David B. Wyshner ’85, Treasurer U. Gwyn Williams ’84, P’17,’19, Secretary
Charles Ayres ’77
Joseph P. Baratta P’24
Craig W. Bradley, Head of School, ex officio
Rafael Carbonell ’93, Co-President of the Alumni Association, ex officio
Anne Matlock Dinneen ’95
Patricia Barlerin Farman-Farmaian ’85, P’21,’24
Elizabeth J. Ford P’11,’13
Alex Hurst ’97
Ignacio Jayanti P’26
Martin Kelly P’24
John Khoury ’95
Julia Tingley Kivitz ’01, Co-President of the Alumni Association, ex officio
Annika Lescott-Martinez ’06
Nisa Leung Lin ’88
Naveen Nataraj P’24,’26
Michael J. Mars ’86
Cristina Mariani-May ’89, P’23,’25
Aaron Oberman ’92, P’24,’27, President, The Hotchkiss Fund, ex officio
Carlos Pérez ’81
Christopher R. Redlich Jr. ’68
Thomas R. Seidenstein ’91, P’24
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
John Grube ’65, P’00
Dan W. Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23
Robert H. Mattoon Jr.
Robert A. Oden Jr. P’97
Kendra O’Donnell
Jean Weinberg Rose ’80, P’18
John L. Thornton ’72, P’10,’11,’16
Rebecca van der Bogert
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
AS OF JULY 1, 2024
Caroline Barlerin ’91
Rafael Carbonell ’93, Co-President of the Alumni Association
Julia Chen ’16
Ernesto Cruz III ’01, VP and Co-Chair, Admission and Engagement Committee
Danielle S. Ferguson ’97, VP and Co-Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Carlos Garcia ’77, VP and Co-Chair, Communications Committee
Whitney Gulden ’12, VP and Chair, Nominating Committee for Membership
Cameron Hough ’09, VP and Co-Chair, Nominating Committee for Awards
Julia Tingley Kivitz ’01, Co-President of the Alumni Association
Robert Kuhn ’75, VP and Co-Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Scott Meadow ’73, P’02
Keith Merrill ’02, VP and Co-Chair, Communications Committee
Daniel Pai ’19, Chair, Young Alumni Task Force
Colin Pennycooke ’89
Mark Pierce ’67, P’13, VP and Co-Chair, Admission and Engagement Committee
Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09
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, VP and Co-Chair, Nominating Committee for Awards
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Craig W. Bradley, Head of School
Robert R. Gould ’77, Co-President, Board of Trustees
Brooke Harlow ’92, P’28, Past Co-President, Alumni Association
Elizabeth G. Hines ’93, P’27, Co-President, Board of Trustees
Paul Mutter ’87, P’26, Past Co-President, Alumni Association
Aaron Oberman ’92, P’24,’27, President, The Hotchkiss Fund
ON THE COVER: Miranda Beitel ’25 competed with Hotchkiss Robotics at the FIRST Robotics Connecticut State Championship. The Gearcats advanced to the World Championship.
Photo provided by Connecticut FIRST Tech Challenge.
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Craig W. Bradley
CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS
OFFICER
Hope Reisinger Cobera ’88, P’24
EDITOR
Darryl Gangloff
MAGAZINE DESIGNER
Julie Hammill
CONTRIBUTORS
Scott Barrow, Catherine Calamé, Robin Chandler ’87, Robert Chartener ’76, P’18, Ethan Choi ’26, Anne Day P’09,’11,’13, Chelsea Edgar, Warren Edwards ’27, Eliott Grover, Jeffrey Hinz, Roberta Jenckes, Jami Huang ’25, Quisha Lee ’24, Daniel Lippman ’08, Randy O’Rourke, Shaan Patel ’27, Erin Reid P’01,’05, Hannah Van Sickle, Ben Who ’24, Brian Wilcox, Robert J. Woodbine ’69
PLEASE SEND INQUIRIES AND COMMENTS TO:
The Hotchkiss School 11 Interlaken Road Lakeville, CT 06039-2141 Email: magazine@hotchkiss.org Phone: (860) 435-3122
The Hotchkiss School does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, athletics, or other Schooladministered 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.
Enduring Gratitude
The Sullivan siblings share their transformational relationship with Hotchkiss
Commencement
The Class of 2024 emphasizes interconnectedness at Graduation
Inaugural alumnae panel highlights the power of women
Entrepreneur Max Sussman ’19 provides mentorship for neurodiverse thinkers
The Love of Curiosity
ON MAY 31, under beautiful blue skies with a mild breeze blowing off the lake and over the sixth fairway, Hotchkiss seniors graduated at the School’s 132nd Commencement exercise.
Graduation began with a faculty procession to music performed by members of the Hotchkiss Orchestra. The ceremony included beautifully crafted remarks by All-School Presidents Anji Ashaye ’24 and Jacquo Pierre ’24, a solo flute performance by Sophie Elliott ’24, and a warmly received speech by entrepreneur and alumnus André Swanston ’99. After the presentation of diplomas, Isamar Martinez ’24 led
the School and all attending family and friends in the heartfelt singing of Fair Hotchkiss (see p. 10).
In my remarks to the departing class, I encouraged them to carry with them what I believe to be one of the hallmarks of a Hotchkiss education: the lifelong embrace of curiosity. I drew a distinction between the curiosity that comes from looking for information we need simply to get by on a day-to-day basis and the far more gratifying form of curiosity that comes from seeking knowledge and experiences for the pure joy of discovery. Among all that we aim to impart at Hotchkiss, I hope the love of curiosity is a gift that
remains with every Hotchkiss alum throughout their lives.
In June, the campus came alive once again with the arrival of alumni from the “fours” and “nines” for their reunion weekend. I hope those of you who attended took full advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, former teachers, and beloved places on campus.
One place, of course, where reconnection was not possible was in the old Dining Hall, which is now an active construction site. The project to create the new Dining Commons, which will open in the fall of 2025, is well underway. We
are deeply grateful to all the alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the School who have given to make this important campus enhancement possible.
A temporary dining facility at the William and Martha Ford Indoor Tennis Courts, affectionately dubbed the Ford Food Court (or FFC), opened in January. It has not only become an important campus hangout, but has also provided a stage for performances by students including the Hotchkiss Dramatic Association and members of student band MB140 (see p. 21). All in all, the FFC has proven well worth a slightly longer walk across campus.
This summer, we are very pleased to welcome Shannon Clark as the new dean of faculty. She joins Hotchkiss from Noble and Greenough School where she most recently served as the upper school director of studies. She is also a seasoned cross country coach and dorm resident with extensive boarding school leadership experience (see p. 15). In parallel, I extend deep thanks to Charlie Frankenbach P’12,’16, Russel Bigelow Chair and Lufkin Prize recipient, for his outstanding work as the interim dean of faculty this year. He continues to serve as an instructor in English.
While summer is just getting underway, we are already actively preparing for the fall and the arrival
of new students who will bring an astonishing array of skills, talents, and interests—and who are, most importantly, wonderful young people with tremendous potential.
Also in the fall we look forward to kicking off a full year of events commemorating an important milestone in the history of Hotchkiss: 50 years of women. The first female students arrived in September of 1974, and in September of 2024, we will invite those pioneers back to campus. Other on-campus events will include an alumnae athletics weekend in October, a number of alumni gatherings in cities around the country, and a gala celebration in May of 2025 (see p. 36). Please make your plans early to join us!
At their first class gathering last fall, I taught the senior class a brief phrase in French: L’année est presque terminé. As I did so, I advised them to hold onto their days at Hotchkiss because while the year in front of them might appear long, it was, in fact, already almost over. As we look to the summer ahead, the same is true. Fall will be here before we know it. Here on campus, nothing could make us happier.
All good wishes,
Craig W. Bradley
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Disco Fever
I was delighted to see the picture of students pointing to the “beloved” disco ball on page 2 of the Fall 2023/ Winter 2024 issue. I do not know if any records attest to the ball’s origin, but I believe the social committee and I, the committee president, put it up in 1981 during the pinnacle of disco mania. If I am not mistaken, the original motor (white) still powers the ball’s rotation.
I was happy to see it hanging in the Dining Hall during my many visits (including the years that my son attended). When I heard of the Dining Hall renovation, I had resigned myself to believing that it would be trashed and forgotten. I am thrilled that it will continue to bring enjoyment to Hotchkiss students.
Long live the disco ball!
NAO MATSUKATA ’82, P’18
Head of School Craig W. Bradley and Commencement Speaker André Swanston ’99
A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
BY ROBERT CHARTENER ’76, P’18
The Board of Trustees met in Lakeville on Jan. 26 and 27 and on May 3 and 4, 2024. The following are highlights from the meetings:
Athletics – There were lengthy discussions at each set of meetings with Dempsey Quinn, director of athletics. Three important features are community (to bring together student support of athletics at Hotchkiss), excellence, and diversity of offerings. The issue is complicated by the need to recruit exceptional athletes and, in many instances, provide generous financial aid; the requirement to staff sports with excellent coaches; and the School-wide impact for athletes and non-athletes alike of having successful teams in several sports. The dialogue is continuing and will resume at the September meeting.
50th Anniversary of Women and Girls – Hope Cobera ’88, P’24, chief communications officer, reviewed plans for the School’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of women and girls at Hotchkiss during the next academic year. During the year, there will be three alumni gatherings: a September event to mark the arrival of girls at Hotchkiss with as many of the original 88 women as possible, an October event focused on alumnae athletes, and a May event open to all alumni to celebrate the changes brought by girls and the evolution of Hotchkiss over the years. Events will feature athletics, the arts (including exhibitions and concerts), academic work, archives displays, and time in the Courage Garden. In addition, a documentary film will be shown. For students, on-campus activities and events will continue throughout the year.
Fundraising – Ninette Enrique, chief advancement officer, reported on the School’s fundraising efforts. After a record-breaking year in 2022-23 when $48.8 million was raised, the School has already raised $47.3 million in the 2023-24 year as of March 31, 2024. Significant funds have been donated for the Dining Commons and for financial aid. The Hotchkiss Fund stood at nearly $5.4 million at March 31, 2024, with particularly strong support from current parents.
Budget – Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed the School’s AAA rating, emphasizing the fiscal strength of Hotchkiss. The Trustees reviewed and approved a preliminary budget for 2024-25. Tuition has been set at $71,170, which is a 4.1 percent increase over $68,370 in 2023-24. The discount rate (i.e., net tuition received by the School after financial aid grants) will be 32.5 percent, flat with the current year. The budgeted number of students is 605, subject to some reduction over the summer.
Admission Update – At the May meeting, Erby Mitchell P’21, assistant head of school and dean of admission and financial aid, summarized the most recent admission cycle. Hotchkiss received 2,212 applications this year (roughly the same as the prior year) for 175 places. Our admit rate was 14.7 percent—among the most competitive in the past five years—and our yield on students was 59 percent, again similar to last year. There are 80 financial aid recipients admitted this cycle, representing nearly 42 percent of the incoming students, and 34 of our new students come from outside the U.S. There continue to be industry-wide decreases in the number of full-pay domestic applicants, and this year also saw some softening in the completion of financial aid applications—a national trend that Hotchkiss continues
to monitor. Overall the results are very pleasing, and Hotchkiss remains one of the most competitive schools from an admission standpoint.
College Placement – Serena Oh Castellano, director of college advising, reported on college placement for the Class of 2024. She shared that some colleges (e.g., Dartmouth, Yale, and Brown) are bringing back standardized testing, and there are issues with the FAFSA form extending reply deadlines deep into the spring. In a challenging year, the Class of 2024 fared well, with the largest number of matriculations heading to Georgetown (10); Northeastern (7); Boston College, Colgate, Princeton, and the University of Chicago (5 each); and Brown, Columbia, Harvard, NYU, and Tufts (4 each). Congratulations, Class of 2024!
Trustee Elections and Retirements –
Becky van der Bogert, John Grube ’65, and Tom Quinn ’72 will retire from the board on June 30. Becky completed a nineyear term, and John and Tom completed 10-year terms. John served as a Trustee from 1998 to 2013 and rejoined the board in 2014, so has served a total of 25 years; Becky and John were elected Trustee Emeriti in recognition of many years of dedicated service. In addition, Brooke Harlow ’92, P’28 and Paul Mutter ’87, P’26 completed their three-year terms as trustees, appointed because they are the co-presidents of the Board of Governors of the Hotchkiss Alumni Association. Two new trustees were elected to begin their terms on July 1: Martin Kelly P’24, who is the chief financial officer of Apollo Global Management, and Naveen Nataraj P’24,’26, who is the co-head of U.S. investment banking at Evercore Partners.
Familial Fortitude
BY ELIOTT GROVER
The story of four siblings and one family’s transformational relationship with Hotchkiss
“WE WERE NOT A BOARDING school family,” says Steve Sullivan ’76, the first of four siblings to become Bearcats. “Frankly, I didn’t even know what boarding schools were.”
The Sullivans––Steve, Scott ’78, P’15,’18, Tim ’81, P’13,’16, and Christine ’82––grew up in Loudonville, NY, a hamlet that sits just north of Albany. They all did well in the public school system and their parents had no intention of sending them elsewhere for high school.
The summer after his freshman year, Steve was at a friend’s house when he came across several admissions catalogs. He flipped through them, learning about magical places like Hotchkiss and other schools. With each page, Steve became more entranced by the opportunities that were available to the students who lived and learned in these dynamic communities.
He went home and told his parents about this discovery. His father appreciated his enthusiasm, but explained that with four children, the family could not afford the tuition. Steve opened one of the catalogs and turned to the section on financial aid.
“Well,” his father replied thoughtfully. “If you got a scholarship, maybe.”
Determined, Steve submitted a handful of applications, but because the admissions deadlines had passed, he did not receive any responses. However, the late Peter Adams ’63, director of admission at Hotchkiss, reached out to invite Steve and his parents to Lakeville.
“That was eye-opening,” Steve says. “My parents saw the campus and could sense the culture of the school.” Adams was a gracious host and explained that while enrollment was full, the admissions
committee was impressed with Steve and wanted him to apply the following year.
Back in Loudonville, Steve threw himself into his summer job as a caddy. Whenever he returned from a round of golf, his parents asked whose clubs he had carried.
One day, he told them he met a man named Woods McCahill ’33, P’61,’69.
“Woods McCahill,” his father repeated with a trace of recognition. “Go get that Hotchkiss catalog!” Sure enough, McCahill was listed as one of the School’s trustees. The next day at the golf course, Steve donned an extra nice shirt and lobbied his boss to let him caddy for McCahill again.
“Excuse me Mr. McCahill,” Steve asked after the third hole. “Are you the same Woods McCahill that is on the Board of Trustees at The Hotchkiss School?”
McCahill hesitated. He studied the young man. “Yes,” he finally said. “I am.”
“The experiences I had at Hotchkiss, learning how to write and structure things, I use every day.”
—Steve Sullivan ’76
Steve held out his hand. He introduced himself and explained that he was an admissions candidate. “It was my first pitch,” he recalls fondly. McCahill peppered him with questions over the next 15 holes. At the end of the round, he told Steve he would write a letter to Adams on his behalf.
One night a few weeks into the new academic year, the phone rang in the Sullivan house. It was Adams. He explained that a spot had opened up at Hotchkiss and asked if Steve was still interested in attending. Two days later, Steve left for Lakeville.
“The rapid ascent into that world for Steve was something for us all to appreciate,” says Scott, who joined his brother two years later. “The first time you come to the four corners and that blinking red light, it starts to register that this place is very different. And very impressive.”
The Power of Scholarships
Scholarships made Hotchkiss possible for all of the Sullivan children. “Our dad grew up in a close family, but one of modest means, in Lowell, MA,” says Christine, who went by “Sissy” at Hotchkiss. “My
grandmother would open up the pantry and if she had canned food, she felt rich because she had lived through the Depression.”
Their father put himself through Columbia University and became a doctor. “He had a great family practice and was very successful,” says Tim. “But the idea of sending four kids full tuition to a private school was not something that would have been possible. For me and for all of us, financial aid unlocked this wonderful access to what really was a life-changing experience.”
At Hotchkiss, each sibling blazed their own trail. Steve and Scott excelled on the football team. Tim and Christine often joined their parents for home games, making the 90-minute drive from Loudonville to cheer on their brothers and go out to dinner with their teammates.
“I kind of grew up in the stands and in the woods behind the field,” says Christine. “Hotchkiss became a second home.” By the time she arrived as a student, she was well-acquainted with the campus. She took piano lessons, which were enabled through a special scholarship, and wrote for The Record.
“Walking out of Hotchkiss, I became a really good writer,” Christine says, noting how the rigorous academic culture pushed her to unlock her potential. “There was a grit that I learned just from working so hard and being surrounded by such smart, accomplished people. They expected so much from us. I also expected so much from myself.” She matriculated at Duke University, where she currently works at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.
Scott shares his sister’s appreciation for the education they received. “The English
These scholarships made it possible for the Sullivan siblings to attend Hotchkiss:
Ann Hemingway
Symington Scholarship
Class of 1933 Scholarship
Fred H. Gordon III ’55
Memorial Scholarship
Mrs. George van Santvoord
Music Scholarship
Reginald S. Young ’12
Memorial Scholarship
Reader’s Digest Scholarship
Steve Sullivan ’76
Scott Sullivan ’78, P’15,’18
Tim Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16
Department blew me away,” he says. “They taught us how to write properly. With ‘The Hawk’ [English teacher Robert Hawkins], I would get a blue book back, and there would be more red ink than my own ink.”
Like Steve and Scott, Tim also played football, but he acknowledges that his contributions may not have been as prominent as theirs. “My senior year I was the smallest guy on the varsity team, so I didn’t have a lot of grass stains to show on Saturdays,” he says. He found some success on the wrestling mat and enjoyed the chance to compete athletically at any level. During his final year, Tim received the Allen Prize, an award given to the senior who, in the judgment of their class and the faculty, is most notable for honorable conduct, conscientiousness, and future promise.
The faith of his peers was well placed. Tim matriculated at the University of North Carolina as a Morehead Scholar before receiving an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has served as the CEO of Match.com and Ancestry.com, and he credits Hotchkiss with building the foundational skills that have fueled his success.
“I’ve been fortunate to lead a couple of great companies in my career,” Tim says. “I like to think that my communication and
“For me and for all of us, financial aid unlocked this wonderful access to what really was a lifechanging experience.”
—Board of Trustees Vice President Tim Sullivan ’81, P’13,’16
speaking skills really were rooted in and modeled after some of the great teachers I had at Hotchkiss and then at Carolina.”
Steve strikes a similar chord in reflecting on how Hotchkiss has impacted a career that spans four decades as a leader in the financial services industry. “I learned to navigate under pressure, being able to operate the best I could when I was over my head,” he says. “The experiences I had at Hotchkiss, learning how to write and structure things, I use every day.”
Another subtle yet indelible mark that Hotchkiss left on Steve is that he wears a tie to work every day even though his office dress code is business casual. “People make fun of me,” he says, “but it’s like my game face. It’s definitely something that came from Hotchkiss. I feel uncomfortable without it.”
Still Serving the School After All These Years
The Sullivans have maintained strong ties with Hotchkiss over the decades. Scott notes that reunions, which his class has attended in record numbers, are opportunities to maintain old friendships while forging new ones. “It’s amazing, in terms of an overall observation of the Hotchkiss gestalt, that you always had your close friends, but at a lot of these reunions you end up making new and
close relationships with people you didn’t really hang out with when you were there.”
One of Scott’s favorite memories is attending a Grandparents Day event with his father, whose name tag was overflowing with the class years of his children and grandchildren. “He joked later that he felt like an admiral because he had more stars than he knew what to do with,” Scott says.
Steve takes pride in several members of his family’s next generation attending Hotchkiss. “It started off with just myself and I really had no idea that it wasn’t going to end there,” he says. “One of my takeaways is that whether it was Woods McCahill, or whether it was Peter Adams, it just took somebody to give you an opportunity.”
To express their gratitude to Hotchkiss, the Sullivan siblings have sought to create similar opportunities for current and future students. Their contributions to the School include estate planning gifts, generous unrestricted support, and the Sullivan Family Scholarship, which helps students receiving financial assistance.
In 2018, Tim joined the Board of Trustees, a role that has allowed him to serve the School while gaining an even deeper appreciation for the value of a Hotchkiss education. “It’s an incredible perspective to think about my experience as a visiting younger brother, then as a student, then as a parent, and now as a trustee,” he says. “I love the way Hotchkiss has maintained its commitment to excellence but really has evolved to become a much more supportive, pluralistic community where all of our students are safe, seen, and supported.”
Like his siblings, Tim speaks with conviction when considering the School’s role in their family’s history. “There’s no question that Hotchkiss is the single most transformative experience that I think has impacted my family,” he says.
Christine agrees. “It really did change the trajectory of the entire family,” she says. “I think it changed the perception of possibilities.”
Sissy Sullivan ’82
Elevating Open Discourse
Anonymous Gifts Help Teachers and Students Explore Ideas
BY CATHERINE CALAMÉ
The Hotchkiss School is committed to cultivating curiosity, excellence, and creativity as students learn how to take risks, fail, persist, and succeed. The courageous exploration of ideas has always been a hallmark of Hotchkiss culture.
IN ORDER TO FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT in which varying ideas and points of view can be openly shared, the School is actively engaged in aligning its work with a set of tenets put forth by the University of Chicago called The Principles of Open Discourse (also known as the Chicago Principles).
In November 2022, thanks to funding from the Independent Thinking Spend Down Fund, which was established in 2018 by an anonymous donor, Hotchkiss hosted a conference on open discourse for educators, bringing to campus delegates from numerous peer schools across New England and beyond. The event explored opportunities and challenges associated with enabling free expression in a secondary school setting.
The principle of the Independent Thinking Spend Down Fund is initially being used to underwrite programs that model deep engagement, clear definitions of terms, and civil discourse.
Teaching Students How to Think, Not What to Think
Rick Hazelton P’19,’22, director of the Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking (CGUIT) and dean of Summer Programs, has been busily planning next steps for both the Chicago Principles as well as the general work of CGUIT. Hotchkiss hosted a professional development workshop for secondary school teachers and administrators from June 25-27, 2024 with Dr. Leila Brammer from the University of Chicago to work on strategies and skills for free speech in the classroom.
“It’s imperative that we teach students how to think, not what to think,” said Hazelton. “And we can continue to grow these important programs with the support of our alumni and members of The Town Hill Society who have provided muchneeded funding since inception.”
JOIN THE TOWN HILL SOCIETY
Hazelton shared that he and his colleagues are in the research and development stage of a new program that would bring together a cohort of U.S. students from different cultural and socio-economic settings to discuss and debate issues. The current plan is for this to be an extra-curricular program coached by a faculty member.
Hotchkiss students, with Hazelton’s guidance, also launched a series of open discourse forums this year to give fellow Bearcats an opportunity to share their voices on a variety of topics.
(Read more on the next page.) Through the support of alumni, Hotchkiss is bringing Rob Henderson to campus in November. Henderson wrote Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class, where he recounts “pioneering the concept of luxury beliefs—ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class while inflicting costs on the less fortunate.” His book is featured in the New Statesman article, “The Making of an American Conservative.”
To bring respected speakers to campus takes significant resources. One way to help underwrite diverse thoughts and debate on campus is to provide support through the Town Hill Society.
“We can continue to grow these important programs with the support of our alumni and members of The Town Hill Society who have provided much-needed funding since inception.”
Rick Hazelton, Director of the Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking and Dean of Summer Programs
Members of The Town Hill Society have named Hotchkiss as the beneficiary of bequests, gifts from retirement accounts, gifts of life insurance, and life-income gifts such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder unitrusts. These gifts, no matter the size, provide Hotchkiss with critical and lasting support.
We would be honored to discuss with you how your own Town Hill gift can allow you to bridge your current financial situation with the gift you dream of making to Hotchkiss. Contact Director of Gift Planning Brent Alderman Sterste at giftplanning@hotchkiss.org or (860) 435-3263, or visit hotchkiss.giftplans.org to learn more.
Students Launch Forums to Promote Open Discourse
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRATS
, Republicans, and Political Union clubs launched a new series of Student Open Discourse Forums this year to provide a space for students to voice their differing opinions on important and sometimes divisive issues.
Students and faculty filled the Faculty Room throughout the winter and spring to listen to student-led debates about challenging topics, including U.S. immigration policy, climate change, and abortion.
Rick Hazelton P’19,’22, director of the Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking and dean of Summer Programs, helped student leaders organize the forums. “The value of a Hotchkiss education begins and ends with students. In light of concerns about cancel culture and restrictions on speech on college campuses, students strategized on ways to broaden discourse at Hotchkiss by creating a forum where conservative, liberal, and voices in between are heard and given equal measure,” he said. “These brave and thoughtful students are taking steps to broaden dialogue on campus.”
Max Salzinger ’25, a board member of Hotchkiss Republicans, emphasized that “a space for open discourse is vital in Hotchkiss’s pursuit to create a diverse learning community. Because some students might feel uncomfortable expressing their views in the classroom, the Open Discourse Forum is a great way to allow those viewpoints to be expressed and heard by other students and faculty.”
Max noted that he has “developed a deeper understanding of multiple issues” thanks
“Learning how to respectfully disagree with others is an important skill going into adulthood, and not just within the context of politics.”
—Megan Curi ’24, Co-Head of Hotchkiss Political Union
to these events. He hopes these forums continue next year, and he would like to lead a discussion prior to November’s presidential election.
“It is important that our stances are challenged,” said Alex Gish ’26, board member of Hotchkiss Political Union.
“I believe it was tremendously helpful for the student body to see modeled disagreement and competing points of view. It opened doors for discourse among students and their peers.”
Will Trachsel ’24, co-head of Hotchkiss Democrats, wants students to listen to the debaters at these forums with
an open mind. “I think that the most important aspect of the forums has been that afterwards, students around campus have been talking with each other about the issues, which is exactly what we were hoping for,” Will said.
“Learning how to respectfully disagree with others is an important skill going into adulthood, and not just within the context of politics,” said Megan Curi ’24, co-head of Hotchkiss Political Union. “Being able to have public disagreements with people helps deepen our understanding of contemporary issues and make our community stronger.”
Visiting Judge Broadens Discourse on Campus
Michael A. Chagares, chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, visited Hotchkiss on April 15. He was appointed to the court by President George W. Bush in 2006. He attended classes and spoke to the students about the work of a judge and careers in law and public service.
BEARCAT PRIDE FILLS THE AIR AT GRADUATION
Class of 2024 Focuses on Interconnectedness
BY CATHERINE CALAMÉ
BENEATH THE AZURE CANOPY of a bright May sky, sunlight reflected off of Lake Wononscopomuc for the 132nd commencement ceremony on May 31. Anticipation filled the air across campus and mingled with the buoyant spirits of graduates, families, faculty, staff, and guests.
Head of School Craig W. Bradley addressed the members of the Class of 2024. “This is a significant moment. The hard work of Hotchkiss is done,” Bradley said. “Whether you entered as preps or as post-graduates, you have faced academic, social, emotional, and physical challenges. You have endured a global pandemic, an
experience that reinforced our awareness of our interconnectedness and our interdependence as humans sharing this planet. These experiences have made you stronger, smarter, and more capable than you were when you arrived. And when you leave campus today, you will take with you innumerable lessons learned, deep and lasting friendships, hard-won confidence, and memories deeply etched.”
Bradley briefly touched upon rites of passage and then challenged students to remain curious. “As you look forward to the summer, to college and other experiences, and to the adult lives you are
envisioning, there is a single deep and abiding attribute that I hope you will carry with you always. And that is the lifelong embrace of curiosity.”
Bradley concluded his remarks by referencing the popular student band MB140. The group performs often at campus events and plays music from many genres and decades. “I particularly enjoyed MB140’s final performance at the All-School meeting on Tuesday and the final line of their final song by REO Speedwagon, which I gladly borrow as my final line to the great Class of 2024: Keep on rollin’.”
“Hotchkiss provides us with the space, opportunities, and people to find out who we are, what we love to do, and what meaningful issues are important to us.”
—All-School Co-President Jacquo Pierre ’24
All-School Presidents Share Messages of Love and Support
All-School Presidents Anji Ashaye ’24 and Jacquo Pierre ’24 brought palpable Bearcat pride to the stage in their unique and spirited way. “Let’s start with a huge round of applause for the Class of 2024 and welcome to the funnest of Fun Fridays: Graduation Day!” Anji said. Jacquo added, “Most importantly, thank you to our parents, guardians, and other off-campus support systems. Without your enduring encouragement, advice, and love, the seniors would not be where we are today.”
Love, appreciation, and support were key themes for the presidents’ speeches. “Over our past four years together, you have shown up for each other, bringing eager encouragement to uplift your peers,” Anji said.
Jacquo emphasized that the “Class of 2024 is truly something special” and explained how the pandemic gave them a close bond. “Our time spent almost exclusively with our quarantine pods was ironically crucial in forming our class’s ability to connect with anybody, from anywhere, with a multitude of interests. Our grade’s interconnectedness has remained one of our defining traits.”
“As you leave the Hotchkiss bubble
for the last time … think back to the interconnectedness that galvanized our grade,” Anji said. “Immerse yourself in diverse groups of people, gain new perspectives and connections—truly develop the sense of community necessary to make a home out of a new, strange environment.”
“Hotchkiss provides us with the space, opportunities, and people to find out who we are, what we love to do, and what meaningful issues are important to us,” Jacquo said. “These values that will guide us through life—an intangible but unequivocally vital type of knowledge—is what we can thank Hotchkiss for.”
Commencement Speaker
André Swanston ’99 Promotes Hard Work, Connections, and Curiosity
Following a beautiful musical performance by flutist Sophie Elliott ’24, Hotchkiss welcomed André Swanston ’99 as the commencement speaker. Swanston is a tech entrepreneur and innovator who directs much of his philanthropy to help empower underserved people. (Read more about his career in his Alum of the Month profile on p. 65.)
Swanston shared how he met Pat Redd Johnson, former associate director of
admissions and head of multicultural affairs at Hotchkiss, and she told Swanston that she fully believed in his potential. She knew Hotchkiss would change his life. “I never forgot her saying that.”
He assimilated at Hotchkiss with the help of caring faculty and advisors. Along with ups and downs that included illness, various detentions, and tough love, he excelled in sports, made friends with students from all over the world, and bonded with teachers. “I don’t remember much of anything I learned in any class at Hotchkiss,” he joked, “but I will never forget the conversations and even the debates that we’d have in the dorm about life, about goals, ambition, politics, religion—it was really the best education that I could really hope to have. The things that will always be invaluable to you are the relationships that you’re able to make and the connectivity and the curiosity.”
Hotchkiss connections have contributed to his career success, including support from classmates and alumni. “Life is challenging; you have to put your all into it,” he said. “And sometimes when you put your all into it, you’ll still be disappointed. But that disappointment is temporary if you learn from it and keep going.”
He then asked the seniors to look around at their classmates. “They will be the teachers, lawyers, bankers, military officers, writers, actors, philanthropists, accountants, venture capitalists, artists—some of the most influential and important people in the world 25 years from now. They will also be your groomsmen, your bridesmaids, your kids’ godparents, the ones to call to congratulate you when you have successes … the relationships that you have built today are more important than I think you’ll ever know.”
After the members of the Class of 2024 received their diplomas, Isamar Martinez ’24 led them in a beautiful rendition of Fair Hotchkiss one last time.
PHOTOS
LUFKIN PRIZE
Chris Burchfield Praises Hotchkiss Community
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
CHRIS BURCHFIELD P’08,’10,’18 was the guest of honor at the Lufkin Prize ceremony on May 7, and he turned his appreciation toward the students, faculty, staff, family, and friends who filled Katherine M. Elfers Hall. “Recognition of any kind is never individual, and I stand here recognizing all of you for how we bring out the best in each other,” he said.
Burchfield, instructor in English and the L. Blair Torrey Jr. ’50 Chair, said he had months to think about the message he wanted to share in his acceptance speech. After changing topic ideas many times, he realized it’s not that complicated. “What it all boils down to is just how much fun it is
to work here. How much I feel at home in this beautiful corner of the world and how plain old lucky I feel to be surrounded by funny, compassionate, smart, and willing young people day after day,” he said, turning around on the stage and looking directly at every audience member. “That’s all of you.”
The Lufkin Prize was established in 2006 by Dan Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23, and it is awarded annually to a faculty member who serves as a role model for students and consistently demonstrates a commitment to ethical character and moral leadership.
In his introduction, Head of School Craig W. Bradley addressed the students in the audience. “Your teachers are available
to you outside of classes, in the evenings, and on weekends. They care deeply about your wellbeing, not just as students but as people. This level of care and commitment is remarkable, and it is evident in each and every teacher at Hotchkiss. Today, as we present the Lufkin Prize, we add a new name to a short list of truly exceptional teachers who stand out even among such esteemed company.”
Charlie Frankenbach P’12,’16, the Russel Murray Bigelow Teaching Chair, interim dean of faculty, and instructor in English, introduced Burchfield as his colleague, friend, and fellow Lufkin Prize recipient. “Since he came across town
“What it all boils down to is just how much fun it is to work here. How much I feel at home in this beautiful corner of the world and how plain old lucky I feel to be surrounded by funny, compassionate, smart, and willing young people day after day.”
—CHRIS BURCHFIELD P’08,’10,’18
from the other hilltop at Salisbury School in 1991, Mr. Burchfield has become much more than simply the Syrup Czar,” Frankenbach said, referring to Burchfield’s role leading a longstanding tradition of harvesting maple syrup at Hotchkiss. “Students will often find the classroom walls dissolving, as Chris Burchfield at times has students roaming campus and woods—and making syrup or pressing cider or identifying bird songs or flowers.”
Frankenbach shared quotes from Burchfield’s former students and players:
• “We can all strive to follow his unwavering example by finding deep value in the little things, caring for one another, and this place.”
• “He taught me to never stop wondering, to never stop sauntering, and most importantly, no matter how hard it might feel, to never stop appreciating.”
• “He inspired confidence in each of us. And that confidence didn’t just make us better lacrosse players, but better teammates and classmates. Better colleagues, better mentors. Better spouses. Better parents. Better people.”
Burchfield extended his “heartfelt gratitude” to Lufkin for his “generosity and devotion” to Hotchkiss. “Mr. Lufkin established this award as a reminder to us of just how shaping day-to-day development of character can be. I think we can all agree that is central to how we grow,” Burchfield said. He also thanked “thousands of alumni who sustain our School and provide the means for it to grow and prosper.”
Thanking the teachers in the crowd, he emphasized that the proverb “it takes a village” has never been more true than at Hotchkiss. “The proverb conveys the message that it takes many people, the village, to provide a safe, healthy
environment for children where they are given the security they need to develop and flourish. We are that village,” he said. “Having the opportunity to raise a family on this campus with all of you and many others has brought years of pleasure and lasting memories.” Burchfield’s family includes his wife, Director of Community Partnerships Caroline Kenny-Burchfield ’77, P’08,’10,’18, his sons Will ’10 and Nico, his daughters Alexandra ’08 and Caleigh ’18, and his grandson.
Burchfield ended the ceremony by inviting All-School Presidents Anji Ashaye ’24 and Jacquo Pierre ’24 on stage to lead the community in rhythmic claps in unison. “This is about unity. This is about togetherness,” Burchfield shouted. “Big blue on two! One, two, big blue!”
Head of School Holiday Honors Dan Lufkin ’49
Head of School Craig W. Bradley announced a Head of School Holiday on the evening of May 16 in honor of stalwart friend of Hotchkiss Dan Lufkin ’49, P’80,’82,’88,’23, Trustee Emeritus, recipient of the Alumni Award, and benefactor of the Lufkin Prize. Students thanked Lufkin in person at Frank House with applause, cheers, and a rousing rendition of Fair Hotchkiss.
CEREMONY
ALUMNI AWARD
Dr. Barbara Mahon ’78 Saves Lives as Infectious Disease Expert
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
DR. BARBARA MAHON ’78
received the Alumni Award, The Hotchkiss School’s highest honor, earlier this year. She used her time on the Katherine M. Elfers Hall stage to encourage students to pursue a career in public health, and she shared impactful stories of her work as an infectious disease epidemiologist and pediatrician.
Mahon has served in many roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including as acting director of the Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division. She now works at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as deputy director, surveillance and epidemiology, where she is focused on improving global surveillance for pandemics and on pandemic preparedness. She has broad experience in public health surveillance, outbreak response, epidemiological study design, and vaccines.
Mahon had just started working at the Gates Foundation when COVID-19 emerged, and she returned to the CDC to help with the organization’s response to the pandemic. She is now back at the Gates Foundation.
Head of School Craig W. Bradley said that Mahon was one of the first girls ever to be educated as a Hotchkiss student, arriving on campus in 1974 as one of only four prep girls. Bradley said Mahon’s classmates remember her clearly and read aloud some quotes, including one from Drew Roraback ’78, P’27: “She stood out as a model of focus and integrity. It did not take long for the community to recognize that Barbara would lead an impactful life in service to others.”
Robert Gould ’77 and Elizabeth Hines ’93, P’27, co-presidents of the Board of Trustees, applauded Mahon’s accomplishments. Hines noted that Mahon “has literally helped save millions of lives.”
Mahon led the CDC’s emergency response as incident manager during the emergence of the Omicron variant and helped establish the Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division. At the CDC, Mahon also served as director of the Division of Bacterial Diseases/National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; CDC lead for the Sierra Leone Trial to Introduce a Vaccine Against Ebola (STRIVE); associate director for antimicrobial resistance/Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases; and deputy chief of the Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch.
Mahon directed her attention to the students in the crowd.
“My time at Hotchkiss gave me a fantastic foundation to do consequential things in my career. You’re in a fantastic
position to go into the world and do consequential things that will matter to you.” Mahon urged students to consider a career in public health and shared stories from her work.
Mahon worked on the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which caused almost 30,000 cases and 11,000 deaths. “The CDC sponsored a trial in Sierra Leone, and I was the lead for that trial. It was very, very challenging,” she said. Her team vaccinated 6,000 people during the trial to compare disease rates and followed them carefully for six months. The vaccine is now part of the standard response to Ebola outbreaks, and “it’s been a game-changer.”
Mahon said she has worked extensively on COVID for the last four years. “I want to highlight one innovation that I think is pretty exciting, and that is wastewater surveillance,” she said, explaining that the virus can replicate in the intestines and is excreted in feces. “It turns out that screening wastewater can give you an early warning of increases in the levels of virus about a week earlier than you’ll see it in hospital visits,” she said, noting that it is possible to “test for new variants and find them about a week or so earlier than screening sick people.”
CEREMONY
Mahon emphasized that public health requires “a lot of different kinds of people,” from writers to microbiologists. “Consider public health because it will give you the chance to work on problems that really matter, are really interesting, and will give you the satisfaction of having been of service.”
Hotchkiss Honors Staff and Faculty, Presents New Award
THE ANNUAL ANNIVERSARY AWARDS
ceremony on April 30 honored staff and faculty members for their service and named the recipients of three awards. Campus Safety & Security Officer Jay Fails received the first-ever Safe, Seen, and Supported Award. Diana Jones, administrative assistant to college advising, received the Margot Hooker Award. Kristin Allyn P’18, associate director of the Cynthia White Children’s Center and preschool room head teacher, received the Robert and Candice Barker Staff Recognition Award. Milestone 25th anniversary honorees were Marc Dittmer, German program coordinator, instructor in German, and water safety instructor;
Carita Gardiner P’17,’20, Class of ’42 Teaching Chair, Lufkin Prize recipient, dean of the Class of 2025, instructor in English, and diving head coach; Tom Herold P’17,’20,’24, instructor in English; Chip Lilley Jr., mechanic; Nate Seidenberg,
Shannon Clark is New Dean of Faculty
HOTCHKISS WELCOMES Shannon Clark as the new dean of faculty, effective July 1, 2024.
The role of dean of faculty is a critical one, providing overall leadership for the faculty as well as the School’s academic program. Working with Associate Head of School Amber Douglas, Ph.D., Head of School Craig W. Bradley, Dean of Academic Life Richard Davis, and heads of departments, Clark is charged with leading innovative curricular efforts that align with the School’s academic mission. She will also be highly involved in the recruitment, retention, professional development, and evaluation of faculty.
Clark is a deeply experienced, data-driven, and culturally competent leader who will bring strong consultative skills to the position. She joins Hotchkiss from Noble and Greenough School where she has most recently served as the upper school director of studies. Prior to this role, she was director of the Academic Steering Committee for three years and served as head of the English Department for six years. She has been a member of the Disciplinary Committee and the Faculty Evaluation Redesign Committee. She has served as assistant coach to the girls varsity cross country team for
instructor in history and head coach of varsity and JV track and field; and Fabio Witkowski, the Joanne Eastman Sohrweide Chair, head of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, director of music technology, and instructor in piano.
the past 16 seasons, and she spent six years as a dormitory resident. Before joining Nobles, Clark held a variety of roles at Deerfield Academy from 1995 to 2008. She earned an M.A. in comparative literature from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a B.A. in music and English from Dartmouth College.
“I am so excited to come to Hotchkiss and join this wonderful community of educators committed to their craft, students, and learning. There is work to be done, and I am delighted to be a part of it,” Clark said.
“I am deeply grateful to all who served on the search committee and to those who expressed their own interest in the position,” Douglas said.” I also extend sincere thanks to Charlie Frankenbach P’12,’16 for his good work, counsel, and leadership as interim dean of faculty this year.”
Clark moved to Lakeville with her family this summer. She resides on campus with her husband, Greg, and the Hotchkiss community can anticipate seeing their three young adult sons making frequent visits.
VIEWING THE ECLIPSE
Gatherings in Lakeville and a Photography Field Trip to Totality
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
MEMBERS OF THE HOTCHKISS community viewed the partial solar eclipse from campus and Fairfield Farm on April 8, while a small group of photography students made the trek to Vermont to capture images and video of the stunning total eclipse.
Students, faculty, and staff gathered near Memorial Hall with protective glasses in hand beginning at 2:12 p.m. Everyone looked to the sky to watch the historic moment, with the greatest eclipse (94 percent) occurring at 3:36 p.m. Members of the Astronomy Club hosted the viewing party and provided glasses and telescopes.
“The Astronomy Club was thrilled to see the amount of people that came out to see the solar eclipse, as it was a big event for the scientific community. It was amazing to help plan this event and use our resources to allow our community to see this wonder safely and as clearly as possible. We loved to see the engagement from the community and can’t wait to host another event soon,” Astronomy Club Co-Heads Miranda Beitel ’25 and Henry Shattuck ’25 said.
“The two telescopes set up for the event showed excellent images until the clouds moved in before the maximum,” said Jeff LaCosse, instructor in physics. “There was a brief period after the maximum that we were able to see the solar images for about 10 minutes. Some were able to take cellphone pictures of the eclipse through the telescopes. The turnout was great, and it appeared everyone had a good time viewing the eclipse through the glasses and the telescopes.”
Photo by Ben Who ’24
MORE PHOTOS
At Fairfield Farm, students in an English class viewed the solar eclipse with Lambert Lecture guest speaker Ross Gay (see p. 23), who spoke to the community in the evening. “Around 3:20 p.m., the chickens started to hop up on their roosts and the starlings quieted their cackling. The light faded and a small group of students, family, and friends donned eclipse viewing glasses and gazed at the sun,” Fairfield Farm Manager Bridget Lawrence-Meigs said. “In the coolness and dusky light we waited in anticipation to see what 94 percent coverage would look and feel like. I almost expected time to stop, but instead I was aware of just how steadily time was moving forward—a strong, steady and unstoppable force— taking us all along for the ride.”
A small group of upper-level photography students traveled to Barton, VT on April 8 to capture awe-inspiring images of the total solar eclipse—a much different sight than the eclipse in Lakeville. The group included Daphne Barrett ’24, Phoebe Hackett ’24, Quisha Lee ’24, Ben Who ’24, Julia Widen ’24, Ella Yu ’24, and instructor Greg Lock P’24.
“The experience was great and truly special,” Julia said. “Although the journey was long and tiring, getting the chance to see such a rare natural phenomenon with such a clear and unobstructed view was unmatched. I think everyone walked away with at least one photo they were really proud of. With only roughly three and a half minutes of totality, it was definitely a time crunch to get photos and play around with various settings, so I learned how to photograph with pressure on for the first time!”
Quisha said, “At first doubtful of whether the seven-hour drive to Vermont for a mere four minutes of totality would be worth it, I did not expect much. Yet once Mr. Lock parked our bus and we began to set up our photography equipment, I could not help but feel a bit excited, if not inspired by all the visitors who were more than ready to witness the eclipse. The moment we first noticed a slight concealment of the sun, I photographed the eclipse’s progression by placing my solar viewers in front of my camera lens. As I compiled images of the
“As I compiled images of the eclipse, I felt as though I was experiencing the clockwork of the universe in the flesh.”
—QUISHA LEE ’24
eclipse, I felt as though I was experiencing the clockwork of the universe in the flesh. But whoever said photographs can’t capture the true beauty of things was right. I occasionally strayed from my camera and simply stared at the eclipse with solar viewers. I was in complete awe once totality struck, and all my initial doubts were gone.”
Above left: The Astronomy Club hosted an eclipse viewing party on the Hotchkiss campus. Above right: Upper-level photography students captured the total solar eclipse in Vermont.
Quisha Lee ‘24 photographed the total solar eclipse’s progression.
‘Our Dream Came True’
Hotchkiss Robotics Makes First-Ever Appearance at World Championship
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
FOUR YEARS AGO, a trio of preps were among the original seven founding members of the Hotchkiss Robotics Team. They had one dream: make it to the World Championship. Ben Ely ’24, Leo Wang ’24, and Spencer Humes ’24 helped the program grow exponentially throughout their time at Hotchkiss, and they were able to reach their goal in April as the Gearcats competed at Worlds for the first time.
“As seniors, this is a really good note to be going out on,” Ben said with a smile.
“Our dream came true,” Leo said. “When I was a prep, I couldn’t believe that we would end up being this good as a team to qualify at that level. It’s an amazing feeling, and we hope that this can leave a legacy of a strong engineering program at Hotchkiss.”
Spencer agreed, adding, “I think if we can
have a couple more seasons of this type of growth, it could be a real institution.”
The Hotchkiss Robotics Team has been competing for three years; and since no events were held during their inaugural season due to the pandemic, their trip to Texas for the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship is an incredible accomplishment. The event consisted of the top three percent of teams from across the United States and two territories, four Canadian provinces, and 27 countries.
Seven Gearcats represented Hotchkiss on the world stage: Ben, Spencer, Leo, Skyler DiMeola ’24, Miranda Beitel ’25, Oleh Shtunder ’25, and Jordan Almeida ’27. They placed 32nd in their division out of 56 teams from around the world and learned valuable lessons from more than 200 global teams
that participated in the tournament.
Bob Hickman P’25, coach and mentor of competitive FIRST Robotics and instructor in mathematics, said that competing in the World Championship provided a learning experience that is just difficult to replicate anywhere else. “Being there among the best programs from 27 countries, working closely with other STEM-impassioned students and mentors, and learning from the experiences of other teams and industry supporters has accelerated the development of the Hotchkiss robotics team by about three years,” he said.
At Worlds, the Gearcats piloted a large robot with 20188 emblazoned on its side for their team number. Ben explained that the competition starts with an “autonomous” period. “You can press one
button to turn the robot on, and then it has to score points on its own” by completing objectives, such as gathering items on the board. For the second portion, a team member takes control of the robot and drives it on the field.
“It’s interesting because each year it’s a totally different game with totally different rules and different elements, but the phases are the same,” Spencer said, noting that they learn the game’s rules at the start of the season. “Like any sport, the majority of the time is spent in preparation for the game.”
The Gearcats worked with other teams in alliances during their matches, which Ben enjoyed. “You need to find out how you can mesh your strategy with theirs. It’s really important to communicate with them before your match, which is a fun challenge,” he said. “It’s not only about working with them, but it’s also learning from them. We learned a lot about code and different concepts and methods.”
“The robotics program has really driven the expansion of 3D printing and materials in the EFX Lab.”
—BOB
HICKMAN, coach and mentor of Competitive FIRST Robotics and instructor in mathematics
Spencer said his favorite part was getting to meet all the other teams and seeing the community in person. “I learned so many mechanical lessons, but also learned lots about time management and how to maintain a focused single topic schedule. It gave me the opportunity to really focus on just one thing, which helped me learn how to navigate a new kind of schedule.”
Leo agreed that Worlds was an unforgettable experience.
“It’s not often I encounter 600 individuals who share my interests. Throughout the event, I eagerly engaged with other teams, delving into their problem-solving strategies, and even spoke with a NASA engineer in the exhibition booth,” he said.
”My most cherished dialogue was with a programmer from a San Diego team, later crowned world champions, who generously unveiled the intricacies of their software, from low-level protocols to vision systems.”
The team applauds its access to top-ofthe-line equipment in Hotchkiss’s Class of 2017 Engineering, Fabrication, and Exploration (EFX) Lab. “The robotics program has really driven the expansion of 3D printing and materials in the EFX Lab,” Hickman said.
“I think a sign of a strong program is one that improves year after year,” he continued. “This team has definitely done that. And I predict that the robots you see coming from Hotchkiss next year are going to be completely different than anything that came before.”
Hotchkiss Robotics is launching a community service drive to recycle laptops for robotics teams in underserved communities across Connecticut and other regions. The team is also looking for alumni who are knowledgeable about engineering and technology to advise students via Zoom in the fall or winter. To donate equipment or advise students, please contact Bob Hickman at rhickman@hotchkiss.org.
Hotchkiss Debaters Compete at Worlds
Meilan Antonucci ’24 Earns Fourth Place
FOUR MEMBERS OF THE HOTCHKISS speech and debate team traveled to Canberra, Australia, to participate in the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship in April. Meilan Antonucci ’24 was the fourth overall speaker at the competition and the top American speaker. Meilan’s finish was the highest for a Hotchkiss speaker in almost 20 years at this event.
The event, hosted by the Canberra Girls Grammar School, featured 120 students from around the world competing in four events over six days. Each participant had to practice a reading, write and memorize a speech, and prepare for two extemporaneous events. For the four Hotchkiss debaters, it was the culmination of a year of hard work and dedication in debating and public speaking competitions in the DANEIS league and the international IISPSC tournament.
Co-captains Ben Who ’24 and Meilan participated in Worlds for the second time, having traveled to Durban, South Africa, last spring. This year they were joined by Isaiah Stephens ’25 and Maadhavan Prasanna ’25. All four performed well in the two preliminary rounds of the competition. Ben advanced to the finals in Parliamentary Debate, Isaiah made the finals in Parliamentary Debate and Persuasive Speaking, and Meilan made the finals in three of the four events: Parliamentary Debate, Persuasive Speaking, and Impromptu. In addition to his three finals, Meilan was the top speaker in the Parliamentary Debate preliminaries and came in sixth in the Impromptu preliminaries.
“The main difference between my first and second trips to Worlds was the amount of confidence I carried into the tournament. Coming off a very successful year in New England, I had more faith in myself and my
preparation than I did the year before. Also, I knew how to prepare this time around and spent much more time working with coaches to perfect the two prepared categories,” said Meilan, who will study political theory and constitutional democracy at Michigan State University. “Although finishing
fourth at Worlds was the result of a single tournament, it feels as if it has been four years in the making. Waking up early on Sundays and hustling from sports practice to debate practice made my finish possible. It makes me tremendously proud that I could represent Hotchkiss so well, and I’m grateful for all of the time and resources that the School has given me.”
Meilan thanked David Conti P’18,’22, head of the Classical and Modern Languages Department and instructor in classics, and Thomas Fisher, instructor in history, philosophy, religion, and the Hersey Scholars Program, “for all the time and energy they give to the team. Without them coaching us multiple nights per week and accompanying us on trips around the world, none of our success would be possible.”
Conti said, “The experience of traveling to Australia and competing with accomplished debaters from more than a dozen countries was exciting and instructive for all of the members of the Hotchkiss team. They also had a chance to see Canberra, the capital of Australia. Maadhavan and Isaiah are already thinking about how they can qualify for Worlds next spring.”
From left: Ben Who ’24, Isaiah Stephens ’25, Meilan Antonucci ’24, and Maadhavan Prasanna ’25
Meilan Antonucci ’24 spoke at the Baccalaureate ceremony on May 30.
From Rock to Pop, Student Band MB140 Shares Love of Music at School Events
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
MEMBERS OF STUDENT BAND
MB140 aim to “reinforce a love and appreciation of live music at Hotchkiss” through spectacular performances in Walker Auditorium, Ford Food Court, and on the front steps of Main Building. Their concerts, which have increased in frequency this year, feature songs from all genres and decades.
The group—named after their rehearsal space in Main Building—formed in fall 2022 when Giancarlo Mendoza ’23 recruited Julia Cooper ’25 on bass, Nate Harrison ’24 on keyboard, and Eva Lependorf ’24 on drums for performances in All-School Meetings with revolving singers, horn players, and string musicians. Prior to his graduation, Giancarlo emphasized his passion for music and his drive to share it with the Hotchkiss community. “This is my way of leaving my footprint at the School,” he said. Giancarlo indeed left his mark. MB140 is now a staple in All-School Meetings and has
expanded its schedule to the Dorm Festival, Revisit Days, the Spring Fling dance hosted by Blue & White, the launch of Ford Food Court, the Student Music Showcase, and many other School events.
Sitting in the MB140 classroom, Julia, Nate, and guitarist Will McGee ’24 reflected on the group’s rapid growth. “We spend a lot of time here,” Julia said, looking around the room. “It’s become a part of the band to an extent.”
“We treat the band with just as much importance as a co-curricular,” Nate said, emphasizing that they strive to enhance the professionalism of their performances through lighting and sound. Their concerts require a lot of preparation, and juggling schedules can be challenging. The band continues to feature many singers, such as Addie Cirulus ’25, Isamar Martinez ’24, Noah Scarano ’24, and Nick Baratta ’24. Daniel Qu ’25 also plays drums, and Driseth Anderson ’25 helps with equipment, sound, and mixing. “He does it all,” Nate says.
Will, a postgraduate, said MB140 “helped me meet new people.” He is also “grateful for the support we get from the student body; it’s growing stronger as the year’s gone on.”
MB140 launched a new club this year— the Hotchkiss Student Band Association— to coordinate its extensive list of concerts and performers. The club “supports student musicians in their performance endeavors at Hotchkiss while also creating a collaborative space for students to try new things and grow and showcase their talents.” They thanked faculty advisor Derek Brashears, director of theatre, for “facilitating all that we do,” Julia said.
They choose their setlists based on the “audience and vibe of the performance,” Nate said. All band members share song ideas, and Julia noted they have a “master document with every song we’ve ever thought of playing.” Some of this year’s MB140 performances include: Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” Wolfmother’s “Joker and the Thief,” Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life,” Foo Fighters’s “Everlong,” REO Speedwagon’s “Roll with the Changes,” Maroon 5’s “This Love,” Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way.”
Julia will be the only core member of MB140 remaining next year. While she will miss her fellow musicians, she is excited for the band’s future. “I think the most important thing is the culture that we’ve been able to build this year around MB140 that will keep us going long into the future, even after all of us are gone,” Julia said. “There’s nothing like it. I don’t think anything compares to that feeling when we’re on stage doing what we love and sharing it with everyone.”
MB140 performed at an All-School Meeting with Isamar Martinez ’24 on vocals, Will McGee ’24 on guitar, Julia Cooper ’25 on bass, and Nate Harrison ’24 on drums.
Guest Speakers Inspire Students Thanks to Generous Alumni and Families
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
Nalen Lecturer Shares Art of Writing
“W HAT IS THE BEST ADVICE you can give to young writers?” a student asked Dr. Priscilla Gilman, the guest speaker of the Nalen Writing Program, during her lecture earlier this year.
“I published my first book when I was 40, so it’s all about playing the long game,” Gilman said with a laugh. “Watch movies. Go to the theater. Consume as much great art as you possibly can. Don’t shut yourself out.”
Gilman, author of the memoirs The Anti-Romantic Child and The Critic’s Daughter, spoke to a full crowd of lower mids during her evening lecture. She also attended English classes and offered guidance to students, who were in the process of writing short essays for their Daily Themes unit. Gilman formerly taught English at Yale University, where she was an instructor in the original Daily Themes course, and at Vassar College.
Gilman said she understood that it can be frustrating to be constrained by a writing prompt for Daily Themes. “Part of what I’m doing when I’m working with you in class and what I hope to do tonight is show you how to make a prompt—whether it’s a line of literature or a question to consider—your friend.”
She read excerpts from her books, shared stories about her writing process, and discussed her own journey from analytical writing to creative writing. Her friend, who is a literary agent, told her to “bring your academic training together with what’s going on with your life. That’s where the idea for my first book came from.”
She then answered many questions from students. Regarding being vulnerable in her writing, Gilman said to just get the words down on paper. “Be mindful listeners to each other. Honor each other’s vulnerability and create that safe space.” To help remember moments from her childhood, she focused on “music, smells, and photographs.” When writing a memoir, she emphasized to “remember that it’s your truth.”
A student asked how to keep the quality of their one-page Daily Themes essays consistent. “Don’t stretch it. Don’t pad it. Once you start writing, you’ll find it hard to stop. Set a time limit if it helps you,” she said. “All good writing is rewriting. It’s all about revision.”
Preston Lecturers Discuss Supreme Court Case: Three Borders and a Treaty on the Western Frontier
HOTCHKISS WELCOMED Preston Lecture speakers Steve Small and Kyle Gray on April 25. The two attorneys from Montana discussed representing Clayvin Herrera in Herrera v. Wyoming, a Supreme Court case upholding Native American hunting and land rights under the Treaty of Fort Laramie. They also spoke about the case and their careers with Hotchkiss students in Ethics, Honors Supreme Court, and U.S. History classes.
Indigenous students Avery Doran ’24 and Bella Bigelow ’24 introduced both speakers. “The effort of the Herrera v. Wyoming case is something we hold close to our hearts as similar instances regarding hunting and land rights in general have affected our personal communities back home,” Avery said.
“It is important to honor and respect treaties such as the Treaty of Fort Laramie as these agreements have preserved the rights of indigenous people who have occupied the land and territory far before anyone else,” Bella said.
The Nalen Writing Program was established by Skip Nalen ’48, P’79, GP’13,’15 as a gift to the School in appreciation of the writing instruction generations of graduates have received at Hotchkiss. Visiting Nalen writers inspire students and instructors in the art and practice of writing.
Preston Lecture speakers Steve Small, left, and Kyle Gray visited Hotchkiss in April.
Gray kicked off the lecture. “We’re going to take you essentially through a story of our fight along with many Indian partners to overturn a case, Ward v. Race Horse, which was decided in 1896 by the U.S. Supreme Court and basically stripped Indian nations of their treaty rights to hunt off their reservations. So it’s been a long fight.”
Their visit relates to this year’s All-School Read, Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera, and Ward said they saw an overlap between the book and Herrera v. Wyoming. “We’re talking here about the borders between the federal government, which owns the U.S. forest lands, and the state of Wyoming, which is a sovereign state in Western United States. And then the fact that a treaty clause makes treaties the supreme law of the land.”
Toward the end of the lecture, the crowd applauded when the speakers shared their victory in Herrera v. Wyoming in 2019 on the supremacy of treaty hunting rights.
“Herrera, whether it was coincidental or not, seemed to start this crescendo of cases—federal Indian law cases—that have had significant import across the board for tribes,” Small said.
“We think this dispute is done, but you never can be 100 percent certain,” Gray said. “It’s been really a good five years or so for Indian rights being upheld in the U.S. Supreme Court.”
The Edward B. Preston ’79 History Speakers Fund was established in 1986 by Ted Preston’s family following his death. In 1991, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Preston Jr. P’75,’79 and their son and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Preston III ’75, added additional funds. This endowed fund has been used to bring practicing historians to campus to give lectures and participate in classroom discussions.
Lambert Lecturer Incites Joy Through Poems and Essays
“R
OSS GAY’S LANGUAGE dances on the page like fireflies in the summertime,” Rett Zeigler ’24 said while introducing this year’s Lambert Fund guest speaker on April 8. “He touches on emotions we might not have realized we need to feel, relates to us in ways we haven’t imagined, and gives us the courage to share our own stories—something I never planned to do until I encountered his work.”
That message of inspiration carried throughout the evening as Gay, an award-winning poet and essayist, read from his works and answered questions about his writing process. Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude. He has also released three collections of essays: The Book of Delights; Inciting Joy; and his newest collection, The Book of (More) Delights
“Students in creative writing have had the pleasure of diving deep into Ross Gay’s work this year, and we’ve tried to adopt his techniques of seeing, really observing, and studying what’s all around us on a daily basis,” Jacquo Pierre ’24 said during his introduction. “We come to class ready to share what we’ve noticed, which Ross Gay reminds us are often lovely, common among us, and possibly delightful.”
Gay took the stage and read poems and essays from his collected works before taking questions from the audience. One student asked how he remembers all of the details from his life for his books, and he explained that he’s “filling out the frame” when he adds elements that he can’t recall. “I do think writing these things down is a way of planting them in your memory.”
Does he want to evoke specific feelings in readers? “I don’t expect anyone to feel a way about something that I’m writing. Having written as much as I have, now I know that if something moves me or something makes me feel a certain kind of way, there’s a good chance that’s going to translate to someone else. It’s not going to be exact at all, of course, right? Because we have different experiences.”
He talked about writer’s block, which a student brought up in one of the classes he visited earlier in the day. “The older I get, the less interested I am in having my ‘own voice’ and the more interested I am in being effusively all the voices that have made me.”
The Lambert Fund was established in 1981 by Paul C. Lambert ’46 and his wife, Mary, in memory of their son, Christopher Lambert ’76, who died in 1979. The fund brings writers of prose and poetry to Hotchkiss to work with students in the English Department and offer an evening for the community.
Lambert Lecturer Ross Gay spoke with students after his talk.
PAUSE AWHILE
Parth
Jain ’24
Showcases Rare Books from School’s Collection
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
PAUSE AWHILE: A RARE BOOKS EXHIBIT
was curated by Parth Jain ’24 this spring and featured many examples from Hotchkiss’s Rare Books Collection, which preserves more than 1,200 volumes in addition to numerous graphics, maps, and folios.
“To me, the most valuable aspect of a rare literature collection is that each work conveys a unique story: an ancient empire, a religious tale, a modern novel—or the story of Hotchkiss,” Parth wrote in the exhibit’s introduction. “I personally discovered the Rare Books Collection
while doing research for an English essay on Paradise Lost. Any student can take advantage of a book located in the vault by scheduling an appointment with the curator of special collections.”
The Rare Books Collection vault holds a “particularly strong” set of materials from the 18th to late 19th centuries, as well as literature of the Americas and Western Europe. One of the most precious items in the vault is a leaf of the Gutenberg Bible (1450-1455). Prefacing the work is an essay by American author A. Edward Newton called A Noble Fragment. “Much of Newton’s commentary speaks to the value of rare literature, reflected through the quotes on the walls (all of which are extracted from the essay),” Parth wrote.
“Marveling at a monumental piece of history, Newton’s first few words offer one piece of advice to the reader: ‘Pause awhile.’”
Many volumes in the vault belonged to George Van Santvoord, Class of 1908, and
Hotchkiss headmaster from 1926 to 1955.
Van Santvoord owned the first edition of Hobbes’s Leviathan now in the School’s collection. His name and address is written in pencil inside Leviathan’s front cover, and his handwritten notes are found in this and other books in the collection.
Joan Baldwin P’03, curator of special collections, said, “Parth has been working on this exhibit since last year. A longtime visitor to the School’s Rare Book Collection, in his spare time he’s done a lot of close looking, reading, and studying. Last fall, he selected the books, and after winter break, he designed the space and worked with a graphic designer.”
“I had always been fascinated by the materials in the Special Collections, and this was an opportunity to showcase a part of Hotchkiss that often goes unnoticed by the community,” Parth said. “I would like to thank the Hotchkiss facilities staff for helping set up the exhibit, as well as Ms. Baldwin for guiding me throughout the curation process. This was Hotchkiss’s first rare books exhibit in a while, but it hopefully won’t be the last.”
READ Q&A
Students Share Presentations at Science Night
STUDENTS SHOWCASED incredible projects during Science Night on May 28. Electric guitars, 3D-printed objects, a composting station, a hose component to help water crops at Fairfield Farm, and more filled the A. Whitney Griswold Science Building. Sawyer Dillon ’24 built a small-scale Hotchkiss-decorated car as part of a senior engineering elective. It can reach speeds of 20 miles per hour, runs on gas, and has working headlights.
Hotchkiss Breaks State Record with Spring Blood Drive
HOTCHKISS IS NOW THE SCHOOL with the state’s largest blood collection in a single drive. St. Luke’s Society hosted its spring blood drive on April 18 and collected a goal-crushing 89 pints, enough to save up to 267 lives.
Julia Widen ’24 led her fifth and final blood drive at Hotchkiss, and says she is “so proud and thankful for everyone who showed up to make it such a success.” She said they had more student donors than ever, and she hopes they now will become lifelong donors.
Julia credits the Red Cross with helping Hotchkiss exceed its goal by adding extra staff members to the drive. “This made a
huge difference in reducing the wait time for donors,” she said. “I am also so thankful to all of the student volunteers who dedicated their time to manning registration, helping donors walk to the rest area, and so on, and to the faculty who donated baked goods that helped make such a positive experience for donors after giving. It was definitely our best drive yet, and it was made possible by the sacrifice of all who participated.”
Throughout Julia’s tenure, blood drives at Hotchkiss have yielded a total of 347 pints of blood, which can save up to 1,041 lives. Clemmie Morlock ’26 will be the lead organizer for the fall blood drive and beyond.
PHOTOS
GRANDPARENTS DAY 2024
The Hotchkiss community extended a big Bearcat welcome to more than 170 visitors during Grandparents Day on April 20! Our guests attended classes, enjoyed musical performances, cheered on our athletic teams, and—most important of all—spent time with their grandchildren.
VIEW PHOTOS
Nathaniel (Tate) Klacsmann ’01 shared marbling and linocut techniques with students.
Alumnus Returns to Campus to Share Artistic Techniques
THE TREMAINE ART GALLERY’S spring exhibition, Dialogue: Art in Conversation, featured works by Nathaniel (Tate) Klacsmann ’01 and Valerie Hammond. Both artists worked with studio art students—Klacsmann shared marbling and linocut techniques, and Hammond taught a bookbinding project.
English Students Host Third LiT Conference to Discuss Literary Essays
HARRIS HOUSE WAS PACKED for the third annual Literature in Time (LiT) Conference on Sunday, April 7. Students in Dr. Katie Fleishman’s honors senior English class organized, hosted, and moderated the four-hour event.
Members of the class selected 12 student essays on authors like Zora Neale Hurston, T.S. Eliot, and Mary Shelley to read during panels on façade, form, and friction. They collected essay submissions from upper mids and seniors in various Hotchkiss English classes and then narrowed the anonymized pool down to a dozen papers. They worked closely with the student panelists to revise their work and prepare for the conference.
The event offered a chance for meaningful, spontaneous academic dialogue amongst peers outside the bounds of graded assignments.
Keynote speaker Anne Meadows, publishing director at Picador Books, addressed the crowd to end the evening and focused on the three major steps of publishing: acquisition, editing, and
release. Meadows then spoke about the publishing industry during an All-School Meeting on April 9. Her presentation was about the literary canon, and in particular the role of the editor versus the public in determining what works of art become canonized. Meadows highlighted the impact of social media, or “BookTok,” on sales
today, but she also stressed the enduring qualities of great literature that sometimes only emerge into full recognition a generation or more after a work is published. The LiT Conference is generously supported by the Class of 1963 English Endowment and the Richard P. Towne ’17 Lecture Fund.
Valerie Hammond
Photo by Jami Huang ’25
Dozens of New Eco Day Workshops Focus on Environmental Stewardship
BY ETHAN CHOI ’26
IN UNPREDICTABLE APRIL SHOWERS, community members participated in the 28th annual Eco Day, organized by Students for Environmental Action Club (SEA), Jenn Rinehart, instructor in environmental science, and Jennifer Likar, instructor in biology.
This year, the Eco Day committee made significant changes to past programming. Rather than being randomly assigned to activities with their advisory groups, students chose from a variety of workshops based on their interests. Events included a keynote speech by Dr. Jacquelyn Gill, bookended by dozens of morning and afternoon workshops and activities led by faculty, staff, and students.
Official Eco Day programming began on the evening of April 17 with an environmental trivia game led by the Quiz Bowl club and a debate on climate change led by the Republicans, Democrats, and Hotchkiss Political Union. On April 18, students were required to choose one activity from among Sunrise Sessions,
Morning Moments, and Afternoon Awesomeness, including a tour of the Biomass Facility, beekeeping and chicken butchery at Fairfield Farm, riverfront restoration, poetry, fabric art, mountain biking trail maintenance, and much more.
SEA board members worked closely with faculty advisors and student clubs to organize the workshops. Nick Chang ’24, co-head of SEA, said, “I think our board did an excellent job adding varied opportunities, including service and education, to our workshop catalog. None of it could have been done without a group effort within the organizing team and from the School community.”
Following the morning sessions, the community welcomed Gill, an internationally recognized paleontologist and associate professor of the Climate Change Institute and the School of Biology and Ecology at the University of Maine in Orono, where she directs the BEAST (Biodiversity and Environments Across Space and Time) lab. In her
Left: Students learned about beekeeping at Fairfield Farm.
Below: The community toured the Biomass Facility, which supplies 95 percent of the energy used for heat and hot water on campus.
keynote presentation Think Like a Musk Ox: Fighting Climate Despair Like an Ice Age Survivor, Dr. Gill shared her research on paleoclimatology and recounted stories from her Arctic exploration where, working with ivory hunters, she studied animals and plants recovered from melted permafrost.
Rinehart said, “It’s crucial that we know the facts about climate change and understand the system that supports our existence on this planet. At the same time, we must move beyond anxiety, despair, and polarizing rhetoric to accept our responsibility as stewards. There are solutions and there is hope. The goal of Eco Day needs to be centered on educating our community. Then we can all be empowered to take meaningful steps forward.”
A version of this article originally appeared in The Hotchkiss Record.
VIEW PHOTOS
$956,235 RAISED
Grateful Bearcats enjoyed an intergalactic experience at lunch for Thank-a-Donor Day on May 16. The Ford Food Court was filled with cosmic decorations and swag to celebrate that Hotchkiss donors are out of this world! Students, faculty, and staff wrote notes of thanks to donors of The Hotchkiss Fund, which covers 13 percent of every Hotchkiss experience.
GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSSE
Bearcats Earn National Spotlight and Three-Peat League Victory
BY SHAAN PATEL ’27
THE GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE team earned a three-peat victory as Founders League champions and Founders League Tournament winners after defeating Taft, 10-3. They also climbed the national rankings to ninth place and enjoyed a 14-1 season.
New Head Coach Brittany Giacco led the team to victory. Giacco succeeds former Head Coach Anna Traggio P’20,’22,’26, who coached the team for the last 21 years.
Traggio posted an overall record of 188 wins, 54 losses, and only one tie. Traggio led the team to nine Founders League titles, three Founders League Tournament titles, and three Western New England championships. She coached more than 19 All-Americans, including her daughter, former captain Ellie Traggio ’22, who earned the honor in 2021 and 2022.
“Ms. Giacco has stepped right into the head coaching position effortlessly. She adds a new level of intensity and dedication to the team,” said co-captain Etta Coburn ’24. “She fosters a positive environment in which we can learn while having fun. It is inspiring to see Coach Giacco getting comfortable with her new role.”
The team continues to follow its philosophy of “HTR,” or “hold the rope.” As a mountain climber would for a teammate belaying down a cliff, no matter how the rope might burn their palms, a true teammate will never let go. Etta said, “This philosophy encourages us to support and motivate one another on our best and worst days. The trust it has created on the team will play a large role in our success.”
Only four seniors graduated last year, and most of last year’s players returned. The team picked up where it left off last season
with big wins against rivals Taft and Nobles. Co-captain Zoe Bye ’24 said, “We started off the season unranked, but our win against these strong teams gave us a national spotlight. Nobles was one of our three losses last year and it felt amazing to beat them.”
The win against Nobles placed the team in the USA Lacrosse Magazine national rankings, which are updated weekly by professional sports writers with input from coaches around the country. Initially ranked as 15th, the team climbed to ninth in the nation in May, ahead of both Nobles and Sacred Heart.
Co-captain Avery Doran ’24 said that winning the Founders League title for the third consecutive season was “our greatest goal.” She credits the team’s “depth” for achieving their goal.
Coach Giacco said, “The girls are competing hard every day they step onto Downing Field. My goal is to make each practice harder than any of our games, so it’s easier to face off against opponents. A lot of the work is done by the girls getting in reps every day.” Giacco applauded the drive of the girls for their victory.
A version of this article originally appeared in The Hotchkiss Record.
The girls varsity lacrosse team posed for a photo after winning the Founders League Tournament for the third straight year.
THE VARSITY SAILING TEAM earned second place at the New England Team & Fleet Racing Championship and fourth place at the National Team Race Championship.
The GIRLS VARSITY GOLF TEAM and GIRLS VARSITY TENNIS TEAM are Founders League Champions. The tennis team earned the title for its second straight year.
The BOYS AND GIRLS JV TENNIS TEAMS both enjoyed undefeated seasons.
Individual Athletes Shine on Field, Course, and Rock Wall
Sienna Hwang ’27—with a 36 (-1)—and Jake Doherty ’26—with an even par of 71—won the girls varsity golf and boys varsity golf Founders League Tournament Medalist titles.
Avery Doran ’24 Heads to Worlds, Wins Noteworthy National Lacrosse Award
FOLLOWING A THREE-PEAT
Founders League victory (see p. 30), girls varsity lacrosse co-captain Avery Doran ’24 will represent the Haudenosaunee Nationals U20 women’s lacrosse team at the 2024 U20 World Lacrosse Championships in Hong Kong in August. She also received the national Tewaaraton Haudenosaunee Scholarship for lacrosse excellence and academic achievement. It is recognized as the preeminent lacrosse award and is awarded annually to a male and female student from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy—the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora Nations. Avery is a member of the Bear Clan of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. “I believe that lacrosse can unify and that it can change the world,” she wrote in her scholarship application essay.
Along with 129 climbers from 20 nations, Eliott Hu ’25 qualified and competed in the 2024 IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup in Salt Lake City May 7-8. Climbing at the Momentum Millcreek gym, Eliott placed 11th in his category.
Jackson Powell ’26 won the high jump at the Founders League track and field meet.
Bearcats Earn All-Season Athletic Awards
THERE WERE MANY REASONS to roar as Hotchkiss athletes were honored with 2023-24 all-season athletic awards during a special ceremony on May 29. “This year’s new format allows us to celebrate our athletes and the strength of our athletic program as a whole,” Head of School Craig W. Bradley told the audience. “To our athletes and coaches, we cannot thank you enough for your dedication to your athletes and teams, your sportsmanship, and your love of the game.”
New Book Outlines
The History of Golf at Hotchkiss
BILL ARMISTEAD ’71 HAS WRITTEN
The History of Golf at Hotchkiss, which was published at the end of June. The book shares the story of the School, its golf course, and some of those who played it, as well as the architectural design principles passed down by mentors and of how three men shaped not only the layout at Hotchkiss but of golf courses across the nation.
In the fall of 1923, celebrated golf course architect Seth Raynor—a protégé of C.B. Macdonald—made his way to Hotchkiss and sketched a plan for a nine-hole layout. The History of Golf at Hotchkiss explores Raynor’s decision to temporarily set aside his mammoth project at Yale to design a course for Hotchkiss. It celebrates the best boys and girls golf teams to have competed at the School and notes some Hotchkiss alumni who played club golf on the course.
The book also shares the inspiring stories of Charles Banks, a beloved Hotchkiss teacher who joined Raynor to design and build golf courses, and a former student who won the 1929 U.S. Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach.
Head of School Craig W. Bradley hands Bri Rockwood ’24 the John W. Cooper Hockey Award.
Photo by Robin Chandler ’87.
VIEW AWARDS
Davyn De Jongh ’24 and Eleanor Helm ’25, second and third from left, received the Basketball Award. Dean Hogans ’25, left, and Angel Allen ’24, right, received the Basketball Prize.
Photo by Warren Edwards ’27.
Students Curate First AAPI Exhibition: Growing From Our Guiding Roots
BY DARRYL GANGLOFF
THE FIRST-EVER ASIAN AMERICAN and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month student art and writing exhibition, Growing From Our Guiding Roots, was displayed in Main Building through the month of May. Curators Albert Chen ’26 and Phoenix Feng ’25 gathered paintings, photos, drawings, poems, and text from their peers and showcased their work in an interactive exhibit.
“Through brushstrokes, words, and mark making, each creative composes a piece that describes their personal identity, which inevitably, in subtle or loud ways, is uniquely tied to their cultural heritage,” the pair wrote in their curator’s notes. “As artists and writers, we are guided by and grow from our roots, but we will not remain rooted in one spot.”
The following students shared their work for the exhibition: Hanna Sun ’24, Katie Yang ’25, Phoenix Feng ’25, Anthony Hu ’25, Ophelia Cham ’25, Jami Huang ’25, Albert Chen ’26, Ella Yin ’26, Lindsay Miao ’26, Remy Lee ’26, Emma Liu ’26, Olivia Kwon ’26, Lauren Niem ’26, and Lucas Juneja ’26.
Phoenix explained that the Pan-Asian Affinity Group created a display in the Edsel Ford Memorial Library last year that featured student photography, writing,
and more. “I wanted to expand on that and bring it to the Main Hallway in an intentional order,” she said.
Albert said, “I wanted to help spotlight AAPI artists. I have noticed a large demand among my AAPI peers to display work, and I wanted to help fill that desire. I was happy to help spotlight their work because they’re all so talented. We want to encourage AAPI creativity.”
“We want to have diversity in terms of what art means to people,” Phoenix said, walking past colorful paintings and black-and-white photographs. She pointed toward two books on pedestals by Albert and Emma Lui ’26. “We highlighted writing that you can pick up to experience through sight and touch,” she said.
Albert nodded, adding, “We wanted to make this an engaging experience for the viewer.”
Albert and Phoenix plan to curate this AAPI exhibition again next year. “I can’t wait to see how it evolves over time,” Phoenix said.
The curators thank Terri Moore, Joan Baldwin P’03, Greg Lock P’24, Rosemary Davis, Kelly Lorraine, Kim Gnerre, Charles Godfrey, William Kearns, Pierre Yoo P’21,’23, Nora Yasumura, and Ella Yu ’24 for their help creating the exhibition.
AAPI Speaker Discusses Pan-Asian Experience
Educator Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee, an outreach specialist and faculty member at Seattle Girls’ School, was Hotchkiss’s featured speaker for AAPI Heritage Month. She spoke about the Pan-Asian experience in independent schools at an All-School Meeting on May 14. She also participated in a Pan-Asian affinity space, joined an intercultural communication class, and engaged in a community workshop and DEI faculty training session.
Albert Chen ’26 and Phoenix Feng ’25 curated Growing From Our Guiding Roots.
The Heart of My Home: Washing Dishes in the Kitchen Ballroom by Albert Chen ’26
Seder Celebration
Hillel hosted a Seder in celebration of Passover on April 22. All members of the Hotchkiss community were invited, and everyone in attendance enjoyed a delicious meal.
Creating Connections During Black History Month
HOTCHKISS CELEBRATED Black History Month in February with a focus on the Harlem Renaissance. Students hosted the second Black Link of Independent Schools Summit (BLISS) to create connections, build community, and foster friendships among Black students from New England boarding schools. Keynote speaker Dr. Nicholas Gaffney, assistant professor at the United States Naval Academy, took the stage to discuss “A Tale of Two Harlems” and answer questions from students. The Stride Trio performed an evening of jazz inspired by the Harlem Renaissance. The Hotchkiss Black Student Union also hosted events throughout the month, including a week of recognition, a crafting activity, an art exhibition curated by Jacquo Pierre ’24 and Angel Allen ’24, and more.
Women’s History Month Speaker Asks,
“What’s Your Superpower?”
IN
CELEBRATION OF Women’s History Month, Hotchkiss welcomed scholar and author Dr. Khalilah L. Brown-Dean as a guest speaker. She shared messages about identity, outlined her path through education, and highlighted the many contributions of women throughout history “who could create opportunity and spaces where others couldn’t imagine.” She ended her talk with a question for the crowd of students: “What’s your superpower and how will you use it?” Brown-Dean is associate provost for faculty affairs and professor of political science at Quinnipiac University. She is host of the award-winning Disrupted for Connecticut Public Radio and author of Identity Politics in the United States
Students Present at Troutbeck Symposium
AGROUP OF HOTCHKISS students represented the School at the third annual Troutbeck Symposium in Amenia, NY. Middle and high school students from 15 regional public and independent schools gathered at the student-led historical education forum on May 2 to listen, present, and discuss findings of their original research and art projects uncovering local histories of communities of color and other historically marginalized groups.
Black History Month keynote speaker Dr. Nicholas Gaffney, left, spoke with students and teachers.
Many Hotchkiss students presented their work at the Troutbeck Symposium, including Richard Lu ’24 and Danielle Attoh ’25. Photo by Joshua Simpson.
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF
YEARS AGO ON SEPT. 10, 1974,
FIFTY
88 pioneers passed through Scoville Gate and transformed Hotchkiss forever. These trailblazing women in the Classes of 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978 ushered in a new era of women and girls at Hotchkiss, changing the face and trajectory of the School.
Throughout the 2024-25 academic year, Hotchkiss will reflect on the inspiring legacy of these pioneers, pay tribute to the achievements of girls who followed in their footsteps, and gratefully acknowledge the female faculty, trustees, and alumnae who helped boldly steer the School forward. With this nod to the past, we also look to the future, illuminating ways to approach and embrace the future of a diverse and inclusive Hotchkiss.
Programming throughout the 2024-25 academic year will include community-building conversations that engage students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Other elements will encompass student research, classroom work, alumni events, performances, and physical and digital exhibits—including a documentary film.
We hope you will join us in celebrating this important milestone in the School’s history. We look forward to welcoming alumni back to campus as we embark upon a year of commemoration and discovery.
SAVE THE DATES
FOR ON-CAMPUS EVENTS
SEPTEMBER: HONORING OUR PIONEERS By invitation only
This special event will welcome the women who matriculated 50 years ago back to campus.
OCT. 18-20: ATHLETIC REUNION WEEKEND
This long weekend will celebrate the past 50 years in sports for our female athletes and coaches. A group of athletic alumnae are planning events and activities to acknowledge the 50 years since Hotchkiss female athletes were awarded their first varsity letters. Programming will include team reunions, reconnecting with former coaches, meeting current student athletes, and much more.
MAY 2-3: 50TH GALA
This culminating event will welcome all alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff. In addition to celebratory elements such as an alumni parade and an all-alumni dinner to celebrate 50 years of women and girls at Hotchkiss, the weekend will also include symposiumstyle presentations of student research, art, and other works. We anticipate screening the documentary and cheering on our sports teams at home.
More information will follow closer to the events, and we hope you will join us!
Please note that hotel accommodations fill up quickly. View a list of local accommodations at www.hotchkiss.org/visit.
STAY CONNECTED WITH WOMEN OF HOTCHKISS
Purchase Women of Hotchkiss clothing and accessories at womenofhotchkissshop.org @womenofhotchkiss
Women of Hotchkiss group
On the evening before classes commenced in September 1974, the campus was abuzz with excitement. For the first time since the School’s founding more than eight decades prior, 88 female voices were among those singing Fair Hotchkiss at Convocation.
CHANGE
Inaugural Alumnae Panel Highlights Power of Women
Fast forward, and as the 50th anniversary of girls and women at Hotchkiss nears, shining a spotlight on alumnae doing impactful work seemed a fitting way to commemorate this defining milestone in the School’s history. Hotchkiss recently hosted the inaugural Women of Hotchkiss: Changemakers panel in New York City. The event, featuring Erika Hairston ’14, Board of Trustees member Annika Lescott-Martinez ’06, Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09, and Dina Strachan ’84, was the first in a series of networking events aimed at highlighting the power of Hotchkiss women—from philanthropists and entrepreneurs to policy makers—working to effect change through their chosen professions.
“Why changemakers? We want to highlight women who are doing amazing work in their communities across all industries,” said Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement Caroline Sallee Reilly ’87, who organized the event. The series, intended to “create an ongoing affinity space” for five decades of female graduates, will continue throughout the 2024-25 academic year and beyond.
In speaking with each of the four panelists, a common thread emerged: None of the changemakers had seen herself as such. Instead, each was simply following a passion and making a tremendous impact in the process.
MAKERS
By Hannah Van Sickle
ERIKA HAIRSTON ’14
on the Importance of Increasing Diversity and Trusting Your Gut
Erika Hairston ’14 was at Hotchkiss when the gender gap in tech first came to her attention. Watching She++:The Documentary, created by a pair of Stanford undergrads who witnessed firsthand the steep decline in female students as computer science classes progressed, piqued her curiosity about the scarcity of women in the field—a timely topic that served as the foundation for Hairston’s senior project. She focused on the future of computer science and what it might look like despite women holding just 20 percent of jobs and 11 percent of leadership positions in tech, with Black women being even further underrepresented. Hairston never dreamed that five years later she’d be at the helm of a company fully focused on helping students succeed in computer science and break into tech.
“My 17-year-old self had no idea this project would lead me to co-found a company with a fellow Hotchkiss grad,” says Hairston, nodding to Arnelle Ansong ’14 and Edlyft, the startup the pair launched in 2020. Their goal to empower
all students to excel in computer science via mentorships is helping to widen and diversify the pipeline of individuals entering the field.
“Learning about the disparity in tech was a wake-up call,” says Hairston of the biggest catalyst inspiring her current-day work. Ursula Burns, the former CEO of Xerox and the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, was equally influential. “Seeing her path was very inspiring,” says Hairston, who aspired to be a leader in an evolving industry. Her keen observation that “people tend to solve problems they’ve experienced” served to underscore the importance of representation—especially in tech.
“The more diverse creators we support and voices we amplify, the more diverse solutions will arise,” says Hairston of a team approach gleaned while playing basketball at Hotchkiss. The experience fostered Hairston’s competitive spirit and taught her to be a good sport. These days, she’s paying it forward. “Helping people achieve what they once thought they couldn’t puts fire in my belly,” she says of a process that unfolds in myriad ways, from encouraging them to envision a path they might not have imagined to building tools to remove friction and hasten success.
Hairston’s recent relocation from Silicon Valley to New York City’s Tech Alley proves a natural extension of another passion. “The biggest, most exciting
piece that stands out from my time at Hotchkiss was all of the travel I was able to do,” says Hairston, who traversed the globe—from Antarctica and Kenya to Colombia and London—all before turning 18. She credits David Thompson P’27, director of international programs (whose wife, Peg Hsia P’27, is senior associate director of admission and interviewed Hairston during her application process) with facilitating this invaluable realworld experience that set the stage for her bi-coastal business model.
“I stand on the shoulders of giants,” says Hairston, who calls the education she received at Hotchkiss both rare and a privilege. A decade after graduation, she still counts the structure and routine of study hall and lights out as tools instrumental to her success while a student at Yale and in the business world today. And of course, Lakeville is where she met her business partner in Bissell dormitory.
“As women, it’s so easy for us to shy away from all we’ve accomplished,” says Hairston of a conversation she and her mother, Susan (a trailblazer in the nonprofit industry), engage in regularly. The remedy, she believes, lies in the balance between confidence and humility.
As to her advice for the next generation of female changemakers? “Really trust your own gut and your inner voice,” she says, admitting that she was unprepared for how often the world teaches women to either doubt or second-guess themselves.
“I realized that amplifying my own instincts, while unlearning the silence and doubt, needed to become an active, daily practice,” says Hairston of what got her through the grueling process of starting a company. “Keep telling yourself you are valid, you are worthy; it’s a really important skill to exercise.”
“The more diverse creators we support and voices we amplify, the more diverse solutions will arise.”
Erika Hairston ’14
Erika Hairston ’14 and Arnelle Ansong ’14 launched Edlyft.
ANNIKA LESCOTTMARTINEZ ’06
on Staying Open-Minded and Eschewing Limits
Early in life, Hotchkiss Board of Trustees member Annika Lescott-Martinez ’06 vowed not to limit herself based on what she could see. “I always knew there was more, even if I didn’t quite know what that was,” says the Brooklyn native who found her way to Lakeville via Prep for Prep, a program that prepares young people of color for private boarding and day schools.
“I am a first-generation everything,” says Lescott-Martinez, who counts the community she found at Hotchkiss—from friendships forged in Bissell to support from former Hotchkiss Trustee Philip Pillsbury Jr. ’53, P’89,’91, GP’20,’22—as instrumental to her development. She credits Pillsbury, whom she met as a prep when he visited her English class, as planting the seeds of leadership by modeling what it means to give back.
“I remember the care and concern he took to hear from students and build organic connections with us,” recalls the oncebookish 13-year-old who arrived on campus and unlocked parts of herself she didn’t know existed. Despite not seeing herself as an artist, Lescott-Martinez cultivated a passion for photography (thanks to teachers Robert and Sandra Haiko, with whom she remains friends). During upper-mid year she dug into the research and policy connecting history to the present with Tom Flemma, instructor in history at the time, and was challenged to communicate her ideas clearly and effectively by Charlie Frankenbach P’12,’16, the Russel Murray Bigelow Teaching Chair, Lufkin Prize recipient, and instructor in English— both instrumental to her current work.
“I cannot overstate how important these skills are,” says Lescott-Martinez, executive vice president and chief financial officer at the New York City Housing Authority, whose $5 billion operating budget serves 400,000 low-income New Yorkers. She is
“I am blown away by what the alumni body has been able to achieve as a collective and encouraged by the mission of the Hotchkiss education, which has prepared us to do all these phenomenal things.”
Annika Lescott-Martinez ’06
the youngest person to hold that position.
“What drives me is the ability to effect change,” says Lescott-Martinez, who looks for organizations that are not only mission-driven and purpose-focused but also willing to address complex problems in order to help people and make a difference. For someone who never aspired to be a CFO or a Presidential Management Fellow in the Executive Office of the President of the United States (where she worked on non-partisan housing policy
analysis and the president’s budget under the Obama and Trump administrations), she has been pleasantly surprised by her career path to date—one limited only by the confines of her imagination.
“There are certain neighborhoods where the breadth of what is possible is not always visible,” says Lescott-Martinez, whose mother poured confidence into her only child and instilled in her a belief she could achieve things unseen—both of which propelled her to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
“I am blown away by what the alumni body has been able to achieve as a collective and encouraged by the mission of the Hotchkiss education, which has prepared us to do all these phenomenal things,” says Lescott-Martinez of her participation in the panel. She served as moderator at the event.
“We’ve grown up together, and that has been a transformative experience,” she says, referring to the more than two decades since she and her classmates first arrived on campus. While some might remember Lescott-Martinez as small, intimidating, and self-assured, her success stemmed from a much deeper place.
“I felt like I belonged at Hotchkiss, that I had something to offer to the community,” says Lescott-Martinez, who, inspired by her friend and mentor Pillsbury, served on the Hotchkiss Board of Governors for six years prior to her appointment to the Board of Trustees in 2021. As co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, she is working to ensure all students feel included in the Hotchkiss experience.
“The students who struggled during my tenure were those who questioned whether or not they had value to add—which we all do,” she says, sharing a belief that guides Lescott-Martinez in her work on and off campus.
Her advice to anyone uncertain of the future? “Trust in the process and remain open to the possibilities. There are things you can achieve beyond what you can conceive of or see before you as an example. So be creative and confident and keep reaching— not for the stars, but beyond them.”
Annika Lescott-Martinez ’06 was Hotchkiss’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote speaker in 2020.
GIGI BRUSH PRIEBE ’77,
P’06,’09 on Working Together to Meet Community Needs
The importance of giving back was ingrained in Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09 from an early age. She grew up watching her parents effect change in their tight-knit community of New Canaan, CT, where the pair was instrumental in launching Waveny Care Center. “They worked alongside many others to create an invaluable resource that’s been around for 50 years,” says Priebe, sharing a fundamental truth about volunteer work that’s as equally ingrained as giving back. When Priebe declared, “We could use something like a children’s museum in Fairfield County,” her father encouraged her to fill the gap. So she set to work creating one.
Following her marriage to classmate David Priebe ’77, with whom she had started a family, the new mother noticed a dearth of resources geared toward young children and their caregivers. As was modeled for her, Priebe tapped into the resources at her disposal—namely a background in early childhood education, which she had yet to use in a traditional way—and launched a grassroots effort to create a children’s museum. Eight years and more than 25,000 volunteer hours later, Stepping Stones Museum for Children opened its doors
to the public in March 2000. Located in Norwalk, CT, the museum attracts roughly a quarter million visitors per year.
“Without my parents’ example, I don’t know that it would have occurred to me that I was capable of starting a children’s museum,” says Priebe of her most powerful role models in thinking beyond self. As a young person, she recalls being selfcentered which—while developmentally appropriate—shifted while at Hotchkiss.
“Hotchkiss was an incredible opportunity for me,” says Priebe, who felt like she’d “died and gone to heaven” after transferring from an all girls’ school in the rural south. Her return to a coeducational environment and the happiness she felt at the fortuitous turn of events made up for how hard she had to apply herself academically. “The faculty taught us at a different level and the standards were rigorous,” she recalls of an emphasis on thinking, writing, research, and analysis in all subjects.
Priebe did not go straight to college after Hotchkiss. “I went out and punched a cash register for a few months,” the youngest of eight siblings recalls of her first realworld experience, one that caused the gift of her education to snap into sharp focus.
“The most powerful education of all involves witnessing others in action.”
Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09
After attending several schools as a nonmatriculating student, Priebe earned her teaching degree from what is now Lesley University—all with the support of parents who knew enough to let the dice roll.
“The most powerful education of all involves witnessing others in action,” says Priebe, who shows up with integrity—especially when writing and communicating—as was expected at Hotchkiss. A lifelong love for creative writing (thanks to a course at Hotchkiss) led to her penning a pair of middle-grade children’s books. Looking back, she credits the faculty and her classmates with “setting the bar high, supporting me, and giving me lots to aspire to.”
“When I recognized what I thought was a need by so many in our community, I verified and validated that instinct through more than 10,000 parent and teacher surveys in a 10-town area; so when I pursued creating a children’s museum, I could show that it wasn’t my idea alone,” says Priebe, noting that it takes a village to effect meaningful change.
As Stepping Stones Museum nears its 25th anniversary, Priebe has even more time to give back. She has served on a variety of nonprofit boards, been a philanthropic consultant to a private foundation, and recently completed an MFA in writing for children and young adults. Two of her three children attended Hotchkiss, graduating in 2006 and 2009, and all three were married during the pandemic. Coincidentally, her own children did not benefit from her passion project, but a pair of grandchildren soon will.
Her parting words of wisdom: “You’re not doing the work to be a changemaker; there needs to be a bigger reason. Eliciting change is a collaborative experience: No founder does anything alone, because there is no ‘I’ in team.”
Gigi Brush Priebe ’77, P’06,’09, right, stands with Hope Reisinger Cobera ’88, P’24, chief communications officer, and Ninette Enrique, chief advancement officer, at the Women of Hotchkiss: Changemakers event.
DINA STRACHAN ’84
on Prioritizing Happiness When Striving for Success
Dr. Dina Strachan ’84 never aspired to be a dermatologist. While a student, first at Harvard College and then Yale Medical School, academe was the pinnacle. Driven by an interest in international health and a reputation for teaching, Strachan completed her residency training at the University of California, San Francisco before becoming director of resident education at King-Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles where she joined the faculty at UCLA.
“I thought I was going to be in academics full time,” she recalls, until a realization about her chosen work environment arose. “I was always going to be a guest, a bit out of context, and not necessarily part of the community,” says Strachan of a setting which, while imbued with value, proved the wrong fit. An interest in HIV in the late 1990s—coupled with patients whose skin problems required frequent dermatology consults—ultimately turned the tide of her professional career.
“They immediately knew things we had struggled with on the internal medicine floor for days,” says Strachan of the unexpected contribution she saw dermatologists making to her patients’
quality of life on a regular basis. And they seemed happy. “I want that,” the distinguished educator and board-certified dermatologist remembers thinking one day as she watched the team move on to their next patient—a pivotal moment that altered her trajectory.
Strachan points to Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, as similarly influencing her path. While practicing medicine in the early 2000s, Strachan saw the catchy orange cover with purple lettering everywhere. One day, she encountered a new patient holding it. “What’s going on with this book?” she asked, almost rhetorically, before reading it herself. “I really loved Greene’s personal story,” Strachan says, underscoring the nugget that struck her: In a world where success is often reliant upon fitting the cookie-cutter mold, he dared to be different (and became wildly popular in the process), proving the path to success is far from linear.
“We are taught to follow the rules when we are young, but sometimes people [veer off the expected path] and still get there … which I find very inspirational,” says Strachan. After changing career paths, her decision to enter private practice was equally unplanned, arising from countless lunch hours spent commuting to see patients at satellite locations while working at an “academic” job and days surrounded by colleagues more prone to complaining than effecting change.
“I work hard, but I didn’t want to work like that,” says Strachan, who created an
environment where she had a say in the business model and could practice medicine the way she wanted to. Over the past 21 years as director of Afterglow Dermatology, Strachan has done just that while becoming an internationally recognized expert in acne treatment, hair loss, chemical peels, and ethnic skin. In the spirit of giving back, she continues to don an academic cap as assistant clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at New York University. She was also featured as a skin care expert in the docuseries The Black Beauty Effect on the evolution, revolution, and disruption taking place in the beauty industry.
Looking back on her time at Hotchkiss, Strachan remembers the discipline and standards that shaped daily life—pillars that, while tough to accept at times while a teen, she has grown to appreciate. In retrospect, the years she spent playing viola in the orchestra and completing passes on the basketball court gave her the manual dexterity needed to excel in surgery. Strachan counts her father, a former member of the military and New York State masters swim champion, as modeling the importance of hard work in all things—from academics and physical fitness to drama, art, and music.
Being deemed a changemaker causes Strachan to reflect: “It’s made me have an appreciation for living intentionally,” she says in a nod to Walden Pond and the transcendentalists, topics she learned about while at Hotchkiss. In fact, Strachan, who is no stranger to hard work, didn’t think it was a big deal “to throw a shingle up” until a business coach sought her out to address a line of clients who wanted to do what she had done.
As to her advice for future changemakers? “Aspire to follow the path that feels right— one that will allow you to be excellent at whatever you’re doing while making a meaningful contribution—and makes the process enjoyable.”
“Aspire to follow the path that feels right.”
Dr. Dina Strachan ’84
Dr. Dina Strachan ’84 was featured as a skin care expert in the docuseries The Black Beauty Effect.
HELPING CHILDREN AND YOUTH DISCOVER THEIR SUPERPOWERS
Max Sussman ’19 is co-founder and CEO of a company that provides mentorship for neurodiverse thinkers
BY DANIEL LIPPMAN ’08
MAX SUSSMAN ‘19 NEVER expected to be a successful entrepreneur at the age of 24. As a postgraduate at Hotchkiss, his focus was on his role as captain of the varsity basketball team and striving to play the sport in college. Due to an injury and some other circuitous turns in his life, Sussman is now co-founder and CEO of Superpower Mentors, a company that helps neurodiverse individuals confidently navigate and succeed in any environment. Sussman traces back a significant part of his company’s mission to his successful
effort in becoming independent at Hotchkiss. He credits Hotchkiss with preparing him to earn his bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship and new venture management at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business. He also gained a sense of personal responsibility at Hotchkiss that he had not learned at his previous high school. He says that such skills are critical when starting a business, making a payroll, and keeping the proverbial lights on at a startup.
“Hotchkiss really helped shape who I
am as a person,” he said, noting that he enjoyed being a member of Hillel at the School. “Even in that one year that I was there, the community, the support, the opportunity, the friends … it was endless. I think that everyone cares for everyone there, and people feel that.”
Sussman joined Superpower Mentors early last year with his brother and co-founder, Jake, who has long faced struggles dealing with ADHD. Jake was told from a very early age that “he would never go to college or make something
Max Sussman ’19, right, and his brother, Jake Sussman, are co-founders of Superpower Mentors.
of himself.” (He ignored the critics and attended and graduated from the University of Hartford.)
The neurodiverse individuals who connect with Superpower Mentors have a range of diagnoses, including ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and Tourette syndrome. An estimated 15 to 20 percent of the world’s population is neurodivergent.
The company connects the next generation of neurodiverse thinkers with an adult who is also neurodiverse to help them navigate and succeed in school and life so that they have the best chance possible to have a productive start to adulthood.
“We help establish self-confidence and self-advocacy skills that eventually lead to independence and being able to feel good about yourself, make decisions, and grow,” Sussman said. “A lot of our mentees feel stuck because they are alone and they don’t have anyone that they can relate to.”
Working in seven countries so far, Superpower Mentors, which started in 2020, has already completed more than 8,000 virtual mentorship sessions and has more than 100 certified mentors and a similar number of mentees. Families pay for their children to participate in weekly sessions with a mentor, as well as additional hours of extra strategy and family consultations.
In the early mentorship sessions, the mentor put the mentee’s strengths under a magnifying glass to figure out ways to harness them to address their personal challenges. According to the company’s website, mentees learn how to “embrace their superpower,” enhance their communication skills, and find healthy outlets to feel expressed.
Mentors include an engineer working on
NASA’s lunar expedition, another engineer working at an aerospace company, and successful professionals in a wide range of fields. “My son was on the couch resorting to destructive habits prior to Superpower Mentors,” one parent wrote in a company testimonial. “If it were not for Superpower Mentors, he would not even be close to nearing the finish line of college, which is where he is today.”
By attending Hotchkiss, Sussman followed his dad, David Sussman ’87, P’19. David now runs a major Connecticut life insurance company started by his father.
Sussman’s year in Lakeville was not without challenges, which he overcame with the help of the Hotchkiss community. While he was the captain of the basketball team, he suffered a season-ending injury that left him questioning his place at the School.
“I was not an active member of the community for a period of time because I couldn’t play the sport that I was there for,” he recalled. One of his most influential teachers, Liz Dittmer, the Maria Bissell Hotchkiss Chair and instructor in mathematics, would call him in the morning before class to make sure he was on his way.
“Beyond community, it’s more like a family,” he said of Hotchkiss. “People are looking out for each other, and it’s something that I really was able to appreciate.”
Daniel Lippman ’08 is a reporter covering the White House and Washington at POLITICO and can be reached at daniel@politico.com.
“HOTCHKISS REALLY HELPED SHAPE WHO I AM AS A PERSON. THE COMMUNITY, THE SUPPORT, THE OPPORTUNITY, THE FRIENDS … IT WAS ENDLESS.”
MAX SUSSMAN ’19
The Superpower Mentors team helps neurodiverse individuals confidently navigate and succeed in any environment.
ROYAL RECOGNITION
BY CHELSEA EDGAR
This spring, Hotchkiss Board of Trustees Vice President Robert Chartener ’76, P’18 was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his educational philanthropy in the United Kingdom.
Since King George V established the OBE in 1917, only a handful of Americans have earned this honor. Fewer than 50 hold it today. Chartener was one of five Americans selected this year. His peers included his Princeton classmate Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Shonda Rhimes, executive producer of the Netflix series Bridgerton
The OBE is one of five levels of distinction conferred by the British monarchy, the highest of which is a knight or damehood. It recognizes outstanding contributions to the arts and sciences, charitable organizations, and public service. Chartener, the founder and president of the Magdalene College Foundation (pronounced “maudlin”), has raised more than $10 million for Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge, where he studied history after graduating from Princeton. Chartener’s fundraising
The OBE is one of five levels of distinction conferred by the British monarchy, the highest of which is a knight or damehood.
efforts have supported the construction of a new library, which won the Royal Institute of British Architects’ prestigious Stirling Prize in 2022, as well as scholarships to cover tuition and living expenses for students.
Since he graduated from Hotchkiss, Chartener has remained active in alumni roles and School governance. He was a class agent from 1976 to 1982, lead agent from 1983 to 1986, co-chair of the Boston Day of Service in 2013 and 2014, and chair or co-chair of various reunion committees. He has served on the Parent and Alumni Admission Council for decades and on the Board of Governors of the Alumni Association. He’s been a trustee since 2015.
Chartener’s commitment to giving back to his alma maters began with his time at Hotchkiss. By the time he arrived as a prep, he’d lost both parents. “The faculty took me under their wing,” he said. “They guided me, they invited me to their houses, I knew their children. It was such a rich and rewarding experience.”
The late English instructor Jerry Bowen ’42 and his wife, Anne, were particularly influential figures for Chartener. “Jerry Bowen was a real intellectual. He got up at six every morning and read poetry and novels. I think just looking at him made me think that whatever I do in life, I want to be able to read and explore my own ideas, my own intellectual ambitions,” he said.
After Hotchkiss, Chartener attended
Princeton, then Magdalene College at Cambridge University. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, an award given to the top five percent of the graduating class. From 1985 to 1995 he worked for Goldman, Sachs & Co. in London and New York, then spent two decades in private equity. Currently, Chartener is the chairman of Human Touch LLC, the leading U.S. designer and marketer of massage chairs and other wellness products, and has served as chairman, CEO, or CFO of several other companies in the business services and consumer products sectors. He lives in Concord, MA, with his wife, Kate, and their children William ’18, Jasper, and Matilda. Through his work with the Magdalene College Foundation, Chartener is a fellowcommoner of the college. In the Cambridge system, fellow-commoners are not part of the college’s governance structure; the title is largely honorary. “One of the great privileges is that I’m allowed to walk on the grass,” he joked. (At Cambridge, this is a big deal: students aren’t allowed to cross the lawns.)
The OBE bestows few special privileges, Chartener explained: “I don’t automatically get upgraded to business class. I don’t get better seats at restaurants.” But he does see an intrinsic value in honoring those whose work serves the greater good.
“I think it’s so important to have national recognition for people who do worthwhile activities for society,” Chartener said. Later this year, Chartener will attend an official ceremony at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., where he’ll receive the silver cross of the OBE.
A Daring Lake Rescue Leads Alumni to Create New Hotchkiss Scholarship
BY ROBERT J. WOODBINE ’69
MY ARMS FLAILED aimlessly, and my body thrashed about the warm waters of Lake Wononscopomuc desperately searching for solid ground to stand on. That summer afternoon in 1965 my better judgment was swept aside by the momentum of excitement that a dare from other boys creates. And I was not going to be that dreaded rotten egg.
As everyone else dove in enthusiastically and headed toward the bobbing raft in the lake, I mimicked the physical movements of swimming, but had no idea about breathing. Swallowing water more than breathing in air, I quickly fatigued, stiffened, and lost muscle control.
Besides playing in The Hotchkiss School’s pool that summer as one of the School’s Greater Opportunity (G.O.) Program students, my only previous “swimming” experience had been holding on to the pier in the murky East River by the railroad tracks in the south Bronx one summer afternoon two years earlier when I was 12 years old. Wonoscopomuc is a Mahican name for “rocks at the bend in the lake.” My body felt like a heavy stone, not at the bend, but descending to the lake’s bottom. On my third attempt out of the water and onto the raft, I failed. Descending through the water, I peacefully surrendered and drowned. Almost simultaneous with my letting go, a hand grabbed mine and pulled me out of my repose.
My rescuer was Jay Bryan ’66, who was a G.O. Program proctor (1965 and 1966). Jay saved my life. I was 14 years old, bewildered, traumatized, and emotionally displaced. I did not have the presence of mind to thank Jay at that time. His rescue allowed me the opportunity to finish the G.O. Program and eventually attend and graduate from Hotchkiss.
Fifty-seven years later in the spring of 2022, I published a collection of poems
“We are working together as members of the committee to create the Father David P. Kern Hotchkiss G.O. Program Scholarship.”
—ROBERT J. WOODBINE ’69
and short stories and finally thanked Jay publicly in the book’s acknowledgments. I also wrote about my G.O. Program drowning experience in the Class Notes of Hotchkiss Magazine. Rob Durkee ’66, who was also a G.O. Program proctor (1965 and 1966), read my piece and facilitated Jay and I connecting for the first time since 1965!
Coincidentally, Jay is a well-known poet, too. We have been getting reacquainted slowly and have in common our respect and appreciation for the lasting impressions that the Hotchkiss G.O. Program created in our lives.
Toward that end, we are working together as members of the committee to create the Father David P. Kern Hotchkiss G.O. Program Scholarship. As director of the G.O. Program, it was Father Kern’s vision and drive that helped create it to help
hundreds of inner-city youths accelerate their academic, social, and cultural growth. Father Kern believed then as he does now that with “greater opportunity came greater responsibility” to support the communities that these youths came from. The David P. Kern Hotchkiss G.O. Program Scholarship honors his legacy and will provide opportunities for future Hotchkiss students to sustain Father Kern’s dream.
Los Angeles, CA Julie Sharbutt ’00 and host Yawhei Chang Daniels ’86
COMMUNITY SERVICE HAS BEEN a part of the fabric of The Hotchkiss School since it opened its doors to students in 1892. To honor this part of the School’s history and mission, the Alumni Association Board of Governors and the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement invited alumni to participate in numerous Day of Service events this spring.
CT Host Roger Liddell ’63, P’98, Caldwell Hart ’87, P’16,’20, Jim Hemingway ’63, and Nick Moore ’71, P’89,’01,’06
Seattle, WA Sada Schumann ’22, Jessica Rioedan Hanson ’86, and Dale Markey-Crimp ’07
Hong Kong Hotchkiss volunteers, led by Ann Cha ’94, P’27, recycled 37.5 kilograms of soap at Soap Cycling.
Lakeville,
Shanghai Back Row: Chenyu Zheng ’08, Kenneth Wu ’18, Christina Wu P’18, Elliot Wu, Catherine Wang P’22, Steven Xu P’22, Nancy Liu P’26, Mark Zhu ’26. Front Row: Candy Zhu, Dan Zhang ’86, P’24
First Girls Graduate in 1975
As we prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of women and girls at Hotchkiss (see p. 36) and celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2024 (see p. 10), let’s turn back the clock for this archival graduation photo from 1975. More than 700 parents and friends watched 127 students—including the School’s first 13 girls—receive their diplomas. The 1975 ceremony was held outdoors on the steps to the entrance of Main Building for the first time in 15 years.
December 2023 Alum of the Month:
Arthur Howe ’72 ’72
ARTHUR HOWE ’72 has dedicated his career to public service and safety, including work in firefighting and emergency management. His most recent role is lead coordinator for the Maine Shark Workgroup, an interdisciplinary multi-state group that strives “to understand sharks, their movement, and population, and to advocate for shark education, particularly for public safety.”
Howe’s life’s work is in his blood. “Public service and education have been intertwined in my family history, starting at least as far back as the early 1800s. There were teachers, a college president, college and school administrators—all having a robust passion for government, community, and civic activity.”
Some of Howe’s earliest memories of Hotchkiss involve picking up or dropping off his brother Sam Howe ’66. He said he loved visiting with Tom Blagden ’29, P’57,’69, GP’82,’83,’85,’90,’96,’08, Fred Gevalt P’64,’66,’69, GP’01, and Dick Gurney P’53,’57, GP’85. “Fred and Dick were both fly fishing aficionados, which didn’t hurt the cause for me to attend Hotchkiss!” The Howe family was passionate about hiking, canoeing, and fishing, so the School’s natural environment was a great fit for this outdoorsman. “The faculty even supported the formation of a varsity conservation group in which I participated during my senior year.”
Howe’s father, Arthur Howe Jr. ’38, P’66,’72,’75, matriculated at Yale after graduating from Hotchkiss and returned to Lakeville to teach in the 1940s. “He was inspired throughout his life by the revered Headmaster George Van Santvoord, Class of 1908,” says Howe. His father received the Alumni Award— Hotchkiss’s highest honor—in 1969 in recognition of his many life achievements,
including his presidency of the American Field Service.
While majoring in geography and minoring in environmental studies at Dartmouth, Howe joined the local fire department in Hanover, NH in 1974. He graduated from both Dartmouth and the state fire academy in 1976 before returning to Connecticut to work for various environmental organizations and perform volunteer duties overseen by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Howe worked at several other fire departments before joining the West Hartford Fire Department in 1980, retiring as battalion fire chief after 23 years to take a position at the Connecticut Fire Academy. He spent the next few years serving as fire chief of the coastal town of Ipswich, MA, and then five years as chief and manager of public safety at Ipswich’s Crane Beach.
Following the death of six people in a tragic fire in Portland, ME, in 2014, Howe was hired to head the Housing Safety Office for the state’s largest city. He prioritized checks for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and safety exits before returning to New Hampshire as the town of Harpswell’s first fire administrator. He was known for developing relationships, encouraging
partnerships, and coordinating the town’s three independent fire departments. He retired after six years of service.
Emergency management has changed over the years, the largest change being the variety of services offered and the breadth of emergencies. “Before 1970, most fire departments responded to just firerelated calls and significant motor vehicle accidents. Now we encompass those plus hazardous materials, all forms of technical rescue, fire prevention and inspection, and community risk reduction, with the largest component being emergency medical services. We are now an all-risk service.” He emphasized that the public and politicians need to be concerned about fire safety, including wildland fires. “The speed of fire growth inside buildings and in wildfires is astounding—the public needs to shed complacency and become better prepared.”
Of his work as the lead coordinator for the Maine Shark Workgroup, Howe explains, “Our group has some very high-level professionals from the National Park Service, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, the New England Aquarium, two additional scientists, and a number of public safety officials from Maine and New Hampshire.”
Howe’s deep ties to Hotchkiss remain important to him. “I support the School in the hopes that someone is granted the opportunity to have a superb education that would otherwise be beyond their reach.” He strongly encourages students to consider careers in public service. “You won’t command a large salary, but the opportunity to perform service for the greater good is a reward itself. The occasion to help a person on the most traumatic day of their life is the most intimate, personal reward I can imagine.”
’80
November 2023 Alum of the Month:
Peter J. Beshar ’80
PETER J. BESHAR ’80, is the general counsel of the U.S. Department of the Air Force, which includes the U.S. Space Force. Serving in various roles over the past three decades, Beshar has developed a profound respect for those serving in the military. In 2019, Beshar and his wife, Sarah, established the Beshar Scholars Military Service Award at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
He relished his time in Lakeville. “From the moment that I set foot on campus, Hotchkiss felt like a field of dreams. I grew up in New York City in the 1970s, so soccer in Central Park was an adventure and ice time at a rink was virtually nonexistent. Suddenly, there were perfectly manicured fields, an indoor and outdoor rink, and—most important—all of these great kids to play with.”
Integral to Beshar’s Hotchkiss experience are the friendships he made. “Forged at such a formative stage of our lives, these remain an enduring gift that Hotchkiss has given all of us. Though we are now scattered across the country, we remain close and have tried to support each other through all of the vagaries of life.”
After he graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Yale University in 1984 and cum laude with a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989, Beshar entered the field of national security in 1992. “War was raging in the Balkans, and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance was tapped by the thensecretary general of the United Nations to try to stop the war in Bosnia and Croatia. I had the incredible privilege of serving as Secretary Vance’s special assistant. Our small team was based at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. We met with heads of state from across Europe and the Middle East as well as with the warring factions— individuals like Slobodan Milosevic and
Radovan Karadzic who would later both be tried for war crimes in the Hague. Though we did not succeed in our mission, I came away with a profound respect for the military and an abiding interest in our national security.”
Beshar spent a year as an assistant attorney general of New York State before becoming a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, noting that careers are far from linear. “In 2004, Marsh McLennan was reeling from a regulatory crisis. I was offered the opportunity to serve as general counsel. Over the course of the next 17 years, we engineered one of the great turnarounds in recent corporate history.”
In late 2021, Beshar had the opportunity to return to public service when he was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as the general counsel of the U.S. Department of the Air Force. After being confirmed by the Senate in March 2022, Beshar started at the Pentagon a few days later. “As I testified at my confirmation hearing, I consider the opportunity to serve as the general counsel of the Department of the Air Force to be the honor of my life, particularly at this defining moment for the world.”
In this role as the chief legal officer and ethics official, his duties include oversight and guidance to 2,600 civilian and military lawyers and 500,000 active duty and civilian members.
He has placed much of his focus on two issues: nuclear modernization and space. “The Department of the Air Force is responsible for two thirds of the ‘nuclear triad’—land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, and strategic
bombers. I have been awed by the professionalism and commitment of our missileers and maintainers who stand watch day and night to keep us all safe.”
Shifting to space, Beshar said he recently traveled with the U.S. Space Force’s chief of space operations to a remote base 900 miles from the North Pole. They inspected the upgraded early warning radar and satellite control network and participated in a moving ceremony to rename the base from Thule “to a local Greenlandic name—Pituffik—to recognize the contributions and also the sacrifices made by indigenous Greenlanders.”
Beshar drives past the Lincoln Memorial each morning on his way to work. “I head into the River Entrance of the Pentagon and walk past portraits of the giants who served before us. That is the way to start your day!”
Peter J. Beshar ’80, general counsel of the U.S. Department of the Air Force and the Space Force, deep underground in a Launch Control Center with members of the 90th Missile Wing on F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah Post)
February 2024 Alum of the Month: Bianca Levin ’95 ’95
BIANCA LEVIN ’95 is consistently listed as one of Hollywood’s top-rated entertainment attorneys, representing such A-listers as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ben Stiller, and Regina King. She spends most of her days as a partner at Beverly Hills-based Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, negotiating deals and providing strategic and legal advice.
She credits Hotchkiss for her strong work ethic and says she felt “equipped and confident” when she left the School. “Hotchkiss exposed me to a high level of academics and broadened my world view. I learned how to be a thinker.”
Levin was an ambitious child who loved to be challenged academically. She was raised by a single mother who worked hard to provide opportunities for her daughter. “Together, we researched boarding schools, as it seemed like a path that would ensure access to the types of colleges I dreamed of attending. I became enamored with Hotchkiss as soon as I read about it,” she said. “When we visited and learned more, we knew right away that it was the right place for me. We knew that Hotchkiss could provide unlimited opportunities.”
The classes were all that she’d hoped for. “I loved all of my Hotchkiss classes, and the small size really suited me as a pretty shy kid. The faculty brought the material to life in a way I had not experienced before. We took nature walks in English while reading Thoreau. Debating was something new to me, and when debating a Shakespeare quote in my prep year English class, it got me thinking about pursuing a career in law. From Tim Katzman’s U.S. History course I developed a love of history, so much so that I went on to major in history at Yale.” Outside of classes, Levin cherished time with friends in the dorm—playing cards at night,
serving as a proctor, and bonding with everyone over food at feeds.
She said she “loved the challenge of excelling and achieving success” at Hotchkiss, which prepared her for Yale. “I often tell people that the hardest I ever worked in school was at Hotchkiss,” she said. Levin completed her undergraduate studies and enrolled at Yale Law School. She earned a juris doctor degree in 2002 and was admitted to the bar in 2003.
Before joining Gang Tyre, Levin practiced corporate law at Sullivan & Cromwell. She was always enamored with television and movies, and early on she considered being an actress. “But as I continued in school, I became more analytical and focused on my studies and less extroverted and artistic. While I was at Hotchkiss, a friend mentioned that she had a family member who was an entertainment lawyer. That was the first time I’d ever heard of this field, and I was intrigued. So, I decided to combine my
love for the arts with my analytical brain and pursued law.”
At Gang Tyre her clients are mostly actors, writers, and directors in television and film. She also represents American politician Stacey Abrams, a voting rights activist and author who served in the Georgia House of Representatives. “I help them navigate and expand their brands to grow businesses outside of entertainment as well. I feel so lucky to represent such talented people—people of whom I am a legitimate fan,” she said.
Levin is proud to represent many women and people of color who have been historically underrepresented in the entertainment world. “I take a lot of pride in doing my part to help amplify their voices, close the pay gap, and unlock their true value. This is the part of my work that is especially rewarding, knowing that I am helping people that I truly respect and admire,” she said.
She also finds the time to serve on the board of directors and executive committee of Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides essential items to mothers and children in need, including those who are in foster care, homeless shelters, and victims of natural disasters. “It’s a simple concept that fills a massive need, and I am incredibly proud of the work that we do. Every year, Baby2Baby reaches more than one million kids across the country. I feel very lucky to be in a position where I can make a difference through giving my time and financial support to such an incredible organization.”
March 2024 Alum of the Month:
Jana Wilcox Lavin ’97 ’97
JANA WILCOX LAVIN ’97 has spent most of her career striving to ensure that every child, especially those most underserved, has access to high-quality education. She is a marketing and communications professional and CEO of Opportunity 180, a nonprofit that aims to put students on track to be college and career-ready.
“My experience at Hotchkiss was one of the biggest influences in my decision to focus on public education. What I gained from my time in Lakeville was lifechanging in so many ways—finding my people, finding my voice, and pushing my intellectual curiosity,” she said. “As I progressed in my career, I was confronted with the deep inequities in our education system and the tangible imbalance from my experience to that of thousands of others.”
Wilcox Lavin came to Hotchkiss as a lower mid needing to be challenged. She did some research and found schools that met her criteria. “I called a family meeting to let my parents know of my intention. Once I visited Hotchkiss, I knew I was at home.”
Senior English was one of her favorite classes. “It inspired me to write in a more vulnerable way than I had before,” she said. She fondly remembers running track with Walter Crain P’86,’89. “He had a way of encouraging you and showing he was proud of you with just a look. Also, Mrs. Wendy Brennan—my dorm mom during my first year—was a huge part of my successful transition to Hotchkiss.”
Thanks to her time in Lakeville, Wilcox Lavin found herself well-prepared at Tulane University, where she graduated with a B.A. in communications, and Emerson College, where she earned her master’s in integrated marketing communications. Wilcox Lavin says she still regularly shares how Hotchkiss gave her the foundation to manage her work and time. “I was not a straight-A student, but I gained the skills to effectively prioritize, which made my B-pluses a big win.”
In 2009, Wilcox Lavin served as chief operating officer for Scholar Academies, a nonprofit school management organization designed to ensure that all children have access to high-quality public education. Wilcox Lavin led the opening and transformation of eight Scholar Academies schools in Philadelphia, PA, Washington, D.C., Trenton, NJ, and Memphis, TN, increasing the student population from 250 to 4,000.
Wilcox Lavin took a position in Nevada as superintendent-inresidence for the Nevada State Achievement School District in 2016. She served as a member of the Nevada Department of Education Executive Team, was a supporting author for Nevada’s Every Student Succeeds Act Plan, and helped lead policy
efforts during the 2017 legislative session.
As CEO of Opportunity 180, Wilcox Lavin steers the organization’s quest to give every child access to a great school. With a $6 million annual budget, she works with a small team to lead diverse education efforts across Nevada.
She worked on a bipartisan-supported, public-private facility loan fund for public charter schools. “I was a student who benefited from choosing the place that was right for me. Hotchkiss was a life-changing experience, but it is not for everyone. I believe charter schools diversify the school ecosystem to ensure that there is a school environment for each kid that will fit their unique needs.”
Much of what she learned in Lakeville continues to serve and influence her day-today life, both professionally and personally. “I am committed to my work and impacting the lives of kids. I spend my time building and maintaining relationships with funders, politicians, community leaders, and school leaders. Opportunity 180 is working to build an ecosystem of quality education that can outlast our organization’s work. To do that we need to build a broad coalition.”
Wilcox Lavin wants to be sure that others have the opportunity to live and grow at Hotchkiss, so she gives her time and support. “Hotchkiss gave me the ability to be confident in almost any situation, and I credit Hotchkiss for giving me the ‘at-bats’ to practice being the leader I have become.”
What is the most gratifying aspect of her work? “Seeing a school come to life, or hearing an idea for a new school and then walking through the doors to see kids experiencing that vision in real time.”
Jana Wilcox Lavin ’97 poses with her daughter, Carey James.
January 2024 Alum of the Month:
’99 ’99
André
Swanston
ANDRÉ SWANSTON ’99 is a tech entrepreneur and innovator who directs much of his philanthropy to help empower underserved people. He has become known as “Mr. Exit” for his ability to forecast industry shifts, identify opportunities, and take calculated risks.
Swanston, along with Alex Geis ’00, co-founded the successful data marketplace platform Tru Optik in 2013. As the major stockholder, Swanston sold the company in 2020 to TransUnion, making it one of the top 10 largest acquisitions for any Black American CEO and founder.
He recently formed the Swanston Organization, which comprises three divisions to advance its mission of innovation and inclusion: Swanston Labs builds new companies in-house and acquires promising startups; Swanston Family Ventures actively seeks out and invests in underrepresented entrepreneurs; and Swanston Philanthropy is an initiative established by Swanston and his wife, Michelle, to support organizations financially, creating a lasting and positive impact on society.
“The Swanston Organization is driven by three core beliefs: There is a better way to create and scale companies, there is tremendous return to be made by investing in underrepresented entrepreneurs, and it is both a privilege and responsibility to help unlock opportunity for others,” Swanston stated.
The Prep for Prep program introduced him to private schools, and he attended the Allen Stevenson School in Manhattan. There, he listened to a presentation by Pat Redd Johnson, former associate director of admissions and head of multicultural affairs at Hotchkiss. “The idea of Hotchkiss intimidated me at first, but I decided to visit. After meeting students, sitting in classes, and seeing the athletic facilities, my competitive nature kicked in, and I felt like I belonged.”
Swanston enjoyed Hotchkiss philosophy class and athletics, but his favorite activity was staying up late in Van Santvoord dorm debating random topics “with really smart kids from all over the world.”
Profoundly affected by two mentors in his life, Swanston notes that both are associated with Hotchkiss. “I received the School’s Zuckerberg Family Scholarship, making my attendance possible. After graduation, Lloyd Zuckerberg ’80 took me to lunch to talk about my life goals. I remember saying that one day I would pass forward the opportunity their family gave me.”
True to his word, Swanston funded the Pat Redd Johnson Scholarship to support students receiving financial assistance at Hotchkiss. He also keeps in touch with Zuckerberg, who remains a mentor.
After receiving a B.A. in economics from UConn, Swanston opened a nightclub before moving to private wealth management at JP Morgan Chase & Co., becoming one of the youngest vice presidents of investments in the company’s history. At age 31, he invested his own
money to launch Tru Optik.
Swanston regularly contributes to publications such as Bloomberg, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal and has received awards for his business innovation. He was appointed by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont to the Board of Connecticut Innovations, which is responsible for the states’ venture fund to promote economic development and innovation.
In his latest endeavor, Swanston—a former Division 1 collegiate track athlete— was awarded an MLS NEXT Pro expansion soccer team. Connecticut United Football Club is set to join the league in 2025, and the team plans to play in a new waterfront stadium in Bridgeport, CT. Swanston is the first Black principal owner ever in the league and one of only a few Black owners in U.S. sports history. His ultimate goal is to be the owner of multiple sports teams. His relationship with Hotchkiss remains an important component in all of his work. He notes that though there are many great secondary schools, few can boast the network of Hotchkiss. “For example, my cofounder in my tech startup was my dormmate in Van Santvoord, and our first angel investor was a Hotchkiss parent. Over the past 10 years, I have traveled to almost every major city in the world, and I almost always hang out with Hotchkiss alumni.”
He credits Hotchkiss for celebrating its students for whatever makes them unique. “We were encouraged to be confident in our talents whether they were academic, athletic, artistic, or otherwise. At Hotchkiss, I became comfortable in my confidence.”
For Swanston, it comes down to this: “I am more afraid of regretting not trying than I am of failing. If some people don’t doubt you, you’re not being ambitious enough.”
’07
April
2024 Alum of the Month: Christian Ebersol ’07
After a decade in high-stakes finance and technology sectors in New York and San Francisco, CHRISTIAN EBERSOL ’07 discovered a growing movement of farmers who are using regenerative agriculture practices to restore their land. He shifted his focus toward a cause that can profoundly impact the climate crisis and is now the co-founder and CEO of 99 Counties, a company on a mission to reshape the country’s relationship with food and how it is produced. Nestled in the heart of Iowa, his venture is championing regenerative agriculture—a solution that he says is “aimed at restoring the Earth’s health alongside human wellbeing.”
CT, Ebersol’s passion and appreciation for the environment were nurtured by his surroundings and further deepened during his time at Hotchkiss.
What is regenerative agriculture? Ebersol describes it as a whole-systems (or “holistic”) farming approach that seeks to improve the quality of soil and ecosystem health sustainably. “While much of American farmland requires synthetic chemicals and fertilizers to squeeze out bushel after bushel of corn and soybeans each year, a regenerative agriculture system can regenerate the land by raising livestock and crops in a way that mimics nature,” he said. 99 Counties collaborates with small family farms in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin that practice regenerative agriculture. These farmers are not only seeing an increase in soil carbon sequestration, water infiltration, and a return of birds and bees to their land but also are creating profitable rural jobs while reinvigorating their communities. Ebersol’s company sources regeneratively raised beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and lamb from these farmers and then distributes it across the lower 48 states.
Raised among the forests of Cornwall,
After learning about Hotchkiss from his cousins, Charlie Ebersol ’01 and Willie Ebersol ’04, he visited campus to watch Charlie play basketball. “I was in sixth grade and obsessed with sports. Hotchkiss seemed big, imposing, and totally cool, but beyond the athletics, it was the academics that drew me in.”
His experiences with Hotchkiss’s “exceptional” faculty—including memorable history classes with Tom Trethaway ’75, P’06,’09, and Tom Flemma, and the support of faculty like Jim Fornshell and Christy Cooper P’08,’11—played a crucial role in his academic and personal development. “I’ll always remember Nate Seidenberg’s dramatic halftime speech during a basketball game against Taft where he compared our plight to that of the Greeks at the battle of Thermopylae. And I credit my advisor, Mark Dittmer, for challenging me to do better. Halfway through my first semester my grades came out and he challenged me to change my Bs to
As. It lit a fire under me, and I eventually graduated cum laude.”
Seeking an environment similar to the Northwest Corner, Ebersol decided on Maine’s Bowdoin College. After graduation, he worked at Deutsche Bank in New York, rooming with his close friend Bart Marchant ’07. However, Ebersol still desired to escape the “concrete jungle” and find a more entrepreneurial path in the city of his dreams: San Francisco. Marchant connected Ebersol to Alex Tonelli ’02. “Alex was in San Francisco, so I moved there and got a job at a venture capital firm. Over 10 incredible years in the Bay area, I met my future wife and found the courage to start my own company, 99 Counties. Alex was one of the first investors!”
As Ebersol searched for more meaning in his work, he realized that what brought him so much joy—nature—was at risk, whether from drought or wildfires. “And thus, a desire to work on the climate crisis emerged,” he said. His search led him on a cross-country road trip in a pick-up truck and a chance encounter with an Iowan farmer named Nick Wallace. The two joined forces, raised seed capital, and began working with Iowan farmers who practice regenerative agriculture. The company was aptly named for Iowa’s 99 counties, and it is on a mission to see regenerative farms emerge in each one of those counties.
Of Hotchkiss, he said, “I am so proud to be an alumnus of a school that emphasizes environmental stewardship, which includes regenerative agriculture. It’s incredibly affirming to see that my alma mater and I cherish the same principles. With ongoing support from our alumni, Hotchkiss can sustain its legacy of fostering the common good.”
MEMORIAM
CHARLES MCCULLOUGH WEIS P’78 died peacefully on Nov. 30, 2023, in Santa Barbara, CA, at age 101. He lived a remarkably complete and rich life to the very end, displaying a fierce determination to live life to the fullest. Born in Rochester, NY, on July 26, 1922, the son of Jessica and Charles William Weis Jr. ’14, he attended Allendale School in Rochester and graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 1940. After two years at Yale, he joined the war effort, enlisting in the U.S. Army, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. He served as a cryptographer and was stationed in Canada and Alaska, sometimes in remote locations where he lived and worked in Quonset huts. According to his discharge certificate, he “enciphered and deciphered or encoded and decoded classified messages, using all types of cryptographic systems and equipment.” After his discharge in 1945, he returned to Yale and graduated with the class of 1945W. He remained at Yale for his graduate education, receiving a master’s and Ph.D. in English literature. He then taught English for four years at the University of Virginia. In Charlottesville, VA, he met Elizabeth J.Munce, and they married in 1958. He subsequently accepted a faculty position at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, where he taught English and film for 28 years, retiring in 1986. He split his retirement between Delaware, Ohio, and Vero Beach, FL, before moving to Santa Barbara in 2016, where he had seven happy years at Casa Dorinda. Elizabeth, his wife of 31 years, died in 1989. Weis traveled extensively, especially to western Europe and the United Kingdom, for a time owning a flat in London. With a generosity of spirit and quick wit throughout his life, he enjoyed a wide circle of friends. He was passionate about classical music, especially opera, and was a supporter of the Metropolitan Opera and the Music Academy of the West. He was a fiercely competitive tennis and duplicate bridge player, and his final competitive love was bocce, which he played avidly at Casa Dorinda. Weis and his wife raised two children: Karl J. Weis ’78 of Santa Barbara, and Virginia M. Weis of Corvallis, Oregon. He is also survived by six grandchildren and four nieces and nephews.
JOHN CALDWELL MATTHIESSEN passed away in his home on March 6, 2024, at the age of 98. He was born in New York City to Mary Elizabeth and Conrad Henry Matthiessen ’13 and came to Pasadena, CA, with his family when he was a young boy. He soon went to the Polytechnic School and then to Hotchkiss, following in his father’s footsteps. He probably was better at making friends and trouble than studying. After serving brief stints in the military (Naval Air, Marines) and briefly attending Redlands, he enrolled at Yale University, graduating in 1949, making lifelong friends and memories, including being on the rugby and soccer teams. After graduating, he made his homebase with his parents, living in St. Malo, Oceanside, CO, and eventually Pasadena, CA, where he worked as a sales rep. It was there that he met and married Dorothy Hughes of San Marino, with whom he had four sons: Peter (Lisa), John Jr. (Jeanne), Henry, and Conrad (Julie), known to most as Matty. They were the lights of his life, along with his 10 grandchildren. He rooted for their high school sports teams vociferously and employed all of his sons at his manufacturing business, Playwell Equipment Co., during vacations and holidays. When he retired from Playwell, he began a long and
rewarding journey with the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena, consistent with his lifelong interest in children and their well-being. Though he declined to attend symphony concerts with Dorothy, he pushed hard for the music program for children at the Boys and Girls Club. From rugby and soccer at Yale to senior tennis, he loved games with balls and excelled at them, winning three gold balls in his 70s. A major goal was to shoot his age at Brookside Park golf course, when playing with his Monday golf gang. His friends and family describe him as funny, caring, and a great boss and storyteller.
45
PETER HAAREN P’78 of Langdon Place, Keene, NH, passed peacefully at age 96 on March 8, 2024. He was surrounded with the love of his family, caregivers at Langdon Place Rehab and the hospice staff of Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services of Keene, NH. Haaren was devoted to his now-deceased wife of almost 70 years, Sarah Bernart Haaren, whom he married in 1953. He is survived by his three children—Peter, Tyler, and David ’78—and their spouses; his two grandchildren; and an extended family of nieces and nephews. He was the son of Ernest Haaren and Helen Tiedeman and brother to Joan Haaren Wolfe, all deceased. Born in New York City on June 29, 1927, he moved with his family to Darien, CT, as a young boy. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1945 and served in the Merchant Marines for two years. He then attended Princeton University, graduated in 1950, and attended New York University for his MBA. He was a devoted husband, father, son, and brother. He was beloved by many and known for his fierce independence, kindness, and love of the great outdoors. He was civicminded, serving as a selectman in Mount Holly, VT, and as an EMT on the Rescue Squad with his wife, Sally, in Mount Holly, VT. He was an avid skier, sailor, a passionate outdoorsman, and, most notably, a dedicated golfer into his 95th year. He worked for Pan American Airlines, Great Northern Paper Company, and Virginia Fibre as a financial administrator. In 1977 he and Sally moved to Vermont, where he worked with the First Vermont Bank and then as an investment counselor with Ed Taylor Investments.
BRADFORD “BRAD” HALL died in San Francisco, CA, on Jan. 6, 2024, after a long illness. He was 96. Born on July 10, 1928, in Wichita, KS, to Helen and Standish Hall, an alumnus of the Class of 1912, he attended
Wichita public schools, Hotchkiss, and the University of Arizona, and graduated from the University of Wichita. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951 and, upon completing flight training, was assigned to a fighter squadron flying F-86 Sabre jets. His last assignment was as commanding officer of the England AFB Instrument Flying School. He began his business career in 1955 at the Union National Bank of Wichita. In 1964 he joined Security Pacific National Bank in Los Angeles, becoming vice president in charge of a lending division. Later he was vice president, corporate finance, for the investment firm Glore Forgan Staats; senior vice president of Shareholders Asset Management Company; and senior vice president of Trust Company of the West. He was a member of the board of Art Center College of Design and chairman of the audit and finance committee. In 1977, he became a partner at the San Francisco investment counsel firm Wentworth, Hauser, and Violich, where he worked for 35 years until his retirement in 2012. In 1999 he raised the founding donations for a successful community health program in Laikipia, Kenya. Now regionwide, the health service was initially based on Mpala ranch, once owned by a friend and now by the Smithsonian. He also served on the Wichita State University Foundation’s national advisory council and investment committee. Hall could almost always find something of mutual interest that enabled him to talk easily with anyone. He liked good order, making people smile, and leaving things better than he found them. The telephone was among his favorite tools, and he loved drivable machines—cars, boats, a cane cutter, and especially the airplanes he flew with skill and authority. He was master of the J-stroke in a canoe and was perhaps happiest on the island he claimed in 1948 on Lake Temagami in Canada and made a vacation retreat for his family and close friends. He was predeceased by his older brothers and by his ex-wife, Kelsey (Browne) Hall. He is survived by his and Kelsey’s three sons and six grandsons; by his three nephews; and by his longtime companion, Deirdre.
DR. JOHN N. SCHULLINGER , 94, died on Nov. 13, 2023, at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center of natural causes. He was born June 26, 1929, in New York City, the son of Rudolph N. and Audrey B. Schullinger of New York City and Woodstock, VT. He attended The Buckley School in New York City from 1936 to 1943 and Hotchkiss from 1943 to 1947. He was a graduate of Princeton University (1951) and The College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. In 1962 he
married Nancy Kyle Kiener of Chester, VA. His postgraduate training, interrupted by two-anda-half years when he was ship’s surgeon in the Arctic and Antarctic with the U.S. Navy, was at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. He practiced and taught general surgery at that institution until 1969, when he joined the full-time staff of the affiliated Babies Hospital (now the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City). His primary interests were the surgical problems of infants and children, especially those with cancer, and for 35 years he was the editor of the International Abstracts of Pediatric Surgery in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. He retired in 1997 as professor emeritus of clinical surgery but continued to serve on several committees for the medical school and hospital, including the Board of Admissions for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Columbia Medical School. He was a member of the Hotchkiss Board of Trustees from 1998 to 2002 and served on the board of organizations that included the Charles Edison Fund, the Children of China Pediatrics Foundation (of which he was a founding member), and the National Hypertension Association. In 1994 Dr. Schullinger and his wife moved to Woodstock, VT, where he enjoyed fly fishing, reading, writing, painting, and the study of nature in all its forms, particularly astronomy and geology. He continued to stay active in the medical field and made yearly trips to China to provide surgical care at Chinese orphanages until 2015. In 2003 he made a Transatlantic voyage in the company of three other friends, all in their mid-70s, known as the “Creaky Crew.” He cherished summers at the family camp on a Maine lake from the time he was a small boy right up to his 90s. New York City remained for all his life a treasured home, where he visited every other week to see friends, colleagues, and former patients. He was known and beloved by patients, colleagues, friends, and family for his kindness, compassion, integrity, and concern for humanity. His life was spent in service to others, and his gentle presence enriched the lives of all who knew him. He was a member of The Lakota Club of Woodstock and The Century Association of New York City. He is survived by his daughter, Sallie B. Schullinger-Krause of Woodstock; two nephews and a niece; and several great-nieces and nephews. 48
JOHN LORD “JACK” DALE of Haverford, PA, died on Jan. 17, 2024, at his home in Falls Church, VA; he was 94. He is survived by his daughters, Margaret Dale Lee of Corning, NY,
and Gwynneth Dale Chandler of Arlington, VA, as well as two grandchildren. He was predeceased by his devoted wife of 48 years, Rachel; his two older brothers; and his beloved parents. He was the youngest son born to Edwin and Janet Dale in Bryn Mawr, PA, on Dec. 17, 1929. He grew up in Haverford, PA, and attended Episcopal Academy and The Hill School, graduating from Episcopal in 1947. He completed a postgrad year at Hotchkiss in 1948 and graduated from Williams College in 1952. A threesport varsity athlete in high school—playing football, basketball, and baseball—he often reminisced about the “no hitter” he pitched at Episcopal Academy in 1947 and the conference championship the team won that year. During his year spent at Hotchkiss, he again played all three sports at the highest level and was signed to a professional minor-league baseball contract with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1949, training with their farm leagues for one season. He then attended Philadelphia Textile College in 1949 and entered the family business (textile sales) in 1951. He married Rachel Evans Roberts (Ray) of Mt. Vernon, NY, in 1960, and they had two daughters. The family resided in Gladwyne, PA, for almost 30 years before moving to Wayne, PA, in 1987. He moved to Falls Church, VA, to be near family in 2019. He remained a diehard Phillies, Eagles, and 76ers fan all his life and imparted his love of sports to his daughters. He was an old-world gentleman of the first order and had a great love for all living things. He gave his children and his grandchildren the gift of family traditions, a long legacy of positivity, and a good sense of humor.
FRANK DUTTON KITTREDGE P’76 of Easton, MD, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Jan. 10, 2024, at age 92. He was class agent for 1948. Born on Jan. 21, 1931, in Pittsfield, MA, to Charles and Elizabeth Kittredge, he was the youngest of four boys and the first to be born in a hospital. Growing up in Dalton, MA, he showed at an early age great aptitude in sports, particularly in skiing and ice hockey. He often recounted stories of the difficulties of traveling to Vermont ski areas in the ’40s and ’50s with his brothers and cousins, and skied well into his 80s despite two broken legs over the years. He played hockey at Hotchkiss from 1944-48 and then at Yale, where as a defenseman on the 1952 hockey team he fought in the final at the National Championship. He scored two goals, although the team lost. Still, the team ended up a respectable third, a performance unequaled at Yale for 61 years. At Yale he was tapped for Skull and Bones, as well as Fence Club. He graduated in 1952 with a degree in mechanical
engineering. Despite working summers and holidays in the family paper company of Crane and Co., he chose General Electric in Pittsfield to start his career. He spent two years in its training program, but with the Korean War draft looming he enlisted in the Navy OCS program and was commissioned an Ensign, assigned to the aircraft carrier Hancock. After service in Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, he moved to Newport, RI, as a 1st Lieutenant to teach at the Officer Candidate School. While his active service ended in 1958 with a return to GE in Schenectady, NY, he remained on the reserve list until 1968, discharged as a Lieutenant JG. His career at GE spanned 36 years in marketing and management, where he rose from salesman in the steam power division to vice president in charge of the Asia Pacific Division (headquartered in Singapore), and vice president of the Power Systems International Operations. He served as chairman of the U.S.-ASEAN Center for Technology Exchange and as a director on the Singapore Trade Development Board. With GE he was one of the first business people to re-engage with China after President Nixon’s historic visit. After retiring from GE in 1989, he spent another 12 years as president of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), a lobbying organization in Washington, D.C. While there he served as vice chairman of USA*ENGAGE and as a member of the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy. On behalf of U.S. business, he worked closely with presidents, Congress, the Commerce and State Departments, and the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. One of the NFTC’s major achievements during his presidency was a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Natsios v. National Foreign Trade Council, related to states’ ability to restrict foreign trade. The case was decided unanimously in NFTC’s favor. Kittredge retired from the NFTC in 2001, settling down in Easton, MD. He served on the Board of Crane and Co. for more than 20 years and on the Board of Swedish affiliate Crane AB for a dozen. In retirement he volunteered for Hotchkiss as a fundraiser and class agent, and he served on the Board of the Academy Art Museum in Easton and as Chairman of the Center for Mental Health in Washington. In retirement he also enjoyed sharing with family his love of the water, and Easton saw a succession of sail and power boats, particularly a 42-foot Cheoy Lee for which Kittredge designed and redesigned the interior until it met his standards. He wrote clever poems for business and family celebrations, a trait he shared with his father and brothers. At the time of his death, he was preparing some 100-plus for
publication. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Dorothy Kittredge; his three children, including John B. Kittredge ’76; his seven grandchildren; and Joan’s four children and five grandchildren. His great-niece, Eliza Little, is a member of the Class of 2000. Kittredge was predeceased by his three brothers, including John Kittredge ’47; his late father, Charles, Class of 1912; and his cousin, Chris Crane ’56. Kittredge is also survived by his first wife, Barbara Kittredge, of Marblehead, MA.
JEROME HILL “JERRY” DOOLITTLE , a former Washington Post journalist who left the diplomatic corps after helping to disclose details of the U.S. bombing of Laos during the Vietnam War, died on Nov. 19, 2023, at a health-care facility in Salisbury, CT. He was 90. He is remembered for a number of high points in an eclectic career that included work in Laos as a U.S. press attaché and witness to the scope of a secret U.S. bombing campaign, and then as a White House speechwriter assigned to writing jokes for President Jimmy Carter. Born in Pittsburgh on July 15, 1933, he came to live in northwest Connecticut in the late 1930s, when his father became headmaster of the Indian Mountain School in Lakeville. During World War II, with his father in the military, he and his siblings spent long stretches at the school and roamed the grounds, where he first developed his interest in snakes. After Hotchkiss and graduation in 1954 from Middlebury College, he entered the Army. He often said his experience as an enlisted soldier instilled a lifelong disdain for authority figures. During his military service, he married a former Middlebury classmate, Gretchen Dewitt Rath, in 1956. They later moved to Arlington, VA, while Doolittle began his work at The Post and other newspapers. After returning from Laos, Doolittle and his family settled in West Cornwall, Conn. His first novel, The Bombing Officer (1982), was highly autobiographical, telling the story of a young American diplomat amid the secret air war in Laos. He taught expository writing at Harvard from 1985 to1990. “I seem to have about a two-year span of attention,” he told a Harvard Crimson reporter in 1986. After Harvard, he went on to write a series of murder-mystery novels in the 1990s featuring a fictional private eye who keeps true to his progressive politics and sometimes relies on world-class wrestling skills to get what he needs. At The Post in the early 1960s he wrote satirical pieces that often took aim at the political phobias of the day. He mocked the John Birch Society in 1963 when it advised members on Halloween to give UNICEF trick-or-treaters a denunciation of the United
Nations. He wrote a parody of an intelligence chief ordering the cleaning staff to be put under surveillance as possible defectors. He also profiled Leonard Marks, a Washington lawyer about to be appointed director of the then-U.S. Information Agency. Marks offered Doolittle a position in 1966 as press attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Morocco. His next posting was in 1969 in Vientiane, Laos, during the height of a secret U.S. bombing campaign on suspected North Vietnamese forces and sympathizers in Laos. As spokesman, Doolittle was told to stick to the U.S. line that unarmed reconnaissance flights were conducted over Laos and fighter jet escorts occasionally returned fire if under attack. This was a lie, Doolittle later wrote in The New York Times, as was also acknowledged to be a lie by other reporters at the time. President Richard M. Nixon eventually acknowledged the bombing of Laos, but the full details remained withheld from the public. Doolittle broke ranks and offered off-the-record help to a former Post colleague, Les Whitten, for an account of U.S. bombing raids on a Laotian village while Whitten was doing research for the widely read Jack Anderson column. The story was published in February 1970, bringing pressure on Nixon. Doolittle resigned from the diplomatic corps in 1971 and later helped resettle several families from Southeast Asia in the United States. In 1976 after working on two Time-Life books, Canyons and Mesas (1974) and The Southern Appalachians (1975), Doolittle joined the Carter presidential campaign. After his win, Doolittle became part of the White House speechwriting team, in part to inject some levity into Carter’s speeches. It was not an easy fit. Doolittle complained that the president just did not have natural comic timing and resisted rehearsing the lines. In addition to his wife, survivors include five sons, a sister, two brothers, and 12 grandchildren.
JOHN KIMBERLY MUMFORD DUTTON
quietly died on Dec. 5, 2023, in the home in which he was raised in Cornwall, CT. He was 93. Born on Nov. 28, 1930, he was the third son of the late David Garland Dutton, Class of 1918, and Constance (Mumford) Dutton. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Yvonne, and their four children, as well as their four grandchildren. He was predeceased by his siblings: David, Class of 1944; Arthur, Class of 1946; and Cynthia. Born in Springfield, MA, and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, and Cornwall, he attended the Poughkeepsie Day School, Hotchkiss School, Syracuse University, and Babson College. After graduating from Babson, he worked briefly in the insurance
business in New York City before heading west to Vancouver, British Columbia, to begin a long career in the lumber industry. While in Vancouver, he met the love of his life, Yvonne McKee, from Northern Ireland. They married in 1961 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and began married life in Tarrytown, NY. They lived in Toledo, Ohio, returning to New York in 1963, when he joined the A.C. Dutton Lumber Company, the family wholesale lumber business started in 1887 by his grandfather. Dutton spent his career in Poughkeepsie before retiring in 1995 and moving to Cornwall in 1996, where he felt truly at home. He thrived on hard work, caring for others, and providing for his family. By his many acts of quiet kindness, he instilled in his children the sense of charity toward others. A longtime board member of the historic Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery and the Duchess County Chapter of the American Red Cross, he served on the vestry of the Christ Episcopal Church in Poughkeepsie. In 1970, President Nixon appointed him to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Committee, a group of industry experts charged with protecting the economy against natural and manmade disasters. Dutton especially enjoyed the outdoors, puttering around his beloved Cornwall home or cutting hay and brush in the fields nearby. He regaled friends and family with entertaining stories of his childhood and his experiences. He was truly interested in people and celebrated when others succeeded. His smile was infectious, and his sense of humor uplifting.
WILLIAM PARKER NOBLE JR. , 91, of Island Heights, NJ, writer, educator, storyteller, husband, father, adventurer, and sage, died peacefully in his sleep Jan. 8, 2024. Born in New York City on Jan. 25, 1932, to Edith and William Noble, he grew up in Pelham, NY, and spent much of his adult life near Middlebury, VT, before moving to Island Heights in 1998. He attended The Hotchkiss School from 1947 until graduation in 1950 and graduated from Lehigh University with a B.A. in history. After serving three years in the U.S. Coast Guard, he earned a doctorate in judicial law from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the legal staff of Armstrong Flooring Inc. in Lancaster, PA, before being appointed to head the Model Cities Program by Lancaster Mayor Thomas Monaghan. In 1972 he decided to devote all his time as a writer. He and his second wife, June Brogger, traveled extensively through South America and Europe, working collaboratively on writing projects. In Norway they investigated the wartime activities of Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling for the Norwegian Justice
Ministry. They authored several books together, starting with The Custody Trap and followed by The Psychiatric Fix, Living with Other People’s Children, The Private Me, and Steal this Plot After the 1984 death of his wife, he wrote a series of books on the art of writing and joined the staff of Community College of Vermont, where he taught creative writing and creative nonfiction. He was an early practitioner of online education, developing innovative creative writing curricula while authoring five more books on the art of writing. In the late 1980s, he co-authored The Parents Book of Ballet and The Young Professionals Book of Ballet with ballet director Angela Whitehill. They married in 1998 and continued to write another three works on dance and ballet together. Banned Books in America, the work of which he was probably most proud, was published in 1991. Over the years he wrote 18 more books on writing, politics, and history, as well as numerous magazine articles and scholarly papers, and he was named a Vermont Scholar for the Vermont Council on the Arts. More recently, he wrote monthly golf and restaurant reviews for VT, MA, NJ, and NY Golf magazines, and at the time of his passing was close to completing his memoir. He loved books, baseball, horses, and good conversation. He is survived by his wife, Angela E. Whitehill, as well as two sons and four granddaughters.
JERE WILLIAM THOMPSON P’74 , beloved father and husband, influential business executive and entrepreneur, and community leader in Dallas and beyond, died on Dec. 19, 2023. Born in Waxahachie, TX, and raised in Dallas, Thompson was educated at Holy Trinity Catholic School, Hotchkiss, Highland Park High School, and The University of Texas. While attending Highland Park High School, he met his soulmate, Margaret Peggy Dunlap, in 1949; they married in 1954. After a naval tour of service, he began work with The Southland Corporation, the owner of 7-Eleven stores, which his father founded in 1927. Thompson rose through the ranks, expanded 7-Eleven beyond Texas, and ultimately served as Southland’s president and CEO beginning in 1983. Through grace, perseverance, and talent, Thompson helped 7-Eleven to grow from a small convenience store selling ice, milk, and eggs into a global business with thousands of stores serving countless people’s needs. His many contributions include initiating stores selling gasoline and introducing 24-hour service to a world needing round-the-clock access. Even while he ascended to top leadership, he always gave credit to the countless employees, franchisees, partners, and
vendors who enabled Southland to succeed. Undergirding his many leadership strengths were his unwavering moral compass and integrity. He strongly believed in giving back to the community, particularly as a leader of numerous philanthropic and educational efforts. Thompson gave advice to entrepreneurs and experienced business people; helped build, finance, and beautify churches and medical centers; and generously encouraged and thanked those who serve our great country. His leadership roles included president of the National Association of Convenience Stores, chair of the College of Business Administration Foundation Advisory Council at UT, and chair of the National Center for Policy Analysis. He was recognized for his service with several awards, including the National Brotherhood and Humanitarian Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the UT College of Business Administration Distinguished Alumnus Award. He greatly valued his family, friends, and colleagues. Bringing people together brought him happiness. Thompson was predeceased by his wife, Margaret Dunlap Thompson; his parents, Joe C. and Margaret Thompson; and his brother, John. He is survived by his seven children, including Jere Thompson ’74; 23 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild; brother, Joe C. Thompson Jr.; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
53
DR. GEORGE MARTIN “JIM” CURTIS III died on Sept. 19, 2023. Born on April 11, 1935, in Washington, D.C., to Louise and George Martin Curtis II, he grew up in the family’s hometown of Clinton, Iowa, surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. He loved caddying for his Dad and Gramps, his paper route, baseball, and the smell of sawdust at the family millwork factory. He spent many happy summers at the Walloon, Lake Michigan home of his maternal grandparents, learning a love of sailing, swimming, and sweet peas. Following a family tradition, Curtis came to Hotchkiss in 1949 and graduated in1953. He then went to the University of Iowa, graduating in 1958 with a B.A. in history, a wife, Julie Vogel Curtis, and a daughter. Four more daughters followed as Curtis pursued his master’s and Ph.D. in American Revolutionary History at the Universities of Kansas and Wisconsin. In 1968, he began teaching at Montana State University in Bozeman. The house was always full of his students, colleagues, family, and friends. During this time in Bozeman, he also took part in a
campaign to rewrite the state constitution. In 1973, the family moved to Williamsburg, VA, where Curtis worked for Colonial Williamsburg, The Papers of John Marshall, and taught at the College of William and Mary. In 1980, he accepted a teaching position at Hanover College in Hanover, IN, where, except for a one-year stint in 1986-1987 in Springfield, IL, spent organizing and setting up the editorial project for The Papers of the Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln, he stayed through 1996. In 1998, Curtis moved to Indianapolis, and worked with Liberty Fund until 2002. After his “retirement,” he continued to read and write book reviews, essays, and letters. He enjoyed the times his house was full of family and of friends (many of them former students), and the times he spent in the company of just his books. He told wonderful stories of his youth, of sailing down the Atlantic seaboard during a hurricane in a 25-foot sloop, of fishing in the Keys, of working at a lumber camp in Oregon, of working in Normandy, France. He was fiercely competitive, loving the challenges of swimming, sailing, chess, and conversations. His fridge was always wellstocked, and there were comfortable chairs in every room to encourage long conversations. The recipient of numerous grants and endowments, he was perhaps most proud of receiving the Bayhnam Award for Teaching three times while at Hanover, an award voted on by the students he encouraged, harangued, taught, and loved. Curtis believed deeply in the power of education to change the life of a child, a community, a nation. He is survived by his former wife, Julie; five daughters; eight grandchildren; seven greatgrandchildren; his brother, Chase; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his father, George Martin Curtis II, Class of 1923, and a cousin, Tom Carpenter ’51.
HARRY S. PARKER III P’83 , a visionary museum director who transformed the Dallas Museum of Art and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, helping to usher in an unprecedented period of expansion, passed away peacefully at his home in Fishers Island, NY, on Jan. 13, 2024. He was 84. Over a career spanning more than 40 years, Parker belonged to an era of democratization among this country’s once-elitist art institutions. He emphasized the role of education and outreach as integral to the mission of a museum and promoted an openness that is central to his legacy. He is also credited with elevating women and minority artists long before the art world’s overdue shift toward equity
and inclusion. He played an influential role as president of the Association of Art Museum Directors and vice president of the American Association of Museums (now The American Alliance of Museums). Born on Dec. 23, 1939, in St. Petersburg, FL, he was a graduate of the Class of 1957 at Hotchkiss and graduated from Harvard in 1961 and New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts in 1964. Parker was recruited by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s director James Rorimer as his administrative assistant in 1963 at the age of 24. He later became vice chairman of education under director Thomas Hoving. In 1974, he became director of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts at 33, among the youngest art museum directors in America. In Dallas, he proved a charismatic leader and fundraiser. Recognizing the untapped potential of North Texas, he won over the support of Dallas’s civic-minded philanthropists. During 13 years in Dallas, he oversaw the construction of a new building, expanded the museum’s collection and staff, increased its endowment and attendance, and helped raise the stature of the small regional institution to one of worldwide prominence. The new downtown building, renamed the Dallas Museum of Art, formed the anchor of the nascent Dallas Arts District, now the largest urban arts district in the country. In 1987, Parker became director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which include the de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor. Tested early on by damage caused by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, Parker set out to reconstruct both buildings as advanced, seismically safe structures. He faced initial opposition to the proposed changes, as well as budget constraints and design challenges. He overcame these using the sense of diplomacy and gentle persuasiveness that were his hallmark. Parker and a succession of dynamic board chairs and philanthropists successfully raised hundreds of millions of dollars to shore up and expand the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, and ultimately to build the new de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, a signature design that opened in 2005, an extraordinary private gift to the city of San Francisco. Parker was widely respected and admired by his colleagues, staff, patrons, and artists worldwide for his leadership, integrity, and passion for art. His endless curiosity about all things and all people lent to his magnetism and appeal. He was known, too, for his fairness and generosity, his humor, intelligence, and his love for his family and friends. He retired in 2005 after more than 30 years as a museum director, and spent time traveling and enjoying his family at his homes in Fishers Island, NY, and Vieques, Puerto Rico. His advice and reputation as a
“builder” continued to be sought-after by art professionals, and his volunteerism on boards and advisory councils continued unabated. He is survived by Ellen, his beloved wife of 60 years (whom board chairs always considered their “two-for”); his two loving sisters; his four devoted children and their spouses, including Mrs. E. Day Parker Waters ’83; and by his 10 cherished grandchildren. He is predeceased by his brother, Stephen B. Parker.
59
PETER MAKEPEACE COXE of Lexington, MA, formerly of Marblehead, MA, passed away peacefully on Nov. 5, 2023. He was unfailingly loving and considerate, and a supportive husband, father and friend. He was born in Englewood, NJ, on March 8, 1941, to Dorothy and Gerald Coxe. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1959 and Williams College in 1963. At Williams he discovered his lifelong passion for art history and design. He subsequently attended Harvard Graduate School of Design, earning a Master of Architecture degree in 1967. He married his wife, Dale, in 1967, and they spent the next 40 years living in Marblehead, MA, raising two children, Robin and Sam, and developing lifelong friendships. The family enjoyed skiing, hiking, and sailing throughout New England. Coxe particularly loved the sea and spent many happy summers navigating the Maine seacoast in his sailboat. He and Dale traveled widely throughout their lives, approaching new cultures with curiosity and warmth. Coxe loved his work and had an accomplished 40-year career in architecture and architectural lighting design, which he helped to pioneer in the U.S. and internationally. His public projects included lighting the Boston Public Library, Boston’s Custom House Tower, Boston Waterfront Park, the USS Constitution (Charlestown Navy Yard), and Pilgrim Memorial/Plymouth Rock. His design skills were also put to good use in his family’s life, as he constructed their home and delighted his kids with creative projects. He gave back, volunteering, donating his architectural expertise, hosting exchange students, and sponsoring children in need. Coxe is survived by his wife of 56 years, Dale; his two children, Robin Coxe of Denver, CO, and Sam Coxe of London, England.
J. ERIC PLYM , 81, of Vero Beach, FL, passed away on January 1, 2023. He was the son of the late Lawrence J. Plym and Mary Lippincott and grandson of the illustrious Francis J. Plym, inventor of metal framing for
glass and founder of Kawneer Company, an aluminum architectural products company once headquartered in Niles, MI. He grew up in Niles and graduated from Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, IL, and Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, MI. A Hillsdale Trustee Emeritus, he served as a member of the Hillsdale Board of Trustees for over 30 years. After college, he ran Star Publishing, a familyowned business consisting of a daily newspaper, printing company, and radio station. When the newspaper and printing company were sold in 1970, he moved to Vero Beach but continued on as president of Niles Broadcasting, running the Michigan radio station. He obtained a private pilot’s license with multi-engine and instrument ratings, so he was able to pilot his plane between business interests in Michigan and his home in Vero. He was married to Millinda Morton from 1964 to 1985. They had four children, of whom he was extremely proud. Plym loved cruising and his boat, “The Crackerjack,” was named after his oldest son, Jack. In addition to fishing and golf, he enjoyed family vacations on their beloved Burnt Island in the upper peninsula of Michigan on Lake Huron and at family cottages on Treasure Cay in the Bahamas. In 2003 he married Doris Myers. Plym was a solid and steady presence with a kind and generous spirit, a mentor and inspiration to Doris’s grandson, Colby Lufkin. Colby, like Jack, Linda, Randy and Jenni Plym, attended St. Edward’s School, where Plym served as a member of the school’s board of trustees—one of the many ways Eric supported his community. As president of the Plym Family Foundation, he leaves behind a legacy of philanthropy and loving kindness. He is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.
ALBERT L. PERRY III died peacefully in his home on Oct. 31, 2023, at the age of 82. Born in New York, NY, to Albert L. Perry and Virginia E. Gregory, he was raised in Wilton, CT, where he attended local schools. Perry is survived by his brother, Gregory M. Perry ’65 of Weston, CT, his sister Ginger, and his cousin Julian Gregory, as well as four nieces and grandnieces and grandnephews. He was predeceased by his brother Stephen, who died in combat in Vietnam in May 1969. Perry graduated from Hotchkiss and Princeton University. At Princeton, he majored in English and was a member of Cap and Gown Club. More recently, he authored a book Johnny Poe at Princeton, a novel about a football legend at the end of the 19th century. For over 20-plus
years, he taught English and history at New Canaan Country School to the Upper School. He found his greatest satisfaction helping to educate young people, many of whom carry lifelong memories of his classes. He was guided in his teaching by Maya Angelou, who said, “People may not remember everything that you did, or all that you said, but people will always remember how you made them feel.” He continued his love of baseball throughout his life, and he maintained an encyclopedic recall of trivia about the game along with a collection of memorabilia. Tennis and paddle tennis were his go-to sports throughout his life. After his retirement, he traveled the world and continued this fascination until his illness stopped his wandering. In addition, he volunteered as a driver for Stay Put in New Canaan, member of the Princeton Alumni Schools Committee, and member of the School for Ethical Education. He will be missed by family, friends, and former students.
PETER SUTHERLAND RACE , 82, died on Dec. 2, 2023, in Alexandria, VA, surrounded by his beloved wife and daughters. Race lived a life full of love, laughter, and family. He was born on July 17, 1941, in Kalamazoo, MI, to William and Betty Sutherland Race and was the third of four brothers. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1960 and then moved west to study political science at Stanford University. After graduating in 1964, he spent most of the next two years on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ranger as an officer in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He went on to attend law school at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1969. He described his greatest achievements in Ann Arbor as earning his J.D. degree and meeting the love of his life, Kristen LeAnderson. They married in 1970 and raised their two daughters in Alexandria, VA. Race dedicated his life to serving others, working for 42 years at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., ultimately becoming an assistant general counsel and leading the enforcement of HUD’s consumer protection programs. He took great pleasure in contributing to his community, including coaching his girls’ soccer and basketball teams and volunteering as a board member of the Hollin Meadows Swim & Tennis Club. He loved having daughters and was a devoted and caring father. Upon retirement, he and Kristen spent much of their time at their home on Little Traverse Lake in Northern Michigan. “Up North” was a cherished gathering place where they shared special times with their children, grandchildren, extended family, and many friends. His dry sense of humor, gentle
smile, and kind nature endeared him to everyone he met. He was as devoted a fan as one could be, whether it be loyally cheering on his beleaguered Detroit Lions, his less-beleaguered Michigan Wolverines, or supporting his dear grandchildren, of whom he was incredibly proud. Peter is survived by his wife, Kristen; his two daughters; and four grandchildren. Three brothers are alumni: Jeff, Class of 1957, Louis, Class of 1964, and the late William, Class of 1954.
62
BRUCE HARMON DETWILER , a longtime summer resident of Mount Washington, MA, Nietzsche scholar, and civil rights activist, died at his home in New York City on Jan. 10, 2024, after a prolonged illness. He was 79. After graduating from Hotchkiss in 1962, he received an undergraduate degree from Yale and a law degree and Ph.D. from Cornell University. As he was pondering his choice of college, a conversation with Robert Frost encouraged him to pursue an English major at Yale instead of engineering, as his family had urged. Detwiler recalled that the poet suggested English would make him a man, while engineering would make him a tool. He chose the former. During his undergraduate years, he became involved in the civil rights movement and was co-chair of the Civil Rights Council at Yale. He joined the Mississippi Summer Project (also known as Freedom Summer) and worked in that state during the summers of 1963-65, a time when young voting rights advocates were targeted and murdered. He advocated for Black empowerment in a piece, “A Time to Be Black,” published in The New Republic. He was a staff writer for the Village Voice and contributed to The Atlantic and other journals. After graduation from Yale, he taught science in Zambia to students who included refugees from apartheid Rhodesia. He traveled to South Africa, where he interviewed activists involved in resistance to the apartheid regime in that country. These experiences moved him to write “Thaw in South Africa?” published in Commonweal magazine (1968, 87:527), in which he observed how the regime had become adept at giving lip service to racial tolerance while intensifying apartheid repression. Detwiler often discussed how important these experiences were and how they changed his life. He received a law degree from Cornell in 1975. Midway through law school he took a five-year leave of absence to study and work on a manuscript, ultimately unfinished, critiquing and analyzing philosophers including Nietzsche and organizing his own world view. His drive to extend his work on political philosophy led him to pursue a Ph.D. in
political science, awarded by Cornell in 1984. His thesis was meticulously refined and published in 1990 (Nietzsche and the Politics of Aristocratic Radicalism, University of Chicago Press), recognized as a definitive analysis of the philosophy and politics of Friedrich Nietzsche. He then taught civil liberties, constitutional law and political theory as a tenured professor at Florida International University and later as a visiting professor at Cornell. Detwiler met his wife, Sandra (“Sandy”) Winters in Cambridge, MA. His continuous support of her and her art career led to his early retirement from teaching. Together, they resigned positions at FIU and moved to New York City in 1998. He became interested in the philosopher John Rawls and was asked to provide his analysis of Rawls’ writings at Columbia University. In recent years, he dedicated time in support of Oxfam International, with particular interest in its work in Africa. The son of Benjamin and Louise Detwiler, he grew up in Port Washington and Cutchogue, NY. Detwiler first discovered the Berkshires as a freshman, visiting Mount Washington with Morgan Bulkeley ’62, who would become his lifelong best friend. He and Sandy married at Morgan’s home in Mount Washington in 1975. Later, they built a house nearby and divided their time between New York City and Mount Washington. Detwiler loved hiking and, until shortly before his death, continued the distance running he had practiced as a founding member of the cross-country team at Hotchkiss and later at Yale. His personal philosophy of kindness and empathy resonated with family, friends and students. He is survived by his wife, Sandy; a brother, John Detwiler ’56, and his family; two stepbrothers; and extended members of the Lanning, Wilson, and Wintersieck families.
RICHARD B. GREENBERG died unexpectedly on Jan. 4, 2024, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. He was the devoted husband of Janet Bobit. He was born on March 3, 1944, in New Rochelle, NY, to Mortimer and Bernice Greenberg. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 1962 and Princeton in 1966 and earned an MBA from Columbia University in 1968. He joined TWA after graduating from Columbia and worked in investor relations for several years before finding his joy as a counselor for Consumer Credit Counseling Services in Boston. He volunteered with the Boston Bar Association, preparing tax returns for low-income filers and with ITN, driving elderly individuals to appointments. He and Janet moved to
Massachusetts in 1981 and had been residents of Boston’s Back Bay since 1985. They enjoyed traveling, be it a day trip to Kennebunkport for lobster rolls or to India, Africa, or Dubai. In addition to his beloved wife, he leaves his sister, Barbara Levey of Grand Cayman, and brother, Allan Greenberg ’54 of Upper Saddle River, NJ, as well as several nieces and nephews, including Stacey Greenberg ’84 and Dave Greenberg ’86.
65
WILLIAM B. “BILL” KIESEWETTER , longtime Wellington, FL, resident, died Jan. 10, 2024, after many years of multiple health issues. He was born in Philadelphia, PA, on April 29, 1946, to Grace and Dr. William Burns Kiesewetter. In Philadelphia he attended the Germantown Friends School, and later when his family moved to Pittsburgh, he became a student at the Shadyside Academy. He then came to Hotchkiss, where he played on the varsity soccer team and graduated cum laude in 1965. At Yale University he played on the polo team and graduated in 1969. He earned his law degree from Duquesne Law School in Pittsburgh in 1976 and a master’s in Taxation at the University of Miami (Florida) in 1979. From 1969-72 he taught history and coached soccer and tennis at the Colorado Academy in Denver. In 1972 he obtained a Pennsylvania real estate broker’s license and leased commercial real estate. He worked briefly at a major tax firm but spent more time in private practice as a tax attorney, a real estate investor, and a bond fund trader. A sports enthusiast, he enjoyed multiple sports, whether as a spectator or as a participant. While living in Pittsburgh, he and his mother saw Bill Mazeroski hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth, seventh game, for the Pirates to beat the Yankees at Forbes Field. He watched as Jack Nicklaus had the audacity to beat local favorite Arnold Palmer in the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. When possible, he took in ski runs in Vail. He belonged to Rolling Rock Club and was a longtime member of The Pittsburgh Golf Club and Fox Chapel Golf Club, where he competed in golf, tennis, and squash. After moving to Wellington in 1993, he and his wife joined the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club, where he saw such high-goal greats as Memo and Carlos Gracida and Adolfo Cambiaso. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Jayne. She noted that even above his intelligence and athletic talent, she treasured her husband’s kind, modest nature. She called him an oldfashioned gentleman.
70
GEORGE HOWARD CONVERSE passed away peacefully on May 27, 2023, in Hawaii after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Converse, known to his close friends and family as “the Big Dog,” was born in Rock Springs, WY, to Marie and Paul Howard Converse, a 1937 Hotchkiss graduate. The family moved to California in 1956 and settled in the Bay Area. He met his wife, Lindsay Pjerrou Desrochers, in 1978 at UC Berkeley, and they enjoyed a 43-year, very loving marriage. In addition to Lindsay, he leaves a son, a daughter, and two granddaughters. In his early adult years, Converse was involved in the preservation of Victorian-era homes in the Oakland Bay Area. He became a real estate agent and a general contractor, and continued his interest in home renovation/preservation throughout his lifetime. He and Lindsay lived in the Bay Area as well as Portland, OR; Atlanta, GA; and back again to California in the Central Valley. He was an exceptionally dedicated spouse who supported Lindsay in her posts as a university vice chancellor/president. In each new community where they lived, he was often thought of as the neighborhood mayor. He also served in volunteer roles, including as a member of the Oakland Museum Board and president of a small Central California symphony. Converse was deeply loved by his extended family and his many, many friends across the country. He was renowned for his love of life, storytelling, and most important, his dedication and kindness to friends and family. An avid athlete, he loved the competition of golf, tennis and basketball. He enjoyed biking, hiking, camping, and kayaking, and was very proud of the fact that he climbed Mt. Whitney nine times. His wife and son cared for him during his eight-year battle with Alzheimer’s. The story of that caregiving, based on Lindsay’s journal, is available on Amazon: No One Is Prepared for Alzheimer’s: One Family’s Story (by Lindsay Pjerrou Desrochers).
JONATHAN DAVID WALSH , professor of French studies and chairman of the French Studies Department at Wheaton College, Norton, MA, died Oct. 10, 2023, at home in Barrington, RI, following a long illness. He was 61. Born in Fairfield, CT, to the late Richard O. Walsh and late Joanne Walsh Sohrweide, he moved with his family to Lakeville, CT, in 1974, where he attended the Indian Mountain School and was a 1980 graduate of Hotchkiss. He earned both B.A. magna cum laude and M.A. from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and his Ph.D. from the University
of California, Santa Barbara. He joined the French Department at Wheaton College in 1994 after having held visiting appointments at Middlebury and Bates colleges. He was awarded tenure at Wheaton in 2000 and promoted to professor in 2009. He is survived by his two sons, Nicholas of Los Angeles, CA, and Antoine (and daughter-in-law Yukiko Fukushige Walsh) and grandson Raymond of Kobe, Japan; sisters Deborah Rathbun of Sharon, CT, and Barbara Hostetter of Boston, MA, and brother Tim Walsh of Marblehead, MA, and three nieces and four nephews. He is also survived by stepchildren Ella and Cooper Rudisill of Cranston, RI. A specialist in French literature of the Enlightenment and the Early Modern period, Walsh was a teacher who possessed an unwavering love for his craft. His scholarly contributions were extensive and deeply impactful. Much of his work focused on Enlightenment fiction, with his 2001 publication, Abbé Prevost’s Histoire d’Une Grecque Moderne: Figures of Authority on Trial. He also translated two novels by Madame de Tencin and authored numerous articles and papers on figures like Proust, Montesquieu, and Edward Said. In his recent work, he delved into the salons of 17th- and 18th-century Europe, with a particular emphasis on the influential role of women, or salonnières, in the Enlightenment. His interests and hobbies included sailing his CAL-33 masthead sloop “Hot Tuna” out of Bristol Yacht Club, and playing guitar and vocals in the band Ghost Cat Rodeo at venues throughout Rhode Island. Additional passions included fishing, skiing and cooking. Walsh’s belief in the inseparability of language and culture formed the cornerstone of his teaching philosophy. He reveled in sharing the richness of French culture and its contributions to the world of art and thought through films, novels, and essays. He believed that by mastering the language, one could gain access to an alternate universe of creativity and intellect. His dedication to nurturing a transformative experience for his students is considered one of his most profound contributions to Wheaton College.
—By Bob Rathbun P’03, brother-in-law
SUZANNE “SUZIE” LYNCH lost her battle with cancer on July 14, 2023. Her last day with us was Bastille Day, a holiday celebrated across France with fireworks, parades, singing, and dancing. It was an appropriate day of departure for Lynch, a Francophile at heart, who lived in Paris for almost a decade following her graduation from Brown University. While
living overseas, she worked in journalism and in public relations for institutions including the International Herald Tribune and Cerruti 1881. She eventually returned to the U.S., where she settled in New York City, working as an interpreter. She shifted between projects at the United Nations and the New York family court system throughout various boroughs, offering her French-speaking skills. She was a talented translator, combining both her expertise and empathy for each circumstance she encountered. Lynch’s greatest joy was being a mother. She loved to travel with her daughter, Dylan, as the two explored new places together. The pictures from their travels radiate with the love and joy of their forever bond. Lynch loved the outdoors, whether the beach, the mountains, or walking on a wooded path. She had a great sense of adventure, enjoying worldwide travels as well as having enthusiastically completed a noted 17k-elevation trail in her youth. She had a quick wit and a wonderful sense of humor. She loved literature and writing, and one of her favorite places was snuggled alongside Dylan, listening to Dylan read to her. She is survived by her daughter, Dylan; her mother, Marguerite; two sisters, including Michele Matzinger ’88; her brother-in-law, and nephews and niece. Her father, John Lynch, predeceased her in 2019.
07
BRYCE MCHUGH WILLIAMSON of New York City and Sea Island, GA, died peacefully in her sleep on Feb. 14, 2024, at the age of 35. She was born eight weeks early on June 24, 1988, to Allen and Kathryn (Reilly) Williamson. “Peanut,” as she was affectionately called by her parents, was the fourth child and completed the Williamson family. Having moved with her family several times throughout her childhood, she embraced the value of family time and connection. Her family were her friends, and her friends were her family, and both by far were the most important thing in her life. That priority extended into Williamson’s profession as an executive assistant at Bank of America. The job became her passion, and she thrived in supporting others. She lovingly referred to younger professionals as “my juniors,” and took great pride in seeing them succeed at work and in life. It is undeniable that Williamson’s most prized possessions were her seven nieces and nephews: Charlie, Reilly, Huntley, Sam, Ellie, Lucy, and Wells. She often would FaceTime other friends and family while babysitting, revealing one of the kids sitting on her lap as she beamed with pride. She was famous within the family for her custom gifts and delight in wearing matching pajamas with her nieces and
nephews. She was full of joy and laughter, an optimist, a lover of all things pink, and a Bravo Channel enthusiast. All who knew Williamson miss her already, yet her memory will live on with full hearts, smiles, and gratitude. Williamson graduated from Hotchkiss in 2007 and attended Roanoke College and The New York School of Interior Design. Most recently she worked as an executive assistant in the Energy & Power group at Bank of America. Williamson is survived by her parents and her siblings; she was the sister of Tucker Williamson, Class of 2000, and Brooke Williamson Wimmer, Class of 2004, as well as Kathryn Stitzer. She also is survived by her grandfather, Charles E. Reilly Jr., and his wife, Joan, of Palm Beach Shores, FL. She was predeceased by her grandparents, Richard and Joy Williamson, and Lynn Wanger Reilly.
20
With sadness, Head of School Craig W. Bradley wrote to the School community to inform students, faculty, and others of the passing of LOUISA ESSUMAN on Jan. 25, 2024. She is remembered and loved by many on campus, he said. Essuman came to Hotchkiss from Ghana through the Right to Dream program as one of the inaugural female members. At Hotchkiss, she was a bright light, distinguishing herself as a talented student-athlete. She earned the prestigious Upson Prize for excellence in scholarship, athletics, and citizenship. She was a three-time high school All-American soccer player and also became one of only three sophomores in the country to be named to the All-American team in 2018. She remained a highly esteemed member of the Right to Dream community. After graduating from Hotchkiss, she matriculated at the University of Tennessee, after which she went on to graduate school at the Milwaukee School of Engineering in Wisconsin. Christy Cooper P’08,’11, who retired from Hotchkiss last year after more than three decades of service, was Essuman’s soccer coach. She wrote of Essuman: “Yes, she could make magic with the ball as she danced on Hoyt, but what I imagine we will all remember most is that huge, brilliant smile, her twinkling eyes, often full of mischief and fun, and that glorious laugh. I only wish we’d been able to see all the good Louisa would have gone on to do in the world; indeed, she had already begun to change lives, and was happy and well as she pursued her dreams.”
Mary Graf
FRIEND
AND SUPPORTER OF FAIRFIELD FARM
Mary M. Graf, 78, passed away April 9, 2024, after a brief illness. She is survived by her husband, Jack.
Mary was the great-great-great niece of Hotchkiss’s founder, Maria Bissell Hotchkiss. This was her initial inspiration to be involved with the School. As an avid farmer herself, she fell in love with the School’s Fairfield Farm and joyfully supported it. She contributed to its growth by funding the construction of the Mary M. Graf Barn and renovating a faculty residence at the farm. Aside from the physical manifestations of her generosity, she also created endowments for two staff positions at the farm: the farm manager and another focused on program and program development.
In fall 2017, trustees, faculty, and family and friends of Mary gathered at the farm for a dedication ceremony and dinner marking the completion of the barn and renovated Bissell House—all thanks to her unwavering support. As a token of gratitude, former arts instructor Charlie Noyes ’78, P’03,’07 presented Mary with a framed watercolor of the fields behind the barn at the ceremony. When asked about her passion for Fairfield Farm in Hotchkiss Magazine, she replied, “It’s the spaciousness. That’s part of what I love about this place.”
Edward Barr “Ned” Goodnow ’44, P’80
GENEROUS SUPPORTER OF HOTCHKISS
Edward Barr “Ned” Goodnow ’44, P’80, founder and principal of the investment firm of Goodnow, Gray & Company in Darien, CT, and revered alumnus of Hotchkiss, passed away peacefully on Jan. 28, 2024. He was 98.
“Ned was a devoted father, husband, and friend,” said Head of School Craig Bradley, “as well as a decorated veteran, a notable investor, a committed philanthropist, and an enthusiastic angler and athlete. He will be missed.”
Hotchkiss was “an essential building block in my life,” Goodnow said in a 2012 interview. His thoughtful philanthropy to Hotchkiss over several decades included the largest gift for financial aid in the School’s history in 2019. That gift of $10 million supplemented the 2011 gift by Goodnow and his family that established the Goodnow Family Scholarship Fund. The fund provides need-based scholarships to four Goodnow Scholars, one in each class year. The additional gift he made in 2019 allowed the School to have a minimum of three Goodnow Scholars in each class year and considerably enhanced the outreach of the fund. Head of School Holidays were announced in 2012 and 2019 in Goodnow’s honor.
“Hotchkiss was an essential building block in my life.”
EDWARD GOODNOW ’44, P’80
Goodnow made it his practice to keep informed on new initiatives at Hotchkiss, and he proactively offered his support, especially for teaching, curricular initiatives, and for financial aid. His major gifts to the School provided for the establishment of two endowed teaching chairs, the awarding of financial aid through the Goodnow Family Scholarship Fund, and the creation of The Goodnow Family Teaching Fund.
Born in Norwich, CT, on Nov. 29, 1925, to Weston and Mary Godfrey Barr Goodnow, he moved to Stamford, CT, and later Riverton, NJ, after his father died in 1932. His mother married Russel Murray Bigelow during the Depression. It was Russel Bigelow who encouraged Goodnow and his brother, Wes (Class of 1941), to attend Hotchkiss.
Goodnow established the Russel Murray Bigelow Chair and the E. Carleton Granbery Chair at Hotchkiss in 1992. At the time, Goodnow spoke of his appreciation for the gifts of encouragement he had received from both men. “It gives me special satisfaction to make this gift,” he said, “both because of my appreciation of the scholarship aid I received at Hotchkiss, and, obviously, also for my affection and esteem for Russel Bigelow, my stepfather, and for Carleton Granbery, my uncle.” Granbery “encouraged me to enter the investment business, a choice I have never regretted. In fact, I have loved every minute of it. And Russel Bigelow understood the value of education from his own experience,” he recalled.
Goodnow excelled in his studies at Hotchkiss. He participated in skiing, tennis, and forestry work. He belonged to the editorial board of the Hotchkiss Record, joined the choir, and was a member of the glee and photo clubs.
Graduating with his class early due to war, Goodnow entered Princeton in June 1943, also on a scholarship, completing his first year before enlisting in the Army in early 1944 when he was just 18. As a trained rifleman, he shipped out to Europe with the 99th Infantry Division, arriving in Belgium in November 1944. Goodnow and his division were positioned on the thinly defended front lines of Elsenborn Ridge in the Ardennes Forest as the German offensive commenced during the Battle of the Bulge.
Goodnow was wounded on Feb. 11, 1945, while attacking a machine gun position in the German trenches. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his bravery but was unable to return to his unit before the war ended.
When he returned to Princeton after the war, he enrolled in the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs, studying history, politics, and economics. After his graduation with a B.A. with honors in 1949, he joined the securities firm of Kidder, Peabody & Co. His career there was interrupted when he was recalled to the armed
services at the outbreak of the Korean War.
After redeployment, he returned to work at Kidder Peabody until 1969, when he co-founded Goodnow, Gray & Co., a successful private investment firm in Darien, CT. He later co-founded the Goodnow Investment Group, an umbrella for hedge fund strategies, and continued to head the firm well into his 80s.
A great outdoorsman, he enjoyed skiing, tennis, hiking, and later in life, rowing. His fourman boat, which was called The Honorables and Ancients, won the National Masters Championships for 60-to 65-year-olds in 1991. He traveled to New Brunswick, Canada, for catch-andrelease salmon and trout fishing, and tried his hand at fishing in Russia and Tierra del Fuego. He found time for bird shooting and enjoyed the farming life at the family’s home in Southfield, MA.
His son, Carl Goodnow ’80, said of his father, “He’s been immensely successful, but he doesn’t have any affectation. He’s a person who has a lot of friends, a person who has made a great contribution in many areas. I remember a conversation I had with the librarian at the Darien Library. When she heard my name, she said, ‘I’ve known your father for a very long time. Your father is responsible for putting this library on sound footing—he recommended that we stop investing through banks and start investing through funds. (They began investing in one that he recommended, and 33 years later they’re still investing in that.) He’s a wonderful person.’ He’s had a large impact on people, but he’s not someone who talks a lot or looks for attention. He’s always been incredibly grateful to Hotchkiss for the opportunity to attend that wonderful institution on a full scholarship.”
Goodnow was predeceased by his wife, Dianne “Dee” Throckmorton Goodnow, in 2017; his brother, Wes Goodnow ’41, and his sister, Mary Meyer. He is survived by his children: Dianne Throckmorton Goodnow; Carleton Throckmorton Goodnow ’80 and his wife, Anne; and Olivia Throckmorton Goodnow and her husband, Jeffrey; as well as his grandson, Lance Edward T. Goodnow. In addition to his late brother, he counted several Hotchkiss relatives in his family: cousins Adrian G. Carleton ’05, Alexander M. Becket ’99, Thomas W. Goodnow ’43, David Goodnow ’34, E. Carleton Granbery Jr. ’31 and John Granbery ’30.
Goodnow will be remembered by all for his humor, humility, and kindness. His World War II recollection can be found on YouTube at go.hotchkiss.org/goodnow.
FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF
DAVID JOHN BEARE , 60, passed away peacefully on Dec. 27, 2023, after a seven-month battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was born in Seattle, WA, on June 22, 1963, and grew up in Olympia, WA, with the same core group of friends from elementary to high school. In Washington, he also developed his lifelong relationship with the great outdoors by hiking and climbing. Studying at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, he was immediately drawn in by the Jesuits’ commitment to thoughtful scholarship, servant leadership, and global outreach. This path led him to degrees from Harvard Divinity School and Harvard Graduate School of Education, his baptism into the Catholic church as an adult, and his career path as an educator. While starting out as a history teacher, Beare especially enjoyed teaching courses in philosophy and comparative world religions. He delighted in the opportunity to open students’ minds to new questions and possibilities. He reveled in the spirituality and humanity inherent in all religions, and delighted in the shared stories that weave through the tapestry of religious thought across cultures and continents. Beare’s career as an educator took him from teaching to developing and implementing new interdisciplinary curricula and leading departments in boarding schools throughout New England (Loomis Chafee, Phillips Exeter Academy, The Hotchkiss School), and at Lakeside School, a leading day school in Seattle, WA. At the height of his career, he helped to start Keystone Academy, a K-12 day and boarding school in Beijing, China, and served as head of Middlesex School in Concord, MA. At Hotchkiss, he served as instructor in religion and philosophy. Throughout his professional life, he was known to act not out of his self-interest, but in ways that best served the needs of his students, his colleagues, and his school community. He was a deeply thoughtful and loving person—a lifelong learner who easily engaged in conversations ranging from Hindu mythology to Chinese philosophy to Zadie Smith’s latest novel or an offbeat piece of music heard on NPR. He is survived by his partner of 33 years, Rachael, who served as dean of admission and financial aid at Hotchkiss; their two children, Sarah and George; a brother and sister; and a host of extended family and good friends scattered around the globe.
ALBERT E. “TIM” REDLUND , 76, died on Jan. 29, 2024, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington. Born in Hartford, he was employed for nearly 30 years as an athletic equipment manager at Hotchkiss. He also served the Town of North Canaan as a member of the Canaan Fire Company for over 40 years. He was an avid golfer. When not on the golf course, he could be found participating in his second favorite activity, bowling. He participated in several golf and bowling leagues and had even bowled a perfect game of 300. However, neither of these activities could compare to the joy he garnered when he spent the day fishing with his grandson. Redlund had served his country during the Vietnam War, having served with the U.S. Marine Corps, and was a member of the VFW. He was the husband of Virginia “Ginny” (Topping) Redlund. He is survived by his son Bryan and daughter-in-law, Jennifer, of Salisbury, and his grandson, Zachary Redlund. He was predeceased by his sister, Debbie.
“Mr. Reed saw that I appreciated Shakespeare and that I was capable of craziness.”
—Chris Mitchell ’24
To Be, or Not to Be
The Hotchkiss Dramatic Association presented its spring production of Hamlet from May 10-12, with Chris Mitchell ’24 in the title role. The play was directed by Parker Reed, head of theatrical performance and instructor in English and theatre. The Hotchkiss Record reports that Reed precast Chris as Hamlet during the summer of 2023 to give him time to prepare for the challenging role. “Mr. Reed saw that I appreciated Shakespeare and that I was capable of craziness,” Chris told The Record. “I think HDA does such a good job with the selections and the casting and puts on amazing shows that are very open to people who want to be involved.”
PHOTOS
We look forward to celebrating with you!
FALL REUNION SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2024
Class of 1949: 75th Reunion • Class of 1959: 65th Reunion
Class of 1964: 60th Reunion • Class of 1974: 50th Reunion
hotchkiss.org/alumni/events-reunions
For more information, please contact Rachel Schroeder Rodgers ’09, associate director of alumni and parent engagement, at (860) 435-3124 or rrodgers@hotchkiss.org.
Save the Date JUNE REUNION JUNE 13-15, 2025 Classes ending in 0 and 5
“Competing
at Worlds with Hotchkiss Robotics was incredible! Talking with different teams about their engineering processes was exciting and gave us a lot of ideas for next year.”
—Miranda Beitel ’25, pictured, on Hotchkiss Robotics making its first-ever appearance at the World Championship Read more on page 18.
