovered that Brian Pfeiffer and I both share a deep interest in French history, culture and language. “Merci, M Linberg!” We both winced at the images of Notre Dame in flames. David Forbes joined us for Saturday night’s dinner. When he speaks, people listen. Still waters run deep. We learned that Tim Tenney has been elected to the Gov’s Athletic Hall of Fame. That is a long overdue and well-deserved honor. Congratulations, Tim! At the Chapel, we honored several of our classmates who have passed on. Godspeed. Many years ago, I received a wedding gift from some well-intentioned public high school friends. They had “borrowed” the large GDA sign from the corner of Center Street and Route 1. With the help of Jack Connelly and Doug Macdonald, I was finally able to return the trophy. It had occupied various locations throughout my homes over the past forty-four years. My wife insisted it would look much better in someone else’s house! Go figure! It is now in the care of Peter Quimby. Fact is…I feel much better now!
The dust has settled. We can take our places as members of the “Old Guard.” Clearly, the path that brought us here has been truly long and winding. This class has held together remarkably well. Jeff Gordon used the words “transforming,” “tumultuous,” and, “consequential “in a very well-stated introduction to our memory book. The challenges were great. We did quite well…quite well indeed. Our class has been represented on many boards at the Academy over the years. Several stand out as a strong presence during that time. Jeff Gordon, Nat Follansbee, Tim Tenney, Ralph O’Leary and Josh Miner have stepped up and given freely of their time and talents for us and the Academy at various times. And, a special “Thank You!” to Peter Dorsey! How many phone calls has he made over the years in his efforts to keep us all connected?! Without his perseverance and enthusiasm, this 50th Reunion would have looked very different. Job well done! See you in 2024, my friends… if not before!
TOP LEFT: Presenting the “lost” sign—Jack Connelly ’69, Doug Macdonald ’69, Peter H. Qumby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14; TOP MIDDLE: Peter
Dorsey honored for dedication to the Academy and Class of 1969; TOP RIGHT: Tim Tenney will enter the Academy Hall of Fame from Class of ’69.
BOTTOM: Posing with the recovered contraband; Class of 1969; (Kneeling) Billy Clyde and Doug Bradshaw; (Middle) Chris Barker, Rick French, Andy Costello, Ned Lattime, Shelden Sacks, Bob Amsler, Peter Dorsey, Head of School Peter H. Qumby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14 ’95; (Back) Wilson Durham, Hal Terrie, Jack Connelly, Nat Follansbee, Josh Miner, Ralph O’Leary, Doug Macdonald, Jeff Gordon, Dave Forbes, Tim Tenney
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
57
CLASS OF 1970 Terry Nolan nolan_t_e@hotmail.com
Save the date for your 50th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Hello Classmates! Ready for our 50th Reunion coming up in June 2020. Please update your contact information by email- ing Dionne at dkelly@govsacademy.org so that we can get the 50th Reunion info out to you. Hard to believe but it’s been fifty years! From what I have been able to glean from Facebook and other social media, many of the Class of ’70 have been hitting the road and traveling now that we’re all into our latter years. Here are a few notes: Ben Smith: After thirty years in the aerospace industry, Lisa’s environmental science career, and raising two children we sold our house in Cocoa Beach Florida in June of 2015. We restored a classic Bristol 35.5 Centerboard sloop and cruised her for six months in the Florida Keys and Bahamas. In the past four years we have been on fifty-one different airplanes and flown over
LEFT: Lisa and Ben Smith ’70 on the Carretera Austral in Chilean Patagonia; MIDDLE: Henry Eaton ’70 and daughter Brooke Eaton ’03; RIGHT: Henry Eaton ’70
58
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
80,000 miles. We have visited over twenty countries on five continents. We’ve driven over 75,000 miles in our car and others. Stayed on boats, in hotels, Airbnbs, yurts, tents, RVs, and one frozen night in our car. Ours was a different mode of travel: we’d land somewhere and usually have two nights and a rental car booked. After that it was Lisa and the iPhone that got us around. We’d have a general idea of what we wanted to see and do. We’d meet people who would suggest a place or event and if it fit, off we’d go! So now four-plus years later, we are settling in to our next adventure. A house in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. If I was a writer I’d write a book. But English was never my best subject—guess I spent too much time in the EWBC. Barkley Simpson writes: Hello all. It has been a busy year for Tawnyn and me. We had a wonderful Colorado and Nevada two-week adventure for one of my travel clients. They were very pleased that their investment paid off when I presented them with 1,625 photographs to start their new Las Vegas office. Loved the excitement and saw three amazing shows. I even got the very rare opportunity to photograph Barry Manilow’s show at the Westgate Hotel. Great fun on Fremont Street too. We had a concert in our Artspace Gallery (where we live) by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame. He is eighty-one-years young and was both
delightful and insightful. It was an honor to photograph the event for our gallery and for him. Currently, Tawnyn has the unbelievable task of making seven amazing Halloween costumes, because a travel client is sending us to two VIP Halloween parties in Walt Disney World and we are taking one of my sisters, my niece and my brother-in-law. It will be the week of my niece’s eighteenth bday, so we are thrilled that we can take her to Disney. My other sister and brother in law, who live in Sarasota will be joining us too. Tawnyn has made us winning costumes multiple years here in Cinci at many nightclub parties. Now she has to take on Disney and my client is counting on her to make all of us winners. If we are selected as crowd favorite, both the client and all of us will get major prizes. During the trip, we will be staying in our new timeshare at Disney’s Polynesian Hotel. It was a gift from one of my happy customers. In addition to my photography business, I am still working for and scoring the federal “No Child Left Behind” project, which I greatly enjoy. Tawnyn has left the family practice laboratory because she accepted an offer for a Research Laboratory Specialist for a medical pharmaceutical trial company. She had previously done cardiac research at the Univ of Cinci, and is happy to be back in research. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion. Henry Eaton: Well, like many of our classmates, I am in a new state. The State of Retirement. No complaints mind you, but still adjusting to the new landscape.
A year ago we sold the family homestead in Chestnut Hill after thirty-plus years of comfortable nesting, raising two great kids, three labs, a golden retriever and happy days too numerous to recount here. The home has a new family, but the memories came with us to our temporary digs on the north shore. Wife Cathy and I will celebrate thirty-six years of marriage in October. She remains on the faculty at Boston University where she has developed a media ventures program that has been widely emulated at schools across the country. As she edges closer to her retirement we have purchased a small home in Naples, Florida where we spent last winter and will seek shelter from the cold in years to come. Our greatest blessings are two very special children…now adults. Brooke ’03, has been living and working in Manhattan since her graduation from BU. She is now at American Express, bringing them into the Digital Age. I have had the great privilege of traveling with her to some special destinations. This year we were in Sedona and Carmel Valley. We like to say Brooke was born with a backpack on. She is a world traveler. Perry ’08, has just moved to Brooklyn from his home in Allston. He is on the faculty at Beaver Country Day School, teaching English and History. He is on leave from Beaver, now working on his Master’s degree in school leadership at the Klingenstgein Center at Columbia Teacher’s College. He is also the leader of a pretty cool band called Beeef and has just released a second recording. Find it here: https:// www.facebook.com/beeeftheband/ I am doing well. I think. A few aches and pains, but nothing serious. Still love to play the guitar, play a little golf. Actually have a yoga practice. Cathy and I have recently traveled to Quebec City, quite lovely, and recently returned from St. Andrews in New Brunswick. I spent some time in Calais, ME tracking an ancestral trail. I have also traveled to Ireland and Scotland in the last few years. Played the Old Course in the original St. Andrews where
I shot a legit eighty-one and crossed the iconic Silcan Bridge. It was a bit of a thrill. And I still have some law clients I have the opportunity to help on occasion. I am happy to visit with classmates when possible. I see Jay James, whose lovely daughter Caroline ’19 is a newly minted Governor’s Academy alum. Randy Whitney, Guy Swenson, Mike O’Leary, Morocco Flowers are all on the radar. I follow Bob Jaffe’s adventures as a successful actor in New York. And my old pal Peter Eshelman is a great musician down in Philly with an excellent band, Zydeco-a-Go-Go. https://www.facebook. com/Zydeco-a-Go-Go-91226005977/ There have been some sad losses. Lifelong friend Henry Ott, a classmate of Bill Murray at The Fessenden School passed this year after a long illness. Henry was also a very close friend of his Fessy classmate Dave Smith, who was in our class at GDA but left after freshman year. Sadly, he, too, has recently passed at his home in New Hampshire. Dave was a great guy and gifted musician...bagpiper extraordinaire, guitarist, blues harp player, songwriter and singer. Of course, there have been thoughts of the summer of 1969, an unforgettable time. I spent that summer on Martha’s Vineyard with classmate Cutty Hyde, my closest GDA pal at the time. His Dad was on the faculty at Andover and allowed Cutty, his cousin
Hank and me to occupy the family home in Hart Haven for that incredible summer. I never thought being a dishwasher and driving a Volkswagen Beetle could be so much fun. The moonwalk, Chappaquidick, James Taylor shows at the Oak Bluffs airport. And of course, the trip to Woodstock with Cutty to see a few cool bands. On our return trip we stopped at the home of classmate Derek Toohey in Greenwich, CT. His poor parents thought they were being invaded. We turned their swimming pool into a bath tub....the pool and the parents were never the same. Nothing was ever the same. I have lost track of Cutty but would love to find and invite him to join as many of us who can make it to our fiftieth..... count ’em....fifty...in Byfield next spring. It will be quite a milestone. We will gather once more around The Milestone, to celebrate, to share, to remember and to count our many blessings. I hope you will all come. It would be a true gift to join together again. A special thanks to our brave Veterans, Terry Nolan, Peter Blakney and Barkley Simpson. I hope I have not left anyone out. And thank you Terry for herding the cats! Terry Nolan: Winter and spring of 2019 are best described as asynchronous and discombobulating for us. We returned from our trip visiting our grandkids in
LEFT: Terry Nolan ’70 and his wife, Ruby; RIGHT: Peter ’70 and Kathy Blakney and family
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
59
Photo taken by Guy Swenson ’70 along the Yellowstone River in Montana
Korea and have had one unpredictable incident after another. Ruby slipped and twisted her ankle and fractured the tip of her fibula in January and that injury just threw us out of sync for the next few months. Our sixth grand child (granddaughter) was born in February. We are looking forward to flying back out to Korea to meet her soon. We traveled to Bahrain and visited more grandkids in May. Our flight took us through a eight-hour layover in the new airport in Istanbul Turkey… what an amazing place. Bahrain was impressive, Ruby loved the shopping but was confused by the dress codes. We were there during Ramadan when no one eats/drinks in public from sunrise to sunset (except foreigners), [which] kinda threw our routine off. Even though it was hot, many citizens were fully dressed with little or no skin visible during the day. But being with the grandkids in a private indoor pool was better than anything. Looking forward TO THE 50TH REUNION.
60
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Rumors: (mostly from social media…) Tom Turner: Heard rumors on social media that Tom (who lives in Portland, Oregon) and Morocco Flowers met up in Springfield, MA for a short reunion while Tom was enroute to visit his son in Dartmouth. He drove right past William Tobey. I haven’t heard back if they got together or not. Guy Swenson: Apparently Guy is traveling as well, posting some fantastic photographs related to geology. He has one photo that is being used for the month of December in the Geological Society of America’s 2020 Calendar. The photo is of Peyto Lake and Mistaya Valley north of Banff, Canada. If you have an interest in geology and photographs related to geology, the calendar is available at rock.geosociety. org/Store/detail.aspx?id=CAL2020. Christopher Morse: Christopher’s showing his art and scarfs in various locations in New England, you can see some of his handiwork at First Time:
www.cemorsephoto.com and www. silkbychristopher.com Bill Murray: Bill made his dream trip to Russia, but it didn’t turn out as he planned. Apparently, Bill fell and injured himself during his travels… To quote off Bill’s FB page: “So, my trip started wonderfully with a bon voyage dinner with Lilia, then with Karen, then with Andrea. I had a great train ride to Los Angeles and a good sleep at the airport Marriott. I took the shuttle to the airport thinking, ‘Life is good.’ I took the escalator up to ticketing and at the top I yanked my suitcase to get off, but it was top heavy and I tumbled down the escalator! I got lacerations, bruises and was bleeding all over the place. So, I missed my flight and was in the hospital for two days. “ Bill continued on his trip, got his view of the Volga from his hotel room, but his mobility was greatly restricted. Upon his return to San Diego, Bill’s primary concern has been his recovery. Hope by the time this article is published he will be fully recovered.
Bob Jafee: Still performing, latest as of this writing: “…and then you go on. An Anthology of the Works of Samuel Beckett,” adapted and performed by Bob Jaffe directed by Peter Wallace at the Julie Harris Stage. Certainly wish I could have been there. Remember June 5–7, 2020 50th Reunion. Hoping to hear from everyone! Need input.
CLASS OF 1971 James Fleming jamesfleming817@gmail.com Ted Northrup writes: It is a pleasure working with fellow classmates as we march towards our 50th Reunion in June of 2021. Fellow classmates and co-chairs of our efforts to establish a Peter Alfond Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of Peter, who passed away in July, 2017, are Mike Mulligan, Mike Hoover, Barry Burlingham, Tom McMeekin and of course James Fleming our Class Secretary. We have contacted all of our classmates and others associated with the class (Mike Reid, Mike Moonves and others) and the response has been very positive. We shall continue our efforts up to our 50th Reunion and are hoping that we can achieve a high participation
percentage from our class. The Academy is the beneficiary (a very worthy one) and we are confident that our efforts will succeed as we are planning on a two-to-one match from the Harold Alfond Foundation. It has been enjoyable catching up with many of you via phone, email or text and we march towards our 50th reunion. It seems just like yesterday that we all graduated. Let’s spread the word and have a good turnout in June, 2021. On a personal note, Mary-Pat and I enjoy our time in Cazenovia, NY (summers) and North Palm Beach, FL the balance of the year. All three daughters are married. We have six grandchildren and by November, 2019 we will have two more (twins)—all under the age of six! Mike Fish lives locally and is married to my cousin Marion and I try to see him as much as possible. I’ve had a chance to be with Bill Frost a few times over the last few years. He’s still playing tennis and looks great. Even thought he graduated in 1972, he will always be a member of the Class of ’71. Onward to June, 2021 in Byfield! I saw Jack Stanyon earlier in the year. He is retired and enjoying life with wife Tia in Rowayton, CT. Michael Reid reports: I am looking forward to the reunion in 2021 at which time I will again use the HMS Queen
Mary II from the UK to New York, as it is so much more pleasurable than sitting for seven hours in a fuselage. I had a coffee with Rick Nietsch at a coffee shop near his home in New Canaan, CT. Rick has retired after a long career with White and Case. At the moment of this writing, he is sailing his boat from Norwalk, CT to Maine. Way to go, Rick!
CLASS OF 1972 George Freimarck gfreimarck@gmail.com Good notes and nice photos from the heralded GDA Class of 1972, so let’s get to 'em! After a long and successful career in the field of technology in the Washington D.C. area, Brian Lenane writes of a move and tantalizing lifestyle change to Nantucket: My wife and I recently moved to Nantucket, MA from the D.C. area. We have been coming to the island for many years and decided to live here permanently. Susan will be teaching mathematics at the Nantucket New School after a long career at Maret School in Washington, D.C. as the Mathematics Department Head. I am working for the Nantucket Community School as the Adult Education and Enrichment
LEFT: Jack Stanyon (L) and James Fleming; MIDDLE: Rick Nietsch at the helm; RIGHT: (L to R)
Ted Northrup, Bill Frost ’72, Peter H. Qumby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
61
Coordinator. This role is responsible for the marketing and implementation of programming that meets the lifelong learning and enrichment needs of Nantucket’s diverse adult community which includes courses like GED, English as a Second Language, Private Pilot Ground training, Journeyman Electrician training, Pickleball, Dog Obedience training and more. It is lots of fun and very rewarding. If you have a great course you want to offer our community, please let me know. We can support distance learning so you need not travel to Nantucket, but I highly recommend a trip for both fun and teaching. Great to hear from Brian, and sounds like a great excuse to get to the island!
senior project was an endless stream of boyhood revelry gone mad. Many of us the worse for wear, propped against the garage door at Scott Condon’s house in Maine, watching the sun come up after a full night of post-graduation revelry, realizing that as seniors, that moment, for most of us, was an abrupt punctuation mark, which would pop the bubble of care-free adolescence as we had experienced it. On a more serious note, I feel making mention of Buster Navins is appropriate. Always time for a smile and a chat, Buster, as Dean of Students, knew well how to wield the carrot and stick, with class and compassion, and really loved the academy a great deal. He epitomized an era long passed.
Further away from the Atlantic, we learn from Andrew Lappin how he moved to the great Midwest five years after graduation and has loved it ever since, while still treasuring a few memories of Govvie-land. Andy writes: moved to Chicago in 1977 to manage a portfolio of industrial real estate for the family business (Shetland Properties) which was headquartered in Salem, MA. What was supposed to have been a two year on the job training program morphed into a lifetime as I ended up buying the Chicago-Shetland portfolio in 1991 and expanding it. I met my wife Diane shortly after moving out here. We have three wonderful children, daughters Lauren (thirty-four), Danielle (thirty-one), and son Alex (twenty-seven) who has followed his musical talent and passions to L.A.
Past master at the art of reinvention after the first career, Geoff Durham tells of his summer family reunion: Just got back from my annual trip to Wyoming with my Illinois brother Brad. We visit our other two brothers (Wil ’69 and Harry) who have not relocated from my native Casper
There was a period during which I had been in regular touch with Kevin Kearney and Jim Irving, especially during the “name change” controversy, which seems fortunately to have harmlessly evaporated. Fond memories of the academy are many with lots of laughs and boisterous camaraderie. “Streaking” with Swede on Route 1 stands out as the pinnacle of insanity. Practicing with Guy and the Greasers for
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Our actual annual family reunion (this year thirty people) was earlier in mid July in San Diego, CA. Doing my usual volunteer activity at the ER, the animal shelter, golf tournaments (I’ll be on Hole eleven at the BMW Championship being held at Medinah CC this year) and the Adlai Stevenson II home. We see our daughter Andrea for lunch or dinner bi-weekly as she works and lives in the west and southwest Chicago suburbs. In my fourteenth year of retirement. Could not imagine going back to work at this point, in spite of the 1,000 hours of volunteer work I do every year, I aim for the minimal responsibility and nontemporal roles as much as possible. Speaking of non-temporal, sometime in July of 2019, a voyage into the unknown captivated four of our classmates. Peter Franklin, Jim Irving, Kevin
TOP LEFT: GDA ’72 Canoe trip aftermath—Kearney, Irving, Conway, Franklin, Commito; TOP RIGHT: Andrew
Lappin ’72 and Family
BOTTOM LEFT: Durham brothers L to R: Will ’69, Geoff ’72, Brad and Harry III; BOTTOM RIGHT: GDA ’72
Canoe trip in July 2019
62
and still reside there. We fish our favorite fishing holes (that still exist), play some golf and have a mini-family reunion.
Kearney, Paul Comitto…later joined by Peter Conway (for the light, afterexertion beverage phase) taking a Heart of Darkness canoe trip on the Ipswich river in ninety-five-plus degree heat. I’m told this particular voyage contained no Deliverance moments, just some muttering about “the horror, the horror.” And a good time was had by all! See attached photo. Your humble correspondent has spent the past year mainly dividing his time on business in the environs of Munich, where I now reside, along with Cologne and Hamburg, the three major hubs of the German insurance industry, with occasional forays to Zürich, another nearby insurance/reinsurance hub. I also joined the Munich Rowing Club of 1880, rowing on Starnberg Lake, with the Alps as backdrop. David Shove ’71, was visiting Munich a while back, but didn’t realize I was here until he got his copy of The Archon back home, when he contacted me. Next time, Dave! Back to rowing: I competed in the EuroMasters rowing championships in Linz in late July, but did not discover any fellow Govvies while there. I’ll keep searching. Meanwhile, see the photo of the Dummer knife shop in Munich (since 1914) just around the corner from where I live. I thought that somewhat droll… Be well, and remember, not for self, but for others!
CLASS OF 1973 Glen Winkel drwink@me.com “Life is a rehearsal, not a performance”. There are many variations of this quote, but what’s important is that sometimes in life we get a second chance. This edition of our class notes, I’d like to dedicate to a special member of our class and also to the school from which we graduated.
I’ll let him tell it from the first person: “The story begins in 1973, four days before graduation, when four-year student Anthony Hall was caught smoking marijuana in his dorm room and summarily expelled. It left a hole in the class roster on graduation day, a devastating dent in Tony’s life and many frustrated, even angry classmates. Tony was embarrassed and sent home. His diploma was forfeit.”
decision. By mid-June, Quimby informed Tony that the diploma was his. Then, he suggested a small party to celebrate was in order. Tony and Scott agreed to this, as they say, before the Devil got the news.” Let me add some comments here in the margin about the rest of the story because I think it speaks to the quality of the main character. After being expelled in 1973, Tony could have held a lifelong grudge against the Academy.
Now the story could have ended right there, but thanks to classmates Andrew McClellan and Scott Arthur, it has a redemptive quality. To continue in Tony’s own words, “Years later, Andrew McClellan phoned Tony and persuaded him to come to their thirtieth class reunion. This set up a series of dramatic realizations and a grace period we will call détente. Then, at the 45th Reunion, in 2018, Tony bumped into Scott Arthur, who suggested that they petition the school for the diploma considered long overdue. They discovered there was a process for this. Some catalytic unburdening of burdens was required— you are permitted to read between the lines there. But Scott ended up in Head of School Peter Quimby’s office to set the agenda for retrieval of this lost moment in Tony’s life. That got the ball rolling. “Little did Tony or Scott realize that many classmates over the years had privately conspired to retrieve what had once been so close to Tony’s possession. Dorcie Barry, Craig Dowley, Glen Winkel and others had approached this subject with whispered voices behind closed doors. What could they do to reinstate Tony back into their class? Unbeknownst to Tony, the plotting had begun long ago. “But Quimby and Scott put it together, as a few stipulations are carved in stone. After this, the school’s executive committee must approve the reinstatement. A vote of the full faculty must also confirm the committee’s
TOP: Jim Pierce ’72, P’08 and daughter Ellen ’08 at Invitational Father & Daughter Golf Tournament in Waterville, Ireland July 2019 BOTTOM: George Freimarck ’72 in front of Dummer Knife Shop in Munich
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
63
But in fact, thanks to Andrew’s phone call and invitation, Tony has been a regular attendee at reunions, always positive and upbeat and a regular contributor to the Alumni fund. At our 45th Reunion, it was clear to me and Scott that this injustice should be corrected, as with the passing of time and decriminalization of marijuana in many states, Tony deserved to receive his diploma from GDA. I was hoping we could surprise Tony at our 50th Reunion, when I received an email from Tony telling me of his receiving his long lost diploma! Let me let Tony continue: “That party was held in early August— cocktails on the dock at the Hawthorne Cove Marina in Salem, MA followed by a sit-down meal at the Sea Level Oyster Bar. And nobody who attended would ever argue the point that this was a
graduation to remember as the head of the oldest prep school in the country handed a diploma to its oldest-ever matriculating senior citizen to the cheers of classmates and, it turns out, most of the patrons of the crowded restaurant, as the spirit of the event spilled over beyond the friends who had gathered to see that this was done. And the cheers go both ways. It was, after all, the culmination of a forty-six-year decision: That they wouldn’t forget the classmate who was left behind. “Anyone there would attest to the fact that the party in terms of support and camaraderie was just about beyond description. Around the table, were Scott Arthur, his wife Pogo (Sue, actually), Carol Salloway, Ginny George, Dorcie Barry Storm, Gordon Thompson, Mark Hoffman, Chris Baker, Robin Baker, Rich Love, Craig
Dowley, Mary Dowley, Peter Quimby, Tony’s son Brendan Moneypenny Hall and his sister and brother-in-law, Suzette and Vincent Durso. “This was an event made all the more extraordinary by the allowances and humor everyone brought to the table. It was equal parts one-of-a-kind graduation, off-the-page class reunion, help a fallen comrade to the finish line and restoration of a class that felt a spear wound to the side in 1973 and had never intended to let that heal until reparations were made. This was a deeply felt event by one and all—even Peter Quimby, it is safe to say, will remember this one for a while. “Three point seven million high school students graduated in 2019, plus one, age sixty-four, with creaky knees, a child’s bladder and a big, big smile on his face. Thank you everyone—and that means you. Thank you. Thank you. All of you guys.” Tony, congratulations and job well done! It’s a pleasure to have been a part of this momentous occasion. And to all of our classmates from the Class of 1973, I have included Tony’s email, so you can offer him congratulations on his diploma: wordscommaphrases@gmail.com
Anthony Hall ’73 receiving his diploma from Head of School, Peter Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14, surrounded by classmates
64
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Let me conclude this class notes with a reminder…in about three years we will gather once again on the grounds of the Governor’s Academy, GDA or Governor Dummer, whichever you prefer for our fiftieth class reunion. If you haven’t made a reunion in a while, I highly encourage you to make this trip. You will be glad you did and you can also help Tony and me with a special event that neither of us were able to do in 1973. If you remember, I was injured in a hang glider crash two days before graduation and was on crutches at graduation. So neither Tony nor I were able to jump over the wall. We would both be greatly honored if our class, at our 50th Reunion would make another jump over the wall and include the two of us in this ceremonial marking of our graduation.
Thank you to all who contributed to this great redemptive event and I believe we’ll be planning yet another party to celebrate the newest graduate of our Class of 1973!
CLASS OF 1974 Pam Toner ptoner@optonline.net Pam Toner reports: We had a wonderful dinner reunion at GDA for our forty-fifth. It was fun catching up with Steve Epstein, Jim Shaw, Rick Atwood, and Bill Rudow. Bill Rudow and Rick Atwood shared many stories about owning and managing their investment properties. Jim Shaw just down-sized and moved to Newburyport and Steve Epstein is enjoying being a grandfather and having his daughters live nearby. My daughters are launched and also living near me. I am still peddling homes in Fairfield County.
CLASS OF 1975 Pam Pandapas pamrobfine@msn.com
Save the date for your 45th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Pam Pandapas: I have had a great time doing what I do. I have enjoyed some concerts (the never-ending Dead Head that I am am!) and welcomed a great sixty-third birthday celebration with Brit, Starr, Gilly, and many wonderful friends: old and new. I look forward to our forty-fifth…hint, hint, hint…
Lisa Johnson: At this point my life seems to be a predictable and wonderful pattern; visiting children in far off places, taking care of older family members; my father is ninety-four, would that we all could make that in as healthy a way as he, heading to school and tending to the youth of today, helping family and friends move; everyone seems to be either downsizing or upsizing, being both grateful and concerned about the state of the country and world, and trying to do my part to be a responsible person. Mike Sapuppo: Here are a couple of pics from diving in Cozumel in January and cycling in Corsica in June. And more greetings from Tahiti! Yesterday we went diving with sharks. We’re going through our pictures today. I might have a good one to send. Hmmm.....diving with sharks. Sounds like what I did for work years ago lol.
David Schumann shares he is “now living in New Hope, PA. Had a heart attack in 2016 right after my sixtieth and had triple bypass. I am now better than ever and walking, running and riding my Peloton bike. I am on the advisory board of the Robert F. Schumann Foundation where we are giving to environment, educational and the arts causes. Also on the board of Roberson Center for Arts and Sciences in Binghamton NY. Enjoying painting quite a bit these days. Mostly retired.” John Cohen can’t believe that it has been “nearly fifty years since I was at GDA. I would be very interested to know what has happened to Fran Burke, Rob Spaulding, Dave Williams, Jon Sendor, Raul Sanchez, Brian McKenna…I’m forgetting a few. We all came in ninth grade and lived in same house close to the dining hall. Of course, the girls came the next year. Do you know anything about these boys? I remember Carol Bendetson?…Hope you are well…All good here in North Carolina.” Mike Sapuppo ’75 diving in Cozumel and cycling in Corsica
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
65
Dave Bohman: I’m still working as an investigative reporter at the ABC station in Scranton, PA and having fun. Recently received my ninth Emmy nomination, which is a record for Northeastern PA television, proving I’ve been in Scranton too long. My youngest daughter has graduated from high school and my oldest daughter is attending Emerson College. Hope to see everyone at next year’s reunion. It’s just a couple of Emmy nominations...I didn’t win this go around. However, I can’t fathom retiring. Today is my first day back at work after a great week on the Cape. Hope all is well with you. We’ll be back in the Boston area briefly when we take our daughter to Emerson in late August. Sam Gilliland: Our big news is that Charlotte graduated from Georgetown in May and the two of us spent a week together touring Rome shortly thereafter. She started her new investment banking job today and joins her sisters, Anne and Leigh living in Manhattan. Meanwhile, their parents eagerly await their weekend visits to CT! Mike Ponce: We sprinted up to Southwest Harbor the end of June to celebrate Jen’s and my sister’s thirtieth birthday. Annie is killing it at SCAD. She will be a sophomore this year studying Fashion Design and Art History. Lindsay is going to be a junior at Springfield High School. Jen started officially at Le Metairie interior design and garden design firm as she is still house staging with Tailored Transitions finally monetizing her talents. I have overcome my health issues by having an ablation in December after two years of dealing with meds and a blood clot in my heart. This, coupled with losing my job in November, cause little to no stress!! On March 15 I kissed the Municipal Bond business good-bye after thirty years and three employers, nine years too late to join Homestead Smart Health Plans as a sales consultant. We are saving companies twenty to
66
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
thirty percent on their employee health insurance for those who self-insure by using referenced based pricing rolled up with third party administrator and an Insurance Company under the same roof. It is a start-up that is picking up steam. We have had great success helping not for profit 501-C3 Behavioral Health, Secondary Schools and Public Schools save money on their health care. We just signed up Jersey City Public Schools with an annual savings of close to seven million annually. Other than that, working down at the mine! Penny the Lab is now famous in the neighborhood as a fine connoisseur of everyone’s compost piles and cat chaser of the big orange cat that lives next door. Bunnies are good as are the chickens. If anybody wants two really nice rabbits let me know!!! We lost Princes Buttercup our black cat of nineteen years, Jen citing that Penny the Lab caused too much stress and she threw in the towel. I found her in her sunny spot over at my neighbor’s house looking peaceful. We are left with one cat Lilly Lightbulb Snapper Whiskers, who also hates Penny. You get the gist, The animals hate Penny the Lab because she is my dog. I have been accused of causing bad karma and upsetting the apple cart by bringing in Penny to the family! But if you listen closely in the kitchen you can here them all talking baby talk and feeding her treats! Which means I am still out numbered by women. Have a great summer!
Leslie Haas: It has been a year of ups and downs. My father in law, Richard H. Haas Sr., and my brother-in-law Richard H. Haas Jr., both alumni of the former GDA, both passed away. It has been a difficult time for all of us. On a much happier note, my first grandchild was born in early March. My son Chris and his wife Natalie gave birth to a little boy. His name is Bryant. My twin, Judy, also became a grandmother to a little girl, Sloane. Both are very happy and healthy. Last July my daughter, Dana, got married at the Bedford Village Inn here in New Hampshire. We love her husband, and they bought a house and are living in Hooksett, NH. My oldest son, Ben, is working with people in recovery and makes his home on the Cape. Alex, my son who was injured in the fire four years ago, is doing very well. He teaches classes in printmaking at a local studio, and he is also an apprentice with the cheese maker at the Wilton Temple Farm. It is the oldest continually operating community supported agricultural farm in the country. We still live in our beautiful town of Mont Vernon, NH, and my husband, is Ed, and I just celebrated our thirty-fifthth wedding anniversary in June. Hope all well with everyone.
Dian Entekhabi: The world is certainly expanding and I can vouch for that! Shahrzad gave birth to little Lilia in Paris mid-May, Hossein got married (his wife’s name is also Sara) and took a job with the largest online food delivery company in Asia and moved to Kuala Lumpur and next year moves to Singapore. Amir Ali continues environmental science studies after his BS at UMass Amherst. Sara and I have hunkered down in Tehran waiting to see if rockets crisscross overhead! Grandson, Bryant, of Leslie Haas ’75
Peter Richardson: Not a lot new with the Richardson clan. I was just elected President of the Board of the Portland Public Library, a great Portland Institution that serves not only as a hub for literacy, exploration and learning but also as a community center serving the diverse population of the city. It is an honor to be selected. The rest of our lives revolve around our grandson, Andon, twenty-two months of pure joy. I have been remiss in not mentioning before that I have had the pleasure of working with Brian Noyes ’76, a senior partner in our respective employer, R. M. Davis. Brian has been and a friend and mentor over the past thirteen years. I’ve learned a lot more from Brian than I did riding the bench for the lax team he co-captained my senior year. When not working, Brian enjoys mah jongg, shuffleboard and plays a mean game of bridge. Starr Gilmartin: Well I would love to write that our lives have been filled with adventure and excitement since I last wrote a blurb for the GDA alumni newsletter, but alas it has not. We did manage to get an adequate, yet hardly noteworthy, number of nordic and alpine skiing days in this winter. Work was plentiful, and I am grateful that I still have work that allows me to take off for exotic vacations should I plan for them. In the early weeks of summer we were invited to a dear friend’s daughter’s wedding on Vancouver Island, which was filled with three days of fun and celebrating with millennials, reminding of us how much we have aged. We visited another old friend in Bainbridge Island, in Washington traveled throughout two majestic and pristine national parks, Olympic and Cascades. The beaches along the seventy-three miles of Washington coastline are diverse, dramatically beautiful, quiet, and unspoiled. Often, I was the only one on the beach. It is no secret that after years of living in suburbia and commuting to metropolitan cities I now prefer the
quiet solitude of rural life. Last week my life-long dream of being shipwrecked on private island (for at-least twenty-four hours) came true after kayaking to one of the many islands that dot our coastline. There are 4,600 islands off of the coast of Maine; so if you share my dream, come north to find out which one. “Seize the day, put no trust in tomorrow.” Dan Morris: Last October my employer decided they needed to change life around and poof… away went my position of fourteen years!!! Restructured. For the last ten or so months I have found a few reemployment options but either they didn’t want me or I didn’t like the position offered. I am now on the verge of going back to work for the old employer but on a temporary basis, a four to six month contract. Not at what I was making but some income is MUCH better than no income and retirement was not in the cards yet. I likely will continue the search for my desired relocation position as this stop-gap position is temporary. Outside of that, Katherine and I just got back from a short vacation in Saratoga Springs, NY, North Conway, NH and finally Kennebunkport, ME. Still looking for the right house to retire to in New Hampshire, but may have slimmed the choices down. Looking forward to our reunion next year! Stephanie Farrar: My life continues to be busy. Business is great and we are spending our free time in Colorado playing with our grandson. This week I may be coming back to Massachussetts to say good bye to a dear friend. Mary Blair, wife of Steve Blair (he passed many years ago) passed away last Friday. Thinking we want to retire sometime soon. I would love to plant myself on a beach somewhere and enjoy my golden years, but I do love what I do. Had a wonderful visit with Paula Sekora McNutt in April. She came out for our Arts Festival and we had a lot of fun. Funny how a visit with an old friend can make you feel young again.
Brit Babcock: Pam Pandapas visited me in Somesville, Maine on Mount Desert Island this summer. Starr Cutler Gilmartin was also around, along with numerous other friends in the area. We had a great time, and lots of amazing food, including lobster a fantastical lamb dinner that Pam prepared, zucchini bread, cranberry bread, fabulous garden vegetables grown by Pam in South Shore Boston area. We boated, walked around Little Long Pond, swam in the local lakes and ponds, enjoyed cocktail parties on the porch and fabulous company.
CLASS OF 1977 classnotes@govsacademy.org Vicki Murphy shares: Allison (McElroy) Quinttus invited Carrie (Lyons) Nissi, Tracey (Ackerman) Connors and me for a lovely weekend at her beautiful home near Middlebury, VT. We cooked, laughed, reminisced, tried to remember names and events and laughed even harder when we couldn’t (probably because none of us remembered to bring the yearbook)! We just relished in the fact that even though everything in our lives had changed in those forty-plus years and we had all grown and gone through so much, the things that made us laugh and cry when we were in school and just beginning to get to know ourselves and each other hadn’t. It was so much fun, it’s already
(L to R) Allison (McElroy) Quinttus, Carrie (Lyons) Nissi, Tracey (Ackerman) Connors, Vicki (Papaioanou) Murphy
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
67
‘booked’ for next year, date and location to be firmed up soon. Allison took us to a farmer’s market and we ate maple syrup everything and had delicious local cheeses and plenty of awesome wines. My big news is that I found out in March I’m going to be a grandmother of a baby boy (so exciting after three daughters!), then in June I discovered another grandson will be coming four months later so I will be a first time Yiayia soon, very exciting. I love seeing what my other classmates are up to on Facebook and what diverse paths our lives have taken. Wishing everyone a wonderful rest of the summer and health and happiness always.
CLASS OF 1980 Helen Mazarakis hmazarakis@yahoo.com
Save the date for your 40th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Hello all! Starting to think about reunions here...get out your calendars and put it in ink (that’s a figure of speech from the
olden days when we went to school). I’ve had fun reminiscing about pranks with some of you recently in our Facebook group. If you haven’t already, join us—it’s “Governor Dummer Class of 1980,” because we are old school, literally! I got a note from Leslie Robins, who writes: “Hi Helen, Ron and I have been traveling to celebrate our twentieth anniversary this year. We spent four weeks in Scotland traveling through the Outer Hebrides and the North Coast 500. It’s my third trip to Scotland in three years—I’m obsessed! We followed that up with two weeks of diving in Cozumel.” Elizabeth Evans writes that she and her husband, Geoffrey Ransom, have recently relocated to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. “We love the life up here. We found an old renovated cabin with some land and great views and are slowly adding animals… dog, cat, bees, chickens and our daughter is pushing for sheep. It is a great part of the country, outdoor activities abound and it is nicely unpopulated. Bring your hiking boots or your mountain bikes and come for a visit!” Elizabeth and Geof recently completed Vermont’s Long Trail —forty-nine miles in four days!
LEFT: Leslie Robins ’80 and her husband, Ron; RIGHT: Richard Aranosian ’81 with his wife Shushanik and daughter Annabelle
68
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Chris Stafford writes: “Hi Helen, here is a quick update..... Nancy and I are living in Danville, NH and enjoy boating on Lake Winnipesaukee in the summer. I just finished my thirty-fourth year at Nokia. All three kids are relatively local. Sarah is in Boston, Ben ’13 is in Cambridge and Olivia ’15 is entering her senior year at UVM. Looking forward to the 2020 reunion!” Me too! Start thinking about it now, everyone—forty years and counting!
CLASS OF 1981 Kathryn Shilale kathryn@shilale.net Richard Aranosian shares: Hello friends, and classmates. Baby Annabelle has arrived! We are truly blessed to have this little bundle of joy come into our lives, and join our family. Last week, baby Annabelle celebrated her fortyday “Welcome Baby” ceremony at Saint Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church. Please join us in giving a big GDA Welcome to our sweet Annabelle. Tarose Kes! We all look forward to meeting you at our big upcoming 40th Reunion! Until then, keep well and warm. Aro, Shushanik, Annabelle.
Peter Starosta writes in: Cynthia and I pleased to announce Theodore Starosta will be following in his Dad and brother, Henry’s, footsteps by entering Governor’s for the Class of 2023! That will be a smooth forty-two years after us. It will be a blast. Governor’s campus, teaching community, coaching community, and administrative community is in a Golden era. Theodore will be living in Cottage in
Red and Brownie’s room. Let’s go Class of ’81 give money to the school so Theodore has a good four years. Yup I’m talking to you Red, Brownie, KAL, Brandli, EOB, and everyone else. All the best. Clarissa Dane Hughes shares: We are currently two weeks into a three week RV trip across the US and back. It has been the most enriching surprise. We started in Mexico Beach (similar to
where we live) where hurricane Michael tore through last year, basically wiping it off the map. Heart-wrenching, but their spirits still soar as they try to rebuild, which will take years. Then we hit New Orleans, Texas, Carlsbad Caverns, Flagstaff, Petrified Forrest, Grand Canyon, Zion (The Narrows), Vegas, L.A., up the California coast, San Fran, Yosemite, Rockies, and whatever else we may find on the way home. A trip of a lifetime! We haven’t had this much vacation time since our twenties— highly recommend! Hope everyone is doing well! Dave Brown and his family had a wonderful trip to visit Keller Laros in Kona and dive with him at Jack’s Diving Locker.
TOP LEFT: Keller Laros ’81, Laurie and Peter H. Qumby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14; TOP RIGHT: Keller Laros ’81 and Aaron Halpern ’83 BOTTOM LEFT: Dave Brown ’81; BOTTOM RIGHT: Dave Brown ’81
and family visiting Keller Laros in Kona
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
69
CLASS OF 1985 Nathalie Ames names@nathalieames.com
Save the date for your 35th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Nathalie Ames reports: I had a great lunch catching up with Dinah Daley Sullivan as I passed thru Seattle! She and her family are doing well in Bainbridge Island! So great to see her!! Everyone save the date for our 35th Reunion! It will take place the weekend of June 5–7, 2020! Hope to see you all there!
CLASS OF 1987 Carla English carla_english@yahoo.com David Miller davidnowis@gmail.com Shawn Reeves writes in: I want to take this opportunity to review a few extra-curricular activities developed during school days that have stood the test of time. Photography: I loved the then-new darkroom and used it for dozens of yearbook pictures. So enjoyable to have the technical skills of darkroom and shooting, and this July I am going on a landscape photo shoot in absurdly beautiful Utah. Electronic music: Mr. Stowens made me figure out the electronic music studio, and since then I have learned more and more instruments, currently working on electronic drums and a sampler, and teaching my younger relatives how music is made. Computers: Back then I had to sneak into the computer room to program them to play games, make art, and do my algebra homework. Mr.
70
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
Dinah Daley Sullivan ’85 and Nathalie Ames ’85 in Seattle, WA
Evans or Mr. Leavitt gave me credit for showing the program, rather than for just the answers. Well, that was a fad that turned out to be the key to productivity in so many of my endeavors. Honorable mention: Anything arts, community service teaching swimming at YWCA, and mandatory weight-lifting during no-team seasons. This is all to let current faculty know how important extracurriculars are. Lisa Taplin Murray shares: Briefly we are on year twenty-two on Mount Desert Island. I’m the Director of the Bass Harbor Memorial library and am overseeing the tail end of an expansion and renovation project there. My eldest son Sean graduated high school in June and is headed to Massachusetts for Wheaton College in the fall to study Biology. My youngest, Jake, is starting high school in the fall with a strong interest in math. I don’t know where these STEM kids came from!!!
CLASS OF 1990 Nikki DelliColli classnotes@govsacademy.org
Save the date for your 30th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Mark your calendars for our 30th Reunion!
CLASS OF 1995 Mike Noon michaelcnoon@aol.com
Save the date for your 25th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
At last, the kerfuffle of the past year has abated. The correspondent (Michael Noon) begs forgiveness of his fellow ’95ers for being so remiss—moving to the North Shore after ten years in Cambridge took some getting used to, and of course sucked up all the oxygen in our lives. Plus work. Plus kids. I’m sure many of you understand.
But now we’re back! Literally! It’s strange being back on the North Shore, where every other part of the North Shore seems only about twenty minutes away. The secretary made his way to Marblehead for a quick visit with Todd Horvath ’96; Mike Angelis has been able to drop by the new house twice, one of those times along with James Atkins ’96; and the stars aligned for a dinner with Chandlee Gore, Riley Batchelder, and Jameson Case (neglecting married names, because, well, things are still quite busy and the correspondent is exhausted and lazy). And, having learned that Archie Kasnet is now in Gloucester (see? twenty minutes away!), there’s still yet more trouble to get into. And then, of course, is the correspondent’s new baby: the treehouse. Yes, “tree house” is two words in Merriam Webster’s 11th, but this one is different. This one is mine! This one could probably support a Fiat, as its four Garnier Limb bolts can each support over 5000 lbs of load. And it’s all ground contact PT. Over-engineered to the gills! It may yet get its own website/photo gallery. I am available for consultation at prohibitively inflated sums. Otherwise, all seems well for the class, and this correspondent’s spider senses tell him that Sung An and Martha Fournier are each, individually and in their own unique ways, up to no earthly good!
TOP: Treehouse model by Mike Noon ’95 MIDDLE, BOTTOM: Treehouse in progress by Mike Noon ’95 and son, Phinn
CLASS OF 2000 Catherine Correia catherine.correia@gmail.com Eve Seamans eve.seamans@gmail.com
Save the date for your 20th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Mark your calendars for our 20th Reunion!
CLASS OF 2003 Taso Kapernekas tkap07@gmail.com Morgan Steir wrote in to report that on Memorial Day (May 27) fellow classmate Sean Corbett addressed the school in the chapel as a part of his 2018 Non Sibi Sed Aliis award, which is bestowed annually by the Alumni Council to an alumnus/a by who has brought pride to the Academy by embodying the spirit of the school motto, “Not for self, but for others.” Morgan and fellow alums from the Alumni Council were in attendance. For those unaware, after West Point, Sean served as a senior officer in the US Army Special Forces (Green Beret) for nearly a decade where he led large special forces teams in fortyeight operations in the fight against ISIL evil. For his outstanding accomplishments, including evacuations of wounded soldiers under heavy enemy fire, Sean was awarded three Bronze Star Medals for service and success as a leader in combat in a position of great responsibility, and the Army Commendation Medal of Valor for valorous actions under enemy fire. Sean delivered an incredibly moving speech in his usual unassuming and humble way about the unimaginable selflessness and bravery he witnessed in
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
71
battle, as well as remarks about decisionmaking and poise under extreme duress. Many students remained afterwards to thank Sean for his service. A heartfelt thank you to Sean from the Class of 2003 for your service and sacrifice. In other news, Morgan now has two kids that are elated to have Brandon Bates as their Godfather and future sports-betting coach.
CLASS OF 2004 Lesley Clunie lesley.clunie@gmail.com Leslie Clunie reports she has had a great summer in Portland, Maine, and hopes the rest of the Class of ’04 is doing well! Emily (Moore) Maganzini writes: Our family continues to grow as we welcomed our daughter, Madison Doss Maganzini, on January 8. Madison and her big brother, Jackson, are growing up too fast. Emily is taking a year off from teaching to be home with her kids and has found sharing her passion for toxin-free living through essential oils an exciting new endeavor. Congratulations, Emily!
CLASS OF 2005 Nicole Zografos nicolezografos@gmail.com
Save the date for your 15th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Hello Govs! Just a quick update from a few ’05ers this time around (I look forward to hunting down more of you in the next cycle). Starting up north, Lindsey Hery is living in Eliot, ME and working for her family business. She is lucky to see Daisy Martinez frequently when she comes up for a visit to Maine. Recently, Lindsey, Julie O’Shaughnessy
72
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
TOP: Taylor Elizabeth, daughter of Kelsey (Johnson) Kane ’05 and Jim MIDDLE: Jackie Meinhardt ’04, Taylor Wailes ’08, Samantha Howson P’17, Camden Meinhardt, Leslie Fothergill ’08, Jessica Wailes ’04 BOTTOM: Emily (Moore) Maganzini ’04 and her beautiful family
CLASS OF 2008 Abby Shaffo abigail.shaffo@navy.mil Perry Eaton peaton@bcdschool.org Happy fall Class of 2008! We have some exciting news from our classmates, so thanks for reading!
(L to R) Josh Stavis ’09, Barrie Stavis ’05, Nicole Grieco Zografos ’05, Audrie Grigun ’05, Rachel Stavis ’07 and Bobby Rudolph ’05
and Ariel Lilly were in NYC for dinner and ran into Jen (Muscatello) Comer, who was at the same restaurant! Brendan Giblin shares that he continues to love life in Canada and has just celebrated his first year of living in Toronto. He’s been busy planning for his wedding next July and traveling across Canada, stopping in Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal and Muskoka. Despite living over the border, Brendan is still a proud Celtics season ticket holder and gets down to as many games as he can! GDA’s favorite news anchor, Chris McKinnon, just recently celebrated some exciting news of his own, getting engaged to his partner, Craig Nelson while on vacation in Hawaii. Congratulations Chris and Craig! Also in the news, while out enjoying margaritas at Loco in South Boston with Chris McKinnon, Audrie Grigun, Barrie Stavis, Rachel Stavis ’07, and Josh Stavis ’09, and myself, Bobby Rudolph shared hat he was thrilled to get a shoutout by Chris on the morning broadcast. Two final updates from some of our alumni out west: Chris Vancisin recently took a new banking opportunity joining City National Bank
as a commercial underwriter for the newly formed Aerospace & Defense specialty lending group and Max Dornbush lives with his girlfriend and their dogs in Venice, CA, works in food, and is very, very happy. Bobby Rudolph shares: On February 2, 2019, several Govs alumni (Josh Stavis ’09, Barrie Stavis, Nicole Grieco Zografos, Audrie Grigun, Rachel Stavis ’07) and myself were part of a team that participated in Cycle for Survival in Boston in an effort to raise money for Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital to beat rare cancers. Our team rode for four consecutive hours and raised over $12,000. Kelsey (Johnson) Kane and her husband Jim welcomed their daughter, Taylor Elizabeth, into the world! That’s all for now—I hope to hear from more of you in the coming months! In the meantime, I hope that everyone finishes 2019 happy, healthy, and well.
Congrats to Whitney Ocko, who married fellow alumnus Tim Langmaid ’07 in York, Maine in June! They had a big crew from GDA and Whitney says, “it was the best day.” Congrats are also in order for Hunter Archibald, who wed Laura Kooistra, his medical school classmate. Trevor Jones, Max LeSaffre, and Matt Kryzywicki helped them celebrate their nuptials. Trevor moved to Connecticut from London, England this summer and got married on August 3rd! Congrats to the Jones and welcome back! I’m sure that Emily and David Doggett will sorely miss your company across the pond. By the time The Archon goes to print, Sarah Quinttus will also be a married woman! In late August she’ll wed Jonathan Higgins, who she met through Decia Splaine on Squirrel Island in Maine. This past spring I (Abby Shaffo) linked up with Sarah, Decia, and Jordyne Castonguay at Jazz Festival in New Orleans while they were in the city for Sarah’s bachelorette. Congrats, Sarah and Jon! Departing from the marriage theme, Chris Barrand would like to formally announce that, “after four wonderful years living together, he and Mike Kenny have moved out of their apartment on 200 Waverly Pl.” Brooke Duchaney made a big move to sunny San Diego, CA about a year ago and she passes on that “visitors are welcome!” Despite the distance, Brooke says she has “flown back for the seven lovely weddings I’ve had this year, including Whitney and Tim’s. It was awesome reconnecting with the girls and seeing Whitney walk down the aisle.”
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
73
TOP LEFT: Tim Langmaid ’07 and Whitney Langmaid’s ’08 wedding in York, Maine with Seven Cody ’07, Josh Weiner ’07, Joe Orloff ’07, Brian Day ’07, Taylor Wailes ’08, Annie Clayman ’08, Laura Sullivan ’07, Emily Doggett ’08, Brooke Duchaney ’08, Anna Smith ’08, and Taylor Ocko ’10; TOP RIGHT: Abby Shaffo ’08, Anna Smith ’08 and Charlotte DiMaggio ’08 in Breckenridge BOTTOM LEFT: Trevor Jones ’08 and Taylor Horan; BOTTOM MIDDLE: Abigail Shaffo, Sarah Quinttus,
Decia Splaine and Jordyne Castonguay at Jazz Fest in New Orleans; BOTTOM RIGHT: Max LeSaffre ’08, Hunter Archibald ’08, Laura Kooistra (Hunter’s wife), Trevor Jones ’08, and Matt Kyzywicki ’08
Matt Kotzen reports, “I have been living in Steamboat Springs, CO the last three years and never been happier. We had a great winter with a record snow pack, which more than made up for our last ‘weak sauce’ ski season. I am currently working for the hospital in town in the accounting department, which is a nice change of pace from the firms I was working for previously. The weather’s been gorgeous this summer (we max out around 30% humidity), which is perfect for the tennis, golf, hiking, biking, camping, and tubing I get up to after work and on weekends. I’ve
74
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
been playing hockey year round since getting here and just had my Mr. Pirie bio partner, Kevin Sullivan ’09, move out to Steamboat, where he accepted a dentist position. If anyone has the Ikon pass and wants to come out and ski this winter, give me a holler.” I must admit that Matt’s thirty percent humidity sounds pretty good compared to the one-hundred percent humidity that Memphis can’t seem to escape. I’ll be here until May 2020, completing a one year Navy mobilization and teaching equipment-based Pilates and then my husband and I will likely move
back to San Diego, CA for our next tour. We try to escape the heat regularly, to include backpacking trips in Chilean Patagonia and Yosemite National Park, and a ski trip in the Rockies with Charlotte DiMaggio and Anna Smith. If anyone wants to sample some world-class BBQ or just happens to be passing through, give me a shout! One last note, if you don’t receive my emails and you’d like to contribute to the next edition of The Archon, please email me at Abigail.shaffo@navy.mil. Until next time, friends!
lab at UCLA studying the roll of exosomes in the aggregation of tau in Alzheimer’s Disease. I plan to stay with the lab for a few of years and then apply to graduate school to get my Ph.D in Neuroscience.”
CLASS OF 2016 Mitzi Wiggin mitzisnow123@gmail.com Samara Gallagher samarajgallagher@gmail.com
Jack Harris ’10
CLASS OF 2010 Emily Harrold EmilyCHarrold@gmail.com
Save the date for your 10th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Jack Harris is still based in San Diego and was recently made a Helicopter Aircraft Commander. Jack is exploring the outdoors and enjoying life on the West Coast. He also became an uncle recently. Congrats, Jack!
CLASS OF 2011 Katie Reilly katiemacreilly@gmail.com Nora Kline nora.k.kline@vanderbilt.edu Skylar Frisch just finished her first year working at New England Baptist hospital as a surgical Physician Assistant after moving to Boston from NYC last summer. She is working on the arthroplasty team assisting in joint replacement surgeries and is enjoying living in Boston’s Back Bay.
Nora Kline is beginning her second year in a clinical psychology PhD program. She conducts research examining predictors of various mental and behavioral health outcomes in trauma survivors. Katie Reilly is reporting for TIME magazine in New York City, covering a little bit of everything in the news cycle, from education to politics to criminal justice.
CLASS OF 2015 Katy Maina katherine.n.maina@gmail.com
Save the date for your 5th Reunion! June 5–7, 2020
Audrey Hemlepp: “I have just graduated from Champlain College with Marketing and Community Management. I have recently accepted a position as Social Media Associate at Society19 in Boston.” Katy Maina: “I have just graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Neuroscience and have taken a research position at a Neurology
Abby Katz graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts in Food, Culture, and Sustainable Society (Individualized) and Human Rights. This summer, she is continuing to do public health research with faculty at the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity while looking for full time work in New York City. Abby will continue her education in the Master of Arts in Food Studies program at NYU Steinhardt this fall. Raquel Nassor: I just graduated from George Washington University with a degree in English and Psychology. I’m now starting a position at an intellectual property law firm in Washington D.C. Nora Bradford: I just graduated from UChicago in June with majors in Neuroscience, Psychology, and Philosophy. As of July, I’ll be working in the Brannon lab at UPenn as a research assistant. Olivia Stafford: I took a gap year and still have one more year left of college at the University of Vermont. I just got back from studying abroad in Seville, Spain and it was awesome! This summer I have a marketing internship with a skin care company called Neal’s Yard Remedies. In the fall semester, I am doing another internship with Vermont’s Cancer Patient Support Foundation. Hope all is well in Byfield!
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
75
In Memoriam In each issue of The Archon we honor those community members who have passed since the previous publication. The death date of those alumni, faculty, and staff who have passed are listed here. Full obituaries are posted on our website at thegovernorsacademy.org/inmemoriam.
FORMER FACULTY
1951
1958
Mary Blair P’87
James K. White
August 2, 2019
May 27, 2019
Joseph Cornelius “Neil” Quinn, Jr. September 13, 2018
L. Manlius “Manny” Sargent ’67(hon), P’65, ’70
1953
February 22, 2019
1967 Arthur C. Bartlett Frank J. ”Jay” Ryder III
May 2, 2019
1944
June 11, 2019 Donald Bullock Richard “Dick” Manville
July 7, 2019
February 13, 2019
1969 Richard H. Haas, Jr.
1956
1948
April 27, 2019 Daniel Bridges Benjamin Lawwill
March 7, 2019
April 16, 2019
1982
Joseph MacLeod Duncan McCallum
David Marglous
August 2, 2019
August 3, 2019
September 3, 2019 John Adams Tisdale February 18, 2019
1949 John Edwin “Ed” Veasey
Catherine “Cassie” Wickes Firenze
1957
June 27, 2019 Charles L. Tutt IV December 18, 2018
76
THE ARCHON
|
F A L L 2 01 9
1992
August 28, 2019
Faculty Profile
Years at the Academy 28
Education Governor Dummer Class of ’85, Haverford College, BA, Harvard University, ALM
Responsibilities/duties (classroom; afternoon program; residential life, etc) Teaching Latin, Head Coach Boys and Girls Cross Country; Assistant Coach Boys and Girls Track & Field; Dorm Associate, previously Perkins and Ingham, now Moody for the coming year
Favorite Books 1776 by David McCullough, The Martian by Andy Weir, Vergil’s Aeneid
Favorite music
Jeff Kelly ’85, P’17 Jeff Kelly ’85, P’17 is the quintessential boarding school person. His loyalty and steadfast devotion to The Governor’s Academy runs deep, their roots beginning when he was a student at the Academy. Jeff was a stellar student—conscientious, hardworking, thoughtful, prepared—one that I certainly remember as I write this profile. Truly, what Latin teacher couldn’t help but consider a student very special who loved the classics (note that one of his favorite books is Vergil’s Aeneid) and was destined to major in Latin in college? To our delight, he applied for a teaching position at Govs when a sudden opening occurred in the language department and we are fortunate that he has been with us ever since. Jeff has three loves: his family, running, and the classics. He and his family have only known the Govs community as their home and have fully embraced the boarding school life. As an avid runner, Jeff can often be seen in his running gear heading out to the marsh for his daily loop. It is his passion, and he’s very good at it. When David Abusamra P’93 retired, Jeff took over the cross country team and continued David’s legacy with reverence and commitment. He is a leader by example and his young runners admire his work ethic and stamina. In the classroom, his students show their learning by continually earning high grades on the National Latin Exam—not an easy feat. Jeff has unselfishly given of himself and his talents to fulfill
Rock and Roll, old and new
Activities and interests Running, gardening/yard work, spending time with family and pets, following Red Sox and Patriots
whatever roles the academy has asked of him. He doesn’t ask for recognition or praise; he just quietly and competently goes about his work because he truly values our school and wants to contribute in productive and positive ways. He is a keeper. —Lynda Fitzgerald English Teacher and former Dean of Faculty
FA L L 2 01 9
|
THE ARCHON
77
THE G OVERNOR’S ACADEM Y B YFIE LD, MA 01922
STAY CONNECTED ALUMNI—JOIN US THIS YEAR IN A CITY NEAR YOU.
Boston, MA Seattle, WA Chicago, IL Seoul, South Korea Beijing, China Washington, DC New York City, NY San Francisco, CA Los Angeles, CA Visit thegovernorsacademy.org/events for event dates, locations, and additional details. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Girls Tennis MVP 2019 Mallika Chari ’22