V E R MO N T AC A D E M Y
LIFE Winter 2011
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CELEBRATING SCIENCE
Vermont Academy BOARD OF TRUSTEES Steven E. Karol ’72, Chairman Michael A. Choukas ’73, P ’94, Vice-Chairman Col. Richard I. Stark, Jr. ’74, Secretary Chris Cota ’66, Treasurer Linda Aitken, P ’11 Corina Luther Belle-Isle ’80 Mark Candon Stuart Eisenkraft ’74 Penny Gendron, P ’10, ’12 Michael Gerity ’84 Anne Herbert, P ’99 Penny Horowitz, P ’98 Reverend Peter Howe, P ’07, ’10 Timothy Lord ’69, P ’05, ’10 Donald G. McInnes ’59 George P. Moser, Jr. ’48, P ’79 Marvin S. Neuman, P ’03 David E. Robinson ’77 Kevin J. Seifert ’80 S. Tylor Tregellas Andrew Ward ’93
SHRINE TO THE STARS A look at the VA Observatory and the history of astronomy at the school.
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EMERITUS TRUSTEES Robert M. Campbell ’37, P ’65,’68,’70 (2),’80, ’82 W. Gene Hays Jr. ’55 Wentworth Hubbard, P ’80 Hugh Pearson ’54
HEADMASTER EMERITUS | Mr. Michael Choukas Jr. ’46, P ’73 HEAD OF SCHOOL | Sean P. Brennan EDITOR | Maryann McArdle CONTRIBUTORS | Brant Nelson, Joe Echanis ’79, Maryann McArdle, Conor McArdle ’06, Christine Armiger, Ross Levanthal ’86, Chris Cota ’66
CLASS NOTES EDITOR | Ella McIntosh ’86 DESIGN | Square Spot Design PHOTOS | Conor McArdle ’06, Maryann McArdle, Pam Nelligan, Jacob Marmor ’12, Thom Collins, Christine Armiger, Joe Echanis ’79, Mark Ragonese ON THE COVER | Photo of the Orion Nebula taken with the Hubble Telescope. See page 3 for related article. Vermont Academy Life is published two times a year by Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, VT. Vermont Academy Life reserves the right to edit all material that it accepts for publication. Please email submissions, letters, and comments to valife@vermontacademy.org. Fax (802) 869-6268, or mail to Managing Editor, Vermont Academy Life, P.O. Box 500, Saxtons River, VT 05154-0500. By providing a supportive community and close personal attention to its students, Vermont Academy develops confident, active learners and respectful citizens.
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FACULTY PROFILE Why VA biology teacher, Thom Collins, passes out pens, paper and termites on the first day of class and how this reflects his unique teaching style.
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FROM GARBAGE TO GARDEN How Vermont Academy students are keeping waste out of the landfill and learning to grow organic food in the process.
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BRINGING GREEN DESIGN TO A NEW LEVEL Ross Levanthal ’86 discusses sustainable building design.
16 ROBOTICS AT VA The robotics programs are part of a new push to make Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics a highlight of the VA curriculum.
14 CONTENTS
02 head of school’s letter 19 va news 21 alumni news 22 class notes 33 in memoriam 37 2010 alumni event highlights
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head of school’s letter This issue of VA Life is focused on the teachers and curricular initiatives of our stellar science department. Future engineers and doctors are challenged by our rigorous offerings, while those who are less confident in scientific pursuits find our hands-on approach engaging and rewarding. Walking around the science classrooms of Fuller Hall, I am amazed with what I see: students in lab coats immersed in Ms. Parkhurst’s organic chemistry class; a “crime scene” cordoned off by Mr. Collins to put real-life application into his biology class; Lego robots moving around, programmed by students in Mr. Echanis’s robotics physics class; and students returning from a forestry audit in Ms. Armiger’s environmental science class.
Sean Brennan heading to Okemo on Head of School Day with VA students Steven Tabor ’12 and Fred Farmer ’11.
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Read more about the robotics programs at VA on page 14.
Check it out online! www.vermontacademy.org
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When I speak to VA alumni, they often remember, with great fondness, the science courses that they were fortunate enough to take while here. Comments abound about Mr. Frey making them have to think their way through a problem over the course of an entire semester. While the American population has lost a step or two in the areas of math and science relative to other parts of the world, you would not know that here at VA. Our students are continually striving to do more and learn more. So how do we make that happen here in rural Vermont? It starts with great teachers who are inspired to make their students learn by doing. As you will see in the following articles, we have our own observatory with multiple telescopes. Dr. Nelson’s astronomy class does not merely look at photographs of the heavens; they get out there and investigate with their own eyes. Our robotics class recently travelled to Tufts University to continue the relationship we have developed with the Tufts robotics program, and two teams of architecture students presented design proposals for our future maintenance building, with impressive CAD drawings and 3-D models. 14 One need only look to Florence Sabin, class of 1888, to see Vermont Academy’s strong ties to high-level scientific pursuit. The namesake of our distinguished alumni award, the Sabin Award, was an intellectual leader in the scientific community. She eventually graduated from Johns Hopkins University medical school, where one of the four colleges of the medical school is named for her. Her work with the lymphatic system and tuberculosis was cutting edge in her time. I am sure she would be amazed with all that our current students are doing while standing on her strong shoulders. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into our science program. Please take the time to check out our website (www.vermontacademy.org) to investigate further. Better yet, come see us in person. I know you will be impressed with our teachers and curriculum! va
Written by Dr. Brant Nelson Current Faculty
Shrine to the Stars Farther down Shepard Lane than most students, faculty, or coaches ever venture, something unusual is happening. A modest-looking shack, which could easily be a sugar house from its rustic look, suddenly seems to start splitting in two. The roof is slowly moving toward the west onto some rails on the top of a wooden frame connected to the shack. Is it some strange sculpture or artwork? Maybe a greenhouse? Or could it actually be a sugar house? Well, actually, it’s none of the above. Welcome to the Vermont Academy Observatory.
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“I didn’t know VA had an observatory!” is the most common reaction, followed by “Where is it?” VA’s observatory is at the end of the practice football field on the right, after Shepard Lane turns to dirt. It’s located directly across from New House, the current residence of Jim and Laura Frey. Give yourself a good 15 minutes from the Long Walk to trek over there—more, if you do it in the dark. But definitely go when it is open, as the sights there are unparalleled in scope. Any kind of astronomy program is a rare commodity at the high school level, and certainly high schools with an observatory are few in number. However, Vermont Academy has a strong and solid connection to the heavens in two widely different ways.
Primarily through the efforts of Russell Williams Porter, VA Class of 1891 and recipient of the Florence Sabin Award, this area of southeastern Vermont is well known in amateur astronomy circles as the birthplace of amateur telescope making, and arguably of amateur astronomy in general. The yearly astronomy convention in Springfield, known as Stellafane (from Latin, “shrine to the stars”), was started in 1923. It brings in a few thousand participants from all over the world with its legendary pink clubhouse and oddly designed Porter Turret Telescope. Significant historical displays at the nearby Hartness House are enduring tributes to Russell Porter.
Often described as an arctic explorer, Porter took part in a number of expeditions to Greenland, Baffin Island, and Rudolph Island, where he made astronomical observations, did surveying work, and painted watercolor renditions of the icy landscapes. Later, Porter’s work at a Springfield engineering firm and as a professor of architecture at MIT, and his publication of a classic series of articles in Scientific American on telescope making, attracted the notice of George Ellery Hale. Hale recruited Porter to work on the design of what was to become the largest telescope in the world, the 200-inch telescope on Palomar Mountain in southern California. Porter’s meticulously detailed cut-away drawings of the telescope and associated mechanics were described as crucial to the completion of the telescope that saw its “first light” in 1948. On a much smaller scale, the VA Observatory, built in 2004, was used only sporadically by a physics class and by a local astronomy club in Chester until the
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fall of 2009. Arriving for the 2009-2010 school year, Dr. Brant Nelson (BA, Williams College, 1987; PhD, UCLA, 1996) made it his goal to revitalize use of the observatory and bring his love of observational astronomy not only to the students of Vermont Academy but also to the surrounding community. Primarily an upper-level math teacher (precalculus and AP calculus), Nelson also teaches one section of a full-year astronomy course, where he shares his experience doing active astronomical research and being on the data analysis and scheduling teams for the 2-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) and the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Telescope drawing by Russell Porter, VA Class of 1891.
Nelson is most at home in the observatory, though. It houses two main telescopes, a Celestron 11-inch and a Meade 10-inch. (Telescope sizes are given as the diameter of their main lenses or mirrors.) Both are computer controlled, the Celestron more so. Once its GPS locks in and the telescope operator sets it up to focus on three stars at the beginning of the night, the telescope can automatically slew to any object in the sky at the touch of a button. Setting up for an observing session involves moving the roof completely off the main part of the building by means of a simple electric winch. Unlike the more familiar domed roofs, a roll-off roof provides complete access to the entire sky at once and a quicker adaptation to falling nighttime temperatures. This kind of enclosure is also more crowd-friendly: as people line up to see through the telescopes, the instructor can be showing them naked-eye sights such as constellations. In the past year and a half, Nelson has led student lab projects and public viewing nights at the observatory. During the summer of 2010, he and Jill Newton of Main Street Arts led a well-attended series of Tuesday night observing sessions, tapping into the natural curiosity the general public has about stars, planets, and the night sky. Astronomy is one of the easiest and most fascinating science hobbies to get into, as all it requires at a basic level is simple observation. With even modest equipment, an observer can see examples of every main type of object out there, from star clusters to nebulae to galaxies. It’s about as “popular” as a science as can be, in the sense of being available to anyone.
A second connection VA has with the sky beyond Earth comes through another alum and Sabin Award–winner, George Cheney, VA Class of 1948. As a senior staff engineer at Perkin-Elmer and later at Hughes Optical, he was part of the team responsible for constructing the main mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). In October of this year, Nelson and Cheney had a chance to talk at VA about HST and astronomy in general. Largely forgotten now, the initial focusing problems
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Visit the VA Observatory!
Dr. Nelson would love to hear from you should you decide to visit the VA Observatory, and he is always willing to plan special events for groups. You may contact him at bnelson@vermontacademy.org.
HST had were traced to a piece of testing apparatus little more than a millimeter out of alignment that caused the mirror to be ground incorrectly. It was big news at the time, in 1990, and Nelson couldn’t resist asking Cheney whether getting the call that there was something wrong with the telescope was the worst day of his life. A slight shake of the head and a sincere chuckle spoke volumes. But then the corrective optics were flown by the space shuttle to HST in 1993, making a dramatic improvement and demonstrating the power of a telescope flown above Earth’s turbulent atmosphere. Perhaps even more than when Galileo first pointed a simple telescope at the sky 400 years ago, HST opened up new vistas on the universe. And it generated some of the most iconic images of the 20th century, renowned for their beauty as well as their science. Cheney, currently of Walpole (very close to Burdick’s, he added), spoke fondly of his years at Vermont Academy, and said he was fascinated by how far amateur telescopes have come since Russell Porter’s time. Nelson described how amateurs can nowadays actually perform cutting edge research and even collaborate with professional astronomers in many different areas. Citizen Sky, a subdivision of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) based in Boston, offers such opportunities. For example, although eclipses of the star Epsilon Aurigae happen every 27 years, professional astronomers still don’t know their exact cause; so the AAVSO has called upon amateur astronomers worldwide to monitor the current eclipse. In trying to bring as much hands-on observing experience to his students as possible, Nelson will incorporate this as well as some of Citizen Sky’s other observing projects into his classes. Both Nelson and Cheney are very excited about the opportunity our students here at VA have to take part in this active exploration.
DR. BRANT NELSON:
“If I can accomplish one thing here at VA, it would be to continue to popularize astronomy, much as Russell W. Porter did, in combination with performing some real science.” 6
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“Essentially, my preference would be to have every one of my astronomy classes in the observatory on every clear night with all the kids using telescopes as much as possible,” Nelson added. “This is how I grew up in rural Maine, and I think I was hooked on astronomy as soon as I could identify a few constellations and the Pleiades. I knew right then I was destined to be an astronomer. I just never suspected I’d end up teaching it instead of doing research!” Nelson is grateful to have found his way to a place as steeped in astronomical history as Vermont Academy is, and a place where he can do exactly what he wants to. “If I can accomplish one thing here at VA, it would be to continue to popularize astronomy, much as Russell W. Porter did, in combination with performing some real science,” he said. Public outreach, a key component of his goals, will be stepped up from last year. A night with the Compass School is planned, and the telescopes will be open to all on every clear Saturday night for the rest of the school year. va
Written by Maryann McArdle Director of Communications
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faculty profile: thom collins
Imagine for a moment that you are a young biology student, nervously settling in to your first lab of the semester. Your teacher arrives and begins the session—not by detailing class expectations or by handing out a syllabus for the year, but by passing out pens and paper and…termites. This is a favorite opening lab for Thom Collins, a biology teacher in his second year at Vermont Academy. “Termites follow pen ink because it contains a molecule that mimics a trail-following hormone they make. So instead of beating students over the head on the first day with policies and vocabulary, I throw them in there on day one with the termites and hope they’ll discover the phenomenon on their own.” By encouraging students to make this discovery right from the start, Thom hopes to ignite their excitement about science in general. Having previously taught at two very high-pressure suburban public high schools, Thom has settled happily into the culture of Vermont Academy, which he describes as “an honest and humane way to educate.” During his first year at VA, Thom’s methods and enthusiasm were embraced quickly by the community. In fact, at year’s end he was rewarded with VA’s prestigious Donald Brodine Award for excellence in teaching. “At my previous schools, test scores drove everything—the curriculum, the way classes were taught. It polarized the school. The high-scoring kids did well, but the middle-of-the-road students were left behind. Programs were in place to support kids, but they were really only lip service. Parents only wanted teaching methods that would guarantee high test results.” For Thom, this culture of pressure got in the way of parent-teacher relationships, and he didn’t feel it was fair to the students. “It set up a dynamic where students applied to colleges that were completely inappropriate because the high-end kids were doing it. It was peer pressure. They wouldn’t get accepted, and then they felt bad about themselves.”
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Thom finds VA’s approach to
Thom finds VA’s approach to learning and the college process a refreshing change. “At VA, kids know themselves. They know their strengths and weaknesses. They apply to a particular college because it’s the right place for them.”
learning and the college process a refreshing change. “At VA, kids know themselves. They know their strengths and weaknesses. They apply to a particular college because it’s the right place for them.”
Thom receives the Brodine award from last year’s recipient, VA English teacher, Meg Bonney.
As a result of this more individualized approach to education, Thom also feels more comfortable straying from his prescribed syllabi than he did in his former schools. “We’re not so married to the idea of preparing for standardized tests here. At my old schools, we used to basically shut down two weeks before the SAT II and review. It wasn’t because the students were particularly interested in biology. It was because they wanted another SAT II score on their transcript, and it needed to be high.” Thom enjoys the prospect of getting off on an occasional tangent in class. “It’s easy to get caught up in your curriculum and have your courses on autopilot for the year. But sometimes a kid asks a question and it’s like an epiphany. You say to yourself, ‘This kid gets it!’ You don’t want to belittle the question by then saying, ‘Oh, but we don’t have time for this right now,’ so, boom—you’re gone. The hands go up and there’s a dialogue back and forth between the students. It can be highly Socratic. It can also be frustrating knowing you’ve one less day to cover the necessary material, but in reality students will wind up remembering this exchange when they graduate, not what was on page 56 of Chapter 4.” Sometime these detours from Thom’s lesson plans can be driven by everyday events. He and his partner, David, have raised chickens for meat over the past few years, and when they received their 32 chicks at the beginning of last April, they considered where they might begin to raise them. “I thought of the classroom, but I wanted there to be a specific reason for having them there other than just because there was enough room. As a class, we came up with the idea of looking at it as an experiment, and tried to think of something that wouldn’t harm the chicks.” The class agreed to feed 16 of the chickens organic feed while 16 of them would get commercial, corn-based chicken feed. The chickens were allowed to eat ad libitum—as they desired—and the class measured and tracked the mass of each group every day. They created a data table and graphs, and the acquired information eventually found its way onto their final exam. The students had originally theorized that the organic feed would be better for the birds and thus encourage more growth. But they found that the commercial feed allowed the chickens to grow bigger faster. “The kids were indignant. They’ve always heard that organic was better, which in their minds meant that the chickens would get bigger by eating organic feed. But obviously, nonorganic chicken feed is produced to make chickens grow bigger faster. Bigger chickens equal more meat, more money. But they’re not necessarily more healthy.” The chicken experiment was a great way to bring real life into the classroom in a scientific way. “The variables were controlled: light, water, heat—everything was
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the same except for the food. Kids think research in science is something that is very sophisticated and that you need tons of equipment and a million dollars. But it’s easy to set up a simple, well-controlled experiment.”
Thom’s students weigh the chicks as part of an experiment involving organic and commercial, corn-based chicken feed.
Thom believes igniting his students’ interest in science is crucial to their ability to function as responsible, informed adults. “This may sound like a conspiracy theory, but corporations and governments and pretty much anybody can pull the wool over your eyes unless you have the ability to think critically. Science is supposed to teach you to do this. Without a science education, you can be lied to.” One of his students demonstrated his critical thinking skills after asking Thom about reading he had done recently on Omega 3 (beneficial) and Omega 6 (harmful) fatty acids. “He read that animals fed on corn manufactured Omega 6 acids while those fed grass made Omega 3 acids. He understood that this also translated into the meat that came to the table. His next question was, ‘Where does the food in our dining hall come from?’ I said, ‘I’ll be honest with you. I can pretty much guarantee that most of the meat comes from corn-fed animals; the reason why is that it’s less expensive. You know, there’s always many ways to look at an issue.’ We talk to students a lot about the cultural and environmental benefits of raising crops and animals organically, but there’s a molecular benefit too. Your cell membranes are healthier if you’re getting those Omega 3 acids.” Thom feels that diversifying VA’s science curriculum is a way to develop more student interest. “Lots of people assume, okay, Vermont, the Green Mountain
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State. You were green before green was cool—and we do have a strong environmental program here. But you need to have a diverse science curriculum to catch kids somewhere on the spectrum. We could expand our chemistry and biology offerings and gravitate toward medical stuff. For instance, the addition of our anatomy and physiology class excites kids—it hooks them in. One of the most reliable industries for job growth is in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants. If we’re not preparing kids for these jobs, we’re doing them a disservice.”
Thom at practice on the Connecticut River. VA rowers at Head of the Fish regatta on October 30, 2010.
As passionate as Thom is about his teaching, he may be even more so about his pursuits outside of the classroom. Thom started Vermont Academy’s first crew team last spring, and his enthusiasm for the sport has captured the community’s attention. When asked how he became interested in rowing, Thom says, “I came from a hockey family. I was kind of the black sheep because I was never good at it. I played because I thought it would please my dad. When I got to high school, I decided to branch out and try my own thing. I tried some cross-country running and racquetball, but when I got to college, a friend said let’s go check out crew. I really didn’t know what it was about, but we went to the meeting and everyone seemed cool. I went to a practice and picked it up easily and was successful at it. I had never been successful at a sport before. It was a godsend. I was hooked. I had never fit in with the Uber macho jock mentality of hockey, football, or baseball, and I figured I was just a dork and would never be good at sports. But when I got to crew, everyone seemed like a misfit. They were unbelievable athletes, but they had been marginalized from traditional sports.I felt like crew attracted a gentler, smarter type of athlete.” Thom continued to row after college and eventually was asked to substitute as a coach. Once he began coaching, he viewed rowing from another angle. “Coaching improved my own rowing. When I saw other people’s mistakes and was able to correct them, my own rowing took off.” Eventually, coaching crew became his own form of competition. “I can out-coach a lot of coaches out there. I have a firm hand but I’m supportive. My true talent lies in coaching. I can take those misfits and kick the crap out of everybody.” One of the founding crew team members, sophomore Garrett Kogel, agrees. “He makes sure we do it right every day. He helps us to work our hardest, and if we’re not, he pushes us a little more. He’s a positive thinker.” In addition to sculling and crew, Thom also coaches the JV girls’ hockey team.
Check it out online! To watch the crew team in action, go to www.vermontacademy.org/newcrew
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So after 20 years of teaching and coaching, Thom just may have found his perfect fit at Vermont Academy. “I often think of VA as a school filled with solid, blue-collar kids. Obviously, I don’t mean blue-collar socioeconomically, but more like a testament to their work ethic and their acceptance of responsibility. Oh, there’s a few shining stars out there that are really smart and will go to Ivy League schools, and there’s a few that have yet to catch on to what we’re trying to achieve here, but basically it’s a place that is filled with good, solid, hardworking kids.” Luckily for us, they have one heck of a role model to follow in Thom. va
From Garbage... To Garden How Vermont Academy Students Are Keeping Waste Out of the Landfill and Learning to Grow Organic Food in the Process
Written by Christine Armiger Director of Vermont & Environs
Before I started teaching at Vermont Academy, I spent my summers working with Mayan subsistence farmers in southern Belize. In the mountain villages, where there are no grocery stores or farm equipment, most food is grown, harvested, and eaten all within the same small community. Soil is gold. If you take care of it, your family eats. If it is lost, there’s no bringing it back. >
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My experience living with the Mayan farmers led me to a masters thesis involving sustainable agriculture and my fascination with closed-loop (i.e., no waste) ecological systems. Thanks to Jim Frey ’66, last year I was able to present my research on behalf of VA at a national conference cosponsored by the Society for Conservation Biology. As often happens at these kinds of events, I started talking to other enthusiastic teachers and researchers and suddenly asked myself why we couldn’t apply these concepts right here at Vermont Academy.
What if?
Every day the dining hall at VA prepares three meals for students, faculty, and employees. At every meal, we throw approximately 15 to 20 gallons of food waste and paper towels into the garbage. What if all of that stuff could be turned into compost…which could be used to fertilize gardens…which could produce food…and be used for a whole host of teaching opportunities?
One year later...
In the fall of 2009, under the new leadership of Sean Brennan, we began Stage 1 of the “Garbage to Garden” experiment. Our new composting system was constructed on the road leading out to Bancroft Field Buckets of food waste were rerouted from the dumpster to three wood-and-chicken-wire bins. With the help of athletic director Mike Atkins, each sports team contributed one practice session per semester to do the work of turning the piles in order to accelerate decomposition. One year later, students in the environmental science classes collected data on the project and determined that in the fall of 2010 alone, we converted approximately 4,000 gallons of food waste into rich, dark compost for our gardens. Stage 2 (“from garden to table”) of the experiment began to develop after trustee/alumnus Stu Eisencraft ’74 and his wife, Marilyn Hoffman, connected with the Brennans over a Trustees’ Weekend. Marilyn saw the potential for food to be worked into a whole academic curriculum. This might be easy to imagine in a biology class—where students could learn about seed germination and the soil nutrients that limit plant growth—but Marilyn envisioned connecting food to subjects such as anthropology, political science, economics, history, and of course chemistry—cooking food is chemistry!
CHRISTINE ARMIGER:
“If there is one thing I learned from the Mayan farmers in Belize, it is that soil is life. If there is one thing I
That vision has become the long-term goal of this project. In the short term, Vermont Academy students will use their own compost to plant “three sisters” polycultures this spring—a lesson in anthropology, history, and ecology. The Iroquois traditionally planted corn, beans, and squash together because the corn, a staple food, tended to deplete the soil; but the beans replenished nitrogen in the soil and used the cornstalk as a climbing structure; and the squash established a dense network of leaves to shade out weeds and hold moisture in the soil, so that little or no irrigation was needed.
hope to teach my students at Vermont Academy, it is that life should not be wasted.”
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Also this spring, students in the environmental issues analysis and architecture classes will research and design a movable chicken coop (a.k.a. “chicken tractor”) to house our own free-range laying hens. Some of the chicks will be hatched in
biology class, and the coop will be constructed by our students on Earth Day. The chickens will come to Vermont Academy at a time when commercial egg production has become an extremely controversial topic in public discourse.
Students turn the compost piles in order to accelerate decomposition.
In environmental studies classes, students explore how our concept of food has changed from the living bodies of plants and animals to a commodity found at the grocery store. They discuss how conventionally grown food is “cheap” largely because of oil-intensive monoculture production and government corn subsidies, but if the costs to human and environmental health were considered, we would all realize that our modern industrial food system is actually very expensive. Last year two upperclass students got so fired up about the importance of sustainable food production that they helped to organize a Localvore Banquet, where nearly all items on the menu came from a radius of 30 miles or less. Vermont is one of the most forward thinking states when it comes to food sustainability. Small organic farms and community supported agriculture projects (CSAs) abound. Right down the road from us, the Windham Farm and Food Network is connecting local farmers to schools, and, thanks to the help of food service director Dave Lafave, Vermont Academy will be next to take advantage. If we don’t understand where our food comes from, it’s hard to truly appreciate it. Composting, planting, harvesting, cooking—these things all take time and hard work. Never in the history of humankind have we spent so little of them on our food, and never before have we felt less connected to the earth beneath our feet. If there is one thing I learned from the Mayan farmers in Belize, it is that soil is life. If there is one thing I hope to teach my students at Vermont Academy, it is that life should not be wasted. va
Check it out online! To find out more about VA’s green initiative, go to www.vermontacademy.org/greenva
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Robotics at Vermont Academy Written by Joe Echanis ’79, Current Faculty
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Helping to answer the perpetual question “When am I ever going to use this in the real world?” Vermont Academy’s robotics programs are part of a new push to make Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) a highlight of our curriculum. Our school has always been about using hands-on learning to broaden students’ horizons and to challenge their beliefs. The robotics classes are a natural extension of this approach to education. >
I remember being in the VA classrooms as a student; there was always a bridge between the knowledge taught in the classroom and real-life experiences. In physics, generations of students have been finding the tallest place on campus to drop a ball so that they could find the most accurate calculations for acceleration due to gravity. In mathematics, they have been learning how to use a stick, an arm’s length, a tape measure, and the concept of similar triangles to determine the height of a tree. Today in robotics classes, students learn how to create their own solutions to a given problem armed only with the engineering design process and their individual ideas. The students become actively involved in their own education, manage their time to meet deadlines, delegate responsibility, divide projects into smaller components, and quickly learn to work cooperatively as members of a team. They learn that failure is a key component to success, and that the best lessons learned in life come from failure and figuring out what went wrong. In Physics: Project Robotics, our students learn traditional Algebra 2–based high school physics, but their labs are engineering projects that they design, build, program, and test. Advanced Physics: Robotics Software and Engineering is a design engineering class. The students explore electrical, mechanical, software, and control-system design. In the second semester, they focus more intensely on one specific area of study. They are the engineering representatives for their chosen disciplines on future design projects. In addition to being evaluated for their individual contributions in their specified disciplines, they are also graded as a team. An exciting outcome of these classes has been witnessing how hard our students begin to drive their own education. I have never seen students take such an active ownership of their education, independently researching and understanding what they are attempting to do. They become so engaged in their work that they often have to be reminded when it is time to leave after their free periods or at night when they are working on projects. This enthusiasm and cooperative learning flow seamlessly into their other academic work. They are no longer afraid to fail and are always working harder to understand problems and find creative ways to solve them. Not surprisingly, the core of the Vermont Academy mission states that “By providing a supportive community and close personal attention to its students, Vermont Academy develops confident, active learners and respectful citizens.” Vermont Academy science teacher, Joe Echanis ’79 and members of his Advanced Robotics class recently traveled to Boston to work with students and faculty from Tufts University. The Vermont Academy / Tufts collaboration was initiated by Steve Karol ’72, Chair of the VA Board of Trustees and also Chair of the Tufts School of Engineering Board of Overseers. VA's robotics program has been developed in close cooperation with, and facilitation from, the Tufts University Center for Engineering Education Outreach (CEEO). Through the CEEO at Tufts, and in conjunction with the LEGO Corporation, CEEO Director Chris Rogers, PhD, has pioneered the use of STEM through Lego robotics in K-12 and college curricula. VA students will continue to work with these pioneers and we hope soon to become a Beta test site for their latest versions of software prior to public release. va
VA students Brian Schilling ’11 and TJ Yoon ’12 work on a project at Tufts.
“An exciting outcome of these classes has been witnessing how hard our students begin to drive their own education. I have never seen students take such an active ownership of their education, independently researching and understanding what they are attempting to do.”
Check it out online! Watch the robotics final at www.vermontacademy.org/curriculum
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Written by Ross Levanthal ’86
Sustainable Design The essence of sustainable design is to help create a future for our planet that is as good for our children’s children as it is for us. The recent history of the environmental movement and of sustainable design in architecture has been about reducing impact. Going to the next level of eliminating the negative impact on the planet is the future we are all striving for in the architecture profession currently.
Ross Levanthal ’86 Brings Green Design to a New Level The Beginnings I remember well my sophomore year geometry class at VA with Mr. Webber. I had no idea that the assignment to draw an aerial view of a castle or build a model of my family house would be so relevant to my future profession. I do remember, exactly, the rules of triangles, including SOH-CAH-TOA, 30/60/90, the “sweetest triangle you have ever seen,” and of course the famous “one to one to the square root of two” perfect isosceles triangle. Always, Mr. Webber’s teachings are with me, even 26 year later.
Architecture at NBBJ In 1998, I graduated from the University of Oregon with an MA in architecture and began work at NBBJ (www.nbbj.com), an architecture and design firm of around 700 people with 10 offices worldwide. From my first day of work at NBBJ, I have had the opportunity to use my education and express my passion. That first project was a large Buddhist meeting hall in Taiwan, for which the client’s goal was to create an environmentally sensitive building that would be an example of sustainability to all the people of Taiwan. This was only the first of many more projects for me at the firm. Meanwhile, the green building movement has picked up momentum in the U.S. as well as in other markets where NBBJ practices, such as China.
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LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Projects qualify for different levels of LEED certification based on points earned on sustainable design, construction, and operation features that promote energy efficiency and positive environmental qualities. Designing a house that meets these goals is relatively straightforward. Doing the same for an office building for 3,000 employees, an apartment tower, or a hospital has many challenges not encountered with single-family residential projects. Elevate this to a small city in an urban design effort and the challenges increase, but so do the opportunities.
NBBJ in China In 2005, I moved to Shanghai, China, to open NBBJ’s first design studio in Asia. I lived there for three years and helped to build an office of 30 people. I still travel to China regularly for some projects, but am shifting my focus back to the U.S. market.
Projects: Microsoft Asia R&D Headquarters, Beijing, PRC (People’s Republic of China) In Beijing, we are developing a vertical campus of more than one million square feet for 5,000 Microsoft employees. It is an R&D center in two towers, connected by a bridge
The Gates Foundation campus in Seattle, to be completed in 2011.
NBBJ’s sustainably designed Microsoft R&D center in Beijing.
at the third level. Sustainability goals for this project aimed at the LEED Silver level. Access to daylight was a primary design goal. All private offices are pushed 35 feet from the windows, allowing workstations in open areas to be flooded in natural daylight. Electric lighting is automatically dimmed based on exterior light levels. A high-tech double skin on the exterior of the building reduces energy use by 50 percent compared to similar types of office buildings. Water collection and reuse, solar water heating, and efficient equipment, lighting, and fixtures round out this project’s sustainability story.
Gates Foundation Campus, Seattle, Washington In Seattle, we are developing a campus for the Gates Foundation with similar strategies as those used for the Microsoft Beijing campus in a warmer climate. With a target of LEED Gold but a potential to reach LEED Platinum, this 900,000-square-foot campus has the potential to be one of the most sustainable large office projects developed in the U.S. Features include building form to enhance access to daylight, a half acre of green roofs, water recycling of 1.2 million gallons annually for nonpotable uses, and use of local and recycled construction materials.
Wangjing Gateway Master Plan, Beijing, PRC Back in Beijing, we had the opportunity to develop a vision for an area of Beijing soon to be accessed by the underground metro. The master plan accounted for 14 million square feet of civic, educational, cultural, office, and residential development as well as significant green space. This area was designed to have an estimated daytime population of roughly 50,000 and a residential population of 20,000. Sustainable strategies were executed at a large scale to envision a neighborhood connected with adjacent neighborhoods by a light rail. Other design features included district-level heating and cooling; building placement for optimal solar orientation; a solar electric power plant; a biological sewage treatment plant; integrated green space; and urban agriculture. The opportunities I have had as an architect working for NBBJ on challenging projects that try to envision a better future for our planet have been very rewarding. It has also been great to see the industry change as a result of these ideas moving from the fringe to the mainstream, and often being client driven. Perhaps someday my path will cross some of yours as I help to develop a green building somewhere on this planet. va
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Written by Conor McArdle ’06
Fuller Hall Memories For anyone who doesn’t know, or maybe can’t remember, Fuller Auditorium is where Vermont Academy used to hold its morning meetings, ceremonies, and performances long before Choukas Theater in Horowitz Hall offered us, among other things, the luxury of acoustical perfection, comfortable stadium seating, and an unobstructed view of the stage. Today, the original auditorium is no more, and the space which used to house the entire VA community is better known as “the empty, high-ceilinged room with the hole in the floor where a stage used to be, next to the new classrooms on the second floor of Fuller Hall” (although I’d be surprised if anyone has ever actually called it that until now).
Joking aside, it strikes me as sad that most of our current students probably don’t even know what’s behind the two oversized doors guarding the space within, and that the two beautiful stained-glass windows on the east-west axis of the room are the hidden gems of the VA campus. Therefore, I believe some reminiscences of Fuller Auditorium are in order. The bulk of my memories of the Auditorium involve morning meetings. Students were assigned seating by class, moving en masse annually from the back (as freshmen), to the right (sophomores), to the left (juniors), and finally to the coveted senior section at the front of the room. Each year inevitably a few seniors in the center would have to observe the stage from a seat positioned behind a white 18
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load-bearing column with a diameter of at least 12 inches. The blue plastic-and-metal seats upon which we sat were not comfortable, and would nearly collapse whenever a student decided to lean back in that most classic of high school relaxation moves. But at least we had seats. The entire faculty had to stand, squeezing into the half-circle perimeter of the room. They formed a protective barrier through which no student could enter or exit the Auditorium without alerting the faculty’s attention—undoubtedly encouraging students’ accountability. Those making announcements would line up on the left side of the room, waiting for their turn to address the community. You could get a sense of how long the meeting would last by the length of that line snaking slowly up the side. Some of my most cherished memories of the Auditorium include the time someone unleashed two greased, squealing piglets into the room during morning meeting, and a note claiming that in fact three had been released. Screams, mass confusion, and panicky hog searching ensued. Or the candles hanging overhead in wagon wheels dripping burning hot wax onto our suits, dresses, and heads during the annual Candlelight Service. Then there was the time one of our math teachers bounced up on the stage in a superman suit to promote an upcoming dodge ball tournament, all the while being hammered with dodge balls from off stage. And of course, a major onstage highlight was when our class president, Austin DeLonge ’06, perfectly nailed the climactic dance solo from the movie Napoleon Dynamite, move for move. There are many other memories and stories I could share about the Auditorium. My point is that Fuller Auditorium at one time was considered legendary. It’s a shame that this space is now lost behind closed doors, and that the stories surrounding it are becoming less well known as the years go by. But who’s to say that this has to happen? This space has huge potential to be a useful, beautiful space on campus, and it deserves a new name, a new role, and a makeover. I can imagine a new library or a quiet place to study, with the autumn sun pouring through the newly renovated stained glass. For the room formerly known as Fuller Auditorium, the future could be bright indeed.
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va news
First Annual Pumpkin Run More than 180 Vermont Academy students, faculty, and friends braved the cold on November 1st to support Our Place Drop-In Center, a food shelf in Bellows Falls, by participating in the first annual VA 5K Pumpkin Run. Equipped with the entry fee of at least one nonperishable food item, the predominantly orange-and-black-clad runners competed on a very challenging course through the campus’s cross-country trails. VA English teacher Eric Martinson won for the men with a time of 21:07. Junior Magdalene Blakeson won for the women with a time of 23:33. The first 85 finishers received a pumpkin pie baked by the VA dining hall for their efforts. This event brought the entire community together, got us out into the woods, “raised” more than 25 bags of groceries for Our Place, and was a whole lot of fun.
ROBERTA O’DONNELL DEPARTS VA faculty and staff gathered at the Saxtons River Inn last summer to bid farewell to longtime Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Roberta O’Donnell. After 11 years as director, Roberta and her husband, Kevin, moved out of the area last fall and have resettled in the Waterbury, Vermont, area. Taking Roberta’s place as director is Ella McIntosh ’86, pictured with Roberta, Tom Oxholm, and Wendy and Sean Brennan. Also new to the alumni/development office are Lindsay McFillin, Director of Annual Giving, and Meghan Flynn, Development Coordinator. Lindsay joined the Development and Alumni Relations Office in the fall of 2010. She graduated from Lehigh University with a BA in journalism and a concentration in public relations and nonprofit development. Over the years, Lindsay has worked in event fundraising for the National MS Society, as a conference and professional development planner throughout North America, and more recently as the development manager for a Web-based fundraising resource for U.S. classrooms. Lindsay lives with her partner, Jeff Dunbar ’91, right up the road from VA on Shepard Lane. Meghan graduated magna cum laude with a BA in psychology from Dickinson College, where she was fortunate enough to study abroad in Australia for a semester. Returning to her roots in Norwich, Vermont, last year, she worked at Dartmouth College in the Leadership Giving Office. During her free time, Meghan loves camping, kayaking, fishing, and spending time with her family and friends. She is living in Jones with her fiance, VA math teacher Ryan Miklusak, and her American bulldog, Odie, and is very excited about being a member of the VA community.
See more photos from the Pumpkin Run at www.flickr.com/vermontacademy
Long-time development office assistant Carol Fullam also departed last spring and moved closer to family in Virginia following the death of her husband, Don.
Carpe Diem Written by Chris Cota ’66
Watch highlights of the game at www.vermontacademy.org/football
Carpe Diem: Chris Cota ’66 Muses on a Satisfying Victory
Some mornings you can wake up and really understand you are receiving a gift. As I looked out at Saxtons River, the sun was rising over the fields at Vermont Academy, drying the morning dew in full pursuit of changing from crisp to warm… the kind of day you want to bottle so that you can revisit it on a cold winter’s day. You realize that life is good and you want to be “in the game.” Saturday defined tradition here in Saxtons River…it was the official opening day for deer hunting…the local Women’s Fellowship at Christ’s Church held their annual Christmas Bazaar featuring handmade crafts and food. The traditional VA/KUA end-of-season football game would be played under the lights (6 pm) at KUA. Sue & I had committed to watching all our grandnieces and grandnephews play on their respective sports teams. Thus, we scheduled a drive to KUA to complete our commitment. As we left Saxtons River, the day’s temperature was retreating. The thermometer on the barn indicated a temperature of 46 (an interesting omen). I ran back to fetch a blanket-lined barn coat and ski gloves. We set out, arriving just before the 6:00 pm kickoff. In fact, I looked at my watch upon arrival—7 minutes before kickoff (a coincidence?). Typical prep school football has very few fans in the stands. You see the parents, who march up and down the sidelines following the spot of the ball, as well as an odd assortment of students who are not obligated by other sports commitments. Why isn’t there a full student body watching this end-of-season finale between rivals??? (There would be a strong contingent of VA students
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appearing.) Tom Oxholm ’82 was there grilling burgers. The temperature had now fallen to 36…dew was settling onto the bleachers, creating a frost covering. The air made your nose freeze. Thank goodness for a barn coat and gloves! Obligation to family required viewing the start of the game from the KUA sideline. As we looked across the field, smoke rose from Ox’s grill…steam was rising from the players’ breath…VA students were assembling along their sideline. VA’s side appeared louder…more supportive. The temperature continued to fall but it seemed that VA was just getting warmed up. We were being tugged back to the VA side. KUA had a formidable team…would VA be up to the task? My hope was that VA would represent us with honor (win or lose). The play was hard-nosed football. VA scored first. One could hear the excitement on the VA sideline. KUA came back to score, tying the game. It was time to get back to the VA sideline. In passing I mentioned to a KUA parent, “It looks like we have a ballgame.”…No reply…The KUA sideline was quiet…The cheering from the VA stands continued. As Sue & I rounded the end zone, VA was marching down the field (which eventually ended in another score). We were met by Sean Brennan and two parents. They were so excited by the play of the team that handshakes didn’t seem appropriate—only hugs would do. VA scored… the sideline was buzzing…fathers were shouting encouragement not only to their sons but to all players. KUA players could be seen getting rattled. They sensed that VA wanted this game more than they did. They recognized who had the bigger heart this evening. Halftime ended with time running out with VA inside the KUA three-yard line. As the teams broke for halftime the enthusiasm, the spirit, the intensity was on the VA side. Score: VA 13, KUA 7. Building on their first-half success, VA went on to score 30 more points in the second half while keeping KUA scoreless. Final score: VA 43, KUA 7. Yes…some mornings you can wake up and understand you are receiving a gift…some evenings as well. A tradition of winning has been re-established. You all would have been proud of these young men.
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alumni news
Two Alumni Receive Florence Sabin Award Vermont Academy alumni Bernard Stanley Hoyes ’70 and Don Durkee ’43 were honored with the Florence Sabin Distinguished Alumni Award on Saturday, Oct. 2 in Nita Choukas Theater in the Horowitz Performing Arts Hall. This award, named in honor of Florence Sabin, health pioneer and member of the VA Class of 1889, is given to VA’s most distinguished alumni. Head of School Sean Brennan presented one award to Bernard Stanley Hoyes ’70. Don Durkee ’43 was unable to attend the ceremony.
In the summer of 1968, Bernard Hoyes ’70, a Kingston, Jamaica native, joined Vermont Academy on a grant from the Ford Foundation to study with professional artists in a Summer Arts program. Two years later, upon his graduation from VA, he received the Frederick Stanley Art Award. Bernard continued his studies and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, CA. After graduation, he set up a studio in San Francisco and became a full time artist. He moved to Los Angeles and became an active member and participant in many art organizations. In the 1970’s he formed the Caribbean Cultural Institute and Caribbean Arts, Inc. to further expose Caribbean culture to America.
Donald Durkee ’43 – “Fluffernutter” “Rice Krispy Treat” “Never Fail Fudge” – Household names to countless families across the United States and many parts of the World, and in our very own dining hall! On May 14, 1920, 2 WWI veterans formed a partnership in the manufacture of Marshmallow Fluff. One of these men was H. Allen Durkee, father of one of our Vermont Academy alumni, Donald Durkee ’43. Don took over the business and made marketing Fluff a priority. Durkee Mower’s success has come from adhering closely to its traditions and resisting offers to be purchased and assimilated into large conglomerates. As President, Don has been able to maintain his dedicated work force, expand production capacity and increase sales every year since 1982 – even during this latest recession.
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class notes Class Volunteer: Richard W. Baldwin, 9 Woods Hole Road, Cranford, NJ 07016 Class Volunteer: J. Whitney Brown, 53 Conanicus Avenue, Apt 2G, Jamestown, RI 02835
Whit Brown wrote: “I think often about VA and my classmates; still fantasize about meeting with those nearby but my driving range gets less each year. We love where we are living and any time spent with our four children, their spouses, eleven grandchildren, their seven spouses, and three great grandchildren. We keep busy with our reading, plays singing, and movie and painting groups.”
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BBent88154@aol.com
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Don Linscott wrote: “I only attended VA from September 1942 until January 31, 1943. I left to volunteer into the US Army Ski Troops. I met Grace at the Winter Carnival in January 1943. We were married February 18, 1945. She passed away August 17, 2007 after 62 years of marriage. I have only been back to VA once, about 5 years ago passing through Saxtons River, I drove through the campus in the summer. I really enjoyed my short stay. I have fond remembrances of Larry Leavitt, Bob Marr, and Beano Tripp.”
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Class Volunteer: Alexander M. Taft, 12 Governors Square, Peterborough, NH 03458, ztetpet@aol.com Class Volunteer: Franklin P. Jackson, 120 Indian Trail, Scituate, MA 02066,
fpjackson@comcast.net Class Volunteer: William A. Reoch, PO Box 1184, Kennebunkport, ME 04046,
Class Volunteer: Robert Taft, 105 Kaufmann Drive, Peterborough, NH 03458
Robert Taft retired at the end of 2010. He has “three grandchildren, who he hopes to spend more time with in the coming years. ‘I want to travel and be able to spend some time with my children and grandchildren. Meet new people, do different things.’” The full article on Bob Taft’s retirement is titled “After 50 years of law, Taft closing the book,” which was published in Monadnock Ledger-Transcript on November 26, 2010.
Class Volunteer: George W. Bentley, 180 Main St., B106, Walpole, MA 02081,
Class Volunteer: Richard A. Leary, PO Box 518, New London, NH 03257; Edward W. Pearson, 257 Old South Road, Litchfield, CT 06759, edwardpearson@aol.com; R. Duke Powell Jr., 217 Rivermead Road, Peterborough, NH 03458, dpowell@comcast.net
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it was like our reunion was yesterday. Alan lived in England and came to this country during World War II to escape the bombings.
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Class Volunteer: Robert P. Scholl, 470 Park Road Extension, Middlebury, CT 06762,
scholllaw@sbcglobal.net
Anthony Mahar wrote: Shirley and I travel often to connect with family and friends, and meet new friends. I just returned from a fantastic 55th reunion at Amherst College (May 27-31, Class of 1954) – it was fabulous!! We enjoyed Headmaster Jim Mooney’s reception (a few months ago) at The Ruins (a social club) in Seattle. He had done a wonderful job at VA – tough loss, but great service. Dick Leary wrote: “It was a memorable 60th reunion. Great to see and reminisce with Bob Price, Tony Mahar, Joe Johnson, Bob Scholl and Joe Dean! VA put on an excellent reunion program!”
Bob Scholl, Joe and Phyllis Johnson, Dick and Lindy Leary and Bob and Babe Price represented the class of ’50 at their 60th reunion! We were amazed to the changes to the campus – wonderful! We heard good vibes about the new Head of School, Sean Brennan – VA is in great hands! The few students that I spoke with seem like great kids; very high regard for their education at VA! Seniors learn the melody and the words to the senior song, and keep it alive in their hearts and minds.
Samuel Davis wrote: “August 26th my wife, Anne, and I
Robert Price wrote: My wife and I had a great time at the reunion in May. It was nice to hook up with Dick Leary, Joe Johnson, Tony Mahar, Joe Dean, and Bob Scholl. It was
celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary. October 21st we were visited by Alan Ardouin ’47 and his two daughters. We had not seen or heard from each other in 65 years, and
fun to reminisce about the old days and to see many improvements to the school. Everyone should try to stop by and see it if you haven’t been back in a while.
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reochwg@earthlink.net
Class Volunteer: Robert B. Anderson, 345 Westbrook Road, Dataw Island, SC 29920, rbanders@islc.net; Webster U. Walker Jr., 210 Southport Woods Drive, Southport, CT 06890
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CLASS OF 1951 Our 60th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011.
Mark your calendars now!
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Class Volunteer: Richard L. van Riper, 67 Transylvania Road, Roxbury, CT 06783,
vanriper@charter.net
Class Volunteers: W. Eugene Hays Jr., 104 Cortland Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789; Donald B. Scholl, 895 Copes Lane, West Chester, PA 19380
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Robert Derrenbacker wrote: “Just celebrated my 50th reunion from Colgate University and it was VA that prepared the way. VA made the difference in giving me that opportunity!” Richard Parker wrote: I’m still working every day at the littlesilvershop.com and enjoying it. I’ve been at the same location now for 48 years creating gold and silver jewelry, all original pieces. Check out our website and I photographed all the pieces with Doc. Bosworth’s initial help and have continued expanding my photographic horizon. After 55 years since I graduated from V.A. I realize what a varied and excellent education was to be hade there with caring instructors and small classes. Good luck to all who attend V.A. and may this tradition of excellence continue.
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Class Volunteers: Peter Hickey Jr., 37153 South Desert Sun Drive, Tucson, AZ 85739,
phickey37@juno.com; Frederic H. Nichols, 1189 Harker Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301, fnichols56@gmail.com CLASS OF 1956 Our 55th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011.
Mark your calendars now! Martin Hall wrote: “Attended my 50th college re-union this past spring at the University of New Hampshire – totally retired and now living in our retirement home of 4 years on the 18th fairway – lots of golf and skiing in our lives.”
Class Representative: Leslie B. Lewis, 45 Laurel Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, badosanaa@aol.com; Robert D. H. Luke, 77 Hillside Avenue, Florham Park, NJ 07932
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Don McInnes, 75 Waterside Avenue, Falmouth, MA 02540; Mark Palmer, 4437 Reservoir
Road NW, Washington, DC, 20007-2041; Dave Bunting, 60 Fenno Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; Peter Myers, 53 Thibault Parkway, Burlington, VT 05401
Don McInnes wrote: It was great to see so many of my classmates at our 50th reunion year. I hope we can generate more interest for the 55th; with guys like Dave Bunting involved, I am sure we can. Class Volunteers: Ronald T. Stewart, 919 Maumee Avenue, Mansfield, OH 44906, marqprint@aol.com; Daniel L. Brown, 13 Foxborough Drive, Gilford, NH 03249, dbrownh@ hotmail.com; R. Penn Lardner, 20705 Meadow Drive, Sonoma CA 95476, richardlardner@sbcglobal.net; George Yeomans, PO Box 33, Westport Point, MA 02791, gyeomans106@yahoo.com
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John Antosca wrote: “Wilma and I have been retired for seven years and enjoy the freedom to do whatever we want. We are kept busy with children and eight grandchildren, (seven boys, one girl). Our grandsons participate in several sports throughout the seasons and we joyously and proudly attend all events. Fortunately, they all reside within 25 miles of our condo. We do spend some time in Florida during the winter. As you know, Wilma is an avid golfer and very good. I don’t do justice to the game, so I am relegated to driving the cart.” Daniel Brown wrote: “Have lived here in Gilford, NH for 26 years. My wife and I have two dogs and spend much of our time hiking, skiing (downhill, cross country), sailing (Lake Winnipesaukee), bicycling, and motorcycling (vintage Yamaha bought new in 1969) in the Lakes Region where we are surrounded by mountains and lakes. We also have a summer home in Sorrento in down east Maine. We continue to travel on a regular basis, usually doing at least one overseas trip a year. Most of these have involved trekking in some of the more remote regions of the world. We’ve been to the Himalayas twice. Our most recent trip was to Morocco this past April when we hiked in the Atlas Mountains and toured the entire country. In the coming year we plan to return to
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PHOTO
’60 | William Bosworth ’60 with wife, Ellen, and dog, Rubee.
It’s a lot of fun and quite rewarding. We, in Vermont, have been fortunate in that we did not experience the mortgage meltdown like the rest of the country. We rank 50th in past due mortgage loan, but at the same time, we do suffer from the slow economy. I can relate to unemployment situations because my kids are dealing with it. Thank God, they all have jobs and in their respective and preferred fields of interest.”
Richard Compson emailed “I am the managing partner of our law firm Compson, Eannace and Pierro, PPLC. Our firm is basically an business, estate planning and elder law firm. I hope to go part time next year and later retire. We have 3 children; one son lives live in Medfield MA, another son lives in Higham MA, and our daughter lives in Schenectady.” China and from there go to Mongolia, across much of Siberia, and then to Russia. Since graduating from Middlebury in 1964 I have now travelled to 55 different countries and have lived in Germany (twice), France, England, and Canada/Quebec (twice). For all intents and purposes I am retired, but still have an office at a local company where I have a very limited work schedule. This is more therapeutic than anything else and provides a bit of discipline and keeps the mind somewhat nimble.”
William Bosworth wrote: “I’m among those of us still at work wish my Dad was around to enjoy the new tech environment. I’m working with at IBM, part chem. lab and part work with scanning electron microscopes; my lab is debugging the new computer memory stuff and providing quality control for current products. Presently live in Charlotte, VT with my wife, Ellen, and dog, Rubee.”
Francis Butler wrote: “I am in Abu Dhabi now and am spending about two out of every three months operating out of either Abu Dhabi or Singapore, both regions where our business is flourishing. With terrorism and natural disasters continuing on the rise, there is plenty of work for a company offering software for emergency managers. My wife is the CEO and President of the company and is tied to our US business while I develop the international side of it. I can’t imagine ever retiring though we did spend a couple of weeks in September on the Orient Express, starting in Istanbul and getting off in Venice. I have done a couple of more Ironman competitions since we saw you last.”
Stephen Carbine wrote: “My life is quite simple as I am retired and doing some consulting and have dedicated some time to several non profit organizations; the local visual art center, the local theater. I am involved with the Blue Line Club – an organization that supports intercollegiate hockey and specifically the local college-The Castleton State Spartans.
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John Dowlin emailed: “Just saw & reviewed a historical play, SilverHill, about the 19th century, sharing/enterprising community in Oneida, NY. Just read the new book on Octavius, Catto, & Civil War era Philadelphia, raw material for a screen/play my son Tim might work on. Coordinating repairs & painting for Phila’s historic Victor Café. Playing tennis some evenings, my health plan. Distributing a reusable wall calendar, Cycle & Recycle, for the years 2011, 2022 and beyond. Writing to several tea party candidates (some elected, others not) on my preference for Earl Gray and a Constitutional Republic. Refurbishing an old house in Powelton Village (my part of Phila.) and doing estimates for several Fairmount Park mansions. As the president of a preservation group, Save Our Sites, working to protect the wealth of Philly’s old bldgs & sites. As a board member of Neighborhood Bike Works, and the International Bicycle Fund, working to empower kids thru bicycling and to promote responsible tourism worldwide.”
Joseph Eberle wrote: We did a “Woody Hickcox” over the Thanksgiving week. I went to New Orleans. At Christmas break in 1956, freshman Woody went to “Nuorlens” and came back to VA with a suitcase full of Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane glasses. It would be decades before I got to try my first one. But this week was special as my son with his bride and I went to Pat O’s and we had a hurricane; I told them about Woody and his stash of glasses with the world famous pink concoction. Boy, did I learn about stuff at VA! Enjoyed the Spring 2010 gathering, hope to do it again sometime.
Charles Emig wrote: My wife and I live here in Ocala, Florida nestled in what is often and correctly labeled “Beautiful Marion County.” The county is home to probably the second largest collection of horse farms breeding race stock in the country, behind the farms in Kentucky. We have a 1+ acre
property just outside the city limits of Ocala, with a house that was built in 1984 and has a lawn, shrubs and swimming pool that keeps most of my days busy. My amateur woodworking efforts that I enjoy are turning pens, pencils and other small objects from a variety of woods and plastics, dabbling in sign making, and making some small furniture items. Despite the current economy, Uncle Sam has seen fit to provide not only Social Security, but my Army retirement checks as well. Since children eluded us, we have not had the opportunity to do the kids and grandkids thing.
Charles “Woody” Hickcox wrote: Still working teaching undergrads at Emory University in Atlanta. I teach an intro to meteorology and its 2 labs plus another class in climatology or climate change each semester. Expected to retire last Spring but with an economy-dictated hiring freeze I thought it best to apply for another 5-year cycle and stick around for a while longer. Being the laziest man on the planet is keeping me from doing much of the physical exercise I really ought to be doing. I hope that retirement will give me enough opportunities that I won’t be able to be quite as sedentary as I now am. Have good mental health thanks largely to the support of the wonderful woman I’ve been married to since grad school. I don’t let a lot bother me much and keep cats around to ease the stress. We have two kids, both now in their 30’s. The older son is married making a life of it in Orlando. My daughter is working on a PhD in social geography at U of Colorado. No grand kids yet but a couple of grand-dogs and assorted grand-cats. Have found some success in watercolors over the past 10 years or so. Don’t play golf. Tried it in the 70’s but know that it would absorb both all my time and money were I to get back into it. So I watch birds when it’s convenient and take ridiculously long car camping trips during the summer – 11,000 miles last summer from Atlanta to our reunion to Vancouver Island and return to Vermont. I own the old Family summer “camp” on the Canadian border of Vermont and there’s a lot of genetic pressure to spend as much time there as possible each summer. Porter Hulett wrote: “I thought I would share with you something that I just have been through recently. Since 1978 I have rigorously and religiously exercised by walking 2.5 miles per day and also worked with weights three times a day. A few weeks back, I was walking and felt dizzy. When I looked out my right eye, I saw reality as it is. However, in my left eye it was like looking at the world through a prism. I went immediately to a neurologist, scheduled a carotid doppler, and also had an appointment with a cardiologist. It wasn’t until after the heart catheterization was done that I
found out that one of my heart arteries was 90% filled with plaque. The surgeon inserted a heart stent into the artery to open it up again. At my next appointment with my cardiologist, he told me that I-in all likelihood-would have been dead in a very short time i.e. days, a couple of weeks etc. My lesson from this is that no matter how fit you are on the outside and however much exercise you do, you still can be at risk on the inside. Unfortunately not all insurance companies (if any) cover precautionary testing during an annual checkup (for example heart catheterizations) but weigh in only after symptoms show up. This means we have to be vigilant and carefully look out for any and all symptoms.”
J. Ward Kenny wrote: “We got our fall cruise in from Montreal to New York and had a great time. I enjoyed reading all of the notes from our classmates and see that we shared many of the same observations from health, the impact of the economy on our children and our grandchildren. We have seven grandchildren all playing sports on the weekends; in particular it gets a little crazy starting early and ending late as they play under the lights. I have yet to learn how to be at two locations at the same time!”
Robert Laughton lives in Naples, FL and is retired from Mobile Oil Company. He and his wife live in Florida seven months of the year and then visit their children and grandchildren in Virginia for 5 months. They own a home in VA, workout a lot and dabbles in the stock market. He and his wife travel during the year, mainly in the Caribbean as well as to Cape Cod. Robert Morse wrote: We have been in FL since early Oct. We head back to VT for the holidays and will return to FL Jan 4, 2011. We enjoyed watching our grandsons play football (tackle) and now we are beginning the basketball season; at least that is inside. All four boys played football; two are skiing for the winter (they live in Charlotte, VT). The two FL boys are playing basketball. Steffi’s Parkinson’s is keeping her busy, learning to walk with a cane, etc. It is nice to have a handicapped card for parking. We are much more aware of the needs of the handicapped people now that we are walking that road ourselves. We thank God for his healing hand on all those who are having healing issues.
Denis Noonan emailed: “A spiritual incident affected me as I experienced my first ever passenger ride in an ambulance, (I was an Emergency Med Tech for six years), I encountered an eight year old boy on my bicycle this summer. He ran out between two cars right into me. I ended up with a broken collar bone, ten weeks in a sling, and six months of PT in process. This event changed my summer plans and
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’61 | Lee Stanley ’61 and his wife, Linda, aboard their motor yacht, Stanhaven III.
to play with Summer Swing Orchestra. In August 2010, we went back to Argentina, Newfoundland where I was stationed 45 years ago. Took the 240 mile ferry voyage from North Sydney, NS. Argentina. St. John’s and Newfoundland totally changed from back then. Guess that’s the way things are. You never step in the same river twice, etc.
encouraged me to learn some important self understanding about being patient, asking for help, appreciating the quality life of grateful dependence, and exploring the minute and subtle distinctions of the pain experience. I feel like the Eskimo who has 78 different words to describe what we commonly call snow. I need 78 words to describe the different ways that pain is experienced and appreciated as an emotional life energy that can inform and change reality in the moment. I still found a way to dig a drainage ditch along my driveway and manage the planting, weeding and harvesting of the gardens. I’m back on my bike, and have lost 35 lbs. riding the stationary almost every day since the ambulance ride. We welcome any visitors heading for Maine. I’ll meet you for lunch or offer a room.”
John Quebman wrote: It is nice to see all communicating... “who would of thought”...I just became a Grandfather for the second time...my daughter Lisa and her husband Eric had a baby girl on Nov 15th...6 lbs 4 ozs...Ella Marie...I am so proud. I am in Palm City, Fl...play a lot of golf...workout on a regular basis and boating is part of my life. I do some business consulting but am basically retired...Sueallyn and I travel when we can but we are limited because she still works as an RN (she loves work) No complaints...it is great to be above ground (golf buddies quote)...having a wonderful life... Robert Seeley wrote: I continue teaching as an adjunct at Raritan Valley Community College -- English Comp and Technical Writing. Basically, still working at industrial p.r. (writing and placing semi-technical articles). Played a gig last night at the Morristown Hyatt with a small group that a bass player/lawyer put together for a charity event. Continue
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Edward Steinle wrote: I’m retired, but managing some properties here in Carefree, AZ where I live happily with my dog in a house that’s bigger than I need. I earned a living in the home building business for 30 years in the Vail, Co. area from 1968 to 1998. I married a gal from my home town in West Hartford, Ct. before moving to Colo. in ’68. We had a child who grew up to be a champion ski racer who graduated from C.S.U., and then moved to Scottsdale to go into the golf business. I now have one grandson. For fun, I manage a group of 50, mostly retired guys, who play tennis a couple times a week. I also stay busy remodeling my 40 year old house. Motorcycling is one of my passions, and I collect and restore vintage bikes, and love to ride them (one at a time) as often as possible. Next summer (2011), I plan to revisit many of the western region’s National Parks in my R.V. My health is excellent, which affords me to take advantage of many activities year around here in Arizona. I’m happy with my life and plan on enjoying many more years of good times. Ronald Stewart wrote: “In April, my youngest son took his own life. It was a shock. This is why I missed the reunion. His girlfriend was pregnant and on 11/29/10 a healthy little girl, Veronica Stewart, was born. My wife and I take care of her five days a week while her mom is at work. She is a delight! I’m hanging in there. I had a left knee replacement in Nov. ’05 which put an end to my soccer refereeing. I’ve retired from the printing business, the over the road truck driving, the delivering and installing appliances for Lowes, the Security Guard job at AK steel, and the security guard job at Menards. I have got my basement and garage cleaned out after 21 years in the same house. Found stuff I never remember having had! Next spring, the attic!”
Gary Toothaker wrote: “I have overcome my medical challenge and am back to my normal active life playing golf, catching salmon, and playing racquetball. I am a fortunate man. I am happily married with a blended family of 5 children and 8 grandchildren. Life in the great Northwest is good. Lots of outdoor activity with magnificent rivers and mountains. I live right on the Puget Sound north of Seattle. I get to see lots of wildlife. For example, I can see bald eagles daily; a pair has a nest 75 yards from my home. Grey and orca
whales can be seen from my deck when they are migrating. All is well. My compliments to you for all of your work on the reunion and keeping in touch with our classmates. Best wishes to you.”
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Class Volunteer: John H. Anderson, 304 Murphee Street, Troy, AL 36081-2115,
athtrain@troy.edu
63 Richard Bohman wrote: I retired last year from custom home building and my wife Nancy and I enjoy living in Tubac and Arizona in general. As I am sure you are all aware, we do have continuing problems with drug smuggling and illegal immigration; such is “Life on the Border”
CLASS OF 1961
Davis Dimock wrote: “I continue to work on environmental
Our 50th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011.
art creating “magic in unexpected places”. Jimmy Dean’s death brought back memories of his song “Big bad John” in the early 1960’s and Mr. “Big Bad John” Lucy’s Spanish class. Thank you to Mr. Lucy’s memory and Vermont Academy in general for nourishing my free spirit, it still flourishes.”
Mark your calendars now! Lee Stanley and his wife Linda are cruising the Pacific Northwest for the next year aboard their motor yacht, Stanhaven III. They plan to explore the Puget Sound, San Juans, Canada and Alaska before bringing the yacht to Southern California for the fall of 2011, and then wintering in the Sea of Cortez in 2012. During the Stanley’s expedition, Lee is completing his memoir, Faith in the Land of Make Believe (What God Can Do – Even in Hollywood) for its February, 2011 release through Zondervan Publishing. Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson (who starred in Stanley’s #1 box office hit movie, Gridiron Gang) has written the forward. More than a chronicle of a successful Hollywood writer/producer/director’s unparalleled success that changed not only his life but also the lives of millions of others, Faith in the Land of Make Believe is the gritty memoir of someone who was never taught how to be a man, a husband, or a father, and was scared to death somebody would find out. This is the story of Lee’s transparent and miraculous journey through life and through filmmaking that proves God’s unwavering faithfulness. Far from being retired, Lee is also working on his next film project about Parkersburg, Iowa’s Ed Thomas, the NFL High School Coach of the Year who was gunned down by a psychotic student last year. Filming is planned to begin in the spring of 2012. Lee can be contacted at his email: stanhaven@aol.com
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Class Volunteers Needed
Class Volunteer: Richard F. Weeks, 4242 N 119th Street, Lafayette, CO 80026,
dick_weeks@hotmail.com
Fred Flavin is still playing ice hockey.
Russell Vogel wrote: “I am still living in Jakarta Indonesia. I now work for John Snow International (JSI), a USAID contractor based in Arlington VA. I am working in the area of Avian Flu and Swine Flu surveillance and prevention, focusing on health care logistics.”
Class Volunteers Needed
64 Steve Perelman wrote: “Abby and I are well. Our two sons are both married and living in NYC, and we have 4 grandsons [the 4th grandson was just born in August!]. We split the year between Nantucket and West Palm Beach, with Florida as our [new] legal address. We are enjoying retirement, although I didn’t retire completely – I have a part-time summer job at the Nantucket Visitor’s Bureau, handing out brochures and telling tourists where to go.” Class Volunteers: Craig H. Baab, 637 Cloverdale Road, Montgomery, AL 36106, baablaw@aol.com; Gus Clement, 4815 Rushford Place, Colorado Springs, CO 80923
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Bob Campbell spent the summer in New Zealand (winter there) teaching skiing at a resort in the mountains. Bob is an instructor at Okemo Mountain and was named Instructor of the Year last winter there. Since college he has always taught skiing on the weekends and vacations. After retiring as a public school teaching and principal, he was able to go to his first love of skiing fulltime.
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Lawrence Power wrote: “Sorry that I was not able to make our 45th reunion, but I am hoping we really ramp it up for our 50th in 2015! Possible event for the Chane Gang next year (2011) in perhaps April and Sept/October. We have been friends and band-mates since 1963 and it could be our last show... but never say never. Last, but most importantly, let’s find Ian McAllister! Dude, we miss ya!”
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Class Volunteer: Richard Janis, 1739 Maybank, Highway B8, #337, Charleston, SC 29412,
Editor-in-Chief, Hawk & Handsaw/Associate Professor of Environmental Writing/Unity College
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Class Volunteer: Richard H. Patterson, 5 Nibang Avenue, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 Class Volunteer: Stanley A. Wilkinson Jr., 227 Whetstone Road, Harwinton, CT 06791,
budw@broadwaysbiggesthits.com
rick.janis@gmail.com CLASS OF 1971 Our 40th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011.
CLASS OF 1966
Mark your calendars now!
Our 45th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011.
Mark your calendars now!
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Class Volunteers: Whitney A. Gay, 5 N. Gateway, Winchester, MA 01890, whitclaud@aol.com; Richard W. Moulton Jr., PO Box 97, Huntington,
VT 05462
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John Winder wrote: “I am a yacht surveyor, still involved with Class Volunteer: Richard Sacknoff, 24 Buckman Drive, Lexington, MA 02421,
rsacknoff@yahoo.com
Class Volunteers: Mark D. Russell, 8 Sweet Fern Road, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107, mark.russell@rbcdain.com; John W. Hoder, 95 Riverscape Lane, Tiverton, RI 02878, rfhoder@aol.com
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Mountain State Press announces advance sale of The Serpents of Blissfull by Bruce Pratt. The novel is a trade paperback book with 334 pages. Reviewers of the manuscript have this to say: “Bruce Pratt knows the broken hearts and minds of the backwoods, and in this book he gives us a darkly funny and brilliant portrait of a down-but-never-out misfit struggling for a toehold in life’s craggy hills. … Not since The Beans of Egypt Maine has there been a book so true to it sense of place. The Serpents of Blissfull is an absolute winner.” – Clint McCown has published three novels and three volumes of poems that have won numerous awards. He teaches a creative writing program at Virginia Commonwealth Univ. “A compelling narrative of faith and redemption. Bruce Pratt’s Serpents of Blissfull pays homage to the characters too often disregarded by contemporary fiction. His rendering of their pathos, their struggle, and their humanity is as skillful as it is tender, and it places him squarely in the tradition of other greats like Roddy Doyle, Annie Proulx, and Richard Russo.” – Kathryn Miles, author of Adventures with Ari
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Jeffrey Crocker emailed: Martha and I celebrated our thirtieth wedding anniversary this year. Our daughter, Alex, is a senior at Vassar College. Our anniversary present is only one more semester of tuition payments.
construction and refit management in the yachting world. It’s a word of mouth business so consider this to be my plea for you to pass my name along. I am single and have two kids away at college and grad school. My daughter, Stirling, is about to graduate from Northeastern grad school with her RN. My son, Alden, is in his senior year at UVM and is a key member of the #8 nationally-ranked UVM sailing team.”
Class Volunteers Needed
72 Class Volunteers: John M. Brucato, 12 Whip O Will Lane, Milford, MA 01757-1558; Charles P. Gunn, 9 Emery Road, Henniker, NH 03242, Gunn@conknet.com
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Class Volunteers: Richard I. Stark Jr., 2007 N. Upton Street, Arlington, VA 22207, ristarkjr@aol.com; Bill Reid, 560 Rt. 198, Woodstock Valley, CT 06282
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Class Volunteers Needed
75 Class Volunteers: James O. Bamman, 2 Reeves Avenue, Guilford, CT 06437, jmbam@comcast.net; Daniel J. Quartin, 108 Carriage Hill Drive, Newington, CT 06111, d_quartin@cox.net
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PHOTO
(L to R): John Dunbar ’91, Garret Wall ’83, Jim’s brother John MacLaren, and Mark Foster ’83.
CLASS OF 1976 Our 35th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011.
Mark your calendars now!
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Class Volunteer: Sean Bersell, 1213 No. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, CA 91207,
va77@mindspring.com Class Volunteers Needed
78 Class Volunteers: Peter L. Hamilton, 31177 U.S. Highway 19 N, Apt. 301, Palm Harbor, FL 34684; Jane Ogden, PO Box 2079, Basalt, CO 81621, janevermont@gmail.com; Diane L. Wilder, 807 Aubrey Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003,
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wilderfrancone@yahoo.com Class Volunteers: Ewing Buta, 141 Oak Tree Drive, Canfield, OH 44406; Lawrence H. Echanis, RR 4, 33533 Wilgus Cemetery Road, Frankford, DE 19945, echanis@mchsi.com; Karen E. Galloway, PO Box 453, Walpole, NH 03608,
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Keith Wheeler and his family have moved to Georgia. Keith’s wife, Phebe wrote: We are no longer New Englanders! Keith was given a new assignment through his company that placed him at the main headquarters in the Atlanta area. Class Volunteers: Keith M. Canning, 126 Hersey Street, Portland, ME 04103, pinestate@aol.com; Daniel P. Dougherty, 22 Shattuck Street, Natick, MA 01760
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kegalloway@myfairpoint.net Sarah Campbell is now an estate manager for families with several houses and divides her time between MA, FL and Antigua. She says that is a pleasant change after working in retail for fifteen years.
Robert Ewanouski wrote: “This year’s hour glass flip was my 50th, which didn’t faze me until Google announced it was also the 50th anniversary of Fred Flintstone series. I’m not pushing my car with my feet, but it sure feels like I’m off to the rock pile most mornings. Work aside, all is well here in the Boston area. My wife Lisa and all four kids are doing well.”
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Class Volunteers: Kathryn Maass Carver, 75 Nice Way, Colchester, VT 05446; Foster R. McKeon, 10 Old Orchard Road, Easton, CT
06612, foster374@aol.com
CLASS OF 1981 Our 30th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011. Mark your calendars now! Class Volunteers: Andrew V. Griswold, 8 Whitman Road, Medford, MA 02155; Thomas C. Oxholm, PO Box 266, Saxtons River, VT 05154, toxholm@vermontacademy.org
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Vermont Academy created a triathlon team to compete in the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) triathlon on October 24th in La Jolla, CA in honor of Jim MacLaren ’81. Jim was a Sabin Award Winner and a motivational speaker and author, noted for his record-breaking performances in the marathon and Ironman triathlon after having his left leg amputated below the knee. The team members were John Dunbar ’91 (swim), Mark Foster ’83 (bike) and Garret Wall ’83 (run). A VA scholarship fund has been established in honor of Jim. The CAF triathlon was developed by Jim’s friends in the late 90’s in an effort to raise money for Jim’s recovery. The CAF Foundation has raised over $25 million to assist challenged athletes around the world.
Jay Pendexter wrote: I am living in Boston and working professionally as an artist painting nature scenes in watercolor and oil pastels. I have a website at jay2art.com and had a show at Chestnut Hill Mall on the weekend of May 22, 2010. Class Volunteers: Mark J. Culkin, 823 Tequesta Drive, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417, mjculkin@verizon.net; Mike Gerity, 39 Chapman Terrace, Middletown, NJ 07748,
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geritym@msn.com
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PHOTO
’84 | Tom Goodings was married on June 19th, 2010 to Anna.
Ella Bullock McIntosh is now the Director of Alumni and Parent Relations at Vermont Academy! “I am no longer teaching, but still coach 2 sports (soccer and softball) as well as dorm parent in Buchanan House. I have one daughter who is currently a sophomore here at VA and another daughter in 6th grade. The 1986 class reunion is coming up in September 2011; as it is our 25th I hope to see many of our classmates back on campus that weekend! Please contact me with any suggestions to make the weekend fun or to simply catch up. My email address is emcintosh@ vermontacademy.org. I look forward to hearing from you soon!”
87 Tom Goodings wrote: Quite a bit of news to share with VA Life. The last few years have been busy in the Goodings household. My son London Allen James Goodings, was born July 8th, 2009, in Ottawa. He is keeping both mom and dad very busy and on the run daily. My wife Anna and I were married on June 19th, 2010 with several VA alum in attendance, John Jepson 84, and Chuck Edgerton ’85. And lastly after 20 years of involvement with the International Paralympic movement, most recent position as Vice Chair of the Ice Sledge Hockey Sports Technical Committee, with 5 Winter Paralympic Games and 5 World Championships I have retired to spend time with my family. The decision was very difficult to make but necessary. I will miss the travel. my colleagues, the players and naturally the development of this great sport, they will all be deeply missed. These disabled athletes are some of the greatest I have ever had the privilege to work with and to call friends. Class Volunteers: C. Charles Schafer, 41 Larchwood Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764; Chris Stevens, 92 Bullard Street, Holden, MA 01520; Andy Bigelow, 1002 W. Altgeld Street, Chicago, IL 60614, ajbigelow@hotmail.com
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Class Volunteers: Diana Barton Gleeson, 16 Adele Avenue, Rumford, RI 02916, diana_gleeson@yahoo.com; Bay H. Mackall, 31 Gibson Avenue, Narragansett, RI 02882, baymackall@msn.com; Charmion L. Handy, PO Box 439, Saxtons River, VT 05154
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Class Volunteer: John T. Kemper, 143 Beattie Road, South Londonderry, VT 05155,
jakemper@myfairpoint.net
Class Volunteer: Christopher G. Wall, 1 278 W. Early Avenue, Chicago, IL 60660,
cgwall@sbcglobal.net
dvjones@gmail.com
September 23-25, 2011. Mark your calendars now and look for a group page on Facebook!
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Tim Mewes wrote: “During this mission yesterday, we airdropped nearly 20 tons of supplies to two separate Forward Operating Bases (FOBs). These FOBs are where the real work goes on. They are so remote that aerial resupply is usually the most effective means of keeping them in the fight. The terrain here is extremely harsh and unforgiving. The cheers I heard on the radio in the background after the second drop made ALL my training worth it!! I’m blessed to be part of a great crew. We may be old (ave. age is 43), but we can hold our own, still make a difference and take it to the Taliban.”
Class Volunteers: Mary Kennelly Dean, 509 Cherry Brook Road, Canton, CT 06019, hotmary@mail.com; Jamison R. Gagnier, 15 Olde Capeway Lane, Duxbury, MA 02332; Ann Afragola Jones, 21 Maple Street, Woodstock, VT 05091,
CLASS OF 1986: Our 25th Reunion is
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Class Volunteer: Billi R. McCullough, 5460 S. Jasmine Street, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, bmccullough@denvercnsx.com
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Robert Goodall wrote: “My wife, Sara and daughter Ella 19 months, are doing well after a very hot summer. I am working at www.net30.net in sales, really like being out and about meeting new people. Jay Blatt, class of 91, and I
see each other often and bore our wives with our high school antics.” Class Volunteers: Samantha M. Foerster, The Union League Club, 38 E. 37th Street, Box 111, New York, NY 10016 ; Amy Howard, 317 29th St., Apt 206, San Francisco, CA 94131, amyh294@gmail.com
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CLASS OF 1991 Our 20th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011. Mark your calendars now!
John Dunbar wrote: I would like to thank everyone in the VA community, including fellow alums that sent me email messages wishing me luck and congratulating me on my Ironman 70.3 World Championship race. I had a great time racing with Mark Foster and Garrett Wall at the Challenged Athletes Foundation San Diego Triathlon in October honoring Jim MacLaren and hope that we continue to see more VA alums competing in the sport of triathlon, which was so important to Jim. Thanks VA for your support! Class Volunteers: Elizabeth D. Adams, 24 Central Avenue, Rutland, VT 05701; Mark C. Engelke, 181 Hillside Avenue, Chatham, NJ 07928, markcengelke@aol.com
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Class Representatives: Adam K. Garner, 900 S. Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX 78704, adam_k_garner@yahoo.com; Noel Tomaino Chipman, 62 Collins Land Road, Unit 61, Weare, NH 03281
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Class Volunteer: Meghan A. Giroux, 45 Buchanan Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801,
Meghan.giroux@gmail.com
Ryan McNamara wrote: “I’m in Organic Food Sales currently, but I am looking to transition into Medical Sales. We’ll see, it’s tough out there. More importantly, I’m healthy and will be celebrating my one year anniversary with my beautiful wife later this month. Life is good for Jess and I on the NH Seacoast.”
John Wallin is the head coach of Men’s Track & Field at Southern Connecticut State University. John married Reidun Daily in 2005, and they have a son, Torsten, who was born in 2008.
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Class Volunteers: Alison Harmon Johnson, 2415 W. Wilson Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625,
harmon2476@gmail.com; Sarah Smith
Duffin, 300 West 300 North, Kamas, UT 84036, sas8118@aol.com Jonathan Bostock and his wife Marigny welcomed Evan Harvey Bostock into the world on October 14th, 2010. Evan was 8 pounds, 9 ounces. Jon and Marigny live in Louisville Kentucky ... Jon is the Global Product Manager for GE Appliances.
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Class Volunteer: Kirk Vaughan, 328 Pine Nut Lane, Apex, NC 27502, kirk.vaughan@gmail.com
CLASS OF 1996 Our 15th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011. Mark your calendars now! Kirk Vaughan writes: Can you believe it?! Please book your hotel as soon as possible. I am suggesting the Saxtons River Inn. Join our class page on Facebook ‘Vermont Academy Class of 1996’ or contact me directly for more information www.facebook.com/Kirk.Vaughan. Hope to see you all there. Class Volunteers: Chidozie O. Alozie, 20 Ritchfield Court, Rockville, MD 20850, chido.alozie@gmail.com; Erin M. Kennelly, 100 DiNardo Hall, Bridgewater, MA 02325, ekennelly@ gmail.com; Aaron Walsh, PO Box 305, Marlboro, VT 05344, walshfam3@aol.com; Sarah A. Weilbrenner, 223 Smith Street, #3R, Brooklyn, NY 11201, sweilbrenner@gmail.com
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Robert Gustafson was married to Melissa Renzi on May 1, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA. Class Volunteers: Kathryn Abernethy Turner, 20385 Belmont Park Terrace, Ashburn, VA 20147, Alexander H. Law, 2721 Black Oaks Lane N., Plymouth, MN 55447, alexlane@yahoo.com
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Class Volunteers: Katherine Farkas Dawes, 100 Mill Creek Road, Apt. 203, Ardmore, PA 19003, katherinefarkas@hotmail.com; Sarah Ramian Murrow, 1166 Naticoke Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, sarah.ramian@roanoke.edu; Andrew W. Tyson, GEMS American Academy-Abu Dhabi, PO Box 110273, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, atyson433@yahoo.com
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PHOTOS
SSgt. Jeremiah R. Brooks ’98 with wife, Susan Brooks (French) ’00. ’03 | (left) Eliza Cross ’03 running the NYC marathon. ’03 | (right) Jennifer Tolaro ’03 was married last August.
aguard@obeverages.com; Alexandra R. Walsh, PO Box 207, Westbrook, CT 06498 CLASS OF 2001 Our 10th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011. Mark your calendars now!
Matt Cotter and his wife Liz welcomed their newborn baby, Avery Jane, into the world on August 19, 2010. She was 5 pounds, 10 ounces. Class Volunteers: Robert G. Bergman, 95 Settlers Drive, Hancock, ME 04640; Cathryn Esser, 299 Hildred Drive, Burlington, VT 05401, cate.esser@gmail.com; Amber Smith DiPasquale, 12102 Green Ledge Court, Apt. 202, Fairfax, VA, asmitr@gmail.com; John F. Penney III, 504 E. 79th Street, New York, NY 10075, jpenney3@gmail.com
02
Class Volunteers: Christina R. Flood, 67 Main Street, Apt. 11, Brattleboro, VT 05301, hopugope@sover.net; Britton F. Inglehart, 47329 Westminster Park Road, Wellesley Island, NY 13640, binglehart@gmail.com; Andrew W. Robinson, 21 W. Hughes Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, andrewrobinson01@gmail.com; Amy H. Velte, PO Box 2048, Jackson, WY 83001, amyvelte@gmail.com
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Class Volunteers: Grayson J. Holden, 1722 Virginia Street, Berkeley, CA 94703, grayson.holden@gmail.com; Matthew J. Howarth, 286 Barlows Landing Road, Pocasset, MA 02559, matthewjhowarth@yahoo.com; Patience A. Baldwin, N-136, PO Box 25343, Miami, FL 33102; Jeannlis Sanchez, 1222 Boston Road, Apt. 2A, Bronx, NY 10456, jeannlis@aol.com
00
Eliza Cross wrote: “I ran the NYC Marathon. in 3 hours 52 minutes on Sunday November 7th, 2010. I had my friends and family around and it was the most wonderful day of my life. A true experience.” Eliza is now working at Rue La La in Boston, MA.
Lauren Shockley wrote: “I am living back in Miami with my Susan Brooks (French) wrote: “On the afternoon of
Jennifer Tolaro wrote: This year has brought me many new changes. I was married in August to my partner of eight years, and I am one step closer to receiving my masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Antioch in Keene, NH.
Class Volunteers: Corey E. Esau, PO Box 1035, Quechee, VT 05059, corster271011@hotmail.com; Devin E. Finigan, PO Box 193, Sedgwick, ME 04676, devineyre@hotmail.com; J. Andrew Guard, 29 Edgemont Street, Roslindale, MA 02131,
Class Volunteers: Edward P. Duess, 1416 Amherst Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025, eduess@gmail.com; Jean-Daniel Lussier, PO Box 132, Lennoxville, Quebec J1M 1Z4,Canada, jl24@calvin.edu; Hillary A. Talbot, 3913 Westminster West Road, Putney VT 05346
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fiance and 9 month old son. I am working here in south Florida as an RN and love it. Looking forward to making it to an alumni weekend, possibly next year.”
November 10, 2010, forty-five members of the 158th Security Forces Squadron of the Vermont Air National Guard (VTANG) returned home from their 6 month deployment to Saudi Arabia. Among the returning soldiers was SSgt. Jeremiah R. Brooks ’98. Both Jeremiah and I would like to extend our many thanks to all of the family and friends who provided so much love and support through the deployment!”
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Class Volunteers: Laura Gage, 3809 Woodbine Street, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, Lag394@nyu.edu; Corbin S. Vreeland, 324 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills MD 21117, cvreeland@gmail.com; Robert Harlow, 23 Northwood Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089
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Class Volunteers: Jourdan Goldstein, 7718 Boedeker Drive, Dallas, TX 75225, jourdan911@ aol.com; Zachary Jandl, 3 Spruce St, Apt #2, Burlington, VT 05401, zjandl@hotmail.com; Calvin Stowell, 1 Charlestown Road, Claremont, NH 03743
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10184 Granite Square Station, Durham, NH 03824; Kelli Morin, 14 Parker Lane, Haverhill, MA 01832; Kaitlyn Schiro, 63 Londonderry Drive, Greenwich, CT 06830; Chelsea Szidik, 108 Mountain View Drive, Weathersfield, VT 05156
Cassandra Howe emailed: “I’m finishing up my last year at the University of St Andrews where I have been majoring in International Relations and Social Anthropology. Throughout my time at St Andrews I have been active in the University’s Charities Campaign and recently I helped to bring the first ever ice rink to St Andrews. It reminded me of winter carnival and all of the snow events at VA”
CLASS OF 2006
Sean Parker O’Grady wrote: I am spending a semester
Our 5th Reunion is September 23-25, 2011. Mark your calendars now!
abroad at the University of Malta. I am traveling around and visiting other VA alumni including Davis McClean and Ben Neithercut.
Scott Raines graduated from Roger Williams University in May, 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He is currently working for Marriott in Foxboro, MA.
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Class Volunteers: Paulina Borrego, 122 W 8th St, Antioch, CA 94509, pborrego@bowdoin.edu
Zachary Jandl emailed: “After graduating from Saint Michael’s College in May, I decided to remain in the Burlington, VT area for the time being. I am currently working as an Account Executive for a publications company in Burlington, VT and also as a Marketing & Syndication Consultant for MADEpossible, a new magazine based in New York, NY. Aside from my work, music has continued to be a big part of my life. Most recently, the band I am in released a CD with a Michigan-based record label and completed a 16-day tour to Chicago, IL. We are currently in the process of writing our second CD and plan to tour again in the summer.”
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Class Volunteers: Cassandra Howe, PO Box 164, Alstead, NH 03602; Alexandra Moran,
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Class Volunteers: Ashley Greenwood, 13 Gaskill St, Mendon, MA 01756-1136
agreenwood@assumption.edu
Class Volunteers: Greg Jacobs, 8 Lincoln Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101, gjacobs202@yahoo.com; Kerrin (Ana) Lundberg, 407 Gladstone Street, Jacksonville, IL 62650; Brooke Wilcox, 152 A. Monument Hill Road, Springfield, VT 05156, bawilcox@vwc.edu; Sophie Yingling, P.O. Box 247, Truro, MA 02666, syingling@student.umass.edu
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in memoriam
Amos R. “Bud” Little Jr. | 1935 Amos R. “Bud” Little Jr., M.D., passed away June 22, 2010. Bud spent his early and teenage years in Boston, graduating from Vermont Academy in 1935. Bud graduated from Dartmouth College in 1939, and Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine in 1942. During his rotating internship from 1942 to 1943 at the Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, he met, fell in love and married Mary Russell. Mary and Bud hopscotched their way out West while he served in the Army Air Force
during the war years. While serving in the U.S. Army Air Force, Air Rescue Service - Parachute Duty from 1943 to 1946, Bud received the Army Commendation Medal, the Air Medal and the Legion of Merit. Besides medicine and his family, Bud’s passion and joy in life came from his involvement with the sport of winter alpine skiing. He skied on the Vermont Academy Ski Team in 1935 and the Dartmouth College Ski Team from 1936 to 1939. In 1952, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980, Bud served on the U.S. Olympic Ski Games Committee for the Winter Olympics. He was the manager of the 1960 U.S. Olympic
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Alpine Team in Squaw Valley, Calif., and the U.S. FIS Alpine Team at the World Ski Championships in Chamonix, France, in 1962, as well as referee of the slalom competitions at the 1962 FIS World Championships in Chamonix, France, the Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1964, the FIS World Championships in Portillo, Chile, in 1966, and the Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble, France, in 1968. He served on the Board of the U.S. Ski Association from 1948 to 1988 and was chairman of the International Competition Committee from 1960 to 1967. What really got Buddy flying around the world was his involvement with the FIS where he served on its Alpine Technical Committee from 1960 to 1967, on its Medical Committee as chairman from 1971 to 1988. For all of this volunteer service to the world and national amateur alpine skiing community, Bud received the American Ski Trophy in 1961, the Blegen Award in 1962, elected to the U.S. Ski Association’s Ski Hall of Fame in 1965, and received the John Clair Award in 1987. Bud is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary, along with their three children and their families. He was pre-deceased by his brother, Edward F. “Spiff” Little ’37.
Howland F. Atwood | 1936 Howland F. Atwood passed away July 29, 2010 at the age of 91. He went to primary school in Hartland. VT and graduated from Vermont Academy in 1936. He took a two-year program in horticulture at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and received a diploma in 1938. In June of 2006, 68 years later, he finally received his Associate of Science. On September 6, 1942 he married his childhood sweetheart. Priscilla M. Murphy. In Hartland he established one of the first privately owned nurseries in central Vermont. His knowledge about plants earned him a highly respected reputation throughout the state, and he could tell you the technical name of most plants from memory, and he wrote magazine articles for Better Homes and Gardens. Howland is survived by five sons, one daughter, and 10 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; and one great great grandchild.
by his four children. A graduate from Vermont Academy and Dartmouth College, John loved both with a passion and cherished his memories of an idyllic childhood growing up in Hanover, NH – whether he was playing tennis tournaments, cross-country skiing across a moonlit golf course or shadowing his heroes, the Chivers brothers and the 1938 Olympic Ski Team. As a student, he credited VA with saving his soul through two English teachers who taught him to love books. He was a master storyteller, enthusiastic, loving, always sought to inspire others and lived in constant gratitude. Hidden History of New Hampshire is dedicated to John who passionately loved his native Granite State.
Richard Dustin “Dick” Currier | 1942 Richard Dustin “Dick” Currier, 86, of Homosassa, died of natural causes Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010. Dick graduated from Vermont Academy and Duke University. He was a naval veteran of World War II and the Korean War, with service in the Pacific and Arctic. He owned and operated the Portsmouth Flower Shop in Portsmouth, N.H., for 16 years and adhered to a very strict policy of making sure the flowers were delivered on time, regardless of adverse weather conditions. Dick moved to Sugarmill Woods in Homosassa in 1985, where he built a house with his wife, Ruth, who preceded him in death one year later. He is survived by his son, Robert Dudley Currier, grandson Douglas, great-granddaughter Maddie; and sister Ruth Currier Gates. Dick was the property manager for Tradewinds Condominiums in Marco Island for 11 years. He always liked to stay busy, which he did through his dedication as the publisher for the Women of Sugarmlll Woods Newsletter for 18 years. He volunteered for the Public Service Officer program, Sheriff’s substation and Crime Watch Patrol.
Ralph O’Neal West | 1942 Angus C. Black, Jr. | 1941 Angus C. Black, Jr. Vermont Academy alumnus, retired teacher/coach and Trustee Emeritus passed away on October 27 at the age of 87. Gus began his life-long relationship with Vermont Academy in the fall of 1938, when he arrived as a sophomore. He went on to graduate in 1941, and then received a degree from the University of Maine. He returned to Saxtons River in the Fall of 1952 with his wife, Jean, to begin his teaching career. During their 13 years at Vermont Academy, Gus was involved in every aspect of school life, with notable success as a cross-country running coach. An active Class Agent, Gus joined the Vermont Academy Board of Trustees in the 1980’s, and was a vital and active member for over a dozen years. He enjoyed the honor of Emeritus Trustee until his death. Gus and his oldest son, Chuck, visited Vermont Academy a few weeks before he died and had fun reminiscing with some old friends. Gus is survived by his wife, Jean, and 4 children (all of whom were born at VA) Sandra, Chuck, Lorri and Bob ’79. He also leaves 6 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, including Heather Black ’98.
John Quincy Gooding | 1941 John Quincy Gooding passed away on April 12, 2010 at the age of 87. He was a beloved husband of Ethel Winston Gooding and survived
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Ralph O’Neal West, Vermont Academy alumnus, retired teacher/coach, Trustee Emeritus, and Florence Sabin Distinguished Award Winner passed away on July 15, 2010. Ralph dedicated his life to education through many years of service to the independent school community. After graduating from Harvard University in 1947, Ralph returned to VA where he taught and coached for three years, eventually becoming head of the history department. In 1951 he received his Masters Degree in Education from Harvard and went on to become an Assistant Director of Admissions at St. John’s School in Houston, Texas and Headmaster of Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, MA. Ralph left Cushing to become the Executive Secretary of Harvard’s Gradate School of Education, and then became an administrator at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). In 1966, Ralph was hired by the Commission on Independent Secondary Schools for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) where he would eventually run their evaluation program. Ralph retired in 1989, after 23 years of service to the NEASC and 42 years in independent school education. In retirement, he established an educational consulting firm, Ralph O. West and Associates and was a member of the Executive Service Corp of New England. Ralph was a vital and active member of the Class of 1942, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Class of 1942 Endowment Fund at their 50th Reunion, and established the Robert R. and Margaret S.
West Library Fund in honor of his parents. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mimi, four daughters and their families; Susan Ayres, Dorothy (Kippy) North, Martha (Marcy) Lyman, and Katherine (Kaatje) White, six granddaughters, six grandsons, including Edward Ayres ’96, and numerous nieces and nephews including Ted Anthony ’75.
and chairman of the Sudbury Republican Town Committee, Deacon of the Sudbury Congregational Church, and member of the ski patrol at Neshoba Valley and Saddleback Mountain in Maine. He is survived by his wife, two children and three grandchildren.
Editors Note: Ralph’s legacy also directly impacted two former VA Headmasters – Bob Long was a student at Cushing when Ralph was the Headmaster, and Jim Mooney now works for the NEASC overseeing the Independent School Evaluation process that was Ralph’s legacy.
Charles W. Lowell, Sr. | 1946
Richard D Haskell | 1944 Richard D Haskell passed away of heart failure on July 11, 2010; he was 84 years old. Dick’s passion of golf and eventual career path started at the young age of 10 when he took a job as a caddie at the Labor-In-Vain Golf Club in Ipswich, MA. From that brief introduction, he went on to Vermont Academy and played the #7 man on a seven-man golf team at Bowdoin. Dick became an icon within the golf community as he led the Massachusetts Golf Association as Executive Director for nearly 30 years. His accomplishments in this position included introducing six new amateur championships statewide and played an essential role in forming the International Association of Golf Administrators. A club champion runner-up at three different courses and a longtime member of the golf committee at The Country Club, Dick often said that the most appealing aspect of his job was watching young players develop. He initiated the Public Links, Mid-Amateur and Father-Son and Father-Daughter tournaments and established the MGA Inner City Junior Camps to create venues for youths. Dick is survived by his wife, Betty, 2 sons, a daughter and five grandchildren.
David S. Alberts | 1945 David S. Alberts passed away on Friday, August 20, 2010 after a courageous battle with several health related issues. David served as Class Representative for the Class of 1945 for over two decades, and enjoyed getting together with his classmates every Fall in Saxtons River. Dave was also an active volunteer at Harvard, and was never bashful about networking and making connections. He is survived by wife of 52 years, Pearl, two children Lisa and Gregg Handorff and Laurence and Yvonne Alberts, and four grandchildren.
A. Robert Fried | 1945 A. Robert Fried passed away in November 2010 at Washington Elms in Bennington, VT. Prior to that, Bob was in Bellows Falls at an assisted living home. In recent years Bob and Marti Harrington would bring him back to campus for a visit or to attend a campus function as Bob loved his affiliation with Vermont Academy.
Joseph Rowen Atwood | 1946 Joseph Rowen Atwood, beloved husband of June Ramsey Atwood, passed away on July 24, 2010 at the age of 82. After graduating from Vermont Academy in he entered Bowdoin College. After completing one year of college, Joe enlisted in the Army and proudly served his country in Okinawa. In January 1948, he re-entered Bowdoin College and graduated in 1950. Joe passed on is love of skiing to hundreds of children, by co-founding the Sudbury Junior Ski Program and serving as treasurer for over 20 years. Joe was a Mason, an active member
Charles W. Lowell, Sr. passed away on Friday, April 20, 2010. Charlie worked as a carpenter most of his life. He always said, if he got something accomplished each day then it was a good day! He built his own home and was blessed to be able to live there until he passed. He loved music, enjoyed playing his guitar, and most Tuesday nights he could be found in Bradford, VT dancing to the CT Valley Swingers. He loved his garden, and his zucchini relish was a favorite of everyone’s. He is survived by his three children and eight grandchildren.
K. Blair Davis | 1947 K. Blair Davis, 82 passed away on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 in Wilmington, DE. During the Korean Conflict, Blair was stationed in Japan with the U.S. Air Force. Blair worked for 30 years in several departments in the DuPont Company, retiring for the International Department. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, St. Ann Church, and being an avid golfer, he was a member of the DuPont Country Club. Blair is survived by his wife of 29 years, Patricia.
Edward “Ned” W. Huntington | 1947 Edward “Ned” W. Huntington, beloved husband of Barbara (Evans) Huntington died Friday, September 3, 2010. Ned graduated from John Fitch High School in 1945 and attended both the Vermont Academy and UCONN before joining the family business, Huntington Brothers Tobacco Company. A member for 66 years of the Poquonock Fire Company, he served as Chief for 5 years. Ned was a Ham radio operator under the call sign WI UIY and a member of the American Radio Relay League. He had his private pilot’s license for many years where he shared ownership of a Cessna airplane. He built and flew an ultra light aircraft with Leo Landry. A life-long member of the Poquonock Community Church; he supervised the reconstruction of the church after the tornado in 1979. He thoroughly enjoyed road trips with his wife Barbara exploring the United States and Canada. Besides his wife Barbara to whom he would have been married 61 years, he leaves his four sons, a daughter; and 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Perry Cotton Weston | 1950 Perry Cotton Weston passed away on July 20, 2010 in Woodland Hills, CA. Perry was an active supporter to Vermont Academy as he took on the role of Annual Fund Volunteer for his graduating class. Perry served in the United States Army in New Jersey and Hawaii and then worked for Marsh and McLennan, the world’s leading risk and insurance service firm. He specialized in the design, administration, communication and financial arrangements of employee benefit programs for large domestic and multi national corporations. Perry is survived by his wife, Polly and three children.
Harold A Benson Jr. | 1951 Harold A Benson Jr. passed away on March 23, 2010 at his home in Delray Beach, FL. Harold spent 20 years a principal of the human
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services management firm Benson/Kramer/McAlister Associates. Previously he served 10 years at the North Carolina Department of Mental Health and as Deputy Commissioner for Child Mental Health Services. He was also an executive for United Cerebral Palsy, the Epilepsy Foundation of America, the National Society for Autistic Children and as served as Executive Director of the Washington, DC chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Harold is survived by his life partner of 30 years John M. Schneider, his sisters, and several nieces and nephews.
Harlan’ E. “Rusty” Karr Jr. | 1957 Harlan’ E. “Rusty” Karr Jr., of Hancock, NH died peacefully Oct. 9, 2010 at his home. Following his graduation from Vermont Academy, he attended the University of New Hampshire. Rusty was an insurance broker and worked for several insurance agencies in the Monadnock, NH area, retiring in 2010 as President of the Masiello Agency in Peterborough, NH. He always loved outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing and skiing. He was an active member of the N.H. Alpine Racing Association and a referee for the North American Ski Association. He was also a member of the Peterborough Fly Fishing Club. He coached Peterborough touch football teams, was a former member of the Peterborough Planning Board, a member of the Peterborough Lions Club, as well as a Rotarian. Survivors include his son, two daughters, six grandchildren, and his life partner for many years, Donna L. Davis.
Scott Jamieson Divoll | 1964 Scott Jamieson Divoll, 63, of Bennington, N.H. died on Feb. 9, 2010 at his home. Scott married Nancy Holton in 1969 at the historic Rockingham Meeting House in Rockingham, VT. He enjoyed employment for a variety of companies including Pillsbury, Walker Insurance, the Eagle Times, and eventually Frito-Lay. Scott was a skilled golfer and won several club championships at the Bellows Falls Country Club, and whenever he wasn’t playing golf, he was following it on TV. Scott is survived by his wife, Nancy and two sons Ian and Ira.
Milton J. Leaf | 1978 Milton J. Leaf passed away on April 23, 2010. Milton was an avid hockey fan and dog lover. He was a skilled carpenter and a member of the carpenters union of CT.
Jim MacLaren | 1981 It is with great sadness that Jim MacLaren’s family announces his passing on August 30th, 2010 after a long and courageous struggle with medical issues related to his quadriplegia. Jim was an inspiration to not only his family and friends but countless others he touched over the years with his life changing words, his athletic accomplishments and his indomitable spirit. Jim’s message of hope will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew him. Jim was an accomplished student at Vermont Academy, graduating as Valedictorian and Barrett Medal Winner. He was also an All-American Lacrosse Player. Jim went on the Yale where he continued to excel in football and in his studies. He entered Yale Drama School after he had already landed several acting roles on soap operas, but his life
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would change drastically in the Fall of 1985 after he was struck by a New York City bus. He was pronounced “dead”, and when he awoke he was missing his left leg below the knee. Jim would conquer that challenge, and he went on to become a World-Class Triathlete. Jim was voted to the VA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. Another drastic change would come in Jim’s life in 1993 when he was involved in a second tragic accident during the Gatorade Ironman Triathlon, where he was struck by a vehicle that entered the race course. The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) was born after Jim’s second accident when three of his many friends from the sport of triathlon, created a triathlon event in San Diego to buy Jim a vehicle that he could drive with his hands. In the 17 years since, CAF has raised over 28 million dollars and made it possible for disabled people everywhere to stay in the game of life by providing much needed Prosthetics, procedures, services and support needed to engage life to the fullest. The recipient of the 2005 Arthur Ashe Courage ESPY Award, Jim was featured in the movie Emmanuel’s Gift about a young man from Ghana and his quest to raise awareness about deformities and for a prosthetic. Jim was honored with the Vermont Academy Florence Sabin Award Distinguished Alumni Award in 2006. Jim is survived by his mother, father, adopted father, his sister and two brothers, including Neil MacLaren ’82. Editors Note: In October, 2010 three Vermont Academy alumni created a triathlon team in Jim’s honor to compete in the CAF triathlon in La Jolla, CA. Please see the Class Note ’83 section for the complete story.
Frank Evans | 2006 Frank Evans, 24, died unexpectedly and tragically Monday, Oct. 4, 2010. Although physically disabled from an early age, Frank was a happy, fearless, charismatic child who had many friends. He was often seen riding on the backs of friend’s bicycles, or being towed on a skateboard through the neighborhood (at high rates of speed), or donning a pair of boxing gloves for some rowdy fun. He had a close group of neighborhood friends and together they had many adventures and occasionally, a bit of mischief. Vermont Academy was honored to have Frank join our community for a postgraduate year. He thrived socially and academically at VA and his proudest moment was being invited back the following year to address the VA graduating class. He loved reading, researching his genealogy and his grandfather’s military achievements. He loved debating, animals, and was a member of the First Congregational Church. He was kind, sensitive and thoughtful. He was a strong person who worked hard and bravely faced great and numerous adversities. He is survived by his parents; his brother.
Marie L. Wright Marie L. Wright, former Vermont Academy employee passed away on August 18, 2010 following a three year battle with leiomyosarcoma. Marie worked in the VA Development Office from 1989-1997, and was an active member of the VA Parents Association while her son, Jonathan Wright ’93 was a student. Marie’s greatest joy and responsibility was as a mother to her seven children. In addition, she nurtured several foster children in her home and was considered a mother and friend to many of the children in the village. In addition to her husband, Norman, Marie leaves her seven children and their families, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
2010 ALUMNI EVENT HIGHLIGHTS >
Burlington, VT
L to R: Teddy Maggiani ’06, Adam Rumsey ’96, Bill Dunn ’63, Jeff Berger, David and Diane Merrill P ’11, Lindsay McFillin, guest, Sue Tschorn ’85, Zach Jandl ’06, Sean Brennan, Nancy Berger, Tom Royer, Peter Riegelman ’75, Michelle Holton, Marina Berger, Tom Oxholm ’82, David Holton ’68, Sheila Royer, Jill Hutchins, Molly Gabarro, Tim Peters ’97, Roberta O'Donnell, Ramsey Hoehn ’97, Chuck Edgerton ’85
>
Westport, CT: November
L to R (seated): Rob Sollmann ’70, Ellen Bonner, Bob Harrington, Carolyn Salzman, guest, Michelle Wells ’87, Ella Bullock McIntosh ’86 L to R (standing): Bob Scholl ’50, Tom Oxholm ’82, Jim Bamman ’76, Sean Brennan, Dave Bonner, Teri Green, Ty Tregellas, Mara Arzi, Jeff Salzman, Cathy Savocca, Jeff Green, Teryn McCarthy ’89, Dave Hodgson ’89, Chris Hamilton ’89
>
Wildcat Scramble
Far left (L to R): Carolyn Boday, Don Adams ’57, Dave Johnson P ’12, Shelby Johnson ’12 Middle: Keith Handler ’82, P ’10, ’12, ’13 Far right (L to R): Bill Shields, Ed Donnellan P ’06, ’07, Bob Nutile ’68, Whitney Gay ’67
SAVE THE DATES! UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS... >
> March 19th: San Jose, CA
> April 5th: Boston, MA
> March 20th: Los Angeles, CA
> May 1st: Red Sox (Vermont Day)
> March 22nd: Salt Lake City, UT
> May 2nd: Portland, ME
> March 24th: Denver, CO
> July 25th: Wildcat Scramble
To register online for events and to view pictures of past events, go to: www.vermontacademy.org/ alumni/events
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