Hotchkiss Magazine | Spring/Summer 2023

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

AS OF JULY 2023

Robert R. Gould ’77, Co-President

Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27, Co-President

Robert Chartener ’76, P’18, Vice President

Rebecca van der Bogert, Vice President

Raymond J. McGuire ’75, P’21,Vice President

David B. Wyshner ’85, Treasurer

U. Gwyn Williams ’84, P’17,’19, Secretary

Charles Ayres ’77

Joseph P. Baratta P’24

Patricia Barlerin Farman-Farmaian ’85, P’21,’24

Craig Bradley, Head of School, ex officio

Anne Matlock Dinneen ’95

John Grube ’65, P’00

Brooke Harlow ’92, Co-President, Alumni Association, ex officio

Alex Hurst ’97

John Khoury ’95

Annika Lescott-Martinez ’06

Nisa Leung Lin ’88

Michael J. Mars ’86

Cristina Mariani-May ’89, P’23,’25

Paul Mutter ’87, P’26, Co-President, Alumni Association, ex officio

Carlos Pérez ’81

Thomas S. Quinn ’71, P’15,’17,’19

Christopher R. Redlich Jr. ’68

Thomas R. Seidenstein ’91, P’24

Timothy P. Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16

Rhonda Trotter ’79

Richard M. Weil ’81, P’23,’25

EMERITI

Howard C. Bissell ’55, P’82

John R. Chandler Jr. ’53, P’82,’85,’87, GP’10,’14,’16,’22,’27

Thomas J. Edelman ’69, P’06,’07

Lawrence Flinn Jr. ’53, GP’22

Dan W. Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23

Robert H. Mattoon Jr.

Dr. Robert A. Oden Jr. P’97

Kendra O’Donnell

Jean Weinberg Rose ’80, P’18

John L. Thornton ’72, P’10,’11,’16

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF

GOVERNORS

AS OF JULY 2023

Caroline Barlerin ’91

Natalie Boyse ’09

Rafael Carbonell ’93, VP and Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Weijen Chang ’86, P’22,’24, VP and Chair, Admission and Engagement Committee

Julia Chen ’16

Ernesto Cruz III ’01

Danielle S. Ferguson ’97, VP and Co-chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Carlos Garcia ’77

Whitney Gulden ’12, VP and Chair, Nominating Committee for Membership

Brooke Harlow ’92, Co-President of the Alumni Association

Cameron Hough ’09

Julia Tingley Kivitz ’01, VP and Chair, Nominating Committee for Awards

Robert Kuhn ’75

Scott Meadow ’73, P’02

Keith Merrill ’02

Paul Mutter ’87, P’26, Co-President of the Alumni Association

Daniel Pai ’19

Colin Pennycooke ’89

Mark Pierce ’67, P’13

Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09

Marquis Scott ’98, Vice Chair

Adam Sharp ’96, VP and Chair, Communications Committee

Sarah Thornton-Clifford ’76, P’07,’23

Alexandra Treyz ’04

Madison West ’05

Clara Rankin Williams ’89

Lisa Bjornson Wolf ’82

Whitney PakPour Zeta ’04

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Craig Bradley, Head of School

Tom Seidenstein ’91, P’24, Past President, Alumni Association

Robert R. Gould ’77, Co-President, Board of Trustees

Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27, Co-President, Board of Trustees

ON THE COVER: The varsity sailing team, seen here on Lake Wononscopomuc, earned third place at the National Team Race Championship in May. Photo by Richard Davis, head coach of the varsity sailing team, dean of academic life, and instructor in classics.

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Craig W. Bradley

CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Hope Reisinger Cobera ’88, P’24

EDITOR

Darryl Gangloff

MAGAZINE DESIGNER

Julie Hammill

CONTRIBUTORS

Peter Berlizov ’24, Will Burchfield ’10, Catherine Calamé, Robin Chandler ’87, Albert Chen ’26, Chelsea Edgar, Katharine Ellis ’26, Eliott Grover, Emily Hellqvist ’24, Jeffrey Hinz, Jami Huang ’25, Roberta Jenckes, Daniel Lippman ’08, Katie Qian ’26, Erin Reid P’01,’05, Katie Yang ’25

SPRING/SUMMER 2023 FEATURES

5 Enduring Gratitude

Hotchkiss took a chance on Sean Gorman ’72 and changed his life

8

Graduation 2023

Bearcats “cherish all the mem’ries dear” at 131st Commencement Ceremony

14

Thank You for 161 Years

Five longtime faculty and staff members retired this year

32 Glory Restored

Steve Byrns ’73 brought back America’s “most spectacular” garden

PLEASE SEND INQUIRIES AND COMMENTS TO:

The Hotchkiss School

11 Interlaken Road

Lakeville, CT 06039-2141

Email: magazine@hotchkiss.org

Phone: (860) 435-3122

36 Focus on Education

Jessica Hanson ’86 launched a school to unleash the voices of young women

The Hotchkiss School does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, or national orientation in the administration of its educational policies, athletics, or other School-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices.

Hotchkiss Magazine is produced by the Office of Communications for alumni, parents, members of the faculty and staff, and friends of the School. Letters are welcome. Please keep under 400 words. We reserve the right to edit and publish letters.

The Joyful Heartbeat of Hotchkiss

REMAINING GROUNDED IN tradition allows this remarkable community to retain that which is most loved about the place. Tradition was on full display on June 2 as 163 smartly dressed members of the senior class crossed the stage overlooking Lake Wononscopomuc, applauded by family and friends, to collect their diplomas during Hotchkiss’s 131st Commencement Ceremony (see p. 8).

It was a very warm day in Lakeville under full sun. Graduation began with a faculty procession to music performed by members of the Hotchkiss Orchestra. The ceremony included beautifully crafted and presented remarks by All-School Presidents Richie Mamam Nbiba ’23 and Chris Mudry ’23, a solo flute performance by Clara Ma ’23, and a show-stopper of a

speech by acclaimed actor Lily Rabe ’00.

As much as the day was filled with tradition, I believe it also highlighted that Hotchkiss continues to evolve in positive ways. In Lily’s remarks, she candidly shared that her time here was not always easy. Many years after graduating, she said, she came to understand that Hotchkiss plays a larger part of her life than she realized. She called her relationship with Hotchkiss “a love story in reverse.”

We all know that no student’s Hotchkiss experience is uniformly easy. Mind you, no adolescent’s life is uniformly easy. Developing resilience in the face of challenges is part of a good education. I am proud to note that the School continues to take meaningful steps forward in providing students with the support and care they need even as they are challenged to learn and grow.

As I look back over the past academic year, among many highlights, one that has stood out has been a genuine resurgence of joy on campus. The Class of 2023 entered Hotchkiss as preps, departed for spring break, and did not return to campus as the world came to grips with the pandemic. The following two years were colored in no small measure by COVID and its aftermath. Yet starting last fall, the senior class rose to the occasion as leaders, reinvigorating the joyful heartbeat of Hotchkiss. For this I will be enduringly grateful.

Of course, there is always an element of the bittersweet at the end of the year. Not only do we say goodbye to graduating students we know and love, we

Head of School Craig Bradley and Maggie Crain, director of new student orientation and dean of the Class of 2023, at the 131st Commencement Ceremony on June 2.

As I look back over the past academic year, among many highlights, one that has stood out has been a genuine resurgence of joy on campus.

also bid adieu (we hope à bientôt, not au revoir) to retiring members of the faculty and staff. All told, this year’s retirees represent well beyond a century of service to the School, immeasurable positive influence on the lives of students, and untold experience and wisdom (see p. 14). Dear friends, you will be missed!

The natural cadence of a school, of course, is comings and goings. Accordingly, the campus came alive once again in mid-June as we welcomed hundreds of alumni from classes ending in “threes” and “eights” for a joyful Reunion Weekend. I hope that those of you who attended took full advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, former teachers, and beloved places on campus (see p. 42).

In the spirit of maintaining the best of the old while embracing the new, those who have been on campus will have seen that the renovation to Memorial Hall—which was built in 1923 and last renovated in 1963—is nearly complete. Memo will reopen as an underclass girls dorm in the fall, familiar on the outside but significantly improved within. This important project has been made possible by the generosity of many parents and alumni. To all who have supported and continue to support the School, thank you!

This summer we welcome two new administrative leaders. Amber Douglas joins us as associate head of school, coming from Mount Holyoke College, where she has most recently served as vice president for student success and dean of the college. Her previous roles at Mount Holyoke include dean of studies, interim chair of the Psychology and Education Department, professor

of psychology, and co-chair of the faculty committee on data science. Daymyen Layne has come on board as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He joins Hotchkiss from Quinnipiac University, where he held the post of director for multicultural education and training. His previous experience in student affairs includes serving as director of residential education at the University of Arizona as well as positions at Salem State University and Boston College (see p. 13).

Other exciting work underway, to be unveiled not this fall but in the 2024-25 academic year, will be the commemoration of 50 years of women at Hotchkiss. Honoring the influential faculty wives who were the first female members of the community, the women who later joined as teachers, the intrepid 88 original Hotchkiss girls who arrived in Lakeville in the fall of 1974, and the thousands of Hotchkiss women who have come since, it will be a year-long commemoration comprising alumni events, student academic work, honest reckoning, and celebration. We will share the plans as they take shape in the coming year.

In the meantime, I hope the following pages invite you to recall warm memories of Hotchkiss as you enjoy a relaxing and enjoyable summer. Here on campus, we are in full preparation mode as we get ready for the fall, which will be here before we know it. And what a joy that is.

All good wishes,

Winter Wonderland

This is me on the left, Martina Campbell Price ’82, and Michael Winther ’80 in this photo. It was a rare winter when we had enough snow to ski on the golf course in spring. It was a warm day and we were probably using klister. Also, we used the basement of Buehler for a ski/ wax room.

You mention Nordic skiing at Hotchkiss and say it ended around 1985. It was alive and well in both 1987 and 1988. During both years, we were Berkshire Ski League champions, and during the 1988 year we were also undefeated. I graduated in 1988 and am certain it continued in 1989, but think the team ended sometime in the early 1990s.

COSTIKYAN JARVIS ’88

Craig W. Bradley

LAURIE WILLIAMS JODICE ’81

We shared the above photo from 1980 in the winter 2023 issue of Hotchkiss Magazine. Below are two responses to the image.

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

BY ROBERT CHARTENER ’76, P’18

The Board of Trustees met in Lakeville on Jan. 27 and 28 and again on May 5 and 6. This summary includes notes from those two meetings:

AI and ChatGPT – Richard Davis, dean of academic life, and Kevin Warenda, director of information technology services, led an interactive session about ChatGPT, the AI “chatbot” that was released last November. It was clear that this technology will have an impact on education, and all schools will have to wrestle with how to adapt to this new reality, but the extent remains largely unclear. The board emphasized the importance of teaching the technology and learning to live alongside it.

Budget – The School’s tuition will increase by 4.3% in 2023-24, the largest increase in recent history. This has been driven by inflationary pressures, including the need to pay competitive salaries in all areas. The budget contemplates enrollment of 597 students, a financial aid discount rate of 33.2%, and a 4.5% increase in the salary pool.

Admission – There were 2,280 completed applications in this admissions cycle and an admit rate of 13%—slightly higher than last year, but still among the most competitive years on record. Yield was approximately 60%, which is again among the highest rates in many years. The incoming group of 178 new students includes 120 preps, 25 lower mids, 18 upper mids, and 15 PGs, of whom 166 will board. Approximately 10% of the incoming class have a direct legacy connection. Thirty-eight percent are domestic students of color, and 16% represent 18 non-U.S. countries, including Costa Rica, Liberia, Kenya, and Ukraine. Of the 178, 65 will receive financial aid (37%), and, of those 65, 22 will attend tuition-free.

College Placement – Serena Oh Castellano, director of college advising, discussed placement of the Class of 2023. Students earned acceptances at many of the most selective schools with multiple students matriculating at the “Ivy Plus” schools (Ivy League plus MIT and Stanford). The most popular colleges were Georgetown and the University of Chicago (each with nine students); Brown, Colgate, and Yale (with five each); and Amherst, Dartmouth, and Washington University in St. Louis (with four each).

Women of Hotchkiss – Robin Chandler ’87 and Hope Reisinger Cobera ’88, P’24 co-chair the planning committee that will mark the 50th anniversary of coeducation in 2024. Groups are being formed to highlight different aspects of the School and its history. The celebration will extend throughout the 2024-25 school year.

Dining Hall – There was considerable discussion of the Dining Hall, including a tour of the lower levels of the building. Emeritus Trustee Rusty Chandler ’53, P’82,’85,’87, GP’10,’14,’16,’22,’27 described his lunch in the Dining Hall on the day that it opened in 1948, and the tour made it clear that certain elements of the building have not been updated since then. While the School population in 1948 was about 350, the Dining Hall now serves over 2,000 meals in a day. The priorities necessary to modernize this building are clear.

Advisory Committee on Sexual Misconduct, Prevention, and Education

– Elizabeth Krimendahl ’78 addressed the board. She served as the chair of an Advisory Committee on sexual misconduct, prevention, and education, which worked with the School to ensure that current policies and practices are robust and protect

students on campus. Recommendations by the group have included input on further programming and training for adults and students alike.

Mental Health – Zachary McLain, the School’s medical director, Jodi von Jess, director of counseling, and Danielle Shippey, director of Health Services, described how Hotchkiss has responded actively to mental health challenges in recent years. However, COVID intensified student mental health concerns, and Hotchkiss has responded actively. Creating a “culture of care” and awareness of resources have been top priorities: students must know where to turn and be willing to take further steps. Teaching resilience has been an important step, and partnering with families and establishing authentic connections between students and adults continues to be critical.

Trustee Changes – Patricia Barlerin Farman-Farmaian ’85, P’21,’24 was elected a term trustee. She has been a tireless Hotchkiss volunteer, having served on the board of governors, as a class agent, as the leader of the first LGBTQ alumni event held by the School, and she sits on several education-focused boards. Patricia follows in the footsteps of her father, Michael C. Barlerin ’58, P’85,’91, GP’21,’24, as a trustee. John Khoury ’95, who has led The Hotchkiss Fund for two years, was also elected a term trustee. He leads Long Pond Capital LLC, which is named after Lake Wononpakook. Gwyn Williams ’84, P’17,’19 was elected secretary of the board.

The Open Door

BY ELIOTT GROVER

Hotchkiss took a chance on Sean Gorman ’72, and his life changed forever. Advancing the School’s ability to continue betting on its students is a cause he will always champion.

IN THE EARLY DAYS of September 1968, Sean Gorman ’72 arrived in Lakeville for pre-season soccer training. A wide-eyed prep, little did he know he would soon set an unofficial School record. Gorman had been invited by soccer coach Dave Coughlin P’91,’93, and he was excited to be there. There was just one problem. He wasn’t much of a soccer player.

“I was mistaken for an athletic prospect because I was a big kid. Apparently I looked athletic,” Gorman says. “I was not. In the space of probably 10 days, I managed to drop from a varsity prospect to JV to thirds to club. I’m not sure anyone has equaled that record in Hotchkiss history.”

The youngest of three boys, Gorman grew up in Harwinton, CT, 30 miles and a world away from Lakeville. “It was a small town then and now,” he says. His mother was an elementary school teacher who was not overly impressed with the new regional high school. Although Gorman’s brothers had positive experiences there, his mother wondered if a different setting would suit him better. “She had a friend who had a son who had gone to Hotchkiss on scholarship, so she knew there was such a thing,” Gorman says. “That was my path.”

The notion of boarding school, while alien, was not unappealing to Gorman. He worried that if he went to his local high school, he would struggle to eclipse the shadow of his older brothers. “The idea of a new start was not a bad one,” he says. “Going away wasn’t necessarily the most attractive prospect, but I was willing to try it.”

Receiving the Fred H. Gordon III ’55 Memorial Scholarship gave him the opportunity. “There was no possibility of my being able to go to Hotchkiss without hefty financial aid,” Gorman says. “My father was in the retail shoe business, my mother was a teacher, and they had three boys to get through college.” Established by the Gordon family to honor Fred, who died from a terminal illness during his senior year, the scholarship has endured thanks to generous estate gifts from Fred’s parents.

For Gorman, receiving the award was transformational. “I can’t say anything has

“There was no possibility of my being able to go to Hotchkiss without hefty financial aid.”

had a bigger impact on my life than my time at Hotchkiss,” he says. “It taught me a number of things. Intellectual curiosity, rigorous thinking, sound writing, and the value of hard work.” Hotchkiss was an open door through which Gorman was able to access a world of opportunities. He matriculated at Dartmouth College before earning his law degree from the University of Chicago.

Despite his ultimate success, Gorman’s earliest days in Lakeville were hard. The disorienting experience on the soccer field was compounded by his being one of the only preps on campus. “I remember being extremely homesick for about three days,”

he says. “But then everybody else arrived, and I was off and running. There really wasn’t a lot of time to get homesick.”

Gorman took English 11 with the venerable Robert “The Hawk” Hawkins. “He was an institution unto himself,” Gorman says. “He had certain grammatical rules that, if violated, were fatal. You received a failing grade on that theme, regardless of how well written it might be otherwise.” Gorman held his own thanks to the strong foundation in grammar he received at parochial school and an innate aptitude for language––he also took French and Latin. He credits his Hotchkiss teachers with harnessing his raw talent and molding him into a disciplined writer, a skill that served him well over his 40-year legal career.

Words may have come naturally to Gorman, but numbers did not. He most likely would have failed Math 10 if not for the compassion and dedication of Coughlin, his teacher (and momentary soccer coach). “He got me through it,” Gorman says. “He was persistent and rigorous, but kind. His nickname, ‘The Rock,’ may seem inconsistent with that, but it wasn’t. I’ve always really appreciated that, because he didn’t have a lot to work with in terms of my math ability.”

Bearcats on Stage

While athletic glory did not completely elude Gorman at Hotchkiss––he was an interior lineman on a JV football squad that lost one game in three years––sports were never his extracurricular priority. During his upper-mid year, a new faculty couple moved onto campus. Robert Barrows was hired as a music instructor and organist. His wife, Jennifer, was not initially employed by the School, but she had a background in theater and a desire to contribute to the community. Partnering with Ellen Torrey, a Juilliardtrained dancer who was married to English Department Chair Blair Torrey ’50, P’74,’80, Jennifer started an acting workshop. Gorman, who had enjoyed acting in middle school plays, was intrigued.

“The two of them did this workshop and they got this odd assemblage of people,” he recalls fondly. “There were jocks interested in something different, people like me who liked to be on stage, and some people who were on the outs with school, with life, with the universe. This was the early 1970s, the thick of the Vietnam era. It was an interesting mix.”

The eclectic troupe’s earliest performances were improvisational sketches. The more they learned and developed their craft, the more fun they had, and the more ambitious they

“I can’t say anything has had a bigger impact on my life than my time at Hotchkiss.”

Gorman played Prospero in a production of The Tempest during his time at Hotchkiss.

Sean Gorman ’72 in the 1972 Mischianza

became. They started looking for a space where they could stage their own productions. Bissell Hall, an underutilized building, became their headquarters. “It was the oldest building on campus, where the steam plant was,” Gorman says. “We took it over as a theater space, and we did two, sometimes three productions a term. It was great.”

The actors spent their spring vacation on the road as traveling players. Gorman savored every moment. “It was a memorable experience. An extraordinary experience.”

A Career in Education and Law

Memorable and extraordinary are descriptors that could summarize Gorman’s entire Hotchkiss career. After graduating from Dartmouth, he decided to try his hand at teaching while he saved up for law school. He took a job at Berkshire School where he taught four sections of English, coached three sports, advised the student newspaper, and lived in a dorm. “It was at least two full-time jobs,” Gorman says. “I think I had appreciated to a degree how hard the Hotchkiss faculty worked, but I came to understand it in much greater depth. Teaching helped me grow up pretty fast.”

After two years, Gorman left to attend law school, but he would return to the world of education soon enough. In 1985 he joined the general counsel’s office at Dartmouth, which he describes as fascinating work “akin to helping run a small country.” On any given day he would tackle issues in any number of fields such as employment, real estate, taxes, trusts and estates, investments, land use, and the myriad academic and disciplinary concerns schools confront on a regular basis.

The dynamic nature of the work stimulated Gorman’s intellectual curiosity. He intended to spend five years at Dartmouth, but he stayed for 17. In 2002, he left to join a prominent New Hampshire law firm. That was the same year he started another important role. Gorman’s professional experience, coupled with his lifelong loyalty and gratitude to Hotchkiss, made him an inspired addition to the Hotchkiss Board of Trustees.

Strong Ties to Hotchkiss

During his 16 years of service on the Board, Gorman helped steer Hotchkiss through many significant milestones including a curricular overhaul, the acquisition of Fairfield Farm, and the hiring of Craig Bradley as head of school. He was also involved in several major construction projects including the central heating facility and the construction of three new dormitories: Flinn, Edelman, and Redlich.

“It wasn’t always easy, but it was a great experience,” he says, praising the trustees, faculty, and administrators with whom he embarked on this vital work. “I think the Board grew more thoughtful and deliberate in its work over the time I served on it, and a lot of people deserve credit for that, particularly people like Jean Weinberg Rose ’80, P’18 and Kendra O’Donnell.”

Since retiring in 2018, the same year he stepped down from the Board, Gorman has kept busy. He enjoys hiking and traveling with his wife, Alison, and spending time at their lake house in Vermont, as well as visiting their three grown children, two of whom are on the West Coast. In 2021, the couple set out on a cross-country roadtrip with Dave

Balderston ’72, P’07,’12,’14, one of Gorman’s closest friends and another alumnus who has maintained strong ties to Hotchkiss.

The Class of 1972 Scholarship

As the class of 1972 approached its 50th reunion, Balderston and Gorman served on the Reunion Committee. One of the group’s chief responsibilities was proposing a class gift. Gorman was a strong advocate for creating a scholarship. “From working at a university as well as from working on the Board, I knew that there’s a pretty much bottomless need for financial aid,” he says. “It’s a genuine need. One of the things it does for Hotchkiss is it allows them to take better students than they could take without it. It’s really that simple.”

The Class of 1972 Scholarship, a permanently endowed and unrestricted award, was announced in the spring of 2022. For Gorman, helping establish the fund resonated on a deeply personal level. “The obvious point is that Hotchkiss took a chance on me,” he says. “Things didn’t have to go as well for me as they did, but they did. So I just hope we’re taking chances on other students and that it goes as well for them as it did for me.” H

Gorman, third from right, poses with his wife, three children, and their respective spouses and fiancés.

CLASS OF 2023 BRINGS JOY TO HOTCHKISS

BY CATHERINE CALAMÉ AND DARRYL GANGLOFF

HEAD OF SCHOOL CRAIG BRADLEY addressed the crowd as 163 graduating seniors took their seats on Harris House Lawn. “If there is one thing above all for which I will credit the Class of 2023 in years to come, it is the leadership role you have played in bringing joy back to Hotchkiss,” he said.

Bradley explained the challenges brought on by COVID when the class was younger, and how they came together to reinstill joy on campus.

“The truth is that coming out of the pandemic, we needed a complete reset and reengagement to school life: attending classes in person, dining together, competing in interscholastic games, debate tournaments, live musical performances, theater, Chapel talks, and countless other aspects that are integral to our life together

at Hotchkiss,” Bradley said, noting the practice to conclude All-School meetings with the statement, “seniors lead.”

“We ask that seniors lead, and you have. You have led with heart and with laughter and with joy. You have led with humor, playfulness, respect and compassion,” Bradley said. “For that, we will be enduringly grateful.”

Student Leaders Shared Their Fondness for Hotchkiss

All-School Presidents Christopher Mudry ’23 and Richardine (Richie) Mamam Nbiba ’23 started their remarks with a round of applause for the Class of 2023 and faculty members, including a special message for Maggie Crain, dean of the Class of 2023. “You spent the last

few years caring for us, nurturing us, and being a resource for us. You’ve been a teacher, a role model, and a mother to all of us. Thank you,” Richie said.

“Most importantly, thank you to all 163 of you,” Chris said, addressing his fellow seniors. “Richie and I began this year with an eagerness to serve the community, and your spirit, passion, and presence has made it all worth it.”

Richie continued: “Most of all, thank you for your creativity. Our class carries with it a spirit of self-expression that we’ve used to lead the School with excitement.”

It was a beautiful day for the 131st Commencement Ceremony on June 2.

Above, All-School Presidents Christopher Mudry ’23 and Richardine Mamam Nbiba ’23 spoke at the ceremony.

At Hotchkiss, you learn “the power of words,” Chris said. “You learn that words have the ability to influence people, and you learn how to use them as a tool.”

Richie noted that “you learn from the people all around you as you listen to them use words to create community.” They gave many examples, including when Dean Crain would say, “You’re all too good not to be great.”

“She’s right,” Chris said. “We are all too good not to be great.”

While graduation can be considered “the start of the rest of your life,” the allSchool presidents don’t want the Class of 2023 to forget the parts of themselves that began at Hotchkiss. “Each and every one of us brought to this community something unique—a part of ourselves that has touched the people around us, whether we know it or not,” Chris emphasized. “So as this all ends, and you think about where life will take you next,” Richie said, “think about where you are beginning.”

From Broadway to Hollywood, Lily Rabe ’00 Returns to Hotchkiss

Bradley introduced keynote speaker Lily Rabe ’00 as a highly acclaimed and versatile actress in television, film, and theater. During her time at Hotchkiss, Rabe was recognized by her teachers as a student with unflagging commitment, tenacity, and passion. “Clearly, she carried these qualities with her after leaving Lakeville,” Bradley said.

Rabe recounted a charming story about a years-long attempt to host her as Commencement speaker by one of her favorite teachers, Keith Moon P’13,’16, the E. Carleton Granbery Teaching Chair, instructor in English, history, and Russian literature, and Lufkin Prize recipient.

“I struggled at Hotchkiss. I didn’t always love it,” she admitted. “My time at Hotchkiss was not uncomplicated. I struggled, and I would get overwhelmed,” she said, adding that, over time, she understood it was “a love story in reverse.”

She further explained, “This is an ongoing love story that I’m still in with Hotchkiss. It started out rocky but has only gotten sweeter.” She emphasized that it became sweeter still after she met with students. “I was astounded by your selfpossession, your clarity, your wit, your integrity, your lack of self-deprecation, of apology, of false humility, your confidence and ability to say exactly what you think and what you want. You took my breath away. You are extraordinary.”

She advised Bearcats to hold Hotchkiss close and listen to the voice inside of them all. “The most special thing about [Hotchkiss] is that those around you, this community—even if you’re someone who feels on the outside of it—will follow you,” she said. “This community does not leave you today. In fact, you may, like me, find you only grow to love this community and this place more.”

Rabe’s final words of advice for the Class of 2023: “Use your voices. Be as loud as you possibly can. Start now. It’s time.”

As the ceremony ended, the graduates looked out into the sea of faces with a mix of excitement and nostalgia. They joined together to sing Fair Hotchkiss one last time. “We’ll cherish all the mem’ries dear.” H

View recipients of Senior Awards

“Our class carries with it a spirit of self-expression that we’ve used to lead the School with excitement.”

ALL-SCHOOL CO-PRESIDENT RICHARDINE MAMAM NBIBA ’23

Chris Wallace ’65 Covers the World’s Biggest Stories

BY DARRYL GANGLOFF

CNN ANCHOR CHRIS WALLACE ’65 always knew he wanted to be a journalist. At the young age of 14, he wrote in his Hotchkiss application that he planned to pursue journalism or law. He joined The Hotchkiss Record during his three years in Lakeville and worked his way up to senior editor. He conducted imaginary news broadcasts from his dorm room about possible head of school holidays. And just before graduating, he accurately predicted his future plans in a questionnaire: “After gaining experience in newspapers, I would like to enter the field of television journalism.”

Wallace received the 2023 Alumni Award, The Hotchkiss School’s highest honor, during a ceremony in Katherine M. Elfers Hall on May 5. He discussed his time at Hotchkiss and his award-winning journalism career, which spans more than 50 years, on stage with Head of School Craig Bradley.

Wallace has covered many of the world’s biggest stories. He is currently an anchor for CNN and hosts Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? on Max and CNN, where he

interviews guests across the spectrum of news, sports, entertainment, art, and culture. Prior to joining CNN in January 2022, Wallace was the anchor of FOX News Sunday. Throughout his almost two decades at FOX, Wallace participated in coverage of every major political event, secured interviews with dignitaries and U.S. and foreign leaders, covered five presidential elections, and interviewed every president since George H.W. Bush. Before joining FOX, Wallace worked at ABC News for 14 years where he served as the chief correspondent for PrimeTime and a substitute host for Nightline. Prior to ABC, Wallace was NBC’s chief White House correspondent and moderated Meet the Press, making him the only person to have hosted two Sunday talk shows. He also anchored the Sunday edition of NBC Nightly News.

Since 1931, Alumni Award recipients

have brought honor and distinction to themselves and Hotchkiss through their achievements. “Chris, your award-winning journalism career covering the world’s major moments and individuals with such integrity, rigor, and grace, exemplifies the school’s motto and the spirit of the Alumni Award,” said Tom Terbell ’95, chair of the Nominating Committee for Awards.

During their fireside chat, Bradley referred to Wallace’s student file. “Your record is exemplary,” Bradley said, noting that Wallace was an excellent student who was active in a number of areas of school life, including serving as a proctor and managing the boys varsity basketball team.

In response to a question from Bradley about his career in journalism, Wallace said, “I have gone all over the world, I have talked to world leaders, I have seen great history and had the chance to report it,” highlighting that he spent a week with Mother Teresa in 1979 just after she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Two students asked Wallace questions at the end of the event. Megan Curi ’24, head of Hotchkiss Political Union, wondered how he balances asking tough questions with being an effective journalist. He said interviewers can be “tough and probing” when talking to politicians, but “you have to be respectful, it has to be fact-based, and it has to be substantive.”

Nate Seidenstein ’24, editor-in-chief of The Hotchkiss Record, asked about the role of conventional broadcast and print journalism in the world of social media. Wallace said that objective journalism is “still terribly important” and emphasized the value of reading outlets that have an established editorial process to check the facts. “It’s important to be an educated consumer of news. You should expose yourself to something that challenges your view of the world.”

Wallace ended the ceremony with praise for Hotchkiss. “This place has grown so much for the better,” he said, noting he is “very proud to be a part of the heritage of this extraordinary institution.” H

Elizabeth Irvin ’93: On the Front Lines of Community Healing

BY CATHERINE CALAMÉ

ELIZABETH IRVIN ’93, executive director of The Women’s Initiative, a nonprofit that empowers women in times of challenge and change, is the recipient of the 2023 Alumni Community Service Award. She was honored during a ceremony on April 18.

Presented annually, the Community Service Award honors the contributions that Hotchkiss graduates have made to their respective communities, whether local, national, or international. The award seeks to recognize individuals who demonstrate an exemplary sense of caring, initiative, and ingenuity through their volunteer and/or vocational endeavors.

“Awarding the Community Service Award each year is a wonderful reminder of the strength of the alumni community, the contributions Hotchkiss alumni make to the world, and why we do the work that we do,” said Head of School Craig Bradley, reminding students that a Head of School Holiday was called in Irvin’s honor in March 2023.

The Audience Stands

Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27, Irvin’s classmate and co-president of the Board of Trustees, introduced her in a heartwarming story about their first meeting on Hotchkiss move-in day as “a perfect demonstration of the impact that one person, and one simple gesture, can have on another person’s life.”

Irvin then demonstrated how much the conversation about mental health has changed since she was a student at Hotchkiss. “Please stand up if you or someone you know has ever experienced depression. How about anxiety? Attempted or completed suicide? Problems with alcohol or drugs?”

Nearly the entire room stood, exemplifying the pervasiveness of mental health issues. “If I had done this exercise back in 1993 when we were here, it would not have been the same. That’s mostly because there was so

much more stigma around mental health issues that people were just not talking about it on campus,” she said.

The Women’s Initiative

Irvin has dedicated her life to providing compassionate and effective mental health care for women who have experienced trauma. Under her leadership, The Women’s Initiative has become the second-largest provider of mental health care in the Charlottesville area. It offers trauma-informed, culturally responsive care—regardless of ability to pay— through services such as walk-in and callin wellness clinics, individual counseling, groups and social support, and education and outreach programs.

Recognizing the importance of affinitybased healing, there are specific groups to support Black women overcoming racial trauma, as well as unique offerings for the LGBTQ+ community. The organization is committed to racial and social justice and addresses barriers to care such as cost, stigma, language, culture, and transportation.

“Our organization is on the front lines of community healing, which is an honor

and a privilege—and has also been really exhausting and overwhelming at times. So another important component of our work is to support each staff and therapist’s resilience,” Irvin said. She explained that community service and social justice are inextricably linked. “The ups and downs of your energy, commitment, and even hope are a part of doing community service work. It’s important to know there will be challenges but that the long journey for social justice is worth it, and it is so vital that we take care of ourselves and each other.”

The duality of community service and social justice is an important lesson for Hotchkiss students, who are encouraged to volunteer through numerous clubs and events. “We can fight for social justice and change policy. We can volunteer to clear up trash by the river or tutor elementary students. We can be called to a vocation like social worker, teacher, or healthcare provider,” Irvin said. “Any one of these acts of community service also support your own resilience and mental health.”

Hines then presented Irvin with the Community Service Award. Once more, the crowd was on its feet with a rousing round of applause. H

From left, Head of School Craig Bradley, Elizabeth Irvin ’93, Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27, co-president of the Board of Trustees, and Tom Terbell ’95, chair of the Nominating Committee for Awards.

Carita Gardiner P’17,’20 Embraces the Quest for Knowledge and Understanding

BY CATHERINE CALAMÉ

Seeking Out Lessons

“For most of my 53 years I have been at home in classrooms where I know that whatever else is going on, it is my purpose, my pleasure, and my privilege to seek out fascinating and important lessons from teachers and classmates,” said Gardiner. “I have been fortunate to embrace a quest for knowledge and understanding my whole life.”

FOR CARITA GARDINER P’17,’20, Class of ’42 Teaching Chair, dean of the Class of 2025, and instructor in English, life is all about embracing the quest and appreciating those you meet along the way. In accepting the Lufkin Prize on May 12, Gardiner encouraged the audience of students, faculty, and staff to learn from every person they meet. “My quest for knowledge and understanding will guide me to the novels I read, the places I visit, the foods I eat, the podcasts I download, and even to the yarn I shape. I’ve come to believe that feeling good about how I spend my life isn’t about where I land, but about how I get there and with whom I travel.”

The prestigious Lufkin Prize was established in 2006 thanks to the vision and generosity of Dan Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23. It is awarded annually to a faculty member who makes a significant contribution to character development within the Hotchkiss community and serves as a role model for students.

Gardiner began her Hotchkiss career in 1999 after teaching at The Storm King School, Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, and Kent School. She has served as the

head of the Hotchkiss English Department and coached club hockey, cross country, water polo, and swimming and diving— most recently leading Bearcats to a Founders League championship.

Head of School Craig Bradley said Gardiner’s service to the School “knows no bounds. In fact, the list is so long that it’s nearly impossible to mention all that she has and continues to do on behalf of the Hotchkiss community and beyond.”

He noted that her support of Hillel, clubs like No Place for Hate and Banana Splits, and the St. Luke’s Blood Drive is “immeasurable.” He said she never stops pushing herself to learn and always models the importance of doing what’s best for those around her. “Ms. Gardiner helped launch the adult antiracist reading group and continues to lead AWARE, the white-identifying adult affinity space on campus. In this arena, she also finds books for us all to read over breaks not only for pleasure but, more importantly, for perspective. Ms. Gardiner is a person who always steps up; she commits deeply even when the assignment feels foreign. We are all the better for her willingness, authenticity, and drive to pursue lifelong learning.”

Acknowledging colleagues, individuals on and off campus, and students who have a profound influence on her life, Gardiner thanked them all, grateful to have had many guides in her search for better paths.

“In our daily interactions, all of these people have shaped and empowered me, guiding me in a quest to do better,” she said. “The Class of 2025 challenges me to grow, and they forgive my missteps when I fall short. They demonstrate the bravery of sharing their stories.”

Summing up her own words of wisdom, Gardiner told the crowd, “If you hear nothing else through my shaking voice today, hear this: find people who love you unconditionally, who make you stronger than you could become on your own, and work to keep them in your life.”

Acknowledging her personal and professional journey, she concluded, “There aren’t any shortcuts, and it’s not only OK, but a good thing to stop and ask for directions. I don’t know what I don’t yet know, but I do know that I’m committed to continuing my search with many helpful mentors along the way. Overall, the key is to embrace the quest.” H

New Administrators Appointed to Leadership Positions

AMBER DOUGLAS, PH.D. is Hotchkiss’s new associate head of school, effective Aug. 1. In this pivotal role, Douglas has overarching responsibility for aligning all academic, co-curricular, and residential programs. She will guide and facilitate key strategic initiatives, and she will serve as an important advisor and partner to Head of School Craig Bradley. Douglas is an experienced leader who joins Hotchkiss from Mount Holyoke College, where she has most recently served as vice president for student success and dean of the college.

CHARLIE FRANKENBACH P’12,’16 has been appointed interim dean of faculty for the 2023-24 academic year. He has been a member of the English Department faculty for the past 34 years. He is the Russel Murray Bigelow teaching chair, instructor in English, a Lufkin Prize recipient, and most recently served as head of the English Department.

DAYMYEN LAYNE is Hotchkiss’s new director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, effective July 1. Reporting to Head of School Craig Bradley, he will work closely with the DEI team and the Hotchkiss community to promote institutional equity and inclusion across the School. Layne is an experienced leader with a proven track record of creating and implementing successful strategic initiatives in higher education.

He has more than 20 years of experience in developing and delivering DEI programs, workshops, and trainings that promote cultural awareness, cross-cultural interaction, and an inclusive and welcoming environment.

DEMPSEY QUINN is Hotchkiss’s new director of athletics, effective July 1. He is also head coach of the varsity football team. Quinn began his career as an independent school educator at the Berkshire School, where he taught math and coached football, basketball, and baseball. He left Berkshire to take up a football coaching position at Brown University. He came to Hotchkiss in 2020.

CARRIE SMITH P’18,’20,’24, human development coordinator and instructor, will assume a larger role at the School beginning in the fall: director of student wellness and sexual misconduct prevention and response coordinator. She will continue to oversee the Human Development program, and she will work closely with the student life team, student leadership, and the Health Center to coordinate student programing and educational initiatives related to healthy relationships and holistic well being.

Four Dedicated Instructors Receive Endowed Teaching Chairs

THIS SPRING, four Hotchkiss instructors were awarded endowed teaching chairs for their outstanding teaching and dedication to the School. Pictured from left: Ann Villano P’17, Mike Fitzgerald, Roger Wistar P’26, and Michelle Repass.

Read more and watch a recording of the ceremony

THANK YOU FOR 161 YEARS

Five longtime faculty and staff members retired this year. Hotchkiss celebrates their decades of service.

BY PETER BERLIZOV ’24, KATHARINE ELLIS’ 26, KATIE QIAN ’26, AND KATIE YANG ’25

Christy “Coops” Cooper Iconic Coach, Dean, and Teacher

A role model for Bearcats for more than 35 years, beloved Hotchkiss faculty member Christy Cooper P’08,’11 retired at the end of the School year. Cooper—the Huber G. Buehler chair, instructor in English, and Lufkin Prize recipient—occupied many roles at School, from girls varsity soccer coach to class dean to teacher of the popular senior English elective “Disturbing the Comfortable.” In all of her positions, Cooper impacted the lives of students and colleagues with her empathy, kindness, and strength.

Cooper recalls her decision to join the community, saying, “Before Hotchkiss, I worked for a large public school. It was just not right for me—getting to know the whole student body was hard, and they were trying to ban books. Being that I previously worked in a boarding school in England, Mr. [John] Cooper and I decided that we should try boarding schools.”

Reminiscing about her fondest memories at the School, Cooper said, “I loved living in the dorms. I loved coaching the many teams I’ve coached. I have been grateful to make many lifelong relationships—students and teachers alike.” Cooper has made countless significant contributions to the community during her tenure at the school.

A recipient of the Lufkin Prize in 2011, she was presented with the award by peers who spoke about the many ways in which she has impacted the School. Merrilee

Mardon, former associate head of school and dean of faculty, said Cooper “has the most experience of anyone at the School in her work across administrative roles. I think she was ‘student-centered’ long before that was a thing. She’s a leader in modeling how to build community in a classroom, on a

team, in a dorm, in a class.”

Cooper also led several important School initiatives focused on improving student life. As the School’s first sexual misconduct prevention and response coordinator, Cooper was essential in helping the School respond to difficult cases and provide

education. Mardon said, “She has played a big part in making students feel safe, seen, and supported.”

Affectionately referred to as “Coops,” she has made a substantial impact on her students. Crea Kibar ’26 said, “She helped me out during my darkest times. I was very shy when I first came here, and it was Mrs. Cooper’s encouragement that helped me during my first season of girls varsity soccer.”

Cooper will be moving to New Hampshire, which she is excited to explore while spending time with her family, including John Cooper P’08,’11, instructor in mathematics, who retired last year.

Brad Faus Champion of the Arts

Much of the high praise of the School’s visual arts program can be traced back to Brad Faus P’10, the Marie S. Tinker chair, director of the art program, instructor in art, and Lufkin Prize recipient. Having taught for more than 35 years at the School, Faus also coached girls varsity lacrosse and served on numerous committees.

Faus arrived at the School in 1987 after running the visual art department at Tilton Academy in New Hampshire. He was in search of a larger school with a more robust visual arts program. Faus was part of the team that first established the humanities art requirement for preps and lower mids and helped advance the program from its early stages. He insisted that the curriculum not only include art history, but also embrace the practice of studio art.

“I got a real education with Mr. Faus,” said Charlie Noyes ’78, P’03,’07, former head of the visual arts program. “People say you take art, but here, you study art. Mr. Faus always emphasized the notion of finding meaning in your artmaking. The idea of developing concepts behind your imagery. Don’t just draw something—say something. Tell a story.”

When Faus arrived at the School, the art department was composed of five different programs. He lobbied to make the program more rigorous, with arts required for all

students. Commenting on his work with the program, Faus said, “I work to facilitate a studio environment where students can find their own path.” He set high standards for student work in class and in the studio.

To recognize his contributions as a mentor and role model, Faus was awarded the Lufkin Prize in 2018. After decades of

teaching at the School, he looks forward to investing in and building his own studio in Charleston, SC, in addition to traveling to Maine and visiting his family in Denver.

Ophelia Cham ’25, said, “I will miss his presence. When I see him in the hallways— his hand waves, his big smile, shoulder pats, and crazy outfits on Halloween.”

honors chemistry, she gave us a lab. I left that day wanting to drop the class. The next day, I went to talk to her, and she convinced me that I was in the class for a reason. It completely changed my perspective on the class and how I approach school.”

Dr. Kirby said, “I will miss her support, her willingness to help … the gentle giant she has been in the department. To me, Mrs. Faus is larger than life.”

When asked about what she will do in retirement, Faus said, “I would love to get into a car and just go.”

She intends to move to Charleston, SC, and would like to work with animals, particularly rescuing turtles, hiking, and spending time with her children in Colorado.

Ginny Faus Inspires Students to Pursue Science

Finding the right words to describe Ginny Faus P’10, the Edward R. Tinker chair, instructor in chemistry, and Lufkin Prize recipient, is a challenge. “She is gentle in her approach, firm with her students, and a mentor to her colleagues,” said Dr. Richard Kirby P’08,’09,’14,’15, instructor in chemistry.

Faus coached varsity and JV swimming, instructional swimming, and club biking, and served as a dorm faculty in Van Santvoord and Garland. Since arriving at the School in 1987 with her husband— Brad Faus P’10 (see previous page)—she has taught, advised, and coached hundreds of students. She said they stayed at Hotchkiss “because we really love the students. We also have great colleagues to work with, and as a teacher you have incredible opportunities to learn and improve what you do.”

For years, Faus has offered science help to students through the Teaching and Learning Center. Nola Lai ’25 said, “Mrs. Faus has never failed to cheer me up and has made me a better student. She is always willing to come to campus or Zoom to help with studying for a quiz or test.” Faus held both students and colleagues to high standards. Nola said, “I remember on the first day in

Ellen Fontaine

Keeps School Running Behind the Scenes

Supervisor of Accounting Operations

Ellen Fontaine P’04,’07 retired after working at the School for 33 years. Fontaine has been a beloved member of the business office since 1990 and has had two sons, Brody ’04 and Dillon ’07, graduate from the School.

Fontaine started her career at Hotchkiss as a switchboard operator and then assumed an important role in the Hotchkiss Business

Office. She was responsible for overseeing all student contracts, billing, insurance, and loans. She also oversaw the recent transition to automated programs like Paymerang and FACTS Tuition Management.

Her tenure encompassed seven heads of school, and her positive demeanor encouraged and inspired many coworkers. Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer

Renee Sartori said, “Although she has many admirable qualities, Ellen’s most valuable traits are her professionalism, ability to maintain confidentiality when working with sensitive material, strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and above all, being a team player.”

Reflecting on her time at the School, Fontaine said, “There are many ‘bests’ for me working at Hotchkiss, including spending every day with the greatest team of coworkers anyone could ask for.” She places a great emphasis on the strength of the community. Asked for words of advice to students, she stated, “Take full advantage of all Hotchkiss has to offer. Don’t sweat the small stuff—life is too short.”

Fontaine plans to travel, relax, and hopes to spend time with her soon-to-be five grandchildren at her home in Sharon, CT.

Honoring retiring faculty and staff

Hotchkiss thanks the following faculty and staff members who also retired during the 2022-23 academic year:

Acquisitions Librarian Nancy Davis P’94

Instructor in Physics Michael Hickey

Housekeeper Richard Ross

Assistant Supervisor of Housekeeping

John Wheeler

All retirees were recognized during the spring Head of School Holiday on May 18, 2023. View retirement dinner photos

PHOTO: JAMI HUANG ’25

Jim Fornshell Fosters Love of Literature

One of the Hotchkiss English Department’s most experienced and devoted teachers, Jim Fornshell, has long been a staple of the School community. Fornshell arrived on campus in the fall of 2000 and served as the head of the English Department as well as the sailing coach for all 23 years. Whether as a teacher, mentor, or colleague, Fornshell influenced many across campus.

Prior to his time at Hotchkiss, Fornshell worked at St. James School and Lake Forest Academy, where he served as an English teacher and dean of academics. His passion for teaching and literature led him to earn a master’s in education at Harvard University and an MLitt (Master of Letters) degree in Shakespeare studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Fornshell applied for teaching positions at various boarding schools in New England, ultimately deciding to join the English Department at Hotchkiss.

Fornshell was able to put his background

in Shakespearean studies to work by teaching the course “Shakespeare and the Bible,” an Honors course for seniors. “It has some of the strongest English students in the School and is dealing with the world’s most powerful literature,” Fornshell said. His colleague, Charlie Frankenbach P’12,’16, interim dean of faculty, said, “James has been a wonderful advisor to his kids and colleagues.” Carita Gardiner P’17,’20, instructor in English and this year’s Lufkin Prize recipient, agreed, saying, “He was a huge part of creating the Humanities program. His work in the creation, structure, and content of that twoyear sequence has had a huge impact on what we teach and how we teach.”

Fornshell’s students know him as a teacher of exacting standards, continuous inspiration, and enthusiastic engagement in classroom discussions. A student enrolled in his upper-mid English class stated, “Mr. Fornshell has been one of the most inspiring, engaging, and transformative

teachers I have ever had.”

Fornshell expressed gratitude for the talented students he has worked with and the wonderful opportunities the School has given him. When asked what he will miss most about Hotchkiss, Fornshell said, “All the goofy things the kids do—sliding in the mud on the golf course, sledding, holidays, and all the funny times sitting around the Harkness table in class.” Fornshell also values the numerous travel opportunities the School has given him, including a year-long sabbatical in 2009-10 when he went to cooking school in Italy, studied at Oxford, and traveled to Cairo, Egypt, among other adventures.

Fornshell plans to move to his house on Cape Cod where he plans to continue sailing and pursue his love of travel. In particular, he hopes to visit Australia to achieve his goal of traveling to all seven continents. H

This story was first published in The Hotchkiss Record and was slightly updated.

LAMBERT LECTURE

Igniting Passion for Poetry

EDWARD HIRSCH’S DEVOTION to poetry is lifelong, and he can trace that passion back to his childhood when he witnessed his grandfather copying poems into the back pages of random books—a practice that Hirsch found intriguing to his young mind. Now a world-renowned poet, Hirsch harkens back to his youthful days with his grandfather, saying, “the idea planted in my mind that it was possible that someone could write poetry.”

Hirsch shared his creative reflections with the Hotchkiss community on April 26 through the Lambert Fund, established by the Lambert family in the memory of their son, Christopher Lambert ’76, who had an abiding interest in poetry.

Hirsch noted that poets can help one find oneself and have a rich emotional life. “Sometimes you read poems and feel as if you’ve written the thing to which you’re responding, and that’s the ideal,” he said. “That’s the education of your heart.” —Catherine

Calamé

Understanding Our Past Through Art

Read more about this year’s Lambert Lecture

WHAT CAN MONKEYS TELL US about the ancient world? Quite a bit, according to Marie Nicole Pareja Cummings, Ph.D., who gave this year’s Preston Lecture. Pareja Cummings, an archaeologist, art historian, and anthropologist who works with the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology, spoke to students enrolled in humanities and social science classes on May 2 about her research on artistic depictions of primates in Aegean civilizations, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. With the help of primatologists, she has determined that the monkeys portrayed in Aegean murals between 3000 and 1500 B.C. are, in fact, a species native to southeast Asia, suggesting that cross-cultural exchanges among ancient civilizations might have occurred much earlier than scholars have previously thought. This breakthrough could have profound implications for the way we understand the past, she said.

Read more about this year’s Preston Lecture

The Edward B. Preston ’79 History Speakers Fund was established in memory of Ted Preston ’79. It brings practicing historians to campus for a lecture and to participate in classroom discussions. —Chelsea Edgar

Hotchkiss Hosts Feature Film Premiere

Director Gabe Polsky ’98 debuts Butcher’s Crossing in Lakeville

BY DARRYL GANGLOFF

FILM DIRECTOR GABE POLSKY ’98 returned to Hotchkiss to host the U.S. premiere of Butcher’s Crossing, a Western drama starring Nicolas Cage, on May 19. The excited crowd posed for photos with Polsky on the red carpet and then found their seats in Walker Auditorium for the special screening.

Butcher’s Crossing had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2022 before being shown for the first time in the nation to the Hotchkiss audience. The feature film is based on the novel by John Williams and follows a young Harvard dropout who seeks his destiny out West by tying his fate to a team of buffalo hunters. Together, they embark on a harrowing journey risking life and sanity.

This is the third film Polsky has debuted at Hotchkiss. His documentaries Red Army

and In Search of Greatness premiered in Lakeville to considerable acclaim in 2015 and 2018, respectively. He also delivered the School’s 2017 Commencement address.

Following the screening of Butcher’s Crossing, Polsky answered numerous questions from students about adapting the book for the screen, the short 19-day shooting schedule in Montana with the actors, filming scenes with bison, and more. A small group of enthusiastic Bearcats, including members of the Hotchkiss Film Club, then gathered around Polsky outside of Walker Auditorium to learn more about his filmmaking process.

“They were asking both deep and practical questions. If I can connect with students and share anything that I’ve learned, that’s great,” Polsky said. He reminisced about guest speakers who

inspired him during his time at Hotchkiss and hoped his visit would be just as memorable for these students.

Polsky said that coming back to Hotchkiss is always emotional, and it gives him the opportunity “to see how kids this age—obviously very intelligent kids— respond to the material. It reveals things to me about the work, what it’s doing, things that I might not have anticipated or tried to do. For me, that is a great experience.”

Polsky continues to debut his films at Hotchkiss thanks to his great relationship with his former advisor, Keith Moon P’13,’16, the E. Carleton Granbery teaching chair, instructor in English, history, and Russian language, and Lufkin Prize recipient. “I find Gabe remarkable. He has that comfortable ability to speak quite frankly and vulnerably. I think it’s great for our students to see it,” Moon said. “When he comes here, he wants to listen to our students speak. He’s a wisdom gatherer.”

Moon also tied Butcher’s Crossing into his upper-mid English class last year. “I knew Gabe was making this movie, so I made the decision to use the book. The plot of Butcher’s Crossing fit into the broader theme of the class.”

Polsky sent draft scenes of the movie to the class to get their real-time feedback as they read the book. They also enjoyed dinner with the director before the movie premiere. “They felt very invested,” Moon said. “They felt like they were doing more than reading a book.”

Juliet Kaufmann ’23 was a member of that tight-knit English class. “Being able to read and discuss the book before seeing the clips really helped us get a deeper understanding of what Mr. Polsky was trying to achieve with his vision. It was really interesting to see how he interpreted what happened in the book and transformed it into a movie. It gave us a glimpse into the reality of the movie-making business,” she said. “It always felt like Mr. Polsky really valued our input on his work, which meant a lot. Being able to see the finished project was amazing, and I definitely appreciated the movie a lot more after reading the book and talking to him.” H

Film director Gabe Polsky ’98 and Hotchkiss instructor Keith Moon P’13,’16 at Hotchkiss’s U.S. premiere of Butcher’s Crossing.

Students Share Ideas at Literature in Time Conference

BY DARRYL GANGLOFF

PANELS ON DEVIANCE, defiance, and disruption took center stage at the second annual Literature in Time (LiT) Conference on April 23. More than 100 Hotchkiss community members filled Harris House for the four-hour event, which featured readings and discussions around 12 student essays curated by seniors in Dr. Katie Fleishman’s honors English class. Fleishman is the incoming head of the English Department.

Fleishman’s students organized, hosted, and moderated the conference. They collected essay submissions from upper mids and seniors in various Hotchkiss English classes and then narrowed the pool down to a dozen papers that covered authors such as Dante Alighieri, Philip Roth, Mary Shelley, John Milton, Virginia Woolf, Claudia Rankine, Christopher Isherwood, Wilkie Collins, Hart Crane, Jean Toomer, and Ntozake Shange. The honors class worked closely with the student panelists to revise their work and prepare for the conference.

“It’s about students from different classrooms coming together and sharing ideas,” Fleishman said, noting that her honors class focuses on literary criticism in the public sphere and how reading literature can change over time. “The goal of the conference is to get students to sit on a couch and talk to each other in real time about their papers. The audience is experiencing an exciting eruption of connections in these academic works that they might not have seen if the students were writing these papers in a silo.”

The LiT Conference is Fleishman’s brainchild, but she emphasizes that the event is completely run by her students. “Every one of these kids really went above and beyond to make this conference a success,”

she said. “The essays we selected and the form that the conference took were really defined by these brilliant students, as well as the community that they’ve been working to create all year in this class and the close reading we’ve been doing together.”

James Yae ’23 said the group “wanted to create conversations that would give birth to new interpretations of the pieces of literature our panelists read.”

Leanna Wells ’23 said it took some time to pick the event’s three themes of deviance, defiance, and disruption. “This event brought leadership out in all of us. It was a good skill to put into practice,” she said. MacCoy Weil ’23 agreed, saying, “I was amazed how professional it felt. Each group of students working with the panelists did such an amazing job. It felt seamless.”

The event concluded with a visit from keynote speaker Ismail Muhammad, fiction

writer and story editor at The New York Times Magazine. The students appreciated the opportunity to listen to him speak in such an intimate setting. “His talk, and the conference in general, made the work we do very real in the sense that he emphasized the importance of being critical while reading,” Marcus Lam ’23 said. Doug Wang ’23 continued that thought: “It left a strong impression on me how good a listener he was and how seriously he treated our questions.”

Ella Mohanram ’23 said the conference helped her fall in love with reading again. “I realized how much I enjoyed being in the world of literature.”

The second annual LiT Conference was graciously supported by the Class of 1963 Fund and the Towne Family Fund. H

Dr. Katie Fleishman’s honors English class hosted the second annual Literature in Time Conference. Ismail Muhammad (front row, third from left), fiction writer and story editor at The New York Times Magazine, was the keynote speaker.

Groups Pitch Business Ideas to Make an Impact at Hotchkiss

BY DARRYL GANGLOFF

INNOVATIVE STUDENTS discovered what it would be like to be featured on the show Shark Tank during the Entrepreneurship Club’s second annual Hotchkiss Diamond Challenge on May 10. A large crowd packed the Faculty Room to hear Hotchkiss-related business pitches from 10 student groups who hope to make an impact on the School community with their ideas.

Judges Alexander Ginzburg, instructor in mathematics, and Jeff Rosenblum P’24,’27, founder and CEO of Questus, a leading digital advertising agency, listened to the presentations and selected the winners, who received prize money provided by Oblong Books and the Boathouse.

Marcus Lam ’23 and Ella Yu ’24, the heads of the Entrepreneurship Club, said the club launched the Diamond Challenge last year. They increased the scale of the event this year and hosted workshops—such as a mood board session focused on branding—to help the groups develop their business plans.

“We wanted to centralize the challenge to the Hotchkiss environment. It makes for more relatable and thoughtful ideas. Your stakeholders are here,” Marcus said. “We want to create a culture of problem-solving at Hotchkiss.”

“The best thing about this challenge is it’s fun,” Ella said. “The collectiveness of everyone coming together and becoming interested in someone’s idea is really powerful.”

HOTCHKISS DIAMOND CHALLENGE WINNERS

CLUB CONNECT

Niki Reppa ’26, Anya Reppa ’26, and Emily Cho-Sayegh ’26

Club Connect offers information about Hotchkiss clubs through a website that features customized lists, clubs organized by subject, notifications, and a personal calendar.

“Joining this competition was one of the best decisions I’ve made all year because it was really fun. There were workshops that helped us come up with our design and steps to make sure we weren’t falling behind. Talking to peers helped us.” —ANYA

REPPA ’26

SNABED

Brianna Bobbie ’25 and Abi Kizza ’25

Snabed is an app that helps to cut down snack bar lines, reduce rush-hour stress for snack bar employees, minimize food waste, and help with student money management.

“Being a part of this challenge was a very rewarding experience because it was my first opportunity to start my entrepreneurship journey. It helped me realize my potential. We plan on implementing our app because we realize it would have an impact.” —BRIANNA

BOBBIE ’25

3rd

+ Best Branding & Marketing

ON THE MENU

Sia Reddy ’26, Maddie Sada ’26, and Pahal Bhasin ’26

On The Menu is a Dining Hall app that enhances communication and feedback between the student population and the Dining Hall staff, reduces food waste, and helps students with allergies and dietary restrictions feel safe.

“I have always been interested in entrepreneurship, and it was nice to have this real-life experience. It taught me so many lessons.” —SIA REDDY ’26

THE HOTCHKISS RAGE ROOM

Daniel Qu ’25

Audience Vote for Best Overall

The Hotchkiss Rage Room allows students to unwind and release their stress and tension by safely breaking objects.

“It was an eye-opening experience. It was fun thinking of the idea and interviewing people about my idea.” —DANIEL QU ’25

Bearcats Finish Strong in Spring Season

Three Teams Win Founders League Championships

Girls varsity lacrosse won the Founders League Tournament for the second straight year, defeating Taft 16-13 on May 24. They also finished first in the Founders League season standings.

Boys varsity golf bested Avon by two strokes with a team score of 404 to win the Founders League Championship. They played on the Arnold Palmer-designed Gillette Ridge Golf Course on May 20.

Girls varsity tennis went 6-0 in Founders League competition to win the championship title. They defeated Loomis, Choate, Taft, Kent, Miss Porter’s, and Kingswood-Oxford.

Track and Field Stars Named New England Champions; Two Break Records

Arop Arop ’23 was named New England Champion and All-NEPSAC in the high jump.

Paige Dzenutis ’23 was named New England Champion and AllNEPSAC in the triple jump.

Mo Nuhu ’23 was named New England Champion and All-NEPSAC in the 100m. He also set a new Hotchkiss School record of 10.83 at the Founders League Track and Field Championship on May 13. The old record was 10.93 held by Alex Amidon ’10 and Francis Atuahene ’15.

Christa Prasertsintanah ’23, not pictured, won the 400m for the second year in a row at the Founders League Track and Field Championship on May 13 and set a Hotchkiss School record and Loomis facility record with a time of 57.80. The old record was 58.03 held by Dannie Henry ’14.

Sailing Places Third at Nationals

The varsity sailing team earned third place at the National Team Race Championship (Baker Cup), held at Lake Minnetonka, MN, on May 20. “The level of competition was extraordinary, and our sailors performed well and with class. We demonstrated the strength of New England sailing,” Head Coach Richard Davis said. The sailors were Lucy Jervis ’23, Kate Moran ’23, Phoebe Hackett ’24, Miranda Beitel ’25, Cal Kinnear ’25, Fynn Olsen ’25, Pierce Olsen ’25, Samara Walshe ’25, and Thomas O’Grady ’26.

Danny Smith P’18,’20,’24 Receives Honor for Tireless Dedication to Hotchkiss Athletics

BY ROBIN CHANDLER ’87

DANNY SMITH P’18,’20,’24 IS THE RECIPIENT of the 2023 M.D. Nadal Sportsmanship Award in recognition of his dedication to the education and development of student athletes and the athletic program at Hotchkiss. Smith served as co-director of Hotchkiss athletics from 2004 to 2023. He was appointed associate director of admission this year.

The Founders League awards the M.D. Nadal Sportsmanship Award on an annual basis to a coach whose conduct exemplifies the proclamation “play by the rules, accept victory or defeat graciously, respect all who assemble and participate.”

Since arriving at Hotchkiss in the fall of 2000, Smith has been an avid spectator and active participant in the School’s athletic program. He began his career in the admission office and as head coach of the varsity football team. Shortly thereafter, Smith was named co-director of athletics and has been a fixture in the Forrest E. Mars Jr. Athletic Center and on the Bearcat sidelines ever since.

Ultimate Earns Third Place at State Championship

Taylor Field was full of ultimate action as Hotchkiss hosted the Connecticut state championships on May 21. The Hotchkiss varsity ultimate team—which finished second at the New England Prep School Ultimate League Tournament the previous weekend—placed third in the state behind champions Wooster School and secondplace Xavier High School. These Bearcats also earned the Spirit of the Game Award for fair play in Division 1. The Hotchkiss JV team earned fifth place in Division 2.

“In the 20 years I have worked side by side with Danny, I have been amazed by his ability to be connected to kids in all facets of School life,” said Robin Chandler ’87, former co-director of athletics and 2013 M.D. Nadal Sportsmanship Award winner. “Danny’s tireless dedication and loyalty to the athletic department, along with his fierce advocacy of student athletes who are always first in his mind, have been inspirational.”

“Danny’s graciousness and genuine interest in others is clear from the moment you first interact with him,” Hotchkiss Head of School Craig Bradley said. “He puts his team first and invests great time and care into the development of each of his players both on and off the field.”

During Smith’s 21-year tenure as head coach, Hotchkiss football won a New England Championship in 2008 and back-to-back Erickson League Championships in 2008 and 2009, as well as one in 2002 in only his second year as head coach. Smith coached three NEPSAC Football Player of the Year recipients: Rob Schaeffer ’01, Alex Amidon ’10, and Derrick Wilson ’11.

Upon Smith’s retirement as head varsity football coach in 2021, Brian Allen ’19 said, “You are the most genuine and down-to-earth man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You took a chance on me and changed my life forever by helping me attend Hotchkiss. The two years being coached by you made me a better man, and I cannot thank you enough.” H

Rising Tide

Haaziq Kazi ’24 has a bold vision to tackle the plastic pollution crisis in oceans

BY CHELSEA EDGAR

WHILE WASHING HIS HANDS after soccer practice one afternoon in 2016, Haaziq Kazi ’24 had a life-changing idea. Haaziq, then a fourth-grader, had recently watched a few documentaries about the staggering amount of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans— around 11 million metric tons each year, according to the Ocean Conservancy— and he was overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem. As Haaziq watched water disappear down the drain of a sink, he was struck by an insight: What if he built a

contraption that could suck plastic out of the oceans in the same way?

That moment was the genesis of ERVIS, a ship model that Haaziq invented to trawl the seas for waste. For now, ERVIS exists only as a prototype, but Haaziq’s idea, and his passion for protecting the oceans, has made him one of the world’s youngest ambassadors for marine conservation.

His efforts have attracted the attention of news outlets like The Washington Post and CNBC over the years, and his story was featured in a National Geographic India video on April 22 for Earth Day. At 17, Haaziq has already given multiple TED Talks, addressed the United Nations’ Global Governance Forum, and, with the help of his parents, launched the ERVIS Foundation, a nonprofit focused on youth education and promoting research into innovative ways to address the plastic crisis in the oceans.

Watch the National Geographic India video

Haaziq Kazi ’24 gave a TED Talk in 2018 about his plan to remove plastic from oceans.

(ERVIS doesn’t stand for anything, he explained: “Fourth-grade me liked the way it sounded, and it just stuck, I guess.”)

When it comes to turning big dreams into reality, Haaziq thinks being young has certain advantages. “You have this innocence, this idea that you can try to fix things, essentially,” he said. From the beginning, his parents have encouraged him to follow his dreams, as far-fetched as they might have seemed. “We all have ideas that we might write down but that we don’t pursue,” he said. “I’ve just been very fortunate to have the drive to pursue my goals and the right environment, from very supportive parents to a very supportive school.”

Haaziq grew up in Pune, India. Both of his parents have engineering backgrounds—his father works in cybersecurity, and his mother studied electrical engineering and computer programming—but they never pushed him or his younger brother to pursue a career in STEM, Haaziq said. “India is a place where, stereotypically, parents put a lot of pressure on their children to excel in their academics, go to university, get an engineering degree or medical degree, and get a job,” he said. “But my parents just wanted us to be happy.”

After Haaziq’s aha moment at the sink, he built his first small-scale model of ERVIS: a circular vessel with a sink strainer-like attachment, reminiscent of something out of Star Trek, that only bobbed on the water for a few seconds before it sank. Gradually, Haaziq honed his concept with the help of scientists and engineers he’d met through his parents’ connections. He swapped the circular vessel for a renewable energy-powered barge with attached saucers that float alongside the ship. The ship’s motion would generate whirlpools, he explained, which would pull debris on the surface of the water into the saucers. The refuse would then travel through a network of tubes into various compartments inside the ship, depending on the trash’s weight and composition.

In 2017, when Haaziq was still a middle school student in Pune, he traveled to New York City to deliver a TED Talk on ERVIS.

To prepare, he rehearsed his speech for his parents dozens of times. “It was really nerve-racking,” he said. “I went through 30 revisions of my script, just speaking and revising and practicing in front of anyone who was willing to listen. I think that was my first taste of real grit, just working for this huge extended period of time on one thing.” At the end of his talk, Haaziq— who was the youngest speaker at the TED event—received a standing ovation.

Innovation at Hotchkiss

At Hotchkiss, he has continued to develop his model of ERVIS. He spent the spring semester building a remotely operated underwater vehicle in the Class of 2017 Engineering, Fabrication, & Exploration (EFX) Lab. He said it could be useful someday for collecting waste at lower ocean depths. “Haaziq has built a frame that will support the propulsion, electronics, and underwater camera components. Next fall, he plans to continue working on this project by assembling the remaining components for testing in the water,” said Michael Boone, the outgoing director of the EFX Lab and instructor in engineering who worked closely with Haaziq on this vehicle. “Haaziq is a dedicated student. He comes to the EFX Lab after school and during his free time to research and work on his project. He also enjoys discovering how academic principles learned in other classes apply to his project.”

Haaziq has remained active in the ERVIS Foundation in spite of the time difference between Lakeville and Pune, where the nonprofit is based—not to

mention the academic demands of life at Hotchkiss. “Managing a team that is mainly based in India makes me wake up early in the morning for meetings and stuff like that,” Haaziq said.

He has also found other opportunities at Hotchkiss to pursue his passion for the environment: He’s designing an independent co-curricular project to study the impact of plastic pollution in Lake Wononscopomuc, which he plans to begin next year. And he’s made some surprising discoveries about himself, he said—for instance, that he loves analyzing literature. This year, he took an English class with Katie Fleishman, Ph.D., instructor in English and incoming head of the English Department. Haaziq credits her with changing the way he reads. “I’ve never really liked English before, but Dr. Fleishman has made me see how texts are like a cipher,” he said. “And we’re trying to find the symbol, the motif, that essentially unlocks the secret to the whole text.”

In other words, analyzing a challenging work of literature has a lot in common with Haaziq’s greatest source of joy: solving really big puzzles. H

“I’ve just been very fortunate to have the drive to pursue my goals and the right environment, from very supportive parents to a very supportive school.”

This

ERVIS ship model was created by Haaziq Kazi ’24 to trawl the seas for waste.

Through the Lens of Quisha Lee ’24

Special

BY CHELSEA EDGAR

AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL student in Hong Kong, Quisha Lee ’24 took fencing lessons with Yu Chui Yee, a Paralympic gold medalist who had lost her left leg to bone cancer at the age of 11. Training with Yee left an indelible mark on Quisha.

“Despite her physical disabilities, she displayed such inspiring strength that pushed me to train harder every time I saw her,” Quisha told Millerton’s Main Street Magazine during an interview this spring. “It was in these moments, where I was in proximity with disabled athletes, that I realized disabilities should never be viewed as barriers or weaknesses, but rather as a means to practice tenacity and gratitude that we all should learn from.”

At Hotchkiss, Quisha channeled her love of photography and her commitment to ending the stigmatization of athletes with disabilities into Soaring Souls: Honor Our Heroes, an exhibition of photos documenting Special Olympians in Connecticut, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The show, which was displayed in the Main Building’s Upper Rotunda this spring and moved to the Peak Galleria mall in Hong Kong in July, highlights her gift for capturing the joyous, exuberant moments in the midst of competition—a swimmer preparing to leap off a diving board, stealing one last glance at the sidelines; or a bocce player with an eye patch, his face lit up in an enormous grin.

Quisha’s passion to support the Special Olympics began as a seventh-grader at Indian Mountain School when she participated in her first Hotchkiss Swimathon to help raise money for Special Olympics Connecticut. She is now a member of the Hotchkiss girls varsity swim team, and she has served since her prep year on the board of the Hotchkiss Special Olympics Club—organizer of Hotchkiss’s annual Swimathon. Quisha swam for her third consecutive year in the September 2022 event, which raised

‘Photolanthropy’ project supports

Olympians around the globe

BY QUISHA LEE ’24

nearly $30,000 for Special Olympics Connecticut and Special Olympics Slovakia. The proceeds helped launch a daycare center in Slovakia that aids Ukrainian refugee families who have children born with intellectual disabilities.

Quisha credits her family with inspiring her philanthropy and photography, which she has dubbed “photolanthropy.” “My parents, especially, have had the greatest influence on my desire to create positive impacts on people around me. They have nurtured me with values of compassion and charity,” she said. Her grandmother encouraged her enthusiasm for taking pictures at a young age. At Hotchkiss, she has continued to hone her photography skills under Colleen MacMillan,

instructor in photography, and Ann Villano P’17, instructor in film and George Norton and Jodie Stone teaching chair.

Soaring Souls took shape in the summer of 2022 while Lee was home in Hong Kong. That July, Quisha met 12-time Paralympic gold medalist So Wa Wai and his mother; from there, she met and photographed dozens of other athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities. Her work has been supported by Special Olympics Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee, and Special Olympics Connecticut.

“Quisha’s passion and commitment to enriching the lives of Special Olympics athletes through her talent is humbling,” Special Olympics President and CEO Michael Mason stated in the forward to a booklet accompanying Quisha’s exhibition. “Her photographs challenge others to look beyond differences and embrace the diversity of each individual’s gifts—and, in doing so, experience true kindness and the joy of belonging.”

For Quisha, the ultimate goal for her project “is to create a sustainable and positive impact for the athletes and the organization that have inspired me tremendously,” and she hopes “to address the inequalities between athletes with and without disabilities, specifically in terms of

unequal pay, recognition, and community support.” To that end, she has already raised more than $56,000 to support Special Olympics Connecticut through her Soaring Souls exhibit.

Photographing athletes with disabilities has had a profound impact on Quisha. “The mere act of attending training for disabled athletes transformed my worldview; it made me rethink my definition of ‘normal,’” she said. “The Special Olympics and Paralympics athletes I met over the past year showed me the importance of self confidence, motivation, and love. While documenting these athletes of all ages, I truly felt that they were stronger and more inspiring than other athletes I’ve met. They did not view themselves as disabled or at a disadvantage and simply trained to the best of their abilities.”

Quisha believes that images have the power to transform how people see the world, and she hopes that viewers “learn or see something new” from her photography. “Please join me on my journey to spread understanding and awareness of intellectually and physically disabled athletes around the world,” she said. “Together, we can make a difference.” H

View more photos by Quisha Lee ’24 at www.soaringsouls.net, where donations for Special Olympics Connecticut are also accepted.

“The Special Olympics and Paralympics athletes I met over the past year showed me the importance of self

confidence,

motivation, and love.”

The Language of Looms

BY ALBERT CHEN ’26

THE WORK OF CYNTHIA ALBERTO, artist and founder of the Brooklynbased weaving and healing arts studio Weaving Hand, and her collaborative pieces with students were featured in the spring Tremaine Art Gallery exhibition, The Language of Looms—Weaving Human Tapestry Alberto draws inspiration from ancient practices in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Africa, and uses both traditional and contemporary weaving techniques.

Alberto stayed on campus for a weeklong residency in April, during which she visited art classes and gave masterclasses. “The language of the loom highlights how the product is always interconnected with the process. As a teacher, crafter, and artist, I wanted to bring this connection to the community here,” she said. Alberto holds a zero-waste philosophy and incorporates unconventional materials into her pieces.

Love and Acceptance Spotlighted in HDA’s She Kills Monsters

THE HOTCHKISS

View more photos

Dramatic Association presented She Kills Monsters in Walker Auditorium May 5-7. It is a tale of geeks, nerds, grief, coming of age, and sisterhood by Qui Nguyen. Led by guest director Christine Crawfis, the cast and crew followed the heroine’s fantastical journey through love and acceptance in performances full of physical stunts, all set to an epic ’90s soundtrack.

Katie Yang ’25, who attended one of her masterclasses, said, “I felt enlightened by the unique materials the artist used. I was surprised to learn that there is actual hair inside some of the pieces. I admired her ingenuity, which inspires me to use daily items in my work.”

Terri Moore, director of the Tremaine Art Gallery and instructor in art, coordinated

the exhibition. “Before Cynthia came, I had my prep classes create their own weaving pieces out of strips of paintings to create abstract landscapes,” Moore said. “Lowermid classes used portraits and blind contours of animals to create tapestries. My goal was for the art students to explore the physicality of making beyond traditional materials and experiment with working with sculptural and fiberistic materials, allowing them to appreciate the art of weaving.” H

A version of this story originally appeared in The Hotchkiss Record.

Calling All Hotchkiss Seniors and Alumni Currently in College

HOTCHKISS IS DELIGHTED to announce a new fellowship opportunity available to all members of the Classes of 2020 through 2024, provided they have not yet graduated from college or university. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, in the summer of 2024, a cohort of three International Fellows will embark on yearlong international adventures of their own design. These experiences will be fully funded.

Prospective Fellows, by engaging in international travel and a project abroad, will gain independence and confidence while navigating differences in culture, language, and customs. Fellows will also develop problemsolving skills involved in international travel while confronting the challenges of living in a setting different from one’s home culture.

Rick Hazelton P’19,’22 Published in 2023 Parents League Review

RICK HAZELTON P’19,’22, director of the Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking and dean of summer programs, wrote an essay about the college admissions process that was published in the 2023 Parents League Review. This annual publication is printed by the Parents League of New York, which supports families and children by providing a broad range of educational and parenting resources.

“Over 25 years in college advising, I have had an abundance of experiences with a wide array of students and colleges, and being given the space to download the lessons learned from those experiences and share them with others is very rewarding,” Hazelton said.

Be among the first cohort of Hotchkiss International Fellows!

Members of the Class of 2024 and current alumni undergraduates are invited to apply in the fall. Applications should include a plan for a yearlong immersion in one or multiple locations. Engage in service, scholarship, adventure, language study, or really anything you wish as long as there is a unifying theme. The canvas is yours to paint.

Former trustee Tom Barry, P’01,’03,’05, who funded Hotchkiss’s original gap year program, is grateful to the donor who has made the Fellowship possible. “This is an opportunity to broaden a student’s intellectual and personal maturity. It will be particularly valuable for Fellows to pursue an independent project that moves the student out of his/her/their comfort zone both in a different culture and new field of knowledge. This experience can be life-changing in respect to subsequent choices of college courses of study and professional options.”

Learn more!

The Fellowship application process will open on the Hotchkiss website in October. All applicants should submit a written application by Dec.1. Proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee of alumni and other educators, after which finalists will be chosen. Finalists will then participate in multiple interviews with the selection committee. The three chosen Fellows will be named in late March or April. H

In his essay, Hazelton compares the college admissions process to his love of fishing. “Parents should dismiss the notion that they can control the process,” he wrote. “Anglers encounter the unexpected often— changes in weather and wind patterns, new regulations, etc. Learning to let go a bit and allowing your child to work the line themselves in the face of the uncontrollable is an important life lesson.”

Read his full essay

Changemaker of the Year

Annie Dong ’23 Receives National Award for Pan-Asian Activism

BY DARRYL GANGLOFF

ANNIE DONG ’23 IS A LEADER in the Pan-Asian community through her tireless advocacy work at Hotchkiss and beyond. Her efforts were recognized at a national level when she received the prestigious Changemaker of the Year award from nonprofit Act to Change at a gala in Washington, D.C., on May 18. The organization strives to end bullying for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth.

During her time at Hotchkiss, Annie founded the first Pan-Asian Affinity Group and mentored younger students to become their own leaders. In an effort to build community and inclusion, she led a project through which Pan-Asian students anonymously shared their personal experiences, which were read out loud during an All-School meeting and a faculty meeting. She served as a head of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance and the DEI Council, and she brought numerous speakers to the School to discuss topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In an effort to expand the depth and breadth of her activism, she joined Act of Change’s Youth Ambassador Program in the fall of 2022 and worked with young Asian American leaders nationwide. The cohort discussed topics such as identity, mental health, and media representation. Annie’s leadership skills in these meetings made it clear that she is an “outstanding role model and a true changemaker,” Kat Mallari, manager of the Youth Ambassador Program, said at the gala. “Her younger peers were often impressed by her and mirrored Annie’s

thoughtfulness and vulnerability in sharing her experiences with bullying. She not only showed true mastery of session material but also served as a resource for other students to help frame perspectives that were unique to their own experiences.”

In her acceptance speech, Annie said it was difficult to find the balance between her Asian American and international Chinese identities when she first immigrated to the United States in sixth grade. Her attempt to reconcile this identity led to her activism, and she now finds it empowering to understand a wide spectrum of Asian experiences. “I wanted to create spaces where the nuanced qualities of our multifaceted, shared Asian-ness could be openly grappled with in collectivity,” she

said during her speech. “I founded the first ever Pan-Asian Affinity Group at my school in its 132 years of history, and I implemented bi-monthly meetings and schoolwide programming that fostered a sense of visibility, safety, and community for Asian students.”

Following the gala, Annie said that her faculty mentors at Hotchkiss gave her the freedom to pursue her advocacy work while also providing the appropriate level of guidance. “Because of all the mentorship and structural support that I’ve received, I’ve been able to find comfort in my own ability to lead and figure out how to do everything, step by step,” Annie said. “I really appreciate the support I got from Hotchkiss.”

In her speech, Annie thanked Nora Yasumura, her Hotchkiss mentor for the Youth Ambassador Program.

“Annie has been a transformative leader within and outside the Pan-Asian community at Hotchkiss,” Yasumura said, noting that “Hotchkiss students of Asian descent felt more seen and supported” due to Annie’s work.

Annie will attend Columbia University in the fall, and she plans to study anthropology and perhaps comparative race and ethnic studies. She will also continue her activism.

“I can’t wait to continue learning, leading, and growing with the up-andcoming young Asian American activists in my generation.” H

Annie Dong ’23, right, received the Changemaker of the Year award from Act to Change.

Watch Annie Dong ’23’s acceptance speech

Students Host Inaugural Black Link of Independent Schools Summit

BY EMILY HELLQVIST ’24

FOR THE FIRST TIME, Hotchkiss hosted the student-run BLISS (Black Link of Independent Schools Summit) conference on April 2 to create solidarity, connection, conversation, and friendship among Black students from New England boarding schools.

The night before the opening ceremony, students from Deerfield Academy, Salisbury School, and Berkshire School came to Lakeville and enjoyed a dance hosted by the Black and Hispanic Student Alliance. This year, the summit was organized by Sydney Jean ’23 and Richie Mamam Nbiba ’23.

The opening ceremony offered student remarks and performances by the Calliope a cappella group and the Step Team. Following that, students chose from eight workshops held throughout the day.

“This conference was started our freshman year by a group of upperclassmen who really wanted to have an opportunity to connect to students from different boarding schools, build a community, and have great conversations,” Sydney said during the opening ceremony. “Unfortunately it got shut down due to

COVID, which happened that spring. This year we’re here, even though it’s on a smaller scale. We’re excited, and it’s going to be a good day.”

“This is a great platform for the future,” Richie added. “It has so much potential to create a larger community.”

Abigail Gugsa ’24, Emilie Clitus ’24, and Leanna Wells ’23 ran a workshop called “The Privileged Poor,” which was modeled after author and Boston University professor Dr. Anthony Jack’s speech at the School in February. Participants watched Jack’s TED Talk and discussed the privilege that comes with attending elite collegepreparatory schools when compared to other low-income or disenfranchised peers (“the doubly disadvantaged”) coming from schools with fewer resources. Other workshops hosted by students included a tutorial on making waist beads, an introduction to step dance, and a discussion on race and hook-up culture at boarding schools.

The idea and initial planning for the conference began before 2020, organized by Obi Okoli ’20, Miles Brewster ’20, Ashley Williams ’21, Dubem Anwunah ’20, and Dr. Rachel Myers, former director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, the pandemic caused the conference to be delayed until Sydney and Richie took over the project in the spring of 2022.

Lily Yawand-Wossen ’24, who participated in this year’s BLISS conference by organizing a poetry workshop focusing on writing about experiences in boarding school, is grateful for the return of the conference. She said, “It was great to interact with others with similar experiences as me, who are also trying to figure out their identity.” H

A version of this article originally appeared in The Hotchkiss Record.

Students Present

Artwork and Research at Troutbeck Symposium

A group of Hotchkiss students participated in the second annual Troutbeck Symposium in Amenia, NY, on May 1. Students from 13 schools discussed findings of their year-long research projects uncovering the under-told histories of BIPOC communities. Bearcats presented their artwork and described their inspiration and research process. Their pieces were displayed in the Troutbeck Gallery throughout the three-day event.

Sydney Jean ’23 and Richie Mamam Nbiba ’23 organized the BLISS conference.

GLORY RESTORED

BY ELIOTT GROVER

THE THRONG THAT DESCENDED

on Yonkers on Oct. 29, 1939 was eager. It was the kind of turnout one would expect for a championship parade or coronation. But these people, some 30,000 of them, had come for a flower show. “Visitors came from foreign lands and distant parts of this country,” The New York Times reported, “to see the millions of chrysanthemums and pansies.” The guests admired the plants as they strolled through 150 acres of private gardens.

The gardens were part of an estate owned by Samuel Untermyer, a prominent corporate attorney and progressive activist. Untermyer approached life with a strong sense of civic-mindedness, which is why he opened his gardens to the public every week. Perched above the Hudson River with crystalline views of the Palisades, Untermyer’s gardens were a transcendent

union of horticulture and architecture steeped in world history. They were tended by 60 full-time gardeners and supplied by 60 greenhouses. The highlight was an Indo-Persian walled garden that featured four intersecting waterways to symbolize the four rivers of paradise. The national press described it as the most spectacular garden in America.

This glory proved as ephemeral as morning dew. Following Untermyer’s death in 1940, the estate was gradually sold off in pieces. The city of Yonkers acquired a 16-acre parcel to use as a public park. The park featured some of the most stunning elements of Untermyer’s gardens, including two ancient Roman columns, but the city lacked the resources to adequately maintain it. Untended, the gardens began to disappear.

America’s “most spectacular” garden was lost to history.

Steve Byrns ’73 brought it back.

PHOTO BY JESSICA NORMAN

“It was really the perfect convergence of interests for me: history, architecture, preservation, horticulture, and different religions.”

PHOTO BY TIMOTHY LAMORTE Steve Byrns ’73

Garden Captivates Steve Byrns ’73

Steve Byrns ’73 moved to Yonkers in 1988. When he first visited Untermyer Gardens, they were neglected and vandalized. The 2,000-year-old monolithic Roman columns were magnets for graffiti. Thick bramble and fallen trees hid much of the once intricate landscape. “There’s an extensive network of waterworks and there was no water to be seen, just cracked concrete,” says Byrns.

As an architect with a passion for historic preservation, Byrns was captivated by what he saw despite the conditions. He soon became involved with a community initiative to protect the north end of the park. The land was owned by an adjacent hospital that planned to remove a large section of gardens to build a nursing home. Byrns led a grassroots campaign to persuade the hospital to reconsider. He even debated its president on live television. “But the president held all the cards,” Byrns says. “The hospital did what it wanted, and the effort failed.”

Byrns was discouraged. He moved to Riverdale a few years later and forgot about the gardens. He poured himself into his work as a founding partner at BKSK Architects and seized other opportunities to pursue his interests in community engagement and historic preservation. In 2000, Byrns joined the Board of Wave Hill, a lustrous public garden in the Bronx. Four years later, Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed him to serve as a New York City Landmarks Preservation Commissioner.

In 2010, Byrns heard that one of the fountains in Untermyer Gardens had been turned on for the first time in decades. He went to see it for himself. “It just blew me away even though it was still really run down and didn’t look like much,” Byrns says. “At the time, I didn’t know I was looking at a Persian garden, but I thought it was very special.”

For Byrns, the effect of seeing the running water was Wordsworthian. He read the Romantic poets during his lower mid year at Hotchkiss, which fortified an early appreciation for natural beauty. The flowing water he saw that day was proof of life, a pulse that promised something special survived beneath the bramble.

One afternoon, Byrns was visiting the home of Marco Polo Stufano, the founding director of horticulture at Wave Hill. Byrns saw a book on Stufano’s coffee table about Persian gardens. He started flipping through and noticed similarities to the Untermyer Walled Garden. It was unlikely, considering there were no known Indo-Persian gardens in the western hemisphere; but Byrns and Stufano became convinced that renowned architect and landscape designer William Welles Bosworth had designed such a garden in Yonkers. Picking up the scent of buried history, Byrns was eager to unearth it.

Starting a Conservancy

Byrns started exploring what it would take to launch a conservancy to restore the gardens and serve as a steward. With interest in a public-private partnership, things moved quickly. Byrns assembled a board of trustees and began fundraising. Once the key organizational pieces were in place, he turned his attention to the gardens.

Although Byrns had a longstanding interest in horticulture, he knew the project needed professional oversight. Stufano had recently retired from Wave Hill, so he asked if the gardener would consider serving as the conservancy’s horticultural advisor. “He was the most highly revered person in the horticulture world,” Byrns says. “To my great pleasure and surprise, he said he would.”

The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy was founded in 2011. Byrns continued to practice architecture, but he was

The Untermyer Gardens are now one of the top tourist attractions in Westchester County. Last year, the number of visitors swelled to an estimated 125,000.

vigorously engaged as the conservancy’s chairman and president from day one. He called Timothy Tilghman, their fulltime gardener, every morning during his commute. On weekends, Byrns joined Tilghman on site. They would walk the grounds inspecting progress, hatching plans, and hypothesizing about what new discoveries awaited.

Slowly but surely, the jungle receded. With the help of a growing number of professional gardeners, they were able to clear mountains of overgrowth and garbage. Tilghman and Byrns set their sights on restoring the gardens to the elaborate beauty of their heyday. They approached the project like an archaeological excavation, scouring old maps and photographs for clues about Bosworth’s original design. Byrns relished every aspect of the work. “It was really the perfect convergence of interests for me,” he says. “History, architecture, preservation, horticulture, and different religions.”

Word spread quickly as the gardens returned to life. Articles in Martha Stewart Living, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets fueled a surge in interest. In 2011, the gardens received 6,000 visitors. Last year, the figure swelled to an estimated 125,000. The Untermyer Gardens are now one of the top tourist attractions in Westchester County. While admission is free, Byrns has led a robust fundraising operation. The conservancy now has nine gardeners and has followed in Untermyer’s footsteps of public service by engaging the Yonkers community through various programs. Lectures, garden tours, and special events are common. Local high schoolers can apply for paid internships.

For Byrns, the work is exhilarating and bottomless. In 2016, he left his architecture firm to spend all his time leading the conservancy. “No one was surprised,” he says of the decision. With his partners’ blessing, he had gradually been scaling back his responsibilities. “I moved ahead, and at age 61, it was like this whole new chapter in my life.”

In his day-to-day role as president of the conservancy, Byrns continues to draw on his architectural background. He estimates that a third of his time is spent planning and overseeing construction projects. He also steers fundraising efforts and meets with Tilghman every day to discuss the ongoing horticulture work.

In 2017, the Institute for Classical Architecture and Art presented Byrns with its prestigious Arthur Ross Award for Stewardship. The following year, he received the Historic Preservation Medal from the Garden Club of America. Both awards acknowledged the pivotal role Byrns has played in restoring Untermyer Gardens.

Reflecting on Hotchkiss

At 68, Byrns has no immediate plans to retire. He is invigorated by these projects and excited about the future of the gardens. He is also excited about an upcoming personal milestone. This fall, Byrns will return to Hotchkiss to celebrate his 50th reunion. The occasion has given him reason to reflect on his time in Lakeville, where he fondly recalls imbibing the splendor of the Northwest Corner as an adolescent. “I was just starting to learn about gardening, and seeing a very beautiful natural environment awakened me to its importance in my life.” Hotchkiss also kindled his love of history, which he went on to study at Princeton. As an upper mid, Byrns took American history with Sherman Barker. The class met after Chapel, and one day Barker asked the students to discuss the historical context of that morning’s hymn. Analyzing lyrics that were written in 1917, Byrns and his classmates suddenly saw the influence of World War I. “It got me thinking, ‘Oh my God, there’s history in a hymn,’” Byrns says. “I never thought of that before. It lit a little spark for me. History is deeply entwined in everything you see.”

Byrns now sees history everywhere. In places, in buildings, and even in overgrown gardens. H

PHOTO BY JESSICA NORMAN

PHOTO BY ANNIE SCHLECHTER

CHANGING THE GAME, NOT THE GIRL

Jessica Hanson ’86 helps launch a new school to unleash the voices of young women.

BY DANIEL LIPPMAN ’08

JESSICA HANSON ’86 HAS education in her blood. Her grandmother was an elementary school teacher, her mother was a teacher’s aide, and her aunt was a teacher, too. But nothing they faced prepared Hanson in her mission to launch an allgirls high school to help teenagers navigate a world full of new challenges—including often-toxic social media that fuels online bullying and body image issues.

The crisis of teenage girls helped inspire Hanson to co-found the Hatch School in Seattle, WA, in 2022. A small group of ninth-graders attends the new institution, and its leaders hope to increase enrollment in the coming years.

“We wanted to create a place where students could really take a step back, make the best choices for themselves, and learn to find balance in their lives,” Hanson said. “We really wanted to create an institution where students could learn to make change in their environments, in their families, in their communities—and how to own their voices, because they have really strong voices.”

Hanson says the “idea that you need to be excellent or perfect at everything is an unsustainable model,” particularly for girls. “Our goal is to help kids figure out how they can be really amazing at the things that are important to them. And simultaneously maybe not worry so much about trying to be excellent at the things that aren’t as important to them.”

Hatch is a small school with three fulltime teachers, so students learn a lot from each other. They come from a variety of backgrounds, including girls who will be

first-generation college students, were born in different countries, or speak different languages.

“One of our goals is to help provide an excellent college prep education to students who are furthest from educational justice,” she said.

Because it’s a nonprofit startup, Hatch doesn’t have a deluxe campus like other private schools. They rent space from a nonprofit in downtown Seattle since “commercial real estate in Seattle is a fullcontact sport,” Hanson jokes. But she has been entrepreneurial in looking for ways for her students to learn without breaking the bank. They partner with a local fine arts center for their art program, use a neighborhood gym for strength training,

and work with a school in Guatemala for online Spanish classes, where they learn about the history and culture of that country.

Hanson is also reimagining how tuition works using a concept called “family individualized tuition.” Parents pay for their student’s enrollment based on how much they can actually afford instead of feeling stressed by the high costs. The school received several significant seed money grants from private donors and is funded primarily by philanthropic giving. But the struggle to make sure they have enough money to keep the lights on “is one of the biggest challenges we face,” Hanson notes. “We are building a brand new airplane and flying it as we go.”

Jessica Hanson ’86, right, and Sarah Peterson are co-heads of the Hatch School in Seattle, WA.

A CONTINUING CONNECTION TO HOTCHKISS

Besides her family, Hanson traces her interest in education to the time she spent at Hotchkiss. She had gone to public school and didn’t know if she could fit in at a boarding school. “My mother tells me that in October I wanted to leave and go home, which I don’t have any recollection of, but she told me I had to stay until Thanksgiving,” Hanson said. She found her footing and her friend group, and just as importantly came to love spending time in the science lab under the tutelage of biology instructor Jim Morrill P’87,’89.

“My experience at Hotchkiss is filled with those small moments where my friends helped me find the confidence I needed to do an X, Y, or Z thing,” Hanson recalled.

Hanson has stayed involved in her small

but mighty Hotchkiss alumni community in Seattle, where she leads the annual Day of Service. In April, Hanson and a group helped restore a habitat for salmon on the Sammamish River.

Nian Wilder ’86, P’17,’20, a Hotchkiss classmate of Hanson’s who met her on the first day of orientation and is now director of reunion giving at the School, said Hanson “is a wonderful combination of brains and personality.” Wilder added, “Having started at Hotchkiss eight years after the first group of female students arrived in Lakeville, we often felt that the all-boys-school days weren’t necessarily completely behind us. I think that spending four years in that environment armed us with the sense that we belong in any space that we occupy as women and has certainly inspired Jessica to pursue a career in education.”

After Hotchkiss, Hanson studied biology at Dartmouth College, where she tutored people who were incarcerated in New Hampshire and Vermont prisons. She then went on to get a master’s in teaching and curriculum from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Ph.D. in microbiology from University

of California, Davis. At Dartmouth, she met her husband, a computer systems engineer, and they have two kids.

Hatch is not the first school that Hanson has helped launch. More than 20 years ago, while she was busy getting her Ph.D., she carved out time to be the founding science teacher at the Oxbow School in Napa, CA, which focuses on the visual arts—often considered an elective or not central to a high school education.

“To create a school just for those students, where it was really clear that we took very seriously the thing that was most important to them, is just amazing and transformative. And I feel like at Hatch we are similarly creating a school that specifically honors the identity of adolescent girls and helps them with their unique and specific challenges,” she said.

“Education made such a huge difference in my life. And I want other people to have that.” H

“ We wanted to create a place where students could really take a step back, make the best choices for themselves, and learn to find balance in their lives.”

Daniel Lippman ’08 is a reporter covering the White House and Washington for POLITICO and can be reached at daniel@politico.com

Hanson works closely with students at the Hatch School.

Hanson leads the annual Hotchkiss Day of Service event in Seattle.

Remembering Jerry Green ’46, Who Was Always Keeping Score

Green, the only reporter to cover every Super Bowl, died in March 2023. Detroit sportswriter Will Burchfield ’10 reflects on their friendship and the bond they shared through Hotchkiss.

BY WILL BURCHFIELD ’10

HE NEVER ASKED FOR IT, but Jerry Green ’46 always drew a crowd. He was a man of small stature but a giant in Detroit sports as a venerable columnist with The Detroit News. Whenever he entered a press box in the time that I knew him, fellow reporters would stop by to shake hands with history. He was a mentor to some, a model to all. “Starry Eyes,” they nicknamed him at Hotchkiss in the 1946 Mischianza. Oh, what stars those eyes would see.

To me, Jerry was a friend. I took my time getting to know him, if only because I knew exactly who he was: the only journalist on this planet to have covered every single Super Bowl. There were 388 reporters at the game’s inception in 1967.

By 2019, Jerry was the last one standing. I moved to Detroit in 2016 to cover the city’s four sports teams. I’d see Jerry now and then in the press box at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, but wouldn’t want to intrude. He’d be watching the game carefully, always keeping score. A few years later, I finally said hello. I extended my hand and told him I was a fellow graduate of Hotchkiss, Class of 2010. Those starry eyes shined. Jerry gripped my hand and told me to sit down in the chair next to him. So I sat, and we talked, and we watched a baseball game, a pair of sportswriters in Detroit by way of Lakeville, CT. Jerry continued to keep score.

We reminisced about our days in that tiny corner of Connecticut. I marveled

at his Hotchkiss as he marveled at mine. He told me they had mass in the Chapel every week and sit-down dinners every night. Everything was mandatory, and teachers were masters. F-7, he marked on his scorecard: flyout to left. The boys wore coats and ties. I told him that my mom (Caroline Kenny Burchfield ’77, P’08,’10,’18) was part of the first class of girls, and that by the end of my time, we didn’t have to wear ties at all. 4-3: groundout to second. He told me he played JV baseball on a diamond down by the hockey pond; I told him I played JV hockey on one of two indoor rinks. He said the academics were hard and grimaced. I assured him nothing has changed. Backwards K: strikeout looking. To Jerry, the details mattered.

There was a humility about Jerry that I immediately admired. He went on to get his bachelor’s degree from Brown and his master’s in journalism from Boston University and insisted he was never much of a student. He said he still wasn’t sure how he survived two years at Hotchkiss under Headmaster George Van Santvoord, Class of 1908, but was ever grateful that he did. He had recently received a list of suggested summer reading from the English Department that came with, in his words, “a fine Hotchkiss bookmark.” He liked it so much he later brought it in to show me.

Jerry’s first love was baseball. He fell for the game at the age of 8 when he saw the old New York Giants play

Jerry Green ’46 reflected on covering Super Bowls in the fall 2016 Hotchkiss Magazine

PHOTO: THE DETRIOT NEWS

at the Polo Grounds. At a Yankees game later that summer, he fell even harder for Joe DiMaggio, whose 56-game hit streak remains one of the most unbreakable records in baseball. Jerry realized rather early in his athletic career that he’d never be good enough to play sports for a living and, like me, decided the next best thing would be to write about them. He eventually told one of his college advisors, “I’d like to be a sportswriter at a major daily,” to which his advisor replied, “It’ll never happen.” Jerry spent the rest of his life making sure it did.

In the summer of 2021, Tigers star Miguel Cabrera was closing in on 500 career homers. With the milestone one swing away, Jerry, then 93, came down to Comerica to witness a moment in time. He had been retired for nearly two decades, but remained gripped by the game. I asked him that night if he’d ever seen a player hit No. 500 in person, giddy that we might be able to share a ballpark first. He smiled like a teacher to a student and said he was there when Hank Aaron hit 715 to pass Babe Ruth. Jerry’s account from Atlanta—Hank Aaron: A new legend—ran on the front page of the Detroit News the next day. “I have never been prouder of a column or an article through all the years,” he’d write decades later.

Jerry devoted most of his career to the NFL. At Super Bowl III in 1969, he found himself in one of the most famous football photos of all time. Jets quarterback Joe Namath had ducked his press obligations leading up to the game and decided to

speak with only a small group of reporters, poolside, at his Fort Lauderdale hotel. Jerry was one of them. They gathered around the shirtless superstar while he sunbathed and signed autographs and obliged a few minutes of questions. A photographer captured the moment, which would wind up in magazines, a museum, and ultimately in a frame in Jerry’s office until the day that he passed on March 23, 2023, at 94.

Jerry’s mind was sharp until the end, but he questioned whether he had the stamina to keep his Super Bowl streak intact for the 2022 contest. It would require a crosscountry trip to Los Angeles, where ex-Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, a competitor Jerry had always admired in Detroit, was on the verge of vindication in his first season with the Rams. At the age of 93 and with his streak at 55, Jerry summoned the strength for one more—tying his boyhood idol DiMaggio at 56. It is now one of the most unbreakable records in football.

There were flowers everywhere at Jerry’s visitation. The biggest bouquet came from Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, “With great respect and admiration.” The future Hall of Fame coach also sent a text of condolence to Jerry’s daughter, Jenny, that read, in part, “Jerry was a superior writer whose love and devotion to pro football was remarkable. He gave his readers fair and informative views! His coverage of the first 56 Super Bowls is beyond special—I was fortunate to be a part of some of them!”

In one of my first conversations with

Jerry, I told him how much I enjoyed the story he’d written about his Super Bowl streak for Hotchkiss Magazine in the fall of 2016. He said, regrettably, that he’d never received that issue. With the help of my dad, a longtime teacher at Hotchkiss, we tracked it down when I was home last summer for my 10-year reunion. I alerted Jerry and brought it back with me to Detroit. He told me he had been struggling to make it to the ballpark as he needed to be on oxygen, but that it would be worth it “to fetch the precious magazine.” We met in the press box a few nights later and I delivered him a small piece of his life’s work. He held it in his hands and beamed like the lights in the ballpark.

As we chatted that night, Jerry told me that one of his great joys at Hotchkiss was being summoned to the varsity baseball team for a game against Loomis Chaffee and future Red Sox pitcher Frank Quinn. I asked him if we had won. He said we had lost, by a run, then smiled and said they’d carved a couple hits off Quinn. Even then, Jerry Green was keeping score. H

Will Burchfield ’10 is a sportswriter for 97.1 The Ticket, covering the Detroit Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons, as well as football and basketball at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan.

A tribute to Jerry Green ’46 after his death

Will Burchfield ’10, left, and Jerry Green ’46

Investing in Hotchkiss

HOTCHKISS HOSTED AN INVESTMENT SYMPOSIUM in New York City on April 27 to share details about how the School’s endowment is managed. The event included welcome remarks by Bob Gould ’77, co-president of the Hotchkiss Board of Trustees; a presentation by William von Mueffling ’86, founder and CEO of Cantillon Capital Management; a review of the Hotchkiss investment portfolio with Anne Matlock Dinneen ’95, chairman of the Hotchkiss Investment Committee and chief investment officer of New York-Presbyterian Hospital; and an asset allocation discussion with Kristen Tongberg, chief investment officer of Hotchkiss partner Cambridge Associates.

Gould emphasized that the endowment draw is an incredibly important part of the School’s budget, and he noted that every Hotchkiss student is benefitting from either past or current philanthropy.

“We need quality buildings that support our programs, but it is ultimately the quality of the people in the community that matters most,” he continued. “Hence, our incremental resources have been going toward financial aid and going to programs that support our teachers and their professional development.” H

THANK-A-DONOR DAY

Grateful students, faculty, and staff members donned their tropical attire for Troppy Tuesday on May 23 and wrote more than 700 personalized notes of thanks to donors of The Hotchkiss Fund, which covers 13 percent of every Hotchkiss experience.

From left, Anne Matlock Dinneen ’95, Bob Gould ’77, and Kristen Tongberg

“Troppy Tuesday Edition”

Celebrating Philanthropy at Hotchkiss

Thank you to the 3,635 alumni, parents, and friends of The Hotchkiss School who made donations to support the students and programs that make Hotchkiss an exceptional place to live and learn. Every aspect of the School benefits from the generosity of those who believe that an outstanding education is a strong foundation for positive change in our world. Thank you for being part of this important work through your support of Hotchkiss this fiscal year.

2022-23 GIVING OVERVIEW

Total: $49,665,890 in gifts and pledges*

l Facilities: $24,478,465

l Financial Aid: $8,224,366

l The Hotchkiss Fund: $6,605,444

l Program: $4,203,430

l Other: $3,631,062

l Faculty Support: $2,122,835

l Unrestricted Endowment: $400,289

*Includes multi-year pledges

CLASS OF 2023 SENIOR PARENTS GIFT

In honor of the graduating class, the 2023 Senior Parents Gift supports the newly renovated Memorial Hall. Through their generosity, the Class of 2023 Faculty Residence on the fourth floor will provide a brand new living space for dorm faculty this fall.

Parents contributed $676,573, exceeding their $500,000 goal!

TRUE BLUE SOCIETY

2,909 members contributed $47,393,584 this year!

Consecutive giving helps to make Hotchkiss the great place it is today and the place we aspire for it to be tomorrow. Thank you for your continued generosity.

Advocate Level 2+ years of consecutive giving 804 members

Bronze Level 5+ years of consecutive giving 696 members

Silver Level 10+ years of consecutive giving 865 members

Gold Level 25+ years of consecutive giving 544 members

FUNDRAISING TOTALS 2019-23

THE HOTCHKISS FUND

3,363 Donors | $6,605,444

Donations to The Hotchkiss Fund may be directed to support one of the following areas: academics; arts; athletics; conservation and the environment; diversity, equity, and inclusion; faculty support; financial aid; or the area of greatest need.

TOWN HILL SOCIETY

The Town Hill Society recognizes those who have included Hotchkiss in their estate plans.

9 new members committed $11,008,722 in new planned gifts this year.

669 alumni, parents, and friends are members of the Town Hill Society, the youngest being from the Class of 2012.

This program recognizes donors who have supported the School for two or more consecutive years.

327 donors made their first gift to Hotchkiss this year! New donors who make another gift by June 30, 2024 will be welcomed into the True Blue Society.

REUNION WEEKEND

Celebrating the 3s and 8s!

This June, we welcomed back more than 580 alumni and guests to celebrate Reunion in Lakeville, reigniting connections to campus, friends, and faculty alike. Thank you to those who were able to join us—and to those who weren’t able to make it, we missed you. We hope to see you on campus soon!

View more photos!

The Board of Governors congratulates the Class of 2023 for formally joining the Alumni Association

Earth Day Cleanup

Led by Natalie Boyse ’09 and Whitney PakPour Zeta ’04 in Washington, D.C.

Alumni Giving Back

The Board of Governors thanks alumni who participated in numerous Day of Service events, including:

Alleviating Hunger

Led by Paul Mutter ’87, P’26 and Caroline Mutter P’26 in New York City

Assembling Personal Care Kits

Led by Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09 and Adam Casella ’06 in Stamford, CT

Where TIME Began

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first issue of TIME. Co-founders Henry Luce ’16 and Briton Hadden ’16—seen here in the center of this photo in the 1916 Mischianza—published the magazine’s inaugural issue on March 3, 1923. They met at Hotchkiss, first as rival editors of The Hotchkiss Record and Hotchkiss Literary Monthly, and ultimately as friends who shared a love of journalism. Scan the QR code below to learn more about their time on campus, the launch of TIME, and the magazine’s many connections to Hotchkiss.

April 2023 Alum of the Month: Roger Liddell ’63, P’98 ’63

form. Everyone could buy into the policies because the logic was so compelling— prices that bore no resemblance to value were damaging to producers, customers, and the environment alike. ‘Free’ goods get squandered! Think of the Colorado River Basin today and the way water is mispriced there—it’s a regrettable, avoidable replay of 50 years ago for natural gas.”

light bulbs and demonstrated their effectiveness in the living room of thenpresident Óscar Arias.” That same year, he donated 1,000 efficient bulbs to Hotchkiss, enough for each dorm room on campus, plus some for the bookstore.

ROGER LIDDELL ’63, P’98 is an “unintentional” environmentalist who became inspired by the splendor and beauty of nature at Hotchkiss. For decades, he has used his professional expertise to support solutions for utilities, homeowners, and the environment.

Liddell is vice chairman and investment manager at Clear Harbor Asset Management, and he chairs the Sharon Land Trust’s Stewardship Program. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Princeton University and serving as a U.S. Navy Reserve Officer for four years, he pursued a master’s in finance from Columbia Business School.

The oil embargo of 1973 occurred just as he began his Wall Street career as an energy analyst. Americans were traumatized by a quadrupling of oil prices and long lines at gas stations. “I grew increasingly alarmed by how polarized public discourse became,” he said. “There was finger-pointing and blame games instead of working constructively to provide solutions. There had to be a better way.”

That insight bore fruit three years later when he initiated an effort that brought together senior officials from major natural gas producers and environmental organizations at Columbia University’s Arden House. “Within several hours, a joint statement of position on marketbased pricing of natural gas was in draft

Liddell recalls how easy it was to fantasize about the potential. “Imagine Exxon, Mobil, and Chevron testifying alongside Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, and Natural Resources Defense Council that the interests of all stakeholders, including the environment, would be best served by implementing the recommendations. Well, it didn’t work out that way. Outside industry opponents derailed it 48 hours before rollout,” he said. “The takeaway for everyone was how much could be achieved when seemingly intractable problems are subjected to rigorous economic analysis.”

Since then, Liddell has continued to advocate win-win-win solutions to utility companies. “By seeking opportunities to identify common interests among utility shareholders and homeowners, programs can be implemented whereby efficiency savings can be shared among them,” he explains. “Utilities earn returns previously approved by state regulators for bearing upfront costs of replacing obsolete equipment, while homeowners benefit from permanently reduced consumption. The environment is the third winner.”

He has worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for years to establish policies supportive of rational energy markets. He also concentrates on direct action. “For a 2007 trip to Costa Rica with NRDC to help establish a national energy efficiency program, I took my best energy-efficient

Liddell, now a Sharon resident, emphasizes conservation at the local level. He is involved with public outreach and gives presentations to businesses, communities, and educational institutions. “My first academic audience was at Hotchkiss on Earth Day 2005, where I served as a panelist. For 13 years I was a guest speaker in the Environmental Studies Advanced Placement Seminar, where I tried to plant the seeds for win-win-win opportunities.”

Other organizations have also benefited from his advocacy, including the Sharon Land Trust, where he serves with fellow alumni Chris Clow ’65, P’04 and Nick Moore ’71, P’89,’01,’06. In 2001, the organization purchased a 107-acre parcel which was negotiated by Liddell’s dear friend and Hotchkiss classmate, the late Garrett Goodbody ’63. Goodbody served on the Sharon Land Trust board for many years. In his honor, the parcel was named the Goodbody Preserve in 2013.

Liddell is passionate about both conservation and his alma mater. He coordinated students in removing invasive plants along the Larsen Trail as part of Eco Day in April, and he hosted a Day of Service event in Hotchkiss woods in May. Liddell has served on the Hotchkiss Board of Governors and supports science broadly at the School through his funding of the Environmental Education and Experience Fund, the Liddell Science Fund, and the Roger Liddell ’63 Plant Project Fund. Notably, his generosity made the Hotchkiss Observatory possible. H

December 2022 Alum of the Month: Mike Collette ’80 ’80

MIKE COLLETTE ’80 is the founder and CEO of PatientPoint, one of the nation’s leading digital patient engagement platforms. He attributes his entrepreneurial success to skills he learned at Hotchkiss. “Those skills include time management and industry,” he says, “but it was Hotchkiss athletics that taught me the value of leadership, teamwork, overcoming adversity, and perseverance.”

Unfulfilled by the high school he was attending, Collette decided to look at boarding schools. In a serendipitous turn of events, the late Nels Corey P’71,’72 had recently become Hotchkiss athletic director. “My dad had played football for Nels at Bowdoin, and when we reached out, Nels convinced my dad that I should plan a campus visit. After my tour, my only question was, ‘Can I start tomorrow?’”

Finding success in Hotchkiss varsity sports, Collette served as captain of three teams. He has fond memories of all of his coaches: Dave Coughlin P’91,’93 and Geoff Marchant P’93,’07 for soccer; the late Blair Torrey ’50, P’74,’80 for hockey; and Charlie Corey ’71, Jeff Corey ’72, Nels Corey, and Jon Sprole ’73, P’01,’03,’07,’09 for lacrosse. “They not only taught me to be a better player, they taught me how to be a better teammate and leader,” he said. For his classes, he appreciated AP biology with Jim Morrill P’87,’89 and lower-mid English. Collette said he “wasn’t great” at math, but the late Walter Crain P’86,’89 was patient and gave him extra help.

With an engineering degree from Dartmouth College, Collette began his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble in the health and personal care division. “I began to understand how important it was to be an informed health consumer. I always wanted to be a doctor,

so the idea of a career of helping sick people or those fighting chronic illness sounded really appealing to me.”

He spent four years as an executivein-residence at CincyTech USA helping entrepreneurs turn transformational ideas into high-growth technology companies. Collette became CEO of PatientPoint, noting, “While I never fulfilled my dream of becoming a doctor, PatientPoint allows me to improve people’s health, albeit in a slightly different way than I imagined while growing up.”

PatientPoint’s mission is to “make every doctor-patient engagement better so that patients can live longer, healthier lives.” According to Collette, their products deliver the personalized, relevant health information patients and physicians need to make informed health decisions. “We regularly hear compelling stories from health-care professionals that validate the impact of our programs. Recently a patient recognized that they had a cancerous mole while viewing a video segment in the waiting room, bringing it to the physician’s attention. Another patient was able to recognize stroke symptoms and immediately call 911. These are just a couple examples of patients proactively taking charge of their health by being better informed.”

The company is growing. Last year, PatientPoint joined with Outcome Health to create PatientPoint Health Technologies, a new platform that helps to meet the tech-enabled patient engagement needs of nearly 150,000 health care providers. This work impacts roughly 750 million patient visits each year.

Collette shares his successful entrepreneurial skills by teaching high school students, and he volunteers with several nonprofits, including Freestore Foodbank. “The older I get, I realize that

the true measure of success is the number of lives you’ve positively impacted,” he said. “While I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, Hotchkiss faculty members modeled the way in terms of making personal sacrifices for their students.’”

Since graduation, Collette has supported Hotchkiss financially. “I would not have been able to attend Hotchkiss without financial aid. I’m glad to see that the School remains committed to giving promising students the opportunity to attend regardless of their ability to pay.”

Collette loved everything about his Hotchkiss experience but says the best part is his enduring friendships. “It was a special time in our lives, getting to share those formative years with classmates. I felt like I had dozens of siblings. In fact, I still do,” he emphasized. “You can’t accomplish great things without the support of other people, whether it’s winning a sporting contest, or building a business or a social venture that benefits your community.” H

March 2023 Alum of the Month: Kendall Webb Kendall ’82 ’82

KENDALL WEBB KENDALL ’82 followed the advice she learned at Hotchkiss and “listened to her inner voice.” Drawing inspiration from a poem she first heard in an English class— Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken—she has devoted most of her life to giving back.

Kendall is the founder and executive director of JustGive. org, an online giving platform that enables individuals to donate to their favorite charities. She is also a volunteer aid at a free health clinic, an EMT in her hometown of Weston, CT, and a long-serving board member of Nurturing Minds, a nonprofit that aims “to support quality education, life skills, and entrepreneurship to help vulnerable girls in Tanzania become leaders in their communities.” Her inclination to help others surfaced at Hotchkiss where she served as a leader of St. Luke’s Society, the School’s oldest club. It was founded in 1892 and is dedicated to charitable deeds.

After matriculating at Harvard, Kendall became part of a group of undergrads that helped launch WorldTeach in 1986 to serve the global community through education. “This volunteer position in Cambridge gave me my first taste of learning about another continent so rich in culture but so poor in educational resources,” she said. “I loved that WorldTeach sent teachers to Africa for a sabbatical to share education.”

From Cambridge, MA, her path led to stints at Goldman Sachs and the World Bank. This finance experience proved valuable in teaching her to merge the for-profit models of efficiency and effectiveness within the world of social impact organizations. “This was especially useful when presenting to companies like

American Express, convincing them to add a charity channel for reward points redemption that ultimately raised hundreds of millions of dollars for charity.”

Prior to founding JustGive.org, Kendall worked at More.com. “Venture capitalists were throwing money at forprofit entrepreneurial ventures to make consumerism more accessible, but none of these funds were being directed toward nonprofits,” she said. “My idea was to build out an internet platform in the philanthropic sector to help individuals find the causes they care about and help create a more equal marketing playing field for all 600,000 nonprofits.” She quit her job and launched JustGive.org in 1999. Her goal was to “operate a social venture organization using a for-profit business structure, with self-sustainability, efficiency in use of funds, and measurable impact.”

Much of her charitable work has been focused on Africa, which she first visited 30 years ago with her husband. “We backpacked through seven countries and fell in love with the people, the culture, and the spirit,” she said. “My strongest philanthropic passion is in education,

especially in Africa, where educating one person has such an immense impact globally, and the solution is easily accessible both practically and financially.”

Kendall has worked with many organizations that serve Africa, including Nurturing Minds, which supports the Secondary Education for Girls’ Advancement (SEGA) school in Tanzania. “Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the highest early marriage and teen pregnancy rates. SEGA supports 2,000 at-risk girls every year through a boarding school and an outreach program that extends into 35 remote villages, using a holistic approach through quality education, life skills, and entrepreneurship to transform the lives of vulnerable girls,” she explained.

Kendall became involved with Nurturing Minds when a friend started SEGA. “My participation began when I simply supported one scholarship for a student, and this continued for over a decade. I got more and more involved, eventually becoming chair of the board.” She remains deeply active in the day-to-day work of the organization.

Kendall still draws on lessons learned in Lakeville that give her the strength to go down the road less traveled. “Hotchkiss taught me to have a voice and to pave my own path—having a passion is to live a truly authentic life. The School gave me the confidence to get off the traditional route and bushwhack through life. I continuously gave up big career opportunities for less prestigious jobs but found such joy in doing what I have done. Following my passion has fueled my overwhelming energy, drive, and excitement every day.” H

Kendall Webb Kendall ’82, center, at the Secondary Education for Girls’ Advancement (SEGA) school in Tanzania

May 2023 Alum of the Month: Katheryn (Katie) Allen Berlandi ’88, P’19,’21

camaraderie with his classmates led him to years of service as a class agent. Berlandi said that her father found tremendous opportunity at Hotchkiss, speaking often about the powerful influence of Headmaster George Van Santvoord, Class of 1908. “I recently came across some of his files, complete with copies of letters he sent to his classmates over the years,” she said. “They were filled with the warmth of long-standing friendships and updates about Hotchkiss.”

Berlandi found those same meaningful relationships in Lakeville. “Playing soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse proved fundamental to my experience, offering me a sense of belonging, fun, and guidance. Through the mentorship of my coaches, I grew as a player and person.”

on the medical and surgical floors and then in the Congenital Heart Disease Department. “I was drawn to the practice of medicine and applied to Columbia’s postbac medical program. Despite my acceptance, I decided to focus on starting a family instead, and eventually a private practice.”

KATHERYN (KATIE) ALLEN BERLANDI ’88, P’19,’21 has dedicated her career to tending to the mental health needs of others—children, adolescents, and adults. Through her trained lens as a clinical social worker, she is pleased to note the increase in conversations about this topic. “Any awareness about mental health is paramount, be it during May’s Mental Health Awareness Month or any month,” she said. “It is a privilege to be a part of those conversations every day.”

Berlandi is the dean of counseling and a psychology teacher at Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, NY. She feels grateful for the opportunity to “wake up every morning knowing that I’ll be able to interface with students and to work with colleagues I call friends.”

Along with her siblings, John Allen III ’71 and Rebecca Allen Ehrhardt ’86, P’19, Berlandi followed her father to Hotchkiss. The loyalty of the late John M. Allen ’45 to the School was renowned, and his great

Noting the influence of her maternal grandfather, Berlandi decided to major in psychology at Bowdoin College. After spending two college summers working at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, CT, she was further inspired to practice. “This was the first of hundreds of camps and programs founded by Paul Newman to provide normalized, fun experiences for children with cancer and blood diseases. As a camp counselor, I was exposed to campers with diseases and their medical treatments, and I had the opportunity to enhance young lives—lives deeply challenged by illness.”

Her psychology studies initiated her understanding of the mind and behaviors. After college, she completed a child life specialist internship at Boston Children’s Hospital and then applied to clinical social work graduate programs. With her master’s from New York University, she returned to Boston Children’s as a clinical social worker, providing therapeutic care and interventions

Years later, she took a position in Danbury Hospital’s psychiatric emergency room, noticing a rise in the admission of children, primarily due to the risk of harm to themselves or others. “Youth have been challenged in ways incomparable over the past three years,” she said. “Getting back to ‘normal’ and the pace and demands of life has increased and intensified anxiety and depression. The mental health field is responding as best as it can, but there are too few mental health clinicians. However, the combination of communication, collaboration, and a student-centered approach present many opportunities for growth. It is incredibly rewarding to open young minds as to why people think and behave in the ways they do.”

Berlandi also finds time to volunteer at Guideposts, an organization founded by her grandparents more than 75 years ago.

As did her father, Berlandi serves Hotchkiss. She is a current class agent as well as a former president of the Alumni Association and member of the Board of Trustees. Her daughters, Amelia Berlandi ’19 and Eloise Berlandi ’21, have also followed the family path to Hotchkiss.

“Hotchkiss taught me a number of lessons, through successes and failures, yet those that I carry with me consistently are the valuable and necessary effort to find balance in life and the deep joy of camaraderie in learning, serving others, and caring for oneself.” H

February 2023 Alum of the Month: Ivan Henderson ’95 ’95

(ABC) program and private schools available to us. ABC, along with a village of people—including my mother, Renay Henderson, my guidance counselor, Lucie Gaye Gerren, and Hotchkiss admissions’ Curtis Spence—all helped me apply to Hotchkiss.”

IVAN HENDERSON ’95 says Black History

Month “should be a reminder to renew our year-round recognition of the critical contributions of African Americans to the building and evolution of this nation and world.” As the former director of the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage and recently named executive director of the Delaware Historical Society, he is passionate and committed to sharing African American history and culture with diverse audiences.

Henderson has always been interested in collective and individual origin stories, especially those of African Americans. “I grew up experiencing the richness of Black culture in the Midwest and noticed the elements that resonated across the country when I met African American students from other regions at Hotchkiss. I wanted to know how our stories connected, what common or varied circumstances might have brought us to Hotchkiss—and our ancestors to this country—and how an understanding of these things might empower us and affirm identity.”

Henderson learned about Hotchkiss while in middle school in St. Louis, MO. “Classical Junior Academy made information about the A Better Chance

He enjoyed language arts, Spanish, and math during his time in Lakeville. Voice lessons, drama, and dance enhanced his experience, as did headmaster’s holidays, running cardiac hill, getting lost in the woods, and managing girls basketball. He credits Spence and the Black and Hispanic Student Alliance (BaHSA) for exposing students to Black arts and culture. “Mr. Spence was the first voice to assure my mother and middle school that Hotchkiss could support my growth away from home without washing me of my values and love for community,” he said. “He taught me the names of Black scholars, artists, and historians whom I have since met and collaborated with professionally.”

Hotchkiss and the ABC program “brought me into contact with other people of color who now populate much of my extended village,” he continued. “I found intellectual stimulation that matched my social development.”

He appreciates the friends and mentors he met in Lakeville. “I was blessed to come to Hotchkiss from St. Louis with my best friend Keith Bernard ’95. When we visited Hotchkiss, my hosts were Benjeil Edghill ’94 and Steven Turner ’94. I name those three people—and I could name many more—because we remain brothers linked through experience, overlapping origins, and a true appreciation for our collective potential and duty to pay it forward.”

Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard College. Soon after, he unexpectedly became interested in

museums. He helped facilitate a half-day symposium for middle-schoolers at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, where they viewed objects and visited exhibitions covering African American art, history, and culture, and responded creatively through writing, visual art, and dance. “I had an ‘aha moment,’ realizing that this museum could enrich people’s lives as an active forum for learning,” he said. He began working at that same museum, which led to his master’s degree in leadership in museum education from Bank Street College of Education.

Through his work at the Delaware Historical Society—which counts the Mitchell Center for African American Heritage among its branches—he strives to “build connective tissue” across departments and subject matter to share the histories of all Delaware residents with an increasingly diverse audience. His time at Hotchkiss helped prepare him for these leadership roles. “The preparation and academic environment at Hotchkiss taught me to prioritize, think critically, accept new ideas, and admit to and learn from mistakes.”

Henderson says he lives a Black history year in a Black history life. “I recognize February as a chance to welcome new people into the discourse, hoping they learn new things and consider how the things we learn can affirm identities, shape our decision-making, and build our capacity for empathy,” he noted. “When working in Philadelphia, while walking by the Liberty Bell and the National Constitution Center, clarity came to me: African American history is American history; American history is a key piece of world history; therefore, African American history is a key piece of world history.” H

Photo by John Cruice

January 2023 Alum of the Month: Isabelle Kenyon ’05 ’05

ISABELLE KENYON ’05 is the founder and CEO of Calibrate, a metabolic health company on a mission to change the way the world treats weight. The business has raised more than $125 million from leading investors in the past two years and received numerous awards. She credits its success in part to the lessons she learned around the Hotchkiss Harkness table.

Kenyon discovered Hotchkiss in a roundabout way through her father’s two college friends, Jamie Held ’78 and George Kimball ’78. “My Dad always admired how well Jamie and George could write and encouraged me to look at Hotchkiss.”

She loved taking English classes with Chris Burchfield P’08,’10,’18, Athena Fliakos ’95, and Jason Vermillion. “Writing has been my key to leading at scale. I am grateful for the Hotchkiss curriculum’s relentless focus on clear and effective writing and the ways Hotchkiss leaders modeled this communication every day,” Kenyon said. “Tom Flemma’s American history and Robert Barker’s Tudor England were favorites. I did an independent study with Lou Pressman P’98 and adored our debates on governance philosophy through the ages.” Kenyon received the English Prize and the Frank A. Sprole ’38 Social Service Award upon graduation.

Hotchkiss also played prominently in her decision to major in East Asian studies at the University of Pennsylvania. During her senior year, she ended up sitting around a Harkness table with U.S. Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt Jr. ’64, P’02,’09. She learned about China

and its upcoming place in the world order, and she was so “captivated” that she signed up for a Chinese politics class in her first year of college.

Kenyon’s first job was in Hong Kong. “I started to learn hard skills like financial modeling, but also the soft skills of storytelling and business development. Investment banking was the perfect ticket to those objectives while traveling throughout Asia.”

She pivoted her career following a skiing accident. “I was introduced to the health care system, which felt fundamentally broken. I decided to dedicate my career to its transformation, naïvely believing that I could convert health care to an e-commerce business, until I soon realized the complexities.” She joined a pharmacy startup called Capsule and learned a lot about the field.

“While at Capsule, I helped my mom find a doctor to help her get back in control of her weight, and I learned that while there are a few thousand obesity board-certified specialists in the U.S., there are more than 200 million American adults without access to them and their proven

treatment models,” Kenyon said. From there, she started working on Calibrate.

Calibrate combines medications with intensive lifestyle intervention.

“Metabolic health is impacted not just by the way we eat, sleep, exercise, and manage our emotional health, but also by our environment, our genetics, and our biology, so the program works to address both behavior and biology,” Kenyon said.

“The program is delivered virtually in all 50 states and works by improving underlying metabolic health to set the body up for sustainable weight loss.” She noted that “results are our North Star,” and said she is most proud of their published real-world results that exceed clinical trials.

Kenyon says Calibrate exists to “demonstrate cost-effective treatment models for obesity,” arguing that “health care is complex because the incentives are opaque—every cost affects multiple stakeholders, and I believe you win when you balance quality, access, and cost.”

As a leader, Kenyon says she began developing her greatest tools—her empathy and self-awareness—in her time in Lakeville. “I design and redesign our team around my strengths and weaknesses. The perspective I got from Hotchkiss peers with wildly different backgrounds translates today into my strength when I’m building a diverse team serving diverse customers.”

Hotchkiss remains on Kenyon’s radar, and she gives financially and through service as a class agent. “I am grateful for my time in Lakeville learning who I was and who I wanted to be—guided by each other! I want as many students as possible to be able to have that experience.” H

WILLIAM LLOYD HELM (“BILL”)

GP’18,’21,’25 died at age 99 on Dec. 31, 2022, in Hanover, NH. He was born in New York City and grew up in New Canaan, CT, where he attended the New Canaan Country School and then Hotchkiss from 1938-41. After a year at Princeton, he entered the Navy and during World War II served in various parts of the U.S. and briefly in the Marshall Islands. Upon being discharged, he returned to Princeton, graduating with a B.S. in electrical engineering. He started his professional career in the GE test engineering program and subsequently worked for the Boston Gas Company and then its parent company, Eastern Gas & Fuel Associates. In 1971, he was a fellow in the Stanford Sloan Program. In 1952, he married Eleanor (Nell) Lloyd, settling in Weston, MA, where he was active in town affairs and, for a short time, head of the board of the Meadowbrook School. In 1975, he was transferred to Philadelphia to run the Philadelphia Coke Company. After retiring, he volunteered as the accountant for the Church of Saint Martin in the Fields in Chestnut Hill and served as treasurer of The Friends of the Wissahickon. In his free time, he enjoyed skiing, tennis, golf, keeping up the family’s summer home in Chocorua, NH, and building model boats. In addition, he and Nell managed to travel extensively. He was predeceased by Nell in 2020 and is survived by his three sons and a daughter, and their families, including six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His grandchildren, William ’18, Grace ’21, and Eleanor ’25, are Hotchkiss alumni, as is his daughter-in-law Katie Helm ’86.

WILLIAM WINBURN WARING, M.D. (“WILL”) , a world-renowned pediatric pulmonologist, died peacefully at his home in New Orleans on Feb. 27, 2023. He was 99. Dr. Waring was born in Savannah, GA. In 1952 he was married in New Orleans to Nell-Pape Williams Waring, M.D. The doctors Waring had a long, loving, and respectful marriage. She died in 2012. Dr. Waring attended Hotchkiss from 1939 until graduation in 1942. He then attended Yale during 1942 and 1943. As these were the World War II years, and based on his academic performance, he did not receive an undergraduate degree from Yale, but, rather, was fast-tracked into Harvard Medical School, from which he graduated in the class of 1947. He completed his postgraduate residency training at the Harriet Lane Home, based at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, MD. After completing his service as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, based in Japan, he established a private pediatrics practice in Jacksonville. Because he was deeply interested

in academic practice, clinical research, and the provision of hands-on clinical care, in 1957 the couple relocated to Nell-Pape’s childhood home in New Orleans, where he became a member of the Tulane Medical School Department of Pediatrics. There, he developed a keen interest in cystic fibrosis and, over the years, became an internationally recognized expert in the field. He taught residents and fellows, performed extensive research, and actively engaged in the clinical treatment of patients afflicted by the disease. He spent his entire career at Tulane, where he served in numerous roles, including as the chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the Tulane University School of Medicine. As professor emeritus in the School of Medicine, he received numerous awards, lectured internationally, and wrote books and academic articles, including the Practical Manual of Pediatrics; A Pocket Reference for Those Who Treat Children. This book remains in use by pediatricians around the world. After his formal retirement, he earned his undergraduate degree in the history of architecture from Tulane. Dr. Waring was kind and generous to all and solved disputes by sensible logic. He had the knack of developing and maintaining long-term personal relationships and will be lovingly remembered by his sons and his many friends. Above all, he will be remembered and respected by the many physicians he taught and trained during his career. He is survived by his five sons, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

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JOHN GRIBBEL MCCURDY (“MAC”) , 97, died on April 6, 2023, in Lafayette Hill, PA. Born in Chestnut Hill, PA, on Sept. 21, 1925, he attended the Penn Charter School in Philadelphia and graduated from Hotchkiss. He attended Swarthmore College under the V12 Navy College Training Program during World War II, where he was a member of the football and wrestling teams. His midshipman training was at Cornell University, where he graduated with the rank of lieutenant, junior grade. He captained a submarine chaser and served as an officer on a patrol craft during World War II in the Atlantic. After the war, he attended Yale under the GI Bill, graduating in 1949 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked in manufacturing engineering and research and development for various companies, including Smith, Kline & French, Honeywell, Exide, Precision Tube, Superior Tube, and Accumetrics. He contributed to several patents and, after a fulfilling career, decided to retire in 2016 at age 91. An avid and gifted nature and portrait photographer, he enjoyed the outdoors, especially sailing on Chesapeake Bay and camping in the Maine woods. He passed on his

enthusiasm for cars and timepieces to many of his children and grandchildren. He loved music, and the soundtrack of his life included jazz, classical, and opera. At the end of a busy day, he enjoyed being in the company of his beloved family and many pets. Always the gentleman, he was a role model and inspiration for perseverance through challenges, for generosity, for kindness, for humor, and for love of family. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his seven children, 12 grandchildren, and 10 greatgrandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife of 43 years, Marion, and two brothers.

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WALTER GUERNSEY FREY III, M.D. GP’07 , died on Dec. 23, 2022, at his home in Fairlee, VT, with his loving wife and children by his side. He was 94. Born in New York City, he attended Hotchkiss from 1941 until graduation in 1945, served in the U.S. Regular Army from 1945-47, and graduated from Yale in 1950. While at Yale, he met Anne Gulliver; they wed in 1950. He received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1954 and completed his residency in internal medicine at the Dartmouth Medical School (DMS). As a physician, he enjoyed the challenges of primary care, teaching, and research. His genuine interest in each person’s unique story and circumstances informed his decision-making and fostered caring relationships. He practiced clinical medicine at the V.A. Hospital (assistant chief of medicine) in White River Junction, VT (1957-85), and taught at DMS, becoming a professor of clinical medicine in 1984. In 1990, he received the DMS Clinical Teaching Award, and as the graduation speaker, urged the young doctors to embrace their shared humanity and to remember the vulnerability of all people. During his medical career, his research and publications focused on cardiology and iron overload (hemochromatosis), and he belonged to numerous professional societies. He chaired the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at the Dartmouth Medical School for many years and served as chair of the trustees of the Upper Valley Hospice. Walter and Anne raised their family in Norwich, VT, lived for a time in New Hampshire, and then built a home in Fairlee, VT. He pursued his hobbies enthusiastically, especially in music. Gifted with a lovely tenor voice, he sang throughout his life, including with the Yale Glee Club, the Yale Baker’s Dozen, and the Handel Society of Dartmouth College. He played the alto horn in the Lyme Town Band for many years and enjoyed the fellowship of musicians of all ages. He relished competitive games and served as a Dartmouth track official for decades. Walter and Anne enjoyed hands-on outdoor activities

such as gardening, tending the fields and identifying trees, building stone walls, pressing cider, and making maple syrup. He is survived by his wife, Anne, and their four children; eight grandchildren, including Meredith Hayes ’07; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his elder sister and by his “son” via the ABC program.

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JERRY GREEN , a legendary sportswriter for The Detroit News and the last reporter to cover every Super Bowl from the game’s inception, died March 23, 2023, at age 94. Green had covered Super Bowls I through LVI before announcing earlier this year that he would not be attending Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. A native of New York City, Green attended Hotchkiss from 1944 until his graduation in 1946. He then graduated from Brown University in 1950 and earned a degree in journalism in 1952 from Boston University. After serving in the U.S. Navy in Hong Kong, he began his journalism career at the New York JournalAmerican before taking a job at the Associated Press in Ann Arbor, MI. Starting out covering Michigan football and becoming the Detroit Associated Press’s sports editor, Green went on to become a Detroit Lions beat writer—covering the team’s NFL championship season in 1957— for The Detroit News while also becoming a fixture among media at the Super Bowl as a columnist. He covered the first 56 Super Bowls and became the last reporter to attend every Super Bowl, surpassing Jerry Izenberg of the Newark Star-Ledger. Due to his health, Green did not travel to this year’s Super Bowl and had spoken about what it would be like to watch the game from home on television. “It’s something I’ve never done,” Green said in January. “Guys get credentialed to the game, to sit in the press box and then sit in the media workroom at the stadium and watch it on TV. I’ve always believed if you’re going to cover a game, you’ve got to be there.” He retired from The Detroit News in 2004, but continued to write for the paper in a role that included weeklong coverage of each Super Bowl. Although he never saw the Lions play in a Super Bowl, he covered both Super Bowls in Detroit—Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Superdome and Super Bowl XL at Ford Field. “We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Detroit News columnist Jerry Green,” a statement by the Lions said. “Jerry’s work ethic, professionalism and commitment to his craft made a significant impact on journalism within the city of Detroit and around the country for more than a half-century.” Green was inducted into the writer’s wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005 and two years earlier had

been inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy, who died in 2002, and is survived by his daughter, Jenny.

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DAVID BURGHER was born April 3, 1931, in Dallas, TX; born again in September 1951; and left for heaven on March 27, 2023, at age 91. He died peacefully in his sleep at home by the side of Nancy, his wife of 68 years. He was predeceased by his parents, Cedric and Elizabeth Burgher, and three siblings. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Lee Woods Burgher, five children, 22 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. David and Nancy were married Nov. 26, 1954, and embraced a life of faith in Jesus Christ in the first year of their marriage. Burgher attended Highland Park schools through his junior year, before attending Hotchkiss from 1947 until his graduation in 1949. He then attended Williams College for three years, where he was the Flying Club president and a letterman in lacrosse. He transferred to and graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, where he was a member and chaplain of Phi Delta Theta and met the love of his life. Upon graduation, he entered the U.S. Air Force pilot training program. He served from 1954-58, including one year in Keflavik, Iceland, accompanied by Nancy and their firstborn son. He loved flying and earned his civilian ratings as an airline transport pilot, with commercial, instrument, single-engine, multiengine, and rotary wing helicopter ratings. After leaving the Air Force, the Burghers moved back to Dallas to raise their family and joined the family insurance business, United Fidelity Life Insurance Company. Subsequently, he joined the Baylor Health Care System Foundation, where he served his golden years in ministry, praying with patients and their family and friends, until he retired in 2018 at age 87. Active in the community, he served as the Young Life Regional Board Chairman, Businessman’s Flying Association President, and Dallas Christian Leadership Chairman, and was a 50-plus year member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas. He served as a deacon and elder at Highland Park Presbyterian Church and was a founding member and elder at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, where he sang in the choir. He taught small-group classes in Bible studies and Sunday school, and mentored young, teenage, and adult men. His pride and joy were his family, and he cherished the times he was with them.

GEORGE C. STANLEY JR. , a longtime Hewlett-Packard trainer remembered affectionately as “Mr. Transistor Basics,” died Sept. 13, 2022, in Los Altos, CA, after a short illness. He was 91. He was known throughout

HP as a peripatetic training engineer, with one 1960s photo showing him pulling a “train” of 10 transit cases on wheels through an airport. He was author of a highly successful book, Practical Transistors, intended for HP service personnel, written just at the time that semiconductors were taking over from vacuum tubes. Its non-Ph.D. style endeared the book to service centers well beyond HP. Born in Massachusetts, he attended Hotchkiss from 1946 until his graduation in 1949 and graduated from Stanford University in 1955. Many anecdotal stories followed him, both from his years at HP and before his employment there. As a USAF officer transferring to Germany, he missed his Air Force flight out of Dover, NJ, because the AF pickup driver never showed up. That plane crashed with all aboard lost. At his duty station at a radar site, looking Eastward for Russian (Cold War) bombers, one morning he was called by an operator who detected a target up under the bezel of the display screen. Stanley knew how to manipulate the height-finder radar antenna to point higher in altitude, which showed a target at 70,000 feet. They called their threat target detection to their Command Center and were told to wait. Then orders came back, “Burn your records, and never speak of this event.” Of course, later revelations concerned the U-2 spy planes that flew high over Russia every day. In his retirement, Stanley was active as the chair of the Mountain View El Camino Hospital Foundation, the hospital’s money-raising arm. Several new hi-tech buildings at El Camino testify to his leadership. Stanley’s HP memoir was only the third in the company’s long line of authors, starting in the year 2011, and served as an enjoyable example for the many authors who followed him. He is survived by his wife, Leanne, and a son. His uncles—Leonard, William, and Harold—and his father, George Stanley, Class of 1909, all were Hotchkiss alumni. His cousin, Frank Stanley, is a 1949 alumnus.

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SCOTT CARTER MASON died on Feb. 11, 2023, at age 90. Born in Harford, CT, he was raised in Providence, RI, the son of Walker and Frances Carter Mason. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1950 and the University of Virginia, Class of 1954. At UVA, he was a member of the wrestling team, Eli Banana Ribbon Society, and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. Following graduation, he married his wife, Carolyn, and worked as a manager of Crawford & Company Insurance. Due to his work, he lived in Raleigh, NC, Barrington, RI, and South Dartmouth, MA. He later started his own advertising firm, Scott C. Mason Associates, and was active in many organizations. He was president of the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford, board member of the

Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE), and member of the Wamsutta Club and Agawam Hunt Club. In the summer, the family resided in Annisquam, MA, where he served as commodore of the Annisquam Yacht Club. In 2001, Scott and Carolyn moved to Virginia Beach, where he became a 15-year volunteer at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, a member of Galilee Episcopal Church, and the Princess Anne Country Club. Scott was predeceased in 2022 by his wife of 65 years and in 2015 by his precious daughter, Laura. He is survived by his son, Scott Jr., and five grandchildren. Scotty lived a great life, was loved by many, and joins his beloved wife in eternal happiness.

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THOMAS FREDERICK TUTTLE (“TOM”) , 89, passed away at home on April 5, 2023, after a long struggle with dementia. Born in Middletown, OH, he graduated from Hotchkiss in 1951 and Yale University in 1955 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Upon graduation he spent two years in the Navy in NROTC. In 1957 he married Jeanne Belden, the love of his life, and joined Armco Steel Corporation in Middletown. As part of his work at Armco, he had the opportunity to travel around the world, including living with his family in Brussels and Paris for a few years. Upon retirement from Armco in 1989, he and Jeanne moved to Belfast, ME, where he traveled throughout the state, selling industrial equipment and then real estate in Belfast. In 2002, Tom and Jeanne moved to Topsham, ME. When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed volunteering, renovating houses, tinkering with projects around the house, fishing, kayaking, and spending time with his family. A couple of his more significant projects include renovating a 1700s coastal cape, managing a 40-horse boarding stable, and being one of the original volunteers of The Gathering Place, a day shelter for the homeless in Brunswick, ME. Beginning in 1989, he and Jeanne spent their summers at Pitcher Pond in Lincolnville, ME. There, he taught many youngsters, including his grandchildren, how to cast a line and clean a fish. A picture of Tom is not complete without a Golden Retriever by his side or in his canoe. He is survived by a loving family: wife, Jeanne Belden; a son and two daughters; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

and Susan (Jennings) Coolidge; his father was a master at Hotchkiss from 1930-50. He was a graduate of the Harvey School, Hotchkiss in 1952, and the U.S. Naval Academy in 1956. Upon graduation, he served briefly at the Naval Academy, then reported to the USS Merrick. In his Misch II profile, he wrote: “I volunteered for the submarine service and became involved in one of the most interesting aspects of the Cold War. Anti-submarine barrier patrols, Arctic ice excursions, Polaris missiles, and nuclear power were all major components of the country’s defense. Participating in these programs was both demanding and exciting. Looking back years later, while doing my best to climb the proverbial corporate ladder, I came to realize that I would never have a job with the same awesome responsibilities that I had as a young naval officer.” He served on the USS Halfbeak, with subsequent tours including the USS Angler, Guided Missile School, and the USS Benjamin Franklin. Leaving active duty in 1968, he began a career with the Travelers Insurance Company, where he remained until retiring as a vice president in 1994. In retirement, he served on numerous committees involved with land conservation. He was a board member of the Children’s Museum, West Hartford; the Squam Lakes Association, Holderness, NH; and as a member of the Lakes Region Conservation Trust Advisory Council. He was particularly active in the operation and development of the Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, CT. When not in Simsbury, he loved spending time at their home in New Hampshire with family and friends. He enjoyed playing tennis, walking his beloved dogs, and fly-fishing. In addition to his wife of 64 years, he is survived by his daughter and son; his two grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren; several nieces and nephews, including Ham Barnes Jr. ’73; and his sisters. He was predeceased by his brother, Archibald Cary Coolidge. Julian “Mepa” will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and all who had the pleasure of spending time with him.

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JULIAN LOWELL COOLIDGE II , 89, of Simsbury, CT, beloved husband of Gail (Becker) Coolidge, died at his home on Nov. 24, 2022, surrounded by family. He was born Aug. 31, 1933, in Sharon, CT, to the late Archibald Cary

JAMES HAL BYRD (“JIM”) of Houston, TX, died on Dec. 27, 2022, at age 87. He was born April 1, 1935, in New York City. While at Hotchkiss from 1949-53, he started for two undefeated varsity football teams and played on the varsity baseball team. He learned to fly at the age of 15 in a Piper Cub and worked summers on survey crews for which he co-piloted planes inspecting pipelines all over the country. After graduating from Hotchkiss, he attended Harvard for one year before transferring to The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a business degree and then a law degree in 1959. While at UT, he participated in intramural

football, handball, and golf. An excellent golfer, he won individual awards and the law school golf championship. After earning his law degree, he returned to his family’s home in Houston and began work at the law firm of Vinson, Elkins, Weems, and Searls before joining Century Development as General Counsel. While at Century, he played a key role in acquiring the land to develop Greenway Plaza before moving on to start his own law firm, practicing law in Houston for many years until his retirement. He was a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association for more than 50 years. A longtime member of River Oaks Country Club, he was an avid tennis player, golfer, and outdoorsman. He enjoyed bird hunting and fishing and was a member of St. Charles Bay Hunting Club. Jim, as well as his late brother, Bob Byrd ’52, a world-renowned marlin fisherman, were among the early marlin anglers along the Texas coast in the 1960s. Golf, however, was his passion, and he played the game well into his 80s, including at famous golf courses around the world. He was proud to have scored his age, or better, numerous times. In 1978, he married Eugenia Van Zandt Byrd, and they began their life of adventures, sports, and travel. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his sister and his brother, Robert Hy Byrd ’52, his son and son-in-law, and Nancy Carroll Prior, the mother of his children. He is survived by two sisters, his daughter and two sons, his eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

PETER CAHILL HOBART died in Lima, Peru, on Oct. 6, 2021. He was born on Dec. 4, 1934, in Troy, OH, to Rachel and William Hobart. His father and his brothers and their father, C.C., founded The Hobart Brothers Company, which designed and made welding and generating equipment. During World War II, Hobart produced generators, welders, and mobile power units for the war effort. Peter attended Hotchkiss from 1949 until his graduation in 1953 and studied fine arts at Yale, graduating in 1957. After graduation he was stationed in Verona, Italy, with the U.S. Army intelligence services. He and his wife, Anna, returned to Ohio to join the family business. The Hobarts moved to Amsterdam in 1963 where he began what continued a worldwide expansion of Hobart Brothers. Several years later the family moved to Rome. Under Peter’s international direction and older brother William’s U.S. leadership, Hobart Brothers went on to use its patented welding systems to help build skyscrapers like the Sears Tower and the World Trade Center, submarines, oil and gas pipelines, and even the space shuttles. With the growth of air travel, Hobart made ground power units to service airplanes for the civilian, military, and aerospace sectors. In addition to absorbing the cultures, languages,

and politics wherever he led Hobart, Peter was passionate about jazz and sculpture. He served as chairman of the International Sculpture Center, the publisher of Sculpture Magazine He promoted the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology, both in its core mission of training welders but also in bringing artists to create their works there. Several of those sculptures are placed in the Hobart Urban Nature Preserve on 80 acres of Troy, OH, farmland donated by Peter and his siblings to Miami County. He later produced many documentaries on modern and contemporary art, and coauthored The Industrial Hobarts. He was predeceased by three older siblings, including William Hobart Jr. ’43, and is survived by his first wife, Anna, their two children, and four grandchildren. His nieces, Katharine Hobart ’82 and Rachel Hobart ’77, and nephew, Harrison Hobart ’84, are alumni.

JAY LEHR , 86, of Ostrander, OH, died on Jan. 10, 2023, at Grady Memorial Hospital. Born Sept. 11, 1936, in Bayonne, NJ, he was the son of the late Martin Moses and Rebecca (Dreznick) Lehr. In 1991, he married Janet Kingery; they shared 31 wonderful years together. He was a professor of hydrogeology at Ohio State University in the 1960s and adjunct for many more years. He spent 25 years as the executive director of the National Ground Water Association. He then spent 25 years as senior scientist for The Heartland Institute. Most recently, he was senior scientist for the International Climate Science Coalition. He was passionate about sharing his views on climate change. Known as the “Father of Western Lacrosse,” he was assistant lacrosse coach at Ohio State in the 1960s. He loved playing club lacrosse, hockey, and men’s hardball. He founded the Columbus Metros semi-pro football team. He was an avid skydiver, 10-time Ironman finisher, and multiple marathon finisher. He loved watching all sports on TV, splitting firewood, and taking care of his chickens and dogs. A 1957 Princeton alum, he was known throughout the Princeton community for his participation in the Princeton P-rade, where he walked the parade route on his hands for 20 years, then completed the route annually on his unicycle for another 20 years. He was also known for his love of skydiving, having completed 1,481 successful jumps, always with exact precision of hitting his target, “Earth.” Optimistic and energetic, he always inspired others to reach their highest potential. He and his wife cherished doing everything together, from traveling to biking to watching Hallmark movies. Every day was Christmas Eve to Jay. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his two daughters; two stepchildren; and eight grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters.

DAVID RUSSELL MORGAN died on Feb. 20, 2023. David was born in Hampstead Heath, London, on Nov. 13, 1935. His father was a barrister and a linguist who participated as a translator in French at the Permanent Court of International Justice. In the summer of 1939, David and his mother left England, sailing to Quebec. The family lived in Marblehead, MA, and David studied at the Indian Mountain School from age 8 before coming to Hotchkiss in 1949. He followed in his father’s footsteps as a linguist in French. He was awarded a B.A. in language arts from Kenyon College and continued his postgraduate work at Middlebury College. He was awarded a teaching scholarship to teach English to French students in Paris. He continued his own studies at the Sorbonne. In 1971, he received his doctorate from Columbia University in French literature. He married upon returning to the States, and the family grew to include three daughters and a son. He supported his young family by teaching at Columbia University. Lou came into David’s life in the summer of 1971, when they met while both were teaching at Nasson College in Springvale. They were married in 1975. In the summer his four children visited, and the family expanded from three to seven overnight. Retiring from college-level teaching in 1976, he chose to continue living in Maine as he loved the close proximity to the ocean and to his children, who lived in Connecticut. He had been a collector of antiques and turned to that trade as a dealer in 1976. In the early 1990s, he started hiking. He spent time on his old 1790s cape in Sanford. An avid birder, he took up photography and created beautiful close-ups of Maine wildflowers. He was a quiet man, a sensitive man. He loved his family. He will be missed. He is survived by his wife, Lou Kohl Morgan; his four children and a stepson; and four grandchildren.

THOMAS SWIFT TAYLOR (“TOM”) , 85, died at his home in Tubac, AZ, on July 20, 2022. Born in Chicago, IL, he was the son of the late A. Thomas Taylor and the late Geraldine Taylor of Lake Forest, IL. He grew up in Lake Forest, IL, and as a child moved with his parents to Argentina, where he learned to ride horses and helped with the cattle roundup. He continued his passion for horses and outdoor sports throughout his life, playing on school hockey teams and boxing for Yale. After graduating with an international business degree, he joined the Marines, where he served as a 1st Lieutenant and as a member of the Marine Ski Troopers. His career included work with International Harvester Inc. in London, traveling throughout the Middle East and Europe as a senior corporate representative. He also worked as a commercial officer for Crocker Bank in San Francisco, CA. He was a respected business

owner and investor in Telluride, CO, and Tubac, AZ. An expert skier, in 1947 he skied in Aspen, CO, the year the resort opened. He also enjoyed helicopter skiing in places such as the Bugaboos of British Columbia, the “birthplace” of heli-skiing. He skied dozens of expert mountains in Europe and the U.S., including Telluride, CO, where he and Karen lived for many years. He served on local boards and donated time to developing festivals and events for the burgeoning Telluride resort seasons. The Taylors owned and operated a successful Telluride resort real estate and building company before they moved from the mountains to the high desert of Tubac, AZ, in 2007. He enjoyed hiking 14-teeners (mountains 14,000 feet-plus), mountain biking, and diving, but skiing was his passion. He is survived by a daughter and two brothers and was predeceased by a sister. Along with horses he loved pheasant- and dove-hunting with his bird dogs, especially his treasured yellow pointing lab, Gus. Tom reminisced often and fondly of his time at Hotchkiss and attended the 50th reunion with classmates.

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SAM BONART MARCUS was born in New Orleans, LA, on Au. 12, 1935, and died on Jan. 16, 2023, after succumbing to Lewy Body dementia and the COVID-19 virus. He graduated in 1954 from Hotchkiss, where he was the founding member of the Astronomy Club, and then from Yale University with a degree in electrical engineering. He overcame dyslexia in an age where learning differences were ignored. He attributed much of his future success to the habits he developed at Hotchkiss and Yale, including hard work, perseverance, scrupulous multicolor note taking, meticulous organization, and confidence that every problem could be solved. At the urging of his sister, Bertha, he moved to Dallas in 1958. Soon after, she introduced him to Betty Crossman. He married Betty in 1959, and they had two children, Jerome and Sam Jr. He started his career at Collin Radio and then in 1961 began his entrepreneurial journey, co-founding Credit Finance Corp. with Lawrence Burk. In 1963, he started the Sam Marcus Agency Inc. He grew SMAI to be a successful P&C insurance agency, serving individual and commercial accounts. While he enjoyed many hobbies, travel was his greatest passion. He and Betty went around the world in 1968, visiting Egypt, Iran, India, Thailand, and Japan. In all, he visited 70-plus countries and could say hello in 25 languages. Later in life, he loved hiking in Zermatt, Aspen, and La Jolla, and summited Mount Kilimanjaro in 1993 with his son, his nephew, and his childhood best friend. Fascinated with computers, he owned an Apple II computer

with serial number 475. In exchange for an early Texas Instruments desktop computer in the late 1970s, he wrote a program for rating and pricing Texas automobile insurance policies. A devoted Cowboys fan, he attended Cowboy games from the second season in the Cotton Bowl in 1961 through 2008. While not a natural salesperson, he won people over with his genuine interest in them. After the death of Betty in 1982, he was married to Nancy Weiner Marcus from 198494. He was married to Sherri Tauzin Marcus from 1999 to 2020. He is survived by his two sons; four grandchildren; a sister in-law and brother-in-law; and several nephews and nieces. His great-niece, Beth Snyder, is a member of the Class of 2000.

WILLIAM SUTHERLAND RACE (“BILL”) died on May 30, 2022. Born on June 30, 1935, and raised in Kalamazoo, MI, he was the oldest of four brothers. After graduating from Hotchkiss in 1954, followed by graduation from Dartmouth in 1958, he honorably served in the Navy. After graduating from Stanford, he married the love of his life, Ann Burgderfer, in Michigan in 1961. Bill and Ann had four children and raised their family in Northbrook, IL. He worked for the First National Bank of Chicago for more than 25 years and later worked as a chief finance officer for several companies and banks. Active in the Northbrook community, he served on the elementary school board for many years, coaching youth sports, and volunteering at church. He loved sports, especially the Cubs, the Bears, and University of Michigan football games. He enjoyed a variety of pursuits, including a keen, lifelong interest in politics. Most of all, he was a devoted, loyal family man. After retiring to Longboat Key, FL, Bill and Ann returned to Northbrook in 2014 to be closer to their kids and grandchildren. After Ann’s death in 2018, he found a welcoming and supportive community at Brookdale. There, he enjoyed acting as an ambassador for new residents, playing regular bridge games, serving on the Residents Council, and singing in the choir. His days were full of visits from family, excursions to museums and semi-pro baseball games, and time with friends. Despite declining health, he was elated when he became a greatgrandfather for the first time earlier in 2022. Two brothers are also alumni: Jeff, Class of 1957, and Louis, Class of 1964.

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ALEXANDER C. ROSS (“SANDY”) , age 85, died on Nov. 1, 2022, in Madison, WI, where he moved in 2021 to be near family after receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer. He was born Sept. 27, 1937, in Washington, D.C., to Camille and Malcolm Harrison Ross, Class of

1915. His father was an author and official in the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, serving as chair of the Fair Employment Practices Committee. Sandy graduated from the University of Miami in 1959 and received a law degree from Miami in 1962. He joined the newly formed Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. A lifelong resident of the D.C. area, he spent his career in the Civil Rights Division, serving from 1962 until retirement in 2001; he then continued his commitment as a leader of the alumni association. He made a tremendous impact in his career in Civil Rights, bringing forth cases to end discrimination in education and housing. He enjoyed playing and watching sports, spending decades in softball before switching to golf in retirement. Baseball was his second love after his wife, Mary, and the Red Sox were his favorite team. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Mary Ross; a daughter and two grandchildren; a brother; and his first wife and mother of his children, Judy Tinelli, as well as nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a son and a brother, Malcolm.

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EDWIN JOSEPH ALLEN, JR. (“TED”) , of Brunswick, ME, died on Dec. 10, 2022. He was born on May 20, 1938, to Edwin and Margaret Allen of Pittsfield, MA. As a youth, he was fascinated by all things in nature and science, exploring the woods and skies of Berkshire County. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1956 and Yale in 1960. After completing a two-year fellowship in China, he began a doctorate in anthropology at Columbia University. In 1963, he wed (the late) Ann Lowell of Portland, OR, teaching anthropology at the University of Washington and Western Washington University. Returning to the East Coast in the 1980s, he met and married Barbara Bean of Framingham, MA, in 1985. Over the course of 18 years, they resided in Worcester and Somerville, MA. He worked for Katy Gibbs as an instructor in Boston, MA, as an administrator for Neighborhood Health Plan in Dorchester, MA, and retired from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health before moving to Brunswick in 2003. Upon retiring he immediately immersed himself in the community. An avid birdwatcher, he would lead groups early Saturday mornings to his favorite birding sites. His interest in all things nature was fulfilled as a volunteer at Midcoast Senior College, leading courses in astronomy, science, and nature. He served on the board of Merrymeeting Audubon and volunteered with Baxter State Park. His concern about the planet led him to a simple life with attention to the management of the forests, recycling, and

conservation. Upon purchasing a 10-acre plot of marsh land in Georgetown, Ted and Barbara erected a tiny building and camped on the land, exploring the marshes, canoeing and painting. He engaged with the Georgetown Historical Society, volunteering to catalogue numerous documents. The breadth and depth of his knowledge on countless subjects were boundless, as was his voraciousness as a reader. He is survived by his devoted, loving wife, Barbara; two brothers and a sister; and two sons.

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KENNETH

BUXTON HARPER (“KEN”)

P’85,’91 of Vero Beach, FL, passed away on Jan. 23, 2023, with serenity and the knowledge that he was greatly loved. He was 82. Born May 13, 1940, in Evanston, IL, he studied mechanical engineering at Duke University, joined the Illinois Air National Guard, and worked at Bache Securities in Chicago. With an innate interest in mechanics, he had an idea to improve the sound quality of Lear Jet 8-track stereo players in autos. He was issued several patents, including for the invention of the cassette to 8-track player adapter and enhancements to cue and review functions, which he sold to Motorola. In the early 1970s, he moved with his young family to Vero Beach, where he became partner at the brokerage firm Harper Schwerin, which was acquired by Securities Research. With his second wife, Virginia, he resided in Winter Park, FL, Manchester, VT, and Mt. Dora, FL, where, later in life, he returned to his true passion of design and mechanics in the aircraft industry. He will be remembered for his gentle heart, inventive mind, the twinkle in his eyes, and a deep connection to life and those with whom he shared it. Beyond his family, friends, and dogs, he loved a good project, embarking on unique adventures, and the gift of an ordinary day. He is survived by his children, Dana Harper Turk ’85, Andrew Harper ’91, and Tracey Benton; his five grandchildren; and many loving nieces and nephews. His family will eternally smile in his remembrance. He is predeceased by his second wife, Virginia Harper, and son, William Benton Jr.; his parents, and two brothers. He is also survived by his former wife, Gena Grove (Tyler).

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JEFFREY CLIFFORD GRAF (“JEFF”) , age 78, of Bloomington, IN, passed away peacefully at his home on March 31, 2023. Born on May 19, 1944 in Trenton, NJ, he was the son of Clifford L. and Audrey S. Graf. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1962 and received degrees from Princeton University in 1966 and then from Indiana University. After 48 years of service,

he retired from the Indiana University Wells Library in 2022. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Marilyn Graf; a daughter and son; his two granddaughters; and his brother, Gary Graf ’64, and niece. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister; and mother-in-law and father-inlaw, Lillian and John Blanton. Per Jeff’s wishes, there will be no services.

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DOUGLAS TANNER RAYMOND (“DOUG”) , 77, of Ambler, PA, following a long battle with cancer, passed away peacefully on Jan. 24, 2023, surrounded by his family. He was born April 22, 1945, in Hyannis, MA, to the late Edward A. Raymond II and Louise Tanner Raymond. He attended Hotchkiss from 1960 until his graduation in 1963. In his Misch II entry on his 50th reunion, he described as his strongest memory about his academic experience at Hotchkiss, being “inspired by enthusiastic teachers and fellow students to try for the highest goals.” He graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in 1973. His studies at Harvard College were interrupted by his service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand from 1965-68. He then served in the U.S. Army from 1969-71, in the Corps of Engineers, OCS, Airborne Division, including 18 months in Vietnam in the 585th Engineer Battalion. After his military service and Harvard graduation, he worked as a mechanical engineer and software developer for 22 years, retiring in 2009 from Moore Products/Siemens. He enjoyed staying active and improving his skills; he loved windsurfing, hang gliding, freediving, riding motorcycles, and ballroom dancing. He was interested in genealogy and created an extensive family tree of the Raymond and Tanner families. He was accomplished in many foreign languages, including both European and Asian languages. He is survived by his wife, Hannelore Wenger, and his two brothers and two sisters. His grandfather, Edward Raymond, was a member of the Class of 1904 at Hotchkiss.

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PETER WERNER , Emmy-nominated TV director who won a Best Short Film Oscar in 1977, died suddenly on March 21, 2023, in Wilmington, NC, from heart complications following a torn aorta. He was 76. Born in New York City in January 1947, Werner attended Hotchkiss from 1960 until his graduation in 1964. He then earned degrees from Dartmouth College and Antioch University. He started off as a VISTA Volunteer in downtown Detroit before cofounding a Quaker high school in Deerfield, MA. While teaching in Vermont, he

met Frances Flaherty, widow of Robert Flaherty, known as the father of the documentary film. She became Werner’s friend and mentor, and he made a documentary about her that aired on PBS. It was produced by his younger brother, Tom Werner ’67, who became a top TV comedy producer behind such hit series as The Cosby Show, That ’70s Show, Roseanne, and The Conners, as well as co-owner of the Boston Red Sox and the Liverpool Football Club. Peter Werner’s American Film Institute student film, In the Region of Ice, which he wrote and directed based on the short story by Joyce Carol Oates, screened at the New York Film Festival and earned him an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short, shared with Andre R. Guttfreund. Since then, Werner directed documentaries, numerous TV movies and miniseries, episodic television programs and pilots, including that for Nash Bridges. The creator of Nash Bridges, Carlton Cuse, said of Werner, “I will deeply miss Peter’s wry sense of humor and the goodness that filled his soul. He was a terrific director and an even better human being.” Werner’s extensive TV series’ directing credits include Ghost Whisperer, Medium, A Different World, The Wonder Years, Moonlighting, Boomtown, Justified, Grimm, UnReal, Blue Bloods, The Blacklist, Elementary, Unforgettable, Six, and Law & Order: SVU. “Peter was a terrific director who did many of the seminal episodes of Moonlighting, most famously the ‘black-and-white episode,’ otherwise known as ‘The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice,’” said Moonlighting and Medium creator Glenn Gordon Caron. “He was a great friend, a good man, and a gentle soul.” In the span of his career, Werner was nominated for four Emmy Awards and three DGA Awards. He won an ACE cable award for the HBO film The Image, starring Albert Finney, and a Peabody Award for NBCs LBJ: The Early Years, which also earned him an Emmy nomination. In addition to his brother, Tom, he is survived by his wife, Kedren, and two daughters and a son.

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JAMES STRETCH (“JIM”) P’92 of Charlotte, NC, died on Jan. 19, 2023, following complications from a traumatic brain injury caused by a fall. Jim and his identical twin brother, Dave, were born on Dec. 12, 1946, and spent their childhood in Manhasset, NY. Following his graduation from Hotchkiss, Emory University, and The University of California School of Law - Hastings, he enjoyed a successful career in corporate insurance and financial planning. At their 50th high school reunion, he reconnected with an old girlfriend from Manhasset, Jarleth Van Meter Nurkin.

He relocated to Charlotte to be with her, and they spent many wonderful years together doing extensive traveling. He loved socializing with his neighbors and friends. Blessed with the “gift of gab,” he loved to laugh and make those around him laugh with him. He treasured his yard, where he spent many hours turning it into a beautiful oasis. He will be remembered as a proud father, uncle, and grandfather. He was predeceased by his father and mother, James and Bernice Stretch; his sister, and his son Jim. He is survived by his stepmother, Lillian, whom he adored; his twin brother, David Stretch ’65; his son, John Stretch ’92, and daughter-in-law Betsy, and their three children; his loving partner, Jarleth; four nephews and two nieces.

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ANTHONY POOLE RICH (“TONY”) died after suffering a heart attack on Jan. 27, 2023, leaving behind a loving family and huge circle of friends to mourn his unexpected passing. Tony’s was a life of family and friends, joy and adventure, and, in his earlier years, his share of mischievous fun. Born in 1949 in Lake Forest, IL, he married his best friend and soulmate, Kathy Sheerin, in 1990; they relocated to Bozeman 27 years ago. As his Hotchkiss friends knew, Tony had a penchant for adventure—skiing, hiking, biking, and fly fishing. An avid hockey player, he often bragged on the frequency of his times in the penalty box while successfully playing at Hotchkiss. He had a circuitous path through higher education, ultimately graduating from Lake Forest College. A jack of all trades, he was Mr. Fixit and the prince of DIY. He cowboyed in Brazil, Colorado, France, Australia, and the U.K., tried his hand on Chicago’s Board of Trade, worked with his brother, Reuben, in Oregon, helped remodel his own house, and worked a bit in commercial real estate. He found his professional calling in helping bring to life and then managing the Bozeman Sports Park. With dedication and joy, he worked hard, scheduling tournaments and practices, coordinating players, coaches, and city staff, moving goal posts again and again, and painting lines across the fields. He loved the Sports Park and all the positive energy its full and active fields brought to the community. His work helped make him the icon he had become in Bozeman. Family and friends embraced the essence of what made Tony thrive. He had the gift of staying in touch with childhood friends and making new friends from every walk of life. An excellent cook, he enjoyed hosting family dinners on Sunday nights and regularly gathering friends for a feast. He was the “connector” for his siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends, and the keeper of his family’s history, with a keen memory for details and the love of telling stories. He is

survived by his wife, Kathy, and three daughters, as well as three siblings in Bozeman and a sister in Australia. Also surviving are his brother-in-law, Bill Bryan ’62, and nephew, Joe Bryan ’92.

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STEPHEN BRAISTED LUZZATTO , a longtime resident of Garden City, NY, and more recently of Southport, NC, passed away on Feb. 5, 2023, after a brief illness. He was 72. A creative director in the advertising field, he created, wrote, and produced many wellknown commercials for television. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1966 and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972. He leaves his loving wife, Jane, and his two sons. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law; three grandchildren whom he cherished; his brother; and his beloved dog, Lucy. He was an avid golfer, loving husband, and doting father and grandfather.

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HOMER WILSON SMITH of Ithaca, NY, passed away suddenly on Dec. 23, 2022. COVID19 claimed his life; he was 71. Born April 21, 1951, in Manhattan, he encountered while a student at Hotchkiss the technology that would spark his lifelong passion for deep metaphysical connections and the pursuit of a cosmic reality. Computers and the programming language APL, an advanced array language developed by Dr. Kenneth Iversen, forever changed the course of his life. To his scientific, mathematical, and musical talent was added a rare, creative gift for computer engineering that eventually brought him to Cornell University. He graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1973 and made Ithaca his home. His friends still remember the time he spent in the university’s computer room, the great discoveries made each day. He founded Art Matrix in 1983, an independent research group and business that sold postcards and videos of fractals, www.artmatrix.com. This project grew out of his work with John Hubbard, a Cornell mathematician who proved one of the important theorems about the Mandelbrot set. A Scientific American cover article in August 1985, “DIY Fractals: Exploring the Mandelbrot Set on a Personal Computer,” led to thousands of requests for images of the set, and Homer had already been producing stunning fractal images for Hubbard’s research. He was considered a hero not only because he hoped the fractal images would attract children to mathematics and the possibilities of education, but also because he was the only person who could get the IBM 370, the backbone of Cornell computing in those days, to do any useful work. A visionary who saw the internet’s boundless potential, he himself became

an internet service provider. He was the founder and CEO of Art Matrix-Lightlink, a business he operated with his longtime partner, Jane E. Staller. A profoundly philosophical person, he loved exploring metaphysics and the nature of consciousness. He devoted countless hours to intellectual pursuits, which he called “fighting war,” and wrote many essays that can be read at www.homerwsmith.com. He was inspired to create his own religion and so did. He will be missed by many.

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After a life of activity and adventure, VICTOR CORCORAN (“WICK”) died March 22, 2023, of a brief illness at age 72. At Hotchkiss, Wick was an All-American breast-stroke swimmer. He also competed on the swimming team at Yale and graduated from Yale in 1974. He served in the French Foreign Legion in the parachute and then scuba regiments. Tours of duty included Corsica, Djibouti, the Central African Republic, and the Persian Gulf in Operation Desert Storm, including acting as liaison to the French General and U.S. Gen. Schwarzkopf. He retired as Master Sergeant, having received numerous decorations. Before the Legion, he worked as a commercial diver, including on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea. After the Legion, he served as a security officer on French cruise ships. He retired to Tahiti, where he enjoyed hiking, swimming, and sailing. He had a wonderful sense of fun, made friends easily, and saw the good in people. He was predeceased by his parents, Victor and Merrill Corcoran. He is survived by family in Nice, France: a son, daughter, and granddaughter. He also is survived by his family in Rochester, NY, including his brother, Christopher H. Corcoran ’69, and a sister, as well as nieces, nephew, and cousins. He was buried in Tahiti after a military funeral.

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TODD WILSON VANDEVEER passed away on Jan. 9, 2023, after a battle with a chronic illness. He was 58. Born in Louisville, KY, on June 6, 1964, he graduated from Hotchkiss in 1982, Union College in 1986, and Emory University Law School in 1989. He practiced law in a number of states throughout his career. He and his family were fortunate to live in England for a period of time, experience the culture, and travel throughout Europe. He was predeceased by his father, Lauren Vandeveer ’52, and is survived by his mother, Sheila O’Shea Vandeveer; a sister; and his former wife, Lynne Widdis Vandeveer, and their two daughters. He also leaves three nephews and a niece.

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KRISTA GROSSMAN HALEY passed away on March 22, 2023, after battling mucosal melanoma, a rare and aggressive cancer, since mid-2022. She was 53 years old. Born in New York City, she grew up in Lakeville, CT, was a member of the Lakeville Pony Club, and spent as much of her free time as possible around horses. She graduated from Hotchkiss in 1987 and then earned her bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College. She lived and worked in New York City after college before moving to Los Angeles. She spent 17 years and met her husband, Justin Haley, there, and their son was born there. In 2014, they moved back to New England, settling in Great Barrington, MA. She loved the Berkshires, loved being outdoors, and was an avid hiker. She is predeceased by her father, Carl Grossman, and is survived by her husband of 17 years, Justin, and their son, Reese; her mother, Marjorie Grossman; two sisters and a brother.

WILLIAM ROLLOW (“WILL”) passed away on Feb. 7, 2022. He was the son of Sue Farist Butler and David Rollow. Will attended Hotchkiss from 2004-08. He won the Edwards Drama Prize, the Craig Drama Prize, the Klingelhofer Drama Award, and the Playwriting Prize. In his senior year, he earned a place on the Second Honor Roll in June and graduated with a Classics Diploma. He won the Greek Prize in 2004-05 and 2005-06. A member of Speech & Debate Club and the Hotchkiss Dramatic Association, he had a role in the productions of Rhinoceros, Play On!, Lysistrata, On the Razzle, and Guys and Dolls. In his prep year, he played sub varsity football and boys JV football, and was manager of girls JV basketball. He was a tour guide in his senior year. After Hotchkiss, he graduated from Cornell University in 2012, majoring in classical studies and English.

Former faculty and staff

WILLIAM FITZHUGH WILLIAMS

MASSENGALE , known to those who loved him as “Bill” or “Willie,” died Dec. 31, 2022, at age 73 from heart disease. Born in Texas, he was raised in Chapel Hill, NC; he later returned there to raise his own family. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Sally McLaughlin Massengale, his three sons, a granddaughter, and older brother. After graduating from Williams College, he traveled across the country and the globe. For five years he taught history at Hotchkiss. After graduating from UNC Law

School, he was hired as an assistant district attorney. He worked in private practice until his retirement in 2022, focusing on criminal defense in support of folks from all walks of life. His work ranged from death penalty appellate cases across the state to local cases in Chapel Hill and Orange County. He had an abiding love of friends, family, the wider community, and his dog, Ladybug. He met people where and as they were, and frequently left them feeling better for their meeting. The Hon. James T. “Jay” Bryan III ’66 of Chapel Hill wrote to the School to share his sadness on the death of Bill, whom he had known for 50 years. He wrote, “He was like a brother to me. … We shared many times together in the law, as opposing counsel when he was an assistant District Attorney and I was a criminal defense attorney, as sole practitioners needing advice and support in difficult cases, and when he appeared before me to advocate for his clients, Bible in hand, when I was a District Court judge. Bill was always there for me, always. When my wife died and I had to return from her hospital to finish my closing argument, I turned to the seats for the public and saw Bill sitting in the front row to comfort and support me. … His celebration of life was attended by lawyers, judges, ministers, professors, artists, and others from all walks of life who experienced his kindness, humor, stories, and brilliance. He will be sorely missed by many.”

BERNARD OLIVER “BERNIE” SILVERNAIL , 90, a lifelong Millerton, NY, resident, died peacefully on Feb. 22, 2023. Born in the Town of North East, he served in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a machine operator in Millerton and at Salisbury School before joining Hotchkiss in 1992. He worked in Buildings and Grounds, Housekeeping, and then in Campus Safety and Security. In recent years, until last spring, he was a greeter for the Tremaine Art Gallery, supporting visitors to campus. A stalwart in his community, he was a 73-year active member with the Millerton Fire Company; his true passion was being a volunteer firefighter. He also coached minor league, Little League, and Babe Ruth baseball. He is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Joan (DeWitt), and their son, Robert.

Art Eddy P’78,’80,’81,

FORMER

GP’23

MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTOR AND COACH

C. Arthur “Art” Eddy P’78,’80,’81, GP’23, mathematics teacher and coach at Hotchkiss for three decades, passed away on Feb. 19, 2023, after a brief illness. He was 90 and lived in Salisbury, CT, where he leaves a legacy of community involvement, having served as a volunteer for numerous organizations, including the School Board, the Board of Finance, the Board of Tax Review, and the Salisbury Association. He was a longtime member of the Northwest CT Unitarian Fellowship.

Born in Gardner, MA, on May 11, 1932, Eddy earned his B.A. from Colby College in Waterville, ME, in 1954 and was a pitcher on Colby’s baseball team. He received an M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1962 and an M.A. in mathematics education from the University of Oregon in 1969.

Before joining the Hotchkiss faculty, Eddy worked for a year in the Colby College Admissions Office and then enlisted in the Army, serving in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps during the Korean War. He began his teaching career at Amherst Regional High School in Amherst, MA, where he taught math from 1958 to 1963.

Eddy first came to Hotchkiss to work in the School’s summer program in the early 1960s. He became interested in learning more about what he heard was an unusual approach to teaching math at Hotchkiss; an approach that condensed the usual four-year math preparation into three years (grades 9-11), all to prepare students to study calculus in the 12th grade. He was told about an opening for a full-time position, applied, and joined the Hotchkiss faculty in the fall of 1963.

In addition to teaching math, Eddy served in a variety of other roles during his years at Hotchkiss: dorm faculty in Buehler and Dana; referee for soccer and basketball games; teaching faculty in the Greater Opportunity (GO) Program, a summer enrichment academic and athletic program for teenage boys from inner-city neighborhoods in Connecticut and New York; class scheduler; and, for 16 years, coach of girls varsity softball. For a number

of years after his retirement, The C. Arthur Eddy Softball Award, given in honor of his years as coach, was awarded to that girl who, through attitude and effort, made the greatest contribution to the spirit and success of the varsity softball team.

David Bolmer ’73, now retired after more than three decades teaching in the Hotchkiss math department, remembers, “Art Eddy was my geometry teacher when I was a lower mid. I returned to Lakeville to teach 13 years later, and he was one of my mentors in the math department. He was always patient with his students, and they admired him in return.

“All of us lucky enough to be at Hotchkiss when the faculty put on The Pirates of Penzance will remember him as the police captain. The faculty police literally stopped the show because the students clapped and cheered until we got a repeat of the number before going on. Art was the leader and the star of the police,” Bolmer says.

“After his retirement, Art became one of the most loyal fans of the varsity volleyball team I

coached for many years. It was not a surprise to see him in the stands when we went to Deerfield or other faraway matches, as well as all of the home matches,” he recalls.

Robin Chandler ’87, former co-athletic director, remembers, “Mr. Eddy was a terrific softball coach. I remember so clearly all of my four years playing for him. In all that time, he never changed his bunt signal. I can remember vividly him sitting on the bench with a bat across his knees, and if you missed the signal, look out. Thankfully I was always too slow, so I rarely got that signal.

“Well after his retirement, you could still find Mr. Eddy cheering on Hotchkiss athletes or see him playing golf on the School course. He will be missed,” said Chandler.

Eddy loved teaching. He remained connected with a number of his former students until his death, and those relationships were very dear to him. He loved and was proud of his family. He loved a good pun and Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream. And

he loved golf, which he played throughout his 30-year retirement—as many times a week during golfing season as he could.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Barbara J. Eddy, in 1988, with whom he had four children, and his second wife, Anne Rudd Eddy, in 2011. He is survived by his daughters, Sara Eddy ’78, former director of alumni and parent programs at Hotchkiss, and Joanna Lewton ’80 (Christopher Lewton); sons Clark Eddy ’81, P’23, academic coach in the Class of 1964 Teaching and Learning Center (Wendy Levithan, the Edgar Cullman ’36 Teaching Chair and head of Classical and Modern Languages) and Josh Eddy (Robin Eddy); grandchildren Zachary Lewton, Caleb Eddy ’23, Meghan Eddy Zambada, Joey Eddy, and Jacob Eddy; great-grandchild Elijah Zambada; his sister, Lorna Rivers; brother, David Eddy; and loving nieces and nephews.

Northern Lights

The Northern Lights offered a dazzling display and were visible over Hotchkiss on April 23, 2023. Bill Fenton, instructor in physics and astronomy and director of the Hotchkiss Observatory, captured this stunning image. “We had a few breaks in the clouds in Lakeville just after midnight and I was able to get a few shots looking over Lake Wononscopomuc and from near Centennial Field,” he said. “There was an unusually strong geomagnetic storm caused by a coronal mass ejection from the Sun. Northern Lights were seen as far south as Florida and San Diego.”

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